To the Lake
As the night passed, the day to investigate the lake had arrived.
"I’m counting on you, Lindel."
"Woof!"
Having Elina, my former subordinate, on board was reassuring. We had once fought against vicious monsters together, and our bond of trust was rock-solid.
By the way, our means of transportation to the lake was a carriage. And not just any carriage—Lord Doyle, the local lord, had generously provided one for us, even going so far as to include two horses.
"I want to support you both for all the hard work you're doing for the people."
With those words, he had prepared everything yesterday and even took the trouble to personally deliver them. He had even made a trip back to his estate for this… I couldn’t be more grateful.
Both Elina and I had experience handling horses. After all, the first thing taught upon joining the Knights Order was how to ride and care for horses. They were indispensable partners on the battlefield.
As I was thinking that we’d need a stable to keep the horses in, Village Chief Ganun and the others immediately rushed over and promised to have one built while we were at the lake.
The reality that knights, who were supposed to be in a position to help others, were relying on the very people they were meant to protect… it was a bit pathetic. But at the same time, it strengthened my resolve to risk my life to protect this village in times of crisis.
Before coming to this village, I had never even considered such things.
It was probably because there hadn’t been anyone right in front of me whom I desperately wanted to protect.
Sure, there were many people in the royal capital, and I had fought on battlefields to defend them. But the sense of distance I had with the people of Curtis Village was completely different.
Now that I had gotten to know them closely, exchanging greetings as naturally as breathing—I even felt like I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life here.
I hadn’t even finished teaching the children swordsmanship yet, after all.
"Senior, preparations are complete!"
"Got it. Then, let's head out imm—huh?"
Just as we were about to depart for the lake, a large number of villagers gathered in front of the station. They all looked at me and Elina with solemn expressions.
"You two… be careful out there."
Speaking on behalf of everyone, Village Chief Ganun offered those words.
It seemed they were worried about us and had come to see us off.
Parker and the children were already on the verge of tears.
The atmosphere radiating from the villagers was akin to sending off soldiers to the front lines of an incredibly dangerous battlefield—where the chances of survival were slim.
"D-Don’t worry! There might be monsters, but we’re just going to scout things out this time!"
"Th-That’s right! This is nothing serious! When we worked in the royal capital, we had to handle far more dangerous missions all the time!"
Elina and I frantically tried to reassure the gathered villagers.
For us knights, this was just another routine task. But for Curtis Village, which had known nothing but peace, this was a major crisis.
An hour later, we finally set off from the village.
We were running far behind schedule, but since we had planned to pitch tents around the lake and take turns standing watch overnight, it wasn’t a significant issue.
"Still, I was really surprised by the villagers’ reaction.”
Elina said with a laugh from the back of the carriage as I drove.
"Well, for people who have never faced situations like this before, even the idea of encountering monsters is a huge deal. And in a village like this, where they’ve had almost no contact with knights, it’s only natural they’d react that way."
"That’s true. But… knowing that they care so much about us, enough to be that worried, actually makes me happy."
She had a point.
Knights were often seen as expendable warriors, expected to risk their lives without question. From the perspective of the citizens, since we were funded by their taxes, that expectation was only natural.
"They really are good people, huh?"
"Yeah, they are. All the more reason for us to properly take down any monsters if we find them."
"Yes!"
"Woof!"
"Haha, looks like Lindel understands too."
With the heartfelt send-off from the villagers, Elina, Lindel, and I felt our spirits soar.
No matter what, we had to complete this mission.
What do you think about this chapter?
