This happened the day after the War Tribe came.
The mornings of Mora and the other behind-the-scenes workers of Jiiteias Castle begin very early.
Today also she slipped out of her bed right before dawn.
After quickly washing her face and changing, she headed first towards the kitchen. As Head Maid, it is her responsibility to light up the hearth, which can be said to be the heart of the kitchen.
By the time she had finished the preparations for breakfast together with Anna and the former magic soldier trainee boys, the sun had already peeked over the horizon.
Next, Mora brought a bucket filled with newly boiled water and a towel to the main tower.
It is rare for the castle lord Gio to get up by himself. The job of waking him up and helping him get ready is something that Mora never leaves to anyone else.
The stew and bread left over from last night would be their breakfast for today.
On days with nice weather, the servants and soldiers bring tables and benches out to the central courtyard and eat there. The adventurers ard castle lord take it in the hall of the main tower.
Mora and the four dark elf sisters eat only after servicing the castle lord until he finishes his.
At the beginning, Gio was troubled about the treatment at mealtime that he wasn"t used to, but after the girls put their foot down and refused to budge, now he"s used to it.
After breakfast got cleaned up, then it was time for laundry, cleaning of the interior of the castle, and maintenance.
Laundry is mainly left to the former magic soldier trainees, Log, Teru, and Daya.
Sheets, tablecloths, towels, underclothes, and the like are gathered from all around the castle and thrown into a huge laundry bucket, which is then filled with detergent made of lye and then either stomped or struck with a laundry stick.
Though it is the dry season, the water from the well still proved to be quite cold, causing the young boys" hands to turn red.
"How long do we have to keep doing this kind of thing anyways?"
"I know, right."
"Ehh? But I think we"re being treated really, really well though……"
The vigorous leader Log grumbled out loud, at which Daya, the young girl burning with hatred against Shadow Demons expressed her agreement. Then the timid Teru chided them both, completing the pattern that had been repeating quite often recently.
"But I mean, we left the Training Facility to come here to learn how to make golems, right?"
"It"s already been 2 weeks, and all we"ve been doing is just ch.o.r.es……"
"It, it can"t be helped. Margils-sama looks to be really busy too……"
"That"s right! Gio-san is very busy!"
Mora roughly musses up Log"s black hair, as his hand that was brandishing the laundry stick had gone still.
"Wa-, stop it please!"
"We"ve only just moved into the castle, so everyone"s still busy, alright?"
"Uu……"
With a red face, Log tried to protest, but he was no match for Mora, who was admonishing him like an older sister. In actuality, he is 12, and she is 14, so they"re only 2 years apart.
"But don"t worry, all of you are still very much on Gio-san"s mind. Before, he said to me that "I feel very sorry that I can"t seem to make the time to look over those kids." He hasn"t forgotten about you all."
"Is, is that so……"
"And compared to the Training Facility, this place is way better!"
"That"s right! So move your hands! Once the laundry has been hung up, you all can take a break until lunch preparations!"
♥♦♣♠
Lunch for today turned out to be bread, bean potage, sausage, and boiled egg.
With a practiced hand, Anna smeared plenty of b.u.t.ter on the bread, and Mora distributeed the potage into bowls. A few of the dark elf sisters came back and helped the young boys with the setting.
"Mm? Ojou-sama, isn"t the amount today more than usual?"
"It"s already been like this starting from yesterday"s dinner."
As the eldest sister Aruga wasn"t informed, Mora filled her in.
Per the castle lord"s instructions, Leid and the War Tribe members that have been garrisoned in the castle since yesterday were also going to be given food same as everyone else. Which meant 11 more portions for every meal.
"Ehhh, we"re going to give food to those people also?"
To Aruga, these people who accused her Oluri of being a Shadow Demon were practically enemies. She puffed her cheeks in displeasure.
"Yes we will. Because if we don"t get along with the War Tribe people…… with everybody in the world, then we can"t win against the Shadow Demons!"
"Uu…… I understand, Mora ojou-sama."
With a smile on her face, Mora continued heaping bread and sausages onto a large plate. The dark elves of course knew their Oluri"s goal, so Aruga also help out, despite still feeling reluctant.
♥♦♣♠
War Tribe members do not often get to stay in proper cities or inns.
They are frequently chasing Shadow Demons through the wilderness, or cornering Demonists who have burrowed into society.
Therefore, their camping and cooking skills are as well-developed as their fighting techniques. Their equipment is also fully a.s.sorted.
The tents that were set up in a corner of the courtyard inside Jiiteias Castle were made by first erecting a light, durable wooden frame, which was then covered by large pieces of leather that had been painted over with unique animal fat. With this set up, they are firm, have great insulation, and are also quite s.p.a.cious inside.
But that"s from the point of view of the War Tribe members with normal body sizes.
The large-bodied Head Warrior Leid who is more than 2m in height is looking extremely cramped as he folds his body to exit the tent.
"...... What a weird feeling."
He mutters to himself while looking around the courtyard that seems so empty beside the long, st.u.r.dy castle walls.
In the middle of the courtyard illuminated by warm sunlight, there are young boys and girls hanging up white sheets and clothes. Bright, high-pitched voices belonging to children reverberate in the air.
When he looks towards the castle gates, he just happens to see the three youngsters who were recently conscripted returning from their marching training.
Even while being lectured by a middle-aged warrior about something or other, they make their way to the well, where they upend water over their heads and let out satisfied shouts. None of the things that come to his mind when he thinks about soldiers or warriors can be seen here — no harsh shouting, no disparagement, no tension, nothing to be tenacious against, and most of all, no anger.
For him, "fighting" is solely a means to destroy Shadow Demons, and training means constant enduring while vomiting blood and burning with rage. And whatever else it is, it is not the scene in front of him.
Nearby, the other War Tribe members are earnestly going about their daily tasks, such as maintaining their weapons, but it feels like they are the ones who are out of place here.
The lord of this castle had also publicly declared that he would fight against Shadow Demons, but Leid cannot see any indication of that intention in this place.
"Head Warrior, all of us have completed our inspection."
"Mm…..."
A warrior who had long been in his service had come to report to him, but he only nodded vaguely in acknowledgement. Their "target" is right there in front of their eyes, but whether he should really be eliminated or not…… having the Trial turn out the way it did was a first even for Leid.
"Should we do some practising? Or perhaps we should go procure food supplies……"
"No practising, and no procuring. Consider our current situation as being in the middle of battle. That guy might reveal his ident.i.ty at any moment."
"...... Yes, sir!"
Constantly be prepared to fight at any given moment. For the War Tribe, that state is almost a default.
At that moment.
"Good morning~!"
They are addressed by a bright, young voice.
The owner of the voice is a young girl wearing a maid uniform, accompanied by two dark elves and a pair of middle-aged man and woman pushing a service cart fully loaded with freshly-baked bread and soup.
"Ohh……"
"What a nice smell."
He heard a faint commotion from the warriors that had been silently standing by. The warriors who are capable of standing literally stock still for an entire day if ordered to.
"Today"s bread was made with plenty of white wheat, so it"s sweet and very delicious~ The potage is also filled with lots of spices~"
She speedily gives orders to the dark elves, even while personally walking around and pa.s.sing out bread and soup to the warriors. Though a bit stiff, the dark elves and servants are also going about setting things up.
Ever since last night"s dinner, the castle lord has arranged for them to be provided with food, so this was not unexpected.
"Here you go, Leid-san. I think everyone"s waiting for you to start, right?"
"...... Ahh."
The young, brown-haired girl stops in front of him and hands him his portion while tilting her head.
The thick, fragrant smell of wheat and b.u.t.ter tickles his nose, causing him to reflexively accept the bread.
No matter how prepared they may be, even the War Tribe do not carry bread ovens around.
Freshly-baked bread is something that he can eat only either while staying at the Inn, or when infiltrating human society under the guise of a fake ident.i.ty. But of course, while in the middle of a chase, he has no leisure to enjoy the taste of his food.
"......"
Without looking at the girl, he takes a bite out of the bread in his hand. The taste of b.u.t.ter spreads throughout his entire mouth.
"...... This is delicious."
"That"s only because you can"t make something this complicated while camping."
"Ah, please give me one more piece of bread!"
After seeing their Head Warrior take the first bite, the others shove their own portions into their mouths and bite into sausages with great zest. They had even been given honey to go with the bread, so voices asking for seconds shoot up one after the other.
"It"s like I"m dreaming……"
The embarra.s.sed voice of one of his younger warriors reaches Leid"s ears.
This situation of having females bravely serving them even while knowing their real ident.i.ties is indeed almost like a dream.
For they are those who lurk in the shadows of human society hunting Demonists.
The way normal humans look at it, the neighbor that they had been close with could be dead the next morning, having been branded a Demonist. Though they understand the causal relationship with their head, the appearance of a War Tribe member is often tied to Shadow Demons somehow, so he understands how the humans feel towards them.
In Sedia, people in power do not lift their hands against the War Tribe. Rather, they even guarantee the Tribe"s right to speak directly to anyone from guard to feudal lord. But despite that, the eyes that are directed towards them are only ever filled with fear and hatred.
The words that Leid"s superior had once said to him are still fresh in his mind.
"There is no place where it is fine for a War Tribe person to be. As a War Tribe member, the only place to be is the place where duty bounds you to."
"You…… are you fine?"
Leid unconsciously calls out to Mora, who is rushing by here and there in front of him.
"Sorry?"
"Aren"t you scared of us?"
Though it hasn"t even been a full day, he"s already understood how much this young girl and the dark elves adore this castle"s lord. They must be reluctantly obeying his command, doing all this even though they don"t want to. Or rather, in Leid"s mind, that is the only way things can be.
"Not at all!"
"......!"
The girl immediately replies strongly and a.s.sertively. Her voice isn"t just bright like from before.
It is the voice of someone with the resolve of pouring everything they have into realizing a goal.
"My mom was also killed by Shadow Demons. That"s why I"ll do anything if it"s for the sake of Gio-san"s……Margils-sama"s goal."
The young girl with a dignified face gradually reddens from having gathered the attention of all the nearby warriors and servants.
"Ahaha…… sorry about saying something weird. But well, I heard that the War Tribe warriors are also working hard at fighting against the Shadow Demons…… and since we"re in the castle together anyways, so we might as well get along well — is what I think……"
"......"
The words of a young girl who doesn"t even reach his chest caused the strongest warrior of the War Tribe to be frozen stock still.
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Chapter 65: Mora"s Fight (3rd Person)
Volume 2
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