Plain Girl Hero of Darkness
Magic and and Natural Witches - (3)

Two days after the victory party at Leticia Castle.

Under the clear blue sky, Olivia, Claudia and Ashton walked through St.'s square. Your movement as they head to the Royal Library. The square was filled with stalls as usual, and rowdy as usual. People are still excited by the news of victory.

As the son of a merchant, Ashton did not hate this rowdy atmosphere, which reminded him of his parents whom he had not seen for a long time.

"The cake and dishes in the castle taste very good ~ Will I eat there again ~? I want to eat there again ~"

Olivia hummed as she walked around the snack shop. The occasional gust of wind would sweep away the lustrous silver hair that glittered in the sun.

"Are you not satisfied with eating? I heard you ate a lot at the castle that day."

In response to Ashton's annoyance, Olivia blinked and then replied:

"Do you not know, Ashton? Humans are creatures who can continue to eat good food."

"No, no, no, you're the only one like that. No matter how good the food is, there are limits. Even First Lieutenant Claudia was surprised by what you were doing as well - right?"

Ashton asks Claudia beside them to support him. He heard that Olivia's gluttony at the victory party shocked everyone present. She even wanted to bring the leftovers with her, and Claudia needed everything she had to prevent it.

Afterwards, he said to Ashton with a weak face [I learned what it means to have your cheeks burned in shame], which left a deep impression on Ashton.

"That's right, I still don't believe it. How could Major's slim body absorb so much food? And it doesn't affect her figure at all, I'm so envious."

Claudia looked at Olivia with an awkward smile. On closer inspection, he continued to rub his stomach with his left hand.

What he said and the movement of his hand made Ashton understand something.

"Neighbor Claudia, are you disturbed because you're fat? It's okay, you're still skinny, and still charming even though you've gained (weight) a little more."

She may not know, but Claudia is very popular in her unit. Thin eyebrows, a pointed nose and red lips make it very beautiful. He treated ordinary people and nobles equally without any discrimination, which added to his popularity.

It doesn't matter though he's a little fatter. Ashton expressed his sincere thoughts, but ...

"Ashton Senefelder"

It was obvious that Claudia was in a bad mood when she called him by his full name, and he smiled coldly. Ashton finally realized that he had mispronounced, but it was too late. Claudia reached out her right hand and pulled Ashton's ear.

"That hurts! Lieutenant Claudia! So sick! Please stop pulling my ears!"

Ashton screamed in pain, and the women who passed them said, "Are they brothers?" They're really close.

Claudia pretended to cough, and let go of Ashton's ear.

"Sighs.. You always say unnecessary things. I'm a woman too, and it'll hurt if you say it frankly. If you keep doing that, even if you find a girl you like, you will be dumped in no time."

Ashton's heart was pounding as he heard it. He immediately looked for Olivia, and found her at a considerable distance behind him, and looked towards her with wary eyes.

(Why is he so vigilant? - No matter, there is no point in thinking about it. This is not the first time he has acted strangely. I'm just glad he didn't hear anything unnecessary.)

Ashton heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Claudia again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"No matter what you mean, watch your words. Be careful when talking about a woman's appearance."

"Yes, I'll do it in the future."

Ashton apologized.

"Good."

Claudia smiled gently and ruffled Ashton's hair. Their interactions did feel like a pair of siblings, and Ashton found them amazing.

(Well, if First Lieutenant Claudia is really my older sister ... He'll be very strict. He'll rebuke me if anything happens. If she gets married, she'll be a strict wife.)

Ashton thought of something impolite as he looked up at the sky. He could see the birds circling in the air and chirping.

The birds with the unique chaw are the "Dark Spring Birds", and are known in the Kingdom as spring omens. The farmers would start sowing seeds when the Dark Spring Birds gnawed.

(Caw: hook. It's called crow chirping.)

"it's spring."

"Hmm?- Really. The season when the world comes back to life."

Claudia raised her head sadly.

"Do you? You can catch a lot of delicious prey in the spring. For example, giant black lizards, grizzly bears, speckled wild boars, and blood-clumping birds. And also-"

Olivia who suddenly appeared beside the two of them made an arc-pulling pose as she said that. By the way, all the animals Olivia mentioned were types two dangerous beasts.

Normal people will run away if they meet them. But replying was too troublesome, so Ashton only agreed with her.

"Olivia, you love to eat."

"Ehe. This is one of my greatness!"

Olivia started humming and taking the lead as she swung her hand.

They walked for about an hour from the Grey Crow Pavilion. After passing through all sorts of mansions, they could finally see the Royal Library on the road ahead.

Olivia rushed into the guard room and showed her the Knight emblem.

"Hey, can I come in?"

The civilian officer got up and saluted, then gave instructions to his subordinates.

"What are you waiting for? Quickly point the way to Major Olivia!"

"Y-Yes Sir!"

"I've been four times since, so you don't have to guide me.."

The man shook his head when he heard what Olivia said.

"That's not allowed. Come on, please come this way."

Ashton tilted his head as he looked at the man who was bowing and escorted them in. He was not here on the first day, but they also did not show such hospitality on the last three days.

Ashton looked to the side and saw Claudia smiling awkwardly. He seems to know something.

"What's going on?"

The surprised Claudia looked towards Ashton and said:

"You can sometimes be very tight. These people must have heard of Major's exploits at the Central War Theater."

"Oh so."

Olivia breaks through the enemy and saves the Second Army from the brink of destruction. The attitude of the civil apparatus makes sense in light of its achievements. The attitude of the guards was even clearer as they stood silently watching.

"It may look very rude, but this is the norm in the military. Especially during the war."

"Indeed, Olivia's war merits are incredible."

There has been a lot of talk about promotion lately, and Ashton feels Olivia will definitely be promoted again. But...

"Why are you saying it as if it's none of your business? Maybe you'll get a confession with the Major too, Ashton."

Claudia's face was serious.

"I? Why that?"

Ashton sneered, and Claudia showed a resigned face.

"What's with your silly smile? The higher-ups really appreciate your work as a strategist. I told you that you should be more aware of your achievements."

"You did it again. Lieutenant Claudia, you're bad at making jokes."

"......"

"... You're kidding, right?"

"God."

The desperate Claudia let out a long sigh, then said to Ashton as if she was talking to a small child:

"Listen. After Fort Kiel fell, the Royal Army suffered back-to-back defeats. It is no exaggeration to say that the Imperial sword is on the neck of the Kingdom. You gotit?"

"Y-Yes."

Ashton nodded timidly.

"But after you and Major showed up, the situation changed for the better. We defeated the Imperial Army from the south and north, and now, we even dealt a crushing blow to the enemy in the Central War Theater. The Empire still has an edge over us, but things have improved significantly compared to last year."

"I know all that, but it's all thanks to Olivia."

Ashton feels he deserves credit, but his achievements are trivial compared to Olivia's. She was shameless to think that Ashton was on par with Olivia.

"You deserve a confession, too. The others are also working hard, but you two are the sure core. That's why the higher-ups judge you so much. Not as high as Major, of course."

When he heard that, Ashton felt his shoulders become heavy. It was as if he bore the future of the Kingdom. If his parents heard that, they would probably faint. After all, Ashton was just a student a year and a half ago.

"to tell you the truth, this topic is too much for me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you. But remember, I'll be by your side. If there's any danger, I'm strong enough to protect you."

Claudia patted the sword on her waist as she said that. His words were soft and strong, and Ashton felt ashamed for saying something weak-minded.

He must be uneasy about a war that shows no signs of ending either. But he still said he would protect her. As a man, Ashton felt he could not help himself in fear.

"... I'm in your care from now on. Oh, but please don't scold me too often."

"Sighs. I told you not to say anything unimportant."

Claudia poked Ashton's forehead gently, and stretched out her hand:

"But oh well, I'll be in your care too."

Both are shaking tightly. At this moment, a bell-like sound came from the front.

"Ashton and Claudia, what are you doing back there? Let's go ~ "

Olivia waved at them with a smile. Ashton and Claudia looked at each other and smiled as well.

...****************...

...To Be Continue's...