After breakfast, Raquel-san gathered the leaders of each unit and had a morning meeting on the first floor of the fortress, I also went to see the situation.
“The 1st Attack Team will be patrolling around the fortress today. The 2nd team will be trained under my guidance. The 3rd team will be on standby today. Don’t allow anyone who wants to go out of the fortress, unless it’s an important requirement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a day off. I’ll give an appropriate rating to anyone who has done a good job looking for what they can do.”
「「「I understand, Knight Captain!! 」」」
It seems that in this knighthood, putting hands on the chest and looking up to the sky is a way of expressing respect for a superior person.
Raquel-san continues to send orders to the other units. There are three attackers and two archers. Presha-san is the captain of the 3rd Corps, so it seems that she is on standby today.
After all 15 captains dispersed, we went back to Raquel-san’s office without speaking to each other.
“Knight-Captain Raquel. Glass Weed reporting.”
Raquel-san slowly turned around –looking at the long slits of her eyes, I still feel nervous.
“There is no need to use military words when coming here.”
“But… because I’m a military doctor not just an ordinary doctor, I also want to fulfil my mission with the feeling that I am also a soldier.”
“I received reports from Dite and Katie. You worked well in last night’s enemy attack… You’ve just arrived, so familiarize yourself here first. I have no instructions at this time.”
Yesterday, she asked me report to her and wait for her instructions, but now she says there’s nothing –I’m not angry at her though. It may be because she heard about last night and cares for me.
“It takes time to be able to interrogate the prisoners… As far as I know, it seems that your magic can make the enemy speak completely, rather than interrogating. That girl Arlaune, did she have that power?”
“Yes… I didn’t expect it to be used that way either. I’ll continue to use Arlaune’s power when it’s needed.”
“I wouldn’t blame you for that, rather, thank you for your contribution. Not unless you abuse the hypnotic magic.”
“Knight Captain Raquel, does Glass-sama look like he would do that?”
It can’t be helped that I would be doubted like that, but as Lendl-san says, I will never do that.
“You are right…. When you treated the ranch owner, you were just enthusiastic and straightforward. That was probably why last night, Katie and Dite had a good impression when they talked about you. That mannish Presha seems to have a respect not far from admiring you too.”
“So, why do you still doubt Glass-sama…?”
“That’s… because he did too much. Grasping the human heart at such a speed, is impossible even for soldiers educated as a commander candidate. Objectively speaking, it’s abnormal.”
Certainly, until now, I was able to make good use of my spirit magic, everything came in mesh.
But I didn’t survive alone. It was because of the power of the Knights, and because Lendl-san was also there.
“I’m here for the Knights… No. I used to come here as a court magician to serve Astina-denka. My contracted spirit is something that even the Magic Academy can’t admit. But I wanted to use it for people. I thought I could do it if I became a doctor.”
Raquel-san listened silently to my speech. If I avert my eyes, she won’t believe me –there’s nothing to hide, so I won’t look away.
Raquel-san then took a deep breath. Then she moved her line of sight behind me.
“Presha, what are you doing here? The third corps was supposed to be on standby.”
“Eh… Ra-Raquel-ane. The way I speak maybe wrong but, it’s unusual for Raquel-ane to doubt Glass-sensei. If everyone worked hard, you would appreciate us properly and you always look at us fairly…”
Apparently Presha-san was worried about us –she keeps complaining to Raquel-san while blushing when she glance at me.
“I trust Glass-sensei, not just because I want him to continue to help me. With Sensei here, the Knights will be better…”
“…Hmmm…maybe”
“……Eh?”
Raquel-san affirms Presha-san’s words and I thought I misheard it, before I confirm it to her, I had something to suggest.
“Knight Captain Raquel, if you don’t have any specific instructions today, can I suggest one for myself?”
“Glass-sensei, what do you want to do?”
“This fortress is now in a serious food shortage. It’s easy to see by looking at the contents of meals for dinner and breakfast. If the diet becomes chronically monotonous, various problems will occur.”
“I did receive requests from a nearby farmer to exterminate monsters… However, those demons cannot be easily eradicated. And once they appear, the field becomes useless. It’s too strong that it can’t be beaten easily.”
Zirconia is not the only enemy. There’s one more tremendous threat –a powerful monster that devours the field which afflicts the Knights.
―However, I may be able to take measures against the fields becoming useless. Field crops are also plants, and there is a close relationship between plants and soil.
“Knight Captain Raquel, Please I ask of you, let me visit the fields attacked by the monsters.”
“That cannot be allowed. I won’t negligently risk the new military doctor…”
“Then I’ll go with Sensei! I’m on standby, so I’m not really prohibited from moving to solve problems in the territory.”
“What are you saying, you also have your subordinates. For their captain to go alone…”
“Well then, I’ll accompany them too. Only Captains and above can look after Presha… I was on the defensive last night, so I was also given a standby order.”
Dite-san also voiced that she will accompany me –it’s certainly reassuring if the two captains are coming together. To tell the truth, there’s also that pleasant feeling.
Dite-san faced towards me, and then she made a cute wink.
“Knight Captain Raquel, it’s quite painful to me that you and Astina-denka are eating the same meal as the junior soldiers, without any dietary restrictions on other executives. Don’t think that I did not notice it. Please don’t take such kind consideration.”
“W-Wha… is that true? When the fruits came out, I shared it with everyone in the squad… Raquel-ane, you even told me that food is the source of our body, but you don’t care for yourself!”
“… The supply of food from the center is delayed, but it will eventually be resolved. Until then, I will be doing that so we can save food in the fortress.”
Then, for a heavy cavalry like Raquel-san, her body cannot be maintained. It’s not just about nutrition, she has burdened her body and her care isn’t enough.
“There is only a small stockpile of medicines too, in that case, we must solve the problem of food shortages… I swear I won’t mischievously take a risk. Please let me go and investigate.”
I bowed my head. Lendl-san imitated next to me.
“…I understand…, although it’s difficult to solve, leaving it alone would affect the significance of the Knight’s existence. We can be knights only by protecting people.”
“Raquel-ane…”
“As expected of a Knight Captain… In the end, you still listen to me right? That’s what I like about you.”
Raquel-san closed her eyes and sighs at Dite-san’s words. That action seemed to be also directed at me.
“Go back by sunset. If you judged that it’s dangerous, don’t touch the monster. Promise me that.”
「「「Yes! 」」」
We answered uniformly. Presha-san and Dite-san looked at each other and start laughing.
In this investigation, I would like to get a clue for us to solve the food shortages. Food is a problem that is directly related to the morale of the Knights as well as our nutritional status.
―In any case, we have to recover food productivity in our territory.
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