***Arc 6 One Who Pierced Through, Chapter 119 Homecoming***
The royal capital was roughly divided into three parts: the castle walls that surround the royal territory, the high-class residential area within the walls, which was generally called the first-class city, and the castle town that spreads out around it.
Due to Elvena's work in the royal territory, they decided to rent a room in a housing complex in the first-class city because it would be problematic for her to travel back and forth between the city and the royal territory.
Although it was a housing complex, it was in the first-class city.
The building was good and the rent was reasonable, but there was also a rent subsidy given to the Black Flag Special Force on the condition that they live in the royal capital, so Kalua, Mia, and Elvena will have no financial problems renting a room together.
"Ahahaha, no I mean, Usa-chan is funny in many ways, but the thing that blew me away the most is her naming sense."
"It's no laughing matter, geez. The army――I was wondering what to do when Krische-sama said, "Okay, let's name the new unit Blacky (Kurofuyo) Company. Just imagining what would have happened if the Marshal hadn't stopped her when she submitted the documents gives me shivers..."
Mia glared at Kalua who was lying on the sofa and sighed.
With a wry smile, Elvena puts the food basket she bought in the castle town on the table.
Most of the items sold in the first-class city were high-end items to the three of them, so usually they went shopping in the castle town.
Dagra's family, who also moved in――he's highly paid even in the Black Flag Special Forces, has set up a house in the castle town because the cost of living in the first-class city was higher than the rent.
That said, when Elvena comes back to their house instead of staying at the estate, Krische and Bery usually give her some ingredients to take home with her, so it was not that inconvenient for them.
"Elvena, do you need help?"
"No, please rest. More than that, Nee-san do you have any injury?"
"Don't worry, Usa-chan won't injure anyone during training."
For the first time in a long time, Kahlua was being trained by Krische.
She was thrown and knocked over dozens of times, but the only injuries she suffered were scrapes. She didn’t even have a bruise.
Krische always stopped her sword at the last minute, and even when she threw Kalua, she held back so as not to injure her.
The fact that there is such a difference in ability――that in itself was a fact that she didn't really want to welcome, but Kalua also didn't just lose.
She learned what she needed to learn, and she was able to cope with Krische’s attacks better than before.
Of course, this was with Krische’s holding back, but even so, she was making progress little by little.
"It’s not okay. If you leave it alone, it might leave a mark, right? Take off your clothes. I'll apply some light medicine on it for now."
"I think it won’t matter much having one or two more though..."
Kalua did as she was told, took off her clothes and exposed herself in her underwear.
Her abdominal muscles could be seen slightly, her body well-proportioned and supple――with scars here and there, but a beautiful body nonetheless.
Mia groaned and glared at her perfected physical beauty.
"It's a shame that such a beautiful body is treated so roughly. It's not just a scratch or two. Even though some of it can't be helped, Kalua should take a little better care of her body."
"Yes, yes."
"…Geez."
Mia cleaned off the dirt and dabbed some cheap spirits on the wound.
It was tough and tasteless to drink, but it seemed to be the best way to get rid of the miasma, and since Dagra was injured, Krische had strictly ordered everyone in the squad to carry a small bottle.
Elvena, who was watching the situation closely, said to Mia.
"Later, when we wash, I'll apply the medicine to her."
"Is that so? Then please, Elvena, if I do it will be sloppy so..."
"……Yes"
Even though Elvena nodded, she kept her eyes on Mia for a while.
She stared at Mia's face for a long time, thinking about something.
It was Mia who was puzzled.
"Umm, Elvena, what's wrong...?"
"No, Nee-san doesn't really make any specific (special) friends, so it's a little fresh."
"Hmm, is that so? Kahlua."
Kahlua, lying sloppily on the couch in her underwear, thinking.
"Hmm, I wonder? Well, there was no weirdo like Mia in the village."
"I'm not a weirdo!"
"Mia sure doesn't know how she is, Mia smells like Usa-chan."
"I didn't! In the village, I was called the serious and hard worker Mia you know."
Elvena watched the exchange observantly, and she asked Kalua.
"Did both of you know each other before joining the army?"
"No, after entering."
Kalua smiled remembering it and said.
“I think I've told you this before, but when we formed our current unit, we didn't even know what we were going to do. It was a pretty dangerous place with mostly amateurs, with different origins and no coherence, but... Mia alone acted suspicious as if she was asking to be attacked. I think the beginning was when I called out to her because it was dangerous."
"…I didn't want to become a soldier because I liked it. I was just thinking that there might be a job for me like carrying cargo or something like that, and then suddenly I was thrown in there."
She was definitely a countryside girl――Mia didn't have a shred of sex appeal, but she was good looking and could be described as naive and pretty.
Most of the people who become soldiers are rough people.
Even though the century consisted mostly of second and third sons of merchants and farmers, Mia was like a chicken that was carrying its own pot and vegetables.
Dagra was a very strict man, so discipline soon set in, but even so, there were many dangerous moments.
"Mia was cute like a chick back then you know, she always followed me around wherever I went."
"Shut up."
"Fufu, now that I think about it, you're just like Elvena in the past."
Elvena blushed and Mia glared at Kahlua.
“Anyone would be like that, in my position.”
"...But why is Mia working outside the village――Ah, I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have asked."
Elvena bowed her head in a panic.
Mia looked lovely and still did her job well as a second-in-command.
She was a good-looking, hardworking person with a good personality, so she would be a sought-after person in the village.
The reason why she had no choice but to leave the village and find a job for her――she shouldn't have asked it lightly.
"Uhm, it’s just a normal migrant worker, so I don’t think there is such a deep reason…"
"Migrant worker, is it?"
“Yeah, I had a lot of families and...I didn't have any kind of connection, I also didn't think it would be a good idea to stay at home all the time. Just then, it was in the middle of a big recruitment drive for the Christand army, so I thought there might be a lot of work available."
Elvena tilted her head.
She wondered if a village where someone Mia had no connection to love affairs would be a village full of beautiful women or something.
"If it’s someone like Mia, surely there’s many people who would want to take your hand."
“You're teasing me, aren't you?”
"No, I'm serious, but..."
When she said that, Mia glared at Elvena.
Elvena looked at Kahlua as if she's troubled, and Kalua waved at her in exasperation.
Although the form was different, Elvena's question was already a road that Kahlua had gone through.
Mia said, "For some reason, I had a lot of guys who were really nice to me, but they were all just friends. This child is a big airhead..."
"I’m not! And just what’s with the way you say it."
"If you’re not, you would probably still be living happily in the village…"
From Kalua's point of view, Mia’s case was pretty serious.
"It looks heavy, I'll help you."
"It’s fine, I might look like this, but I'm strong――ah, Do you want me to take that too?"
‘......’
"Mia, what do you think of me?"
"Hm…? Hmm, ah, maybe you should put on a little more muscle. After that, you should first do your own work properly rather than helping me."
‘.........’
"……I want Mia to cook at my house every day."
"...? Is oba-san feeling unwell?"
"No, no, that's not it...with me…"
"You know, it's no good. If your aunt is having a hard time, you have to take care of her. ...But she's not feeling well...I have to go visit her. What does your aunt like?"
"..............."
In this manner, Mia had unknowingly sunk countless men.
In a village where people usually get married at 15 or 16, Mia was already over 20――she seems to have left the village abruptly following the soldiers who came to recruit her, thinking it would not be a good idea to continue to cause trouble for her family.
According to Mia herself, this was the result of considering it seriously, but those around her are probably even more deeply troubled by her decision to leave the village.
Kalua's words seemed to have convinced Elvena, and she nodded her head as she looked at Mia.
She had gotten a general idea of Mia's personality over the past month or so.
"... Making a fool of me. Humph, I'm a country bumpkin after all."
"So quick to sulk. Well, if you had the chance to go back to the village next time, I'm sure you'd know I wasn't kidding you, but...the northern village was it?"
"Yes. A rural village in the woods. … Well, I don't think I'll have a chance to go back, it's a long way from the royal capital."
Although light remittances were made through the firm, there was still a considerable distance.
Mia said that she would not be able to afford to return home herself for some time――
――But the opportunity came unexpectedly quick
“Hmm...homecoming is it?”
"Yes, the Oba-san who took care of Krische in the village seems to be a little unwell... Krische won't be able to get another chance like this for a while, so Krische was told to go."
A few days later, in a room at the training ground――in a small office assigned to the Black Flag Special Forces.
In addition to Dagra, Mia, and Kalua, there’s a few others in the room, working on training plans, prepping for the new organization's deployment, and doing some simple paperwork.
"We'll probably be on snow-covered roads in the middle of the trip, so I think Kilik's squad, which can do a lot of things, would be the best choice for escorting. Unless the Bald Wagle has a need for them, Krische will borrow them for escort and chores.”
Depending on the depth of the snow, the wagons would also switch from wheels to sleds.
Because of the abundance of snow in the winter in the Kingdom, there are many carriages that are designed to use both wheels and sleds in summer and winter, but since it takes some time to replace the wheels, Kilik's squad, which includes several craftsmen, is the best choice.
Kilik, who had accompanied the team on its recent trip to Nauthana and had originally served as a caravan escort, was also somewhat familiar with the task of escorting carriages.
"I see, if that's the case... but how far will you go?"
"It's Kalka. Northeast from Gargain... it's a place where rock salt is mined."
"... Kalka"
It was Mia who muttered that.
When Krische tilted her head, Mia said.
"So Krische-sama was from Kalka. I'm from Kilnan, so it’s just the next village over. …There is quite a distance to call it next to each other though.”
In terms of location, it was between Kalka and Gargain, where the Christand’s estate was located.
The salt that was usually used in the village was Kalka's rock salt, and she had heard the name often, and in addition to the peddlers, the wagons from Kalka to the city would stop at Kirnan on the way to the city to wholesale salt on a regular basis.
"Is that so? When Krische went to Christand’s estate, Krische stopped by briefly."
"Eh... um, was it about two or three years ago?"
"Hmm... that's right."
Mia explores her memories. The Kalka carriage, which usually stops by twice a month back and forth, was as much a deliverer of letters and other items as it was a peddler.
Every time they visited, there would be some talk of――
‘The Kalka carriage had a girl on it today. I didn't get a good look at her because she was wearing a hood, but she looked quite beautiful.’
‘Is that so. A beautiful child…wait, that…’
‘I don’t know the circumstances, but maybe that’s what it means. I heard that the village was attacked by bandits and quite a few were killed...’
There were also things she remembered.
Mia had imagined on her own that she was an unlucky beautiful girl who lost her family and was sold to an aristocrat but――perhaps, or rather, she was definitely Krische.
Later, rumors circulated that a girl who had killed a number of bandits had been kicked out of the village as an abnormal person, but no one believed them because it was too absurd, and the men in the carriage denied it saying it was an outlandish story, so they soon disappeared.
But if it was Krische, then it must have been true.
"Krische-sama has always been Krische-sama huh..."
"...?"
"No, it's nothing."
Mia said as if she was astonished.
Kalua, who was watching the exchange, thought for a moment and then opened her mouth.
“Mia, why don't you go together? It seems that if you miss this opportunity, you will rarely have a chance to go to the north of the kingdom. ......”
"Hmm, I also have a lot of things to do..."
"No, don't worry about it"
Dagra interrupted.
He folded his arms and chuckled at Mia.
”It would be nice to at least show your face to the family back home. Originally, what we had to do was not so different from that of an ordinary century. I can go around by myself even without my adjutant."
"but……"
“I told you to stop with the ‘buts’, really. ...While I wasn’t there, you did your best in a tough battle. On top of that, you’re here safe and sound with all limbs intact... this must also be some kind of fate."
Dagra said and turned to face Krische.
"Krische-sama, if possible, please let Mia and Kalua accompany you."
"Yes, then Kilik's squad, Mia and Kahlua, that makes it seven people... including chores it will be enough. It will probably be about a month.”
“Yes ma’am”
"Well then, Krische has a lot of things to do. Mia, please prepare appropriately (randomly). Krische’ll prepare food, so Mia’s everything about the camping."
"Uhh... yes."
Krische said so and left the room, and Mia pondered with a reluctant look.
“Mia, go and arrange for a carriage. I'm going to go to Kilik's.”
"Ah, yes. Understood."
Mia left the room with an ‘Ohh well’, and Kalua looked at her from behind.
"Commander, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"... Hmm, ah"
And while thinking a little, she called out to Dagra.
