At the entrance to the forest, the residents were peering into the woods with worried looks. When they saw the children, a cheer of joy rose up, and several of them ran over. The children, perhaps recognizing familiar faces, broke free from my hand and ran off.
Sergeant Cyril tried to set down the girl he was carrying, but before he could, one of the residents approached and snatched the girl from his arms. "G-Give her back! Don't touch my child!"
The girl, startled by the rough handling, clung to the woman who appeared to be her mother and started crying. "Oh, you were scared, weren't you? It's okay! Your mother is here now."
Glancing at the mother, who was desperately hugging the girl, Captain Curtis began to report in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Two basilisks appeared about five minutes from here. We have eliminated them, so it's safe now. The children are all unharmed. Please inform the person who went to call the Holy Maiden of this."
The terror of basilisks is something any resident would understand. They can swallow a child in one gulp, and even adults can only defeat them with dozens of knights. So, I expected the residents to let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Captain Curtis's words, but instead, suspicious voices were heard. "B-Basilisks? Why would such dangerous monsters appear near the entrance to the forest?"
"Maybe the forest god is angry? Either way, if such dangerous monsters appear at the entrance of the forest, it means the forest isn't being managed properly, and the lord will punish us, right?"
Sergeant Cyril, who was receiving accusatory glances from the crowd, stiffened in surprise.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he could speak, the residents continued. "So? What are you knights going to say this time? Are you going to punish us for facing such dangerous monsters, putting yourselves in danger!?"
"You haven't changed in ten years! Just because you say something is 'suspicious,' the duke will try to kill us!!"
The moment these words were spoken, Sergeant Cyril's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth as if to protest. "I do not unjustly harm anyone."
However, his voice was hoarse and not loud enough for the excited residents to hear.
Captain Curtis, who had heard Sergeant Cyril's soft words, repeated them loudly, as if frustrated. "Duke Sutherland does not unjustly harm anyone! Moreover, facing dangerous monsters is a risk we knights are prepared to take. It's not right to blame someone for that. Since I became the captain of the knights, Duke Sutherland has never unjustly treated the residents! What do you base your accusations on?"
"You were the ones who acted unjustly ten years ago! We promised 300 years ago that we would not fight with anyone. That's why we didn't stand up to you ten years ago. But that doesn't mean we accept it!!"
The details of the incident ten years ago are unclear, but it is a fact that many residents were killed. It's not surprising that there are unresolved feelings.
As if sensing these emotions, Sergeant Cyril raised his hand to stop Captain Curtis, who was about to speak further, and looked around at the residents, speaking in a calm voice. "I apologize for the commotion. It's good that the children are safe."
The residents, who had been afraid of being punished for their rudeness, were momentarily silenced by the unexpected kindness in Sergeant Cyril's words.
The residents were criticizing the previous duke, who was Sergeant Cyril's father. There were many things he could have said, like "Don't speak ill of those who are deceased" or "Don't be rude to the knights who saved the children," but he swallowed all his rebuttals.
As the duke, a word from Sergeant Cyril could result in many people being arrested and punished. And that would create a negative cycle.
Sergeant Cyril is a great man. That's why he swallows everything on his own. He knows the power he holds and is careful with how he uses it.
I wanted to shout to the residents, who were silenced by the kind words, "Hey, look! He's a very kind and considerate lord!"
However, such facts, when said by the other party, especially by a knight, would only cause resistance. They would not accept it unless they realized it themselves.
Unaware of my frustration, Sergeant Cyril nodded lightly to the suddenly silent residents and turned to leave. We bowed slightly to the residents and followed him.
On the way back to the lord's mansion, Sergeant Cyril seemed to be deep in thought and did not speak a word. Captain Curtis, perhaps being considerate, also remained silent, making for a very quiet return.
At dinner, which was held in the grand hall, Sergeant Cyril seemed to be in low spirits even from a distance. I thought it was typical of him to take the residents' complaints to heart, even though he was only a teenager and not the lord ten years ago.
Although I was concerned about Sergeant Cyril, there was no opportunity to talk further, and it was time to go to bed. I had hoped to sleep soundly after the day's events, but for some reason, I woke up in the middle of the night. It was very unusual for me, who usually sleeps soundly.
Thinking I was thirsty, I pattered down the corridor in search of the kitchen. As I walked, I encountered Sergeant Cyril coming up the stairs.
On closer inspection, he was carrying several bottles of alcohol in both arms, apparently taken from the underground storage. "Drinking heavily at night?" I asked, exasperated by the number of bottles he was carrying, and he smiled awkwardly.
"Every year at this time, I don't sleep well... I know it's bad, but I rely on alcohol. However, I don't get drunk easily, so it's not very effective."
After a moment of hesitation, he continued, "I know it's unconventional to ask at this hour, but if you can't sleep, would you like to have a drink with me? We have a variety of fruit wines unique to Sutherland."
"Sure, I'll have one drink," I nodded without hesitation.
Sutherland has many unique fruits, all of which are very sweet and delicious. I was curious to taste what they would be like in alcohol, and I'm sure anyone would want to try.
Following Sergeant Cyril, we entered a room that seemed to be his private quarters. It appeared to be an office, with a wall lined with difficult-looking books and no documents on the desk. Yes, this neatly organized and challenging room is clearly Sergeant Cyril's.
Opening a door further inside, we entered a room that seemed to be a living room. On one wall was a cabinet filled with neatly arranged bottles of alcohol. However, upon closer inspection, the bottles were all fruit wines with cute colors and shapes, and no other types of alcohol were visible. Several empty bottles were lined up on the floor, indicating that Sergeant Cyril had been drinking.
Thinking he was still a heavy drinker, I sat in the offered seat. I noticed his gentlemanly behavior, such as pulling out my chair and leaving the door to the corridor slightly open to avoid any misunderstandings about being alone together at night.
I took the beautifully cut glass and sipped the wine as suggested. It was made from the region's yellow fruit and was very sweet and delicious. "Ah, it's delicious..." I sighed, savoring the taste. Sergeant Cyril said, "I'm glad you like it," and quickly downed a strong drink from his own glass.
Upon closer inspection, Sergeant Cyril was wearing a shirt and trousers, not the complete nightwear I was in, and he didn't seem to have gone to bed at all.
"Have you not slept at all yet?" I thought he might have woken up in the middle of the night like me, but it didn't seem that way.
"...I can't sleep. This time of year is always difficult."
Ah, that's right. This was the time when the "Sorrow of Sutherland" occurred, which was also the anniversary of Sergeant Cyril's parents' deaths.
I was reminded that, in addition to the words thrown at him by the residents today, Sergeant Cyril was also grieving the loss of his parents. The pain of losing loved ones must still be fresh, and seeing familiar sights in his hometown might bring back those feelings. Ten years is not enough time to heal from such a loss.
"Was your mother a kind person, Sergeant Cyril?"
I hesitated to ask, but knowing that expressing pent-up feelings can be therapeutic, I decided to ask. At least, it would be a better topic than the residents' accusations.
I could have asked about both parents, but I felt that asking about his mother might be more approachable. Sergeant Cyril looked at me for a moment, then his gaze shifted to my red hair.
"...Yes, my mother was a beautiful person. She had the same red hair as the Great Holy Maiden and was a beautiful holy maiden, just like you."
Sergeant Cyril sank deeply into his chair, gripping his glass, and began to speak about his mother in a soft, intermittent voice.