Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 101 - Unexpected Visitors

"Anybody else hear that?"

Sakura had wisely ignored Medrauta and Viviane's earlier romantic pause, choosing to focus on replenishing her ki reserves while waiting for Riku's return. Closing her eyes and tuning out the rest of the world as she became one with nature and the world itself, she had shut off much of the outside world.

However, she now found herself forced to exit her trance as a strange yet still-distant sound tugged at her attention. Though she had an inkling of what it was, she wasn't entirely sure just yet.

Viviane perked up, exiting her trance at the sound of Sakura's voice. Thanks to her incredible affinity with ki, she'd replenished a great deal of her reserves already over the past hour. "Hear what?"

In contrast, Medrauta nodded in Sakura's direction. "Glad to see I'm not going crazy. I wasn't sure if I was the only one hearing that in the distance, but it sounds kind of like..."

"...Hoofbeats?" Sakura half-asked and half-stated.

"Yeah. Hoofbeats." Medrauta confirmed. "Lots of them."

Viviane frowned. She closed her eyes, enhancing her auditory senses as she attempted to pick out any unfamiliar sounds in the distance. After a few moments, she opened her eyes once more, a thoroughly disappointed look on her face. "Well, I don't hear anything."

"I'm not surprised, Viviane." Medrauta said. "They're quite far away, and honestly, I thought I was just imagining them until Lady Sakura spoke up. I'm surprised she managed to catch the sound too."

"It is only expected of me," Sakura said. "After all, the majority of our armed forces consist of cavalry. It would be embarrassing if I did not register such a familiar sound even from a distance."

Medrauta nodded. Though she kept her expression neutral, she was actually rather surprised about the fact that Sakura—a noblewoman—was so familiar with her own country's military. The knight honestly doubted that even Princess Gwenhwyfar would be able to confidently recite the makeup of the empire's military forces.

"At least we know why there aren't any guards on the ramparts now," Medrauta remarked. "Let's hope Sir Riku returns before we run into them. I estimate they'll arrive within the next fifteen minutes or so."

"Fifteen minutes or so...?" Sakura frowned. "Isn't that a little too fast even for cavalry?"

"Not exactly," Viviane said. "Higashi is rife with steppes and undulating landscapes, so it's natural for cavalry to spend a little longer traveling through the country. However, the empire's territory is mostly flat."

"I see... That is slightly worrying. We have a way of contacting Riku, correct?" Though Sakura attempted to keep her voice calm and steady, a tinge of anxiety inevitably tainted it.

"I could probably track him down pretty quickly if I needed to," Medrauta shrugged. "Other than running around and looking for him, we don't exactly have flares, no."

Sakura pursed her lips, clearly unhappy with the situation. Despite offering no further words, the expression lingering on her face said more than enough. Viviane and Medrauta exchanged a quick glance, causing the knight to shake her head.

"I'm not leaving you, Viviane." Medrauta said, her voice unwavering. To reinforce her point, she took a step toward her lady, planting her feet firmly against the ground.

"...I'm not asking you to leave me, Medrauta. Can't we just go as a group?"

"Lady Sakura won't be able to keep up."

Viviane paused as she reconsidered her suggestion. She already knew that her knight would be adamant about leaving her alone to go search for Riku, and though her original idea was to tag along thanks to her newly replenished ki reserves, she'd failed to consider the fact that Sakura needed to be guarded as well. Unless...