Chapter 81

The next day, with the news that the female knight Tina had mentioned had arrived at the fort, I headed to the deputy commander's office with the one-eyed knight. She was apparently going to introduce me as a spirit first, so I wouldn't be mistaken for a wild fox.

"Excuse me."

"Coming in."

With a mix of excitement, anticipation, and a bit of anxiety, I followed the one-eyed knight into the deputy commander's room. The female knight was already there, standing at attention in front of the deputy commander, who was seated at a desk in the back. When the door opened and I came into view, she gasped.

"Mil, over here."

The deputy commander, wearing an ice mask, called me in a calm tone. I looked up at the tall female knight with great interest and moved my feet to walk to the back of the room. When I lined up next to the desk where the deputy commander was sitting, I sat down nicely. First impressions are important, after all.

I wanted to get close and smell the female knight, but I held back, thinking it might be rude on our first meeting.

"Is this fox the... child of the Snow Spirit you mentioned?"

The female knight asked, a bit nervously.

She was a strikingly beautiful woman, not as bloodthirsty or temperamental as I had worried she might be. She was muscular for a woman but had a slim figure.

However, her strawberry blonde hair was short, in a very short bob, not the long ponytail Tina had described. It suited her well with her small face, but if she had cut it short, it was a shame.

The deputy commander answered the female knight's question.

"Yes. Her name is Milfria, but the people in the fort call her Mil. One thing to note is that she sometimes appears suddenly at Grail's feet using a teleportation technique, so be careful not to kick her by accident. Also, she loves jerky and will ask for a lot, but if you give her too much, she'll get sick, so you have to be firm and say no."

When I begged, the deputy commander seemed to grit his teeth, perhaps because he was being firm.

"Also, other spirits sometimes come to the fort to see Mil. The ones who come often are Kugaru and Hyliris. I'll give you a document summarizing their characteristics and personalities later. Read it and remember it."

"Yes."

I wondered when such a document had been made.

The deputy commander then turned his gaze to me and introduced the female knight.

"Mil, this is Rekka from the capital's main unit. She was born into a viscount's family and will become a knight of the northern fort from today."

"I am Rekka Seriade, child of the Snow Spirit. It is an honor to meet you."

The female knight—Rekka—stepped forward and knelt in front of me, placing a hand on her chest.

She felt like a wonderful knight, and I was a bit flustered. No wonder she was Tina's idol.

"Rekka... Rekka, Rekka-san!"

I confirmed her name out loud. It was hard to pronounce with a fox's mouth.

She seemed like a good person and didn't seem to dislike animals, so I wagged my tail in relief.

As I approached Rekka, I bombarded her with questions, like a new student from the city who had transferred to a rural school.

"Rekka-san, what food do you like? In the fort's cafeteria, they often serve potato dishes. Do you like potatoes? Winter is coming, are you okay with the cold? Do you like snow?"

Rekka, apparently a serious person, answered each question politely while still kneeling.

"Yes, I don't have any food preferences, so I eat whatever is served. I like potatoes. I've always been in the capital, so this will be my first winter here, but I think I can handle the cold. I've only seen light snow, but I think it's beautiful."

Unlike the others in the fort who saw me as a fox cub, Rekka recognized me as a spirit and treated me with sincerity. This was a first for me.

"When I was assigned to the northern fort, I felt anxious, but I am truly happy to have this precious opportunity to speak with a noble spirit."

"Huh? Oh, that's... I'm glad."

I wasn't used to being revered, so I was a bit confused, but I didn't feel bad about it.

However, I was a bit sad because eventually Rekka would realize that I didn't deserve such respect. If I were a truly noble spirit, I wouldn't be forced to take a bath and get covered in mud.

"Pretty stiff, huh?"

The one-eyed knight chuckled at Rekka's attitude and interjected from behind.

"Whatever, do as you please. As long as you treat her politely, it's fine."

The deputy commander also said, sounding exasperated.

He then shifted his gaze to Rekka's short hair and asked.

"By the way, what happened to your hair? That was quite a drastic change."

The deputy commander must have known Rekka from before. He seemed to remember her when she had long hair, like Tina.

Rekka stood up, moved to stand in front of the deputy commander, and said with a somewhat resigned look.

"I cut it to discipline myself for being demoted to the northern fort."

The deputy commander furrowed his brow slightly and raised an eyebrow at her somber tone.

"You see this as a demotion and a punishment, but that's not what I've been told. Your superiors in the main unit are looking forward to your return."

"...I don't know if I can live up to their expectations."

Rekka whispered, lacking confidence. But then she regained her composure and bowed to the deputy commander.

"I apologize. I understand that my immaturity led to this situation, and I accept this... transfer. I will train myself here to meet their expectations."

"Do you have no objections to this report? It says you hit a fellow knight."

The deputy commander lifted a paper from his desk, where Rekka's information was written.

"I've only exchanged greetings with you and don't know you well, but you don't seem like someone who would lose their temper easily. I find this hard to believe."

"The reason I was sent here is as written in the report."

Rekka explained matter-of-factly.

"While organizing the warehouse, two male colleagues tried to lock me inside as a joke. I got angry and hit them. They had often teased me, so I may have reached my limit... I hit them too hard and injured them. They apologized to me, and I also regretted my actions."

"So they were also punished, and you were transferred here. But couldn't you have handled the situation better?"

The deputy commander spoke gently, not to blame but to counsel her.

"I don't understand the struggles of a female knight, but because you were more capable than the average knight, you must have faced a lot of provocation and insults from some people during your first or second year. Why couldn't you handle this situation rationally this time?"

The deputy commander seemed to be trying to understand if Rekka had been subjected to something terrible, as written in the report.

However, Rekka remained silent, slightly lowering her head, so the deputy commander gave up on pressing the issue and changed the topic.

"Also, it seems you've caused a few minor problems. You've made a lot of simple mistakes due to a lack of concentration. I find this hard to believe as well..."

I tilted my head, just like the deputy commander. Rekka, who seemed so serious, didn't seem like someone who would make simple mistakes.

But since Rekka didn't argue, the report must have been true.

The deputy commander regained his composure and said.

"Anyway, from today, change your mindset and consider this a new start. Here, you won't be harassed just because you're a woman, but if any conflicts arise, report them to me or Grail before taking action. Understand?"

"Yes, thank you."

The one-eyed knight, seeing that the deputy commander had finished speaking, looked at the large bag at Rekka's feet and said.

"Take your luggage to your room. Do you know where it is?"

"No."

"I'll show you!"

Concerned about the dispirited Rekka, I offered. I lifted my tail energetically and moved to the door.

"Follow me!"

"Y-Yes, follow Mil."

"Yes."

The one-eyed knight opened the door and smiled a little, and Rekka also managed a small smile.