Chapter 33

While taking care of the hawk-lion, before I knew it, night had fallen.

I would be sharing a room with Deputy Captain Berri.

"The hawk-lion might be noisy."

"It's fine, I don't mind."

Apparently, it has an internal clock and once it falls asleep, it doesn't wake up easily.

The amazing thing is that it wakes up if it senses an emergency or hostility.

It's a working animal.

"Kwee-kwee~!"

The hawk-lion was in top form tonight. Please, just go to sleep quickly.

I bowed down and pleaded.

Deputy Captain Berri, who had been watching our interaction, spoke to me while lying down.

"By the way, there was something I was wondering about."

"Yes?"

What could it be?

Deputy Captain Berri pointed out that I might have some worries.

Something that has been bothering me. If I had to say, it would be about the hawk-lion. It's too attached to me. I wonder how it came to this.

"Being liked by a幻獣 (phantom beast) you haven't made a contract with is a talent. The country won't treat you badly, I'm sure."

"I hope so."

Since Deputy Captain Berri said it would be fine, I decided not to worry about it.

I'm a positive person.

"Is there anything else?"

"Eh?"

"Doesn't the medic Lislis sometimes hold back when trying to be strong?"

When pointed out, my heart raced.

"Before, I didn't realize that Lislis disliked being called a wild rabbit by the captain. I felt bad about it. I didn't think anything of it until Zara pointed it out. Calling someone by a nickname is common in the knight squad, and the captain was just being affectionate because Lislis is cute."

It's impossible to call someone cute just because of that. The captain must have called Lislis a wild rabbit because of the elf's long ears. Well, the motive didn't matter. Now, the captain calls Lislis by name.

I should have consulted or asked.

Deputy Captain Berri lowered his eyebrows and apologized. I shook my head and said it was nothing.

"If you have any concerns, please feel free to talk to me. I'm so used to the knight squad's customs that I don't realize what might be unconventional for Lislis. It might be because I have many siblings, but I often wonder if I give up before taking action."

I think Deputy Captain Berri is right. When I have concerns, I often just brush them off with "It's fine." When I wanted to talk to my parents, they always seemed busy, and seeing their tired backs made me give up.

"Thank you. That's... nice to hear."

"I'm glad you can talk to me freely."

Though it might seem abrupt, I decided to consult about something that had been bothering me.

"Um, about Zara—"

My careless remarks often make her look sad. I don't know what to do.

"I see—Zara, well, she's... sensitive."

It seems Deputy Captain Berri and Zara were in a superior-subordinate relationship in the previous squad.

"Despite her flashy appearance and seemingly carefree and playful demeanor, she's actually a serious and quiet young man from a snowy region..."

"I understand."

When I first met her in the cafeteria, I thought she was a bright and lively person because she hugged a lot of people. But as I got to know her, I realized she enjoys quiet activities like reading, cooking, and embroidery at home.

"The previous squad had many female knights, and there were... issues."

"Various issues?"

"Various. ...Women who approached Zara expected certain things from her."

"Expected things?"

"Yes. They thought she was experienced and could entertain them."

"I see."

They were disappointed by the difference between Zara's appearance and personality. When they found out she was from a snowy region in the north, they called her a country bumpkin, which deeply hurt her.

"Probably, Zara is afraid. Afraid of opening up to someone she's close to and being rejected."

"I see."

Deputy Captain Berri nodded deeply.

"So, there's nothing wrong with you, Lislis. Zara is just timid. If you don't understand her feelings, just ask her directly."

"Yes, I'll do that from now on."

It was good to consult with Deputy Captain Berri. I learned that it's okay to ask when I don't understand something.

"Thank you. I've been concerned about Zara, but it's hard to bring up the topic..."

"I understand."

After listening to everything, I suddenly realized something.

"Um, is it okay for me to hear this?"

"Lislis, you won't tell anyone, right?"

"Well, it's personal..."

"Then, let's consider everything I said about Zara as my ramblings. Let's leave it at that. Good night."

"Eh!? Ah, yes... good night."

The hawk-lion's final, deflated cry made me feel drained.

I closed my eyes.

I felt like I could sleep soundly tonight—except.

"Kwee-kwee~!"

"Right, right..."

The hawk-lion's eyes were bright.

Deputy Captain Berri sat up and said apologetically,

"If I could take care of it, I would."

"No, it's fine. Wargas got bitten."

Wargas, who desperately wanted to be friends with the hawk-lion, bravely tried to touch it. In the evening, he finally got bitten. Fortunately, it was just a light bite and didn't bleed.

"It's strange. The hawk-lion seems to regard you like a mother."

"That's a problem."

Maybe it feels a sense of kinship with the forest.

Once we reach the capital, we'll leave it to the experts, so this trouble will be over in a few days.

I placed the hawk-lion on my stomach and played with it.

"Kwee~"

"Okay, okay."

"Kwee!"

"Okay, let's go to sleep."

The night on the ship passed like this.

◇◇◇

The next day, the captain returned the empty ginger pickles jar.

"What, you ate it too quickly!"

"I used it as a snack with alcohol."

"Are you kidding me!"

He ate all the pickles made from five ginger roots in one night.

"Even though it's good for you, eating too much isn't good."

"True. I won't eat pickles for a while."

It seems he got tired of them. Well, that's none of my business.

But that wasn't all.

He asked if there was any remedy for his seasickness.

"There's a saying in a foreign language, 'Illness comes from the mind.'"

"Are you saying seasickness is all in the mind?"

"Well, you were fine in the carriage, weren't you?"

The captain grumbled at my point.

"Captain, try shouting. Tell yourself you won't get seasick."

"Isn't that silly?"

"There's no other choice."

The vast sea is the perfect place to shout. No one will scold you. Probably.

When I asked if he was afraid of seasickness, he looked embarrassed.

"Defeat it. The seasickness. Convince yourself that seasickness is nothing!"

I managed to persuade the captain.

I pointed to the vast sea and encouraged him.

"...I won't get seasick."

"Louder!"

"I won't get seasick!"

"Still not loud enough!"

"I won't get seasick!!"

"One more time!"

"I won't—what are you making me say!"

He shouted so loudly in my ear that I was startled.

"Kwee-kwee! Kwee-kwee~!!"

The hawk-lion, which was on a barrel, also seemed startled and complained.

I patted its forehead and told it, "He's a kind bandit, really."

"How are you feeling, Captain? Any seasickness?"

"Well, I decided not to worry about it."

"Right. That's the best approach."

I told him to let me know if he felt unwell and left the area.

"Kwee-kwee~"

I heard a protest cry.

I almost left the hawk-lion on the barrel. That would have been dangerous.

"You feel heavier, don't you?"

"Kwee!"

I picked up the heavy hawk-lion.

In the cafeteria, they were mass-producing pickles. The pickles served at dinner were well-received.

Since I had free time, I helped with peeling.

The hawk-lion was given a platter of tropical fruits and was in a good mood. When I showed it the ginger, it seemed to remember yesterday and turned away with a squint.

The work was completed in about an hour.

"Thank you, Medic Lislis. You really helped."

"No problem, I had free time."

As a thank you, I was given some leftover sweets meant for the captain.

"Wow, it's jelly!"

Jelly is a dessert made by solidifying fruit juice with gelatin.

It often appears in storybooks, but I've never actually eaten it.

A squad member explained,

"It's made by mashing up pieces of fruit."

"It must be delicious."

I decided to try it right away.

When I scooped it with a spoon, it jiggled. When I put it in my mouth, it had a smooth texture and a subtle sweetness.

It melted in my mouth and had a good aftertaste.

It was truly a dessert fit for a fairy tale.

It was a refreshing sweet perfect for a hot, sweaty day.