Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 94 - Their First Night

"...That's both worrying and relieving, somehow."

Medrauta nodded in agreement. Both she and Viviane had just finished speaking with one of the inn's patrons and were now relaxing in their room.

The innkeeper had come out personally to thank them before they entered their room, gifting them with a basket filled with freshly roasted brisket which was a welcome surprise given that they'd only had rations to eat while on the road.

During their conversation with the patron, Medrauta and Viviane had learned Sakura and Riku's escape took an awkward path. Their first thought had been to rush back to the interior gate, but alas their plan had been foiled when they arrived, finding it far more heavily guarded than anticipated. Surprisingly, they'd managed to hide here in Ancide for a few days and even make friends with some of the locals before being informed that Orinth was a much better place to lay low.

"Normally, I'd be a little suspicious about how convenient it turned out to be, but I do suppose that Orinth is the place to hide in this duchy. With them and Dame Marilyn hiding out in the same town, it's only a matter of time before someone gets caught, but at the very least, we know where they are now. Problem is, so does Bastiche."

"And he's likely got a head start on us already," Viviane pointed out. "Probably why he's mandated such an early curfew. I'm not sure what the duchy's food storages are looking like, but if he's forcing the farmers to stop working so early, it can't be looking good."

"That's for sure," Medrauta replied as she took a bite of the brisket. "This whole thing's been going on way before we arrived, so his stockpile's probably going to run out in a couple days. Might be a good thing, actually."

"Medrauta!" Viviane exclaimed, surprised at the cruel-sounding statement that Medrauta had so casually uttered. "How can you say that!? If the duchy's stockpiles are gone, the people will starve!"

"What? Of course I know that!" Medrauta said, confused as to why Viviane was reacting so strongly. "But the farmland is all situated far from the capital. I mean, I don't remember perfectly, but Dietrich, Jacynth, and Verda fiefs are the agricultural territories. If the stockpiles are exhausted, the capital's gonna feel it first."

"...Medrauta. There're citizens in the capital too. Even if they're nobles in league with Lord Bastiche, do you really think it's alright for them to starve?"

Medrauta couldn't help but laugh as she finally realized what Viviane had thought she meant. It was so far detached from her original intent that she found it incredibly silly. I guess it makes sense to Vivi, though... After all, she's a noble and I'm a knight. Of course we'd think about stuff like this differently.

"H-Hey! It's not funny!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Medrauta grinned, apologizing hastily before the misunderstanding began growing bigger. "I didn't mean it that way, Vivi, I swear. What I meant was that the stockpiles are generally held inside the duchy castle, primarily for the purposes of withstanding sieges."

Viviane's eyes lit up in realization, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment as she realized she'd simply assumed Medrauta was saying something horrible without any real basis. "I-It's me who should be apologizing... I... Without asking, I thought you wanted..."

Medrauta reached out and pat Viviane's head. "Most of the classes in the noble curriculum are about logistics and resource management, right? It's pretty normal for you to think of the citizens first rather than a siege."

"That might be true, but still... I should've known better than to think that of you, Medrauta. After all, I know you well enough to know that you're not that kind of person..."