Chapter 45
"By the way, Mom—where's Paula?"
Borel asked his mother, Polycera-san.
"She was just there, but—oh, there she is."
Polycera-san pointed. A young woman stood where she was pointing. She was a little younger than Borel and the others, with bright blond hair, a persimmon-colored dress, and a navy bodice.
"What's she doing?"
Borel tilted his head. The woman called Paula was walking slowly and silently with a mischievous smile on her face. She was heading toward Gatt, who was holding some documents. Gatt was scratching his head vigorously as he stared at the paperwork.
"Uh... how do you read this?"
Paula-san crept up behind Gatt and peered over his shoulder at the papers.
"That's lumber for scaffolding."
"Oh, thanks... Wait, Paula?"
Gatt answered the voice behind him, then did a double take when he saw Paula-san.
Paula-san and Gatt were apparently acquainted. Come to think of it, Gatt and Borel came from the same village and were close friends. Their families probably played together, too.
"Long time no see, Gatt. My brother's letters said you've been working hard, though."
"Oh, yeah. Working under Romelia-sama has made a real man of me."
Gatt puffed out his chest. His face had taken on a reddish hue, and his voice was slightly high-pitched.
"Hmm. You certainly don't look like it."
Paula-san looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow.
"That's not true. I may not look it, but I'm one of the Romelia Squad, directly under Romelia-sama."
"I heard that from my brother's letters, but is it really true?"
"Yeah, it is. I'm the deputy commander of a fifty-man unit. I'm on the fast track, you know."
As Paula-san narrowed her eyes, Gatt thumped his chest. It was true that Gatt was the deputy commander of the fifty-man unit led by Borel. Calling himself a rising star was not a lie, either.
"For all that, you still can't read?"
Paula-san gave the documents in Gatt's hands a cold look.
"The Romelia Squad is made up of amazing people, right? Can someone who can't even read really serve in it?"
Gatt's face went rigid at Paula-san's pointed remark.
"Hey, Paula. Don't tease him so much."
Borel stepped in when he could no longer stand by and watch. I followed as he approached the two of them.
"Oh, Brother Borel. It's been a while. But I can't help it. I can't believe that Gatt is in Romelia-sama's personal Romelia Squad and commands fifty soldiers alongside you, Brother Borel."
Paula-san gave Gatt a dubious look.
"It's true, Paula. Gatt is a member of the Romelia Squad. Isn't that right, Romelia-sama?"
"Huh? Romelia-sama? You mean the Romelia-sama?"
When Borel looked at me, Paula-san's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with one hand.
"Romelia-sama, this is my little sister, Paula."
"Nice to meet you, Paula-san. My name is Romelia."
After Borel introduced us, I gave her a small bow.
"M-my apologies. My name is Paula."
Paula-san pinched the edge of her skirt and lifted it slightly, then gave me a polite curtsy.
"H-hey, Romelia-sama. I'm one of the Romelia Squad and the deputy commander of a fifty-man unit, right? Could you tell Paula that?"
Gatt looked at me imploringly. When he looked at me like that, I felt a mischievous urge to pretend I didn't know and lie to him. However, for Gatt's sake, I restrained my childish impulse.
"Yes, that's right. Gatt is unquestionably a member of the Romelia Squad and the deputy commander of a fifty-man unit."
When I nodded, Gatt let out a relieved sigh.
"See? What do you think, Paula? Romelia-sama says so too!"
Gatt proudly puffed out his chest.
"If I continue to distinguish myself, becoming a knight won't be just a dream. Then I'll return to our hometown, and I... well, you and I..."
Gatt blushed and his gaze wandered. He steeled himself to confess, but Paula-san was not listening to him.
"Um, Romelia-sama..."
Ignoring Gatt, Paula-san clasped her hands as if in prayer and gazed intently at me.
"I heard you're recruiting people here too—is that true?!"
I nodded at Paula-san's question. The port was still under construction, and we were short of every kind of labor. We needed not only construction workers, but also people to cook, do the laundry, and handle other household tasks. Women workers were needed as well.
"At the village where I used to live, I worked at the village office, assisting the record-keeping clerk."
When Paula-san described her work history, Gatt's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"What's that? That's news to me."
"I've grown, too, you know."
Paula-san snorted.
"I can read, write, and do simple calculations. I'd like a job where I can use my experience and skills here as well. Would you hire me as an assistant to the record-keeping clerk?"
Paula-san stepped forward, and I was surprised.
In the Lionel Kingdom, literacy among women was not high. Quins-sensei and I were in the minority.
"Very well. Starting tomorrow, you'll perform simple administrative tasks at my side. We'll decide whether to hire you after seeing how you work. Depending on your performance, we may even consider hiring you as a record-keeping clerk rather than an assistant."
I did not know how capable Paula-san was, but I was favorably impressed by her eagerness to prove herself.
"Really? Thank you! I'll work as hard as I can! Just you wait, Gatt! I'll rise higher than you!"
Paula-san pointed a finger at Gatt.
"Wait, Paula. I..."
Gatt reached out to stop her, but Paula-san ignored him once again.
"Oh, Mom. Don't lift something that heavy."
Paula-san's gaze had shifted to Polycera-san, who was trying to unload luggage from the carriage. To help her pregnant mother, Paula-san hurried over.
Gatt was left standing there, frozen in a daze. After a while, his outstretched hand drooped limply. Borel, who was standing beside him, patted him on the shoulder.
"Indeed, you can't afford to sit back and relax. At the very least, you need to learn to read."
I called out to Gatt, who was hanging his head.
Gatt's abilities were above those of an ordinary soldier, and I trusted him. However, if he wanted to rise above the rank of deputy commander, being strong alone would not be enough. As a unit commander, he would need the ability to organize his soldiers, as well as the intelligence to read orders and understand tactics. Literacy was an essential skill for advancement.
"...Yes. I'll do my best..."
Gatt's feeble voice fell to the ground.