"A grail knight?"
Cinderella switched back to her royal guard knight form. Viviana rested her hand against her delicate, snow-white chin, lost in thought for a moment.
As a practitioner of the path of the knight, she naturally knew of the prestigious profession that was the grail knight.
After all, the founders of the Qingxi Kingdom, whether it was the old king or Count Roselin, had all looked up to the existence of grail knights.
However, Viviana didn't feel much of anything regarding the matter.
"I learned on my way here that a Lady of the Lake has involved herself in this struggle."
Selena’s eyes lowered slightly. "Yes, and I have no idea what kind of madness has gripped her. She took it upon herself to dispatch a grail knight order to subjugate me. After they were defeated, she didn't give up. Now, she's even called in another... or is it two grail knights?"
"Am I some sort of great fiend? Do I really require a joint subjugation by the grail knight order? The Lady of the Lake's personal bias is far too heavy. Did she have some past grievance with the Midwinter royal family? Or perhaps... is she jealous of my beauty and wants me dead to satisfy herself?"
The beautiful girl with long black hair pressed her hand against her smooth forehead beneath her bangs, sighing in distress.
"After all, my beauty always attracts covetousness and malice. There's really nothing I can do about it."
Snow White's speculation couldn't be dismissed as mere narcissism. There were records of such things, as creatures like the Lady of the Lake were very much "fairies" in many respects.
There truly had been a Lady of the Lake who resorted to petty schemes out of jealousy for another's beauty.
In the end, of course, the conspiracy was exposed, and she was abandoned by all. It was a moralistic bedtime story that Selena’s mother used to read to her when she was a child.
However, Viviana had a completely different insight. The blonde girl’s gaze turned sharp as she declared:
"She is definitely coming for his highness!"
"Hmm?"
Selena looked up. This was an angle she hadn't considered.
Viviana spoke without hesitation.
"I have always been one to speculate about the enemy with the utmost malice. If his highness truly possesses such a secret, it is very likely the Lady of the Lake knows of it. It isn't impossible for greed to take root in her heart. They have never been as refined as the fairies to begin with."
Selena fell into thought as well. During the intense mecha battle between Faust and Dathrohan, the grail knight actually had opportunities to win. Yet, every time, it was as if he was worried about Faust's life and was unwilling to deliver a killing blow, leaving himself restricted.
Thinking about it now, she wanted to beat Faust into submission and take him back to be the Lady of the Lake's personal plaything!
"...That actually makes sense."
One was bold enough to say it, and the other was bold enough to believe it.
The beautiful girl with long black hair let out a laugh. "In that case, we have a reason we cannot lose."
No matter how incompatible their personalities were, Selena and Viviana were at least both on Faust's side. Facing a common enemy, all other conflicts could be set aside for the time being.
"Since that's the case, I will have the frost-walkers build a defensive position tomorrow. During this time, the enemy will surely strike to destroy it. Whether we can successfully intercept them will be the key to victory."
Selena maintained an elegant and charming smile.
"Previously, I was troubled by whether I could handle multiple grail knights. But since you've joined us, it seems it won't be a problem, right?"
Despite the fact that neither of their ranks was particularly high, in the princess's mouth, dealing with the famously prestigious grail knights sounded like a trivial matter.
Viviana nodded and gripped the hilt of her sword.
"I will take action. However, as for the time of the battle... try to keep it around midnight."
.......................
While the two witches were forming a united front, on the other side, behind the Midwinter Kingdom's fortress, the grail knight order was also converging at their forest camp.
In addition to the golden eagle knights Dathrohan had brought from his own kingdom, another grail knight order had been summoned by the Azure Maiden and had arrived in the Midwinter Kingdom.
However, this grail knight order was somewhat unconventional.
They were not a simple knightly order. Every member held several beasts in check with chains; some were even large enough to be categorized as monstrous beasts.
All sorts of fierce and powerful-looking packs of beasts appeared extremely docile before the knightly order's beastmasters, but no one would underestimate them because of their silence.
This was because the beasts, which should have represented disorder and wildness, were eating and resting like a disciplined army. If the beastmasters gave the order, no one doubted that this pack of beasts would erupt with the most frenzied aggression.
In the deepest part of the forest, upon a lake reflecting the clear moonlight, the Azure Maiden was walking on the surface of the water.
Dathrohan sat kneeling on the pebbles by the shore, waiting for the arrival of the other grail knight.
The Lady of the Lake’s golden-brown hair cascaded over her shoulders. Beneath her headscarf, her lovely face held a lingering sorrow, and she was even lightly biting her thumb's nail.
After Dathrohan had returned in defeat, the grail knight had broken into tears before the Lady of the Lake.
However, the Azure Maiden did not blame him. She wasn't just being polite; she truly felt that Dathrohan's defeat wasn't due to a lack of skill.
As an observer of the battle, when Selena sang her elegy and crushed the encirclement with her Divine Countenance, the Azure Maiden had actually perceived much more.
An influence of that magnitude... was not something a common spell could achieve. Authority! It had to be the authority of the wheel of destiny!
As a veteran Lady of the Lake, she was naturally aware of the existence of "fate," unlike ignorant mortals.
The Azure Maiden then realized her own situation.
This was not the "entertainment" she had imagined, but a fate script of unknown, incredibly high specifications!
Since a "fate" of such status had chosen to actively participate, there was absolutely no option to back down halfway. Her goal was to obtain Faust, so until that goal was achieved... or she failed completely, she had to keep raising the stakes, higher and higher!
She would either suffer a painful punishment or win everything!
The Azure Maiden wasn't particularly afraid of the consequences of failure, but if she were to just admit defeat here, the Lady of the Lake would never accept it!
Just as the Azure Maiden made up her mind, the grail knight she was waiting for arrived.
"My Lady! Your beauty is like the bright moon in the sky. What a maddeningly wonderful sight!"
The voice arrived before the person did.
A figure in light armor and cloth clothing darted out from the forest, walking quickly toward the Azure Maiden.
His steps were light and swift, as cheerful as a stage performer, as he respectfully presented a bright red rose to the Azure Maiden.
"My Lady, my beloved, this is a rose I found on the road. Though it isn't even a ten-thousandth as lovely as you, if it can serve to accentuate your beauty, it will have served its purpose."
Compared to Dathrohan’s meticulous nature, this newly arrived grail knight was clearly more lively... or perhaps, more frivolous?
The Azure Maiden took the red rose, a small smile appearing on her beautiful face.
"Thank you, Royce. I like it very much."
Seeing this, the grail knight named Royce began to praise the Lady of the Lake with even more excitement.
Dathrohan couldn't help but interrupt.
"Enough with the flattery, Royce. My Lady summoned us here, not to listen to your praises."
"My apologies. I simply haven't seen My Lady for so long that I got a bit excited."
Royce took a step back, looked at his colleague, and smiled.
"If it weren't for Sir Dathrohan’s help, I wouldn't have had this chance to have an audience with My Lady. My thanks indeed."
What does he mean? Is he mocking me for my incompetence?!
Anger flared within Dathrohan, but when he thought of his past performance—losing so miserably to a junior—he truly didn't have the confidence to talk back.
Unlike Dathrohan, who was a prince of noble birth, Royce was a beast knight from a circus background. As colleagues and rivals in love, they naturally clashed at every turn.
"Please, do not argue for my sake, alright?"
Seeing this, the Azure Maiden ended the dispute with a pitiful plea.
"Dathrohan’s failure cannot be entirely blamed on him. Who could have expected the Princess of Midwinter, bolstered by a curse, to possess such power?"
Royce had also heard about the situation before coming, and he proudly patted his chest.
"That is why my knightly order’s assistance is needed! No matter what kind of enchanting voice it is, it is useless against my children! These monstrous beasts, which lack human nature, can easily deal even with heart-bewitching fiends!"
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