Chapter 30
After Zachary declared that he’d never talk about abs again, Captain Cyril of the First Knight Order whisked me away.
For some reason, Captain Cyril was in a terrible mood.
He kept muttering things like, “A young woman who’s yet to be married...” and “A young woman who’s already come of age...”
After we passed through several long corridors, he led me into a luxurious room whose design was clearly on another level.
Where am I?
The enormous room had a plush carpet, with imposing bookshelves and a desk arranged neatly around the space.
Thinking how high the ceiling was, I looked up and saw paintings of the Knight Order and the Saint—even on the ceiling.
“Fia, over here.”
I turned at the call and saw a low table and sofas arranged in one corner of the room. Commander-in-Chief Savis and Captain Desmond of the Second Knight Order were seated on the sofas.
“Good evening, Commander-in-Chief Savis, Captain Desmond.”
After greeting them properly, I added with a grin,
“Heh heh heh, Captain Desmond, I’ve obtained some top-secret information.”
“Oh? Tell me, and I’ll determine whether it really is top-secret information.”
Captain Desmond’s cheek twitched, and he fixed me with a serious gaze.
...Of course. He’s the head of the military police, so gathering information is an important part of his job.
I, Fia Rudo, humbly offer my cooperation!
“And the information is... ta-daaa! The Commander-in-Chief’s personal, sexy information.”
“..................Huh?”
“Apparently, the Commander-in-Chief has a six-pack!”
“...Huh? That’s all? I mean, all the knights know that...”
“Eeeeeh! Is the Knight Order so depraved that personal, sexy information just leaks everywhere?!”
I cried out in astonishment, my voice going shrill.
Captain Cyril, who’d followed behind me, sighed.
“I’m sorry. She’s completely drunk.”
“Heh heh heh, no I’m not. I’m just tipsy. The alcohol’s only put me in a slightly better mood, so there’s nothing wrong with me. And I can drink as much of the delicious liquor the Commander-in-Chief promised me as I want.”
“That’s reassuring. First, sit down.”
The Commander-in-Chief gave us permission to sit, then glanced toward the door. A waiting attendant approached and poured a golden liquid into a fresh glass.
“It’s noble rot wine. It’s sweet, so it should suit your taste.”
“......Noble rot wine! What a luxurious and delicious treat!”
I held the glass up in both hands.
The Commander-in-Chief looked at me and began to speak.
“Fia, you performed splendidly in today’s hunt. Let us all gathered here celebrate your valor. ...All under heaven and earth stand with the Black Dragon Knights of the Kingdom of Nav.”
“All under heaven and earth stand with the Black Dragon Knights of the Kingdom of Nav!”
Captain Cyril, Captain Desmond, and I repeated the words, then raised our glasses to our lips.
Ahhh, delicious. It has a rich, sweet flavor. As expected of the Commander-in-Chief; it tastes completely different from ordinary wine. ...Or so I think.
“Commander-in-Chief, thank you so much for helping me today.”
I smiled and thanked the Commander-in-Chief.
In the end, the Flowerhorn Deer had died with a single swing of the Commander-in-Chief’s sword. There was no doubt he was the greatest contributor.
“...Ah! I-I just remembered, did the Commander-in-Chief get to eat any Flowerhorn Deer meat?! Now that I think about it, you were the greatest contributor today, but I was so focused on eating my own meat that I didn’t save any for you. W-what should I do? Is there any left...?”
As I stood to go get some meat, the Commander-in-Chief stopped me with one hand and urged me to sit down again.
“Don’t worry about it, child. Sit down.”
Looking at the table, I saw an assortment of fruits, cheeses, ham, and more.
Oh, this is plenty. Sorry about that.
Once I’d sat back down on the sofa, the Commander-in-Chief looked at me and spoke.
“You’re a strange one. You can fight monsters you’ve never seen based on data alone, quantify a monster’s vitality at a glance, and discern the traits of an individual monster in a short time.”
Then he took a sip of wine and spoke again.
“Your eyes must be special.”
“My eyes? You mean my eyesight? It’s true I have good vision.”
“Fia, be quiet. Whenever you open your mouth, things get complicated.”
Captain Cyril admonished me, and I hurriedly shut my mouth.
S-sorry. I thought this was a part where I should answer.
The Commander-in-Chief fell silent as if deep in thought. Then it seemed to be Captain Desmond’s turn. He wrapped all five fingers around the bowl of his wineglass and swirled it slowly.
“I don’t have a clue what makes you so amazing, but the fact is, you’ve accomplished all sorts of things, and it’s not as if you have some special ability or are lying about it. ...Why are there so many things only you can do? Just looking at the results, everything you’ve accomplished and can do is incredible. ...Ah, damn, I just don’t get you at all. All my experience up to now is completely useless. Because of you, my pride’s been torn to shreds.”
“..................”
I was told not to speak, but wasn’t that a compliment? Shouldn’t I thank him? Or maybe he’s feeling down, so should I comfort him?
I glanced at Captain Cyril, and he shook his head. Okay, I’ll stay quiet.
After that, the four of us drank in silence, with little else to say.
I wonder if important people don’t get very lively.
When it’s quiet like this, it makes me want to close my eyes—or maybe meditate a little... Zzz.
I felt the bedding shift and opened my eyes to find myself leaning against Captain Cyril. Actually, I’d slumped over quite a bit. This was practically a lap pillow. Heh heh, Captain Cyril is giving me a lap pillow... Eek, I’m going to be killed!!
I hurriedly sat up.
“I’m sorry, Captain. I was meditating for a little too long!”
Someone’s jacket slid off my body. When I looked, Captain Cyril was down to his shirt.
“Eek! Even your jacket! I’m sorry!!”
“I put it over you of my own accord. I’d be a terrible person if I got angry at you for that.”
Captain Cyril gave a lovely little laugh.
“You were sleeping soundly. This is the first time I’ve seen someone fall asleep in Commander-in-Chief Savis’s—no, His Royal Highness the Prince’s—private chambers.”
“Eeeeeek! The Commander-in-Chief’s private chambers! I mean, a private room for royalty! No wonder it was so dazzling!”
Seeing me panic, Commander-in-Chief Savis, seated on the other side of the table, gave a small shrug.
“Children sleep a lot.”
Beside the Commander-in-Chief, Captain Desmond continued drinking wine.
Good. Looks like my meditation hadn’t lasted too long.
I gave a forced smile and spoke to the Commander-in-Chief.
“Heh heh, I was meditating. The strongest knight in this room was beside me, so I felt safe meditating.”
The room froze instantly, but I didn’t notice. I was too busy thinking, “I wonder if I can have another glass of noble rot wine.”
“......Fia? Who do you mean by the strongest knight in this room?”
Captain Cyril’s gentle voice came from above me. What? Is Captain Cyril the type who likes being complimented?
“Of course, you, Captain Cyril. I watched each of you wield your swords, and you were the fastest and hit the hardest. For some reason, you seem to have a bad habit of holding back at key moments, but in a pure contest of strength, you’re the strongest, Captain Cyril! You’re the strongest knight, aren’t you?”
I smiled up at Captain Cyril, then noticed that his face had gone completely serious.
Huh?
“Fia, your eyes truly are remarkable. ...Earlier, when you faced the Flowerhorn Deer, I found it odd that you were slow to notice the Commander-in-Chief, but...”
“S-sorry, that was very rude of me! Once you arrived, Captain Cyril, we had enough fighting strength to defeat that monster, so my attention shifted to defeating it. ...By the way, that monster also knew you were the strongest, Captain. It was wary of you standing off to the side, so it charged straight at the Commander-in-Chief. I’m sure you took that position knowing that, of course.”
“...Yes, I understand now. Your awareness of the situation during battle is perfect. Fia, I’m sorry for underestimating you.”
“Huh? Huh? Huh? N-no, I-I-I mean, I’m the one who acted on my own, so I’m sorry!”
Huhhh? Why is Captain Cyril apologizing to me? I’m the one who’s always causing trouble, aren’t I??
“I have one request, Fia. Please keep it to yourself that I’m stronger than the Commander-in-Chief. The knights value strength, so it’s easier for them to think that the strongest is the Commander-in-Chief, who’s at the top. And I don’t like standing out in that way.”
I nodded immediately at Captain Cyril’s smile.
O-of course. I won’t cause you any trouble, Captain.
As I earnestly continued bobbing my head, the Commander-in-Chief, who’d been silent until then, spoke to me.
“...Fia, would you be willing to spend some time with the Fourth Monster Knight Order?”
“Yes?”
The sudden proposal left me momentarily dumbfounded.
T-the Monster Knight Order?
...Ah, it’s touching on something important in my memories. I feel like I’ve forgotten someone precious...