A Gift for the Great Saint (6)

Because Commander Curtis and I had fallen silent, an awkward silence settled between us. I looked away, only to meet Commander Cyril's eyes as he spoke with Chief Radek.

It seemed the commander and the chief were discussing the details of what would happen next.

Yet even as he discussed matters, Commander Cyril seemed to be scanning the surroundings warily, and by chance his eyes met mine as I happened to look his way.

What a coincidence, I thought happily, and waved one hand at him. For some reason, the commander let out a small sigh.

Huh? I wondered, looking back at him, and Commander Cyril excused himself from the chief before walking over to me.

Then he stopped in front of me and spoke in an exasperated voice.

"Amazing, Fia. The loyalty of Sutherland's residents, and these rare, precious stones. Not only have you made me, the lord of this land, your guard knight, you've even captivated the knight commander of this region and are taking him back to the royal capital with you. I couldn't hear your conversation, but even from a distance, it was plain how devoted Curtis is to you. Honestly, how did you manage to charm them all so thoroughly in less than ten days? ...Yes, Curtis was right. Sutherland is yours now."

"..."

What an awful way to put it, I thought, giving him a reproachful look. Then I met the eyes of the Commander-in-Chief, who stood behind him.

Maybe his old wound was hurting, because the Commander-in-Chief had one hand on the eyepatch over his right eye...