Return

“...What the hell happened to the capital while we were gone?”

Medrauta stared at the torn landscape of the empire’s capital with haunted eyes that burned with both rage and anguish. In the center of it all was the enormous Spire that reached to the top of the sky and beyond, the sole culprit for all this destruction.

Familiar streets lay in ruins, the remains of once-cozy homes strewn across the tattered roads. Piles of stone and wood decorated the city, smashed together like desecrated mountains of corpses left to rot. The place that Medrauta had spent her squirehood in no longer existed. There was nothing left of the city where she spent sunlit days frolicking around on the streets with her friends. Nothing left of the city where she and Viviane shared their first date.

All that remained was dirt and rubble, a testament to the apocalyptic power that Amelia wielded without care or caution.

Just like Medrauta, Viviane stared at the ravaged capital with unbridled rage. Her delicate yet calloused hands balled into fists as she grit her teeth in frustration. When they left the capital, things had been chaotic. Kaslavna had launched their great attack at last and Amelia had just revealed herself to be a witch, kidnapping the imperial princess in the process. But at the very least, it had been intact.

Now, the place they once thought they could return to after everything was settled no longer existed.

Of course, they hadn’t expected it to remain pristine and untouched. The existence of the Spire alone already prevented such wishful thinking. However, they never expected the entire city to be in ruins, completely devastated by Amelia’s beasts.

“...Unforgivable.” Viviane murmured, unable to hold back her anger.

Never before had she felt such a violent tempest of emotions whirl within her, but seeing the place where she had forged so many unforgettable memories be desecrated by someone who she had once thought of as a friend drove her rage to greater heights with each passing second.

“I’m going.” Medrauta suddenly said, starting forward. “I’ll wring that bitch’s neck until it fucking breaks.”

For a moment, Viviane genuinely considered following in Medrauta’s footsteps. She wanted nothing more than to rush to the top of the Spire immediately and confront Amelia. She wanted answers and closure from the witch. She just couldn’t understand why Amelia had gone to such lengths merely for the sake of sowing destruction.

After all, Amelia herself had spent so much time in the capital. She had her own friends and her own experiences. Viviane refused to believe all of that was false even if their friendship had never existed. She refused to believe even a witch could be so heartless as to discard everything that once made them smile. That was why she reached out and caught Medrauta by the wrist, stopping her knight from going any further.

“...Medrauta. As much as I want answers from Amelia, we should wait for Lady Scarlet to return.” Viviane said. “Besides, weren’t you looking forward to seeing Lady Rosaline and Dame Leticia again?”

Medrauta paused mid-step. Though her mind and body were still rife with rage, her beloved lady’s touch managed to quell the burning anger within her chest long enough for her to regain control of her emotions. “...Yeah. You’re right, Vivi.”

Reluctantly, Medrauta sat herself down, gazing off into the distance. Though much of the scenery below was dominated by the capital’s ruined buildings, the hill they rested upon afforded a rather expansive view of the city. Rising just on the outskirts of the capital proper, the hill was one that Medrauta was quite familiar with due to the scenic panorama it provided to those who stood upon it.

Oftentimes, many of her field tactics classes had been conducted atop this very same hill, a thought that haunted her mind as she continued gazing at the devastated state of the city she loved. Medrauta couldn’t see it from where she stood, but she hoped the academy and its occupants were safe at the very least.

Brig, Mel, and Esme... You’re all doing just fine down there, aren’t you? Medrauta pursed her lips, shaking her head. She had chosen to have faith in the strength of her friends when the Spire rose, and she would have faith in that strength now. There was no need in needlessly worrying herself when she was so close to confirming their safety in person.

Though, there was still one thing that struck Medrauta as strange. Despite the dismal state of the capital and its proximity to the Spire, the witchspawn presence seemed to be profoundly lacking. Based on the enormous number of witchspawn that had assaulted the duchies in waves, there should have been an equal or even greater amount clustered throughout the city, yet the only witchspawn Medrauta could spot were those that surrounded the base of the Spire.

“...Medrauta.” Viviane said after a lengthy period of silence. “Do you... Do you think Lady Shallie and Lady Jocelyn are alright?”

The two ladies were among the few friends Viviane had managed to make during her time at the academy. While neither shared any classes with her, they had managed to connect through mutual acquaintances. Medrauta had also become familiar with them, though their names had escaped her memory until now.

“They must be.” Medrauta answered, mustering as much certainty into her voice as she could. “Mel would never let Lady Jocelyn get hurt, and the same goes for Lady Shallie. I can’t imagine Charlotte letting that woman out of her sight.”

Viviane nodded. Though Medrauta’s words were nothing more than speculation, the confidence in her knight’s voice provided her some comfort at the very least. She drew closer to Medrauta, taking her knight’s hand.

Below them, the knights from Spinel took command of the soldiers that had accompanied them from the former Revelo duchy. With Captain Vale’s untimely departure from the world and Scarlet’s absence, the responsibility of commanding them fell to the senior knights. The majority of the soldiers had managed to remain calm, but a few of them were clearly struggling to accept the fall of the capital.

In the distance, Medrauta spotted several riders approaching their position from the city. At last, Scarlet was returning, and it seemed that she had a few companions following in her wake. Even from a distance, she could pick out Rosette’s richly distinctive crimson hair, indicating that the other riders were likely Rosaline and Leticia.

Medrauta turned to Viviane, the two exchanging a smile before beginning to head down the hill. The riders reached their position faster than expected, the sides of their steeds heaving violently when they were finally allowed to rest.

The first to dismount was Leticia, her black hair waving in the wind as she slid off her horse expertly. Her stride confident and her back poised, she made her way to Rosaline without hesitation. The pink-haired noblewoman took her knight’s hand with a gentle smile, descending from her steed with the utmost elegance.

Hand in hand, the pair approached Medrauta and Viviane.

“...Been a while, Leticia.”

“...Yeah.”

“You look stronger.”

Leticia grinned. “You too, Medrauta.”

The two knights faced each other wordlessly after their brief exchange. There was no need to share stories nor tell tales. Their achievements and tribulations had been carved directly into their bodies. From the shape of their muscles, their stance, and even the way they breathed, all of it summarized everything they had gone through far more comprehensively than any string of words could manage.

In stark contrast, the two noblewomen bore their emotions plainly. With tears of relief staining her cheeks, Viviane thrust herself at Rosaline, squeezing her dear friend in a tight embrace. Rosaline’s reaction was much more muted than Viviane’s emotional hug, but even she could not keep her tears in check for long. Her arms wrapped around Viviane, returning her friend’s embrace as best she could without breaking her carefully cultivated image of elegance.

“...I’m so glad you’re safe, Lady Rosaline.”

“Likewise, Lady Viviane.” Rosaline said, patting Viviane’s back carefully. She could feel Medrauta’s gaze burning into her back, and she was pretty sure Leticia was equally jealous. Of course, both knights were well aware of Viviane and Rosaline’s relationship as friends, but they simply couldn’t help feeling a burning streak of possessiveness at the overflowing display of emotion.

After a few more seconds, Viviane released Rosaline, sensing the knights’ envy. Geez, you two...

“I had planned to meet you earlier, Lady Viviane, but we ended up running into an unexpected issue. One that Lady Scarlet is more familiar with if you wish for the details, though I am sure she has already mentioned Volutia’s name at the very least.”

Viviane nodded. “She was one of Lady Scarlet’s classmates, yes?”

“Indeed. She is one of Amelia’s Sworn champions and one that we had to contend with multiple times along the way. I imagine we will find her inside the Spire again for one final confrontation.”

“I see... Was she strong?”

Rosaline considered the question for a few moments before answering. “...Somewhat. By herself, she poses no real threat, but her strength lies not in combat. She is a skilled manipulator and capable of using witchcraft.”

“Then we’d best plan ahead.”

“Yes. But before that, let us see reunite with our knights. Dame Rosette and Lady Estelle have already departed to the outpost with Lady Scarlet and her knight. It would seem they wish to spare no time for sentiments unlike us.”

Viviane nodded. She expected as much for Scarlet. With her final objective so close, the raven-haired noblewoman would no longer spend any time lounging about as she reached out to grasp her goal at last. Only when the Spire finally fell and order was restored to the empire would she rest.

However, Viviane certainly hadn’t expected Estelle to do the same. Despite being unfamiliar with her, Viviane had wanted to greet the noblewoman as well and ask about her journey, but she never even had the chance to approach. Still, even from a glance she could tell that Estelle and Rosette were the ones who had changed from their journey the most.

No longer did Estelle carry herself timidly nor did her gaze seem to waver with every passing second. She stood proudly, her back straight and her eyes pointed forward. Similarly, Medrauta noticed that Rosette’s sword arm no longer wavered when it drew close to the hilt of her blade. She knew not what had previously held the red-haired knight back, but she was thankful that Rosette had broken whatever shackles used to chain her down.

As Rosaline and Viviane rejoined their knights, Leticia turned to Medrauta one more time before helping her lady onto her horse.

“Ready to throttle the shit out of Amelia?”

Medrauta nodded, extending her hand toward Leticia. The dark-haired knight took it, clasping her forearm.

“Fuck yeah.”