Fourth Monster Knight Order (10)

"......................"

Commander Quentin moved with the supple grace of a large predator, but kept his eyes fixed on the puppet I was holding out and didn't say a word for a while.

...Huh? Was what I said really that hard to respond to?

As I replayed our conversation in my mind, I suddenly remembered something Zabiria had told me.

...Oh, that's right. I was advised to start by carefully explaining the puppet.

I turned back to Commander Quentin and smiled as I began to speak.

"This puppet actually serves two purposes. It's both a puppet modeled after a Blue Dove and a warm outfit for a Blue Dove!"

Even then, Commander Quentin remained silent.

Huh? Maybe Commander Quentin is the quiet type?

In that case, I guess he doesn't need me around.

"Well, that's the gist of it..." I said vaguely, starting to back away, when Commander Quentin suddenly spoke.

"This is such wonderful craftsmanship, it looks alive. I've heard that people with a deep appreciation for art show that tendency in everything they do. You, in particular, seem to have a remarkable gift for wordplay. The way you've used the 'Blue Bird' as your motif is a brilliant stroke of inspiration. The contrast between blue and black is truly exquisite."

"......................"

What should I do? I had no idea what Commander Quentin was talking about.

Unsure how to respond, but unable to retreat all the way back to where everyone else was, I was still trying to think of something to say when Deputy Commander Gidion blurted out,

"C-Commander, this one's just an ordinary knight. Why are you speaking so politely to them? And if all you see is a bundle of cloth, then just say so honestly..."

But Deputy Commander Gidion couldn't finish what he was saying.

Because Commander Quentin stomped on his foot with a loud thud in the middle of his sentence, leaving him grimacing in pain.

...Oh, my, Deputy Commander Gidion. I thought you'd been sulking after Commander Cyril scolded you, but you're back to your usual self already.

Besides, you don't seem to know how to speak properly about a lady's handiwork.

Your gentlemanly direct superior, Commander Quentin, is punishing you for it, isn't he?

I nodded in approval of Commander Quentin's actions, then looked up at Commander Cyril. For some reason, he was tilting his head too.

"What's wrong, Quentin? Flattering someone is so unlike you. Has the long expedition left one of you feeling unwell? In this case, by 'one of you,' I mean your brains."

The moment Commander Cyril spoke, Commander Quentin's face twisted into a demonic scowl, and he turned to face him.

"Cyril, I need to talk to you."

Then he led Commander Cyril to the edge of the room, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and leaned in to speak in a low voice.

"Listen. I'm the best at handling monsters. If you value your life, don't interfere with how I do things!"

"What are you talking about? Surely you don't mistake a Blue Dove for a vicious monster? You're the commander of the Monster Knight Order, after all. You wouldn't do that, would you?"

"That's why I'm telling you to shut up! I have no idea which words might set it off, so don't say anything foolish!"

Commander Cyril, pressed back against the wall, gazed at Commander Quentin in puzzlement, but seemed to decide to go along with it.

"Very well. I don't understand any of this, but I'll play along with your game."

"Damn it, you're completely oblivious! You have no idea what I'm going through!"

Commander Quentin returned with Commander Cyril, turned to face me again, and this time began praising Zabiria.

"Cyril may seem dependable, but he doesn't understand a thing. He has no idea how powerful, beautiful, and noble this blue-black monster is. I sincerely apologize for my rudeness."

Commander Cyril had uncharacteristically lost his smile and was tilting his head with an utterly bewildered expression.

...It's all right, Commander Cyril. I don't understand a thing either.

I think it's perfectly normal that Commander Cyril doesn't understand.

Commander Quentin put on a pleasant smile and gestured toward the sofa.

"Standing around must be tiring. Why don't you sit down for now?"

But the moment Commander Quentin's gaze shifted from the sofa to the low table, his smile vanished and he stiffened in alarm.

"Hey, wait! Why is the low table split in half? Was it you, Cyril?!"

Commander Quentin accused Commander Cyril with absolute certainty. Commander Cyril, in turn, put on an irritated expression and replied,

"Have you never heard the legal maxim 'presumption of innocence'? You shouldn't suspect someone without evidence of a crime. Even if I were the culprit, I find the way you're accusing me unpleasant."

"No, this is made of black ironwood! It's incredibly hard! It's not something Gidion or Patty could break! Who else but you..."

Commander Quentin had been accusing Commander Cyril without hesitation, but suddenly he stopped mid-sentence as if a thought had just struck him.

Then he turned back to me, looking awkward.

"...Could you have been the one who broke it?"

"Huh?"

M-me?

...No, no. I'm a frail rookie knight. There's no way I could break such a thick table.

But Commander Quentin seemed to have misunderstood something. He plastered on a smile that looked completely forced and spoke to me.

"...Oh, so it was you. That actually makes things easier. This table was a little too big, you see, and it was always a nuisance. I'd often thought it would be much more convenient if it were half the size. Thank you for splitting it in half."

Commander Cyril was now looking at Commander Quentin as if he were watching something truly disturbing.

"Quentin, you've eaten something bad. You don't seem to realize it, but your behavior is completely abnormal."

"Be quiet, young Cyril. Honestly, if you want to live to see next year, just do as I say."

"You're using strange expressions because you're not used to speaking that way. ...Yes, I did say I'd play along with your game, but I still don't understand its rules."

"I imagine not. To be honest, I don't even understand what I'm doing myself."

"...What you're saying is incoherent. Has the long expedition left your brain unwell after all?"

...Hmm.

I watched the two commanders arguing, at a loss.

I understood that Commander Cyril and Commander Quentin were close, but how long was this ridiculous conversation going to go on?

I needed to go meet Charlotte soon.

As I fidgeted awkwardly, Commander Cyril noticed and spoke to me.

"What's wrong, Fia? Is something bothering you?"

"Um, I'm supposed to meet Charlotte soon, so I was wondering if I could step out for a bit."

"Who is Charlotte? A knight in the Fourth Monster Knight Order?"

"No, she's a Saint who lives in the royal castle. We promised to give healing potions to the injured familiars together today."

When I answered honestly, Commander Cyril seemed to falter for a moment.

"................Have you been granted permission to call the Saint by her first name? And has she allowed you to accompany her?"

"Um, well, yes. Charlotte seems lonely living away from her family, so maybe she thinks of me as a mother figure."

Remembering when Charlotte had asked me to call her by her name, I answered. Commander Cyril made a face as if he'd swallowed something sour.

"I don't know how old that Saint is, but even if she's very young, she must be nearly ten. I don't think you could have given birth to a child at five, so I think it's more accurate to say she looks up to you like an older sister... assuming she looks up to you at all. And I'd feel more at ease if you were playing the role of an older sister. The thought of that Saint being raised by you as her mother is terrifying. I wouldn't want to go anywhere near her."

"Oh, Commander Cyril! That's a funny joke from the mighty commander of the First Knight Order, who's so proud of his strength. Being afraid of such a tiny Saint!"

I found Commander Cyril's joke so amusing that I giggled.

While I was laughing, I remembered something important and turned to Commander Cyril.

"Commander Cyril, let me introduce you. This is my adorable familiar, Zabiria. They became my familiar when they were zero years old, so I'm basically their mother."

As I spoke, I stroked Zabiria's head, and they narrowed their eyes contentedly.

I was smiling to myself when I heard Commander Quentin's hoarse voice.

"F-F-Fia-sama. ...M-might I suggest calling your familiar-sama by the first letter of their name?"

"Pardon? The first letter of their name?"

I searched my memories, almost recalling something.

...Come to think of it, Deputy Commander Gidion's familiar was called by a letter too.

"Y-yes. If you call your familiar by name directly, someone nearby might overhear and end up calling them by name too. ...Ha, I unwittingly imagined it for a moment, and it's a terrifying thought that sends chills down my spine..."

As he spoke, Commander Quentin swept his bangs back.

"Familiars dislike being called by anyone other than their contractor, so that's what we do with all the monsters in our order. I-I'm not saying your familiar-sama might not take pride in their name, though. If that's the case, I can't recommend calling them by a letter. In that case, you absolutely must never, under any circumstances, call your familiar-sama by name in front of other people."

Commander Quentin emphasized his point with tremendous force.

Hmm, as you'd expect from the commander of the Monster Knight Order, he has strong opinions on how to handle monsters. How wonderful, Commander Quentin!

"I see. Now that you mention it, that makes sense."

As I nodded, agreeing with what he'd said, Deputy Commander Gidion spoke up scornfully.

"Commander, there's no need to teach our rules to someone who got a familiar through a lucky break like this! Besides, nothing much would happen if she said the name of such a weak monster. It'd probably just peck her a little. Right, Zabi... Gahh!!"

Deputy Commander Gidion couldn't finish his sentence. Commander Quentin drove his knee into the deputy commander's stomach with tremendous force.

"...Ugh... wh-what... C-commander...?"

With a pained expression, Deputy Commander Gidion looked up at Commander Quentin in bewilderment, then sank to the floor.

Commander Quentin gave Deputy Commander Gidion a cold glance, then shouted furiously.

"Are all of you completely oblivious?! Enough! None of you say another word! Or do you want to become a lump of meat? Is that what you all want?!"

...Oh my, the big beast is roaring.

I wonder if he's in a bad mood because he's hungry or something.

I casually made my way toward the exit, then spoke softly from beside the door.

"It seems you're all busy, so I'll be going. Commander Cyril, thank you for coming to check on my progress. I'll report back once I have a better idea of how things are going. Deputy Commander's aide, Patty, I'll come report again once there's progress with giving out the healing potions. Commander Quentin, ...you seem tired, so I recommend eating your fill and getting plenty of sleep. Deputy Commander Gidion, you'll catch a cold if you sleep on the floor. Well then, Fia Ruud takes her leave!"

I raised my voice for that last sentence and hurried out the door before anyone could say anything to me.

Whew, that was close. I nearly kept Charlotte waiting.

With Zabiria perched on my shoulder, I set off at as brisk a pace as I could manage.

As I walked, I asked about Commander Quentin's advice.

"Commander Quentin said that, but what do you think about being called by your first initial, Zabiria?"

"You can call me whatever you like, Fia. But no one called me by my name for a long time, so it makes me happy when you do."

...I see. Then I'll go with what Zabiria prefers.

"Then Zabiria it is."

I smiled and headed to the familiar stable with Zabiria.