Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 99 - Returning to the Surface

It was the absolute worst outcome.

Just a mere thirty minutes ago, the group was making decent progress through the tunnels. Though they ran into a few roaming bandits, the presence of two knights was more than enough to make them disperse without much incident.

Instead, the trouble started when the group passed a set of what looked like a railway track. When asked about it, Jack informed the rest of the group that they were indeed meant for vehicles, allowing individuals living in the tunnels to get through its expansive network in a more expedient fashion.

After passing by the track, their underground journey continued safely through the mines unobstructed. With a few quick turns through the familiar rocky passageways, the group was well on their way to reaching the surface.

Indeed, it was the absolute worst outcome. For Jack, that was.

He'd been emphasizing how dangerous it was to roam around the tunnels at this hour and how running into the Rat King would've been a fatal encounter for all of them. Unfortunately for him, nothing remotely dangerous had occurred other than a brief stop in their journey when Riku took a moment to throttle the man for scaring Sakura with one of his outlandish stories.

"Well, we're here." Jack addressed the rest of the group as they stopped in front of a ladder that led to the hatch above.

"Thanks for the help," Medrauta said. "Guess not everyone down here's horrible. Granted, you didn't have much of a choice."

"No, I didn't." Jack replied with a grin as he recalled how Medrauta had kept her sword pointed at him for the better part of their initial meeting. "But y'all weren't too bad yourselves, I guess."

Medrauta nodded and then gestured to Riku. "We should bring Lady Sakura up first. Get her some fresh air."

Riku nodded. "Good idea. She'll be able to replenish her ki reserves if we can get her close to an area with more greenery. That should let her walk on her own until we reach Helfried."

While Riku attempted to negotiate his way up the ladder with Sakura clinging tightly onto his back, Medrauta kept an eye on them from below. As they'd decided Viviane would go up before Medrauta, the noblewoman turned her attention to Jack who was simply standing there with nothing else to do, much like herself.

"Ah, right! We didn't get time to ask you earlier, but you mentioned that Dame Marilyn offered a deal to the people living down here, yes? May I ask what that deal was?"

Jack shrugged. "Sure. S'not like she told us to keep it secret or somethin'. Apparently, the duke's son staged some sorta coup and he's taken over the duchy. Marilyn wanted us t' help her get revenge and attack the castle."

Viviane raised an eyebrow, surprised. She'd expected the senior knight to enlist help from the criminals in one way or another after coming down to the tunnels, but she hadn't expected that Marilyn would be so blatant about the whole situation. "...And did you all agree?"

"Some of us. I did." Jack shrugged again. "Woman said she'd pardon our crimes if we helped out, and... Well, honestly, I've got quite a bit saved up in my stash. Wouldn't mind breathin' the outside air again."

Technically, Dame Marilyn doesn't have the authority to pardon them, though... Viviane decided to keep that thought unvoiced. After all, if the duke had expired and the duke's heir was a traitor, that would make the senior knight the highest authority in the duchy, albeit temporarily.

Even so, she still wouldn't have the authority to pardon crimes as a knight, but Viviane figured that the emperor probably wouldn't mind Marilyn overstepping her bounds if she succeeded in quelling a troublesome rebellion in the midst of a war.