Before the Interrogation

“N-Nooo! T-This wasn’t the deal!”

Medrauta handed the struggling Marcus to the guards without even batting an eyelash. “I said I’d let you live, not that you’d go free,” she replied before turning her attention to the guardsmen. “Place this man in a cell. The baron will hear his case after Revelo fief is handled.”

Though her treatment of the man had been rough, his existence was a liability to the baron’s plans, and with the march beginning tomorrow, Medrauta didn’t want to leave any loose ends. Besides, it’s not as if they were going to torture Marcus in the dungeons. After all, he had already given up all the information he knew, and Baron Dietrich was by no means a cruel man.

“...I hope he doesn’t get executed.” Viviane murmured as she and Medrauta made their way to the castle. It was still early in the morning, but the pair had no doubt that Marilyn and the baron were already busying themselves with preparations for tomorrow’s march.

“That’ll probably depend on him,” Medrauta replied. “Execution is usually the punishment for betraying your fief’s lord, but I think the baron might just let Marcus get away with it if he hasn’t shared too much vital information. Besides, the baron himself is technically a traitor.”

Viviane laughed, finding the truth in Medrauta’s words quite amusing. While the baron was aware of Bastiche’s treachery against Duke Revelo thanks to the information he had received from Marilyn, his thoughts of rebellion had been fomented by Bastiche’s dubious actions long before the senior knight’s arrival.

“Yes, I suppose that is also true.” Viviane grinned. The pair arrived at the castle’s front gates after a couple minutes of walking, the guards quickly opening the gates as they approached.

As expected, the two of them found Baron Dietrich and Marilyn already hard at work in the war room. There were a few dedicated scholars who were present, but the room certainly wasn’t as busy as it was the other day.

“Good morning, Baron Dietrich.” Viviane curtsied as she stepped into the room. Medrauta stood by her lady silently, directing her gaze toward a scholarly-looking individual in the room who seemed to be busying themselves with various documents pertaining to the army’s logistics.

Well, that saves us the trouble of tracking him down. Medrauta thought as she scrutinized the man’s actions. She stared intently at him, realizing he was none other than Lord Henri, the baron’s personal advisor. While he didn’t control any cities within the fief, Lord Henri essentially possessed unrestricted access to the baron and the fief’s resources as Baron Dietrich’s most trusted retainer.

Based purely on the evidence that she and Viviane collected, Lord Henri was no doubt one of the prime suspects since he wielded both power and money second only to the baron. However, Medrauta couldn’t think of a single reason why the man would want to betray his liege. After all, he was in a very secure position and had earned Baron Dietrich’s unwavering trust throughout his lengthy tenure.

As a commoner who only managed to obtain a station of nobility thanks to Aluvsha blessing him with a Crest, Lord Henri’s position was highly coveted and not one that Medrauta could imagine sacrificing for any reason, especially considering the bond that the lord had fostered with Baron Dietrich over so many years.

In fact, the baron trusted Lord Henri so much that he was willing to allow his advisor’s knight to remain in the room while his own was absent. Walking purposefully, the knight in question was now making her way toward Medrauta after noticing the silver-haired knight’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Something the matter, girl?” The green-haired knight was around a head taller than Medrauta, allowing her to look down at the silver-haired knight with ease as she stepped invasively close.

“Actually, yeah.” Medrauta answered evenly. “I have this real fucked up habit, you see. Whenever people get too close to me, I start getting an insatiable urge to break their nose if they don’t back off in five seconds. You’ve got three left.”

“Wh—You little shit!” The green-haired knight snarled. Although she looked as if she were about to throw a punch at Medrauta’s smirking face, she was quickly stopped by the baron’s voice.

“Good morning, Lady Castellia. I see your knight is already familiarizing herself with Dame Vera.” Baron Dietrich smiled, completely unaware of the sparking hostilities between the two knights. “She’s served my trusted advisor ever since they met at the duchy’s very own academy. Of course, it doesn’t compare to Avalyne Academy, but I hope that Dame Medrauta and Dame Vera will be able to get along swimmingly!”

Viviane plastered a smile on her face, knowing full well what was going on between the two knights. After all, Medrauta was standing right next to her. “Perhaps in time, Baron Dietrich. In any case, I have something important to discuss with you privately. Medrauta, please attend to me.”

Although Medrauta allowed Viviane to drag her away by the arm, she stuck her tongue out at Vera tauntingly while the senior knight returned her rude gesture with a middle finger. Despite their attempts at discreetly expressing dislike for one another, Viviane had caught the exchange out of the corner of her eye, causing her to shake her head in mock disappointment.

Medrauta can be surprisingly childish at times... Viviane mused as she approached the baron. She thought it was rather cute, but as much as she wanted to dote on her beloved knight, there was a much more pressing matter at the moment.

Sensing Viviane’s intent, Baron Dietrich excused himself from the war room, leading Medrauta and Viviane to his office located not too far away. Once the trio entered, the baron closed the door and locked it before seating himself behind his desk.

“We’ve narrowed down the possible suspects to two.” Viviane declared, placing her hands on her hips confidently.

“You work rather quickly, Lady Castellia. I have to admit, I am impressed.” Baron Dietrich raised an eyebrow. “I assume you wish to question them?”

Viviane nodded. “Indeed. When I do so, I would like to call upon Lady Sakura and her knight to assist me. I trust that will not be an issue?”

The baron made a dismissive gesture. “I’ll make sure it isn’t. Will you be alright with questioning them here in the office?”

“The office would be perfect.”

“Excellent. Then perhaps you might reveal the identities of these suspects to me so I may go fetch them personally? We shall reconvene here once I have done so, of course. I assume they are nobles, so they would most likely not take kindly to anyone else asking them to attend what is essentially an interrogation.”

“Of course, Baron Dietrich.” Viviane smiled diplomatically. She understood the baron’s meaning, of course. Since reputation contributed largely to a noble family’s power in high society, there wasn’t a single noble who would appreciate being falsely accused or even suspected. “The individuals in doubt are Lord Othren and Lord Henri.”

Baron Dietrich’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, not expecting those names at all. Lord Othren was a possibility due to his affluence and the fact that the baron had been drawing on his resources to fund the coming civil war, but Lord Henri was his most trusted retainer and his personal advisor. The fact that the man might be a traitor hadn’t crossed his mind at all.

“I... assume you have some sort of evidence to support your claims?” The baron asked, his tone slightly defensive as the loyalty of his advisor was now being called into question.

Viviane nodded in response, producing the ledgers she’d obtained from Ricardo, the intercepted documents from Marcus, and a statement of income and expenditures. “Of course, Baron Dietrich. I have all the necessary documents on hand.”

“Excellent. For your sake, I pray that your suspicions are not unfounded, Lady Castellia.” Baron Dietrich said as he stood from his desk and began moving toward the office’s exit.

Medrauta tensed as she sensed a veiled threat hidden in the baron’s words, but Viviane promptly squeezing her hand stopped the knight before she could fire off a retort. While Medrauta was still silently bristling, Viviane understood the baron’s hostility to an extent.

Dietrich fief was sitting in a very precarious position at the moment, especially after the baron had received news of Bastiche’s imminent counterattack. Even with their schedule pushed up, the baron’s forces might still be forced to meet Bastiche’s army in the field, a highly disadvantageous situation given the disparity between the sizes of their fighting forces.

With so many looming threats and possibilities of failure on the horizon, there was no doubt that Baron Dietrich was feeling a little on edge despite his attempts at appearing cordial to his guests and Viviane could imagine how much mental pressure the man was enduring. Now that she had suggested that one of the closest members of his circle was a possible traitor, the baron was probably being pushed over the edge.

Should Lord Henri truly turn out to be the traitor, it would not only be the end of a long-standing friendship between the two men, but the baron would have to suffer the loss of a valuable advisor while the fief was on the cusp of war. It was not exactly a pleasant prospect to envision, but Baron Dietrich was forced to remain strong for his soldiers and citizens especially in troubling times. If that sole faux pas was what it took for him to retain his sanity, then Viviane would allow it just this once.

“Shall we fetch Lady Sakura and Sir Riku?” Viviane turned to her knight and tugging at her arm gently. While the foreigners were certainly essential to Viviane’s plan, she could sense Medrauta’s displeasure radiating through the room. Clearly, her beloved knight wasn’t taking kindly to letting the baron’s slight against her lady—however minor—go unanswered.

“...I suppose so.” Medrauta replied in a slightly sulky voice that Viviane couldn’t help but giggle at. From her perspective, the silver-haired knight looked as if she were a cute puppy that had been prevented from protecting her master.

Honestly, she was thankful that her knight was always looking out for her, and seeing as the two of them were alone in the room, she quickly settled on the best way to express her gratitude.

Standing up on her tip-toes, Viviane leaned closer to Medrauta and gave the knight a quick kiss on the cheek, dispelling Medrauta’s sullen mood and causing her cheeks to redden at the sudden display of affection.

“W-Wh—” Medrauta’s embarrassed protests remained stuck in her throat as she gazed upon the beautifully beaming face of her beloved Viviane.

“Love you, Medrauta~”