“Medrauta!”

Viviane leapt off her horse, falling straight into her beloved knight’s arms without hesitation. She squeezed Medrauta tightly, relief flooding her body as she saw that her knight was unharmed. The enormous sphere of black-red mana still hovered ominously above the shield tower, but its presence didn’t concern Viviane at the moment. All she wanted to do was make up for her absence as best she could.

“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Viviane murmured, burying her face in Medrauta’s chest. “...I’m sorry I had to leave.”

Medrauta shook her head, her silver hair swaying in the wind. “Don’t be sorry, Vivi. There are times when we each have our own places to be.”

“But I want mine to be by your side. Always.” Viviane said, her doe-like eyes staring into Medrauta’s in an almost pleading fashion. “Can’t I?”

“There’s no one else I’d rather have by my side, Vivi.” Medrauta replied, gently caressing her beloved lady’s cheek. Had the sphere of black-red mana not been casting a glow that dyed their surroundings crimson, she probably would have leaned in for a kiss. “But right now, there’s somewhere we both have to be.”

“...Yeah.” Viviane reluctantly released Medrauta from her embrace, stepping back to gaze at the full glory of her knight’s battle-weary body. Though the silver-haired knight had emerged unscathed from her confrontation with the Walpurgisknight, the battle had still taken quite a heavy toll on her stamina.

Medrauta offered Viviane a smile before turning around, facing the shield tower where the statue of her mother awaited. She steeled her resolve as she moved forward, no longer plagued by the sudden fits of headaches and nausea resulting from the resurfacing of her sealed memories.

Viviane followed Medrauta into the building, noting that something significant had changed about her. The knight’s back was always wide and poised, but now her powerful shoulders seemed to be even broader as if some incredibly heavy burden had been lifted from them at last.

It must’ve happened during her duel... Though she wished to ask what had transpired between Medrauta and the Walpurgisknight, Viviane kept her curiosity to herself. If Medrauta hadn’t seen fit to speak about it immediately, she would likely do so on her own time. Right now, they needed to focus on finishing the fight.

“Is Eris alright?” Medrauta asked as she ascended a spiraling stairway together with Viviane. There had been no need for code words or enchanted entrances this time. The way upward was clear.

“...Yeah. It was looking a little rough at first, but she’s a tough one. Her wounds were treated and she’ll be alright with a couple days of rest.” Viviane answered, her worried gaze lingering on her knight’s face. She had expected a little more reaction from Medrauta upon passing by Morgana’s statue, but the silver-haired knight hadn’t given it anything more than a fleeting glance.

“That’s good to hear,” Medrauta nodded. Her eyes were fixed forward, and aside from a few casual glances toward Viviane while they walked, she made no effort to acknowledge any depictions of her mother, including a rather large painting they passed by on one of the floors.

“Um... Medrauta?”

“Hm?”

“How... How much did you remember?”

“Everything.” Medrauta answered plainly. “I remember everything.”

“...I see.” Viviane murmured. “Your mother’s relationship with you... How was it?”

Medrauta shrugged. “I guess the best word to describe it would be ‘infrequent.’ But whenever she was there, it was warm. I just... didn’t know much about her, I suppose.”

Viviane nodded, remaining silent as she waited for Medrauta to continue, sensing that her knight had a little more to get off her chest.

“This is what she was in the past. Even now, I’m not entirely sure how old she is, nor do I know everything about what she did in the past. But I don’t want to either. She was a strong and proud Paladin who wanted to do everything her way, yet had a soft and caring heart. She had her triumphs, and she made her mistakes. I think there was a lot she was involved in. Far more than I can ever know... But for now, I just want to remember her as my mother. Not the Paladin she was.”

“I see...” Viviane slipped her hand into Medrauta’s, squeezing it gently in an offer of support. So that’s why she’s deliberately ignoring everything in here. I’m sorry Medrauta... I should’ve tried to think of a way to—

“I’m fine with looking at the paintings, Vivi.” Medrauta said, surprising Viviane with a flick on the forehead. The noblewoman glared at her accusingly. “It’s the books and records I don’t want to read, so stop worrying your head off.”

The two shared some light conversation as they continued to the top, moving away from the heavier topics that had dominated the past few days. With the memories of her childhood trauma now fresh in her mind, such trivial exchanges were vital for the continued stability of her mental state. Before they knew it, the pair had reached the top of the shield tower, a single iron door standing between them and the final objective of this arduous campaign.

Together, the two of them placed their hands on the door and pushed, its ancient hinges protesting loudly as their combined might forced it open. Medrauta stepped out first, gazing up at the still-pulsing orb of black mana hovering mere feet away from her head. For the last time that day, she drew her sword.

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“Let’s do this together, Vivi.” Medrauta said, extending a hand toward her lady.

Viviane took it, grinning as she stepped next to her knight. A pillar of silver light burst from their position as she bestowed her Crest upon Medrauta, imbuing her with the power of the Lake. Medrauta raised her arm, lifting her blade toward the last extension of Amelia’s power. She paused for a moment to focus her strength before swinging her sword with all her might, unleashing an almighty crescent wave of silver that sundered the orb above.

As motes of black mana fell like rain, the sun began to peek out from the horizon, almost as if the night itself had been banished by the combined might of Medrauta and Viviane. The drops of darkness splattered against the cold stone surface of the shield tower’s peak, dissipating into their natural form as ambient mana within seconds.

Hand in hand, Medrauta and Viviane gazed at the sunrise, enjoying this rare moment of peace and silence with just the two of them. Despite the foreboding structure of the Spire still towering above them in the distance, a sense of tranquility and accomplishment settled over the pair as they greeted the new day together.

“Hey, Medrauta...” Viviane turned to her knight as a sudden realization popped into her mind.

“Hm?”

“You... remember everything now, right?”

Medrauta nodded, frowning in confusion as she watched Viviane fidget nervously. A light shade of red had crept into the noblewoman’s cheeks for reasons unknown to Medrauta and her eyes seemed to be wandering all over the place.

She’s... She’s not gonna pop the question now is she...? Medrauta gulped as she waited for Viviane to speak the words that would complete her existence once and for all. Of course, the knight had expected that she would have to be the one who proposed, but the alternative was more than welcome. As much as she hated to admit it, Medrauta loved seeing Viviane take the lead.

“Um... So... That time in the infirmary after we defeated Princess Gwenhwyfar and Galahad...”

“Yeah? What about it?” Medrauta replied quickly, unsure of what that particular event had to do with the much more important question that Viviane was supposed to ask.

“Do you still remember what the princess said...?”

“No, not really. I was more focused on you at the time.”

In response, Viviane simply blushed even harder, her cheeks taking on a shade of red that Medrauta never even knew was possible. With her face averted from Medrauta’s gaze, Viviane’s hands clenched into tight fists as she mustered the courage to sate her burning curiosity.

Her question wasn’t exactly inappropriate, nor could it have been misconstrued as offensive. In fact, it was a rather silly thing to ask about considering everything the two of them had been through, but Viviane simply wouldn’t be able to calm her anxious heart without receiving a straight answer from Medrauta once and for all.

“W-Well... Remember how the princess said you promised to be her champion...? Did you really promise her...?” Viviane asked at last. “A-Actually, on second thought, y-you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, ahaha!”

Medrauta blinked, feeling like she’d just been struck by a carriage going at full speed. As a knight, she was pretty hardy, but an impact like that would’ve still left her stunned for a decent amount of time. In this case, Viviane’s totally unexpected question had left her speechless for a significantly longer period as she stared at her lady, mouth agape.

“...Medrauta?”

“S-Sorry!” Medrauta jumped, Viviane’s voice startling her as she was processing the enormous letdown that resulted from a one-sided misunderstanding of her own devising. Gah! Whatever! It was just my own foolish fantasy anyway...

“N-No! Don’t apologize! I’m the one who should be saying sorry for asking such a weird question anyway...” Viviane laughed nervously.

“N-No! Not at all!” Medrauta waved her hands hastily in a negatory gesture. “Uhm... As for the answer... I did. She asked me to be her champion in the carriage while we were en route to the headquarters. I ended up agreeing because, well, she was the princess.”

Viviane bit her lip, her eyes sliding away from Medrauta’s. Her chest tightened as her mind imagined hundreds of heartbreaking scenarios within the span of just a few seconds.

Logically speaking, she knew that there was no way any of them could come true, but she also knew that Medrauta had a habit of keeping promises. While she may have been known as the “Oathbreaker” at Avalyne Academy, Medrauta was a knight who intended to keep all promises that she truly meant, and Viviane was fairly certain that Medrauta had no intention to deceive the princess at that time.

“A-Ah... I see...”

Medrauta regarded her lady for a few seconds before deciding to place her hands around Viviane’s narrow waist, pulling her closer. The noblewoman let out a yelp of surprise as her body pressed tightly against her knight’s.

“But that was then, Vivi.” Medrauta said. “This is now. You’re the one who I swore my sword and heart to. For now and forever. Don’t you remember?”

“O-Of course I do...” Viviane mumbled, feeling the anxiety in her heart fade away. There was no reason for her to doubt Medrauta’s loyalty in the first place, and though her mind understood as much, her thumping heart wanted nothing more than to confirm her beloved knight’s feelings once and for all. To know for certain that the Medrauta who had regained those missing memories hadn’t changed from the Medrauta that she fell in love with.

“Hm... It looks like you still don’t fully believe me, Vivi.” Medrauta clicked her tongue in mock displeasure. “That’s gonna be a problem.”

“W-What!? Of course I do!”

Unfortunately for Viviane, her words fell on deaf ears. A mischievous grin bloomed on Medrauta’s lips, the silver-haired knight reaching a hand up to Viviane’s chin and holding it firmly in place.

“I suppose I’ll just have to prove it to you with a little demonstration.”

“W-Wait! I’m still—Mnf!”

On this very day, Medrauta had lost her father figure and abruptly recalled the death of her mother. The pain was almost unbearable, and her childhood trauma had left deep scars that never truly healed despite being covered for so many years. Yet for some reason, she found herself capable of staying strong in front of the woman she loved.

Her arms wrapped a little tighter than usual around Viviane’s waist as the two embraced. Medrauta had lost enough loved ones for a lifetime. She would lose no more. Allowing Viviane’s warmth and passion to overwrite her sorrow, Medrauta leaned in close, bringing her lips to her lady’s.

With the dawn of a new day as their backdrop, the couple shared their first kiss in a long while.