The prelude to a match at the Imperial Academy was always impressive, but it seemed that the match organizers had decided to take their usual theatrics to a whole new level today. A fanfare of trumpets punctuated the air, filling it with an elevating feeling of grandiosity as marigold petals rained down on the spectators entering the arena.
"Look who it is," Belita grinned. "I can't believe Eris Grail is gracing us with her presence in the stands today instead of training right before her match."
"Oh, shut up." Eris rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "I got tired of hearing you nag, so I thought I'd do you a favor and watch the matches with you until it's my turn to fight. Besides, not even Aluvsha could make me miss Lady Scarlet's debut!"
Belita nodded approvingly, her long brown curls bouncing against her shoulders as she did so. "Speaking of matches, they're really pulling out all the stops today, huh? It wasn't this fancy even when the imperial princess had her debut match. We've got petals, music, and even refreshments."
"I guess it probably has something to do with the length of the event. We've got five matches in a row today and Lady Scarlet's in two of them. Plus, the imperial princess is watching her best friend's debut that's going to be followed up by a second match. This is probably just her way of supporting Lady Scarlet." Eris shrugged, her eyes drifting toward the direction of the princess' private luxury box. Though the area was enclosed in gold-framed glass, her keen vision could make out the opulent furniture within and even the worried frown on the princess' otherwise perfect face.
Belita nodded in agreement, her lips parting to respond only to be interrupted by another series of sharp notes from the ensemble. As a knight, she knew this sequence well. It was the melody that signaled the start of the first match. A loud, sonorous voice swept across the stadium as the sound of instruments faded away, announcing the combatants of the first match as they stepped forth from their gates.
First came Lady Scarlet and her knight, Sir Lucas. Clad in a resplendent silver dress that could've been mistaken for the most beautiful suit of armor ever crafted, Scarlet strode into the arena with her head held high. Her very presence exuded confidence and pride as if she were a goddess who brought victory to all those that followed in her footsteps. Behind her trailed her knight, his face obscured by the helmet he wore.
"...So that's Sir Lucas." Belita murmured. "I was wondering who in the entire academy would be granted the privilege of being Lady Scarlet's knight, but he doesn't look too special to me."
Eris nodded in agreement. Lady Scarlet had refrained from taking part in any matches until now, citing the excuse of not having a knight. Unfortunately, her status and reputation acted as a double-edged sword, making it extremely difficult for her to continue declining challenges while also preserving her image. After learning that Lady Scarlet had been forced to take a knight before she could make good on her promise, Eris was initially distraught, her despair quickly turning into envy when her request to meet the noblewoman's knight had been flatly rejected.
Although she despised herself for harboring such emotions, that envy quickly fueled Eris' desire to grow stronger. With an almost desperate fervor, she pushed her body to its limits over the course of a mere two weeks, rapidly reforging the very nature of her being and becoming one of the finest knights in the academy in terms of pure combat ability. Although she had yet to test those skills in the arena, she hadn't lost a single duel since.
"For someone as average as him to become Lady Scarlet's knight... It's almost unforgivable." Eris said, her voice seething with rage. Her hands clenched into tight fists as her heartbeat accelerated. Of course, she understood that Lady Scarlet had practically been forced to select a knight, but she didn't understand why it had to be him.
After all, I'm so much better... Eris thought bitterly. The fact that her envious thoughts weren't wrong only made it hurt more to see Lucas take his place before Lady Scarlet's dais. Although Eris wasn't exactly the best at gauging another's skill due to her rapid improvement being the product of hellish training and ridiculous exponential growth as opposed to a more gradual slope, she could tell from Lucas' posture and stance that he was far weaker than she.
"'Almost'?" Belita grinned. "I'm surprised you're being so merciful when it's plain as day that you're the better knight, and by far. Doesn't this look like your beloved Lady Scarlet has forgotten your promise?"
Eris blushed fiercely, punching Belita in the shoulder, an act that merely elicited a chuckle from the much larger knight. Deadly as she was with her daggers, Eris' physical strength was still pitiful compared to other knights. "B-Beloved!? W-What the hell are you saying, Belita!?"
Incidentally, Eris had spoken at length about her admiration for Lady Scarlet the very night before. Waxing poetic about the raven-haired noblewoman's beauty, magnanimity, and charisma, it had become more than apparent to Belita that Eris was in fact hopelessly in love with Lady Scarlet. Though she knew that such a love was doomed thanks to the policies in the empire, it certainly didn't stop her from teasing Eris at every chance she got.
"A-And besides! S-She hasn't forgotten! I mean, it's Lady Scarlet we're talking about! She's got a perfect memory! I'm sure he's just a stand-in until I get better! I haven't gotten the chance to show her how much I've improved, after all..." Eris pouted.
"...Guess we'll just have to see about that." Belita shrugged. Personally, she didn't have much of a stake in this, but she'd like to see her friend happy. After all, there was always the possibility of getting married in a different country on the off-chance that the seemingly untouchable Lady Scarlet somehow reciprocated Eris' feelings. Traveling outside the empire's pretty much impossible thanks to the church, but if it was Lady Scarlet, she could probably obtain permission... And pretty easily too.
"Hmph! Of course! Lady Scarlet wouldn't forget about me!"
"Right, right. By the way, what's this?" Belita asked, reaching over to inspect the large bag Eris was carrying on her shoulders. Her hand didn't even get halfway before the smaller knight slapped it away in panic.
"I-It's nothing!" Eris stammered, her cheeks turning into a bright red shade and leaning away from Belita.
This only served to arouse Belita's suspicions further. It wasn't exactly unusual for a knight to carry around a bag, but she could scarcely recall Eris with one, especially one so large. What had only been mild curiosity now turned into deep interest, and the look in Belita's eyes told Eris that her chances of getting away were going to be slim.
"Eris..." Belita frowned, inching closer to Eris. "You can't be thinking of throwing something into the arena just to help out Lady Scarlet, right...?"
"O-Of course not!" Eris replied, slightly heated. "I'd never do something that would embarrass Lady Scarlet! The only thing in my bag is a bouquet that I'm going to—"
The color drained rapidly from Eris' face as Belita's lips twisted into a devilish smirk. An impish twinkle flashed through Belita's eyes as she regarded Eris' corpselike pallor, basking in amusement as she located the only source of color remaining on the smaller knight's face.
Eris' cheeks reddened even further as she awaited Belita's inevitable teasing, but for some reason, it never came. Instead, Belita simply kept staring at Eris with that mischievous gaze and roguish smirk before finally offering a single phrase.
"Good luck, Eris."
As much as she wanted to inquire about the nature of Belita's statement, Eris' attention was inexorably drawn to the arena as the match officially commenced. The sound of the arena's tiled floor cracking echoed loudly through the air as both knights burst forth from their positions to meet in the center, locking blades and pitting their strength against one another.
Even from the start, Eris could see that Lucas was struggling greatly to keep up with his opponent. The noble who had challenged Lady Scarlet was Lord Rogner, son of Marquis Ilver who presided over several baronies in the Rosenhall duchy. Bearing a simple Edict-type Crest, Rogner was not a particularly dangerous opponent for Lady Scarlet, but his knight far outmatched the noblewoman's.
Dame Judith was someone who Eris was extremely familiar with. An exemplary warrior even during her time as a squire, Judith Almisa had quickly departed from her initial knight order in the Avimorne duchy to follow her older sister who had enrolled in Avalyne Academy. Although she was unable to attempt the entrance examination due to her status as a squire, she managed to enter the legendary Dame Eirlys' Order of the Snowflower, completing her training there and becoming knighted.
For reasons unknown to Eris, Judith had found herself here at the Imperial Academy, and her presence was certainly a frightening one. In fact, Judith was one of the few knights in her year that Eris felt she would be incapable of taking on despite her newfound skill.
Lucas was being driven back rapidly now as Judith employed a terrifying fighting style that was unique only to knights who had been trained by Dame Eirlys. Employing the usage of both a greatsword and longsword simultaneously, Judith achieved something that normally should have been impossible. The massive greatsword in her right provided crushing attacks while the longsword in her left made up for the giant weapon's weaknesses, acting as an efficient tool for both defense and close-range parries.
Although it sounded awkward, Judith's execution was nothing more than exquisite. Her whirling swords were poetry given form, each swing of her blades equivalent to beautiful prose that bewildered the eyes. In contrast, Lucas' bladework was simply average. It wasn't sloppy, but neither was it exceptional. His greatsword flailed constantly in a desperate attempt to defend against Judith's overwhelming rain of blows, but he at least seemed capable of holding his ground for the moment.
Lady Scarlet's eyes narrowed as she watched her knight be unceremoniously pushed back by his opponent's powerful swings. In truth, she had already expected this outcome, instructing her knight to focus purely on defense until the time was right. Unfortunately for her, Eris had absolutely no idea about this. All the blonde-haired knight could see was Lucas being forced closer and closer to the dais.
"L-Lady Scarlet!" Eris stood from her seat, shouting unceremoniously at the noblewoman. Though her cheeks felt as though they had been lit aflame, she simply could not bear to see her beloved Lady Scarlet hurt. After all, the match would only end once a decisive blow was dealt to one of the nobles. "Don't lose!"
Lady Scarlet allowed herself a sigh before turning her gaze upward to the stands, meeting Eris' eyes with a pleasant smile. "Sir Lucas." She intoned. "Prepare to win immediately."
"Y-Yes, my lady!" Lucas cried as he desperately blocked Judith's latest blow, his sword shivering as the lady-knight's blade rammed into it.
"'Prepare to win'?" Judith scoffed. "Lady Scarlet, I bear no ill will, but even you should refrain from making such irresponsible orders. With all due respect, your knight is clearly outmatched."
Instead of replying, Lady Scarlet simply raised her hand high in the air, her Crest lightning up beautifully in a spiral of violet light that enveloped the heavens. "I lay claim to my domain and command thee: Iris!"
To the onlookers, it appeared as though Lucas had suddenly gained a burst of strength, pushing Judith away and gaining some breathing room at last. It was the first time Lady Scarlet had ever revealed her Crest in public, and though its effects seemed powerful, it looked as if her Crest's ability amounted to nothing more than enhancement, something that was not very impressive.
"...Is that all her Crest was this whole time?" One of the spectators murmured.
"How boring. I would have expected something more from the star of high society." Another remarked.
"Hey! All of you, shut up!" Eris whirled around, shouting at the ladies clustered in the seats behind her. In the face of a very angry knight, they wisely decided to silence themselves. Although Eris had a few more choice words to say, Belita quickly managed to convince her to leave it at that.
"Forward, Sir Lucas!" Lady Scarlet commanded, her voice brimming with such authority that even some of the spectators had lurched forward inadvertently.
"By your command, Lady Scarlet!" Lucas responded, exploding forth with a sudden speed that exceeded all known precedents for enhancement Crests thus far. His path drew a straight line from his position to Lord Rogner atop his dais, but as he shot toward the nobleman, he felt a dull impact against his ribs and something cold slide across his flesh.
Judith had somehow managed to strike him during his acceleration, but it didn't matter at the moment. There would be plenty of time to inspect his wounds once the match ended.
"Haaah!" Lucas' blade darted forward, his clarion cry echoing through the air as his thrust caught Lord Rogner by the shoulder, nicking it just enough to draw blood but not veering off-course enough to be disregarded as a minor blow.
A single shrill note pierced the air, followed quickly by the match announcer's voice declaring Lady Scarlet as the victor. The result had been an unexpected one thanks to Lucas' poor performance against Judith for the whole of the match, and though Lady Scarlet was by far the more popular contender, many spectators felt Judith had been cheated out of a victory she deserved.
"Well, that's certainly something..." Belita murmured. "I can't help but feel like there's so—Whoa, where're you goin', Eris?"
Eris had already stood from her seat the moment the match concluded. She turned to Belita with a nervous smile on her face, blushing slightly as she prepared to voice her next intentions.
"I'm going to see Lady Scarlet, of course."