Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 192 - Before the Roar

The morning of the attack was a busy affair.

Medrauta reined in her horse gently, considerate of the fact that Viviane was riding with her. The noblewoman had elected to share a mount with her knight, and though she was already more than a consummate rider thanks to the rigors of war, Medrauta was still determined to provide her very important passenger a smooth riding experience.

Despite the ruined state of the city, the streets between each checkpoint were well-maintained and clear of debris, allowing them to reach Jestel Plaza without issue. Tall, circular walls of patchwork stone and wood bordered each passageway, reaching up to about twelve feet in height. According to Eirlys, it was the minimum height to deter the mindless witchspawn from taking such a route. Apparently, they prioritized attacking the academy and the academy only, causing them to seek out the quickest and most efficient route.

Thanks to such knowledge, Eirlys and the defenders of the academy had managed to create a system where the witchspawn army was funneled into specific chokepoints, nullifying their overwhelming numbers and allowing the knights to hold on for as long as they have.

Medrauta let out a low whistle as they entered the small outpost constructed in Jestel Plaza, looking at Brigitte with a gaze of awe and admiration. "You managed to build all this in thirty minutes?"

Brigitte shrugged as if it were no big deal, but the massive smile on her face and the swell in her chest told everyone that she was rather proud of her achievement. And rightly so. "Not by myself, though. I had Loretta and Emily to help, among many other knights. We were a group of around fifteen."

Medrauta shook her head in amazement. "As always, you're a genius, Brig."

"You only just realized?" Brigitte grinned.

"She says that, but you should've seen her when we first started these missions. She was moaning all abou—"

"Alright, that's enough out of you." Brigitte quickly leaned to the side and clamped her hand over Melindra's mouth, silencing the lavender-haired knight. Normally, it would've been a dangerous thing to do to someone on a massive warhorse, but this was Melindra. There simply wasn't a chance that she'd fall off.

The group of knights made their way to the makeshift stables set up in the outpost, dismounting and tethering their horses before leaving. The rest of the outpost was bustling with activity as civilians, knights, and nobles alike worked tirelessly to prepare for the coming attack. Their eyes blazed with determination and every action they took was purposeful, though Medrauta was slightly worried about the seemingly crazed smile on the faces of those who were working on the massive siege cannon Eirlys had spoken about.

Its name was the Spirecrusher, which Medrauta thought rather fitting. It could only fire a single shot before destroying itself in the process, but that shot would pave the way for the Spire before them to fall at last. The silver-haired knight nodded approvingly as she watched a group of knights heft the heavy cannonball that would serve as the weapon's payload. It was about time to rid the horizon of that ugly tower once and for all.

"This is where we split up," Brigitte said. "I've gotta meet up with Levant and help coordinate the attack on the left flank. You two've got a meeting with Lady Scarlet, yeah?"

"Her and everyone else, yeah." Medrauta nodded. "You and Mel ready to finish this?"

"Hell yeah we are," Brigitte smiled, clapping Medrauta on the shoulder. "You should've seen Esme. She was out the door the moment the sun rose."

"Explains why I didn't catch her in the mess hall this morning."

"I was gonna go too..." Melindra began. "But I couldn't wake up! Teehee~"