Chapter 13

Tina is the only female knight in this northern fortress.

Perhaps it’s inevitable that there are so few female knights, and that she was assigned to such a remote place.

However, Tina was not demoted; she volunteered to come here.

She thought that if she could endure the harsh life in the snow-surrounded northern fortress, she would surely build up her resilience and gain confidence as a knight.

In the knight corps, women are often looked down upon, but if she could serve in the northern fortress, she would be recognized by everyone. Life here is that tough.

That’s why the only one who willingly came here is Tina.

Most others were sent here from the capital or other branches for being troublemakers, with the order to “come back with a stronger spirit!”

The only thing around is nature, and in winter, they have to shovel snow every day and endure the terrifying training from the “Iron Deputy Captain.” As a result, the faces of the young knights assigned here each year are filled with a sense of tragedy.

However, if they can survive a few winters here, they will gain physical and mental strength that would make even mediocre knights seem weak in comparison.

Tina finished her morning preparations and quietly left her room.

There’s no way she, a mere new knight, would be given a separate quarters just because she’s a woman. Tina shares the same quarters as the male knights and has her own room where she stays. However, while young knights usually share rooms with 2-4 others, she has been given a private room.

Moreover, her room is a corner room with the “Ice Commander” in the next room and the “Iron Deputy Captain” across the hall, forming an impenetrable defense. Tina has never felt in danger while staying in the male-dominated quarters, thanks to the protection of the commander and deputy captain.

Tina glanced at the door across the hall. It’s the room of Deputy Captain Grail, whom she respects.

Grail didn’t come here as a demotion like the other knights; he has been the deputy captain here for a few years, sent by the capital’s knight commander to manage and train the difficult knights here.

Tina thinks there’s no more trustworthy and reliable superior. And she’s not the only one; the other knights also respect Grail, despite their fear of him.

Even though it’s early in the morning, there’s no sign of anyone sleeping in Grail’s room. The rumor that he starts training before the sun is fully up seems to be true. Today, it’s particularly cold despite the clear weather.

Tina exhaled a white breath and shivered.

She locked her room and headed to the dining hall for breakfast, passing by the “Ice Commander’s” room. The commander also wakes up early, but unlike the deputy captain, he doesn’t seem to train outside. Perhaps he reads books in his room.

Speaking of the commander... Tina thought she was the only one who volunteered to come here, but she recently learned that wasn’t the case.

She didn’t hear it directly from him, but the commander also volunteered for the northern fortress mission. The reason is unknown to Tina, who isn’t particularly close to him.

As Tina quietly walked down the corridor, a door suddenly opened.

Out came a blond knight with a face that still hadn’t lost its boyish charm. His name is Kicks, a familiar face from Tina’s batch, though he has been here for two years longer.

“Hey, Tina! Good morning.”

“Good morning, Kicks.”

While greeting the young man in front of her, Tina felt a sense of unease at running into him at this early hour.

“What’s up? You could sleep a bit more without being late. You’re up pretty early today.”

Tina is an early riser, but not as early as Grail. She finishes her preparations early to avoid the noise of the male knights getting up and fixing their bedheads. Kicks, on the other hand, was known to be weak in the mornings. He yawned and replied.

“I was on night duty. I’m going to eat and then sleep.”

“Oh, right. Your squad was on border patrol last night, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was as boring as usual.”

One of the main tasks of the knights in the northern fortress is border patrol. However, there hasn’t been a major conflict with the neighboring country in recent years, and no illegal immigrants have been seen.

This is because the Snowreia Mountains, home to the snow spirits, lie between this region and the neighboring country, making it difficult to cross the border.

All the mountains are high and snowy, and the risk of getting lost or freezing to death is very high, even in summer. If anyone from the neighboring country tried to enter illegally, they likely perished in the mountains before the knights could find them.

Night border patrol is one of the most tedious and difficult tasks.

Other tasks include patrolling the surrounding towns. They not only monitor the lives of the residents but also hunt down hungry beasts that come down to the villages in winter and help with snow removal.

Patrolling and guarding the base of the Snowreia Mountains is also an important task.

The powerful spirits are very attractive to humans, especially those with desires.

While some local residents come to the Snowreia Mountains to pray to the spirits, others come with evil intentions, hoping to gain the spirits’ power for themselves.

Even if such people try to climb the mountain, they will likely run out of strength before reaching the snow spirits at the summit, but the patrols and enforcement cannot be neglected.

This is because the Snowreia spirits are valuable allies who help protect the country, and the king has ordered more focus on guarding the Snowreia Mountains than the border.

Indeed, if the spirits were captured by an individual or another country, it would be a great loss for this country. There is no spirit as cooperative with humans as Snowreia.

Spirits are generally indifferent to human affairs, but Snowreia is an exception.

Tina has never seen a spirit, but she has heard that the snow queen is breathtakingly beautiful.

Many of her fellow knights often joke about wanting to see how beautiful she is.

“Let’s go to the dining hall together if you’re heading there.”

When Tina suggested, Kicks nodded lightly.

When they entered the early morning dining hall, there were only a few people. It was a familiar scene for Tina, but Kicks muttered, “It’s easier to secure a seat.”

Suddenly, he stopped and looked puzzled. Knowing his sharp observational skills, Tina quickly looked around.

Indeed, something was off. The gazes of the knights having breakfast were drawn to one direction.

They were staring at something with slackened faces, eating their bread and soup.

“Creepy.”

Kicks said openly, and Tina felt the same.

But then she followed their gazes and understood.

“Oh! It’s... Mil!”

At the end of the dining hall, Deputy Captain Grail, who had just finished his early morning training, was eating. At his feet, a fluffy white ball of fur was visible.

As they approached, they could see that the fur ball had ears and a tail, and was a slightly round baby fox.

Tina felt a warm, soothing feeling. Just seeing that adorable creature was incredibly healing. She couldn’t call the other knights’ drooling faces creepy anymore.

“Mil? ... Oh, the baby fox from last night. Why is it inside? And why is it so close to the deputy captain?”

While explaining the events of last night to Kicks, who was unaware, Tina approached Grail and the baby fox.

The baby fox had finished its meal and was licking the empty plate, but it quickly hid behind Grail’s long legs when it noticed Tina and Kicks approaching.

“It’s me, Mil! Do you remember me from yesterday?”

Tina spoke in a gentle voice.

The baby fox’s ears twitched, and it cautiously peeked out from behind Grail’s legs.

Tina almost nosebleeded at the sight. The other knights in the dining hall probably felt the same.

The baby fox’s small paws were subtly stepping on Grail’s boot-covered feet, and it seemed unaware of it.

“Did you name it?”

Tina, who had been breathing heavily in front of the baby fox, snapped back to reality at Grail’s calm voice.

He had already finished his meal and was facing them.

“G-Good morning, Deputy Captain! I’m sorry for the commotion.”

“Good morning, Deputy Captain.”

Tina hurriedly greeted, and Kicks greeted Grail as usual.

“Um! The name... I’ve been calling it that in my mind since I started seeing it around the grounds.”

She explained, wiping cold sweat. She didn’t mean to be the one to name it.

Kicks asked curiously.

“Why Mil?”

“It’s embarrassing to explain, but... it’s white like milk, so I called it Mil.”

Tina said, blushing.

“Now that you mention it, I had forgotten to name it. Mil is easy to remember, so it’s fine, right, Mil?”

Grail easily gave his permission, and the baby fox wagged its tail in agreement, its eyes shining with joy.

“Is it okay? That I named it... I’m so happy.”

“But Deputy Captain, you didn’t mention feeding the baby fox before. What, you’ve been secretly feeding it? That’s unfair.”

“I didn’t answer because I wasn’t asked.”

“This baby fox is the idol of the northern fortress, and you’re keeping it to yourself. That’s unfair. You’re so sneaky.”

Kicks’ good trait is that he can approach anyone without hesitation. But that’s also his bad trait.

He was finally quieted by the deputy captain’s threat of “Do you want me to train you after your night shift?” but he wasn’t deterred. He called out to the baby fox in a bright voice.

“Come here, Mil!”

The baby fox, sensing Kicks’ approach, hid behind Grail’s legs again.

“Don’t scare it.”

“Don’t make so much noise.”

Tina and Grail warned Kicks at the same time.

“Sorry... but I want to touch it. It looks so soft.”

Kicks, with a boyish look, squatted and stared at the baby fox.

The baby fox, sensing his gaze, cowered even more. The sound of its heart beating could almost be heard.

“If you want to be friends with Mil, you need to take your time. I haven’t even gained its trust yet.”

Tina said a bit sadly, and the baby fox peeked out again, looking at Tina and making small, apologetic sounds.

It was unclear what the baby fox was trying to say, but it was undeniably cute.

Tina and the others continued talking, but as the dining hall filled up and the baby fox became more nervous, Grail stood up.

“I’ll take... Mil back to my room. It’s not used to being surrounded by people yet.”

Grail returned his dishes to the counter, and the baby fox hurriedly followed. It seemed anxious when not close to Grail, and its short legs moving frantically were adorable.

When the cook asked, “Did you enjoy your meal?” the baby fox, slightly startled by the rough voice, replied with a high-pitched “kyan.”

“Wow, it’s like it’s answering.”

“Maybe it can sense when someone is talking to it.”

Tina and Kicks commented as they watched. They stayed to have breakfast, but Grail left the dining hall after a brief conversation with the cook.

As he walked through the dining hall to the exit, he drew the attention of the increasing number of knights. Unlike Kicks, they knew better and quietly watched.

The baby fox was becoming a great source of comfort in this northern fortress, where entertainment and enjoyment were scarce. Tina observed the knights’ melted, slack-jawed faces and thought so.

The air in this snow-bound place was usually lonely and gloomy, but this winter would be different.

Just watching the baby fox chasing after Grail was already lifting everyone’s spirits. The dining hall’s atmosphere brightened with the sight of the baby fox’s earnest, small movements.

However, Tina smiled wryly at Grail’s refusal to pick up the baby fox, even as it struggled to keep up. She would probably carry it everywhere, but that wouldn’t be good for the baby fox. It was a sign of Grail’s strictness and kindness, knowing that it would eventually have to return to nature.

“By the way, does the commander know about this?”

Kicks asked as they watched Grail and the baby fox leave.

“Deputy Captain has probably already informed him. If not, I’m sure he will today.”

“Hmm, I’d like to see the ‘Ice Commander’s’ reaction to the baby fox.”

Kicks grinned.