At the Northern Fort V3C14

At the Northern Fort V3C14: Tina-san’s Worries

Even with Rekka-san’s arrival or Woodbaum’s arrival, the fort was as peaceful as usual—or so it should have been.

However, for some reason Tina-san’s state today was strange. She was making an expression that seemed like she was worrying over something. Despite the fact that when we went to the lake the day before yesterday, she was her usual bright and cheerful self. 

Perhaps because she was going for her watchguard shift, she was currently walking slowly towards the gate leading out of the fort with a dark, brooding expression. I wonder what’s wrong?

I wanted to immediately go to speak with Tina-san, but……

“Um…Kugalg…one sec-”

The problem was that Kugalg was grooming me and not letting go. 

Woodbaum and I had been lying next to each other on the ground, dozing off when Kugalg had suddenly appeared. When Woodbaum greeted him with a, “Hello”, Kugalg glared at him and said, “You’re still here?” then suddenly wrapped his front paws around my neck and started licking me on my head from behind. 

On top of holding me down so that I couldn’t run away, he was forcefully grooming me.

“It’s a bit hard to breathe, my neck-……”

I wasn’t sure if he didn’t hear my complaint or was ignoring it as Kugalg continued to endlessly groom me. He didn’t have to groom me so zealously. I didn’t have any bed hair today.

Ahh, Tina-san’s gonna leave…….

“I’ve been thinking this since we went to the lake, but you two really do get along well. How cute. But isn’t the compatibility between snow and fire pretty bad?”

“It isn’t bad!”

Kugalg snapped back.

“Really? Well, regardless of your attributes, it’s a good thing for you two to get along. But Kugalg, if you stick so closely to Milfiria for so long, she’s going to get overheated. And it’d probably be better if you loosened your arms a little bit.”

Woodbaum said in concern.

However, ignoring that much appreciated warning, Kugalg simply continued to lick my head. If he kept licking me from behind, my fur would end up getting all ruffled.

And just when I thought he finished grooming me, he then started to grope through my chest fur, digging out the necklace he gave me as he showed off the red stone pendant to Woodbaum.

“It has the same colour as my eyes.”

“Ah, it really does. It’s red.”

“I gave it. To Milfee.”

“Is that so? A present, huh. How nice.”

Perhaps Kugalg was trying to discourage Woodbaum. However, on top of Woodbaum not holding any feelings of love for the opposite sex for a young child like myself, he was a bit of a natural airhead, so he hadn’t noticed Kugalg’s jealousy at all. He was smiling while praising the red stone necklace.

Eventually, Kugalg also seemed to perceive that Woodbaum wasn’t his rival, as he started to groom himself in apparent relief.

Um, would you please fix the ruffled up fur on my head……?

After Kugalg went back home, I headed towards the gate to speak with Tina-san. However, at the moment there wasn’t anyone standing in front of the gate. Big Bro Gatekeeper also seemed to be at a different position today. 

Thinking that Tina-san might be in the small guard station next to the gate, I went and sat in front of the station’s door and tried calling out loudly.

“Tinaaa-saaan!”

When I did so, the door soon opened and Tina-san came out.

“Mil-chan, what’s wrong?”

She smiled when she saw me, but as I thought, she was lacking her usually cheerful air.

After coming out of the small guard station, Tina-san crouched in front of me. I carefully observed her expression as I asked frankly.

“Tina-san didn’t look well, so I came to check on you. I was wondering if something happened.”

“Eh, I……am I that easy to read?”

Tina held her face with both hands as her eyebrows drooped.

“Is something worrying you?”

“Yeah, a little……”

I licked Tina-san’s hand to cheer her up as she spoke vaguely, and then looked up at her and said.

“If you’re okay with me, I’ll listen!”

“Mil-chan……”

A normal human probably wouldn’t want to ask an unreliable fox cub for advice, but one of Tina-san’s good points is that she was very genuine and would honestly confide in me.

“Um, the truth is-”

Tina-san started to speak in a lonely-sounding voice.

“Yesterday, I saw something. Rekka-san was speaking with Vice Cap. I didn’t intend on eavesdropping, but I heard my name come up and reflexively ended up listening……”

“What did Rekka-san talk to the One-Eyed Knight about?”

Hanging her head as she stared at the ground, Tina-san continued.

“Rekka-san was asking the Vice Cap if she could have a single room. It seems like she doesn’t like sharing a room with me……”

When she finished saying that and looked at me, Tina-san was making a face that looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes were more watery than mine when I was begging for something, and the tears were far more serious.

That shook me, and I ended up pacing around on the spot meaninglessly for a bit before placing a paw on Tina-san’s knee and standing up.

Then, I licked the corner of Tina-san’s eyes, stealing away the tear just before it fell.

I don’t know what I’ll do if Tina-san cries.

“You said she ‘doesn’t like’ it…….did Rekka-san say that directly? That she doesn’t like being in the same room as Tina-san.”

“No, she didn’t say that she didn’t like it. It’s just, she was asking to have a single room. I might’ve done something to rub Rekka-san the wrong way without realising it.”

“W-We don’t know that. There might be some reason that has nothing to do with Tina-san. You know?”

I said panickedly. 

“Is that so……”

It was just when I was thinking about how I could cheer up the despondent Tina-san.

“Tina! Mil-sama too.”

I didn’t know if her timing was good or bad, but Rekka-san was coming from the direction of the fort. There was still some distance between us, so she probably had not heard what we had been talking about, but it was surprising to have the person you had just been talking about suddenly appear. 

“What’s up, Rekka-san?”

Tina-san stood up and asked awkwardly.

On the other hand, Rekka-san was acting like usual. She didn’t appear to have any thoughts about Tina-san, as she smiled wryly while saying. 

“I swapped guard shifts with Orcus. The guy’s got a stomachache. Apparently he slept with his belly exposed last night and got a chill from that.”

Rekka-san had become friendly enough with the other knights to be able to cheerfully call them “that guy”, and that made me happy, but-

“Really, now? The nights really have been getting chilly after all.”

 Tina-san felt like she was being strangely careful towards Rekka-san. I suppose that’s how you’d get when you think that you might be disliked.

However, as expected, Rekka-san didn’t show any signs of disliking Tina-san. I think that there was some other reason why she was requesting a single room.

Just as I was thinking of going home since I didn’t want to get in the way of their work, Tina-san pleaded [Don’t go!] with her eyes, so I stayed at the gate for a while to accompany the two of them.

Seeing me remain in the vicinity of the gate despite appearing bored out of my mind made Rekka-san sceptical, but I smoothed things over by saying, “I’m waiting for the One-Eyed Knight to get back from his patrols”.

But, then-

“If you’re looking for the Vice Cap, he should be in his office. Today’s not his turn to go on patrol.”

After being told that calmly, I wasn’t able to use that excuse in the end. I flusteredly brought out a different name.

“Ah, not the One-Eyed Knight. Umm…Kix.”

At first I was about to say Branch Captain-san, but Branch Captain-san generally stays in the fort, so I tried using Kix’s name instead.

However, Rekka-san bewilderedly pointed at the fort.

“Kix is also inside.”

“Ahh, Gilles too?”

“Yes.”

“Gregorio?”

“He’s inside.”

After that, I mentioned the names of various knights, one after the other, but I couldn’t quite hit a single one who was on patrol. Tina-san was nervously looking my way. Wait a moment, I’m sure I’ll get it with the next one.

“Then what about Enoh?”

“Yes, at this time Enoh is on patrol.”

“I did it!”

……no wait. This wasn’t that kind of game.

“I’m waiting for Enoh.”

I said brazenly. At times like these, when you speak more confidently, it’s less likely for your lie to be exposed.

“Is that so? That’s surprising. I haven’t seen Mil-sama speak with Enoh since I came to the fort.”

Enoh was a blond knight with a scar on his chin. It was true that compared to the One-Eyed Knight, my relationship with Enoh was quite weak.

When was the last time I spoke to him? There was that time when I was playing on my own in the fort and I was suddenly carried off to Enoh’s room in the dorms to be confined and rubbed to his heart’s delight.

“I have some business with Enoh.”

“I see.”

It seemed like Rekka-san was also quite innocent, as she readily nodded to my lie like a serious airhead.

It was possible that she thought that spirits wouldn’t lie. I’m sorry.

As I apologised in my heart, Enoh and his group that went on patrol returned.

You’re too quick!

“Good work.”

Tina-san was sending glances my way as she opened the iron gate to let Enoh’s group in on their horses.

It’s okay, I know. It’s awkward being alone with Rekka-san. Now that it’s come down to this, I’ll say that I didn’t have any business with Enoh after all and—

“Enoh, Mil-sama has some business with you.”

“Eh, me?”

However, after Rekka-san considerately reported that to Enoh, I couldn’t take back my words. It was also because Enoh was making a rather happy face too.

“What is it, what’s up?”

He dismounted his horse, holding the reins with one hand as he picked me up with the other. And then, as he started to walk towards the stables, I was separated from Tina-san and Rekka-san. Tina-san was looking at us with a forlorn expression.

As the gate got further and further away, I wondered what I should do. It was then that we passed by Woodbaum, who was taking a leisurely walk.

“Ah, Woodbaum! Perfect timing!”

I asked Woodbaum if he could go to the gate.

“The gate? I don’t particularly mind. What would you like me to do there?”

“You don’t have to do anything. Just sit there quietly.”

The ignorant Woodbaum tilted his head at my request, but headed for the gate regardless as his hooves clip clopped away.

With this, Tina-san should be okay.

“So, what business did you have with me?”

Enoh said with an excited expression.

I immediately sent my brain into high gear and answered.

“Ahh…….do you have any jerky?”

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Translator Comments:

Oh, poor Enoh, being used like that. Mil, you’re terrible! Using people like that….