Chapter 45.1

Chapter 45.1 \nIt was the day after Lloyd had told us about the Kingdom’s decision regarding the letters… I was about to give Bluerin his breakfast as usual. Suddenly, I heard a girl scream. I had a good guess of who it was and headed outside to take a look. I saw Rose carrying an unconscious Felm who was bearing a large rucksack on her back.\n

When I had done this before, I didn’t faint but… My thoughts were more or less the same as Felm’s. Looking at this situation from a third party perspective… it felt a bit odd. Nn? Rose was heading this way?

“Kyu.”

“Wah.”

Something with black fur and cute red eyes had abruptly landed on my shoulder. Aah, I see. Rose was searching for this fellow.

“Kururu, Leader is looking for you.”

Looks like this little one was going to the forest with Felm and put on their dramatic ‘save me’ play. But this rabbit’s perception sense was quite useful… it was similar to a hate and love relationship.

Perhaps Kururu has become attached to me since it hopped onto my shoulder like this.

While I earnestly thought so, Kururu got off my shoulder with a pyon and stopped at Rose’s feet… The scene before me looked like a painting of a carnivore meeting a herbivore.

“Then, I won’t be returning for a while. Take care of things here while I’m gone.”

“Yes! Do take care of yourself!”

Due to Rose’s glare, I ended up replying politely. Rose seemed a little suspicious about my behavior but she decided that it probably didn’t matter. Rose headed towards the gate along with Kururu.

It’s not like she was a bad person but… She’s just too scary.

“Guru…”

Bluerin was beating on my leg like he was saying ‘Hey, give me my breakfast already’.\n“You really are a glutton. Was this what you wanted?”

“Hahfuuh… Hahfuuh…”

Bluerin took fruit from my hand and started munching on it. Didn’t this little guy try to munch on my finger last time? I felt a bit of fear but it wasn’t anything too unexpected. The Blue Grizzly is an omnivore and they like to hunt their prey for food in their natural habitat.

“….What should I do while Leader isn’t here?”

I thought about the upcoming journey while I fed Bluerin. Including today, there was still 15 days left before the departure. Normally, I would be training and it would be optimal to be at my best physical condition but… If I just do that, I wouldn’t get much results or changes.

Actually, I would be tempering my body just by going on this trip. If that was the case, was there anything important I could only do here right now?

Something I could only do here… Maybe studying?

But from the reading I did under Rose’s guidance, I should probably be okay. I thoroughly went through the readings and understood all if not most of the material.

Then, maybe some martial arts or sword training?

To begin with, I only had experience fighting with my bare hands and it was limited to punching and kicking. I doubt I could learn anything decent within 15 days. But since there was nothing to lose from trying, I’ll take it into consideration.

“Other than that… There’s also my healing magic.”

I could only heal wounds and fatigue at the moment so I didn’t have a deep understanding of healing magic but maybe I should take this opportunity to do so even though Rose was absent.

Fortunately, there was another amazing healer in this country besides Rose.

“For the time being, I’ll finish today’s training and take a look later.”\n“Gugu…”

“Nn? Ah sorry. My hands stopped.”

While getting another fruit for Bluerin, I returned back to my thoughts.

Olga-san probably knew a lot and could teach me a thing or two. Well then, I’ll end today’s training earlier than usual and head towards the clinic.

 

*

 

“Inukami-sama, may I ask where you are going?”

“Nn? I just plan to head to the Rescue Squad’s lodgings.”

I had quite a bit of free time today and planned to visit Usato-kun since I could finally take a breather. As I walked towards the castle’s gate, the guard called Ark-san called out to me.

“You’re going to Usato-sama’s place, right!?”

“Y-yeah.”

I nodded to his passionate question as the other guard held down Ark-san and seemed to be troubled at their partner’s response.

Ark Girdle. He was one of the people placed here to watch over the castle gate and one of the knights under Sigris. He was someone capable of being promoted to a Captain with his own squad but he volunteered to be placed here instead. At least that’s what I’ve heard… He was a strange person.

Well, the rumors were probably true. If they weren’t, he wouldn’t have been selected to escort me when I went outside. Due to my carelessness, I dragged Usato-kun into a situation where the both of us went missing for a few days. Ark-san was searching for the two of us during this time and didn’t even sleep. Which was why I had a good idea of how honest and straight-forward this person was.\n\nArk-san grabbed his colleagues, opened the gate that had just closed and then threw them in. He seemed a little embarrassed as he saw my forced smile and scratched the helmet that he was wearing with his finger.

“I’m quite the clumsy person you know… I can’t protect more than one thing at a time.”

“If that’s the case, why not just promote?”

If he promoted, he could just protect the King. Wasn’t that fine?

“No, the knights who protect the King would have to adapt themselves and focus on only protecting the King. Since I’m clumsy, that’s not something I’m capable of. That’s why I’m just protecting this place.”

He said so as he looked towards the castle gate.

It looked solid and durable as it towered over the surroundings… It was something meant to stop intruders from entering.

“If I protect this place, no intruders will be able to enter. Which means that no one inside the castle will get hurt. It’ll be over if they go over the castle gate though!”

Ark-san was showing a bit of his playful side but I was thinking about something entirely different on the inside. It made me shudder.

He is in an academy, in other words.. he’s a student.

He has talent with both sword and magic.

His attribute for magic is fire.

Clumsy.

…H-he’s a main protagonist.