Chapter 8

After completing his unique morning practice, Grail spent the morning holed up in his office, working tirelessly.

When lunch break time came, he put down the documents and pen he was holding and left the room.

The people in this country eat large meals, but only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. If they eat something at noon, it is considered a snack.

Grail didn't leave his seat at noon to go eat. He walked down the corridor on the third floor in the opposite direction of the cafeteria.

Peering out from a small, inset window at the end of the corridor, he saw the outdoor training ground below. The 6th Squad had been using it this morning, but the knights who had been training were now moving indoors for a break.

The 9th Detachment, which is stationed in this fortress, is divided into several squads, and they generally act as a squad, whether it's for training or work. The 1st to 4th Squads are responsible for border patrol, the 5th Squad for town patrols, and the 6th Squad for training.

After a while, when the training ground was empty, a small white fox cub cautiously approached from the side.

Grail smiled. "You came again, huh?" The fox cub looked around nervously to confirm that there were no humans around, then gradually moved towards the center.

It had snowed again last night, erasing all previous footprints. The only footprints on the training ground were those of the 6th Squad, who had been there until just a moment ago.

The fox cub, after checking its surroundings once more, started running on the pristine snow. At first, it was just running around, but it seemed to be getting more and more excited, and it began to burrow into the snow with sparkling eyes.

It would bury itself in the snow, leaving only its ears and tail visible, then roll out and jump up, diving back into the snow headfirst.

Grail had suspected it would come again because he had seen it playing alone on the training ground before. He thought, "I really can't get tired of watching it."

"Ah! Isn't that Deputy Commander?"

A bright voice echoed in the quiet corridor.

Turning around, Grail saw a flashy blonde subordinate approaching. His name was Kicks, a young but promising knight, though he had a tendency to get carried away.

"What are you doing here?"

Kicks was one of the few subordinates who could talk to Grail without reservation.

Grail silently nodded his chin towards the window.

"Huh? ... Oh, a fox!"

Seeing the fox cub playing on the training ground, Kicks also got excited.

"Isn't that the white fox that's been rumored about recently?"

"Yeah."

Grail nodded.

Actually, the existence of the fox cub was no longer a secret known only to Grail. Many knights had witnessed the fox cub running around the training ground or wandering the grounds.

The rumor had spread rapidly among the knights in just four days.

The northern fortress always had a sense of oppression due to the heavy snowfall in winter, but the sudden appearance of the adorable fox cub had warmed the hearts of the knights.

Even the tough men were delighted to find the small paw prints left in the snow.

However, the other knights were unaware that Grail was feeding the fox cub. Only the head chef knew.

Grail didn't intend to keep it a secret and would talk about it if asked, but no one ever did.

"Deputy Commander, you like animals, huh?"

As they watched the fox cub frolicking in the snow, Kicks said, twisting his lips to suppress a laugh.

"Like the commander, you have a soft spot for cute creatures, don't you? ... Haha, that doesn't suit you."

Grail turned a cold smile towards the impolite subordinate, who had finally burst out laughing. He put his arm around Kicks' shoulder and said,

"Kicks, if you're free, come practice swordsmanship with me. I might not be able to hold back..."

"Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry."

***

In the evening, after finishing his work, Grail headed to the cafeteria. After eating his own meal, he got the fox cub's portion from the head chef and returned to the barracks.

When he entered his room and lit the lamp, the fox cub, noticing Grail's return, barked softly from outside the window, clearly eager for her meal.

He opened the window and placed the food, then stepped back. The fox cub seemed to get nervous if Grail was too close.

While she was eating, Grail took off his coat and hung it on the rack. He loosened his boots and prepared to take a bath.

After a while, when he heard a "kyan!" it was the signal that she had finished eating. When Grail approached the window, he saw an empty plate on the wooden box and the fox cub looking up at him from a small shed a short distance away.

She seemed to have enjoyed her meal, licking her lips repeatedly as if savoring the taste.

The fox cub appeared to trust Grail, but she still didn't fully trust him. The subtle distance between them was evidence of this.

The distance hadn't changed much since their first encounter. Grail had wanted to stroke her soft fur, but she would become wary if he extended his hand.

But today, he might be able to stroke her.

Grail had an item to bridge the gap between them: the jerky he had received from the head chef.

It was thin slices of chicken breast, flattened and baked in the oven. Though not seasoned, it was rich in flavor and looked delicious even to a human.

Grail held the jerky in his hand and waved it in front of the fox cub.

The fox cub tilted her head, "Huh?" and then approached to see what Grail was holding. When she reached the wooden box, she noticed the savory smell of the jerky and perked up her tail.

She was still hesitant to get too close to Grail, but the jerky intrigued her. She paced back and forth near the window, never taking her eyes off the jerky.

"Here, try it. It's delicious."

Grail tore a small piece of jerky and placed it on his palm, extending his arm out the window. The fox cub had never eaten directly from his hand before. This was a serious challenge for Grail.

He wanted her to understand that human hands were not scary, that nothing bad would happen, and that she could feel safe.

Attracted by the smell, the fox cub placed her front paws on the first step of the wooden box, getting unusually close to Grail.

She stretched her neck as far as she could, but realized she needed to get a bit closer to reach the jerky. With a hesitant movement, she climbed onto the wooden box and placed her front paws on the second step, standing up.

She sniffed Grail's large palm, then the jerky. Grail remained still, like a statue, to avoid startling her.

After sniffing cautiously, the fox cub took a small piece of jerky in her mouth and quickly retreated from the wooden box.

She chewed her prize a short distance from Grail.

The wet nose of the fox cub, which had briefly touched Grail's palm, filled him with a sense of accomplishment. He wasn't a nose fetishist, but he was happy that she had taken the jerky directly from his hand.

When he tore off another piece of jerky, the fox cub approached more confidently.

Her hunger seemed to outweigh her wariness of humans. This time, she didn't leave the wooden box after taking the jerky but started eating it right next to Grail.

She had never come this close to him on her own. Grail thought, "The power of jerky is great."

In the end, the fox cub ate all the remaining jerky directly from Grail's hand, staying close to him.

Even if it was through bribery with food, the distance between them might have narrowed a little.