Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 144 - The Last Paladin

"Mama!"

"Hm? What is it, dear?" A woman with long, silver hair turned to face her daughter with a tender smile carrying the warmth of a tight embrace. Her startling blue eyes conveyed a sense of pride and joy, but also an inkling of loneliness as if she'd resigned herself to a fate she did not desire.

Her daughter grinned, clinging onto her mother's arm tightly. It was rare that her mother was home for so long, and even rarer that she actually had time to spend with her daughter. The child rubbed her cheek against her mother's arm, grateful for the presence of a parental figure at last. She had no idea where her father was or if she even had a father in the first place. Ever since she was born, it had always just been the two of them.

"Mama, tell me a story! I wanna hear about the time you—"

Three sharp knocks came from the door, interrupting the child's sentence. While she might've cried and complained before, this was something she had long become accustomed to. Even on days where her mother was home, work never stopped chasing her. She had no idea what exactly her mother's job was, but fantastic stories always followed her mother home.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Give mommy a second, okay? I'll be right back."

The young girl nodded, giving her mother a bright smile to emphasize that she was alright. Of course, her mother saw through the gesture with ease. It was obvious, after all. No child could truly be alright with having their mother being taken away again and again, especially during the rare moments that they could spend with each other. With a heavy heart, the woman returned her daughter's smile with one of her own, patting her daughter's head before heading toward the door.

"Morgana." The door opened to reveal a short woman carrying a long and thick staff that was twice her size. Intricately carved and ornately decorated with a generous assortment of gems and precious metals, the staff was a stark contrast to the woman's simple sense of fashion. Her gleaming eyes were that of a metallic silver, and her hair was a dark blue reminiscent of an expensively dyed leather wrap around the hilt of an equally expensive sword.

"Merlynne." Morgana responded with an equally flat tone, placing her hands on her hips in an effort to convey her annoyance. Her bright blue eyes pierced into Merlynne's silver, attempting to probe the shorter woman's true intentions for visiting her abode. It wasn't as if this was the first time Merlynne had dropped by, but her every appearance heralded distasteful news.

"How rude. Are you not going to invite me inside?"

"Why would I?" Morgana raised an eyebrow. "You know I'd never place sharp tools next to a child."

Merlynne's eyes narrowed, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "Is that what I am now? A tool?"

"Weren't you always?" Morgana laughed humorlessly. "To merely breathe does not equate to living, Merlynne. I thought you would know that best."

Merlynne paused, her eyes searching Morgana's stone-faced expression. Outwardly, the silver-haired woman bore no hostility, but Merlynne could sense the irritation brewing within Morgana, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to be unleashed. Merlynne would not give her the chance or the satisfaction. After all, she hadn't come to banter nor provoke Morgana.

The pitter-patter of light footsteps echoed from within the house as Morgana's daughter left her seat, heading toward the front door in an effort to discover the reason behind the prolonged delay in her mother's return.

"Mama? Who's—" The child flinched instinctively as she laid eyes on Merlynne's form, cowering in fear. She couldn't even breathe. It wasn't that the woman was profoundly revolting to look at, nor was Merlynne's visage particularly frightening. Though her silver eyes and bright blue hair were certainly unusual, they weren't nearly enough to frighten anyone.