Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 160 - Preservation

"This is beyond blasphemous, Lady Castellia. We must burn it all."

"W-What!? No! You can't!" Viviane protested loudly as she desperately pushed back against the soldiers who were attempting to force themselves into the shield tower. "This is precious history! It's what we've lost throughout the ages, Captain Vale!"

"Please stand aside, Lady Castellia." Captain Vale said. Though he kept his sword sheathed out of respect, his hand rested on its hilt, ready to draw the weapon at any second should his suspicions of Viviane's heresy grow intolerable. "I do not wish to denounce you. You have done much for us."

"Then can you not see the merit in preserving this knowledge!?" Viviane shouted, shoving away the closest soldier. With her enhanced strength that could be compared to an incredibly weak knight, but a knight nonetheless, the soldier had no chance of fighting back. "Do not approach me!"

"Lady Castellia, if you choose to fight against my men and prevent them from doing their duty, then I will have no choice but to proclaim you a heretic. Please do not make me do this, your Grace." The captain grit his teeth, the sound of steel scraping against leather ringing in the air as his sword came half-drawn out of its scabbard.

"...You would dare turn your sword against me, the acting duchess of House Castellia?" Viviane admonished. Although her heartbeat accelerated from seeing steel, she did her best to keep her expression neutral. "You overstep your bounds, Captain Vale."

"...Perhaps so, but the contents of that tower still remain blasphemous. Even our cursory inspection of it made that more than apparent." The captain said. "We cannot afford to be fighting amongst ourselves, Lady Castellia. I beg of you, please step aside. This is the last time I will ask."

Viviane bit her lip, her eyes darting around as she considered her options. Meanwhile, the ring of soldiers closed in on her once more, albeit hesitantly. ...Just how the hell did it come to this?

Just ten minutes ago, Viviane had finished catching up with Scarlet, concluding their conversation over a cup of hastily brewed tea before going their separate ways. Viviane had made a beeline toward the tacticians' tent, intent on helping out the newly arrived soldiers after her chat with Scarlet. Although she felt like she had done quite a lot over the past few weeks, Scarlet's achievements made her feel inadequate as usual, lighting a burning desire in her heart to contribute towards the upcoming battles.

Although Captain Vale had been ecstatic to see her at first, things had quickly taken a turn for the worse. With the shield tower freed from Amelia's control, the strange black substance coating its exterior had disappeared along with the destruction of the witch's black sphere, causing the structure to be easily accessible once Viviane and Scarlet had exited the tower at its base along with their knights. It was this ease of access which quickly spelled trouble for Viviane.

When the soldiers first arrived, they had busied themselves with setting up camp, procuring the night's rations, and ensuring that a proper perimeter was formed around the tower. After that, the officers occupied themselves and the troops under their command with new patrol routes, even sending out several scouting units to determine just how far away the witchspawn were now that the front line had been moved.

Unfortunately, that time had already passed soon after Viviane concluded her conversation with Scarlet. Even as she spoke with Captain Vale about the upcoming battle, soldiers and officers alike allowed their curiosity to get the better of them and began inspecting the shield tower. With its entrance wide open, the troops made their way inside the building, availing themselves to the contents of its vast library. While most of the troops failed to read the books therein, there were a few officers amongst their ranks who were well-versed in the ancient script.