By Zephyria 
Samantha tidied her somewhat disheveled hair and continued speaking.
“Thanks to Your Highness sending Ranunculus, I gained command of the unit. Hugh Benson, after showing strong opposition to me, began gathering and managing those who agreed with him under his command.”
“….”
“Hugh ordered the knights under him not to provide more than two-thirds of their meal portions, and commanded other knights to hide their good deeds. While outwardly instructing them to follow my orders well….”
“….”
“He reported all those developments to me… punctually.”
She looked deeply ashamed. Her cheeks were as red as her hair. The ends of her voice, clenched between her teeth, trembled slightly, and her gaze, dropped onto the dining table, could not look forward again.
Nevertheless, she acted as if she hoped Ruben would recognize Hugh Benson’s strengths.
“On the surface, I hold command of the unit, so refugees were prevented from entering the military camp. As the knights who shared food while starving hid their good deeds, other knights also felt no guilt. If a knight who was not starving noticed a starving knight, they would directly share food with their comrade, not a refugee. As each person was able to give within their means, disputes between knights decreased… and as a result, we were able to manage the military camp reasonably well.”
“….”
“I left what happened after I left to Sir Hugh Benson, but I believe he will be able to conclude things well and return. Other knights will arrive soon, and since I and Sir Hugh Benson clashed multiple times in front of other knights, rumors must have spread negatively… I thought Your Highness might misunderstand, so I wanted to speak about this matter at any opportunity. There hasn’t been an opportunity until now….”
“Yes. Thank you for telling me this. I will keep it in mind going forward.”
“Yes.”
Marianne, who had been resting her chin on both hands with a bright smile, interjected. Her lively voice was filled with well-contained kindness.
“Hugh Senior often said that he became more comfortable thanks to Samantha Older Sister acting so decisively. It’s always the case that a strict father is next to a kind mother, and a kind father is next to a strict mother, isn’t it?”
Hearing that, Ruben asked in a light voice.
“Does Sir Samantha have any ambition to serve in the same unit as Sir Hugh Benson in the future?”
“….”
“Not that much?”
“No. If given the opportunity, I will serve faithfully wherever I am.”
“Yes, I will remember that.”
As the conversation continued, several people’s wine glasses became empty, so they helped each other refill them.
Sienna Bicov was quite good at drinking. She acted very cautiously for the first two glasses, but once a bit of alcohol took hold, her hips wiggled in anticipation of the next glass.
Ivan Bikoff didn’t particularly stop her and took care of her, so no one paid it any mind.
Naturally, the conversation shifted to Ivan’s honeymoon.
“This winter was unusual, but until the summer two years ago, Yulan’s beaches were quite popular. Everyone wasn’t afraid of the sea, so they enjoyed water activities a lot.”
“Did you go to the place you wanted to go with the Baroness?”
“Moonstone Beach? Yes. I learned to swim there from my wife. I also saw plenty of the coral I wanted to see.”
“Do the stones really sparkle at night?”
“Yes. With a blue light.”
“How romantic. I wish I had a husband who could teach me to swim.”
Marianne let out a nasal whine, and Ivan replied teasingly.
“Don’t covet her. She’s mine.”
“What?”
Marianne burst into laughter. This time, I looked back, wondering if the fellow had gotten scared for no reason, but Sienna, without choking or freezing in surprise, was laughing heartily.
Perhaps she was already feeling the effects of the alcohol. Marianne, leaving the quiet him, refilled Ivan’s glass and asked again.
“But where do you change clothes when you swim at the beach? In the carriage?”
“Each beach suitable for swimming had two temporary tents set up, used separately by men and women. The usage fee was about 3 copper per person.”
“Wow. And shower facilities?”
“Not exactly. They’re closer to empty tents guarded by an elderly person from the village as a pastime. There are no artifacts, they simply provide a place to wipe off water and change clothes.”
“Oh, but you and Ivan are both men. Then you have to change together, right?”
“What’s wrong with that? She’s my person.”
Ivan continued shamelessly.
“As long as other people can’t see, it’s fine. We paid a reasonable price and used it just for the two of us for a few tens of minutes.”
“…Three hours.”
Sienna, sitting there tipsily, spoke up.
Even though she spoke in a small voice, it was clearly audible to the group, which included many martial artists. Several gazes converged on her. Sienna, with a flushed face and a silly grin, was nothing like her usual bear-like demeanor; she looked as docile as a teddy bear playing with children.
“We rented it for three hours. That changing room….”
“….”
“Even though they said people would find it strange if we took too long.”
“Wife.”
This was the first time Ivan had looked so flustered.
He tried his best to act affectionately, but his hand, which he placed on Sienna’s shoulder, was more hurried than usual. Sienna herself sat there bewildered, merely sipping her drink. Ivan, with an uncharacteristic forced smile, helped Sienna to her feet.
“We’ll be taking our leave now.”
“…Yes?”
“My wife seems quite drunk.”
“I’m not yet….”
“I’ll take this bottle with me. Is that okay, Michael?”
What could I say here? I nodded quietly.
“…Yes. You can take it and drink it.”
“Thank you. Come on, this whole bottle is yours.”
“Oh. Still… is it okay? Really?”
“Yes. Of course. If I say it’s okay, it’s okay.”
“…Okay. I want to go.”
“Alright. Hold my hand.”
“Yes….”
Sienna glanced around briefly, then quickly took Ivan’s hand and stood up. Even in her state, she bowed her head towards me and offered a drawn-out “Thank you” that wasn’t funny at all.
Everyone nodded silently to see off Baron and Baroness Bicov.
As soon as the two closed the drawing-room door, Sheryl Von, who had accompanied them on their long journey, whispered. The laughter that seeped between her words was of a kind that could not be hidden or concealed.
“Sir Ian Venters asked me to send his regards. That knight from House Ernhardt.”
“…Yes? Ah, he… Sir Von, did he send his regards?”
“I wondered why he’d tell me this when the Baron and Baroness Bicov are here, but he said that. He said he didn’t think the regards would be delivered if he entrusted them to the newlyweds… He said everyone in House Ernhardt is doing well, and that Sir Michael just needs to take care of himself.”
“…Ah. Yes. Thank you.”
Ian Venters had been a knight of my family, watching over me since my childhood in my previous life.
Indeed, experience doesn’t just disappear. How could he have known this would happen and sent his regards through Sheryl Von?
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
I was the first to burst into laughter. Then Marianne laughed, and then Ruben laughed. Everyone laughed joyfully and poured out various stories. They all had such a good time.
They laughed and chattered loudly, as if they had no anxiety about tomorrow. I was delighted for a long while.
❖ ❖ ❖
Monday of the second week of April.
The sound of about fifty horses’ hooves on the flagstone floor echoed all around. Knights, led by Hugh Benson, stood in formation in the courtyard of the villa.
Ruben, dressed elegantly in a heavy, imposing cloak adorned with jewels, stood at the highest point of the steps in front of the villa’s entrance to greet them. His upright, straight shoulders and back, and the subtle smile on his lips, were truly magnificent.
No one would have guessed that the Second Prince, looking like this, had suffered a severe injury. The fervent spirit of the knights standing before him added a more brilliant light to Ruben’s dignity.
“Hugh Benson and 50 others, we stand here to receive the orders of His Highness the Second Prince.”
“We receive the orders of His Highness the Second Prince!”
The knights echoed in unison, as if they were one body.
Hugh Benson was always skinny as a stick, but seeing the reduced volume of Elvin’s water-balloon-like muscles made the scene of Felix’s ordeal vividly apparent.
The other knights were the same. Their voices were loud and booming, but most of the knights were gaunt. This was likely due to consistently training and fighting monsters while reducing their food intake by half.
Perhaps because of this, Ruben’s voice was particularly gentle and kind. He looked at each knight’s face and spoke in a calm voice, as if to soothe them.
“You must be tired from your long journey. For today, it would be best to first recover from your travel fatigue. I will have water for washing and meals prepared in separate rooms for each of you, so please eat and rest well.”
“Yes!”
“If there is anything inconvenient or that requires attention, please relay it to the attendants. I have instructed them to be able to report to me immediately. I will send people separately if needed later.”
“Yes!”
Meanwhile, I looked for three familiar mercenaries among the knights. Leon, Giselle, and John smiled subtly as our eyes met.
Leon, with his large axe slung across his back, and John, who was of imposing stature, were noticeable even when standing still. Giselle had cut her long hair short, so I didn’t recognize her immediately.
That wasn’t the only change. I was dumbfounded, wondering why they were wearing Sierren’s knight uniforms.
As I watched for a while, Giselle covered her head with her hand and then pointed at me. She must have seen the Sylph perched on my head. I mouthed “Later,” and she shrugged, looking quite friendly.
After praising the efforts of a few knights, Ruben pointed to Hugh last.
“And… Sir Hugh Benson.”
“Yes.”
“Sir Benson will dine with me this evening. Along with Sir Andrei.”
“Yes.”
“Then, dismissed. Everyone rest well.”
“Yes!”
Workers dressed as attendants skillfully guided the knights. The mercenaries also followed them to their respective rooms. Hugh remained unmoving in the front row where he had been standing, as did Elvin.
As soon as all the knights had left, Ruben extended his hand to me. I offered my arm beneath his, as if escorting him, to support Ruben. Seeing that, Hugh Benson, who was standing there, raised an eyebrow askew.
In that moment, I read Ruben’s gaze as he glanced fleetingly at Hugh Benson. Ruben’s smile deepened. Hugh Benson twisted his lips but followed us without a word.
…If they could use Sound Transmission, I might understand. What on earth did these people eat to read each other’s intentions with a single glance? I was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend why Hugh Benson had a sullen expression or why Ruben was smiling.