Chapter 91
"Huh? Yuizest-san and Meizest-san are... women!?"
I couldn't help asking in surprise, and Yuizest and Meizest replied,
"How rude."
"Do we look like men?"
They puffed out their cheeks in unison.
"Oh, did you not know? Knowing you, Roa-dono, I assumed you surely did... I should have told you beforehand," Wickhart said apologetically beside me.
"No, but I thought the records listed you as men?"
I had assumed they were men because that was how they were described in the battle records kept at the royal palace.
"Ah, since they wear heavy armor and iron masks on the battlefield, the record keeper must have mistaken them for men. It happens often," Boldras-sama explained, as though it all made sense to him.
"It's utterly embarrassing as the king's scribe~" Sazaby said in his usual leisurely manner. This time, Sazaby had accompanied us instead of Nelfia.
"Even though we're this cute."
"Quite so."
As they said this, the two clasped hands and twirled around and around as if dancing.
Their sudden spinning came to a halt, and their gazes turned toward Lufa.
"How adorable."
"And this girl?"
Lufa had been staring blankly at the two of them. "I'm Lufa = Rodel! I'm the Tenth Knight Order's war maiden! It's a pleasure to meet you!" she cheerfully introduced herself, at which point Yuizest and Meizest took up positions on either side of her.
"Her skin is so smooth."
"And her hair is blue."
"She's adorable."
"She's like a doll."
The twins touched Lufa as they said this. Lufa had no idea what was happening and simply let them do as they pleased. The only person to react differently was Boldras-sama.
"Rodel? Hmm? Is that Zackhart-sama's...?"
"Ah, yes. At Zackhart-sama's request, she was adopted as his daughter the other day."
I answered in place of Lufa, who was being fussed over by Yuizest and Meizest, and this time Boldras-sama's eyes widened.
"Zackhart-sama's daughter? Hey, Yui, Mei, that's enough," he said, hurriedly stopping them.
"Aww."
"No."
The two flatly refused.
"...No, really. They mean no harm, so please humor them for a little while longer," Boldras-sama said, thoroughly apologetic. He had the unmistakable air of a long-suffering man about him.
In any case, we would be living together for a while with this long-suffering commander of the Fourth Knight Order and his rather eccentric twin knights.
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That evening, after setting down our luggage, washing away the fatigue of our journey, and taking a short rest,
we gathered once more in the central building after Boldras-sama invited us to dinner.
"It may be gauche, but would you mind if we discussed the situation over dinner?" Boldras-sama took the lead.
"Of course, we have confirmed the details in the written reports, but how is the royal capital currently assessing Golbel's movements?"
"Yes. At present, we understand that they may mobilize a large army before the snow begins in earnest, and that activity at the forts on Golbel's side of the Zetta Plains has suddenly become hectic. Accordingly, we are stationing small contingents at several forts and preparing to move immediately when Golbel acts," I explained, naming several of the forts.
"I see. Come to think of it, I heard that the disturbance at the abandoned mine in Ellen Village was also a prelude to this invasion?"
"Yes. It was Roa-dono here who saw through it," Wickhart said proudly.
"What!? Forgive me, but it is surprising enough that Wickhart serves someone whose name I had never even heard. I can hardly process all this information..."
Because Golbel's movements had become so active, Boldras-sama could not leave his post, which meant information from the central authorities reached him late.
With Lufa and Wickhart added to the mix, he wryly admitted that he could not keep up with all the information.
As for Wickhart, he had settled into the position of deputy commander of Roa's unit. We had decided that after discussing it with Ryuzel, Frein, and Dick before setting out. It seemed like the most sensible arrangement.
"He doesn't look it."
"Nope. He doesn't."
"Y-you! How rude! My apologies, Roa-dono..."
"Ah, no, don't worry about it. I get that a lot..."
The twins ate their dinner, doted on Lufa, and still found time to interject into our conversation. They were quite the busy pair.
"So, what is the situation in Golbel actually like?" Ryuzel brought the conversation back after it began to wander.
"Yes. As the central authorities predicted, Golbel's activity seems to have increased. A great deal of supplies are moving in and out of the fort on their front line. There do not appear to be any troop reinforcements yet, however."
"Even if they intend to invade, if their troops have not gathered yet, does that mean we have a little more time?"
At Frein's words, Boldras-sama shook his head.
"The thing is, their movements seem to have changed again now, so if they are going to act, I doubt it will be very far off... Just as a messenger we sent to inform the central authorities of our concerns was departing, a messenger from Rays-sama arrived. Frankly, it was a great help."
...Until we arrived here, I had not been certain whether Golbel would make a move, but it really did look as though the Battle of Zetta Plains was going to happen.
Still, compared to the future I knew, the battle seemed likely to take place under circumstances considerably more favorable to Rudek. In any case, my goal was to minimize the casualties suffered by the Tenth Knight Order.
As we contemplated the great battle drawing near, we continued exchanging information late into the night.