Former Monster Subjugation Corps Ladies' Brigade
—In the Drawing Room.
A little before afternoon tea, four former members of the Monster Subjugation Corps visited the mansion.
I first heard from Grandmother during morning tea that I would be having tea with women who had experience in the Monster Subjugation Corps.
"P-Pleased to meet you. I am Joan Lampail, the eldest daughter of the Lampail family. I apologize for taking up your time today. It is an honor to meet you."
I greeted them with a graceful curtsy.
"Oh my, no need to be so nervous. We are absolutely delighted to meet the children of Vice-Commander Stanley and Division Vice-Leader Margaret. And to think we also get to meet the esteemed Lady Lindsay, an idol among female knights… This is quite the stroke of luck to start the year with.
Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am Olivia Yoshik, Duchess and former member of the Monster Subjugation Corps. A pleasure to meet you."
"I am Emma Riberks, Marchioness and also a former member of the Monster Subjugation Corps. A pleasure indeed. My, what a polite and adorable young lady."
"Indeed, she truly is. I am Isabella Adams, Countess and likewise a former member of the Monster Subjugation Corps. It is a pleasure."
"I am Sophia Townsend, Baroness and another former member of the Corps. I am truly honored to be part of such a gathering. Lady Lindsay, thank you for this opportunity."
With the introductions completed, Grandmother initiated the conversation.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here today. The reason I invited you is that my granddaughter Joan here has expressed a desire to join the Monster Subjugation Corps in the future. I hoped that you could share insights about the Corps from a woman's perspective. Oh, Nancy, come here as well."
Nancy took a seat beside me.
"So that’s why we were called here. I see. Young lady, what would you like to ask?"
"I heard that the Monster Subjugation Corps is merit-based, meaning anyone can join if they are capable. Is that true for women as well?"
"Yes, the Corps is meritocratic. If you excel in magic, martial arts, or intelligence work, you can be accepted. Of course, the training is rigorous and nearly every day involves harsh drills."
Olivia answered.
"Is the reason there are no women in the Corps now because the training is too difficult?"
"That’s part of it. I don’t know how things are done currently, but in our time, training involved endurance and stamina-building exercises like running through the training grounds while wearing weights. We had mixed-gender sparring sessions and night training during encampments, where senior members would stage surprise attacks in place of monsters to test our reflexes."
Emma explained.
"Surprise attacks in the middle of the night?"
"Yes. Monsters are active at night as well. That’s why we rotated night watch duties, regardless of gender."
Isabella added.
"That means there are no special considerations for women. But because of that, as long as you have the skill, you can become a captain, vice-captain, or even the commander, regardless of your status. Just like Nancy here."
Sophia said.
"Eh? Nancy?"
"Yes, Young lady. Nancy was one of the captains back then. If I remember correctly, the current vice-captain was originally a commoner too, wasn’t he?"
Olivia asked.
"That’s right. Jacob. When he first joined, he was scrawny and often collapsed or vomited after running drills."
Sophia recalled.
"Oh yes, and during our encampment training, he once fell asleep while on watch and got his face doodled on. Ah, such fond memories."
Emma chuckled.
"Jacob is the vice-captain now? Is that alright? Who is the current commander again?"
Isabella wondered.
"Hmm, who was it again? Nancy, do you know?"
Isabella asked.
"Yes, Lady Isabella. It is Luke Johnson."
"Ah, that’s right! Luke! That crybaby Luke. How nostalgic. He used to get scolded by Nancy all the time."
Isabella reminisced, and Nancy gave a wry smile.
Even though they were old comrades, Nancy couldn't behave as casually in front of Grandmother, the matriarch of the household.
Sensing this, Grandmother spoke up.
"Apologies for interrupting. I just remembered something I need to attend to, so I will excuse myself. Please continue catching up as you wish. Nancy, I’ll leave the rest to you. Little Joan, be polite to our guests."
With that, Grandmother left the drawing room.
[Phew…]All four ladies let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Oh dear, I was so tense trying not to misstep in front of Lady Lindsay."
Olivia said.
"Truly! But Lady Lindsay is just as elegant and beautiful as ever. It’s like a dream to be able to speak with her… Ah, apologies, Young lady Joan, we shouldn’t be saying this in front of you."
"Please, don’t mind me. Feel free to talk as you normally would—or rather, as you did back in your Corps days. That way, I feel like I can get to know you all better and maybe hear some interesting behind-the-scenes stories. Oh, and please, drop the honorifics."
"Alright, then I’ll call you Little Joan then, as a term of endearment. So, let me ask you something honestly—why do you want to join the Monster Subjugation Corps?"
Although they had heard from Lindsay earlier, all four women had been wondering why Joan, a Margrave’s daughter, wanted to join the Corps.
What do you think about this chapter?
