Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 93 - First Clue

"I told you there was no way he'd do something as evil as that..."

Medrauta breathed out a sigh of relief. Getting the man to open the door had been quite the ordeal, but she'd eventually managed it after a long verbal bout coupled with the presentation of the imperial medallion which verified her identity.

After a few minutes, the man had reluctantly opened the door, confirming he was alive and whole. Despite Viviane's casual dismissal of the possibility that Bastiche had exploited his citizens, she hadn't entirely doubted Medrauta's proposal, making the moment one of relief for both herself and her knight.

"So... Whaddya buggers want?" The man asked. He was clearly very nervous, his eyes darting to and fro while keeping one hand on the door to shut it at a moment's notice.

Normally, Medrauta would've rebuked him for such crass attitude toward Viviane, but now wasn't exactly the best time to stand on etiquette. "Sorry about all this, we just thought it was strange that there was no one in the streets."

"Strange, huh? ...What's it to you?"

"As you saw from the medallion we possess, we are on an official mission sanctioned by the crown. We would appreciate it if you could just answer a few questions," Viviane smiled courteously, laying a hand on Medrauta's forearm before the knight could fire off what was clearly going to be a brusque response.

The man sniffed, looked behind his shoulder, and then scratched his chin before shrugging. "Sure."

"Great," Medrauta forced a smile. "Could you please tell me what everyone's doing indoors? It's late afternoon, but there's no reason for the streets to be empty."

"Hell if I know," the man shrugged again. "Buncha soldiers showed up and told us to stay indoors or they'd kick our ass. Apparently the duke got done in by foreigners or somethin' and they're doin' a sweep."

After the man finished his explanation, Medrauta and Viviane exchanged a glance that carried a strange amalgamation of hope and worry.

"I was right!" Viviane exclaimed excitedly in a hushed voice. "They escaped! They escaped, Medrauta!"

Medrauta merely nodded in response, placing a hand on her lady's shoulder before Viviane could start hopping around in joy. "Thanks for the help," she said to the man. "We'll stop bothering you now."

The man began to close the door. "Take care, lassie. Nothin's been feelin' right ever since the duke's son took over."

The moment she climbed back into the carriage, Viviane let out a squeal of unrestrained joy. "They're safe! They're gonna be okay!"

"For now." Medrauta pointed out. "Let's focus on finding them before we start celebrating, alright?"

"R-Right! Where should we start?"

"Who knows? They could be anywhere at the moment, but I think searching near Dietrich fief would be a good start. It's a city center and as far as we know, Baron Dietrich is probably trustworthy. Plus, once we meet up with Krista, the search'll go a lot faster. She's got much better eyes than both of us."

"But we don't know how long it'll take for her to get here, right...? I'd rather we started now..." Viviane's brow furrowed as she occupied herself with her thoughts for a moment before her eyes lit up with an idea. "Say, Medrauta. Can I ask you something?"

""Hm? What's up?"

"You used to live in this duchy, didn't you? As an... orphan, I mean."

Medrauta shrugged, moving to sit next to Viviane before wrapping an arm around the lady and pulling her close. She'd noticed Viviane's hesitance midway through the question, and though Medrauta wasn't exactly ashamed of her past as an orphan, it still wasn't something she enjoyed talking about.