At the Northern Fort

Volume 2 - Ch 8

"And she's gone."

After sending off the snowy white fox cub, Grail murmured while making a wry smile.

It was quite hard taking such a curt attitude with Mil when she was acting all clingy.

"I feel bad for Mil, that was suuuper funny."

"That was so cute."

Kix and Tina also laughed in a carefree manner while commenting.

"Let's set off too before we lose sight of Mil. Does Branch Cap still need more time?"

"——if you're looking for your branch captain, then he's right here."

The one who responded to Kix was a man with a large build who appeared from the shadows of the building.

He looked to be in his mid-fifties, with thick eyebrows and gallant facial features, and shortly trimmed, sandy brown hair.

While his hair, his short goatee that was the same colour as it, and his wrinkles indicated his older age, due to his bulging muscles, he did not give off the impression of an elderly man.

He had a suitable appearance as the man who headed the Knight's Order.

"Knight Commander, you were watching? Together with Branch Captain as well."

Grail turned around and said.

The Northern Fort's Branch Captain Cromwell was dragged out of the building's shadows by the Knight Commander Gauss, who had an arm placed over his shoulders.

Looking at the slender Cromwell, the difference in brute strength was plain as day compared to Gauss, who was built as big as a bear.

However, even without the difference in build, the current Cromwell didn't seem capable of putting up any resistance. It was likely that he saw Mil wearing the bunny rucksack, as it was when he had his eyes closed, ruminating over her appearance, that he had been dragged out by Gauss.

Whether it be Grail, Kix, or Tina, they all pretended not to see Cromwell's current state.

"So that tiny one just now was the snow spirit's child? I heard about her from His Highness, but she really is a cutie."

Gauss said that and laughed heartily. If Mil had been around, she probably would've been frightened by his laughter that resembled a bear's roar.

"So, the two of you are done discussing? Without any changes to your conclusion from last night?"

After Grail asked that, Gauss lightly shook his thick head.

"Yeah, Cromwell wants to continue his duties here, and I also feel like he gets along best with the sort of environment and relationships he's got here. Thanks to that fox cub, he's more……lively, compared to when he was in the Capital. But there's also his Highness' thoughts that need to be taken into consideration, and Sarrell is also unlikely to withdraw his interest either. Honestly, what a troublesome man."

While expressing his true thoughts, Gauss unfolded a single sheet of paper and showed it to them.

"I've already told Grail this, but this is a note from his Highness. His Highness wants to speak directly to Cromwell. Thus, I will be having Cromwell return with me to the Capital for a visit."

Gauss put away the letter with the royal family's insignia on it and gave Cromwell's shoulder a powerful tap.

"After returning to the Capital, you have to have a proper talk with both his Highness and Sarrell. Properly settle things with the two of them so that I don't have to come out to deal with it."

"Knight Commander, you just don't want to have to meet with Captain Sarrell, do you?"

Cromwell said, exasperated.

Gauss was bad at handling Sarrell.

Though, because he cherished Cromwell as one of his subordinates, when it came down to it, he'd take Cromwell's side. However, it was only until it really 'came down to it' that he would confront Sarrell, seeing as he found it a pain to deal with the man.

"Somehow I just can't seem to get along with the guy."

When talking about Sarrell, Gauss made the same bitter face that Mil would whenever she had to talk to Kix.

As a person who thoroughly belonged to the Physique Camp*, having climbed his way up to the position of Knight Commander through his own abilities, Gauss was a large-hearted person who didn't pay much heed to trifling matters.

However, while that was one of his strong points, Sarrell took it to be one of Gauss' weak points instead, seeing himas crude and unrefined. His personality was the complete opposite of Sarrell's, who was both smart but picky, and particularly spiteful. Thus, it probably couldn't be helped that the two of them clashed often.

While Sarrell didn't openly pick fights with Knight Commander Gauss, he'd instead nag persistently about Gauss' rough plans. Such nagging had become an established practice during the main branch's meetings.

"You never change."

Seeing Gauss furrowing his brow childishly, Grail laughed.

Grail hadn't had many points of contact with Sarrell, so he didn't really know what kind of person he was.

However, the few times when he had come across Sarrell in the past, the man had acted terribly curt with Grail, as though Grail was not even worthy enough to be in his presence.

Grail was like Gauss in that he had worked his way up on his own, and just based on his appearance alone he did seem rather rough, so that may have led Sarrell to have a sense of aversion to him.

Gauss looked at Grail and spoke.

"Unless something were to happen to change Sarrell's impression of me, I'll probably never get along with him in this life."

After he said that in a rather childish tone of voice while grimacing, Kix also appeared to secretly agree, indicating his understanding by nodding numerous times.

"So that fox cub is heading to the Capital in order to deliver a letter from Snowlea, correct?"

"Yes, I wasn't able to hear the details from Snowlea yesterday, but when I asked Mil today that seemed to be the case. Though I wasn't able to find out what the contents of the letter were……"

Grail replied, and then recalled what had happened the day before.

Snowlea secretly came to visit the fort in her human form after Mil had returned home from her afternoon visit.

It was then that she requested them to guard Mil on her trip to the Capital.

[I am worried about having Milfiria going on her own. If such a cute child were to walk down the road on her own, she'd end up being kidnapped, wouldn't she? That is why, I want all of you to shadow Milfiria. Protect her in my place.]

Without even asking about Grail and the other's circumstances, the beautiful snow spirit made such a sudden request.

However, Grail was accustomed to the selfishness of spirits, and then readily agreed, saying, "Got it. We'll follow her in secret somehow".

[Make whatever arrangements that need to be done. I already flew to the human king's place before coming here to get his permission.]

[Permission?]

[Permission to have you knights prioritise Milfiria over your work at the fort. You cannot move freely without obtaining the permission of your higher-ups, correct? I at least know that much. The King said that it was okay for you to take a few more skilled people together with you as well.]

Grail was surprised at how proactively Snowlea had moved.

[Just what are you planning? To Mil, the Capital is way too far. She'll have to pass through a number of highly populated towns on the way there, and I'm sure that you yourself would hate to have Mil exposed to the eyes of some unknown humans.]

When Grail asked that, Snowlea lightly covered her mouth with her sleeve and expressionlessly gazed at the ground.

[Because if I send her to somewhere nearby, then she'll come back in no time at all.]

[……what do you mean?]

[Something that does not concern you humans. I plan on having Milfiria set off tomorrow morning, so I will be leaving things to you. I do more or less have some trust in all of you.]

And then, after leaving these parting words, Snowlea returned to her mountain.

[Ahh, that's right. Starting tomorrow, do not climb the mountain for a while. It is better if you do not go to the altar at the base of the mountain. I cannot guarantee your lives if you do not heed my warning. Tell the humans in town that too. I will not require any offerings for the time being.]

He did not know what Snowlea was thinking, since the spirit herself had no intentions of speaking about her matters in detail, he did not ask any further. If he forced her to talk and caused her mood to go awry, it was possible that he'd end up incurring an out-of-season blizzard.

Snowlea was unlikely to attack Grail and the rest unless they were to act extremely thoughtlessly, but even then, he had to be more mindful when speaking to a spirit who held a different sense of values. Even more so than when speaking to royalty.

"So, the ones going to the Capital will be Grail and those two?"

Gauss called out to Grail as he reminisced.

"Yeah, this is Kix and Tina. Branch Captain and Knight Commander will also be going to the Capital, so let's go with the five of us."

Grail glanced at Cromwell, who nodded strongly. He was also worried about Mil.

If he had to go to the Capital anyways, rather than just going there with a bear-like man, it was obvious that going together with a cute fox cub would be more enjoyable.

"So we'll be acting as Branch Captain's retinue, as well as Mil's guards. But if Branch Captain and Vice Captain are gonna be absent, who will be taking care of the fort?"

When Kix crossed his hands behind his head and asked that, Gauss answered.

"I brought Vista and Orpheus with me when I came here, so don't worry about that. I'm sure that even a young guy like you has at least heard their names before. Vista's older than me, but he's a talented old knight who has worked as a branch captain in the past. Orpheus has plenty of experience and ability as well. They're people who can be left with this fort."

"I see. Then that's great! It's hard to say what the knights here might do without the Branch Captain or Vice Captain around after all."

"Is that something you should really be saying, Kix? I'm sure you're the forerunner of 'people who're up to no good'."

Just as Tina retorted back at Kix, Cromwell took Ilus' reins in hand.

"Are your preparations complete? Then let's hurry up and set off."

In order to draw as little attention to him as possible, Cromwell wore a plain-coloured cloak over his navy blue knight's uniform. Grail, Kix, and Tina also put on similar cloaks.

Gauss had already completed his preparations to return to the Capital.

"We'll have to hurry before we lose sight of Mil."

Grail said while gallantly mounting his horse.

Like this, the four people from the Northern Fort left for the Capital together with Knight Commander Gauss.