Chapter 53

Despite various incidents, I spent the morning showing Yurii the Northern Demon Castle. Thanks to that, we saw many things.

Yurii met Loise, Jean, and Yahar as if drawn to them. Normally, it’s extremely rare to meet the captains so smoothly.

In the infirmary, after getting the scrape on his left cheek disinfected, just as I thought Vincent’s lecture was about to start, Yurii’s stomach made a strange noise, disrupting the atmosphere. He deeply reflected and, despite crying, managed to avoid the lecture and punishment by unconsciously looking up at Vincent with big eyes, pleading for food. It was incredibly adorable.

Dilnan, who was almost certain to be implicated, was unfortunate.

After that, we took Yurii, whose stomach was still growling, to the cafeteria, where the cooking team latched onto his injury. I also gave Dilnan a warning, though it would probably be meaningless in front of Vincent.

When the meal started, Yurii’s enthusiastic eating cheered up the squad members who were having lunch in the cafeteria.

After finishing the meal, Yurii, who was struggling to stay awake, managed to clean up with great effort. Now, he is being held by Mars and is taking a comfortable nap.

"Captain Elies, is it okay now?"

"Kharaf"

While watching Yurii, who was sleeping in Mars’s arms, I was called by Kharaf, the deputy leader of the blacksmith team, from behind. She seemed to have just arrived at the cafeteria and was carrying a rather large bag.

"What’s the matter?"

"The item you requested is ready."

Kharaf, excited, took out the contents from the bag. In her arms appeared soft and deformed plushies of Rets and Filius. Ah, I remember I did ask Kharaf to make these.

"I made them with soft towel fabric and cotton so they can be used as pillows. I just finished them, so I thought I’d bring them to the document team while having lunch, but I saw Captain Elies, so I decided to call out to you."

"That’s perfect timing, Kharaf. Mars, give this to Yurii."

I handed the Filius plushie to Mars, who was waiting nearby, and he embraced Yurii with it. Yurii, who was sleeping happily, reacted to the soft towel fabric and hugged the plushie. He seemed to really enjoy the touch, as he kept rubbing against it.

...This is an even cuter scene than I imagined. If I must point out a flaw, it’s that Mars, who is holding Yurii, has a completely expressionless face. The entire cafeteria is captivated. Honestly, the cafeteria is oddly bloodthirsty, with people continuously nosebleeding.

Kharaf was writhing, emitting a strange... no, a high-pitched scream.

"Oh my, cuteness is justice! Yurii, you’re so cute!!"

"Yurii is indeed cute, but please be a bit quieter. He might wake up, Kharaf."

"Oh no, I can’t help it, I’m getting all excited."

As Kharaf said, indeed, the entire cafeteria is getting excited, both positively and negatively. The air is bloodthirsty, with rough breathing, incomprehensible moans, and the sound of tables being hit heard everywhere.

Showing Yurii’s cute sleeping face in this place any longer is frustrating.

"Mars, please take Yurii to the office so he can sleep comfortably."

"Understood."

Mars, who was called, left the cafeteria with Yurii. Despite the boos following them, Mars ignored everything. Impressive.

"Aww, Yurii..."

"Kharaf, please come another time to see him. Regarding the cost—"

I called out to Kharaf, who was among the other squad members with a disappointed look, and she immediately responded.

"Right. Where should I bill the cost?"

"To me personally. It’s necessary, but it shouldn’t be billed to the squad."

"Is that so? Then, here’s the invoice. Just send it to the clothing department as usual, and we’ll handle it."

I took the folded paper from my pocket while holding the Rets plushie and the bag, and immediately checked the contents.

"Is this cost really okay?"

"The towel fabric is actually from the new supplies we received from the second floor. It’s good quality but cheap. Since we processed it here, we only need to charge for the towel, the cotton inside, and the decorations."

"Indeed. Asking you was the right choice, Kharaf."

"I got to do a rather interesting job."

When I asked, surprised by the unexpectedly low price, Kharaf winked and answered.

If we had asked another regular store, it would have cost two to three times as much, made from ready-made fabric. Of course, part of it is due to the careful selection of soft materials for Yurii, but it’s also likely that Kharaf considered the burden on the squad’s budget and set a reasonable price.

Few people realize this, but Kharaf’s ability to incorporate such thoughtful details into her work and complete it in the same amount of time as regular tasks is truly impressive.

"I’ll handle the cost today."

"Are you sure?"

"No problem. I knew Yurii was coming, so I’ve already made the necessary preparations. He’s unexpectedly ready to help with the work this afternoon."

As I was about to wrap up the cost discussion, Kharaf looked worried. She was probably concerned that Yurii’s presence wouldn’t interfere with the work. But there’s really no issue.

"Yurii being ready to help..."

"Exactly. Yurii’s calculation skills are among the best in the document team. He aced the entrance exam questions with time to spare."

"What!?"

When I told Kharaf about Yurii’s abilities, she was surprised. Her unexpectedly loud voice naturally drew attention.

"Are you talking about the calculation problems from the entrance exam?"

"Yes."

"He got a perfect score, a child around 30 years old?!"

"He did it right in front of Mars and me. There was no cheating."

Kharaf’s confirmation caused a ripple of surprise in the cafeteria. Even the kitchen staff were looking at us in disbelief.

"I plan to have Yurii check the general application forms after his nap. During that time, I can handle the necessary paperwork."

"What kind of life did Yurii lead...?"

"I’m not sure about the environment, but from the morning walk, it’s clear he was a 'caged bird.' He can read and do calculations, but he doesn’t know the names of common flowers or animals. He only knows the creatures from books like Onma."

"..."

Kharaf was speechless with surprise, but it’s a fact I confirmed with my own eyes. Yurii lacks basic common knowledge.

"Ah, and I have a favor to ask, Kharaf."

"What is it?"

"Please tell Jott to bring Yaeto to the document team’s office a little before his shift ends. I have some questions for Yurii that I want to ask with the team leader present."

I asked Kharaf to relay a message to Jott that I had planned to ask directly.

Given the extent of Yurii’s skewed knowledge, Kharaf could only sigh.

"Understood. I’ll tell Jott to bring Yaeto to Captain Elies’s office around the end of his shift."

"Yes, thank you. ...If you have the chance, please show Yurii various things. He’ll be happy with anything."

"Of course, Captain Elies. Beautiful and cute things are the specialty of the clothing department. We’ll prepare something that he won’t see anywhere else."

Kharaf, with a bright voice and a wink, cheerfully accepted my request, dispelling the heavy atmosphere.

"Well, I’m getting hungry. I also have something to give to Dilnan.

Captain Elies, you should return to the office soon, right?"

"Yes. I need to give this Rets plushie to Yurii."

"I’ll also stop by after my shift with the team leader and Yaeto. I want to see Yurii hugging the plushie."

"...I look forward to it."

I smiled at Kharaf, who seemed to be wrapping up the conversation, and left the cafeteria with a sigh.

I’ll think about Yurii’s situation after work.

When I returned to the document team’s office, a crowd had gathered in front of the door. Since they seemed to be free, I assigned them additional tasks. They all shed tears, but it was their own doing. Still, perhaps because of the Rets plushie, their reactions were slower than usual. I smiled and asked if they had any complaints, but they all shook their heads. Fine.

After sending the crowd back to work, I finally entered the office. Yurii was sleeping on a mini sofa bed a little away from Mars, who was at his desk. I placed the Rets plushie next to Yurii, who was hugging the Filius plushie and sleeping comfortably. He made a soft noise and smiled.

"...Mmm... No, I can’t eat it..."

The happy murmur made Mars and I burst out laughing. Is he eating something delicious in his dream? I’ll prepare some tea and snacks for him when he wakes up from his nap.

The office feels unusually peaceful just because Yurii is here, even though it’s the same as always.

Imagining the upcoming tea time, I returned to my desk, took out the invoice from Kharaf, and started to clear the small pile of documents that had accumulated, pen in hand.