At the Northern Fort V1C23

At the Northern Fort V1C23: Farewell

My heart felt a chill.

I had a premonition that something bad was about to happen.

After the One-Eyed Knight and Branch Captain-san headed off for the altar, I remained on standby with Tina-san and the rest in the fort. Tina-san was reading some difficult-looking book in the lounge while peeping at me as I restlessly moved about.

“Mil-chan, you don’t need to worry. While it’s still blizzarding outside……Vice Captain isn’t a reckless person, and Branch Captain is the same. The two of them are capable of making calm decisions. If they feel that things are getting dangerous, they’ll come back.”

Tina-san closed the thick book and caught me as I paced around, gently placing me in her lap.

Are the One-Eyed Knight and the others really okay? They won’t end up buried in snow, right? And more importantly, when they get to the altar and actually meet Mother……what’ll happen? Mother is probably angry at me, but she won’t take it out on the One-Eyed Knight and his party, right?

I jumped down from Tina-san’s lap, and once again began to pace around the room. The anxiety is making me restless.

“Kyuuun!”

I constricted my throat and narrowed my mouth, making as high-pitched and as weak a voice as I could. It was the vocalisation I used when calling for Mother.

When I was on the mountain, no matter how far away she was, as long as I cried with this voice, Mother would come to pick me up, but it seemed that even if I made it here, my voice wouldn’t reach her. I’m in a building after all, and outside, the strong gusts will drown out the sound of my voice.

“Mil-chan, it’s alright.”

Tina-san called out to me in a kind voice, but my heart would not calm down. I have to go to where the One-Eyed Knight is. I had a hunch that I had to do so.

Seeing me continue to howl, Tina-san’s eyebrows lowered as she made a heartbroken expression. She was looking at me with eyes filled with pity at watching a child left behind by their parents. 

“Mil-chan, you really love the Vice Captain, don’t you? If you’re that worried, then do you want to try going outside for a bit? It’s possible that Vice Captain and the rest will be returning soon after all……but we’ll just be taking a little peek out the doorway, alright?”

“Kyan!”

Yup yup, that’s fine too! Take me out there!

I stood on my hind legs and waved my front legs as though I were inviting Tina-san with me. When I get impatient, I end up walking bipedally. 

“No way, that pose is so cute~”

I know! I know that I’m cute, so hurry up and pick me up, please. ——Tina-san was quite soft on me, so when we were moving together, she always carried me with her. Incidentally, since the One-Eyed Knight was planning on returning me to the wild, his educational policy was that I should ‘train by walking with my own legs’, thus he did not carry me while going places. It seemed that Tina-san also thought that she was spoiling me a bit too much, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to stop. Well, it’s my fault for being so cute.

“I wouldn’t go out if I were you.”

After the writhing Tina-san finally picked me up, it happened at the time when we were just about to head out into the hall. The door to the lounge opened, and the gatekeeper Aniki walked in, with snow piled on his head and shoulders. Was he standing outside on guard, even in the midst of this blizzard?

“The blizzard’s gotten worse.”

“Ehh!? It was already pretty bad before, and now it’s even worse?”

Tina-san raised her voice into a near-shriek.

“Yeah, it’s like being hit with a snow typhoon…….when you go outside, it feels like you’ll freeze over in the blink of an eye.”

Saying that, Aniki stripped off his overcoat. However, his overcoat didn’t follow gravity and crumple to the ground, but instead remained somewhat hardened, standing in a shape that roughly matched his body shape. It looked like the snow pasted onto the overcoat had frozen to it. I’m sure that right now, if you went outside with a wet towel, it’d be frozen stiff in an instant.

“Uuu, so cold!”

“I’m gonna die!”

The knights who had probably been out working hard at clearing the snow returned to the lounge, one after the other. The Scary-Faced Squad was also among them.

After each of them took their turns petting my head as I remained in Tina-san’s arms——the knights here seemed to have gotten into the habit of petting my head as soon as they saw my face——they gathered around the fireplace to melt the snow that had frozen onto their bodies.

But, if the blizzard has gotten even worse, then……

“Will the Branch Captain and everyone be alright?”

As though reading the words that loomed in my heart, someone murmured worriedly.

“It is getting pretty dangerous.”

“Yeah, if their enemy was a human, then I wouldn’t be worried no matter how fiendish the enemy was but……as expected, not even the Vice Captain and Branch Captain can compete against nature itself.”

“Should we try to go pick them up?”

“No, we should wait a bit longer. Branch Captain and the rest packed enough equipment and emergency rations to even be able to climb a snowy mountain——”

Everyone continued chatting, but midway through I became unable to hear anything.

Is it really okay for us——for “me”, to stay here and just wait?

The One-Eyed Knight and his party, fallen on the white ground, their strength stolen away by the cold. And then, the snow that mercilessly continued to fall down on their bodies, hiding them away.

That image crossed my mind, freezing my spine. 

While the One-Eyed Knight and the rest are very strong, I was stronger against the snow and cold.

While I was just a mere human in my previous life, in this life things were different. I am a spirit. I have to protect everyone.

In particular, I’ve been helped a lot by the One-Eyed Knight, so now it’s my turn to return the favour!

——it was the moment when I strongly thought that.

“……Mil-chan!?”

I heard Tina-san’s surprised voice from above me.

“What is it!?”

“……snow is-!”

The knights surrounding the fireplace also made startled expressions as they looked my way.

Before I knew it, a small blizzard had sprung forth, enveloping my body. Uwahh, what is this!?

Tina-san had one eye closed as she frantically hugged me, but my body was steadily turning into snow, riding on the wind as it danced upwards.

M-M-M-My body is…d-d-d-d-dis..appearing……!?

“Mil-chan!”

“Mil!”

Tina-san shouted once more, and the Scary-Faced Squad and other big brothers ran this way with their hands extended.

That was the last thing I saw before all of my bodily sensations stopped.

My eyes, ears, legs, and head – all of it transformed into snow, and then melted and disappeared from the lounge’s warm air.

I died.

I…DIED!

I suddenly died in some incomprehensible manner!

Do spirits die like this? Why did I suddenly die? Was I sick?

After I felt that I wanted to save the One-Eyed Knight, it felt as though my body was floating, and before I knew it wind burst out, and my body turned to snow……

And while I was thinking that, my body that should have scattered once again began to take shape. That is the sort of feeling I had.

While I couldn’t see anything right now, the sensation of having eyes, with my eyelids closed on top of them, returned. I cautiously tried to open those eyelids.

“……”

For the time being, I opened one eye, and slowly looked around at my surroundings. I thought that I might’ve just gone straight to heaven, but the weather seemed a bit too stormy for that. There was a furious snowstorm.

Huh? Could it be that I haven’t died? I just moved to the outside from inside the building in an instant?

When I thought about it after calming down, I recalled that when Mother went to the Capital, wind and snow sprung forth around her body before she disappeared from the spot. Could it be that I also did that?

If that’s the case, then just where did I come to? I was thinking about the One-Eyed Knight before moving so……

I once again looked around and above me.

Ah, he’s here.

The One-Eyed Knight is here.

Not only that, but Mother was right in front of the One-Eyed Knight.

On top of that, the two of them……seemed to be in the middle of a critical situation.

As feared, Mother was taking it out on the One-Eyed Knight? This is bad, really bad! I have to stop her immediately!

However, before I could cry out, Mother noticed my presence.

“……Milfiria?”

Her eyes, wet with tears, opened widely as she murmured. I felt my chest clench at her faint voice.

 Mother, why are you crying?

The One-Eyed Knight also made a surprised expression at seeing me at his feet.

“Why are you here……”

“Mil!?”

I also heard Kix’s voice from behind him. When I turned around, I saw that Branch Captain-san and the rest were standing a short distance away, and everyone was making bewildered expressions while looking this way.

Ah, thank goodness. Everyone’s alive.

“Milfiria!”

Nobody’s injured, right? -as I was confirming that, looking at the faces of all the knights, I was suddenly embraced strongly by Mother, who kneeled onto the ground.

“Thank goodness you’re safe……! Just how worried did you think I was……!”

Ah, I see. First I have to apologise to Mother.

I cried out ‘kyun kyun’ while licking Mother’s cheek a number of times, trying to wipe away her tears. I’m sorry for making you worry. A snow spirit’s tears weren’t salty at all, and instead were chilly like ice, making my tongue numb.

“Ahh, thank goodness……”

Mother seemed to be relieved from the bottom of her heart, as she let out a breath.

I’m really sorry. I won’t leave the nest arbitrarily anymore, so don’t cry.

“What is going on?”

“Mil is……the spirit’s child?”

Kix and everyone seemed to be confused. I felt bad for surprising them like this. But I can’t speak words yet, so I don’t have the ability to explain to them……

I couldn’t hear the One-Eyed Knight or Branch Captain-san’s voices, but I was sure that they were looking at me being hugged by Mother with feelings of disbelief. I could really feel their eyes drilling through me.

“Did you get away by yourself? That’s amazing, Milfiria. You’ve done well in returning to Mother.”

Mother was stroking my head while making a beautiful smile filled with affection. However, when she turned her gaze toward the One-Eyed Knight, her face retained the beauty, but was warped with anger as she raised her voice.

“And as I thought, the ones who kidnapped my child were you heathens!”

Kidnapped? Me? The One-Eyed Knight did?

I was perplexed at the unexpected vocabulary that came from Mother’s mouth. Why did things turn into that? Wasn’t Mother angry at me leaving on my own, which is why she started the blizzard?

“Please wait, Mil is——”

“Silence! I won’t listen to excuses!”

Mother was misunderstanding things. Even though the One-Eyed Knight and everyone haven’t done anything wrong.

“Kyan, kyan!”

I anxiously tried to explain to Mother, but I could not form words with my throat, and only simple yelps emerged instead. Mother herself was furious, and so she didn’t respond to my cries.

And then, her eyes dyed with anger pierced through the One-Eyed Knight as she made a frightening declaration in an ice-like voice.

“I will annihilate every single one of you, and all of the knights remaining in the fort.”

I could tell that an invisible power was growing remarkably denser within Mother’s body. If that condensed power was released, then for sure every single living human here would die. They would all freeze in the blink of an eye, turning into white statues where they stood. I had such a premonition.

My beloved Mother was about to steal away the life of my beloved One-Eyed Knight and friends.

Such a sad thing must not happen.

I raised my voice, trying to stop Mother. While I couldn’t speak words, at least my barks should be able to do something. In any case,  I had to stop her attack.

However, what flew out of my mouth wasn’t a bark, but——-

“——stop!”

A childish and somewhat clumsy-sounding, yet cute and high-pitched voice.

“……Milfiria?”

Mother stopped her attack as she looked my way, flabbergasted.

“Was that voice just now yours?”

The One-Eyed Knight was also looking at me with a similar expression to Mother’s. And it was likely that I too was making a foolish face. I was also surprised.

For the time being, I tried looking around at the surroundings, but there weren’t any human children around that seemed likely to make such a voice.

Then as expected, the voice just now was mine? While my body was still that of a fox cub, Mother was also able to talk like a normal human when she was in her fox form.

I inhaled a breath to calm myself down, and tried to speak once more in order to not forget the feeling from just now. 

“……I……can…talk.”

It was baby talk bad enough that it made me wanna make a dig at how I kinda sounded like an alien. Since being born a year ago, I’ve remembered quite a few words of this world’s language, so I can generally understand what people are saying——-especially during these last two weeks, I’ve managed to learn a lot of words while I was at the fort. Up until then, I had only been listening to things Mother would say——so this was the first time I was speaking for myself.

Pronunciation is hard~!

I can’t use my tongue well~!

While I probably had different vocal cords compared to a normal fox, trying to speak with this mouth was several levels harder than normal.

“I——”

“That didn’t count just now!”

Mother suddenly interrupted me and kneeled in front of me, looking somewhat panicked as she said this.

“I decided that your first word has to be [Mother]. That’s why, just now it didn’t count. Come now, try saying it. ‘M-O-TH-ER’.”

Mother……

Even while I felt a little exasperated, I memorised the pronunciation and tried repeating it.

“Mo…ther……”

“That’s right, Milfiria!”

I then continued to speak to my pleased Mother.

“Mother, you’re mistaken. I…wasn’t…kidnapped. I left on my own.”

“……what?”

Mother’s eyebrows rose.

Talking used a lot of brainpower, and was a bit tiring, but I had to explain properly to resolve the misunderstanding. I had to tell her that I was the one in the wrong, and that it wasn’t the One-Eyed Knight and everyone’s fault.

“Mother left, right? So, I got lonely and went down the mountain. But, going to the [Capital] was…impossible……”

How do I say the “One-Eyed” in ‘One-Eyed Knight’? Nobody’s called the One-Eyed Knight like that, so I don’t know.

Ahh well, I’ll just go with the ‘knight people’.

“……the knight people…took care of me. These people…are good people. They saved me. I’m the bad one…for leaving the mountain…myself.”

I drooped my ears and waited for Mother’s fury to fall upon me.

I was certain that she’d yell at me in anger, but for some reason Mother——

“That’s amazing, Milfiria!”

——was extremely happy.

She seemed extremely moved as she rubbed my head.

“I thought that you were still just a little baby, but to think you managed to get to the foot of the mountain with those tiny legs……! I did not know that you had such willpower. Mother is happy! You’ve also become able to speak, and you can use the transfer technique now!”

The One-Eyed Knight and everyone else were being left behind by the conversation.

Mother, calm down.

“However, while I am happy at your growth, I’m also a bit lonely……you don’t have to be in such a hurry to grow up. Stay as my cute Milfiria for a bit longer.”

She hugged me up and nuzzled my cheek.

When you hear the term ‘snow spirit’, it gives off a cool image, but Mother showed that they weren’t necessarily like that. That was something I realised just now. On top of her emotions going all over the place, the swings in her mood were also rather extreme. Well, it was cute.

“Mother, I’m sorry. Will you…forgive me?”

“Of course. To begin with, I wasn’t angry.”

“Then, you won’t be angry…at the knight people too?”

When I said that, Mother finally remembered the existence of the One-Eyed Knight and the rest. While still holding me, she moved her gaze over to them.

“That’s right. I did something bad to you all. It appears that I misunderstood you.”

With a completely about-face from earlier, Mother apologised to the One-Eyed Knight in a guilty manner.

“However, when it comes to my child, I am unable to remain calm. For trying to attack you……please, forgive me.”

After creating a softer atmosphere, she asked for forgiveness with a wheedling voice. So this is the technique of an adult woman.

However, while even Kix, who was a distance away, blushed from it, the One-Eyed Knight’s expression did not change. As expected of the One-Eyed Knight.

“No, it’s fine as long as the misunderstanding has been resolved.”

The One-Eyed Knight’s tension eased, and he relaxed his shoulders while speaking. While his words were undeniably directed towards Mother, his eyes have been looking at me this entire time. Somehow, he looked like he had a lot of things to tell me……

“One-Eyed Knight……” -I tried to call out to him, but again, I remembered that I did not know the words for [One-Eyed], and I held my tongue. During that pause, Mother continued the conversation with a good mood.

“As an apology, if you ever need help with anything, come to this altar. I will lend you my strength. Also, please help me apologise to the townsfolk regarding the blizzard. Until all the snow that has fallen up until now melts, I will make it so that no more snow falls for the rest of this winter.”

I realised that the blizzard had subsided, unnoticed. While it was windless along the ground, up in the sky the clouds were moving rapidly, and the sun was already beginning to peek through them. Sunlight for the first time in three days!

“Also, thank you for protecting my child. It seems that Milfiria has imposed quite a bit on you. As for what to thank you with……would a kiss from me be good?”

Mother spoke jokingly while smiling. That’s a spirit joke, isn’t it?

However, all the men other than the One-Eyed Knight and Branch Captain-san exposed expectant, slovenly faces. They’re all lovestruck. She was just trying to kill you earlier, are you really alright with that? Are you gonna let that go because she’s a beauty!?

Well, let’s just interpret that as them being magnanimous. I was relieved to see that there wasn’t anyone angry at Mother for misunderstanding them, including the One-Eyed Knight and Branch Captain-san.

But I wonder how they feel about me……I was the cause of this incident after all. I’d be sad if they hated me.

“Well then, I will be returning to the nest with Milfiria.”

“Eh……wait, Mother.”

“Children grow quickly. I wish to treasure the time we have together as mother and child alone. All of you should return to the fort before it gets dark. Well then.”

“Wai-……Mother!”

A gust welled up around Mother and I, who was in her arms. Mother was planning on transferring to our nest on the mountaintop. Even though I still haven’t apologised to the One-Eyed Knight and everyone, and I haven’t given them my thanks for taking care of me yet! Rather, I still haven’t prepared myself to say farewell yet either——

“Mil!”

The One-Eyed Knight extended a hand towards me.

However, as that hand came into contact with me, my body turned into snow and scattered into the air. Before my throat and mouth disappeared, I rapidly spoke my farewell.

“I’m sorry for troubling you! Thanks…for caring for me! It was fun! I love…everyone at the fort! Let’s me——”

However, before I could convey everything I wanted to say, the One-Eyed Knight and everyone else disappeared before my eyes.

No, it was I who disappeared before them.

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Translator Comments:

Snowlea is unexpectedly a doting mother. Who also happens to be capable of abandoning her infant(?) for two weeks at home (lol). Spirit standards are interesting.