Chapter 35

"Hey, Kicks!"

When I finished eating the meal that was served, the one-eyed knight happened to be called away by the cafeteria uncle, so I quietly approached Kicks.

There were a few knights in the cafeteria; some were having light snacks, while others were just relaxing and drinking tea with their companions. People here eat heartily in the morning and evening, so they don’t eat unless they’re hungry at noon.

Kicks, munching on a small green apple, lifted me onto the table.

No one gets angry, but as a former human, it feels like I’m doing something wrong to be on the table, making me fidget.

"What is it, Mille? Do you want the apple?"

Kicks said this and offered me the half-eaten apple.

I don’t want Kicks’ half-eaten apple!

However, when it’s brought close to my nose, I can’t help but check the smell, even though I know what an apple smells like.

This apple seems more sour than the apples in my memory from Japan. The sour smell makes my nose wrinkle.

Like citrus fruits, my nose seems to recognize sour things as dangerous and rotten, so I have no appetite for the apple in front of me. I like sweet fruits.

"I don’t want it. Rather..."

I avoided the offered apple, stretched my neck, and whispered to Kicks.

"What’s Captain Sarell like?"

If he’s going to be the new leader here, I want to know what kind of person he is.

Of course, I don’t want the battalion commander to return to the capital; it would be best if he stays here.

Kicks grimaced and answered.

"He wears round glasses and has a side part, and he’s a nervous, unpleasant guy."

What? Despite his fun appearance with round glasses and a side part, he’s an unpleasant guy.

"If a guy like that comes here, it’ll be the worst. He’s a clean freak, so he’ll definitely make everyone clean the place. He’ll notice if you’re dressed sloppily and scold you, and even if you just have bedhead, he’ll glare at you."

"Whatever."

I thought the knights in this fortress seemed a bit rough compared to the knights in the capital.

Maintaining cleanliness is good, and it’s also good for everyone to pay attention to their appearance.

"It’s not good. There’s a rumor that Captain Sarell became a battalion commander through connections and pressure. His family is a ducal house. His brother is the current head, I think. The Cromwell battalion commander’s family is also a ducal house, and his position is similar to Captain Sarell’s, but their personalities are different. The battalion commander worked hard to become strong, but Captain Sarell’s abilities are limited. It’s questionable whether he’s ever even held a sword. Can we really entrust this fortress to a guy like that?"

Indeed, if he’s a noble who lacks real ability, I’m worried whether he can survive the harsh winters here and manage the rough knights in the fortress.

I heard that the battalion commander was initially looked down upon by the knights in this fortress, but he was recognized because he had real ability.

"Also, he always brings a bunch of close subordinates with him, and I don’t like that."

"Is that why you were sent to this fortress right after joining the knight corps?"

When I asked, Kicks looked like I had hit a nerve.

"Yeah, that’s probably it... Now, I think coming to this fortress was a good thing, but back then, I resented it as unfair. I thought I was given a harsh punishment because the battalion commander and Jild personally didn’t like me. Well, I guess you, as a spirit, wouldn’t understand, but humans have all sorts of compatibilities and incompatibilities. I’m sure I won’t get along with Captain Sarell."

"Hmm."

Listening to him, I can’t help but think I might not get along with him either. He seems like a clean freak, and would he tolerate someone like me who constantly sheds fur?

I walk around the battalion commander’s office carpet with dirty paws and sometimes secretly rub mud from my paws onto it. Would that be okay?

"Also, the reason he wants to come here... Mille, it’s probably because he’s after you. You should have a bit more sense of crisis."

"Me?"

After a few seconds of thought, I was startled.

"Could it be... Could he be after my fur?"

"No, that’s not it. It’s not that he wants you, the fox. He’s after you, the spirit, and Snowlea. He’s calculating that coming here will give him a connection to the spirits."

Indeed, spirits are special beings, and in some cases, they might be more beneficial than connections to the royal family.

"You probably don’t know, but compared to before, Battalion Commander Cromwell’s evaluation in the knight corps has improved. It’s because he’s liked by the spirit, Mille."

"So what if I’m liked by you?"

"In a crisis, the possibility that Snowlea will cooperate with the country increases. It’s not that the knight corps or the nobles are completely relying on the spirits, but some of them think that way. Captain Sarell probably finds it annoying that a rival like the battalion commander is favored by the spirits. So when the talk of the battalion commander returning to the capital came up, he saw it as a chance and decided to come here instead."

So that’s why Kicks called Captain Sarell ‘perceptive’ earlier.

"Then I really want the battalion commander to stay here, not someone like him."

I don’t want to be used by Captain Sarell to improve his evaluation.

"Right? Mille, can you tell the battalion commander that? Ask him to get rid of Captain Sarell. ...Well, the battalion commander is younger and has a lower position in the knight corps, so it might be difficult."

Kicks, unusually dejected, seems to have a strong aversion to Captain Sarell.

I raised my tail and said encouragingly,

"Leave it to me! I’ll go to the battalion commander’s office!"

"Really? Thanks, Mille!"

"Sure! Alright!"

Just as I was about to run off with enthusiasm, I remembered I was still on the table.

"...Hey, can you help me get down from the table?"

I can’t get down by myself!

"Battalion Commander!"

I told the one-eyed knight I was leaving and headed to the battalion commander’s office from the cafeteria.

It’s hard to open the grand door by myself, so I crouched down and called the battalion commander through the small gap at the bottom of the door. It feels like my voice reaches him better this way.

I even tried to push my paws through the gap, but only my claws fit.

I heard the battalion commander’s footsteps approaching the door, so I stood up and took a few steps back.

The door opened quietly, and the battalion commander, with a cold expression, first looked around the corridor to make sure no one else was there. This is usual for him.

"Good to see you."

When he realized there were no subordinates around, the battalion commander’s expression softened, and he invited me in.

As soon as he closed the door, he reached out to me, but I quickly dodged.

If you want to touch this fur, you should first meet my demands!