Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 157 - Thawing Snowflower

The prelude to a match at the Imperial Academy was always impressive, but it seemed that the match organizers had decided to take their usual theatrics to a whole new level today. A fanfare of trumpets punctuated the air, filling it with an elevating feeling of grandiosity as marigold petals rained down on the spectators entering the arena.

"Look who it is," Belita grinned. "I can't believe Eris Grail is gracing us with her presence in the stands today instead of training right before her match."

"Oh, shut up." Eris rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "I got tired of hearing you nag, so I thought I'd do you a favor and watch the matches with you until it's my turn to fight. Besides, not even Aluvsha could make me miss Lady Scarlet's debut!"

Belita nodded approvingly, her long brown curls bouncing against her shoulders as she did so. "Speaking of matches, they're really pulling out all the stops today, huh? It wasn't this fancy even when the imperial princess had her debut match. We've got petals, music, and even refreshments."

"I guess it probably has something to do with the length of the event. We've got five matches in a row today and Lady Scarlet's in two of them. Plus, the imperial princess is watching her best friend's debut that's going to be followed up by a second match. This is probably just her way of supporting Lady Scarlet." Eris shrugged, her eyes drifting toward the direction of the princess' private luxury box. Though the area was enclosed in gold-framed glass, her keen vision could make out the opulent furniture within and even the worried frown on the princess' otherwise perfect face.

Belita nodded in agreement, her lips parting to respond only to be interrupted by another series of sharp notes from the ensemble. As a knight, she knew this sequence well. It was the melody that signaled the start of the first match. A loud, sonorous voice swept across the stadium as the sound of instruments faded away, announcing the combatants of the first match as they stepped forth from their gates.

First came Lady Scarlet and her knight, Sir Lucas. Clad in a resplendent silver dress that could've been mistaken for the most beautiful suit of armor ever crafted, Scarlet strode into the arena with her head held high. Her very presence exuded confidence and pride as if she were a goddess who brought victory to all those that followed in her footsteps. Behind her trailed her knight, his face obscured by the helmet he wore.

"...So that's Sir Lucas." Belita murmured. "I was wondering who in the entire academy would be granted the privilege of being Lady Scarlet's knight, but he doesn't look too special to me."

Eris nodded in agreement. Lady Scarlet had refrained from taking part in any matches until now, citing the excuse of not having a knight. Unfortunately, her status and reputation acted as a double-edged sword, making it extremely difficult for her to continue declining challenges while also preserving her image. After learning that Lady Scarlet had been forced to take a knight before she could make good on her promise, Eris was initially distraught, her despair quickly turning into envy when her request to meet the noblewoman's knight had been flatly rejected.

Although she despised herself for harboring such emotions, that envy quickly fueled Eris' desire to grow stronger. With an almost desperate fervor, she pushed her body to its limits over the course of a mere two weeks, rapidly reforging the very nature of her being and becoming one of the finest knights in the academy in terms of pure combat ability. Although she had yet to test those skills in the arena, she hadn't lost a single duel since.

"For someone as average as him to become Lady Scarlet's knight... It's almost unforgivable." Eris said, her voice seething with rage. Her hands clenched into tight fists as her heartbeat accelerated. Of course, she understood that Lady Scarlet had practically been forced to select a knight, but she didn't understand why it had to be him.