I was the weakest.
As the daughter of Marchioness Grail, I was expected to become a great noble or knight. Whichever I awakened as, it did not matter so long as I achieved greatness. That was the sole responsibility that my family had foisted upon me, but it was also the only thing I could never give them. I was a dutiful daughter and a supportive sibling to my younger brother, doing my best to please my mother whenever possible.
She was kind to me and trained me in all sorts of different things. Etiquette, swordplay, ballroom dancing, and even things that we generally left to the servants like cooking. My repertoire of skills were incredible, and though I was never a master of any, I certainly wasn’t bad either. The trouble came when I finally awakened.
Thanks to my small, almost fragile build, I wished dearly for Aluvsha to grant me his gift and mark me a noble not merely in title, but in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, the only nobility I would ever possess resided in my blood. Against my wishes, I awoke as a knight. My family never looked down on me despite the fact. Rather, their expectations only increased.
Expectations that I could not hope to meet. Of course, I had devoted my utmost effort to all the lessons my mother gifted me throughout the years, but nothing could deny the reality of my unsuitable figure. I was small and thin, my muscles more defined than large, and the force they could exert lacked greatly in comparison to other knights of my age. After I became a squire, I struggled desperately to keep up with my peers, and with my inability to wear armor or wield a greatsword, I was nothing more than dead weight to my knight order.
Even now as I somehow stood before the Imperial Academy’s gates that loomed before me, I knew my place hadn’t been earned. I would’ve been happy just attending Avimorne Academy in my home duchy, but of course, my mother wouldn’t have it. “Only the best for my children”, she’d said. Thanks to her connections, getting me into the Imperial Academy wasn’t an issue at all, but unfortunately for her, I’d be nothing more than a laughingstock here.
After all, this was where people with real talent congregated. Of course, you’d need connections as well, but you couldn’t be admitted through connections alone... Unless you were me, I guess. I don’t know what my mother did to grease the gears of bureaucracy, but I sure as hell didn’t want to know either. As weak as I was, I didn’t need to know anything about the shadier side of society that might put a hit on my head or something.
I released a sigh, preparing to seal my fate for the next four years.
“Oh, look who’s here!” A familiar voice came from behind me. “If it isn’t Eris, the most useless knight of our generation!”
“Fuck off, Liam.” I turned to face one of my longtime adversaries and two of his snickering friends. Liam had been on my ass ever since we became squires, and it sure didn’t seem like he was going to stop anytime soon. He flashed me an arrogant smirk as he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, and for a moment, I was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to punch him in the face.
Not for calling me useless, of course. Remarks like that didn’t really get to me, but combined with all the other shit he put me through over the years, it kind of adds up. I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves. Besides, even if I actually did punch him in the face, I doubt it’d do much damage anyway.
“Still, what the hell’re you doin’ here? Didja go beg your mom to get you in or somethin’?” Liam laughed.
“Must’ve!” One of Liam’s friends laughed. “After all, how the hell would she get into the Im—”
For a moment, everything stopped. It was as if the world itself refused to continue moving. An aura greater than anything I’d felt currently dominated the academy grounds—No. The whole of the world. An unfathomably vast aura of domination washed over me demanding complete and utter subservience. Liam’s knees buckled as he fell to the ground. His friends followed suit not long after.
As for myself, I was glued to the spot, unable to move. Unable to breathe. Unable to fall. The one who had appeared before us was majesty incarnate, greatness embodied. There was nothing she couldn’t do, the entire world was within reach of her fingertips. All she needed to do was close her hand and grasp it, and even Aluvsha himself would bend to her will.
Admiration. Fear. Reverence. Awe. These were all words that could no doubt be attributed to what all four of us felt toward her, but such terms failed to describe the true depth of our emotions in that very moment. She hadn’t spoken nor had she moved since she arrived, yet all of us remained chained by her overwhelming charisma that surpassed even the heavens above. Were I to worship her in lieu of Aluvsha, not even the church could accuse me of blasphemy.
But who was she? Well, that’s simple. On the entire continent, there was only one person who could command such unmistakeable magnificence that tempted even the Imperial Family to kneel. And that person was none other than Scarlet Elyon di Avimorne, Avalyne Empire’s greatest noblewoman.
Her perfectly-shaped violet eyes pierced into mine as she stared straight at me. As much as I wanted to flinch and step aside, I could do no such thing. Not while I was still restrained by the bewitching power of her personality.
Snap!
Lady Scarlet snapped open her hand fan, a red-black affair like her perfectly tailored dress. With her lower face obscured, her searing gaze only became more prominent as she made no move to communicate. Meanwhile, Liam and his two stooges remained mesmerized by the silent standoff as well, unable to move as Lady Scarlet’s pressure locked them in place. There were few nobles who could truly restrain a knight, but Lady Scarlet was evidently one of them.
“Such insolence.”
Her voice struck with the crushing force of a spiked flail, causing all four of us knights to cower in fear. At last, my knees buckled and I collapsed on the steps, barely managing to remain upright. Though her tone was still elegant and melodious, the unmistakable anger contained therein urged me to bow and grovel before her feet in hopes for the smallest scrap of forgiveness.
Beside me, Liam and his friends had already abdicated their humanity, becoming nothing more than mere pigs in human skin as they thrust their heads against the ground, begging Lady Scarlet for absolution despite not knowing the crime they committed. Seeing their actions reinforced my urge to do so as well, and slowly, I began to lower my head before Lady Scarlet’s majestic figure.
Click.
The sound of Lady Scarlet’s heel against the stone-paved path was equivalent to the genesis of a new universe. Like an explosion that heralded the birth of new life, the mere click that her step produced caused a bud of servitude to be planted within me, blossoming rapidly as my desire to become her obedient slave spread uncontrollably through the whole of my body. Even without looking, I could tell that the same thing had happened to the three knights around me.
“H-Huh?” My voice came out in a far more dull-witted manner than I’d wished. Had I been in any other situation, I would have been devastated at embarrassing myself in front of Lady Scarlet, but right now, that was the last thing on my mind. Though I attempted to bow my head in a desperate gambit for Lady Scarlet’s forgiveness, I instead found myself stopped by a foreign object resting below my chin. An object that was none other than Lady Scarlet’s now-closed hand fan.
Gently, she tilted her hand fan upwards, forcing me to meet her eyes once more. I shuddered from the intimacy of the act, but also in fear of what she was planning after singling me out. Perhaps she intended to punish me greatly for barring her way. After all, Liam and his friends were positioned more to the side of the entrance whereas I stood dead-center.
“For what reason do you lower your head?” Lady Scarlet’s voice rang with unmatched authority, compelling me to answer against my wishes.
“I... I don’t know.” I stammered shamefully. This clearly wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it was the only one I was capable of giving. She remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, and I shivered as I imagined what my punishment would be. Would she annihilate my family? Would I become her slave for life? Or perhaps... Would she simply erase me from history? As my mind filled itself with frightening thoughts, something completely unexpected happened.
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I was graced by the most beautiful sight imaginable. My eyes widened in awe and wonderment as Lady Scarlet’s exquisite lips blossomed into a smile that could charm entire nations with a single glance. I wanted to leap into the air and throw my hands up in celebration, partly in praise to Aluvsha for allowing me to witness such miraculous splendor, and partly in thanks to Lady Scarlet offering such a gesture to me, but even if I wanted to throw away the last scrap of my dignity, I couldn’t. Not while I was under Lady Scarlet’s spell.
“What is your name?”
L-Lady Scarlet wants to know my name!? My name!? I hesitated, my eyes flickering to and fro as I made sure it was truly my name that she wanted and no one else’s. After all, I was quite possibly the most useless knight here at the Imperial Academy, and there was no need for her to befriend someone like me who wasn’t even in line to inherit my mother’s position.
“I-It’s Eris, my lady.”
“Dame Eris, is it?” Lady Scarlet mused. “You are a knight. What sort of knight bows without reason? Hold your head high, puff out your chest with pride. You are a stalwart defender of this empire, but most importantly, you are one of my peers at this academy. I will not allow my fellow students to act so disgracefully.”
“Y-Yes, Lady Scarlet!” I wasn’t sure if I could follow her instructions, but if Lady Scarlet was telling me to have confidence in myself, then... Maybe even I... Even I could...
“L-Lady Scarlet!” Liam’s voice brought me back to reality, reminding me of my unrivaled impotence. Despite his forehead still being pressed against the stone path, he had managed to speak even without Lady Scarlet addressing him directly.
Lady Scarlet turned her attention to him for a brief moment, one eyebrow raised elegantly as she observed the groveling knight. “Speak. I will permit you one sentence.”
“M-May we lift our heads as well? W-We—”
“How dare you. Swine such as yourselves need not lay eyes upon my visage, lest your foul gazes tarnish the sanctity of my figure. Did you think I was a fool? I know all about you, Liam, just as I know about every squire who was knighted in Avimorne duchy. I know how you and your friends treated Dame Eris. I know how you invited her to ‘sparring sessions’ only to send her to the infirmary on every possible occasion. You are a blight to my homeland, but I saw no need to eliminate you. After all, I am no tyrant who withholds forgiveness, nor was it my place to punish you then.”
Lady Scarlet... knows all about us? I blinked. I could hardly believe my ears. I knew she was faultless, but... for her to know everything about the squires in the entire duchy? There were so many of us that I could barely remember all the squires in my own knight order, yet Lady Scarlet claimed to know about not only my knight order, but all the others of Avimorne Duchy? It was insane to say the least, but somehow, I knew she wasn’t lying.
“L-Lady Scarlet! Y-You don’t understand! Eris is useless! She’s not even a kn—”
“Silence.”
As she spoke, so it was. A single word from Lady Scarlet cut off Liam’s sentence along with all the noise around us. Birds stopped chirping. Rustling leaves ceased to move. Even the wind abated. Perhaps it was merely a coincidence, but I liked to believe that even the world was subject to Lady Scarlet’s will.
“I see you have not changed even after being knighted. A shame.” Lady Scarlet snapped open her hand fan once more. “Begone from this academy and repent as squires once more. I revoke your knighthood. Return to your orders at once.”
“Y-Yes, Lady Scarlet! We thank you for your mercy, Lady Scarlet!” Liam and his friends stammered in unison as they bolted through the academy gates, not even daring to look back at the academy nor turn their gazes upon Lady Scarlet’s magnificent figure.
Normally, a mere ducal heiress would have no authority to revoke an individual’s knighthood, nor would they be able to expel a student from the Imperial Academy. However, Lady Scarlet was no mere ducal heiress. More than just a genius and noblewoman, Lady Scarlet’s connections and influence stretched across the whole of the empire and extended even beyond its borders. Closely affiliated with the imperial princess and the Round Table, even the emperor himself was forced to respect her wishes.
I stared in awe as Lady Scarlet dispelled the trio who had spent so long making my life miserable. With only a few words, she had completely eliminated them from my life as I was sure to graduate before they finished repeating their tenures as squires. Of course, it didn’t mean that I would now have a fruitful and fulfilling school life, but things had gotten a lot easier for me.
I scuttled off to the side as Lady Scarlet began to approach the entrance, making way for her. She passed by without a second glance, her beautiful black hair following in her wake as she made her way up the steps. For a moment, I admired her from afar. Purposeful stride, poised back, and regal bearing. She was truly the perfect noblewoman that not even the imperial princess could match. And yet... I decided to do something incredibly stupid.
“L-Lady Scarlet!”
Clack.
Just as the click of her heels heralded the beginning of a new universe, the clack that echoed from her stop signaled the cessation of my world and made me question why I had so idiotically called out to her just to make a fool of myself. Even so, Lady Scarlet eyed me with mild interest, and now that I had captured her attention, I needed to finish what I started even if it would bring me to ruin. Taking a deep breath, I gathered what little courage I had.
“W-Will you please consider me when selecting your knight!?”
I never knew it was possible to pause perfection, but apparently I had managed to do it. For a split-second, Lady Scarlet was stunned as she stared at me. A light of amusement flickered in her eyes, the expression followed quickly by one of disbelief. I knew my desperate plea had failed, but at the very least, I had tried... And that was what mattered.
I mean, it never would’ve worked out anyway. We were both women, and tradition dictated that only Lord-Dame and Lady-Sir pairs were permitted. There was no hard rule about it, but going against tradition would certainly turn heads, and I was sure Lady Scarlet wasn’t someone who eschewed such conventions. In other words, my impulse-fueled idiocy was already doomed to fail from the start.
“Fool. Did you perhaps think I was lying when I said I knew everything about my duchy’s squires? Eris of House Grail, you are incompetent and unfit to be my knight. Make no mistake, whether you are a woman or a man matters not. What does matter is your strength and skill, and most importantly, your drive. Do you even strive to become a great knight?”
She had seen right through me. I wanted to nod and say yes. I wanted to swear that I had tried my utmost during my years as a squire, but no matter how many times I opened my mouth, I simply couldn’t get the words out. It was obvious after all. There was no way I could lie to Lady Scarlet. She’d see through me in an instant even if I somehow had the courage to deceive her. Instead, I did the only thing I could and shook my head in shame.
“Of course not, otherwise you would not be in such a sorry state, Dame Eris. Should you wish to become my knight, then you must first become a knight who can hold your head up with pride. Is that understood?”
Does that... mean I have a chance...? I nodded emphatically. “Y-Yes, Lady Scarlet!”
The two of us stared at one another momentarily as the wind carried away my words. I had expected for Lady Scarlet to turn and disappear through the large gilded doors standing behind her, but her gaze remained fixed on me instead. I looked around nervously, wondering if she was looking at someone else but with only the two of us around, it wasn’t likely.
M-Maybe she wants me to kneel or something? W-Wait, no! She said I shouldn’t bow my head if I don’t know why... Urgh, d-did I do something wrong!?
“Well?” Lady Scarlet’s voice cut through my thoughts like a blade of light through darkness. Her melodious voice betrayed a hint of impatience as she arched an eyebrow, staring at me intensely.
“U-Um, what is it, Lady Scarlet!?”
Lady Scarlet released a massive sigh of exasperation. “What a fool. Did you not say that you wished to be my knight? Did you not promise to become a knight who could take pride in their own accomplishments?”
“Y-Yes, of course, Lady Scarlet!” Oh geez, I really did screw up! And this early too! W-What’s going to happen to me now...!?
Lady Scarlet shook her head in disapproval, making me wince. “What sort of knight does not open the door for their lady? Hurry up now, Dame Eris. If I am late on the first day, it will be your responsibility.”
Augh! I’m such an idiot! I immediately bolted into action, dashing up the steps and to the doors as I threw them open for Lady Scarlet. She flashed me an amused smile before stepping past me. As she did so, I smelled the heavenly scent of fresh violets drifting through the air which left me questioning whether it was a result of perfume or simply the natural fragrance Lady Scarlet exuded.
“Hmph. Congratulations, Eris of House Grail. You have taken your first step toward becoming my knight. Should you wish to continue treading down this path, know that it is long and paved only with adversity.”
“Y-Yes, Lady Scarlet!”
When I first arrived at the Imperial Academy, I thought I would be doomed to an existence of ennui. I thought it would be pointless for my weak and useless self to chase any sort of dream. That I would while my days away barely passing each course just to return home and be free from my duties at last as my mother finally recognized how great of a disappointment I really was.
But not anymore. Not while I actually had a chance at becoming Lady Scarlet’s knight. I knew the chance was slim at best, but so long as it was there... So long as I was still in her sights... I finally knew what I wanted to fight for.
I was the weakest.
But for Lady Scarlet’s sake, I’ll become the strongest.