Chapter 79 - Jaune vs Lancer


"... I'm sorry, what?" Jaune finally choked out, after he'd finally found his voice. "Could you repeat that?"

"I wish to become a Knight of the Round Table, Sir Jaune!" Velvet shouted nervously once again.

"That's what I thought." Jaune groaned, pressing his fingers against his temples. Glaring at Sir Agravain, he pointedly asked: "Agravain... didn't you tell your sister that King Arthur wasn't going to be around for a few weeks?"

"I didn't actually know she would be coming, Sir Jaune, until she showed up begging me to get her an audience." Agravain immediately defended.

The fact that it was a fortuitous coincidence (the King really did not seem to approve of his Steward talking interacting with women, for some reason. Privately, Agravain blamed his mother, the King's sister, Morgan le Fay. That woman could induce gynophobia in any sane person...), though, was something he felt best left unsaid.

Jaune sighed again, taking Agravain's words at face value, before looking at Velvet, who was now shuffling apprehensively where she stood.

"Look, Sir Velvet..." Jaune began, wondering how best to delicately phrase his words. "I'd love to help, really... but I can't. I'm just an advisor; I've got no say in membership into the Round Table-"

"That's not true, Sir Jaune." Agravain interjected, even as Velvet looked crestfallen. "She can be your squire, and you her mentor as a knight."

"... she can?" Jaune echoed dumbly, even as Velvet's expression brightened considerably. Shaking his head, he quickly pointed out: "Uh, Agravain? I'm not a knight, remember?"

"Only because you keep disappearing whenever the King tries to knight you, Sir Jaune." Agravain countered drily. "I believe the last time she attempted, you ended up dueling Sir Maleagant."

"Who?" Jaune blinked.

"Oh, I've heard of that story!" Velvet exclaimed enthusiastically. "The Black Knight of Gwlad yr Haf!"

"Oh, right... that guy..." Jaune finally recalled the "duel".

"It was amazing, how the two of you fought each other on a plank of wood for hours, and how you won without even needing to swing your sword!" Velvet continued excitedly, before Jaune could correct her misconceptions.

Honestly, it really hadn't been anything special.

He'd just been escorting a merchant caravan to Bristol, and had completely forgotten that Arthur had specifically requested that he be present at the throne room of Camelot that coming Sunday.

Which was a problem, since it was a week's journey from Camelot to Bristol, and they'd only reached their destination on Thursday.

He'd discovered a shortcut while rushing back to Camelot, but while trying to cross a small stream had been ambushed by a knight in black armor demanding a duel with him for trespassing.

Even when he'd apologized and tried to leave.

What had followed had been hours of him simply blocking and parrying, as the unskilled knight had tried to claim victory (and almost chopped off all his limbs, somehow), before he'd eventually collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, declaring: "All right, we'll call it a draw."

But still, the delay had meant he hadn't made it back to Camelot in time.

Oh, Arthur had been pissed at him after that, and he'd been forced to spend the next three days in the kitchen...

"Well, anyway..." Jaune interrupted, clearing his throat before Velvet could continue retelling the very-exaggerated tale. "I'm probably the least qualified person to teach her how to be a knight, Agravain-"

"Actually, as of the last meeting of the Round Table..." Agravain interjected, knowing just how much this meant to Velvet. "You were nominated by King Arthur himself to be in charge of training the skills of the Knights of Camelot, a motion which was passed unanimously."

"... I am?!" Jaune asked incredulously, pointing a finger at himself. As Agravain nodded, he sighed, and finally caved: "Fine! I'll see what I can do."

"Truly?" Velvet's eyes were now sparkling.

"You have my humble gratitude, Sir Jaune." Agravain bowed, even as he departed from the room before Jaune could begin changing his mind, leaving his baby sister alone with her idol.

Good luck, Velvet.

You're going to need it.

"So..." Jaune began awkwardly, even as he offered Velvet a seat, and began tidying up his desk.

As she looked up at him expectantly, hanging upon his every words, Jaune rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, wondering just what in Oum's name he'd done to deserve this, and how on Remnant was he supposed to turn someone into a Knight of the Round Table.

Finally, he apologized: "Look, I know that this isn't ideal for you at all, Sir Velvet. I'm sure you'd be much better off learning under Arthur or Gawain, but-"

"That's not true at all!" Velvet interjected furiously, before blushing and shrinking inwardly at her outburst. But still, even as Jaune looked at her in alarmed confusion, she firmly continued: "You truly are too modest and humble, Sir Jaune! But please, do not make the mistake of thinking yourself a mere consolation prize! Praise for your many deeds are sung throughout the land, from the Slaying of the White Dragon to the Subjugation of the Addanc!"

"They are?" Jaune asked, feeling lost.

"In fact!" Velvet continued passionately, ignoring his question as she bashfully looked away, flushing. "I dare say that I consider myself fortunate, to be serving as the Squire of the Architect of Camelot!"

"Who?" Jaune blinked, utterly bemused. "Me?"

"The King is rightfully considered to be a just and ideal ruler, and my eldest brother is renowned throughout the lands as the personification of chivalry itself, the ideal that all knights should strive for." Velvet acknowledged, before turning her shining eyes onto him, as she retorted: "But! To me, I have always admired the fearless exploits of the Red Huntsman, the Crimson Knight, the Architect of Camelot! You, who improves the lives of people everywhere with your policies and projects, and still finds time to defend the weak and protect the needy every other day! You-"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Jaune interrupted, holding up his hands to try and placate the worked-up girl even as he fought desperately to keep his face from burning.

Really, he didn't deserve that much praise for essentially regurgitating what he'd learned from observing House and the Brotherhood of Steel, and it wasn't like he was going around looking for monsters to slay!

It wasn't his fault that he seemed to trip over trouble every time he left the castle!

This world was just ridiculous, like Skyrim!

But since he didn't want to be lectured again, and since he'd apparently been stuck as a teacher...

"Want to go for a round or two in the training grounds?" Jaune offered, deciding that the only thing he could really do to help Velvet (at least until Arthur came back to take over and give him pointers) was teach her a bit of combat tricks he'd picked up from Kay and Arthur, in the way that Pyrrha and Glynda had taught him.

Velvet nodded her head so rapidly he felt afraid it would fall off.

-CAMELOT, FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER-

The atmosphere in the knights' quarters was relatively peaceful that day.

Sure, the King and most of the Knights of the Round Table may have departed for Gwent for the feast (a well-deserved break, they could all agree), but that changed nothing for the disciplined Knights of Camelot.

Most, if not all, of the occupants in these quarters were men of prodigious skill and righteousness, who had sworn their fealty to the Boy-King after being swayed by his noble ideals and outstanding abilities, and no small number of them aspired to eventually earn a seat on the Round Table.

And thus, they spent their leisure time as they usually did, with a few learning to read and write, while others exchanged pointers on their martial abilities, and some shared tales of their deeds, either in hopes of inspiring their comrades to achieve similar feats of daring, or to receive advice from the more experienced and sharper listeners.

Truly, if the Knight of the Sun could have seen them in that moment, he would have nodded in approval (before joining in boisterously, bragging about his own deeds).

And then a knight burst in, breathing heavily as he exclaimed: "Men! Sir Jaune is heading to the training grounds!"

There was a stunned silence, as the men attempted to process the unbelievable words the runner had just spoken.

Then, there was chaos, as the knights all ran up to the messenger, shouting questions one and all.

After all, it was already rare enough for the Red Huntsman, the Knight of Compassion, to even be confirmed to be within the walls of Camelot (though perhaps it should have been expected; with King Arthur and Sir Gawain gone, command would naturally fall to him)!

But to hear that he was not only here, but actually heading to the training grounds?!

The only person he ever regularly sparred with, on the rare occasion he could even be found, was the King himself!

And the pair were explicitly banned from sparring within the grounds of Camelot, after that time with the whirlwind and the wall!

So why was he heading to the training grounds?

Who would he be training with?

What would he be training them in?

How did he even train?

Finally, the messenger managed to relay the information he'd heard.

Velvet of Caerbannog, Slayer of the Legendary Black Beast of Argh, and sister of Sir Agravain and Sir Gawain, had been made esquire to Sir Jaune recently, and the two were heading down for a practice match at that very moment.

There was a stampede as the knights began rushing towards the training grounds, even as bets were made on how long she'd last.

Meanwhile, down at the training grounds, Velvet studied Jaune with nervous excitement, even as she slowly and carefully loaded her gun lance, "Ira Lupus", with the magical blue substance her parents had provided for her, still unable to believe her luck.

After all, when she'd come to Camelot on this day (on her mother's advice), she'd been expecting, at most, to be teased by her boorish oaf of a brother for her dreams, and perhaps get an audience with the King.

Instead, with Agravain's help, she'd somehow managed to not only get a personal meeting with Sir Jaune himself, but even been made his squire of all things!

To say she was elated would be to compare a puddle of water to a lake.

After all, she'd meant every word she'd told Sir Jaune, and more!

And now she was having a personal training session with him!

She'd have squealed with delight and passed out, if she wasn't so nervous about messing it up.

Jaune, for his part, couldn't help but wonder what in Oum's name was up with the technology of this world, as he saw the girl opposite of him loading a magazine into her lance.

He'd compared it to Skyrim before, but that weapon really reminded him of Ruby's Crescent Rose, though this was a lance, and may not have been a high-impact sniper rifle.

And what was up with the rapidly-growing crowds?

It wasn't like he wasn't used to an audience, but did this really merit this much of a commotion?!

Or was Velvet just much more famous than he'd realized?

Oh well, too late to back out now.

He said he'd help Velvet, and an Arc never went back on his word.

As Agravain raised his flag, the two immediately raised their respective shields and weapons.

The flag lowered.

Velvet immediately burst into action, charging forward like a wolf, with the tip of her lance pointed forwards even as it glowed an ominous blue, determined to prove herself.

Jaune's eyes widened, but he easily dodged out of the way, as it was thrust through the air where he'd formerly been.

Then with a burst of strength she swung the massive lance like a club at him from the side.

Jaune quickly danced back.

Velvet began launching a series of consecutive strikes using the momentum of her charge and her blows as she swung and stabbed the gun lance at Sir Jaune.

Jaune, for his part. began using his blade to parry and deflect the blows as they came, making sure to keep an eye on the glowing tip of the lance.

Finally, as the magic built up enough of a charge, she leapt forward, attempting to stab at him one final time.

Jaune noticed the blue light suddenly intensify, and quickly raised his shield as the tip of the lance smashed into it, and exploded like a grenade.

Velvet doubled over, panting from the exertion, before her eyes widened in horror, as she realized what she'd just done.

She was still struggling to catch her breath as the smoke finally cleared, and Jaune looked her once over, completely unfazed by her attack.

Then, to her surprise (as well as that of the onlookers), he nodded approvingly, and complimented her: "That was really good! You were almost as fast as the King!"

"I was?!" Velvet asked incredulously, scarcely daring to hope. Was she not in trouble for going overboard with that final attack?

"Yep." Jaune confirmed, before moving to help her up, even as he inquired: "Though, what would you have done if I had attempted to counter-attack?"

"It's usually not a problem..." Velvet admitted. "Most foes I've fought have been too overwhelmed by my initial strikes and charge to put up much resistance. But, trying that on you felt like I was attempting to break through a wall!"

Jaune felt like he was getting the gist of things.

Where he relied on his defense to find opportunities to attack, Velvet relied on an overwhelming offensive to defend herself; a tactic that clearly had some potentially, based on how she'd performed earlier.

He could work with that.

At least, it was better than him when he'd first joined Beacon.

"Do you want to continue?" Jaune offered, not wanting to push her too hard, knowing that patience was key.

Velvet eagerly jumped up, ready for round two.

"I'm guessing your lance isn't that effective in close quarters?" Jaune inquired. As Velvet nodded, he then pulled out his shield, and told her: "All right, I guess let's start with shield techniques? Try attacking me, and watch how I block and counter..."

And so it was that Velvet earned the respect of all the observing knights of Camelot that day, as they watched her launch attack after attack against what could only be described as a wall of steel, a futile and hopeless endeavor that she nonetheless pursued with vigor and determination, while Jaune occasionally gave her pointers on what to look out for, and explained how he stopped certain attacks efficiently, as Pyrrha had once done with him on a rooftop over two years ago.

Their admiration for the young woman only increased when, at her instigation, Jaune offered to cook dinner for the castle, and began to tell a wondrous tale, of a faraway order of Huntsmen and Huntresses whose recruitment process began with being thrown off of a cliff and into a monster-infested forest in order to retrieve a relic.

-MAKESHIFT CAMP, ROAD TO GWENT-

Artoria wordlessly poked at the contents of the bowl in front of her, managing to keep her expression neutral only through years of training and practice.

Kay was less stoic, however, and asked: "Gawain... what is this?"

"It's stew, of course!" Gawain answered easily, oblivious to the biting sarcasm in Kay's voice even as he voraciously dug into his own bowl. "Potatoes, vegetable, meat, and vinegar!"

"..." Kay looked back down at his bowl, wondering which one of the listed ingredients had almost broken his teeth and murdered his taste buds.

"... should I summon my familiar to bring you a snack, Sir Kay?" Artoria whispered teasingly, seeing a chance to take revenge. "It seems that your tongue has been spoiled, lately..."

"Can you?" Kay asked hopefully, not even bothering to return the favor.

"If I could, I would already." Artoria rolled her eyes. "Besides, it's not that bad..."

"Uh huh." Kay deadpanned. "And I suppose that's why you haven't even touched your portion."

Artoria was spared from having to think of a response, as Gawain cheerfully came up to Bedivere with another bowl, merrily booming: "Come now, Sir Bedivere! You must eat more! Quantity over quality, if you want to grow big and strong like the rest of us!"

Bedivere desperately looked around with pleading eyes, trying to find anyone willing to come to his aid.

"Fear not, fellow Knight of the Round!" Gawain continued. "By my pride as the Solar Knight, I swear that I will have you bulked up by the time we reach Gwent!"

Kay and Artoria looked away, saying a prayer for their fellow knight, before Kay finally spoke up, remembering they had another week of travelling before they reached Gwent: "We're doomed, aren't we?"


Author's Note: Once again, sorry for the late (and short) chapter, but between work and the fact that I needed to actually figure out the character of Velvet of Caerbannog...

Seriously, this is why it is definitely not a wise idea to make a recurring character solely based on a pun, a mistake I'm sure I'll make at least once more.

Also, as for a brief overview of Jaune's position in the Round Table... where Artoria is seen as the perfect King, and Gawain is seen as the knight who best embodies the concept of chivalry, Jaune is probably seen as the most compassionate and humane of the knights, with no request being too small for him to assist in (Sir Tristan not having joined the Round Table at this point in time). And since Jaune is rarely spotted in the castle, and keeps tripping over trouble whenever he goes out to help, there are a lot of tales attributed to him by the people (even when he is definitely, provably, in the castle when they occur).

Most of the people in Camelot don't begrudge him his disappearances and absences, since he is friendly and polite to everyone he meets, and it is very apparent how much work he does for the king on the rare occasion he's spotted (on top of the king's fondness for him). But, while they have many tales of him in action (him punching out Vortigern having been effectively televised to the armies around Londinium), very few people can claim to have actually seen him in person, let alone personally witnessing his skill, especially since he often falls asleep in the various studies and libraries in the castle rather than his own quarters, on top of all the times he's snuck out of Camelot.

And Velvet of Caerbannog... I guess the easiest way to put it is, that she's a fan of Jaune. Sure, she admires the King as a ruler, but Artoria's been busy running Camelot, rather than going out and performing great deeds that would be spread by the bards. And while her brother is renowned as the Solar Knight of Chivalry, Velvet (having grown up with him) can't help but still see him as "that muscle-brained airhead who can't cook for shit", even if she still loves him as a brother.