Chapter 15

After completing his morning rounds, Grail returned to the fort, taking off his snow-dampened coat and gloves as he hurried down the dormitory corridor.

He had moved knives and spare swords from his room to other places, but he couldn't help worrying if Mil was safe and sound. The little fox was still not used to living indoors. Considering her shyness, he had left her alone, but perhaps he should have asked someone on leave to take care of her.

As he rushed to Mil's side, he mentally checked again if he had left anything dangerous in the room. He hadn't placed any unnecessary furniture or items, and he had cleaned the floor where Mil would walk to avoid hurting her soft paws, even checking for splinters in the old floorboards.

When he saw his room door, Grail took out the key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock with practiced ease. Although he was in a hurry, he gently pushed the door open, thinking Mil might be sleeping quietly inside.

"Mil?"

His eyes naturally went to the little fox's bed, which was just a blanket laid in a basket on the floor. But it was empty, so he raised his gaze and looked around the room, only to stop in his tracks.

What he saw was one color.

Black, black, black.

What is this?

The writing desk at the back of the room. And the empty ink bottle lying on its side on the desk. Its contents had stained the half-written documents and the desk black. The ink dripping from the desk had also soiled the floor and chair, leaving a corner of Grail's room in a miserable state.

Grail, considering the possibility of a thief, frowned, but it didn't take long to notice the small black footprints of the culprit everywhere.

Grail sighed and smiled slightly. His concern eased once he knew the culprit. The books he had left on the desk for reference were neatly lined up on the floor, complete with paw prints. It must have been Mil's doing. What was she trying to do?

"Mil?"

Grail looked around his room again. There were hardly any places to hide in this spartan room, and the black footprints clearly showed where the culprit was hiding. Without hesitation, Grail peered under his bed.

"..."

There she was, the white little fox.

In the darkest corner, at the very back, under the bed.

"Mil"

When Grail called, the little fox only twitched her ears in response, clearly aware of him but refusing to meet his eyes. Her face was full of guilt, and she was pressing her ink-stained front paws under her body, trying to hide the evidence.

After a moment of silence, Mil looked up at him with a fearful expression, but quickly averted her gaze when their eyes met. She looked terribly cornered, turning her head away.

Even if she tried to hide her dirty paws, her attitude—hiding under the bed, avoiding eye contact—was the clearest evidence that Mil was the culprit. Her face said it all.

If she were innocent, she wouldn't have such a tragic expression.

As Mil started to give off an aura of "the end of the world," Grail couldn't help but laugh softly.

"It's okay, I'm not angry."

Speaking as gently as possible, Grail saw a glimmer of hope return to Mil's eyes in the darkness under the bed. She looked up at him, trembling, as if to confirm his words.

"It's my fault for not closing the ink bottle properly."

If the lid had been tightly sealed, even a mischievous little fox wouldn't have been able to open it with those clumsy paws. He had been careless, thinking Mil couldn't reach the things on the desk.

"So, come on out."

Grail stuck his head under the bed and extended his long arm, grabbing Mil by the scruff of her neck and pulling her out. Mil didn't come out on her own but didn't resist either.

"Ah, really black, and all four paws."

Seeing her exposed paws, he laughed again. Despite the mess in the room, he felt no anger or frustration. Seeing her looking dejected over her mistake, he stroked her head as if to comfort her.

"You don't seem hurt, so let's clean the ink off."

Speaking gently, Grail noticed that Mil, who had been silent and gloomy, suddenly started to whine and cling to his legs as he stood up. It was like she was saying, "Waaan, I'm sorryyyyy!" She looked like a child who, upon feeling relieved, started to cry uncontrollably. She whined as if begging for forgiveness, jumping with her hind legs and scratching Grail's pants with her front paws. The behavior was so adorable that Grail, despite feeling a bit reluctant to stop, let his pants be sacrificed. The ink on Mil's paws hadn't dried yet.

***

Ah... I'm so sorry.

Really, I'm so sorry.

I was prepared to be yelled at, scolded, and even expelled from the fort, but the one-eyed knight was always so kind. Despite the room being covered in ink, he didn't scold me at all, saying it was his fault for not closing the ink bottle properly.

Even when I dirtied his pants while trying to apologize, he smiled calmly, as if it didn't bother him at all. What a broad heart!

Moreover, he was now saying, "It's not coming off easily," while diligently cleaning my paws. I was lying on my back, being held by the one-eyed knight, who was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, wiping each of my paws with a wet cloth. After soaking my paws in a bucket of warm water, most of the ink had come off, but my paws were still gray.

I couldn't complain even when he supported my sensitive belly and rubbed my paws with the cloth. I had no right to. I could only reflect on the trouble I had caused and be grateful to the one-eyed knight. Thank you, I'm sorry. I kept licking his hand as he wiped my paws, and he said, "Okay, okay," with a light laugh. I was disappointed.

In the end, my paws remained slightly gray, but the one-eyed knight said, "If you run around in the snow outside, it will come off eventually." I hope so. Otherwise, the evidence of my mistake will remain forever.

After that, the one-eyed knight started cleaning the room. The books were his, and since they weren't too dirty and still readable, there was no problem. I'm glad. But I'm sorry.

The stains on the floor and chair didn't come off completely, but he decided to use them as they were. I'm sorry.

The desk, which was old, had been stained deeply by the ink, so he decided to throw it away. "I was thinking of getting a new one anyway, so this is a good opportunity," he said, but I'm sorry...

And the important documents were discarded without hesitation. I'm sorry!

"The documents can be rewritten by me."

The one-eyed knight was so kind that it hurt my heart.

While he was cleaning, I, as a fox, couldn't help him and just stood quietly behind him, sitting down and watching his work silently, trying not to be a bother.

"..."

I felt so helpless, watching him clean up after my mistake while I could do nothing.

But the one-eyed knight didn't seem bothered by my uselessness. He even smiled at me from time to time, raising the corners of his mouth.

Why?

After washing my paws and finishing the cleaning, the one-eyed knight dipped the cloth into the bucket of dirty water and stretched his neck. Is he tired? Because I caused him extra work...

I couldn't help reacting to every move of the one-eyed knight, feeling overly self-conscious.

"Well, it's about time for the end of the lunch break."

"..."

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for making you spend your valuable break time cleaning. I fidgeted around the one-eyed knight, but he didn't seem to mind the lost break time at all. Holding the bucket, he looked down at me gently and said jokingly,

"I'm going to greet the commander now. He's the most important person in this fort, so don't bite him."

...Huh? The commander?

After putting away the bucket, the one-eyed knight and I headed to the commander's office. We climbed the stairs and reached the upper floor, walking down a silent corridor. The atmosphere here was different. It was the opposite of the noisy dining hall and the relaxing dormitory, filled with tension. I straightened my back and followed closely behind the one-eyed knight.

The commander, being the "deputy" commander, must be more important than the one-eyed knight. He said, "the most important person in this fort."

Thinking about meeting him made me walk awkwardly. With four paws, I was a bit confused about which one to step with first...

But, if the commander doesn't give permission, I won't be able to stay here, right?

As the one-eyed knight's superior, he must be older and stronger than him, a tough guy.

In my mind, a large, strong man like a bear appeared. He must be the leader of this harsh fort. Only someone like that could handle it.

We stopped in front of a large, heavy wooden door, which I assumed was the commander's office. The one-eyed knight knocked on the door without any hesitation. Wait, I'm not ready yet! I tried to fix my hair, only to realize I don't have any in this life.

Before I could do anything, a response came from inside, and the one-eyed knight opened the door.

Bracing myself to face a powerful bear, I entered the large room, hiding behind the one-eyed knight's legs.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. The strong scent of the burning fireplace was mixed with a clean, soapy aroma. In this male-dominated fort, only Tina should have such a scent. What is this refreshing smell?

The room had no distinctive features, with bookshelves and filing cabinets along the walls, a fancy low table and a black sofa in the center, and a desk by the window. The carpet on the floor was soft on my paws.

"Good work, Commander."

The one-eyed knight greeted the commander while standing near the door, his voice slightly lower and more polite and calm than when he spoke to me. Following his voice, I looked towards the desk. But when I saw the person behind the teacup, the bear in my mind vanished with a *pop*. The commander was the complete opposite of what I imagined.

Sitting at the desk was a handsome man with straight black hair reaching his shoulders. His small face featured long, sharp eyes, cool eyebrows, a well-shaped nose, and lips, all perfectly arranged. He wasn't as breathtakingly beautiful as my mother, but he was a pretty man with a feminine aura.

He was younger than I thought, perhaps a bit younger than the one-eyed knight.

Compared to the tough knights of the fort, he looked more delicate and refined. However, he didn't seem weak or effeminate.

He gave the impression of being a strict and slightly cold superior.

"Regarding the little fox we talked about this morning, can we have permission to keep her in the fort? I brought the 'person' with me."

The commander raised an eyebrow at the one-eyed knight's words. He didn't seem pleased that I was there.

The commander slowly turned his gaze to me, who was hiding behind the one-eyed knight's legs. His cold, black eyes pierced through me, making my heart race with tension.

But I actually have some confidence in my appearance. To be honest, I think I'm a bit cute.

...Yes, I'm sorry.

But come on! No one would look at a white, fluffy little fox and think, "Ugh, ugly," or "I can't stand it physically"!

So I thought the commander, no matter how cold he seemed, wouldn't say something like, "We won't protect her. Throw her out."

I'm a pitiful little fox. My mother went to the capital, and I have nowhere else to go. I accidentally spilled ink (heartache), but I'm a good girl in general. I get excited and forget myself when I see fresh snow, but I'm a good girl. Please let me stay here.

Thinking this, I looked at the commander with a pleading expression.

For a moment, he widened his eyes slightly, not dramatically but just a little. His eyes held a feeling other than coldness, but I couldn't tell what it was.

However, his reaction after that was more of a problem.

After widening his eyes, the commander furrowed his brow and clenched his teeth, making a face as if he had bitten into a bitter pill.

Huh? Did he glare at me...? Was my face physically unbearable?

But that expression was only for a moment. The commander quickly regained his calm and turned back to the one-eyed knight as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't even seen me.

"Is that it?"

His voice was as cold as ice. 'That' must refer to me, but he wasn't looking at me.

What should I do? Maybe I was instantly disliked. I looked up at the one-eyed knight, but he seemed as usual...

"Yes, isn't she cute?"

He said quietly with a slight smile. How can he be so calm in front of this icy commander?

The commander ignored his words and spoke matter-of-factly.

"...I don't think interacting with animals is a bad thing. 'That' will likely comfort the subordinates who are tired from the harsh life and duties here. However, if 'that's' presence causes the subordinates to become lax and hinders the work and daily duties of the fort, I will have to reconsider. That is my opinion."

His tone was businesslike, but he didn't outright reject my existence. It was a very normal, calm opinion. I thought he would say something like, "No protection! Throw the beast out!" based on his reaction earlier.

From his words, I could tell he cared about his subordinates, the knights of the fort. Maybe he's a good person after all.

"Then, do we have permission to keep her?"

"If you, Grail, take responsibility for the little fox, I will not be involved."

"That's fine. Thank you."

It seems we got the permission. The commander doesn't seem to like me much, but I don't dislike him. He seems like someone who can make fair judgments as the leader of this fort.

"Then, I'll take my leave."

"...Yes."

Following the one-eyed knight out of the room, I stepped into the corridor. I didn't look back, afraid of meeting his gaze again.

It's good that we got the permission, but I need to reconsider my self-perception. No one hates a small, helpless little fox, right? I was being overly confident.

There are people who dislike animals and those who have no interest in them. The one-eyed knight is kind, Tina keeps telling me I'm cute, and I haven't been met with unpleasant faces from the other knights, so I got a bit carried away. I need to reflect.

The thought that "I might be a healing presence" is embarrassing. Very embarrassing. I want to punch myself. What kind of healing presence is this fur ball?

That's right, I'm just a fur ball. I have knowledge from my past life, but I can't use it. I'm a spirit but can't use any special powers yet. I can't earn money, hunt, or protect anyone. I can't talk, and I spill ink (heartache)...

Wait, I'm pretty useless, aren't I?