Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 91 - Tense Arrival

"Things look worse than I expected."

"Do you think we'll have to fight our way in?" Viviane asked worriedly.

Medrauta and Viviane had managed to reach Revelo duchy far ahead of schedule in comparison to their previously planned three day trip. By stopping only briefly throughout the journey and continuing to press on even during nightfall, they had managed to reach the duchy gates within one and a half days, their rushed advance cutting the travel time in half.

Unfortunately, their early arrival was not greeted with a warm welcome. Not that they expected one. Even so, they hadn't expected for the duchy's border to be swarming with soldiers. The immense metal gates set into the thick defensive walls that bordered the duchy were firmly closed, the evening sun glinting harshly off the gates' black metal.

High above on the ramparts of the walls were lines upon lines of soldiers all armed with bows. With only a casual glance, Medrauta counted at least two hundred, but she was sure that she'd spot more if she kept counting. While it was normal for a duchy to protect their borders, the amount of soldiers that had been posted at the gate was more than unnatural.

In the first place, this was the duchy's interior border gate that connected to the capital, meaning that it was primarily used by merchants, nobles, and other travelers. A regular platoon of guards posted at the gate would have more than sufficed, but right now, the entirety of the wall's ramparts were crawling with soldiers.

A duchy assigning so many armed men to the interior border could only signal one thing: they were preparing to stage a rebellion.

Medrauta shook her head at the mere thought. "At a time like this...? That's crazy," she muttered.

"Hm? What's crazy?" Viviane asked.

Medrauta spent a moment debating whether or not she should share such grim thoughts with Viviane before nodding once. Had Viviane still been as meek and fragile as she was back when they'd first met, Medrauta probably would've decided against it.

It's obvious that Lady Sakura and Sir Riku's dubious status is still heavy on her mind, Medrauta mused as she studied her lady's face. But she's stronger now. Much stronger.

The knight couldn't help but feel a surge of pride when she gazed upon Viviane's newfound confidence. In only the span of a few months, her beloved lady had grown into such a fine noblewoman and quite the deadly archer as well.

"...Is something wrong, Medrauta?"

"Ah!" Medrauta's gaze slid away apologetically. "No, I was just... enraptured by your beauty for a moment there."

"G-Geez!" Viviane blushed, pouting. "Be serious! You took one look out the window and started brooding! There's definitely something wrong, isn't there!?"

"It's just... Well, how about you come over here and sit next to me so you can see for yourself? You probably won't even need me to explain once you see it."

"If you say so," Viviane replied as she complied, squeezing next to Medrauta.

While the carriage's seats were upholstered and comfortable, the vehicle's seating area was rather cramped as a result of prioritizing the inclusion of a luggage compartment. An unfortunate situation really, considering the fact that the two lovers had only brought the barest of survival necessities.

"What the..." Viviane's voice trailed off, her eyes widening as she witnessed the teeming mass of soldiers milling about atop the border walls. "Is Lord Bastiche planning on staging a rebellion or something!?"

"...That's what I was thinking too." Medrauta said, continuing to look out the window. Although it would take the carriage around ten more minutes to actually reach the gates, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous about the complete lack of cover.