At the Northern Fort

[They might come at us again with another plan]

-with those words from the One-Eyed Knight, that day everyone else and I kept our wits about us as we acted.

It would be dangerous to just keep travelling leisurely, and other than stopping to make necessary purchases, we didn't make any side trips at all, simply riding the horses and silently advancing forward.

That being said, everyone took Kugalg and myself into consideration so that we wouldn't become more anxious than necessary.

For example, Kix kept saying his usual jokes, and Tina-san let the toadstool plush's face peek out from her luggage.

It seems that she thinks the plushie will act as a healing item for Kugalg and myself.

But after letting out a scream of, "Eeek!" the first time I saw it peeking out, the plushie never had a second chance to appear.

Kugalg seemed to hate riding together with the knights on his own, so he stayed as a set with me, sitting in front of the One-Eyed Knight. However, on the way the One-Eyed Knight was unable to endure the envious gaze coming from next to him, so after taking a short break we rode together with Branch Captain-san on Ilus.

Branch Captain-san was making a nonchalant face as he manipulated the reins, but his other hand kept on endlessly stroking Kugalg and myself in turns.

And then, as we travelled, we listened to stories about the One-Eyed Knight in his youth from Commander-san.

"Then, the One-Eyed Knight and Commander-san knew each other for a loong time."

"That's right. Right now Grail's pretty calm, but in his teenage years he was unthinkably rowdy. It really took a lotta work for me to raise him into a proper knight."

"Commander Gauss……"

Seeing Commander-san throw his head back and laugh heartily, the One-Eyed Knight made an embarrassed expression.

I couldn't imagine the One-Eyed Knight as a ruffian, considering the stern and serious image that he currently gave off.

Kix and Tina-san did not ask any further about the One-Eyed Knight's past as Commander-san gleefully exposed his juvenile tales, but they for some reason seemed to be somewhat relieved at hearing that the One-Eyed Knight also hadn't been perfect when he first started out.

It meant that there was no person that started off as an 'iron man' without forging his heart and body first.

The eyes that the One-Eyed Knight looked at Commander-san with were filled with respect and affection, like the gaze one might give when looking at one's father.

I'm sure that it was because he had someone like Commander-san that the One-Eyed Knight was able to change.

Commander-san influenced the One-Eyed Knight, then the One-Eyed Knight became Branch Captain-san's goal, and Branch Captain-san became a model for Tina-san to look up to.

When I thought about it like that, I felt that who you met within the Knight's Order and who you ended up under was an incredibly important matter.

For Kix, while things did not go well for him at first when he was below Captain Sarrell-san, he became much livelier after coming to the Northern Fort under the One-Eyed Knight and Branch Captain-san.

And, when I thought about things that far, I started to wonder what sort of feelings Captain Sarrell-san's subordinates that attacked us had when following his orders.

If he had built a hierarchical relationship with them – the complete opposite of the gentle relationship that the One-Eyed Knight and them had with each other – then it might be that they felt forced to follow the orders even if they didn't want to.

After night had completely fallen, the One-Eyed Knight and everyone decided on an open space within the forest to camp in for the night.

While we could stay in the small inn that was in the nearby town, there were worries about dragging other people into the conflict if we were attacked by enemies. Thus, they instead decided to stay in the forest.

If the enemy only consisted of humans, then it might've been more safe to stay in the inn, but in the unlikely event that the wind spirit themself came to attack, then the entire inn might be blown away.

"This much should be enough."

After making a mountain out of the gathered dry leaves and branches, the One-Eyed Knight started to try igniting them.

That was when Kugalg went up to him and in a rare event, offered his assistance.

"I'll do it."

Perhaps it was because he had saved him during the day, but Kugalg's attitude towards the One-Eyed Knight had clearly become softer than before.

Because I had previously declared that I 'loved him', Kugalg would sharpen his claws on the walls and desk of the One-Eyed Knight's office. Outside, he'd dig holes and use all his might to hurl dirt at the One-Eyed Knight, and would take out his anger on him for some reason but—Kugalg, who would only stop doing such things when I was watching—I'm sure that now he wouldn't do things like that anymore.

Kugalg normally views strong people as a target of respect. With his standoffish and condescending attitude for them being 'humans' having faded, it felt like there was a bit of admiration mixed into his gaze when looking at the One-Eyed Knight now.

It seems that Kugalg has finally recognised the One-Eyed Knight's strength as well.

Being bad with fire, I hid behind the crouching One-Eyed Knight while Kugalg stood opposite to him in front of the firewood with his whole body's fur standing on end.

After taking in a breath so deep that his chest completely swelled up, he breathed all the air out in a single breath.

And as he exhaled, a bright red flame emerged from Kugalg's throat and jetted out like a flamethrower.

The flames only emerged for a brief second, but they managed to completely set the firewood aflame as it let out crackling noises.

The heck's that!? Just when in the world did Kugalg become capable of doing something like that?

As the campfire started to grow larger, Kugalg turned around with a boastful expression as my eyes grew round.

The One-Eyed Knight also spoke with surprise.

"So you can make flames now?"

Kugalg had probably been practising in secret, but he didn't say that as he simply maintained his prideful expression and his tail rose up erectly.

I'm sure that Kugalg felt this way too when I managed to transform into my human form first.

It felt like 'I'm gonna be left behind'!

I also wanted to be able to show off my own abilities. I want to be like Kugalg and coolly make something appear from my mouth. If it's me then I suppose it'll be snow?

But if snow were to come out from my mouth, I could only imagine me vomiting it out as a lump of snow.

"Did you see, Milfee!"

"I saw……"

Kugalg was in high spirits, but my spirits fell low.

I must catch up to Kugalg, pronto.

As everyone prepared for dinner, I continued to sigh in the shadows of the trees on my lonesome.

After everyone had dinner, I ate my belly's fill of legans for dessert and rolled on the ground.

In the end, I wasn't able to produce anything from my mouth after training for such a short period of time.

When I tried to exhale with all my might, I think I saw a snowflake floating out, but I might've been mistaken.

Placing my chin on the bunny rucksack that had been left on the ground, I entered a pose so I could fall asleep at any time.

Kugalg was in the middle of grooming himself carefully next to me, and the fairy seemed to be resting together with the horses. Apparently it got fed up with our sleeping posture last night.

While thinking about how great it was that the One-Eyed Knight and everyone was here tonight so I didn't have to be lonely, I listened as everyone discussed the order in which they'd be keeping the night watch and started to doze off.

It was at that moment that the forest's trees started to rustle and a light wind started to blow.

Fanned by the wind, the flames of the campfire swayed greatly.

"It's started to get windy……"

As Branch Captain-san looked around warily in the dark forest, everyone else also stood up and gazed steadily at the darkness.

"I don't sense any human presence."

""But, I do sense the presence of a spirit."

I also got up and interrupted the One-Eyed Knight's words. Hearing me, Kix and Tina-san's faces grew stiff.

My own face had also probably gone stiff.

The wind steadily grew stronger and stronger, and with it, I could feel the thumping of my heart also growing louder and louder in nervousness.

Kugalg also stopped his grooming and began growling while looking up at the wind.

"The enemy's aim is the two of you. Be good."

Commander-san said that while picking up the two of us together in his arms and retreating behind everyone.

The wind grew violent, as though it were about to snap the branches off the trees, its force so great that it blew out the bonfire.

"It doesn't seem like the guys from this afternoon who seemed like Captain Sarrell's subordinates are here."

"They might not have recovered from the injuries we gave them yet."

About half of it was drowned out by the wind, but Kix and the One-Eyed Knight exchanged a short conversation. It certainly does seem that the black clothed men weren't here.

"So this time's just the spirit?"

As Branch Captain-san drew his sword and readied it, everyone followed him. Amidst the dense foliage of the forest, we waited for the enemy's attack.

"Over there!"

I was the one who shouted after being the first one to discover the pea green bird. The bird was perched on the limb of a tall tree.

This time was the same as this afternoon, with the spirit not coming in person, and sending a fairy instead.

Like Mother's fairy, it gave off a faint light in the darkness, so it was easy to discover.

When the bird met my gaze, it gave a hateful cry and spread its wings.

As expected, I did not understand why it hated me so much.

With each flap of the bird's wings, more wind formed, eventually producing a vortex which then turned into a small tornado.

"Watch out!"