At the Northern Fort V3C2

At the Northern Fort V3C2: New Knights

To me right now, the Scary-Faced Squad was an alluring existence emitting a lovely fragrance. If I lost focus, it felt like I’d end up gleefully rubbing myself against them while rolling around. 

Everyone made mystified expressions as they saw me gazing at the Scary-Faced Squad with glittering eyes as I sat down with my whole body trembling.

“Mil, what are you doing?”

“I don’t get it, but she’s cute no matter what she’s doing.”

Don’t look at me while smiling like that, hurry up and go to the bathing area!

My sense of reason is already……ahh, my legs are moving of their own accord……!

Just as I was about to charge at Jetz’s mud-covered leg that was closest to me, a towel descended from above and covered me.

“I’ll have to properly dry you off.”

Apparently the One-Eyed Knight was wiping my body down again with a fresh towel. I’m saved!

As I sighed with relief, the One-Eyed Knight murmured, “It’s about time we head out”. The towel was coiled around my entire body – from my butt to my ears – as he lifted me up, so I just said, “Bye bye” to the Scary-Faced Squad as we left the change room.

My forepaws were wrapped up in the towel, so I couldn’t wave at them, but the Scary-Faced Squad members were smiling in a friendly manner as they waved at me.

Mmm, even though they’re smiling nicely, their faces are still scary.

Then, as we walked out of the bathing area and into the corridor, we bumped into Tina-san.

“Oh, what a nice scent. Did you just have a bath, Mil-chan?”

“Yup.”

Tina-san shifted the towel that was on my head slightly. She cracked a satisfied smile as she saw my ears that had been held down by the towel pop up, and then turned her gaze to the One-Eyed Knight as she changed the subject.

“Vice Captain, the room preparations are complete. I’ve tidied up the luggage that was left on the lower bed, so we can welcome them at any time.”

“I see, so this’ll be your last night with a single room.”

“What are you talking about?”

I asked, and Tina-san answered happily.

“Tomorrow we’ll be getting some new friends at the Northern Fort. A female knight from the Capital will be coming here.”

“Really?”

This filthy fort is gonna have more women? My face suddenly brightened. While I certainly did like the many messy knights here, I did think that it’d be nice to have more female knights around too.

“Is she Tina-san’s acquaintance?”

“Nope, I’m not acquainted with her, but she’s someone that I one-sidedly admire. She’s beautiful, strong, and very cool.”

Tina-san said in a spellbound manner while holding her ponytail with her hand.

“This hairstyle was also something I copied from her. In the past, she saved me and the sight of her long hair bundled up into a single ponytail glittering as it swung was so striking……”

Apparently, when Tina-san decided to become a knight and came to the capital from the countryside, she unluckily came across a purse snatcher. 

However, just as it seemed like all of her luggage was about to be stolen, a gallant knight that had happened to be doing their rounds around town caught the culprit and saved her.

That knight was the same knight that would be coming to the fort tomorrow.

“It was then that I thought to myself that I wanted to be just like her, and made her my goal.”

“I see.”

As I replied, I wondered what initially drove Tina-san to want to become a knight to begin with and tried asking from the One-Eyed Knight’s arms.

Tina-san answered in an embarrassed manner.

“It’s because I’m not really all that good with girly things. Like cooking and sewing. While I like them, I’m not good at them. My mom’s been teaching me how to do them since I was a kid, but I haven’t been able to improve all that much.”

I was also quite familiar with Tina-san’s sewing skills, but I was rather surprised to see that Tina-san herself was aware of the fact that she was bad at it.

“I tried making a stuffed doll for Mil-chan too, and the stitches were pretty rough, right?”

The stitches……?

While it was true that the stitches weren’t perfect, I do think there was something else that was more concerning than that with that doll……

Like the design. That’s a problem that goes way beyond sewing.

Seeing me obediently keep my mouth shut, Tina-san continued on.

“But my athletic ability is good, and I could beat the boys in the village whenever they played knight by fighting with sticks, so my father said, ‘You could become a knight!’. My father is a normal farmer, but it seemed like he wanted to become a knight when he was a kid, so he might’ve left that dream to me. I also thought that a job where I could protect someone would be good, so even though my mother was worried for me, I left the village and went to the Capital to try taking the exam to enter the Knight’s Order.”

To become a knight in this country, there were three main methods. The first was to follow a senior knight around at the age of fourteen as a squire and learn from them, like how Branch Captain-san had. However, this was mostly limited to noble children, as it was hard to find a senior knight without connections to the Knight’s Order.

And the second method was to be invited into the Knight’s Order after being recognised for your strength like the One-Eyed Knight. But this was impossible unless you had quite a considerable amount of ability.

That is why normally most people entered the Knight’s Order through the third method, which was to pass the entrance exam for the Order. 

“Heh! So that’s how Tina-san ended up taking the exam.”

“I somehow managed to pass on my first attempt. Though since it seems like the Knight’s Order was also looking to increase the number of female knights, I think I was also lucky in terms of timing. While I was able to beat the village boys, I’m pretty sure everyone around me at the entrance exam was stronger than me.”

“I didn’t get to see that exam, but I don’t think Tina just got in because she came at a good time.”

The One-Eyed Knight said after seeing Tina-san speak so humbly. 

“Tina’s eyes are good. You watch others carefully, and can figure out what sort of movements you can absorb and then replicate. It’s something you wouldn’t be able to do without an outstanding observational ability. I’m sure that the examiner ranked you positively for your cooperative spirit, frank personality, and your resolve as a knight. Just strength alone won’t make for a perfect knight after all.”

“Th-……thank you so much!”

After Tina-san’s eyes rounded with surprise at the One-Eyed Knight’s praise, her cheeks flushed brightly. She seemed to be happy after being acknowledged for her value as a knight.

Tina-san always smiles and doesn’t often expose any anxiety, but as expected, it must be quite hard working as a knight when you’re a woman. 

“Does Tina-san have any family other than your dad and mom?”

I suddenly got curious and asked.

“Yes, I have two older sisters. I’m the youngest of three sisters.”

I somehow felt that she’d have a younger brother, but Tina-san was unexpectedly a little sister-type character.

Previously, I confirmed through the flow of conversation with Kix that he had a younger brother and sister, and that he was actually a caring big brother-type. But you won’t really know these things unless you ask.

“Siblings huh, how nice.”

I murmured to myself. Spirits can only have one child, so I’ll be an only child forever. I’m sure it’d be fun to have a cute baby fox as a little brother or sister, and it’d be even more wonderful to have a big sister or brother. When I was human, I had a big sister, so in this life I wanted a big brother.

“I want a big brother……”

When I voiced my wish, the One-Eyed Knight ruffled my head and said this.

“Don’t you have a mountain of them at this fort?”

“Oh, right.”

That’s true. Before I knew it, I had a ton of big brothers. Tina-san’s a kind big sister too.

“I can’t wait to meet the lady who’s coming tomorrow. I hope she likes snow.”

I’d be happy if she’d play in the snow with me when winter comes.

“I’m sure she’ll love it. Both the snow that falls on this land, and Mil-chan too. She’s a nice person after all.”

After Tina-san said that confidently, her voice dropped as she continued with a, “-but” softly.

“I wonder why she’s come to the Northern Fort……”

Most of the knights here were only properly unified right now under Branch Captain-san and the One-Eyed Knight’s leadership. Originally, they had been naughty at their original stations – whether that be the main base or the other branches of the Order – and were thus sent to be re-educated in the harsh environment of the Northern Fort. There were many people who were demoted as a result of being unmanageable. 

Unless she was assigned here because she wished for it like Tina-san, then it certainly was possible that the female knight coming tomorrow might’ve been sent here because she caused some kind of problem. 

I didn’t have that kind of impression of her based on what Tina-san said, but it’s possible that she had an impactful appearance that wouldn’t lose out to the Scary-Faced Squad, with rock-like muscles, or she might even be a short-tempered female knight too.

(Hmm……)

Regardless of her outer appearance or how hot-headed she was, I hoped that everyone at the fort would get along. And please, I prayed that she wasn’t a person that hated animals.

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