Chapter 79-80: Vice-Captain's Curiosity
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[POV Change]
The day after Dayke returned, the knights gathered on the parade ground as usual.
"Everyone is here. Did you sleep well?" Agnes asked, checking on her team.
Fine was the most energetic to respond. "Yes, Captain! Did you sleep well too, Captain?"
Agnes smiled at her enthusiasm. "Yes, Fine. It's good to see you so full of energy."
"I'm glad you're in a good mood, too! Is it because Senior Dayke came back?" Fine added with a grin.
"What...?" Agnes stammered, clearly flustered. Fine, on the other hand, just smiled playfully.
"You were depressed while he was away."
Private conversations during duty were generally frowned upon, but there wasn't anyone senior enough present to scold Fine for her innocent chatter.
Ever since Fine had joined, the once rigid atmosphere within the knights had softened. Even so, the other members were quietly curious. Though they pretended to focus on other things, all ears were on Fine and Agnes.
"When did I ever say I was depressed?" Agnes asked, trying to deflect.
"Did you go on a date with your senior yesterday?" Fine asked eagerly.
"What do you mean, a date?"
"In human novels, when lovers spend happy time together, it's called a date!"
"Happy time...?" Agnes repeated, and her face instantly flushed as memories of the previous night rushed back.
It was rare for their leader to lose composure, so the others couldn't help but stare.
Meanwhile, Dayke seemed entirely unfazed, as if simply enjoying the situation. Vice-captain Rize, however, kept her thoughts to herself. She already knew they had spent the night together by fucking like animals and chose to remain silent.
"Ah! Captain, your face is red! You totally went on a date with your senior!" Fine declared.
"Well, that's not it! … Hmm, Fine! It's not good to chat too much during duty. Remember, we are the kingdom's final sword and shield. Reading human novels is okay, but be careful not to talk about them too openly."
"Oh, sorry!" Fine quickly replied.
Agnes steadied herself, reminded of her responsibilities. The corners of her mouth were still twitching slightly, but she tried not to show it.
"Today, we will patrol the forest. We'll form teams of two by drawing lots to cover a wider area and train to handle various scenarios."
Once the lots were drawn, the knights began finding their assigned partners.
While looking around, Dayke heard a voice he hadn't expected.
"D-Dayke?"
"Vice-captain?"
"Are you in the same group as me?"
"Looks like it."
"…"
After that short exchange, silence followed. Things had always been a bit tense between them, but ever since Rize had tried to drive Agnes and Dayke out of the Order, their relationship had grown even more awkward.
Patrolling together was uncomfortable for both of them, but neither wanted to show it. So they simply looked away, pretending everything was fine.
Meanwhile, Fine had just found out who her partner was and was practically bouncing with excitement.
"To be paired with the Captain! The elf goddess must be smiling on me today!"
"Well, I guess it's just random luck," Agnes said, trying to downplay it.
"It's okay if we talk a bit while we patrol, right? I'd love to hear all kinds of things from you!"
Just looking at her, it was obvious that she was dying to hear about her and Dayke.
Agnes sighed. She didn't want to be too harsh with her, so she made her request as gently as she could.
"…Fine. Just promise me one thing for today's mission."
"Yes, Captain! Just say the word!"
"Please don't ask me anything about what happened with Dayke yesterday."
—
—
[MC POV]
I walked through the quiet forest.
The only sounds I could hear were the leaves crunching softly under my feet and the gentle rustling of trees swaying in the cool breeze. The vice-captain was clearly walking beside me, yet she didn't say a word. Strangely, I couldn't even hear her footsteps. It felt as if I were patrolling the forest alone.
"Is this it? Are we just going to walk around the designated area like this? Pretty easy work," I muttered to myself.
Still, I didn't let my guard down. I stayed focused, carefully scanning the ground and watching the surrounding area.
I wasn't sure how seriously the vice-captain was taking the patrol, but knowing her, she was probably doing her part. She had always been disciplined and sincere, so I didn't worry too much and kept concentrating on my duties.
"Dayke."
"Huh?"
She suddenly called out to me, breaking the long silence. I quickly turned my head toward her.
Her expression was just as serious as always. She rarely smiled.
"Is the feeling of love common among humans?"
The question caught me completely off guard.
"Uh… I guess so?"
I gave a vague answer, unsure of how to respond, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Do you really love the captain?"
That question came even more abruptly.
Why would she ask me something like that?
There was only one possible explanation.
"You're suspicious, aren't you?"
Right now, both the vice-captain and the other members believed that the captain and I were in a romantic relationship. For Agnes and me to stay in the Order without trouble, that misunderstanding needed to stay intact. If the vice-captain was starting to question it, things could get complicated.
"Of course I do," I replied, trying to sound natural and relaxed.
But she pressed further.
"Does the captain really love you back?"
"Yeah. Why are you asking all of this all of a sudden?"
"It's nothing. I was just curious. Don't think too much about it."
Was it really just curiosity?
She didn't say anything else after that. Since she told me not to worry, I let it go.
Still, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and connect with her, so I started another conversation as we walked.
"Vice-captain."
"What?"
"What's your name?"
"…Rize. Why?"
"No reason. I just realized I've never heard anyone call you by it. Even Agnes doesn't use your name."
"I don't like it. It sounds too childish. That's why everyone just calls me vice-captain."
"Ah, I see."
She was as calm and distant as always. I couldn't decide whether to be cautious around her or take comfort in her usual cold demeanor.
Just as I glanced sideways to catch her expression, something caught my eye.
"Uh, Vice-captain. There's a bug."
"What? Bwaaah!!!"
Rize let out a scream I'd never heard before.
There was a green bug, about the size of a finger, sitting on her shoulder. Her scream was so sudden and loud that I flinched, even though I was standing right next to her.
Elves were supposed to live in harmony with nature, but apparently not with bugs.
I'd heard that some elves were secretly afraid of them, but I never imagined Rize was one of them. And I definitely didn't expect this kind of reaction.
"No! Dayke, get it off me!"
"Okay, okay! Just stay still!"
I reached out to brush it away, but the bug scurried wildly. I couldn't even manage to touch it.
Then, to make matters worse, it slipped into her clothes.
"Hey!"
What started as a minor annoyance turned into a full-blown disaster. With the bug crawling inside her uniform, there was no way this would end quietly.
Rize, her face pale with panic, began to hurriedly undress, completely forgetting that I was still right there beside her.
"Wait a minute, Vice-Captain!"
"Ah! Get it off! Hurry!"
She tore off her clothes and tossed them onto the ground. In a panic, she frantically brushed over her body, trying to make sure the bug was completely gone.
Only after a few moments did she seem to realize the bug had already disappeared. She let out a deep sigh of relief.
Then, suddenly, her eyes met mine—and she finally remembered I was still standing there.
"Aahhhhhhhh!"
I felt sorry for her, but I couldn't help but look at her naked body.
It wasn't because I had any dark intentions. I was just watching because I was bewildered by the unexpected situation.
"Uh… sorry."
As I was about to turn away, the vice-captain suddenly spun around in a hurry.
But she tripped over a stone behind her, lost her balance, and began to stumble.
At that moment, I noticed a large rock in the direction she was falling. If she hit her head on it, it could be dangerous. Instinctively, I reached out my hand.
"Watch out!"
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward me without thinking.
The force of the pull threw her off balance again. In her attempt to steady herself, she reached forward toward my body.
But everything happened so fast—her hand landed in an awkward position as she fell forward with her back to me.
Somehow, in the confusion, my hand ended up grabbing her chest.
"Hmph!"
I heard a noise like air leaking from a balloon. Startled, I quickly moved my hand away.
But it was too late. What happened couldn't be undone. A heavy silence settled around us—heavier than when we had been walking quietly through the forest earlier.
I never imagined something straight out of an old cartoon would happen like this. It was the kind of absurd situation you'd only expect to read about, not experience.
I didn't want to make things more awkward between us. Even if we weren't close, I still didn't want to turn our relationship into a hostile one.
"Vice-captain, that was…"
"You don't have to apologize. You were just trying to help me. Actually, I should be the one apologizing for making such a fuss."
She seemed calm again, which was a relief. Just as I started to relax, she bent down to pick up her clothes—and dropped to her knees with a painful grunt.
"Ugh!"
"Are you okay?"
"I think I twisted my ankle when I stumbled earlier. It's not a big deal, really—ugh!"
She winced as she tried to stand. Her left ankle looked swollen, and it was clear that walking would be difficult.
"Here."
"…Thanks."
She accepted the clothes I handed her and got dressed again, trying to remain composed despite the pain.
'I guess I should treat her with a magic healing hand, right?'
It crossed my mind to use my healing skill. But considering everything that just happened, I thought it might be better to do something more sincere. Something that would show genuine care—both for what had happened and for her injury.
Instead of reaching for magic, I crouched down with my back to her.
"Get on."
"…What? A piggyback ride?"
"You can't walk properly like that, and I can't just leave you here. Besides, it'll be faster to head back this way."
"Well… that's true, but…"
"Want me to go find someone and leave you here alone? What if something happens before I get back? Just get on."
She hesitated for a moment but then finally climbed onto my back.
I adjusted my stance, lifted her up, and began walking back through the forest, retracing our steps in silence.
"Am I too heavy?"
"Not really. I trained pretty hard too."
Even without considering training, her body felt light enough to carry without much effort. She might be the vice-captain of the Knights, but physically, her body was still that of a human woman.
"…Yeah. I suppose you'd know."
"Hm?"
"Please keep what just happened a secret."
"Of course. But it really was an accident. I didn't mean to."
"I know. I'm not talking about that. I mean the part about the bug. No one in the Knight Order knows I'm scared of them."
Ah. I had assumed she was referring to the accidental touch. But it turns out she was more concerned about people discovering her fear of insects.
She probably didn't realize it, but that meant she cared about maintaining a strong image.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
"…Thanks."
Her voice was quiet as she offered her thanks. After that, she didn't say anything more.
I didn't know what else to say either, so I just walked in silence.
In that still, wordless atmosphere, we made our way back safely to the meeting point.
—
—
[POV Change]
On the evening of the day when the commotion with Dayke had taken place, Rize lay in bed, her ankle wrapped in a bandage.
Her expression was more somber than usual, though it wasn't the injury that weighed on her mind. What truly lingered was the incident earlier that afternoon.
It had stirred something she had kept buried—a curiosity about love and desire that she had long chosen to ignore.
"…"
Knock…Knock…
"Who is it?"
"Vice-captain, it's me! Fine~"
"Come in."
As the door opened, Fine stepped in, holding a tray with a meal. Her expression looked a bit unsure.
"You didn't come for dinner, so I brought this for you. Is your ankle doing okay?"
"Yes, it's okay. I just didn't have much of an appetite earlier."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize."
"No, it's okay. Now that I see the food, I'm starting to feel hungry. Thank you. I'll enjoy it."
"Okay! Then I'll be going. Get plenty of rest!"
Fine turned around with a cheerful goodbye. As Rize watched her walk away, something suddenly came to mind.
"Wait a moment."
"Yes?"
"Do you read human novels often?"
Fine blinked in surprise at the unexpected question.
"Yes! I read them a lot. Why do you ask?"
"I was wondering… Could I borrow one?"
"Oh wow! Vice-captain, are you getting interested in human novels too? I'm so happy! I'll lend you as many as you want!"
"Well, I thought I might get bored while resting…"
While Rize fumbled with her words, Fine lit up with excitement.
"What kind of story do you want? There's romance, adventure, horror—whatever you're in the mood for!"
"Then… how about a romance? Are there, um, scenes that are… sexual?"
"Ah… you're not really into those kinds of things, right? I'll bring you a book without anything like that!"
"No!"
"Eh?"
Caught off guard by Fine's reaction, Rize hesitated a moment before continuing.
"Well… actually, I'd prefer if it did have plenty of scenes like that…"