Chapter 20

How many days have passed since I came to this fort?

I have been spending every day very happily and peacefully.

I wake up early in the morning, join the one-eyed knight in his voluntary training, and go to the cafeteria to get breakfast.

After that, I part ways with the one-eyed knight, who has work to do, and play by myself outside.

The patterns of my play have become quite set: I either enjoy making footprints in the fresh snow, run around the buildings at full speed to play a race, dig holes in the accumulated snow, or play detective by following the scent left on the ground. These are my usual activities.

When I run around in the snow and snowballs form in my fur, I have become accustomed to going to the gate and asking my big brother for help.

Also, there are always fruits stuck on the withered trees in the narrow courtyard, which is in the opposite direction of the barracks, so I sometimes go there to observe the small birds that gather for them. The birds are so used to me that they don’t fly away as long as I don’t get too close.

Besides, the tiny footprints left by the birds on the snow are incredibly cute. Just looking at them is soothing.

When it’s almost noon, I go to the stables and greet the horses. While I’m doing this, the battalion commander comes, and I play with him. He’s my friend, after all. I’ll be his heart friend until he makes human friends.

The battalion commander almost always comes to the stables around noon. It’s not that he’s slacking off; he probably finishes all his morning tasks and takes an early break to come here.

By the way, when I interact with the battalion commander, I’m careful not to be too pushy. Perhaps because he didn’t have friends before, he’s not used to interacting with others. Once, when I approached him wagging my tail, he had a nosebleed.

Until then, I didn’t realize that even nosebleeds can look beautiful when a beautiful person has them. A trivial discovery.

When I and Ailax worriedly called out to the battalion commander in our minds, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” and clung to him, his symptoms worsened. He couldn’t stand up and had to crouch down, pressing his nose. He was even trembling a bit.

But his face looked incredibly happy, so he probably just wasn’t used to interacting with others. He might have been excited about making a new friend. He’s a sensitive person.

After that, the battalion commander, while wiping his nose with a fancy handkerchief from his pocket, said a bit embarrassedly, “I’m fine, I just wasn’t mentally prepared enough.” I don’t care if he has a nosebleed; I won’t stop being friends with him. I’m fine.

Somehow, I’m starting to develop different feelings for the battalion commander compared to the one-eyed knight. What is this?

When the lunch break comes, the battalion commander, who seems very reluctant, leaves the stables, and the one-eyed knight comes to pick me up.

During the break, I play with the one-eyed knight, cuddle with him, and get some jerky as a snack. It’s a happy time.

In the afternoon, the one-eyed knight has to go back to work, so I start my nap in the stables. If I don’t take a nap here, I won’t last until sunset as a child.

At first, I used to curl up and sleep on the snow or in the shade of buildings, but I was afraid that wild dogs might attack me, so I decided to sleep in the stables. Here, I feel safe because the one-eyed knight’s horse is here. If anything happens, it’s a strong leader that will protect me.

After waking up from my nap, I continue to immerse myself in solo play. When I feel lonely, I get the attention of the knights walking outside. I try not to take up too much of their time, as I assume they are busy with work or moving around.

In the evening, the one-eyed knight comes to pick me up before it gets dark. If his work isn’t finished, he takes me to his office, and I wait quietly at his feet while he works.

When his work is completely done, it’s the long-awaited dinner time. I eat with the other knights in the noisy cafeteria.

I’ve come to trust Tina completely and am used to the intimidating presence of the tough guys. I always pay attention to Kick’s sneak attacks, but sometimes he catches me off guard and lifts me high. Recently, I’ve gotten used to it and found a thrill in it, like a free fall ride at an amusement park. The moment of falling, with that stomach-dropping sensation, is addictive.

If the one-eyed knight is a reliable father, then Tina is a kind older sister, the fort’s knights are boisterous and strong older brothers, the battalion commander is a sensitive and caring heart friend, and Kick is a playmate who acts silly with me or a bit troublesome younger brother.

Since my family in this life was only my mother, it feels like I’ve become part of a large family, which makes me quite happy.

After dinner, I head to the lounge and wait for the one-eyed knight’s bath time while Tina brushes me or I play with Kick and the others. By the way, Kick only takes a bath once every four days. How dirty.

When I’m in the lounge, I have to be careful not to be too noisy. When everyone is having a good time, the battalion commander comes and mutters, “It’s too noisy,” with a resentful look.

Please, someone, be his friend...

I was able to take a bath once. Rather, I was forced to. One sunny day, I ran around in the mud created by melting snow and got so dirty that I was amazed at myself.

At first, I was a bit excited when the one-eyed knight took me to the bathhouse, but I panicked when he started to undress in the changing room. I sometimes see people changing clothes in the room, but they don’t take off their underwear.

But this is a bath. Of course, you have to take off your underwear.

In the changing room, other knights were completely naked, and the battalion commander was there, looking at me—probably embarrassed to be friends with a little fox like me. He doesn’t smile at me like he does in the stables in front of others and seems a bit cold. What a shy guy—since I was in the middle of taking off my clothes, I hurriedly tried to escape from the changing room. Why would I have to bathe with naked men?

However, my escape failed, and I was helplessly grabbed by the neck by the one-eyed knight and taken to the bath. The one-eyed knight and the other knights probably thought I just didn’t like baths. They all laughed, saying, “Can’t be helped,” but this wasn’t a laughing matter for me.

During the bath, I never opened my eyes. You see... in my previous life, I died before becoming an adult and was both physically and mentally a maiden... If I saw that up close, it might become a trauma...

By the way, I didn’t soak in the hot spring. I was a bit interested, but I accepted the one-eyed knight’s advice that “It’s too hot for you.” Also, it would be dangerous with my eyes closed.

Moreover, I felt a kind of ‘fire energy’ from the hot spring, and I thought it wouldn’t be compatible with me. The hot spring water, which comes from underground, is much more ‘fiery’ than regular hot water. I didn’t want to immerse my body in it.

After the bath, I return to the barracks and sleep with the one-eyed knight.

I like the moment when I’m wished a good night and my head is gently stroked before I fall asleep. It feels like a good luck charm for a good night’s sleep.

This is how my days passed peacefully. The knights at the fort were all kind, and I was never bullied by anyone. Wild dogs never appeared in the compound again.

About two weeks after I came here, I suddenly remembered my mother. It was about time for her to return.

(I have to go back to the residence on the mountain, or my mother will worry when she returns.)

However, if I leave on my own, the one-eyed knight and the others will worry about my safety. It’s really inconvenient not being able to speak.

I can’t express my gratitude, wave goodbye, or make a promise to meet again.

But if I stay here any longer, my mother will...

One afternoon, I was hesitating while looking at the iron fence that surrounds the fort. My small body can easily slip through the gaps in the fence, and I can leave the same way I came in.

However, I can’t move forward because I’m sad to part with the one-eyed knight and the others. Even if I go back to the mountain, I plan to come back to see everyone, but I don’t know when that will be. Will my mother let me come back to play?

While I was sitting on the snow and thinking, the snow started to get worse. The wind suddenly picked up and tried to blow me away.

The weather, which had been clear a moment ago, quickly turned bad, and a blizzard started. The beautiful snow turned into a monster, forcibly turning the scenery white.

(Moving in this blizzard might be impossible.)

I took this as a good reason to postpone my farewell to the one-eyed knight and the others and took refuge inside the building.

The blizzard didn’t stop for three whole days.