Under the Golden Bough

There upon a grassy knoll not too far from the academy stood a lone osmanthus tree. Its bright yellow leaves fluttered in the vesper wind like droplets of morning sunlight frozen in time.

Beneath it, a girl stood, watching the sunlight through misted eyes as her hair waved in that same vesper wind like a silver pennant.

It was the only place where the girl who was known as the ‘strongest knight’ allowed her weakness to show. Yet, even though she had come to release her still-unfallen tears, it would seem that today refused to be kind to her.

Below the knoll, several voices echoed upward to Medrauta’s ears.

“Are you seriously still staying at the academy?”

“Come on, you must have at least some sense of shame, right?”

“I mean, if she had any shred of respect for herself and her family, she would’ve already left!”

Each of these comments were accompanied by a shrill giggle. The kind that you’d think would come from a stereotypical spoiled noblewoman.

Out of curiosity and irritation, Medrauta peered down the hill.

A group of three girls dressed in rather expensive looking clothes had encircled a rather meek, delicate looking lady with beautiful blonde hair. She was dressed in the same manner as the other three, but it was obvious even at a glance that her dress was of far higher quality than theirs.

Even so, it looked like she was the one who was on the receiving end of all these snide remarks. Of course, none of them had been directed at Medrauta in the first place. Even amongst the knights, there were few who would dare to speak to her in such a fashion.

What the hell are all these nobles doing here? Medrauta frowned. She continued watching the scene play out before her under the shadow of the osmanthus tree. Though she was irritated at their intrusion of her only place of solace, they clearly hadn’t noticed her yet.

If she could, she intended to keep it that way. After all, nothing good came out of butting into the business of others, and especially when they were nobles.

“Seriously, the only reason you’re still here is because of your family!”

“Yeah! We know you’re just using your family’s influence to avoid getting expelled!”

“Well, I guess that sort of underhanded stuff is the only thing she can do. I mean, what kind of knight would want her as their lady?

In response, the blonde-haired girl lowered her head to face the ground in a futile attempt to make herself smaller.

Oi, at least put up a fight! You ain’t gonna disappear no matter how hard you try, missy. Medrauta crossed her arms as she watched the proceedings below her.

“Ahaha! Look at her, she can’t even look us in the eyes! How pathetic!”

“Right? Right? She’s as useless as the so-called ‘strongest knight’! Wait, no! She’s even more useless! At least that knight’s never lost a single duel! You on the other hand,” one of the girls said as she jabbed a finger into the center of the blonde’s chest rather painfully, “can’t even manifest your Crest properly!”

A noble who can’t manifest their Crest...? Was there even such a person at the academy? No, more importantly...

“Oi, bitches. Mind telling me who’s useless again?”

The noble ladies stared at Medrauta in shock as she leapt from the hill and landed in the center of their formation. Though they had only been surprised at first, their fear quickly grew once they were forced to meet Medrauta’s cold blue eyes.

“A-Ah...”

“D-Dame Medrauta, we—”

Before the girl could even finish her sentence, Medrauta’s hand shot out and grabbed her by the jaw, silencing her immediately. With a casual thrust of her arm, she pushed the girl several feet backwards.

“All of you,” Medrauta commanded. “Shut the fuck up and scram while you still have two functioning legs.”

The girls all trembled in fear, but made no move to leave. It wasn’t that they refused to run. Rather, it was because they couldn’t.

“Or did you want me to break you after all?”

“E-Eep!” The girls all cried out in terror. Abruptly, they bolted from where they once stood, breaking free of the paralyzing fear that had entrenched itself into their bodies and dashed back toward the academy as fast as their feet could carry them.

Medrauta heaved a sigh of annoyance. “Good riddance.”

As she prepared to trudge back up the hill where the tree stood, she heard a voice from behind her. It was brittle yet beautiful, like a drop of morning dew. A gentle and hushed voice unfit for the rigors of battle.

“Um... Thank you.”

Medrauta turned to face the girl, surprised. The girl had remained silent during the whole ordeal, so she hadn’t had the chance to hear her voice until now. More than its melody, it was the complete lack of presence that surprised her.

All the nobles that she’d met so far had projected powerful auras of charisma and their words rang with authority. One that sounded so hollow was the last thing Medrauta expected, even if the girl was a victim of bullying.

“...Don’t mention it.”

“Um... I’m Viviane. Viviane Castellia.”

...Castellia? Medrauta frowned. Something about that name sounded familiar to her. “Medrauta.”

The two stared at one another in a rather awkward silence after exchanging such brief introductions. In the end, it would be Medrauta who broke the silence.

“If there’s nothing else, then I’ll be going.”

“A-Actually... Um... If I may, there is something I would like to ask...”

Oh? Medrauta raised an eyebrow in askance as she returned her gaze to Viviane.

Viviane took a deep breath before she spoke, clutching a hand to her chest. She knew what she had in mind was foolish, but she had to try anyway.

She steeled herself and looked up, locking her beautiful golden eyes with Medrauta’s blue.

“Dame Medrauta!”

“Y-Yes?” Medrauta replied, surprised by Viviane’s sudden change in attitude. It was as if that weak, almost transient voice she’d heard earlier had been nothing more than an illusion.

“Please become my knight!”