Chapter 80

For me now, the intimidating squad is a captivating presence, exuding a wonderful fragrance. If I let my guard down, I might end up rubbing against them and purring.

While I stared at the intimidating squad with shining eyes, everyone looked at me with puzzled faces as I was trembling all over, pulling my bottom back.

"Mil, what are you doing?"

"I don’t know, but whatever you do, you’re cute."

Stop looking at me with that smile and go to the washing area quickly!

My rationality is already... ah, my legs are moving on their own...

Just as I was about to dive into the muddy legs of the Jets, who were at the front, a towel was thrown over my head from above at the last moment.

"You need to dry yourself properly."

It seems the one-eyed knight is drying me with a new towel. I’m saved!

Relieved, the one-eyed knight muttered, "Let’s go out now." I was picked up with the towel wrapped around my body from my bottom to my ears, and I said "bye-bye" to the intimidating squad as we left the changing room.

Although I couldn’t wave my hands because they were inside the towel, the intimidating squad waved back with warm smiles.

Hmm, but their faces are still scary.

As we walked down the corridor away from the bath, the next person we encountered was Tina.

"Oh, you smell nice. Mil, did you go to the bath?"

"Yeah."

Tina slightly adjusted the towel on my head. When my ears, which had been flattened, popped up, she smiled in satisfaction and shifted her gaze to the one-eyed knight, changing the subject.

"Deputy, the room preparations are complete. I’ve tidied up the luggage on the lower bed, so we can welcome them anytime."

"Is that so? This will be the last night in a single room, then."

"What are you talking about?"

When I asked, Tina answered happily.

"Tomorrow, a new member will join the northern fort. A female knight is being assigned from the capital."

"Really?"

More women in this rough fort? My face lit up. Of course, I like the rough and intimidating knights, but I’ve always thought it would be nice to have more female knights.

"Do you know her, Tina?"

"No, I’ve never met her, but she’s someone I’ve always admired. She’s beautiful, strong, and cool."

Tina sighed dreamily and touched her ponytail.

"I even copied her hairstyle. When she saved me, her long hair, tied in a ponytail, shimmered and swayed, leaving a strong impression..."

It seems that when Tina came to the capital from a rural village to become a knight, she was unfortunately mugged.

However, just as she was about to lose all her belongings, a knight who happened to be patrolling the city caught the criminal and saved her.

That knight is the one Tina admires and who is coming to the fort tomorrow.

"At that time, I thought I wanted to be like her and decided to make her my goal."

"Is that so?"

After nodding, I wondered why Tina wanted to become a knight and asked from the one-eyed knight’s arms.

Tina blushed and answered.

"I’m not very good at feminine things, like cooking and sewing. I like them, but I’m not good at them. I’ve been learning from my mother since childhood, but I never got very good."

I know Tina’s sewing skills well, but I was surprised to hear that she herself recognized her weakness.

"Look, I made a stuffed animal for you, Mil, but the stitches were rough, right?"

Stitches...

Indeed, they weren’t perfect, but there was something else that bothered me more.

For example, the design. Was that a problem before the sewing?

I remained silent, and Tina continued.

"But I was good at sports and even won the boys in the village in mock knight battles with wooden sticks. My father, who was a farmer, said, 'You can become a knight!' and I was convinced. My father wanted to be a knight when he was young, so maybe he entrusted his dream to me. But I also thought it would be nice to have a job where I could protect people. My mother was worried, but I decided to leave the village and take the entrance exam in the capital."

There seem to be three main ways to become a knight in this country. The first is to become a squire and learn from a senior knight, like the branch commander, from around the age of fourteen. However, this is difficult unless you are a noble or have connections with the knight order.

The second is to be recruited by the knight order based on your abilities, like the one-eyed knight, but this is also impossible without exceptional talent.

Therefore, the third and most common method is to pass the exam and join the order.

"Wow! So Tina passed the exam?"

"Yes, it was my first attempt, but I managed. The knight order seemed to be trying to increase the number of female knights, so the timing was good. I could beat the boys in the village, but everyone in the entrance exam seemed stronger than me."

"I wasn’t there to see the exam, but I don’t think Tina passed just because of the timing."

The one-eyed knight said this to the modest Tina.

"Tina has a good eye. She can observe others’ movements, select what she can absorb, and imitate it. This requires excellent observational skills. Her cooperative and honest personality, as well as her resolve to become a knight, were also evaluated by the examiners. Being just strong isn’t enough to be a perfect knight."

"Thank you so much!"

Tina’s eyes widened in surprise at the one-eyed knight’s praise, and her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She seemed happy to be evaluated as a knight.

Tina always smiles and doesn’t show much hardship, but I think it must be difficult to be a knight as a woman.

"Do you have any other family besides your parents, Tina?"

I suddenly wondered.

"Yes, I have two older sisters. I’m the youngest of three sisters."

I thought she might have younger brothers, but it seems Tina is more of a younger sister type.

I also learned recently that Kicks has younger brothers and sisters, and he turned out to be a caring older brother. You never know until you ask.

"Siblings, that’s nice."

I muttered. Spirits can only have one child, so I’ve always been an only child. It would be fun to have cute little fox siblings, and it would be great to have older brothers or sisters. I had an older sister in my past life, so in this life, I wanted an older brother.

"I want an older brother..."

When I voiced my wish, the one-eyed knight ruffled my head and said,

"There are plenty of them in this fort."

"Right."

That’s true. There are many intimidating older brothers. Tina is a kind older sister.

"I’m looking forward to meeting the woman coming tomorrow. I hope she likes snow."

When winter comes, I hope she will play in the snow with me.

"I’m sure she’ll like both the snow here and you, Mil. She’s a kind person."

Tina said confidently, then lowered her voice and continued,

"But why did she end up at the northern fort..."

Most of the knights here, now under the branch commander and the one-eyed knight, were originally sent to the harsh northern fort for re-education after causing trouble in the main order or other branches, or were demoted because they were too much to handle.

If she wasn’t assigned here voluntarily like Tina, the female knight coming tomorrow might have caused some problems and was sent here.

From what Tina said, I didn’t get that impression, but maybe she’s a tough, muscular, and quick-tempered female knight, just as intimidating as the intimidating squad.

(Hmm...)

Regardless of her appearance or temperament, I hope she gets along with everyone in the fort. And please, I hope she’s not someone who dislikes animals.