Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 168 - Swallowing Pride

"Please help me, Lady Scarlet."

"I shall admit that your ability to swallow your pride when it matters is impressive, Dame Medrauta, but no matter how many times you ask me, my answer will always remain the same." Lady Scarlet sat across from the silver-haired knight, a cup of tea in hand. She set it down elegantly, the fine porcelain barely making a noise even in the silence of the tent.

Medrauta grit her teeth, lowering her head to hide the desperation in her face. "...Why?"

"I already explained it to you, did I not? You are a knight, Dame Medrauta. You bear no Crest and cannot, thus you cannot learn to manipulate mana. It is a simple fact of nature that neither of us can do anything about."

At that, Medrauta had no choice but to remain silent. The circumstances of her birth certainly weren't up to her, and even her muddled childhood memories still only halfway resurfaced told her there was little she truly controlled even after entering the world. Yet, it was those very memories which gave her the tiny sliver of hope she still clung onto.

The immediate encounter against the Walpurgisknight after ascending the shield tower coupled with the urgency of the war had given Medrauta little time to contemplate her returning memories, especially when they were still so hazy and jumbled. It was only now that Medrauta and her allies received some breathing room with the mass destruction of the witchspawn's main force, allowing them to take a brief respite as they waited for the supply unit from the Revelo duchy to catch up.

With new supplies and reinforcements, life at the camp had become much less spartan, especially for nobles like Scarlet. Armed once more with a proper wardrobe, tea and biscuits, and an assortment of rugs and furniture that decorated the interior of her tent, the noblewoman exuded a new level of opulence even during wartime.

"If there's nothing else, I must invite you to take your leave, Dame Medrauta. Now that my things are here, I shall be quite busy managing my garments and—"

"Managing your garments...?" Medrauta's voice was barely louder than a whisper, yet the rage and frustration that seethed from her words were almost palpable. "Viviane's been unconscious for two days and you'd rather manage your garments instead of—"

"If I could have done something, I would have done it already, Dame Medrauta." Scarlet's violet eyes flashed with vivid anger as she held Medrauta's gaze. "Do you truly think I would simply sit still and refuse to help my one and only friend? Of course not. I am controlling my emotions because I know that there is nothing else I can do for her. You are throwing a tantrum because you cannot do anything other than that."

"So are you, my lady." Eris slipped through the tent flap, interrupting before Medrauta could lash out with a retort. She carried a bundle of clothes in one hand and a bag of assorted supplies in the other. She set her things down on a nearby recliner and made her way to Scarlet's side. "But that aside, you don't see me as a friend? I'm hurt."

"W-What are you talking about, Eris!? You know that's not what I meant!"

"Oh? What did you mean then, my lady? Please do tell me. I'm quite curious." Eris smirked, leaning closer to Scarlet.

Medrauta squinted, the anger within her slowly dissipating as she witnessed Eris' uncharacteristically bold behavior. She knew the other knight had managed to make up with Scarlet after the whole heart-to-heart they had several nights ago, but she had no idea their relationship had progressed so far already.

"Look, Lady Scarlet. I don't care if you wanna play dress up on your own time or flirt with your knight, but I'm serious about this." Medrauta said. "I know I'm a knight, and because of that, you don't think I can use mana. But—"