Chapter 25
Commander-in-Chief Savis really is amazing.
He sliced a B-rank monster in half with one stroke! Just how strong is he?!
They say a sword will cut if you guide the blade along the right line, but the Commander-in-Chief didn’t look like he was using any strength at all. How do you make a cut that clean?
Excited, I went over to the two of them when Captain Cyril beckoned me over.
The captain, who had called me over, suddenly looked at my arm.
“Fia! Are you hurt?”
“Huh? Oh, right. I got nicked by the Flowerhorn Deer’s horn. It’s just a scratch.”
“No, that wound is about ten centimeters long, and it looks fairly deep. That’s not a scratch. We should ask the Saint-samas to...”
The captain had rolled up the sleeve of my uniform to examine the wound, but then he stared at something and fell silent.
Following his gaze, I saw the Saints yelling at the knights about something.
...Well, it’s a good thing I can’t hear what they’re saying.
Priorities change depending on the situation. The moment the Flowerhorn Deer appeared, defeating the monster became our top priority, so even the knights guarding the Saints joined the fight.
If we failed to defeat the monster, the entire platoon might have been wiped out, so it couldn’t be helped.
But from the Saints’ point of view, it must have been an unforgivable outrage. Even from here, I could see how furious they were.
...Yeah, this is hopeless. Quite a few people were injured in that fight, but there’s no way the Saints will heal them.
I gave up on getting treated and turned back to the captain.
“It’s just a scratch. I have the healing potion we were given, so I’ll drink it later.”
“No, drink it now. It takes time for the potion to take effect, so you should take it as soon as possible.”
Mmm... But aren’t healing potions supposed to cause excruciating pain when you drink them? I’m fine. I can heal myself without one. I may not look it, but I used to be the Great Saint. (Sparkle.)
“Fia... Don’t tell me you’re planning to avoid taking the medicine because you’re afraid of a little temporary pain. That’s just escaping a minor hardship only to suffer a worse one. You’re already fifteen and an adult, so stop acting like a child!”
Then the captain grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and forced my mouth open.
“C-C-Captain, please don’t worry! The Rudo family has always been sturdy! And, um, my father said relying on medicine was for the weak. As a daughter of the Rudo family, I must properly follow his teachings—mmph!”
Before I could finish, the captain shoved the medicine into my mouth without giving me a chance to argue.
“Eee—! Wh-what is this?! It’s bitter! Ugh, so bitter!”
I clamped both hands over my mouth, desperately trying to escape the taste, but the bitterness wouldn’t go away.
I looked around for a way to do something about it.
My eyes met the Commander-in-Chief’s, but he only waved one hand lazily, as if he found this amusing.
Wow, he’s not going to help me at all.
Unable to bear it any longer, I jumped on the spot.
Bitter, bitter, so bitter! My tongue feels all prickly! Oh, I wish I’d gotten used to eating bitter things. Then maybe I could have endured this bitterness a little better.
I kept jumping, my thoughts growing more and more incoherent.
But apparently, moving your body can sometimes help you come up with a good idea.
Sweets! That’s it! I can eat something sweet to cancel out the taste!
I looked around and spotted the tree I wanted, then dashed toward it.
“W-wait, Fia! Where are you going by yourself?”
The captain called after me in a flustered voice, but I had more important things to worry about.
When I found the tree I was looking for, I picked one of the thumb-sized red fruits hanging from its branches in abundance.
Then I popped it into my mouth.
“Fia! Spit it out!”
The captain came running over in a panic, but I was already chewing. I’d eaten it before he could stop me.
...This fruit is as sweet as ever. Why don’t the animals in the forest eat it when it tastes so good?
“Fia!”
The captain caught up and put his finger in my mouth, feeling around inside, but too bad. I’d already eaten it.
“Mmph, did you want some too, Captain? There are lots more over there. Instead of trying to steal the one in my mouth, why not pick one yourself?”
“...Are you all right? It looks delicious, but this fruit is unbelievably bitter—nothing like a healing potion...”
“Huh? It’s incredibly sweet.”
I tilted my head and asked, while my hands busily picked a second and third fruit and popped them into my mouth.
“Nom, nom, nom. See? Sweet.”
“...You don’t seem to have a distorted sense of taste, since you called the healing potion bitter...”
The captain cautiously plucked one of the fruits and took a tiny bite.
“! ...Ugh! I was foolish to believe you!”
As I watched the captain kneel on one knee, his face twisted in agony, I couldn’t help thinking, Even when a handsome man grimaces, he’s still handsome. I’m jealous.
“Oh, Captain, you drink, don’t you? That must be why you don’t like sweet things.”
“...What are you talking about? This fruit is unbelievably bitter.”
“Come on, now. There’s nothing embarrassing about not liking sweet things.”
As I spoke, I picked a fourth and fifth fruit and popped them into my mouth.
As I savored their sweetness, thinking how delicious they were, I noticed the captain staring at me with a sullen look.
“Oh, do you want some more after all? Here, go ahead.”
I plucked another fruit and held it out in front of the captain.
But he only stared at it as if it were something to be avoided, making no move to take it.
I was wondering what was going on when I met the eyes of the Commander-in-Chief, who had strolled over.
“Commander-in-Chief, here. They’re really delicious.”
The Commander-in-Chief stared at me silently for several seconds, then reached out and plucked the fruit from my palm. Then the fruit went straight into the Commander-in-Chief’s mouth, whole.
“Commander-in-Chief!”
The captain cried out in shock, but the Commander-in-Chief paid him no mind and chewed the fruit.
“...It’s sweet.”
The Commander-in-Chief murmured in surprise.
“That can’t be...”
The captain exclaimed in disbelief, picked another fruit, and took a bite. “Ugh!” He let out another pitiful groan and curled up on the ground.
...Well, if it doesn’t suit him, he could just spit it out. The fact that the captain insists on swallowing it properly really shows how refined he is.
I glanced at the captain as I picked another fruit, and the Commander-in-Chief spoke to me.
“Fia, give one to Cyril.”
“Understood. Here you are, Captain.”
The captain cautiously took one from my outstretched hand and popped it into his mouth whole.
Then, as if steeling himself, he bit into it... and opened his tightly shut eyes.
“It’s sweet...”
...Hmm, I see. When I offered him one, he only took a single bite, but when the Commander-in-Chief told him to, he ate the whole thing. The captain really does adore the Commander-in-Chief. I knew it, but still.
But it’s all right. A direct subordinate like me won’t get sulky over something like that. I’ll make sure to support the captain.
“Yes, it’s sweet. But don’t worry! Men who don’t like sweet things can actually be quite appealing.”
“What in the world is going on here?”
Ignoring my words of comfort completely, the captain turned to the Commander-in-Chief. Ahem!
“...According to legend, spirits once lived in this forest. They bestowed blessings on those they took a liking to. ...That must be the spirits’ blessing, Fia. You must be someone ‘Loved by the Spirits.’ They’re helping you so much that they’ve turned bitter fruit sweet. Or, if the spirits themselves have already left this forest, perhaps the forest is helping you instead. ...What a shame. If you could use healing magic, you might have become an outstanding Saint.”
Every girl born in the kingdom is tested at the ages of three and ten to see whether she can use healing magic. Since I wasn’t taken in by the church, I must have been judged to have no healing magic at either age.
“...This is more than enough. I’ve already been given everything I need.”
I looked at the Commander-in-Chief, smiled, and said it with conviction.
...I was given the chance to be born into this country once again.
That was the greatest blessing the spirits could have given me.
After a short silence, the captain spoke up as if to dispel it.
“...Um, Fia. Now that you’ve calmed down, there’s something I’d like to ask you...”
Something he wanted to ask me?
“Yes, what is it?”
And just as I tilted my head, a searing pain shot through my entire body!
“Aaaaaah?!”
That’s right, I drank the healing potion!