“Just getting some exercise. Why not join me, Teacher? If you’re just doing paperwork, you’re missing out on exercise.”
I gave the same answer to Teacher Quins that I had given to Teacher Weli. Suddenly, the teacher looked at me seriously.
“Young lady, I want to ask you something. Please don’t hide anything and tell me the truth. I beg you.”
“Wha-what is it?”
The teacher asked with unprecedented seriousness, and I became a little scared.
“Young lady…lately…do you think I have gotten fat?”
The teacher asked with a straight face. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“What is this, young lady! And I asked you seriously!”
Teacher Quins became angry, but I couldn’t stop laughing.
“No problem at all. Teacher Quins has a perfectly nice figure.”
Of all the people I knew, the teacher was the ideal woman. And even if her figure changed, the value of the teacher would not.
“Honestly, that’s enough. By the way, we received a letter from the Elmark Merchant’s Guild, saying that the funds have been secured.
“Really? Then we can officially begin our activities.
I was sincerely pleased. With the development of the gold mines, the construction of a port in the depths of the Shirirai Valley had also begun. The value of Cashew was gradually increasing. As a result, the garrison troops were increased to a total of four hundred.
In addition, the Elmark Merchant Guild had decided to finance us, so we were now ready for a large-scale campaign.
“I also heard that Master Ganze is coming today.
The teacher informed me. I could ask Master Ganze about the progress at the port.
“I see. Then I should get dressed first.
I can’t show up drenched in sweat. I returned to my room and took off my sweaty clothes.
Dressed in fresh clothes, I went back to the office and resumed my work. While I was organizing documents, the fortress gate opened and the returning troops entered.
While I was training new recruits, I also had Gran, Ragan, Otto, and others take two hundred men to subdue monsters in the Cashew territory.
“Lady Romelia, we have returned. Regarding this subjugation campaign…”
The twins Gran and Ragan came into the office to report the results of their monster subjugation.
“Please wait a moment.”
I stopped the two who had come to report and verified the twins’ identities. Then I answered directly.
“The one on the right is Ragan. The left is Gran.”
“Correct.”
After I motioned for them to answer, the twins spoke in unison.
I clenched my fist. Lately they had been playing this game of guessing who was who. Although I couldn’t tell them apart at first, I could now.
“Then please report. How did the monster subjugation go?”
After the usual game, I listened to their report.
“The subjugation went very well. Some of the new recruits were injured, but they returned to duty.”
“Extremely smooth. Almost all the monsters in the Cashew territory have been expelled. Only one area remains.”
I was satisfied with the twins’ report. By the way, the first one to speak was Gran. The second was Ragan.
“Good work. Please rest well. What about Otto?”
I asked the twins. Besides these two, Otto, who had joined the subjugation force, was absent.
“On the way back to the fortress, they met a carriage. It seemed to be on its way as well. Inside were several healers, apparently sent by Abbot Node. Since the wagon seemed to be late, Otto and some others volunteered to escort them. I expect they’ll arrive a little later.
Ragan told me. If that was the case, the letter I had received earlier from Abbot Node saying that the healers had returned from their training, he would send them here.
I thought it would be even later, I didn’t expect him to send them in a hurry. How fortunate.
After telling the twins to rest, I heard the fortress gate open again.
Expecting Otto’s return, Master Ganze entered my room instead. And with him was an unfamiliar young woman.
“Hello, girl. Work seems to be as busy as ever.”
Master Ganze greeted me casually. I felt more comfortable speaking like this instead of using honorific language, so I didn’t reprimand him.
“It is Master who seems to be full of energy. The construction of the port seems to be going well.”
From the progress, it seemed that great progress had been made.
“Ah, I have thought of a good method. It will require manpower, but this approach can shorten the work period.”
I nodded at Master Ganze’s words. The sooner the port could be completed, the more acceptable any increase in personnel would be.
“Well, you have my thanks. You must also be tired today. Please rest well. We can discuss the details later. By the way, this lady is…?”
I looked questioningly at the woman I had been curious about next to Master Ganze.
“Ah, she’s my daughter. Her name is Elin.”
Master Ganze introduced her.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Romelia. My father was in your care. I am his daughter, Elin.”
I was startled by Elin’s polite greeting. She was really Master Ganze’s daughter?
“I see. When did you arrive, Miss Elin?”
“Just now. My carriage had trouble moving forward. I was worried when Lady Romelia’s soldiers came and helped us.”
Hearing Elin’s words, I remembered the report from Gran and the others earlier. They said that healers from Abbot Node would come, so they probably traveled together with that carriage.
“Thanks to him, we were saved. Sir Otto is a very amusing person.”
Elin said some strange things. Otto, amusing?
Even I could count the number of times I’d heard Otto speak on one hand. Well, I could ask about that some other time.
After the two had rested, I met with Otto and the three healers sent by Abbot Node.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Romelia. I am a student of Abbot Node. My name is Galvin. You seem to have taken good care of Mia.”
Representing the Healers, Galvin greeted me. A little older, he was the senior disciple of Mia and the others. Abbot Node had sent capable people among his students.
“Not at all, I was in the care of Mia and Abbot Node. With everyone here, I feel reassured. Please rest today and recover from your travels.
I have welcomed the new healers. Although the increased power for Cashew was good, having only Mia as a healer was not enough. Now it seemed we could finally operate.
After letting Galvin and the others rest, I thought alone in the office.
Troops and resources had increased. The healers had arrived. All preparations were in order.
The days of battle were approaching. I suppressed my excitement and went back to work to be fully prepared.
While organizing documents, I noticed that night had fallen deep.
I stretched my stiff body. After thinking for a while, I decided to take a walk outside.
When I stepped outside, the moon had risen with twinkling stars. Bonfires burned inside the fortress, soldiers stood at their posts, but many had already gone to bed, only a few people remained.
As I walked through the camp, spirited yelling and the sound of clanging blades came from the night camp.
I looked over and saw Al and Ray training. The two were swinging swords drenched in sweat. After all that, they seemed to have kept running and went straight into sword training.
Al unleashed a powerful slash. Ray countered. Their blades sliced through each other’s bodies, cutting into flesh and spraying blood.
Though training, both were deadly serious. While there were healers present to mend their wounds, training like this could easily kill someone. Perhaps that was the reason why they were tempering each other, growing stronger and stronger.
“Hardworking even at night, aren’t you?”
I approached the two who were slashing at each other and spoke to them.
“Captain Romelia, why are you here? Alone?”
Al scolded me for being careless, but I immediately denied it.
“No, I have guards with me.”
I looked back. It was Cale, hiding in the shadows. Lately, whenever I went out, I was sure soldiers would follow as guards. He had even come along for the run today.
“You two, hard work is good, but don’t overdo it.”
For Al and Ray, training new recruits might make them tired, but don’t overdo it either.
“I can’t say that, Lady Romelia. War is near, isn’t it? One look makes it obvious.”
Ray pointed out that the battle was coming soon.
“You noticed?”
I thought a little. Perhaps unable to suppress my excitement, I had let it out while running. But the heart of a commander should not be perceived by his soldiers. I had to be more careful.
But it was as Ray had said. War was imminent. Still, I felt a little confused in my heart.
The events that were to follow could not be foreseen. The people seen today, the people to be seen tomorrow. How many victims there would be was unknown.
And my battles stretched endlessly before me. My goal lay across the sea on the Demon Continent.
For Thomas, Michael, Sarah. To prevent more such victims, my wish was to free the people enslaved there.
How many more battles to reach that place? The sacrifices were unimaginable.
And once I took this step, there would be no turning back. I had to keep marching over corpses, not to waste the trampled bodies, not to pile up more corpses.
Could I allow such a sacrifice? I couldn’t help but ask myself.
“Captain Romelia, please give me an order.”
As if seeing through my confusion, Al looked straight at me.
“If Captain Romelia commands it, I will jump into even a dragon’s mouth. So when the time comes, please point to the dragon’s mouth without hesitation. That is why I exist.
Al told me that he did not fear death for himself and that I should not fear his death.
“How clever, Al. Lady Romelia. It’s the same for me. My life exists for you.”
Ray put his hand to his chest and swore an oath. They were both excellent soldiers.
“Ah, forgive me for intruding on you three, but I feel the same!”
The hidden Cale also insisted from the distance.
“Mm, I haven’t forgotten you either, Cale.”
It wasn’t just Al, Ray and Cale. Everyone in the Romelia Unit, the two teachers. Many people had trusted me with their lives. I no longer had the choice to stop.
“Then let’s go. All the way to the end.”
Under the moonlight, I vowed to fight to the end.
Author’s note
I would like to thank all of you for your kind support. I will continue to do my best. I am a novice writer. I am a fledgling author, and with the help of many people, I managed to publish a book.
Ryo Ariyama
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