By Zephyria 
Their perceptiveness was impressive, and their presence was a welcome sight.
As the number of ears listening decreased, I also greeted them warmly.
“It’s been a while, Senior.”
“Hah… Kid, you look good. I should have fled to Yulan’s side.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“Is it really just talk?”
“Was it very difficult?”
“Yeah. Damn difficult.”
Hugh Benson’s casual demeanor, which I hadn’t seen in a long time, was genuinely enjoyable and welcome, but Samantha’s expression grew colder.
Samantha didn’t know that Hugh Benson had once saved Ruben and me from the brink of death. I had been worried that my lack of eloquence might cause unnecessary trouble, and I had also put it off, thinking Ruben would mention it if it was absolutely necessary.
Should I say now that he and I are quite close? But any knight would have crossed the line between life and death with their lord at least once. Hadn’t Samantha Andrei also saved Ruben’s life once before? There was no room to compare who was closer or further.
As I pondered this, Ruben gently squeezed my hand once before letting go. It was a signal to go inside.
If I could, I would have scooped him up and carried him inside, but I couldn’t. Too many eyes were watching.
Ruben now relied on me much less during the day. With the Knights having arrived, he would likely be able to ride alone within a few days.
Thinking about that made me feel a pang of sadness again. I bit the inside of my mouth several times to calm myself. Lately, my wavering heart felt difficult to control, even to myself.
While I was quiet, Ruben scanned the surroundings once and gave an order.
“Then, I’ll have them prepare a meal. We’ll go into the drawing-room and continue our conversation.”
“Yes.”
Bailey and Samantha led the way, opening the doors, and Hugh and Elvin followed behind Ruben and me.
The drawing-room was already prepared to receive guests. A table laden with warm food had replaced the area where the sofa had been.
Marianne and Benjamin, who had been waiting, stood up abruptly to greet us.
“It’s been a while! Wow, muscles disappear if you don’t eat, huh? Why do you both look so gaunt?”
“Is that your first greeting?”
“Because I’m happy to see you, of course. Let’s eat something first. How far did you get with Your Highness’s conversation?”
“Nothing, I was too busy putting on a show.”
Samantha, who was just finding her seat, bristled at the perfunctory, dismissive words.
“Lord Benson.”
“Ah, you were working. I thought this was a private gathering.”
“Both of you, stop it. I’m fine.”
Ruben’s single word caused Samantha to immediately shut her mouth and resume eating. Hugh Benson let out a short snort and turned his gaze back to me. Still, it was a relief that both seemed to listen well to Ruben’s mediation.
We exchanged various questions and answers about Felix’s situation. They spoke of forming a front line at a certain point on the border to hold back the zombies, and the methods used to systematically eliminate them.
Fortunately, Hugh Benson mentioned discovering several naturally occurring Aura Users among Felix’s refugees.
“Naturally occurring Aura Users?”
“Guys like Elvin. They hear the voice of God and can use aura… I found a few who hadn’t received systematic swordsmanship training, made them leaders, and formed teams. The method was to have nomadic people on camels or horses use lassos to impede the zombies’ movements, and then the leaders would sever their heads and limbs to ‘hunt’ them.”
“…Hmm.”
“They couldn’t stop Blood Corpse Fiends, but it seemed like only regular zombies were appearing. I don’t know if it’s a resource issue or what… but cooperative hunting suits desert people better than the military’s methods, so that’s about it.”
Hugh Benson also candidly recounted other stories, such as how palisades were largely useless against zombies, how tall watchtowers were quite useful, and how making Knights do civil engineering work was a damn awful task.
Throughout this, it was mostly Ruben and I who chimed in or responded to Hugh Benson’s stories. Marianne listened with a beaming smile, while Samantha, though occasionally bristling, suppressed her words by mincing the meat in front of her.
After a while, Hugh Benson picked up his fork and knife, as if he had finished his share of the storytelling. His voice, which had been casually addressing me in informal speech, deepened.
“Is there a specific reason you ordered me to come here instead of the capital?”
Ruben didn’t answer immediately.
While the child carefully chose his words, I picked out food Ruben would like and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Marianne started to say something upon seeing my plate but stopped. Ruben paid no mind to whatever I placed on his plate.
“First… listen while we eat.”
Hugh Benson began to cut his steak into large chunks.
“The fourth god is calling Michael now.”
“Well, the Oasis did that too, didn’t it?”
“The problem is that it’s approaching us in a more specific and suspicious manner than before. While you were away, we discovered traces of King Vivian colluding with Black magicians. The entire Kingdom of Vivian is also under the influence of some form of Black Magic.”
“…”
“From now on, we will dismantle that Magic Circle and encounter a divine being or an equivalent foe that can be found in the Lake of Memories.”
Ruben’s gaze shifted to Samantha Andrei.
Samantha sat motionless, without ever picking up her cutlery, listening to Ruben’s story. She looked as if she had known what he was going to say beforehand. Even though Ruben and I had been together constantly, if he had told her separately, I would have known.
Ruben calmly explained what had happened, and Hugh Benson listened, stuffing his mouth with food until his cheeks bulged.
The traces of Wesley Kiadris found in Yulan, the Wyvern carrying a Dantian of Contaminated Mana discovered on the path to Vivian, the remnants of Black Magic found in the Vivian royal palace, the mana concentration at specific times that was too coincidental to be mere chance, and the fact that I recently became a Grand Sword Master through an abnormal mana flow… various stories were laid out on the table alongside the food.
“So, I would like you and Lord Andrei to take the lead and guide ten unfaithful Knights to assist Michael. Not only because I trust you both immensely…”
While everyone calmly continued their meal, listening to Ruben recount the events, Samantha still hadn’t picked up her cutlery. Her gaze was fixed intently on Hugh Benson.
“…but because I consider this matter extremely important. May I ask this of you?”
“…I’ll think about it. Let me eat first.”
“Of course. Do that.”
Ruben also began to eat the food I had placed on his plate one by one. Though the chefs’ skills hadn’t changed, for some reason, all the food tasted like cardboard. After pondering Ruben’s words for a while, I suddenly asked,
“Why ten?”
“It’s the minimum number required to form the four official Combined Formations of the Sierran Empire Knights.”
“…What?”
“When mercenaries were mixed in, it was difficult to attack in a set formation, but that’s not the case now. If you form platoons according to the combinations determined by Lord Andrei and Lord Benson, it will undoubtedly be a great help to you.”
“…Ah.”
I blinked slowly.
Come to think of it, I had taken a class on combined attacks at the Academy. I now remembered that this child had told me about the Combined Formations of the Sierran Empire Royal Knights back then.
Ruben clasped my hand on the table tightly. I stared blankly, reading the worry overflowing from his dark eyes. Ruben’s voice softly enumerated their strengths and informed me of the tasks I needed to oversee.
“Lord Hugh Benson is an offense-specialized individual, adept at identifying, disrupting, and penetrating enemy weaknesses. Lord Samantha Andrei is a defense-specialized individual with deep thought, capable of broadly assessing and caring for her surroundings. Both have lived on this continent for over ten years longer than you, Mika, and have experienced countless battles.”
“Hmm.”
“While I can’t offer you advice on swordsmanship… you already know the skills of Lord Andrei and Lord Benson from seeing them. Among the current forces, there is no one with better judgment than those two. In case of emergency, trust them and never hesitate.”
“…Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
As Ruben’s voice grew serious, I also tensed up, internalizing his wise advice.
“When the Barrier of the Lake is broken and a single divine being appears, Mika should attempt to communicate first, and based on Lord Hugh Benson’s judgment, decide whether to attack or retreat. If a multitude of monsters pour out, form a defensive line under Lord Andrei’s command, use the Type 2 emergency signal transmitter, and return here immediately.”
“Yes.”
“And if the terrain changes drastically or you become separated from the group,”
“Excuse me.”
Hugh Benson interrupted Ruben.
“I haven’t agreed to do it yet.”
“Kuhuh…”
Marianne, covering her mouth with both hands, tried desperately to suppress her laughter. Looking back now, everyone except Ruben, me, Hugh, and Elvin had their heads bowed low. My gaze fell on Samantha Andrei’s ears, which were bright red, just like the others.
It was like being praised to their faces, rubbing their noses in it. I turned back to Ruben with a dumbfounded look. The child maintained his prim and shameless expression, blinking twice.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no one as talented as Lord Benson, so what can I do?”
“…”
Hugh Benson snorted, “Hmph.”
“Seriously, that guy…”
“…Is it really impossible?”
“Fine, I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Honestly, I’m so dumbfounded…”
“I won’t forget your sacrificial decision, Lord Benson.”
I had a memory of having a similar conversation once before.
Indeed, if Ruben looked at me adorably… Right. Who in the world could resist him?
Unable to hold back, I burst into laughter.
Elvin, who had been sitting silently, also subtly lifted the corners of his mouth, and Benjamin, who was further away, coughed repeatedly. Marianne was literally pounding the table, sobbing. Hugh Benson let out a series of incredulous, hollow laughs.
Bailey whispered teasingly into Samantha’s ear.
“How does it feel to be more talented than a Grand Sword Master?”
“Shut up, Bailey.”
“That must be great. I’m jealous. Truly the shining pride of the 316th class.”
“I told you to be quiet.”
Amidst the commotion, the only one not laughing was Ruben.
Ruben’s prim expression was so cute that I felt an itch for a long time.