Chapter 4

As I pushed through the iron fence, my head got stuck a few times, but I managed to squeeze through and enter the premises. The grounds were vast, and I might have gotten lost if I had wandered aimlessly.

I sniffed the air, searching for a place where people might be. Given that this was a military facility, there were many masculine scents, different from the sweet, fragrant aroma of my mother.

The paths frequently used by people were cleared of snow, so I followed them and eventually came to an open area, like a snow-covered playground. I spotted a group of about ten people gathered in one corner of the playground and quickly hid behind a building.

Then, I cautiously peeked out again. They seemed to be engaged in sword training, and despite the cold, they weren't wearing any warm clothing. There were probably people working and undergoing other training, so those here might be just a part of the population living in this fortress. The number of people was too small for such a large building.

Everyone held swords, but only two people in the center of the group were actually swinging them.

"Your stance is too defensive. Don't think you can be a knight with that attitude."

A man who seemed to be a superior officer watched the two sparring and spoke in a calm yet stern voice. He had short, neatly trimmed gray hair and a sharp, rugged face. He was tall and muscular, with a physique like a boxer, probably with a body fat percentage of around three percent.

The most striking feature was a large scar on the left side of his face, running from his forehead to his jaw, which seemed to have been caused by a sword cut, leaving his left eye covered.

As I observed the one-eyed knight from my hiding spot, he suddenly turned to look at me without any warning. I hadn't expected him to notice me from such a distance, so when our eyes met, I was startled and quickly retreated into the shadow of the building.

His right eye had been staring straight at me. How did he notice me? I hadn't moved or made any noise.

He didn't seem to be coming closer. The sound of swords clashing continued, so the training must have been going on as usual.

After catching my breath and calming down, I peeked out again—

—only to find that he was still looking at me.

That one-eyed guy was still staring at me!

When our eyes met again, I turned and fled from the spot with a "Babuun!" The snow kicked up by my feet danced in the air. I ran for several dozen meters, turned a corner, and slowed down. No one was chasing me.

As I caught my breath, I thought calmly that I didn't really need to run. I had come here to ask someone for directions to the capital. –Though the problem of how I, who can't speak, would ask for directions was still unresolved.

Anyway, nothing would start without making contact with humans. Just because our eyes met, I shouldn't have run. I was human in my previous life. I know that humans are not aggressive creatures. There was no need to run.

"Okay," I encouraged myself and took a step forward.

But when I saw a few knights walking in the distance, I quickly hid in the shadow of an outdoor staircase, my tail between my legs.

Mother...

As you said, I might be a bit cowardly.

In fact, from my current small size, humans look incredibly large and quite intimidating up close.

Moreover, I don't know how the people in this world will react when they see me. I might be captured, killed, or skinned for my fur.

Would anyone recognize me as a snow spirit, just a white fox? If they did, what would they do? I don't think they would attack me, but...

The fear comes from not knowing how they will react. I wonder if it's safer to pretend to be just a fox or if I should exude a "spirit-like" aura. Hmm.

While I was seriously pondering this, my body had been telling me I was sleepy. I hadn't taken a nap today and had been moving around, dealing with children and other challenges.

It was already evening, and there was still time before sunset, but I decided to go to sleep early. I yawned widely—since I was in this form, I didn't bother to cover my mouth with a cute yawn, showing my teeth and gums boldly—and started moving around quietly to find a place to sleep.

To avoid running into humans, I explored the grounds and decided to sleep behind a building that looked like the knights' quarters. The space wasn't very large, but there were a few low trees scattered around. In the spring, the grass would probably emerge from under the snow.

It didn't seem like people passed by often, and there were no signs of stray cats marking their territory.

At the edge of this backyard, there was a small shed that seemed to have been forgotten. The door was either broken or removed, and it was nowhere to be found.

The inside was small, just big enough for an adult to lie down, with a few shovels that looked like they were used for snow removal. Some snow had blown in because there was no door, but it was nothing for a fluffy creature like me.

I entered the shed, curled up, and lay down on the floor.

The only concern was that the shed was visible from the first-floor window of the nearby quarters. The entrance of the shed faced the window.

But once the sun set, the outside would be enveloped in darkness. The shed would be pitch black, and even if someone looked out the window, they probably wouldn't see me.

I closed my eyes, half-dreaming, and made a casual guess... ZZZ...