Chapter 24

The blizzard had stopped.

The thick clouds that had covered the sky cleared, and warm sunlight poured down to the ground. The bone-chilling cold of a moment ago had now eased.

The anger of the snow spirit had subsided, and it was unlikely that it would snow for a while.

Moreover, in this incident, they had inadvertently done a favor for Snowlea. She promised to lend her strength if needed.

There was nothing more reassuring than having the snow spirit on their side in this land, so this was something to be happy about.

It was something to be happy about, but...

On the way back from the altar, Grail's expression was dark. The other knights felt the same, and Cromwell, in particular, was openly dejected.

Milu— the white kit that had suddenly appeared at the fortress two weeks ago— was the child of the snow spirit.

The being that had given healing to the knights of the fortress was no longer there. She had returned to her home on the mountain with her mother.

They had intended to eventually return her to the wild, and it was better for her to be with her mother than to stay at the fortress. Milu would certainly be happier that way.

Even so, it was still sad.

The cute white fur ball would no longer cling to their feet. They would no longer see her eating jerky from their hands or running around happily in the snow. From now on, Grail's room would be empty, and he would have to put away Milu's special basket bed.

Grail sighed and scolded himself for being so down. "Pull yourself together. Move on." Milu had only returned to her mother.

"Wh-what? So Milu won't come back!?"

Back at the fortress, when Grail explained everything to those who had remained, Tina said with a voice on the verge of tears. The other knights were all equally disappointed.

"My healing is gone!"

"The joy of petting that fur is lost..."

"The only place for healing here is the hot springs now."

In just two weeks, Milu's presence had been that significant.

"Don't be so down. It's not a permanent farewell. She might come to play again if she feels like it."

Grail said this to comfort his subordinates, but—

"When exactly will she come back?"

"Snow spirits have long lifespans. Their sense of time might be different from ours..."

"Maybe the next time she comes to play will be in ten years."

"Besides, she's probably with her mother and will forget about us soon."

The mood quickly turned dark again. The lounge was enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere. These big, grown men were this affected by the absence of a single kit. If an enemy were to attack the fortress now, they might not be able to fight back properly.

Thinking about it, Milu was a terrifying presence. No beautiful spy could have reduced the fortress's fighting strength to this extent.

Even Cromwell, who had always hidden his love for animals, was now so dejected that he didn't even care about the others' gazes and had secluded himself in his room as soon as they returned to the fortress. What if he was crying inside?

"Milu..."

Tina lowered her eyelashes sadly. The air in the lounge was as heavy as if a funeral were taking place, even though no one had died.

Kicks, usually cheerful, was now sulking with a pout, like a child who had had their favorite toy taken away.

Grail intended to overlook his subordinates' lack of spirit for the day, but if they continued to be this dejected during work and training tomorrow, he would have to get them to pull themselves together.

So he, too, needed to sort out his feelings by the end of the day.

He couldn't force the sense of loss from losing Milu to disappear, but he couldn't show a pitiful face in front of his subordinates.

Grail silently left the lounge.

The next day, the fortress was still in a funk. Despite the bright sunlight illuminating the fortress, the knights' faces were gloomy. The chef, who had learned the situation, was also dejected, and the breakfast seasoning was terrible.

As for Grail, despite his resolve from the previous day, he couldn't switch his mood— he had been disheartened by the empty basket bed when he woke up, the absence of someone to watch over his early morning training, and the loneliness of eating breakfast alone— so he couldn't scold his subordinates.

He had even witnessed Cromwell hugging his horse to soothe his heart, and he was seriously wondering if the fortress would be okay.

Now, Grail was diligently working on paperwork in his office. He was recording the recent events in writing.

At the same time, he was writing a letter to the commander of the capital's knights. Snowlea herself didn't seem to want to publicize the fact that she had a child, but it was important enough to report to the higher-ups.

He had asked Cromwell to write the letter to the king, but he wondered if it was progressing. Cromwell might still be in the stables.

"Should I go check on him..."

What a troublesome company commander.

Grail sighed lightly and stood up.

"Kyaa!"

—But he immediately stopped and checked his feet.

He seemed to have stepped on the fluffy white tail of a kit that had appeared at some point. Most of the tail was made of fur, but he had apparently stepped on the 'body' part as well. Grail quickly lifted his foot.

"Sorry, Milu. It must have hurt."

He hurriedly squatted down and gently checked the tail. Milu, who was always under his feet, had made him careful not to bump into her when moving his chair or feet.

Milu's eyes were a bit teary.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry."

As Grail felt apologetic, Milu, with a brave effort, wagged her tail and rubbed against Grail's foot. She then looked up with her round, large eyes and said in a halting voice,

"I'm okay, it's fine."

"Is that so? I'm glad. By the way, you can talk now..."

Grail then thought for a moment.

He carefully observed the kit in front of him, reached out to feel the softness of her fur, confirmed that there was a solid body beneath it, and concluded that it wasn't an illusion before speaking.

"...Why are you here?"

The disbelief was so strong that his voice was unusually low.

The adorable kit that had so easily stolen the hearts of the fortress's tough knights, including himself, was supposed to be at the top of the snow-covered Snowlea Mountain, and he had braced himself for the possibility of not seeing her for a long time, if ever.

Why was she here today, just a day after yesterday?

"Sorry... Did, did I cause trouble by coming back?"

The unexpected situation had left him puzzled, and it seemed that his brows had furrowed. Milu was trembling and looking up at him. Grail tried to make a gentle face, squatted down, and stroked her head to reassure her.

"Not at all. I was just surprised. I'm glad to see you again. But how did you get here?"

When he asked, Milu proudly wagged her tail and answered.

"I used a teleportation spell! The same one I used yesterday. I can instantly come from the top of the mountain to here."

"Really? That's amazing."

Since she seemed to want praise, he rubbed her cheek fur with both hands. It was as fluffy and wonderful to touch as her chest and tail fur, so he kept praising and petting her until she finally looked a bit annoyed.

"But what about Snowlea? Did your mother allow you to come here? You didn't come without telling her, did you?"

He warned her, concerned that another blizzard might occur, but his words lacked force and authority. He was too happy that Milu had chosen to come to him, even though she had the option of staying with her mother. In his heart, he was thinking, "Good for you to come here."

Milu, while wary of being petted, said with sparkling eyes,

"I asked my mother if I could come to the 'fortress' to play. She said it was okay for a little while. So, I'm going to come and play a little every day!"

Milu started wagging her tail rapidly, and Grail laughed. It must feel like a father who is happy to see his child, who usually lives with his divorced wife, come for a visit.

"Then let's go tell the others that Milu has come to play. Let's clear the rotten atmosphere in this fortress. First, let's get the company commander's spirits up."

"What's wrong with the company commander?"

Milu, who didn't understand, looked worried and lowered her ears.

"You'll see when you go."

Grail smiled wryly and gently picked up the small Milu. He headed for the door to leave the office.

Milu looked up at Grail with a puzzled expression, seeming restless.

She was probably confused by Grail's different attitude. Specifically, she was surprised to be carried.

"I've changed my approach."

Grail laughed to himself.

Milu was not a wild animal but a spirit. She wouldn't have a future where she had to hunt for prey and survive in the harsh natural world like a regular fox.

Therefore, he no longer needed to treat Milu with the assumption that she would eventually return to the wild.

Grail had been careful not to make Milu too dependent on humans. He had restrained himself from picking her up, made her walk on her own when moving, and not let her sleep in his bed. He had even been considering using mice to teach her hunting skills.

But from now on, he would abandon those efforts.

He would indulge and pamper Milu to his heart's content.

It was a good thing that Milu was a spirit. It was a good thing that she wasn't a wild animal that he would eventually have to let go. He truly felt that way.

Grail, immersed in happiness, carried Milu's upper body on his shoulder. Inevitably, Milu faced backward, and her rapidly wagging tail patted Grail's cheek. But even her tail and her bottom were cute.

"Why are you laughing?"

Milu turned around and asked. Grail probably had a slack expression. He covered his face with his hand and petted her head, blocking her gaze.

When he opened the door and stepped into the corridor, he immediately encountered his subordinates.

"Ah, Deputy Commander. Good work—... Huh?"

"...W-What's that, Deputy Commander! Milu!? Why!?"

—The northern fortress was known for its hot springs, mountains of snow, and rowdy knights.

And from now on, it would also be known for the white kit that came to play "a little" every day.