Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 98 - Antidote

"...No wonder."

"What is it, Medrauta?" Riku asked, frowning.

"It's a poison made from the root of jansem, a plant that only grows in the empire," Medrauta explained.

As a knight, she had been forced to learn and memorize all sorts of poisons commonly used throughout the empire. While it was a topic that she'd thought was useless since a proper knight would never allow for their charge to be poisoned or employ poison themselves, she now found herself thankful for not falling asleep in class.

Medrauta set her implements aside, retrieving a bottle of alcohol and cloth from her bag. In order to determine what sort of poison Sakura had been affected by, Medrauta had been forced to draw a small amount of blood from the foreign noblewoman.

While Riku observed the silver-haired knight sanitize and bandage the small wound on her lady's palm where blood had been drawn, he grit his teeth, cursing himself for his own incompetence. As Sakura's knight, he should have been able to protect her from being poisoned in the first place, and failing that, he should've known how to treat her.

"...Thank you, Dame Medrauta. I am forever in your debt." Riku bowed his head.

"Are you now?" Medrauta raised an eyebrow. She could feel Sakura's hand tug lightly against her sleeve, but she paid the noblewoman no mind. The knight already knew what the foreigner's intentions were, after all. "In that case, I'd like to cash in immediately."

"I... What would you have me do?"

"It's simple, really. Remain as Lady Sakura's knight and don't embarrass yourself any further by proposing your resignation once the two of you are alone."

Medrauta's words had struck him harder than any physical blow could've. Riku flinched, speechless for a moment. "I... I wasn't—"

"You were." Medrauta met the foreign knight's gaze, her unwavering blue eyes hard and sharp like cut sapphires.

As a knight, she understood the feelings of failure festering in Riku's heart and the burdens that they brought. Even now, she was mentally berating herself for allowing Viviane to be put into the dangerous situation with that man from aboveground, but Medrauta had sworn that they would never be separated again. No matter how much she hated herself for her mistakes, she would not seek to renounce her vow. The only option she had was to push herself and improve.

"...Fine. You're right." Riku admitted. "But I have good reason to do so. I... My unpreparedness nearly cost my lady her life. If it were any other noblewoman, they would have perished already. Lady Sakura was only capable of surviving for this long due to the technique that her family developed. Worse yet, I've left my lady's life in the hands of another knight..."

"Not so," Medrauta said as she began returning the medical supplies to her bag. "I merely identified the type of poison that she'd been subject to. I haven't treated the poison at all."

"W-What!?" Riku exclaimed. "Why not!? She may still be capable of walking now, but if—"

"Calm down, Sir Riku. Do you really think I would take away your opportunity to reclaim the honor that you've lost?" Medrauta shook her head. "You seem to have forgotten that I too am a knight."

"T-Then..."

"Indeed. You will be the one who concocts and administers the cure to Lady Sakura. You... do know how to brew an antidote, yes?"

"Of course!" Riku responded in a rather heated tone, the tips of his ears red from embarrassment.

He'd been prepared to utter a retort, but stopped himself the moment he saw the smirk on Medrauta's face, realizing that the silver-haired knight was merely trying to rile him up as a form of encouragement. Instead, he merely clicked his tongue in annoyance.