100m before meeting you (8)
When I changed into my uniform and came out, a soldier was waiting for me.
"I'll take you to the commander's barracks."
"Yes..."
You're so kind. Did you wait for me to run away?
I follow the soldier and it feels like I'm walking into a tiger's den.
You have to wait on someone who can't even die and avoid it.
"...life."
I haven't had time to calm down for the past few days. I'm so excited that I'm worried I'm going to have a heart attack.
Now that we've made it this far, there's no going back. I have no choice but to avoid Ian as best I can.
"...Hah."
I sighed again and again when I arrived at the barracks.
The knight guarding the front of the barrack straightened his posture and grabbed the hilt of his sword as if he were about to draw it.
"Stop, say the password."
"The Guardian's wrists are thin. Thank you for your hard work."
Yes? Did I hear you wrong?
Unlike me, who was confused, the expressions on the faces of the soldiers and the knights were so grave.
"Uh, what's going on?"
"This is Commander Acolyte."
"Really."
The knight cast a glance at me.
"Can you show me the back of your hand for a moment?"
Raising the back of his hand, he removed his hand from the hilt of his sword.
"Go in."
The soldier who had led me here and left, and I was about to enter the barracks.
"Who is it?"
A familiar voice came from behind. The knight replied instead of me, who was frozen as it was.
"Sir, are you here? It's a new acolyte."
Beorn, the vice-captain of the Knights of Eldern, seems to be the captain here.
He asked the knight.
"Security?"
"Confirmed."
Beorn stepped closer and looked at me up and down. His mouth went dry and his throat tickled.
'How could you be so stupid?'
I wanted to punch myself in the head, thinking he would only have to avoid Ian.
I didn't think of the knights of Eldern I was bound to encounter around him.
"What's your name?"
For a moment, I had a thousand thoughts.
Did I eat some fruit this morning? Ate. And yet you won't recognize my voice, will you?
I replied with a slight bow of my head.
"It's Adina. I'm from the Empire."
"It won't be hard to serve the Commander. He has no likes or dislikes. However, since he are sensitive to the situation, I would like you to work when he is away."
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."
"The Commander is in a meeting. I'm sure he'll be here in three hours, can you finish it before then?"
"I will."
"Then good work."
"Hey, wait a minute."
Beorn was about to turn around and stopped. I asked, avoiding his downward gaze.
"Has he been cured?"
"Why does he need medical attention?"
"What?"
I looked up in bewilderment. Beorn didn't seem to know what to expect.
Apparently, Ian injured his right arm while dealing with a high-level monster... Was he healed by Rahon before anyone found out?
"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have misheard."
"Well, maybe. But..."
Beorn took a deep breath and looked at me in the face.
I felt it even if I didn't say it. That he had a glimpse of suspicion of my identity.
"If anyone suspects you, don't do anything. Just look straight ahead, and you'll be free from most doubts."
Suddenly, Baba's words came to mind. I straightened my neck and made eye contact with him.
"Do you have anything to say?"
"Oh, no. I thought you looked like someone I knew... I must have been mistaken."
Beorn laughed and removed the entrance screen with his own hands.
"Go in."
"Thank you."
I replied calmly and went into the barracks. The sound of footsteps outside grew farther and farther away.
Then I sat down on the floor. In fact, my legs had been shaking for a while.
"Hah... I'm save."
I brushed my chest a few times before looking around the barracks.
"It's still the same."
I don't think there were any servants, but inside the barracks was so clean.
Even the blood-stained clothes he had supposedly worn yesterday were hanging from the chair, neatly folded.
The only thing left in this mess were two towels discarded in front of the bathtub.
"Let's get started."
I swept the floor first and changed the sheets with new ones.
The papers that had been littered on the desk were arranged according to their type. And the table was wiped clean with no sign of use.
After emptying the tub and cleaning up the area, two hours flew by.
'You asked me to finish it in three hours, didn't you?'
There was still an hour left, and I was getting impatient. I'm afraid I'm going to run into Ian right now.
I patted my stiff back and hurriedly wiped off the remaining water.
As I came out of the barracks to collect the wet towels and clothes to be washed, the knight's eyes widened.
"Are you done already?"
"Not yet. Where's the restaurant here?"
"If you go all the way this way, you'll find out."
The knight's expression softened from the stiffness.
"It's been a long time since supplies arrived, and I've had a full meal. Thank you."
"Where are you thank me?"
"Oh, I heard you came from... rear."
"I'm just here with you? I didn't spend a penny on supplies."
"I know. But I'm grateful for that."
The knight's heart was vaguely felt.
I wonder if it's just this person. I'm sure all the soldiers here feel the same way.
I said thank you to the knight and headed to the restaurant.
The closer I get to the restaurant, the more delicious the smell becomes.
Is it on the way out of the meal? I could see the soldiers patting their stomachs with satisfied expressions.
There was hope in their faded face. The hope that they will no longer have to go hungry.
A smile came out of nowhere. I don't think everything I've done so far has been in vain.
I went into the restaurant and found Baba.
It seemed so laid-back to keep track of the stockpile of food ingredients.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
The busy crowd glanced at me and Baba, then turned their attention to their respective affairs.
"I've got something to stock up on."
I looked around quickly and whispered softly.
"Isn't this really comfortable?"
At least it was a lot easier than the other people washing dishes and timing the ingredients so that my hands would be swollen.
"It's comfortable."
"How did you get this job? As soon as you come."
"Here's the Administrator's sickly son. I touched that part a little bit."
"..."
What is the limit of this man's ability? Is this also an essential ability for an assassin?
"Oh, if the manager asks, guess me. I'm weak by nature."
"Just three apples instead."
"Looking for apples on the battlefield?"
"I know it's in the supply. For the Commander's meal."
"When did you see that again? Follow me."
Baba giggled and took me to the shed.
Now it's almost absurd. They're going to leave the food warehouse for the person who came today.
"Did someone write you a letter of recommendation?"
"Smith."
"I don't know."
The rear manager recommended it, so of course they have to trust him.
I burst out laughing and Baba threw me five apples.
"Sneak up and eat alone."
"I'm not going to eat it."
"Then you'll give it to the Duke?"
"...Did you know what I was tasked with?"
"The master was like, 'I'm screwed,' and then you walked away. So I asked the manager."
"Huh... What now?"
I let out a deep sigh and Baba patted me on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, I found out that he didn't even get into the barracks."
"Really?"
"Even he just sleeps. If you avoid that time, you won't run into him."
Baba said this, and my anxiety melted away.
"One day he said something to Beorn. Don't wait for anything. At that time, the knights were taking turns serving him. He doesn't even care who the servant is."
The last of my worries were gone. I grinned and held out an apple to Baba.
"Grind this and make it into juice."
"Does the Duke like apple juice?"
"I always drank apple juice first... Maybe?"
Baba went to the kitchen and made some apple juice. It looks like they've been roasting all the way to the kitchen.
Back in Ian's barracks, I put a juice glass on his desk and quietly slipped out.
***
The three-hour meeting was over.
Ian paused as soon as he and Beorn entered the barracks. The atmosphere was strangely orderly, and the location of the objects was different from the last memory.
Slowly examining the interior, he took off his suit.
As he unbuttoned one of his necks, he walked to his desk and found his paper neatly arranged.
'Look at this?'
Ian narrowed his eyes and twitched an eyebrow. The glass he hadn't seen was on the side of the desk.
He could tell just by smelling it. He doesn't have a particular preference, and it's the only apple juice he likes to drink.
Ian pointed to the juice.
"Is it ready?"
Beorn shrugged.
"I didn't even know I could get apples here. Perhaps a new servant has been prepared."
"You're doing nonsense again. I told you I didn't need it."
"Since you have a servant, why don't you drink apple juice on the battlefield.
"I don't like sweets."
"Are you going to throw it away then?"
It wasn't just juice. Ian didn't know that it meant 'Shall we clean up the acolytes?'
Ian took a sip of the juice without saying a word.
When Millenia was younger, she loved apple juice...
As they ate together, he ended up reaching for apple juice at some point.
"Let it go."
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