XXII - Uncovered Truth

Days passed after the five girls arrived safely at their own respective cottages.

Quincy handed the Wyrm's Valor to Aurora—the Wyrm's chosen one powerful yet gentle-hearted despite her arrogance. 

She promised to keep it safe in her hands, protecting it from careless hands that might break it into thousands of pieces.

Aria officially named the hatchling Vipera, because it was one of the youngest and vulnerable of Wyrm's offspring, now officially her new companion after its parent's passing remains fresh in their minds.

But now, on a peaceful day inside the Asahi Academy, Aria was unaware, she'd brought Vipera without noticing. There were no dragons, magical creatures or any kind allowed inside the academy to prevent chaos and disasters.

The guard didn't scan Aria's satchel, he didn't realize—Vipera sneaked herself inside her bag while she spent hours searching for it—she'd accidentally brought the mischievous creature.

Aurora, her older sister, sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

Her long dark blue hair with crimson streak tied into loose ponytail, already manages her own hidden ability. 

She was wearing the same attire, from beginning to present, yet her war fan remained folded on her other hand.

Quincy covers her mouth with her hand, her ring reflecting the sunlight as she couldn't help, but to laugh. 

While Sarah stared at the glimpse of ember eyes peeking on Aria's open satchel. Its ember eyes twinkled mischievously, staring back at Sarah.

"Ugh, Aria. W-why did you bring Vipera?" Aurora scoffed to her sister, crossed her arms over her chest, her folded fan still on her hand.

"E-E-Eh?!" Aria squeaked, looking down at her open sachet, made her eyes wide in disbelief.

"A-a-a—how?! Vipera! H-H-How did you get there?"

Vipera let a cheerful chirp in response, poking its small head out—making Aria's heart flutter at a sight.

"Aww~" Sarah cooed, her dark purple eyes lighting up as she stared at Vipera.

I wish I had a dragon pet like this. she grumbled, pouting.

Quincy can't help, let out a soft chuckle at Sarah's words.

Oh, Sarah… as your wish. she thought to herself, pulling the casting spell book out from her own sachet, then her other hand picked the small wand to cast another harmless spell to summon a small wisp of blue flame, rounded yet soft at the edges, flickering without heat.

She named it Whisper—a harmless wisp created by her spell as assistant and pet, except it has weakness; water and air.

Whisper floated beside its owner's shoulder, waving its small hands and said.

"Hello!" It introduced, its voice was high-pitched, almost like the sound of sand frogs nearby.

"Kyaa!" Sarah squealed in excitement, without hesitation she pounced and Quincy almost stumbled down on the polished floor, her hands stretching wide.

"—S-Sarah, wait—!"

"I-I love it! Thank you!"

"H-Hey, let me go!"

Aurora facepalm, mumbled under her breath, while Aria made a noise almost half-laughing, half-nervous.

"Sighs…here we go again…"

"Oh, there you are! I thought I was lost—oh…"

Charlotte arrived late, she froze, blinked several times. 

Aurora noticed her presence, her ears perked up at the familiar footstep, her mismatched eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Ah, there you are, my strong paladin." she said, her regal posture returned, tucking her hand behind her back, she brought only her war fan in case another intruder might trespass in this academy.

Charlotte gulped, scratching her scalp nervously.

"I-I uh, good morning, princess."

"Good morning too, my paladin, I thought you rested for several hours, didn't you?"

"H-Huh?" Charlotte blinked, her face instantly flushed faintly in pink. 

Before she could finish her sentence.

RRRRINNNGGGG! RRRRINNNGGGG! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

Charlotte's eyes widened 

The crystal embedded above the hallway, then followed the familiar voice in the background, crack through on its heartbeat later, distorted from urgency. 

Professor Zamora announced something dangerous coming to the academy once again. 

Neither dragons or someone casting a mimic of the dragon was made out of toxic dust.

"My dear students, remain calm and proceed to the shelter immediately—" he coughed, clearing his throat for a moment.

"Ah, apologize. This is not a drill. Someone has breached the eastern barrier—it's not a dragon, the three unknown culprits trespass inside the academy, they threw the smoke bomb to lure one of you. And I repeat, this is not a drill."

"Wait, what?!" Aurora snapped, her mismatched eyes narrowed, her regal posture faltering.

"W-w-what's going on?!" Charlotte staggered, panic looked on her face.

"Come on, Charlotte! We have no time to relax!" Aurora called out, her hand immediately found on Charlotte's without thinking, her war fan snapped open with sharp CLACK! 

But Charlotte swatted her hand away from hers. 

"No." Charlotte said in one word, calmly, her brown-golden eyes narrowed in sudden determination. Aurora's eyes widened in disbelief, this isn't Charlotte, almost… hurt? Frustration?

But this isn't Charlotte she already recognized, the clumsy, hard worker and bravest paladin she'd ever seen, but this time—she became unusual…

W-w-what is this…? she thought to herself, staring at her. 

This isn't her!

"Wha—? C-Charlotte, w-w-what's wrong?"

Charlotte didn't respond, without warning, she bolted away, heading towards the massive doors of the Round Table. In the private chamber only the elite and veteran knights were allowed to step in.

The elite and veteran knights recognized her as paladin. It was the same word of a knight wearing heavy armor, it was her title.

She wanted to wear her armor this time—Lancelot II, she didn't glance back despite she was heading straight toward the private chamber.

"Charlotte! Charlotte! Don't you dare to leave me alone again!"

Aurora shouted behind her, began to follow suit, her heels tapping against the cold stone floor.

"Aura, wait—! I'm coming too!"

Quincy was already moving, snatching her spell book back onto her own sachet with one hand, while her new companion—Whisper darted an anxious circle around her head.

"Danger! Danger! Danger!" it warned repeatedly. 

Sarah scrambled after her, hat nearly flying off from her head, while the leather tome clutch tightly against her chest, if it might shield her from the danger's coming.

"Quincy, wait for me!"

While Aria was left behind, clutching Vipera tighter against her chest while watching her older sister, followed suit by her friends.

Vipera let a low warning hiss.

HISSS…!

"Hm?!" 

Aria looked down, she saw the hatching hissing, staring at nowhere, not to her as it sensing something's coming to lure the academy for purpose.

Oh no… I think Vipera senses something's off…

Charlotte stepped out from the massive doors of the private chamber, wearing the familiar heavy armor. It was the same grey, black fur with golden trim across the tips, the signature narrowed slits of the helmet hiding beneath her determined eyes.

Lancelot II is back—to solve this problem by capturing the culprits without hurting them at all.

The academy was already in chaos by the time she arrived, students scattering towards the shelter, the smoke curling black and acrid from the half-collapse frame from the outer wall.

But it wasn't the construct that made her stop short. Her boots screeched against the floor.

There, a three yet familiar silhouette just stood beyond it, cloaked, three of them had a tail, while the other were humans that made Lancelot II' stomach tightened.

Leonin… Tristan… Grimlock. So this isn't just a mimic acting alone…

It's just them. Trying to ruin the peace of the academy once again.

She tightened her grip on the hilt of her back, though she didn't draw it, not yet, instead her hand found on the coiled whip from her hip, thorn vines dormant along its length, it was handed her by the familiar obsidian armor from the Round Table.

Her brown-golden eyes darkened beneath the narrowed slits of her helmet.

Tch! You're not getting away from me.

She snarled, her voice muffled beneath the metal, carrying none of its usual hesitance.

Three silhouettes snapped, shifting their attention towards the Silent Paladin in front of them.

Oh no…! Lancelot II is here!

Let's get out of here before anyone catches us!

The trio scattered the moment she moved—but she was faster than a regular knight.

The whip cracked once through the smoke, vines snapping taut around the first culprit's ankle before he'd taken a step back away to escape.

Then followed another suit, a second capture, as the vines constricted hard enough to drag the last one straight off from her feet.

The academy guards arrived, but three were already bound from the vines, squirming, groaning helplessly against the coiled that left them surrendered.

No one asked who did this, who the armored knight was, but.

None of them argued, the whispers of Lancelot II had followed the exploits for days, months now—always arriving, never staying long enough to be questioned.

Neither of them respond, stunned how strong Lancelot II is despite her identity being secretly anonymous.

Aurora, Quincy and Sarah followed after the guards, their eyes widened in shock and disbelief. 

Realizing they only did this.

Lancelot II, the Silent Paladin whose presence was nowhere to be found…

꒰ა ✦ ໒꒱

By evening, the academy became quiet once again, the smoke was long since cleared by Aurora's help by using her fans to whip the gas away by controlling the winds. 

The culprits have been identified by the authorities without a word of explanation from the outsider knight who'd caught them.

Charlotte leaned against the bark of the oak haven tree, her boots dangling over the drop as the moon rose from above, casting over hundreds of stars.

With a deep breath, she reached up and unclasped her helmet, lifting free.

Damp brown hair clung to her forehead. 

She let out a long breath that she'd held for so long since the alarm first rang. Lifting her head up to study the stars scattered overhead.

Mission's done, My Master. she thought to herself, sighing in relief yet exhaustion.

They're all safe. Even Aurora as well.

She had no idea, realizing she wasn't alone.

H-Huh?! W-w-what's that sound?

A rustle of the thick layers of leaves stirred in the hedges behind her—too deliberate to be the wind. 

Her shoulder tensed, her hand already reaching up toward the hilt of her blade before the familiar voice broke the silence.

"Charlotte?"

She froze, then Aurora stepped out from the bushes first, her mismatched eyes wide, and didn't focus on the familiar armor scattered on Charlotte's side—focused on her face.

Quincy and Sarah followed after her, equality frozen, silent if though speaking might shattered whatever moment was.

Charlotte's eyes went wide in horror, realizing—her secret was exposed already...

"P-P-Princess." she stammered, her helmet slipping off from her fingers as it landed on dull clatter against the grass filled floor. 

"I—this isn't what you think—"

She didn't finish her sentence. 

There was nothing left to explain that Aurora's expression hadn't already been understood.