At the Northern Fort

Chapter 14.2

As the sun began to set the one-eyed knight came to pick me up, Because I noticed the sun going down. I was waiting at the spot he dropped me off at though I was out of breath from running around.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

He let out a light laughter at the sight of me nodding my head while panting  "uh-huh"; I enjoyed playing it the snow. After being stuck in the room all morning, I realized how much I loved the snow. Before when I was a human, I always avoided going out in winter as much as possible, maybe that's why  I didn't notice and  because I was always surrounded by snow when I was on the mountain it was something that I took as a given.

I love snow. I love running around outside in it.

It's also not uncomfortably cold due to my fur.

"Outside is good after all.."

There was a hint of loneliness when the he spoke, I tried to play with his boot's strings to cheer him up. He rubbed my head.

" Trying cause mischief?"

No! I'm trying to comfort you!

In fact I thought of licking his hand, but I can't reach. I repeat, my mouth can't reach. When I released his boot string, he petted me again. Un, I'll be good next time because the warmth of his hand is wonderful. It's a feeling I didn't wish would go away.

It didn't last long as his hand left my head.

" Let's go get our meals."

The dining hall was stressful even tho he brought me before the busiest time there was a lot of people there.

There, the dining room was a place of ordeal.

It seems that they brought me a little earlier than the most crowded time, but still more people are in the morning than in the morning. I kept up with the one-eyed knight  as we made out way to get food, muttering to my self

" I feel scared.."

After being served, the one-eyed knight took both our servings in both his hands and sat in the corner of the hall. Same as in the morning… I wonder if this is his own special seat…

Today's menu was soup with finely chopped vegetables, some bite-sized meat and a half cooked egg in the broth. My eyes shined as I saw the eggs rather than when I saw the meat.  Went I bite into the egg, the rich-yellow yolk flowed into my mouth.

"Oi, so it was Mill-chan after all!"

The person who called out was Ms. Tina from this morning who walked over as I was enjoying my egg. I am okay with Ms. Tina, but the other knight with her I  was weak against… Because it was a child… I felt a tense when the boy looked at me with a curious gleem. I felt it, my instincts set off alarms remembering the children I had encountered on the way here!

" You are the same Mill as before aren't you?!"

The boy suddenly ran up and lifted me in the air, my body stiffening due to fear as he lifted me high in the air.

Giya~! High!

Scary!

My instincts were right after all! This person is definitely dangerous! The danger of the innocence of a "Child's heart"!

"Kix!"

Ms. Tina hurried and made him put me down. I plopped onto the floor, my legs trembling so much I couldn't stand up. It was scarier than a roller coaster I rode in my previous life. Knix is the name of this dangerous child? I'll remember it. While dazed, I heard a heavy sound next to me.

"Ooouch! Whhaa! that hurt!"

Kix turned to face the One-eyed knight who dropped his fist on his head, staring with tears in his eyes. You dropped the fist on him? It looked like the one-eyed knight's first was as hard as a rock. That must have hurt a lot…  After the one-eyed knight finished punishing the child , he sat back and gently stroked my head soothingly.

When the knight of the eyes finished sanctions of Tekken says silently,

I sat back on my seat after gently stroking my head.

"Idiot!"

Knix turned towards towards Ms. Tina surprised.

" What are you doing Knix!?"

Then the spectators began to gather.,About 5 to 6 of them. looking at them my face turns blue beneath my fur because they are all scary looking knights. people with shaved heads and bears, a very scary face!  Ah! Some of them look like the ones that helped me yesterday!

They all greet the one-eyed knight , with him acknowledging. Although it was rude of me to think, it reminded me of Yakuza henchmen greeting the head of a family.  They all turned towards me.  Their smiles are definitely scary…

" Are you okay?

They say hello to the knight of the eyedrain "thank you " – although it is rude,

The yakuza people seemed to be drawing the head down to the young head -,

I turned my face towards me.

Stable smile is scary.

"Are you okay?"

"Are you feeling sick?"

"Oi, Did that fool Kix bully you?"

Even though they're speaking softly to me, my mind keeps saying " Scary!" when I look at their appearance

" Do you remember me from yesterday?"

One person with a beat pointed to himself. Of course I remember,  however being surrounded by such scary looking knights my knees tremble against my will. Even though I believe judging people by their appearances is useless, my tail still hide between my legs.

"Oi, aren't don't you look scared?"

"This is because your face is terrifying!"

"Hey! Even you're saying it?!"

Stop.

Don't yell! you're just making my tail disappear under me more and more!

"All of you are troublesome."

The one-eyed knight kept eating without paying much mind to the knights, but still sounded a little irritated. I tried to calm myself like him but couldn't. The knights lowered their heads in reflection while talking softly.

"But even it's terrified of us here.. Ah that reminds me.."

"I just wanted to stroke it's soft-looking fur…"

There were a few other comments, but all of these scary knights were murmuring in soft pain-stricken tones that my conscience was taking one hit after another. Of course I remember them helping the other day with the wild dog however, because I cannot speak, I cannot tell them how thankful I am to them. I wanted to tell them that even tho I was trembling, I didn't dislike them, but even appreciate them.

Such times, me not being able to speak was painful.

"I'm already accustomed to scaring women and children but it's always a sin that even animals are frightened by my face…"

"I hate that my parents gave birth to such a face…"

The scary knights began to murmur with such heart breaking tones that other knights around them tried to comfort them.

Kix still was holding his head in pain from the one-eyed knight's first still.

"we are like this for the rest of our lives, even protecting a lost child in town we get mistaken as kidnappers…"

" I even wore knight clothes…"

" Even when I help a woman and try to flirt, I get taken as a hoodlum…"

"Even while wearing knight clothes…"

The one-eyed knight silently kept eating next to me, the other knights' sad confessions had my full heartfelt sympathy, tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. I cannot expression my feelings in words.. but I can show it in a different way!!

I grabbed my piece of meat and called them with all the courage I could muster up and approached these men who could be mistaken as bandits. When they noticed, they were surprised but their gazes caused me to hold my breath. All right all right!

Their face was one thing  but it was apparent that their personality was different; they're wonderful people. Using this to persuade myself, I fought off my animal instincts that screamed" Scary!!" and held my ground without escaping .

I put my piece of meat down and pushed it with my nose towards them.I used my eyes to to tell them I was offering it to the ones who were murmuring sadly. The knights had expressions of surprise  from it.

"Oi, isn't this your dinner? You're… giving it.. to us?"

"You.. Weren't you scared of us…?"

"Certainly you were trying to avoid us…"

"Wait.. You so you do remember yesterday! So this meat is suppose to be your thanks!"

"Yes! Yesterday's reward! Well it was actually the Deputy Chief who jumped into the water and helped us. We didn't do anything that you'd need to thank us for!

Its fine, its fine. When I was surrounded by the dogs in the pond, I was glad you all came to help me. This meat is small, but please share it with everyone. I am truly thankful for what was done for me.

"Ho ho ! I'm certainly happy to receive you gratitude!"

" Haha! I feel tears are coming!"

"Even other didn't give us rewards when we were kind to them.."

These bandit like knights were filled with fears because of such a small piece of meat I gave them. I see… They live a hard life. After that with one-eyed knight I gave a piece of meat to Ms Tina as well. They're all happy over the gesture.

I hope this conveyed my gratitude properly.

By the way,

Knix is still holding his head, looking wronged.