The Girl Who Bore the Flame Ring

Chapter 35: Feed the?Hate

Gaddis knelt, face battered, tied in the meeting hall of Evear Castle, capital of North Coimbra. Noel held the rope. Forcing down the urge to speak to Noel, Elgar glared at Gaddis. He was an enemy who had betrayed his father, despite being a commander; a man for whom, along with Wilm, he held unlimited hate.

“That state befits a traitor, Gaddis.”

“E-elgar, you bastard, do you really think it will end with this? Do you know what you’ve done!?”

“Of course. I have taken Coimbra back from those who would misgovern it. What else could I have done?”

“S-such foolishness. You are a fool just like Grohl!”

“Don’t say my father’s name, you worm! Do you know how much disgrace I suffered while obediently following your orders, you bastard? I wanted to slit my own throat on the spot so many times. So besmirched were those days that killing myself quickly seemed preferable. I have done everything for this day.”

“A, a punitive force will soon come from the surrounding provinces! This is your end! You’ll die a traitor like your father! B-but, if you stop now I’ll have mercy on you. If you understand that, hurry up and surrender!”

Gaddis bluffed in desperation, but his body was trembling. There was not a shadow of the dignity he had once held during his days as a commander. All that remained was an emaciated old man who had lost his confidence. He was probably thinking about how he could be saved. Elgar gave a scornful laugh.

“Nobody is coming for you, Gaddis you bastard. Or should I say they won’t come?”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Do you know what is happening on the continent? I’ll tell you everything, so try thinking with that head of yours.”

Elgar pushed down his seething wrath and told Gaddis the current situation: how the three provinces of Gemb, Giv, and Karmbeeth had all declared independence and were fighting the Empire. The reinforcements he had requested from Bahar, and the Black Sun Cavalry stationed in Horn could not move. Naturally, there were no reinforcements from the capital, and South Coimbra couldn’t afford to move either. Elgar dashed his hopes by coldly telling him how he had been abandoned.

“T-that kind of thing can’t have… I can’t believe that anyone would raise a banner against the Empire!”

“Accept that it is the truth. The empire cannot afford to send men to a desolated land.”

Gaddis’ shoulders fell with shock at Elgar’s declaration. Nejj ran into the hall with loud footfalls, having secured the entire castle with Cynthia and Barbas. One pocket of resistance had refused to surrender, likely in memory of the atrocities of the previous Red Circle Army. That was why Nejj and the others had been ordered to prioritize persuasion. There was no need to pointlessly spill blood for they knew that none in North Coimbra were loyal to Gaddis. Elgar was sure that an explanation could clear up their misunderstandings.

“Lord Elgar, the soldiers who once resisted us have sworn allegiance to our cause! It seems to have been hard for them too, and the conversation flowed quickly! People really can understand each other when we have a conversation!”

“Well done, Nejj. All that’s left is to deal with him.”

“I have a request, Lord Elgar. Let me execute him. Thanks to him, my pop, and brother…”

Nejj put his hand on the hilt of his sword, and Gaddis’ face went blue.

Noel looked like she had something to say, so Elgar spoke up, “Just wait a little, Nejj. Noel, what is your opinion? What do you think we should do with this traitor?”

It had been long since they had last spoken; three years had passed since their parting at Madress harbour. Both he and Noel had grown, though Noel’s face had still retained that mysterious, girlish flavour that appeared to always be plotting something in jest.

“Hmm? Weren’t we going to execute him?”

“That’s the plan, but if you have something to say, I’d like to hear it. I want to make the best decision for the Red Circle Army. Didn’t you capture him alive for a reason?”

He didn’t think she had kept him alive out of mercy, so he was sure there was some value to the man.

“If his actions are unforgivable, I think it’s fine to kill him, but if we keep him alive, I think he might be useful.”

“O-oi!,” Nejj was indignant, “You aren’t going to let him go are you!? There’s no reason to keep that kind of man alive! You can’t be thinking of adding him to our number!?”

He even unsheathed his blade.

“Not that,” Noel fiddled with her hammer as she replied, “Wouldn’t you have to be a bit too enlightened to think that if he’s so hated to death by the young master? All Coimbrans know of Gaddis and Wilm’s betrayal. If you forgave them, others would feel too safe, so there’s only one tentative way to use him alive, but it’s really up to the young master.”

Their next target was South Coimbra. If the local lords worried over where would be struck next, they wouldn’t be able to persuade the soldiers to defect if they thought they would surely be forgiven either way. The problem lay in how Elgar wasn’t going to be able to forgive him. He wanted to behead Gaddis on the spot, and offer the head up at the site of his parents’ grave. That was why he had endured so much humiliation for so long.

He was sure that his fellow North Coimbrans felt the same, but, “Gaddis, will your entire clan be destroyed, or will you die as my pawn? The choice is yours, you bastard.”

“A-are you saying that you’ll forgive me? I, who betrayed your father? Oh, oooooooh thank God!”

“Of course you’ll probably spend the remainder of your days in shame, but I won’t execute you or your family. There may come a day when your dishonour fades. The choice is yours, decide between life and death.”

“I, I will, f-from now on, act for the young master, no, for Lord Elgar. I swear an oath on my life! So please, please at least spare my life!”

“I see… I understand, but you’ll have to be under house arrest for a while. Naturally, you will forfeit your position and will wait for my orders. The instant you make any unnecessary moves, not just you, but your entire family will be killed.”

“Y-yes, yes! Thank you very much!”

Gaddis prostrated himself even as he remained bound, shaking and crying tears of relief.

“I ain’t gon’ accept this! Everyone’d be angry if they knew you’d let this shitty bastard live! Do you know how many men died due to his betrayal in the last war!?!? I think every man here wants him dead!!”

“Explaining it is your job. I’m entrusting it to you, Nejj.”

“Lord Elgar! I ain’t gonna be able to persuade them of somethin’ I can’t accept!! Please don’t ask the impossible!”

Elgar found himself nodding and smiled a bitter smile. His own feelings were in line with the others’, which was why he could not think of anything that could persuade him.

“Listen, Nejj. We don’t have luxury of being able to fight unnecessary battles, and we don’t have the strength. Can you not understand this?”

“I, I understand, but… but that fucker is unforgivable!”

“Hold back your anger, and consider how it is best to minimise total deaths. This way, that man’s entire family will step down and concede their territory. We will redistribute all of their assets to the people, or at least enough that they won’t be able to plot a second comeback. Is that not enough to persuade them?”

He had no intentions of allowing them peaceful lives. As long as they were alive, he would let them know hell. Gaddis would have to pay for what he had done to the people. Elgar was much closer to killing him than letting him live, but he wouldn’t let Nejj know that as he wasn’t the kind of man who could keep a secret. Above all, Elgar was the one who most wanted him torn to shreds, but he could easily stay the blade of his revenge for a short while if it meant increasing his chances of victory.

“In… that case, it can’t be helped, but I still cannot accept it. Aaah, if I’d been the first one here, I’d have lopped off his head without a doubt! It’s all that redhead’s fault!” Nejj pointed at Noel, “She should have killed him before we got here!!”

Facing him, Noel was spaced out as if she had no idea what was going on.

“Uuuh, who?”

“You’re the only redhead here!! You fuckin’ took the castle all of a sudden! Well… that’s good and all, but I just can’t accept it!”

With no reason to be angry, Nejj scratched his head. His upfront personality often led to conflict, but he was a good man at heart, and was a big enough man to apologise after reflecting for a while. The plebeians knew this well, and there was not a trace of ill will against him. He was easy to read.

“Nejj, be quiet for a while. I don’t want to needlessly frighten the castle’s troops. Don’t cause unnecessary conflicts.”

“U-understood! Aaaah, I’ll go outside to cool off and be right back!”

As the boisterous Nejj briefly headed out, Elgar turned to face Noel, and for a moment, he was captivated by her red hair which was unchanged in its beauty.

“It really has been a while, Noel. It has only been three years, but I feel very nostalgic.”

“Yup, it’s been a while, young master. I’m glad you look well! It hasn’t been long, but you’ve gotten good with words, eh?”

She wasn’t holding back at all, and had called him young master just like Cynthia, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to stop her. Conversely, he somehow felt it would be unnatural if she called him Lord Elgar, and he was also aware that nobody had updated her about the situation yet.

“Why are you here?”

“Why? I’ve come to fulfill my promises.”

“I know that, but how did you take this castle?”

“First, I took all the Willa islanders to Gemb, then, after secretly coming here, I was able to take the castle in one go by dressing as southern reinforcements. Their ramparts did nothing to help them, and it fell much more easily than I had expected.”

Elgar found himself smiling wryly at Noel’s signature laugh, and held out his hand.

“Thanks for coming back, but the real fight starts now. I would be honoured if you lent me your power from here on out.”

“Of course I will. Let’s do our best and take back the land!”

She strongly grasped his extended hand, and it was around that time that he was greatly shaken. He already had a fiancee. There was nothing he could do to change it now, but Noel looked as happy as always. If she was near him, he thought it would be enough. Hiding his feelings, he once more turned his thoughts to the coming war, to the next critical moment.

“Ah, you’ve still got that warhammer.”

“It’s one of my treasures, after all. I’ll use it with care, though I can’t use it as well as you can.”

Elgar usually carried a longsword and his warhammer. It was heavy and cumbersome, but for some reason he felt like it gave him power.

“I see. Well, it looks like we’re all gathered together now. I’ve used mine a bit too much, so it’s a little broken.”

Noel gave a misleading smile, and Elgar was caught up in it, smiling too. He had changed a lot, but Noel had not. She was taller now, but inside, she remained the same, which made him happy.

In the conference room in Evear Castle, Elgar, Cynthia, and Irvan were in charge; Barbas, Noel, and the other commanders were participating too. The civil officials who had recently been added to their numbers ran about settling affairs. Mostly northerners, they seemed to have decided that they wanted to take out all of Gaddis’ relatives in a single sweep. There was the temptation to abandon their positions, but their opinions were understandable considering Gaddis’ actions. Naturally, Barbas and Cynthia had to talk with Noel, but their objective needed to be decided, and after a short prelude in which he told them that he would fully explain things later, Elgar got to his talk.

“Things look favourable now that we’ve taken our first objective. All of this is thanks to everyone’s hard work. I am very grateful, you have my heartfelt thanks.”

Elgar nodded after surveying the crowd.

“Congratulations!”

“There has been minimal damage to the Red Circle Army, and the people have given us warm welcome.”

Irvan followed up Nejj and Cynthia’s congratulations with his own, “Congratulations, Lord Elgar. We of the Ir sect all also feel blessed.”

“Irvan, I will not forget your support. One day I will reward that labour. Tell that to the adherents.”

“I will gratefully accept, Lord Elgar. Iron is forged in flames. I believe that your plans will show the people of North Coimbra this truth.”

Elgar agreed with the advice. The people were surely holding their breath as they waited to see what their new leader would do. If he couldn’t live up to their expectations, his reputation would turn in an instant; such was the will of the people.

Thinking he should take the initiative, he suggested the easiest things to implement, “First we must free those forced to labour in the mines, then I thought we would lower the taxes, but does anybody have an opinion on that?”

While they bought time, he wanted to impose policy that improved conditions. It would take time and he knew it would be more difficult than anything. Had things been simple enough to deal with in a short period of time, Gaddis wouldn’t have had any trouble. He had to gather Irvan and the civil officials before the end of the day for a conference on what to do with their limited supplies and money. The support of the plebeians was Elgar and the Red Circle Army’s lifeline. Elgar knew that he did not have the charisma to easily draw people to him, so it was crucial for him to advance steadily down the most reasonable path and never diminish his reputation for reliability.

“That won’t be a problem at all. I assume that it is safe to say that there is no more gold to be found in the mines. Too much effort on that front will end up being less efficient than simply working the land. We should send men to the region at once to liberate the miners.”

“Leave it to the White Ant Bloc as usual. That area is our specialty.”

“Then I shall entrust that task to you, Barbas. Also, there is talk of the sick being forced to work. Distribute some censugrass to those with symptoms, but… do not give them too much.”

“Yes sir!”

Censugrass could not cure the disease, but it was an effective painkiller. Elgar wanted them to die better deaths than perishing in naught but pain. The Red Circle Army was also distributing it to merchants who sold at a highly inflated price in the enemy provinces of Ribeldam, Bahar, and Horn under the guise of a miracle drug that could cure the plague. Able to be cultivated in the mountains, the plant became a valuable source of income. The reason they were selling it to their enemies was because it was also a poison that rotted the mind. High enough doses over a long enough period of time would turn any man into an invalid. Even if a man wanted to stop, his body would continue to crave it until one day, he died. By the time it could be detected, it was already too late, and there were probably already many who were beginning to show symptoms in the other provinces. Overdose could turn any medicine into poison. With that in mind, Elgar had allowed mass cultivation, often confronted by Irvan, who would ask if he was prepared to go to hell over it. The plant was taboo on his continent, and the members of the sect of Ir would not touch it.

I don’t care what becomes of my soul when I’m dead. What matters is right now.

What mattered were the people living in Coimbra. If he could save them, the rest was insignificant. The ones who had stolen it were the imperials.

“Now, this next point is particularly important. It is the matter of when we should invade South Coimbra with our Red Circle Army. We will not have achieved victory until Coimbra is united.”

The room fell into a hushed silence as everyone began to think. There was a common sentiment that wanted to attack with force, but the soldiers were clearly already tired. More importantly, the Red Circle Army still stood on shaky foundations. The emancipation of North Coimbra had been a success, so they had no need to rush. Military and civil officials thought alike, as did Elgar, though there was one person who looked amazed at all the concern.

“As Lord Elgar has stated, we cannot go down a road that leads us away from unity with South Coimbra, but we should be able to gain control over them in no more than three months. We have come this far on military might alone. Consequently, we have not been defeated once. We should rest for a short while to train the soldiers.”

The military officers all nodded at Cynthia’s words, and Irvan stood up to represent the civil officials, “Though I mostly agree with Sir Cynthia’s opinion, I believe that we shall need half a year. In such turbulent times, the people have become exhausted. We are blessed with spring, and if we remain in control, we shall reap the harvests in autumn. I propose that we use those harvests to supplement our invasion of South Coimbra. We must not rush.”

As Cynthia did not raise any objections to Irvan’s prudence, everyone nodded satisfactorily.

“It looks as though you have a different opinion, Noel. No need to be reserved with me, just tell me what you think.”

Noel nodded with a smirk as Elgar directed his words to her.

“While it is true that preparations are important, if we wait that long, the enemy can strengthen his defence, so I think now is the best time to move. If we strike now, I think we could penetrate through even Madress.”

The room went began to stir when Noel finished her sentence.

“Pardon me, but what is the basis for this judgement? I understand that you took Evear castle in a surprise attack, but it will not be so easy with the South. Our allies are valorous, but I do not think that we can win a war on that alone. Now is the time for us to fortify our position.”

Others tried to continue from where Irvan left off, but Elgar interrupted them harshly, “I see. I support Noel’s opinion. How many men will we need?”

“I think five thousand will be enough. The southern lords will quickly surrender when threatened. The only ones who would ever fight are essentially all in Madress. Well, if they don’t comply we can just smash them all.”

“Okay, then I’ll leave the subjugation of South Coimbra to you. Do as you please. I will accept full responsibility.”

“Yup, oka… I mean, I understand!”

Noel gave an energetic salute. As Elgar began to wrap up the meeting, Irvan approached him in a rush.

“Please wait, Lord Elgar! What are you thinking!? Did not Cynthia and I explain how we mustn’t rush!? That is the decision of your allies, who, I might add, are the only reason the Red Circle Army is even here!!”

“I am fully aware of that, but my father met a tragic end because he ignored Noel’s words. Therefore, I shall believe her. That is what I decided on that day.”

“While I can understand that, this situation is completely different! Surely there must be a limit to how correct even Sir Noel can be. This will only cause our allies to stumble!”

“It isn’t as if I don’t trust you all, but…”

“But?”

“No… it’s nothing, only, it cannot be said that Noel’s suggestion is necessarily incorrect. The thin nature of our enemy’s current defence should make this our greatest opportunity.”

“But it is too much of a risk. There is no reason to gamble. I simply cannot approve. In the first place, capturing it with only five thousand men is unthinkable.”

“Irvan, there is a reason why Noel is still feared in Bahar. I’m sure you too will quickly realize this, so please trust me.”

“Your… will be done.”

Irvan withdrew with nothing more to say, merely scowling at Noel.

Having removed her red armour, Noel stretched out her arms and relaxed in the Evear castle barracks. As she did, Riglette was, for some reason, taking care of the paperwork. That was when Barbas appeared with her bident as did Cynthia with a scowl. Upon noticing them, Noel welcomed the two with both arms.

“Oh, if it isn’t Cynthia and Barbas? It’s been a while! It’s really great to see you again!”

“I wanted to see you again, Captain!! The whole White Ant Bloc’s rejoicin’!”

“It’s been three years, eh? You’re as energetic as always.”

“I know right? Are you surprised?”

Cynthia smiled a bitter smile at Noel’s high spirits.

“Of course you did. You really just appear without warning like the wind. I could even call you a phantom.”

“Well, I am the infamous fiend after all. More importantly, Cynthia, you look worn out. Have you gotten thinner?”

“A whole lot has happened. You could easily have called the situation in North Coimbra hellish just a short while ago.”

“Well I’m glad you’re safe. I was always worried about you on Willa island. Of course, you too, Barbas.”

After hearing that, Barbas approached her, wiping his eyes, and courteously handed back her bident.

“Welcome home, Captain. I knew you’d come back. I believe this is what you should be wieldin’.”

“Yup, thank you very much. This bident really does calm me down. There isn’t another like it.”

Noel squeezed it countless times as if to confirm it was real, and the feeling was incredibly familiar. She wondered if the bident was also happy at their long awaited meeting, as it felt just a little bit warmer than usual.

“Lots happened here while you were away, Captain. It’d take a while to tell it all, though.”

Noel firmly placed a hand on Barbas’ shoulder as he scratched his white hair.

“Hey, you’ve got a kid now right? That’s what I heard!”

“H-how’d you hear that much!?”

“Ahaha, I asked Kai. Hey, can we meet? I wonder what your kid’s like? I’d like to play together some time soon!”

Noel gave a wink that made Barbas blush.

“Ah, yeah, do come and see.”

“So, what’s the name?”

“I’ll have you look forward to hearin’ it for yourself when you meet.”

Barbas rubbed his nose in embarrassment. Though Noel wanted to know right away, she thought waiting made it even more fun.

“That’s not fair… well, it might be fun in its own way.”

“The truth is, I was hopin’ you’d be the godmother. Well, I’ve made your name a lucky one.”

There Barbas cut off his words and turned his gaze beyond Noel, highly displeased.

“This fucking four-eyes is still alive? Dammit, the joy of our reunion is halved! Read the mood, and stay out of sight!”

“Your face and tone are as vulgar as ever, even after three years. I’m honestly shocked. I could have sworn you died in a cave-in.”

“You fuckin’ bitch! I hope you die of some disease! Oh, I get it, you’re so rotten that you couldn’t possibly get any worse!”

“Your brain is rotten, so you certainly wouldn’t notice any symptoms.”

“Haaa!?”

Cynthia found herself bursting out in laughter at the nostalgic scene. Noel completely understood how she felt, and was happily watching away. There was something calming about it all, though the people in question probably didn’t think so.

“Well then, Noel.”

“Yes?”

Cynthia enquired with a serious expression, “Why did you propose a sudden attack on the South? I’m sorry to say this, but the young master seems to blindly believe in you. Please do tell me if you have any thoughts. There’s no limit to how much they might criticize a newcomer like yourself.”

Noel felt that the troubles just piled up as usual, so she went straight into explaining it all. She hadn’t come back just to trouble Cynthia.

“While the situation here is a bit bad, we have already collected all our soldiers, and our morale is fairly high.”

“That’s true, since we’ve made it to our target. And many of our numbers have a burning desire for revenge… curses and anger can become strength.”

“Yup, South Coimbra, on the other hand, has dispersed most of the troops who would guard Madress. Taking Madress in one go before they can even gather them is the fastest way, and we could minimise losses too.”

It was true that they were on shaky ground, and that a single strike could become a death blow, but that weakened state was yet another reason to attack. The South was undoubtedly in turbulent times, too, and if they weren’t able to manage it, they wouldn’t be able to attack, meaning an urgent attack may have been the most efficient method. Noel believed that she could do it.

“I see. Yes, I can understand your reasoning, but will it really go that well? While our morale is high, we don’t have any veteran troops. They cannot even act properly on orders.”

“That’s why we should bet everything on our first assault,” Noel puffed out her chest, and pointed at herself, “If I take the Willa islanders, the White Ant Block, and Cynthia Corps, we should be fine. The ones behind us will just be there to make our numbers look better. If we clearly achieve victory, there won’t be any problems.”

She could win with the current circumstances. If the conflict was drawn out, the uncertainties would only rise; therefore she would seize the day.

“That was quite the explanation.”

“Well, I did have three years. Riglette and I thought out just how we could take Madress, right?”

“Well… there wasn’t anything else to do,” Riglette turned away, and tried to cover up, “If I’m going to beat that bastard Wilm, I could put up with that much.”

Elgar had secretly gathered his troops, and had received news from Siden that he had jumped to action at the opportunity Gemb had been supplying them. Also having heard, Noel had planned how to take Evear and Madress together with Riglette in her free time. As far as Noel could tell, Riglette and Wilm had a similar way of thinking. It bothered her, so she would never admit it, but Riglette was the ideal imaginary opponent. She would degrade other people, had a great craving for the spotlight, and would do anything to get what she wanted. Riglette would even get like that that over trivial matters. Even still, she was one of Noel’s precious friends, and though the person in question would disagree, Noel thought they were, and that much was enough. Wilm, however, had a debt to pay, and she would make sure to destroy him. That too was important, and she could not afford to forget it.

“I’ve thought of most things. I talked it out enough that my voice started to hurt. That’s why I get along with Riglette now.”

“That was mostly correct, save for the end. I firmly believe that I do not get along with you.”

“That’s harsh, eh? Even though we’ve been fishing, swimming, and played…”

“Be quiet. Didn’t you agree not to say too much!?”

“Wait… Just what were you two doing on Willa island? While I had heard that your observations were rather lenient, I didn’t know you were that free!”

Cynthia was clearly shocked, and Barbas was laughing merrily.

“Ahaha, that just the start. Everyone grew closer through it all. Fishing, training, getting a boat, fighting pirates, we did all sorts of fun things!”

“P-pirates?”

Cynthia had become confused.

“That’s right. Some of the people I brought back were former pirates. We also went secretly to Gemb to eat lots of tasty food, to Giv to see the beautiful art, and to Karmbeeth to hear the proud preachers preach. I was actually pretty busy.”

“Wait… but how were you able to move about so freely!? Weren’t you in exile!? Do you know how much I was worried about you!?”

“Ahaha. I really wanted to get in contact with you earlier, but if I came here and was caught, it would make everything earlier into a waste. I mean, aren’t there all sorts of rumors about me? Sorry, Cynthia.”

“It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“I’m also glad you’re safe. And this is about what’ll happen from here on out, I’ve thought it through really carefully with Riglette, so it’ll surely go well. We’d thought up all sorts of things, but a decisive battle was the best one, right?” or so she asked Riglette, but it was as if she hadn’t been heard.

Her eyes were slightly glazed over, and she was blushing slightly; even shaking a little. Even on the island, she had sometimes displayed these same symptoms.

“Fuehehehe, soon enough… soon enough… they have to be in a panic some time soon.”

“Uh-oh, she’s at it again.”

“Sir Riglette… what is it?”

“Hm? It’s some kind of illness, isn’t it? Just ignore her for now.”

Riglette was deathly pale as she soliloquized under her breath, having escaped into her own world. Barbas looked disgusted by it.

“Fueheh, that filthy worm, you will rue the day that I take the capital with my own troops. After all, Madress is a strong fortress. I wonder if you’ll make a face when we take it with troops assembled in such a short time? Aaaaah, I’m looking forward to it. This is why I am alive. Ufufufu…” Riglett’s laugh had started to sound dangerous.

Everything was business as usual for Noel, so she hardly payed it any mind since Riglette would return to herself after about ten or so minutes. Barbas and Cynthia, however, didn’t seem to be able to accept it, having never experienced it before.

“Anyhow, I understand. If you’ve thought it out, there aren’t any problems. We just have to confirm what you don’t believe. Let everyone know.”

“Thanks, Cynthia.”

Noel learned that persistence could turn the tables, as surely that had been the case this time, which was why Noel fully intended to rely on Cynthia. If she could avoid pointless hostility, she could make fewer enemies. She had been most worried about how to persuade Elgar, but it had gone much more smoothly than anticipated. In the worst case scenario, she would have marched her Willa island troops and forcefully gained allies. Sunny days really were the best when considering how many things could go well.

“We can only talk about this here, but do you want to hear what the foremost deciding factor for the invasion will be?”

“I’m not sure I want to know…”

“Then you don’t have to. It’s already been decided, after all.”

“Wait… I’ll hear you out for a bit. What is it this deciding factor?”

Cynthia got ready to hear the response with a serious expression.

Noel placed her hands on her hips and spoke with full confidence, “Of course, it’s the great weather today. I bathed in the sunlight and thought, oh yeah, I should attack…”

“You idiot! Have you learned nothing in all this time!?!?”

Cynthia’s fist struck for the first time in three years. Having grown thin, Cynthia’s strike was weaker than usual, though it was probably just Noel’s imagination. A sadness intermixed with her joy in a sentiment yet unknown to Noel, but she was still glad that everyone had survived. She could still protect her promises. They could play, make a fuss, and fight together. Noel thought about how her three years of patience had payed off as she ran her hand along her bident.

“By the way, it seems like you’ve grown. You also seem much more womanly than before.”

“Really? Thanks. Uh, you seem to have more grey hair, though.”

“Yeah… it’s been hard here in the North. I’ve seen lots of death. It couldn’t be prevented given the circumstances…”

Cynthia looked like she was about to cry, so Noel began motoring away to try and cheer her up, “Uhhh, you really don’t have any grey hair, so it’s okay. You’re still young, Cynthia.”

“Hehe, you’ve gotten better at complementing people. There are some things I have to tell you once Coimbra has been restored. Until then, I’ll be waiting for that promise from the harbour to be fulfilled.”

“Oh? I don’t really get it, but okay.”

Cynthia looked pained, but acted as to not bother Noel. She was stubborn, so she was probably still worried over the time she had drawn her sword on Noel, even though it was all in the past. Noel knew that she probably wouldn’t accept that, so Noel decided to leave it be. She had studied up, and these types of things weren’t the types to be rushed.

“I’m really sorry, but I have to fight.”

“Hey, hey, cheer up. Look, you’ll feel better if you bathe in Mr Sun’s lovely rays. That’s how it works for me!”

“Well that’s true. You’re always in a great mood on sunny days.”

“In these last three years, I’ve gathered up quite a lot of companions. I’ll introduce you, so come with me! Let’s go bathe in Mr Sun’s rays some time!”

Noel grabbed Cynthia’s garment and dragged her forcibly outside. Having withered a bit, Cynthia probably just needed some fresh air and some water. Noel decided to take her straight to the well and thoroughly spray her with water. Surely that would cheer her up, though it was all Noel could think of.

Author’s Note:

Noel is about 17-19 years old. If she hit 20 before the end of the story, well, the title…

She’s at an age between childhood and adulthood, and grew in all sorts of ways in her time on the island.