Medrauta and Viviane's return to the main force had been swift. Although they would've liked to enjoy their time alone for just a little longer, the situation had changed drastically once the enemy forces came into sight. A mass of witchspawn was present as expected, but there was something far more concerning mixed into their midst.
"It seems that our arrival was rather auspicious then," Scarlet remarked after Viviane and Medrauta concluded their report."We'll send a group of four scouts to monitor their advance. We should meet them by evening."
Medrauta nodded in satisfaction. Although she wasn't keen on throwing herself back into battle so soon, knowing that she would need to fight the witchspawn only briefly for the first day was refreshing. "At the speed I saw 'em moving, I reckon it'll be two hours before sundown at most by the time we clash."
"Maybe a little less if we slow down our own advance," Viviane said. "There's a large forest up ahead. We won't be able to take advantage of our cavalry there, but it'll give us a good place to fall back to if we meet the witchspawn just outside the treeline."
Scarlet nodded approvingly. "We shall hold them there, then." She looked to her side, her gaze commanding Captain Vale's attention even before she spoke. "Captain Vale. Signal the men. Our march begins anew."
The captain quickly saluted before rushing off to rouse the resting men. As Medrauta watched the armored back of Captain Vale disappear behind the hastily set-up tents, a thought that had gone previously unnoticed to her now surfaced in her mind. She turned to Scarlet, scrutinizing the woman carefully.
"Yes?" Scarlet met Medrauta's eyes as the knight's gaze fell upon her, speaking first and seizing the initiative of the conversation as she sensed an imminent interrogation.
"I know I asked before, but I really am curious, Lady Scarlet." Medrauta began, pressing on despite the noblewoman's guarded expression. "Just how do you plan on dealing with the witchspawns' regeneration? I'm not even sure how Viviane and I do it, but apparently you and Lady Rosaline both have it figured out and so does Lady Estelle and Rosette."
"...I'm afraid I don't see what your point is, Dame Medrauta."
"I'm saying that it's pretty weird for you to hide information like that. If you've found a way to deal with their regeneration, shouldn't you be sharing it with the troops?" Medrauta asked with a frown. Due to the nature of their enemies, all the soldiers had abandoned their usual gear, wielding bear spears and large shields instead. Heavy, durable, and equipped with a thick crosspiece under the head, they were the perfect tool for holding back the nigh-unending tide of witchspawn.
Unfortunately, such tactics would only allow the soldiers to delay the advance of the monsters while they waited for Medrauta and Viviane to slay them. If Scarlet truly had a method of dealing with the witchspawn, Medrauta could only wonder why exactly she was holding back such vital information.
Scarlet's rosy lips formed a perfect line, her expression of displeasure still managing to look attractive somehow. Medrauta frowned, her eyes narrowing at the noblewoman's silence. She was clearly hiding something, and the knight was prepared to uncover those secrets at any cost.
"Lady Scarlet, you should know I'm not asking for myself. This is something that can be used to save countless lives in the coming battle." Medrauta crossed her arms.
"I must agree with my knight here, Lady Scarlet." Viviane added. "I refrained from asking out of respect, but the situation has changed. I do not think Medrauta and I will be able to manage both the safety of the troops and the behemoth we saw, and I doubt you and Dame Eris can fight off all the witchspawn by yourselves. The time for secrets has passed, Lady Scarlet."
Scarlet bit her lip lightly, an almost imperceptible motion that Viviane and Medrauta could only pick up thanks to their keen sight. The words of Medrauta's report echoed in Scarlet's ears, a report that had been given mere minutes ago. During their scouting expedition, Viviane and Medrauta had encountered a great behemoth that towered over the rest of the witchspawn. Standing tall on its hind legs, the enormous beast had seemed almost humanoid in nature, a fact that the pair made clear.
Worse yet, the behemoth had been spotted wielding two colossal swords forged from pitch-black steel, hinting at a heightened intelligence compared to its cohorts. Viviane was right. The time for secrets had come to an end, but as Scarlet's lips parted and prepared to divulge the information she had hidden, she was interrupted abruptly by the approach of her knight, Eris.
Eris crossed her arms, standing beside Scarlet protectively. The knight's viridian eyes fixed themselves on Medrauta. Almost as if she had sensed her lady's discomfort, Eris had made a beeline to Scarlet's position not long after Medrauta began her line of questioning, and her arrival now threatened to bring the discussion to a halt.
"Lady Viviane. Medrauta. It's rare that I get to see my lady look so conflicted. Just what have you three been discussing in my absence?" Eris asked.
"I see the two of you managed to make up last night," Medrauta said.
"Of course." Eris shrugged, raising an eyebrow. "Why would you think otherwise?"
Medrauta simply grunted in response, unwilling to let Eris throw her off when she had been so close to receiving an answer from Scarlet. "Whatever. It's a good thing you're here, actually. Maybe the two of you might want to tell us just how you've managed to deal with the regenerative abilities of the witchspawn and why you haven't told any of the soldiers."
Eris bristled. "Lady Scarlet does not need to ans—"
"...No, Eris." Scarlet raised a hand, silencing Eris. "It's only fair that we inform them of the truth. Besides, they will discover it for themselves soon... And it is not as if we cannot trust them."
"V-Very well, my lady. But... If you insist, could we please do so elsewhere? I don't think it's wise to speak of this in front of the soldiers. Particularly Captain Vale."
"Captain Vale...? Ah. Right. That happened last night." Scarlet nodded, gesturing for her knight to lead the way toward a more secluded area. Even if she did trust Medrauta and Viviane, Eris had brought up an important point. Based on how Captain Vale and the soldiers reacted to the books within the shield tower and their willingness to raise their weapons against Viviane, Scarlet concluded that this was definitely something she wished to discuss far away from the troops.
Stopping behind a small formation of rocks that served to shield them from sight, the four faced each other. Viviane stood by Medrauta's side, watching Scarlet carefully. Despite Scarlet's apprehensive expression, Viviane was determined to find out the truth. Just like Medrauta, she was particularly worried about the coming battle after seeing the massive witchspawn behemoth marching toward their position.
"Well?" Medrauta prompted, raising an eyebrow.
Scarlet nodded, her lips still a thin red line. "Yes, yes. There's no need to rush me," she said in a slightly irritated tone. As she took a deep breath and steeled herself before revealing her secrets, everyone else focused their attention toward Scarlet's parting lips.
Surprisingly, both Medrauta and Viviane found themselves feeling somewhat nervous, wondering just what the nature of Scarlet's secret would be. After all, the two of them had only seen the confident persona that she adopted in front of others, and though Viviane was more familiar with Scarlet's more relaxed personality when around those she was comfortable with, the raven-haired noblewoman still managed to exude complete elegance and confidence no matter the situation. But now, Scarlet appeared more than just hesitant. In fact, she even seemed slightly afraid.
"You see... The method that Eris and I use cannot be shared with others because it stems from my Crest." Scarlet began tentatively. "But that is not the reason why I have neglected to share such information with you or the soldiers."
Medrauta nodded, waiting patiently for Scarlet to elaborate. She wasn't entirely sure why there was all this secrecy surrounding the noblewoman's Crest, but based on the teleportation ability she saw, the silver-haired knight could make some guesses.
"As you saw during our encounter with the Walpurgisknight, my Crest is capable of teleporting Eris wherever I please. However, its ability is not simply teleportation." Scarlet raised her left hand up, displaying the faint spiral-shaped mark on the back. "My Crest ranks among the most blasphemous of all: the power to control space itself."
"...A Fundamental Crest." Viviane whispered.
"A Fundamental Crest?" Medrauta frowned as she turned to Viviane. The two had spent ample time at the academy's library before the war, but never had they come across such a term before.
"I see you wasted no time in perusing the shield tower's library." Scarlet said. "Indeed, what I bear is one of the two 'Fundamental Crests' as they were called in the older days before the church managed to cement their influence in the empire."
"It's because the Crest represents one of the fundamental elements that comprise the world," Viviane explained briefly. "Space and time."
"So... Wouldn't that make Lady Rosaline's Crest the other Fundamental Crest?" Medrauta asked. "I mean, she can reverse time and ev—Oh. Shit."
Scarlet couldn't help but smile as she observed the look of horror on Medrauta's face. The knight's blue eyes were wide, her hands covering her mouth as if attempting to take back the words that'd spilled out moments before. "Worry not, Dame Medrauta. I am already more than aware of Lady Rosaline's capabilities. I am the one who helped her refine them, after all."
Despite Scarlet's words, Medrauta still felt as if she had done something wrong. Scarlet already being aware of Rosaline's was one thing, but she had promised not to speak of Rosaline's secret to anyone. That was a conversation she would need to have with Rosaline later, but for now, something else occupied her attention.
"Hold on, Lady Scarlet. I remember you said that Dame Rosette and her lady were capable of slaying the beasts as well, correct? Was that due to some sort of ability Isabella gave them or what?"
Scarlet shook her head. "No. That is not something for me to say. Dame Rosette has requested that we keep her abilities a secret for the time being."
"More secrets? You've gotta be kidding me." Medrauta clicked her tongue in annoyance. "We're fighting against literal monsters and people around us are still more worried about keeping their secrets... But I guess yours is reasonable enough given how Captain Vale and the soldiers reacted over a bunch of books. I'm guessing Rosette's got something blasphemous up her sleeve too?"
"Actually, Medrauta raises a good point." Viviane interjected. One delicate finger was placed on the bottom of her chin, her brow furrowed in deep thought. "I assume Dame Leticia can slay the witchspawn as well?"
Scarlet nodded, confirming the fact. "So long as she is bearing Lady Rosaline's Crest."
"I thought as much. Logically, one would think that it is the power of the fundamental forces that unravels the witchspawn's foul magic, but what of Dame Rosette? What of Medrauta? And most importantly, what of me? As a noble, I cannot bear a Crest, yet my arrows slay witchspawn as easily as they do any other creature."
"I am afraid I do not have the answers you seek, Lady Viviane. Regrettably, my knowledge on this matter should be roughly equivalent to your own, but know that I have divulged all my secrets already. However, I must say one thing..."
"Yes?"
"You seem somewhat... different compared to the last time we met. Almost as if you have become sharper. You've gained a bladelike quality, perhaps?" Scarlet said as she took a step forward, inspecting Viviane more carefully. "Yes, that certainly is the right word. You're almost like a sword... waiting to be sharpened."
"What are you playing at, Lady Scarlet?" Medrauta frowned, stepping between Viviane and Scarlet. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped ogling my lady and saying weird things."
"I must agree, Lady Scarlet." Eris said, much to Medrauta's surprise. "I would also prefer that you stopped staring at Lady Viviane so much. It's rather lewd."
"W-What!?" Scarlet backed up rapidly, her cheeks turning a rosy shade. Although Eris had seen Scarlet's embarrassed state more than once, this was the first time Medrauta and Viviane had seen the normally unflappable noblewoman so flustered, and they found it quite amusing. "I'll have you know that there was nothing le—"
Before Scarlet could finish defending herself, the sound of snapping twigs rang through the air, accompanied by the rustle of just-crushed grass. Captain Vale made his way around the boulder, coming into view of the four who were on the cusp of finishing up their discussion.
"Oh, uh... Am I interrupting something, Lady Scarlet?" Captain Vale said hesitantly.
Immediately, the twin red spots on Scarlet's cheeks faded, disappearing as though they had never existed in the first place. She stared at the captain imperiously, her violet eyes sharpening as they pierced through him.
"Not at all. We were just concluding our meeting. Are the troops ready to march?" Scarlet asked.
"Y-Yes, my lady!" Captain Vale saluted. Although the situation certainly didn't demand such formality, there was simply something in the noblewoman's gaze that compelled his body to do so automatically.
"Signal the beginning of the march. We will ride at the front."
Captain Vale bowed and hurried off, disappearing behind the boulder once more. When she was sure he was gone, Scarlet finally turned back to Viviane and Medrauta, but the two were already making their way to their horses.
She sighed. Eris offered her a casual shrug accompanied by a smile.
"Shall we get going, my lady?" Eris asked.
"Yes. Let us not fall behind."