Laughter and Tears
After we came down from the mountain and returned to the village, the chief and the villagers welcomed us with open arms. Only Amy stayed quiet.
“Sir Knight! You’ve returned! What happened? Did you find Jimmy?”
“Please calm yourself. There’s something you need to see.”
Cedric soothed the chief and carefully pulled a worn leather watch from his pocket.
“Is this Jimmy’s?”
“Ah, no! Where did you find that? It belonged to Amy’s father.”
“I see. The truth is, we ran into a monster while tracking. We followed its trail and found this. The watch was lying here with… these.”
With that explanation, he cautiously opened the sack and showed the bone fragments inside. A collective sigh rose from the crowd.
“I-is this real? These… are Jimmy’s bones?”
“…I can’t say for certain. Only that the watch was buried among them.”
“Oh heavens! How could this happen… leaving behind such a young child!”
The chief was beside himself with pity for Amy, now all alone. That was when it happened.
“Ha… ahaha!”
Amy, who had been clinging to the chief’s leg and staring fixedly at the watch and bones, suddenly burst out laughing. Her eyes stayed flat while only the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile. It was downright chilling. Like something inside her had broken.
Her laughter grew louder.
“Ahaha! Ahahahahaha!”
“A-Amy, what’s wrong? Come back to us!”
“Kyaaahahahaha!”
She laughed nonstop, as if the unbearable shock had driven her mad. While the chief desperately tried to calm her, Regina—who had been watching with clear satisfaction—stepped forward and gently stroked her hair.
“It all worked out, didn’t it?”
“Ah, ahaha… ah… uuuu…”
At Regina’s kind touch, the upward curve of Amy’s lips reversed and drooped. Thick tears welled up in her eyes.
“No one’s going to hurt you anymore. Don’t worry.”
“Hic… huaaaaaang!”
The moment Regina finished speaking, Amy broke into loud sobs and threw herself into her arms. Regina held her with a gentleness I never imagined she possessed.
“It’s okay now. Everything will turn out fine.”
She kept patting Amy’s back and whispering softly until the girl’s gasping cries gradually quieted. Soon, completely exhausted, Amy fell into a peaceful sleep.
Regina stood, still cradling her.
“Chief? Where’s the bed?”
“Ah, yes! This way! Amy’s house is—”
“Not there. Take us to your house.”
“Pardon? Why…?”
“Just lead the way.”
“…Understood.”
The chief swallowed his questions at her iron tone and guided us to his own home. Cedric followed and asked quietly, “Does Her Highness know what’s wrong with Amy?”
“Who knows? If you’re so curious, why not ask the girl herself?”
Her reply was downright rude, etiquette completely discarded. Cedric didn’t dare press further.
But she had her own handler. When I lightly tapped Isis’s forearm, she smiled and stepped forward.
“Lady Regina. Could you tell us just a little?”
“…You’re curious too?”
“Yes. And more than that, I’m scared I might hurt Amy without knowing anything. If I understand beforehand, I can be careful.”
Not satisfying her own curiosity first, but thinking of others. That was exactly Isis’s strength. Regina, who knew it well, couldn’t ignore the request.
As expected, she answered easily.
“I can’t go into detail. Just… Jimmy probably wasn’t the good man everyone thought. That’s why Amy was happy he died. Even when we first arrived at the village, she was afraid. Not that he might be dead, but that he might come back alive. That’s all I can say.”
“Are you saying Jimmy was violent toward Amy??”
The chief, who had been leading the way, immediately asked. Regina took a step back and sneered.
“How should I know? Whether he only beat her, or did something worse. Shouldn’t you people—who lived here—know better than me?”
“Ugh…”
Amy’s suffering was your fault for looking the other way. The clear accusation left the chief unable to refute. He glanced at Amy, then nodded heavily.
“You’re right. We should have known. Thank you for telling us.”
Apparently planning to hear the rest from Amy herself, the chief turned and continued guiding us.
A short while later we reached his house, laid Amy in bed, and stepped back outside.
“That’s it, then. Squad Leader, are we heading back now?”
“Yes. To be exact, we’ll split the squad. One group will return immediately—we need to report the monster sighting. The rest will stay here and prepare for any possible attacks. Lady Isis, I’ll ask you to act as temporary squad leader. I’ll be back soon.”
Normally they’d send one highly mobile person, but since we were academy students on dispatch, splitting up wasn’t allowed. If anything happened to a lone student, the consequences would be severe.
In the end, Cedric took three others and hurried back to the fortress despite being squad leader. Two hours later he returned with a unit of soldiers, and we finally made it back to the fortress in the late afternoon. Amy woke midway and shared a tearful goodbye with Regina, which was only natural.
I learned for the first time today that Regina could be that gentle.
*
“Uhahaha! Excellent work! Showing such results on your very first day—truly worthy of the academy! Especially you, the student council president, was it? The empire’s future looks bright indeed!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Commander Bruno Custis slapped Isis’s shoulder with a booming laugh. His strength stat was so absurd that the impacts created audible whooshes, making her entire body shake. Even with her considerable durability from the Priuli mana training method, she staggered. If it had been anyone else, their shoulder blade might have shattered.
Bruno noticed belatedly and quickly eased up.
“A contribution deserves a proper reward, but what should I give? Hmm… Is there anything you desire?”
A special promotion would work for soldiers, but it meant nothing to academy students. Isis gave the model answer.
“I simply did what needed to be done. Any evaluation will come in due time.”
“Is that so? Still, letting it pass without anything feels wrong. Fine! As a reward, I grant you the right to request a spar with me anytime. Come whenever you want!”
Bruno was clearly using the reward as an excuse to satisfy his own battle lust. Who would dare challenge a level 400 Transcendent? Even I, desperate for growth, hesitated at the thought of sparring with him. One hit from that ridiculous axe and I’d be half-dead before I knew it.
The adjutant immediately cut in.
“Commander, abusing your authority is unbecoming. Please restrain yourself.”
“Abusing authority? What abuse? So many people beg for my guidance!”
“That’s true. And strangely, none of them ever request a second spar.”
“T-that’s… hmmm…!”
Bruno had nothing to say. In the game, it was said that no one who sparred with him ever walked out on their own two feet—earning him the nickname “Disability Machine.” They were all healed by priests afterward, but still.
In the end, he gave up on his selfish desire.
“Can’t be helped. Everyone, take tomorrow off. Consider it your reward. Except you, Cedric. You got that special promotion, so work even harder!”
“Yes! It’s an honor, Commander!”
“Then you’re dismissed. It’s late.”
At the order, everyone saluted and turned to leave.
…Everyone except me.
“Hm? What is it? Got something to say?”
“…A spar. I’ll do it.”
“What?”
“I want to spar with you, Commander.”
Bruno Custis never hesitated once he made up his mind and always acted on impulse. In the game, he even passed his unique skill to Abel after the latter distinguished himself. If I sparred with him often and built rapport, maybe I could wring out even a small tidbit.
Injuries from sparring? Not even worth worrying about. As long as my brain didn’t get pulverized, Hwasin-hwa would let me survive somehow.
Brightness instantly flooded Bruno’s face.
“For real? You’ll spar with me? But I don’t have time whenever I feel like it. Can you make it interesting for me?”
“I believe it will be very interesting.”
“Hahaha! Cocky, aren’t you? Fine, let’s do it. Follow me!”
Bruno strode ahead with light steps. Before I missed the chance, I quickly stopped him.
“There’s one condition.”
“Condition? What is it?”
“Everything that happens during the spar must remain strictly confidential. And no observers.”
Hwasin-hwa could never be revealed. Bruno would keep the secret if he wanted future spars, but the others wouldn’t. Especially if Isis or Regina found out—unpredictable variables would follow.
The moment Bruno started to nod—
“Luan! You can’t!”
Isis jumped in urgently. Her face was painted with worry and a hint of anger.
“Sister.”
“What if you get seriously hurt? Didn’t you hear the adjutant? No one walks out standing! I refuse to watch you get injured behind my back!”
It seemed the incident with the Saintess had left her with trauma. I calmed her.
“It’s fine. I’m not doing this recklessly. Don’t you trust me?”
“Even so…”
“If you see even one scratch on me later, I’ll grant every wish you have.”
“…Every wish?”
“Yes. Anything at all.”
“……”
My confidence must have reassured her, because Isis finally relaxed a little. Unfortunately, that intensity transferred to someone else.
“Kuhahaha! This is getting fun. Guess I’ll have to get serious too?”
“Please go easy on me.”
“No backing out now! Hurry up and follow! I’m really looking forward to this!”
I gave Isis one last smile, then followed Bruno to his private training ground. Since he used it often, the facility’s durability could handle me going all out.
We faced each other in the center.
“Shall we begin?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“I won’t use mana. Try to last even one minute.”
“If you underestimate me, you’ll regret it.”
“I’d love even a single scratch!”
The instant he finished speaking, Bruno stamped the ground and charged straight at me.