Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 164 - Colossal Absence

"We didn't see the behemoth anywhere."

Viviane frowned upon hearing Medrauta's words. She had been sequestered in the treeline during much of the battle, standing on a roughly constructed wooden platform behind the shield wall and the formation of soldiers braced behind them. Although she had a wide view of the battlefield, she couldn't see very far as she was preoccupied with the need to supply supporting fire for the troops.

Occupied only with what was occurring within the immediate vicinity of the front line, Viviane had spent a few free moments attempting to spot the behemoth and aim a well-placed shot at the beast, but it hadn't reared its enormous head at all. Originally, she assumed that the titanic monster was simply nestled much further back in the witchspawn army's rear, but with Medrauta's latest report, she knew that simply wasn't the case.

"But... Why?" Viviane asked, lacking a better question. "The creature didn't appear to have any issues with mobility. If anything, it was moving quicker than its much smaller counterparts as it advanced with great strides. All the witchspawn should have been advancing toward our position, no?"

"Did you want us to fight the behemoth on the first day?" Eris asked, her tone surprisingly sharp. The blonde-haired knight was tremendously tired after having been forced to cover the length of the front line alone. Though Viviane's bandaged fingers had caught her eye, it was that very reason which displeased Eris. As someone who had also taken part in the battle, Viviane should have been thankful that the behemoth had been absent, not pondering why it hadn't descended upon them yet.

But those were the thoughts of a battle-weary junior knight. The five senior knights sprawled across the ground inside the command tent eyed Eris with criticizing glares, silently spurning her acidic tone. They knew she was young and tired, but they were older than she and exhausted, and they found Eris' lack of appreciation for Viviane's tactical acumen quite worrying.

"Eris. Please do mind your tone." Scarlet said as she watched Medrauta bristle. "I understand that we have all had a rather exhausting day today, but Lady Viviane is only looking out for our well-being. The absence of the behemoth today means that it may show up tomorrow or appear in an unexpected location. Surely you understand that we must prepare in advance for such circumstances, yes?"

Eris nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly as she realized her error. Despite her experience serving Scarlet during the Avimorne duchy's civil war, she hadn't spent much time in the command tent or the presence of tacticians nor had she properly served a noble during her time at the Imperial Academy. This left her ignorant to much of the foresight that the senior knights and even Medrauta had developed, but fortunately for her, she was a quick learner.

Eris bowed, dipping her head toward both Scarlet and Viviane in apology. "I'm sorry, Lady Viviane."

Viviane shook her head, offering Eris an almost luminous smile that managed to restore some of the energy she'd lost in the heated battle that concluded just thirty minutes ago. "It's quite alright, Dame Eris. After all, you haven't had anything to eat yet have you? And I know exactly how ravenous knights can be after a battle."

Eris grinned, glad to see that the noblewoman wasn't keen on holding a grudge. She flicked her gaze toward Medrauta. "Something tells me you've got a lot to do with that."

"Maybe a little." Medrauta returned the smile. She rubbed her tummy, realizing that she'd been pumped so full of adrenaline that she'd completely forgotten to pick up some food after returning from the front lines. Instead, she'd opted to make a beeline for Viviane, giving her lady a tight embrace immediately once the battle ended. She then followed her to the command tent, not even stopping outside the quartermaster's tent to pick up some rations.