Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 190 - No Time Wasted

"No wonder they're stuck around the Spire."

Medrauta shook her head in amazement as she looked at the strategic map that was sprawled out before her on a wide table. Several figures indicating troop placements and fortifications dotted its vast parchment expanse, all of them seemingly positioned for a final attack.

"I was pretty surprised at how small the witchspawn presence was in the capital," she said.

"I do know what I'm doing sometimes," Eirlys said dryly, raising an eyebrow. "Or did you think this was the first witchspawn breakout to ever occur in the empire?"

"Actually, yeah." Medrauta shrugged. "The situation in the other duchies was so chaotic and unprepared that it really did seem like this was the first time we were dealing with such a problem."

"Fair enough. We've dealt with witchspawn incursions before, but not something of this scale, and certainly not an entire tower bursting out of nowhere in the capital city. However, if this mission is successful, then you'll become the first knights to overcome such a great threat. It's a great honor."

Medrauta laughed, shaking her head. "Sounds more like we're guinea pigs for the senior knights. You comin' to collect my corpse after the dust settles?"

"M-Medrauta!" Viviane slapped her knight's arm in admonishment. "That's rude!"

Eirlys grinned, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it. We knights joke about this kind of thing all the time. Besides, she's not exactly wrong."

"Huh...? What do you mean?" Viviane frowned.

"Make no mistake, Lady Viviane. And the same goes for the two of you as well, Lady Rosaline and Lady Estelle." Eirlys paused, her tone becoming deathly serious. She held each noblewoman's gaze for several seconds, ensuring they were paying the utmost attention. "This is uncharted territory. Never before have we encountered anything like this even in history. That is why I will give you all the choice to decline this time. If you wish, you may withdraw from this operation immediately."

"No need." Medrauta answered instantly. "I think I speak for my lady when I say we'll see this through to the very end. If I don't give that bitch Amelia a piece of my mind now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

"Medrauta is right. I do not know why Amelia wished ruin upon our nation, but I will not stand still and watch someone else save it for me." Viviane said, stepping forward resolutely.

Eirlys nodded, glancing at Rosaline and Leticia. The two bore fierce expressions of pure determination. Strengthened and refined by their experiences in the civil war of the south and their push to the capital that involved the siege of three shield towers, Rosaline and Leticia both refused to back down despite knowing full well the responsibilities they would shoulder.

"We stand with Lady Viviane and Dame Medrauta." Rosaline said, her voice firm and unwavering. Beside her, Leticia nodded in assent, conveying her resolve to Eirlys through her body instead of her words.

Estelle and Rosette responded in kind, their will to finish the fight also unshakeable. Viviane couldn't tell what exactly it was about Estelle, but something about her had changed drastically. It was almost as if she were willing to dive into the battlefield, unarmored and unarmed despite her frail and delicate body, solely for the sake of proving her worth.

Likewise, Medrauta also noticed that Rosette was vastly different compared to the knight she was before. Though the two had only dueled once, the silver-haired knight could tell instantly that Rosette no longer felt the need to hold herself back. She had clearly undergone some sort of revelation, but even Medrauta couldn't guess as to its nature.