I realised that I completely forgot to make this week’s post. Whoops! Apologies for the late release!
At the Northern Fort V2C45: Each of Their Departures
The next day, it was decided that we would return to the Northern Fort.
Branch Captain-san, the One-Eyed Knight, Kix, and Tina-san prepared for our departure while Commander-san saw us off.
“Take care. Be careful on your way back too, don’t get kidnapped.”
He ruffled my head together with Kugalg’s, causing our fur to get all tousled. You’re being too rough.
Just around the time I was getting onto Leader with the One-Eyed Knight, another person appeared to see us off.
It was Captain Sarrell-san.
“Captain Sarrell.”
Branch Captain-san walked towards him from Ilus’ side.
I also approached Captain Sarrell-san, with my fur still sticking up in a punk-like style.
“You’re going back?”
“Yeah.”
Captain Sarrell-san fixed his sparkling clean glasses as he coldly spoke. Branch Captain-san also replied curtly.
However, the atmosphere between them was harmonious, in contrast to their tones of voice. I’m sure that the two of them were quite calm.
Captain Sarrell-san in particular was making a somewhat refreshed expression.
After a brief period of silence between them, Captain Sarrell-san quietly opened his mouth.
“Actually, I’ve decided to resign from my position of captain in the main branch.”
“That’s……is that the decision made from above for the recent incident?”
Branch Captain-san asked in a slightly fretful manner, causing Captain Sarrell-san to chuckle quietly.
“I decided to resign from the position of captain myself. I figured that any punishment from above would be light because of the influence of my elder brother’s position as Duke Delamon.”
Captain Sarrell-san said cynically.
“What do you plan on doing after resigning from the position of captain?”
“About that. I plan on going to the Sixth Branch.”
“The Sixth……you mean the Northwest Cord? But that place is……”
I didn’t know what Branch Captain-san was so surprised about, but after hearing Kix and Tina-san’s explanation behind me, I also understood.
“The Sixth Branch? Is there something wrong with it?”
“Tina, you don’t know about the Sixth Branch? It’s a place said to have an environment just as bad as the Northern Fort. Well, our branch still wins out in how cold it gets and the rough temperaments of our knights. But it’s still just as bad in environment as our branch, plus the fort there is even smaller. And unlike our branch, there aren’t any spirits living nearby, making it even less important, so it’s called the [Pauper’s Fort].”
Branch Captain-san was probably surprised to see the ambitious Captain Sarrell remove himself from the elite track, choosing instead to be transferred to a fort like that.
Kix also seemed to be astonished as he explained.
However, Captain Sarrell-san was making a refreshed expression as he continued.
“The vice captain there had just decided to retire from active duty, and nobody from the main branch wanted to go there despite the empty post. So, I volunteered.”
“So you’ll be the vice captain and not the branch captain?”
Even though Captain Sarrell-san was in a position where, if he went to a remote region, it would only be natural for him to take the position of branch captain, he decided to take responsibility for the incident this time by becoming a vice captain instead.
“It’ll probably be difficult for me to become the Branch Captain of the Sixth Division after being its vice captain though.”
Captain Sarrell-san laughed spitefully.
However, he soon made a serious expression as he turned to Branch Captain-san and said.
“Cromwell, I’ve decided to try and learn from you. It’s not like I’ve given up on trying to obtain more power, but rather than seeking glory that goes beyond my actual abilities, I will polish myself in a harsh environment. Doing so will ultimately give me a greater sense of satisfaction. That’s what I figured after watching you…….and Cord is far from the Delamon territory. It’ll probably lower the chances of my elder brother summoning me to irritate me.”
Seeing Captain Sarrell-san continue that last sentence with a whisper, Branch Captain-san gave a small chuckle.
Then, he changed his question.
“Incidentally, how do you plan on handling those five men?”
The five men he spoke of were Winst-san and the rest. I’ve been curious about their situation since yesterday, so I pricked up my ears in curiosity.
“Thanks to you taking their extenuating circumstances into consideration, they received rather lenient treatment…….thankfully, the spirits also did not seem to desire such a heavy punishment for them either.”
Saying that, Captain Sarrell-san glanced at Kugalg and I.
Of course. As long as the people themselves were reflecting upon their actions, then that was fine.
“After being retrained, I suspect that they will once again seek to be by my side. By my side in the Sixth Branch, that is.”
Captain Sarrell-san did not seem to be able to conceal his happiness as the corners of his lips lifted as he continued.
“Yesterday, when I told everyone that I would be going to the Sixth, they insisted that they come as well. Geez, what hopeless guys……fufufu.”
While this was rude to say, Captain Sarrell-san’s delighted expression looked a bit creepy. No matter how I looked at it, all I could see was the face of someone trying to plot some evil deeds.
However, Branch Captain-san, and even Commander-san and Kix, who both did not get along very well with Captain Sarrell-san, all looked at him with gentle expressions.
Through this incident, they were able to catch a glimpse of Captain Sarrell-san’s other side – the side that cared for his subordinates – thus, their image of him may have improved.
[You know, I’ve always thought that Captain Sarrell shipped me off to the Northern Fort because he didn’t like me, but maybe that’s not what it was. I was a pretty cheeky newbie myself, so perhaps he thought that sending me to the Northern Fort would be the best for my future. It’s only now that I’m able to see that perhaps that severe punishment was for my own sake. Though maybe it’s a bit too simple-minded of me to think that just because he remembered my name.]
Yesterday, Kix also said something like that too.
While remembering his name certainly was a rather small matter, to Kix who thought that Captain Sarrell-san hated him, it was an impactful matter.
“See you. Fufufu……”
Everyone saw off Captain Sarrell-san as he continued to suppress a chuckle while leaving.
……rather, I thought Captain Sarrell-san had come to see us off. Instead, he left before us.
“What an interesting person—gu-!?”
Crossing paths with Captain Sarrell-san and landing on my head was Hyllis in her colourful bird form.
“How’re ya doing, Milfiria? You too, Kugalg.”
“Ow ow, your claws are-……”
“Ah, my bad.”
As Hyllis moved to Branch Captain-san’s shoulder, I asked her a question.
“I thought you had already left, Hyllis. Where did you go?”
“I actually went to see how Sarrell was doing.”
“Captain Sarrell-san? Why?”
Hyllis spread out her wings once and then folded them back—when she opened them, she hit Branch Captain-san’s face with her wing, but he seemed to be making a rather happy expression from the feeling of the soft feathers on his cheek—shrugged, and spoke.
“Yesterday I was a little curious about Sarrell. Not in a weird way. I’m devoted to Hilg after all.”
“I know.”
It seemed like Hyllis could go on forever once she started talking about Hilg-papa, so I quickly interjected to stop her.
“So, I was thinking that Sarrell was kinda like me. For one thing, his feeble physique.”
After saying that, Hyllis descended to the ground from Branch Captain-san’s shoulder and transformed into her human form.
Her small face was encircled by curly blonde hair, and she wore a short, bright green one piece. Peeking out from underneath her dress were her thin limbs.
If translucent wings had sprouted from her back, then she’d be the very image of a fairy from a fairy tale.
“I’m also pretty feeble-looking, right? That’s why I could sympathise with him a little.”
Hyllis extended one of her arms, letting out a sigh as she gazed at it.
While I did think that Hyllis would be better described as ‘dainty’ rather than ‘feeble’, and that her small girly form was cute, the person in question seemed self-conscious about her build.
She might yearn for a more voluptuous body like Mother’s or Daphine-san’s.
“And the other reason is……because I don’t think that Sarrell is loved by his father. See, didn’t he say something like that before we drove him into a corner? Something about being held thoroughly in contempt……”
Hyllis’ slender eyebrows furrowed as she sadly lowered her eyelashes.
“I wasn’t held in contempt by my mother, but she’s neglected me throughout my life, and I wasn’t able to receive as much love as I desired. That’s why I felt like we resembled each other in those ways. I can understand why Sarrell grew up to have a distorted personality.”
Somehow I felt like I was about to cry, as I looked up at Hyllis and cried, “Kyun”.
“Thanks.”
Hyllis stopped talking momentarily and lifted me up, so I took the opportunity to lick her face in an attempt to cheer her up.
When I did so, as expected I was stopped midway through as she said, “That’s enough. I’m fine” and put me back down.
Why tho?
Hyllis gently wiped her wet face as she returned to the point.
“And it feels like Sarrell’s been picked on by the Head of the Delamon house. That head is Sarrell’s older brother, right? Despite that, he’s said things like [Even after becoming a knight, you’re seedy as a stick like always] or [Seems like if I gave you even the slightest shove, you’d fall and break a bone like in the past] to Sarrell.”
It seemed that before the lord and his group had arrived at the valley where Hyllis had been staying, she noticed the approach of the human group and secretly monitored them.
It was during that time that she saw Captain Sarrell-san being taunted by his older brother, she said.
“When you think about it that way, I feel that Sarrell’s pretty pitiful. That’s why—”
Hyllis once again returned to her radiantly coloured bird form, spreading her wings as she circled above us.
“I’m gonna move my nest from Delamon to that Cord place, and sometimes go to see how Sarrell’s doing. If I do that, then even if Sarrell or those five men start to go astray, I’ll be able to warn them off that path. I want them to live honestly.”
“Wow! I think that’s a great idea!”
Captain Sarrell was sure to be delighted by a visit from a spirit.
On the other hand, Captain Sarrell-san’s brother is sure to be vexed by the departure of a spirit from his lands, but that was just the karma from bullying his younger brother since their youth getting back at him, so it couldn’t be helped.
“Well, even if I move my nest, I’ll probably end up changing my mind quickly, so my visits to check on Sarrell will truly be rare. I want to go play at Hilg’s place after all, plus I gotta run away from Hyderin too.”
“I do think you should just obediently go to visit Grandma Hyderin.”
You’ll end up being scolded even more later.
But if Captain Sarrell-san ends up becoming a human that Hyllis can trust, like how the One-Eyed Knight was to me, Hyllis might not end up just making rare visits, but could become someone who occasionally lends her power to him for various things.
Though whether or not Hyllis goes that far depends on Captain Sarrell-san himself.
If he humbly polishes himself at the Sixth Branch, then I think he’ll be able to make plenty more allies other than Winst-san and the other four guys.
“Well then, I better get going. I’ll need to fly to Cord and see if there’re any good places to build a nest.”
“Hyllis! Come visit Mother and me again!”
“Of course! But you better put that gem away somewhere where I won’t see it! Otherwise, I don’t know what I might do! See you, Milfiria, Kugalg!”
Hyllis flew closer to the ground, touching my head, then Kugalg’s, before climbing high up into the sky, leaving behind multicoloured winds as she flew away.
As I saw her off, I decisively decided to return that pea green gemstone to Hilg-papa before it became a seed of trouble once more.
“We’re gonna head back too!”
I ran up to the One-Eyed Knight and said.
I wanted to hurry up and see Mother to have her praise me for safely completing my errand, plus I wanted to see the knights at the Northern Fort too.
I saw too many sparkly people and things at the palace, so I had to rest my eyes by seeing everyone’s homely appearances.
“That we should.”
The One-Eyed Knight picked me up and placed me on Leader’s back. Kugalg also managed to skillfully climb up the saddle with his claws and jump on board as well.
“Shall we……set off then?”
Branch Captain-san gave us a lonely gaze as he mounted Ilus on his own. Seeing that, the One-Eyed Knight gave a wry smile.
Kix and Tina-san also laughed happily.
“I’m glad that we can go back together with Bwanch Captain-san.”
Because we’d be able to live together with everyone at the Northern Fort again.
When I said that while looking up at the One-Eyed Knight as he sat on top of Leader’s back, the One-Eyed Knight stroked my head and nodded.
“Yeah.”
Then, we left the castle, with Commander-san seeing us off.
Once we return to the Northern Fort, I’ll have everyone make me a wood ring toy like the one Alexia had!
***
At the Northern Fort
Mil: “I’m back!”
The knights working overtime: “Mil’s returned! Branch Cap and everyone else too!” “What!?” “Finally!” “It’s been so long……!”
Mil: “Has everyone been good—!?”
The knights working overtime: “MIL—!! *PATPATPATPATRUFFLEFLUFFLEFLUFFLE*”
Mil: “GYAAAAAAAaaahh”
***
At the Sixth Branch in Cord
Sarrell: “I’m Sarrell. From today onwards, I’ll be the Vice Captain here. Pleased to meet you.”
Everyone at the Sixth Branch: (Seriously……?)
Sarrell: “Now then, first let’s start a major cleanup of the fort. It’s far too unsanitary here after all. Everyone, get your brooms and dust clothes. We shant leave a speck of dust around.”
Everyone at the Sixth Branch: (SERIOUSLY……?)
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Translator Comments:
That brings us to the end of volume 2 of At the Northern Fort. All that’s left are the mental diaries, which I’ll see how long they are. If they’re not too long, I’ll aim to release both of them next week!
*EDIT: Forgot a little bit at the bottom of the chapter. Added it in.
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