FOXFOLK possessed a unique gift. This was the power to look at someone and immediately discern their abilities.
Charlotte’s father told her, “We may not have sharp fangs and claws like wolffolk, nor lots of magical energy like felinefolk, but foxfolk have our very own gift that helps us survive.”
If they were out hunting and ran into something they couldn’t defeat on their own, their foxfolk instincts warned them right away.
But this power also worked on people.
Charlotte was incredibly startled when she went to work for the knights. Every last one of them was much, much stronger than her. The Second Expeditionary Squadron members were even more elite than the rest.
Captain Ludtink wasn’t the strongest of the unit, but he was a skilled leader. If he was foxfolk, he would have been one of the extremely rare bunch who could make the others follow him.
Vice Captain Velrey was fast and quick to react. No one would be able to escape her if they were at a close distance.
Garr Garr possessed the power to analyze and comprehend battles, no matter which stage they were at. This shone through when he was fighting two opponents at a time, rather than one-on-one, and it helped him provide support so the other members could make use of their own skills.
June Ulgus’ ability to concentrate was unparalleled. However, that only applied to the moments he fired his arrows. Otherwise, he was a scatterbrain and usually in a total daze. But perhaps it was best that way.
Every last one of Zara Ahto’s skills was exceptional. He was the strongest member of the Second Expeditionary Squadron, but he hid it with a gentle demeanor, not allowing anyone to perceive that fact.
Liselotte Lichtenberger could cast devastating inferno magic. But since it was so strong, she struggled to control her flames.
Mell Risurisu was the most normal of them all. However, that mundaneness allowed her to support the hearts and minds of the other, very non-normal members. Without her, the Second Expeditionary Squadron’s success rate would no doubt be much lower.
Charlotte had the ability to perceive all of these strengths in the other members.
But the most shocking of all was when she met Ciel Aiskoletta—a great hero from a foreign land. He was stronger, braver, and kinder than any other knight. The longer he lived with them, the more Charlotte began to love Sir Aiskoletta like a grandfather.
These days, the two liked to go outside and pick herbs together.
Today, Charlotte was going out into the fields again with Sir Aiskoletta. She would also bring Umataro, the monoceros she had a contract with.
First, she packed them both lunchboxes. Charlotte had splurged on butterfly tuna that day. She seasoned the fish with salt and pepper, then sprinkled it with herbs to remove any unpleasant odor. Next, she cut it into thick slices and covered the fish with potato starch, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs in that order. Finally, she only had to fry them up in oil.
These were the “butterfly tuna cutlets” that Mell taught her how to cook. Charlotte had been eager to make them again after trying them at Garr’s wedding party.
Once the butterfly tuna finished frying, Charlotte sliced some bread, buttered the surface of each slice, topped them with leafy vegetables, and placed a big cutlet on top. After a healthy drizzle of tartar sauce on each cutlet, she covered them with a second slice of bread.
But they were too big to fit in their lunchboxes, so Charlotte cut them in half.
“Yay! My butterfly tuna sandwich lunches are all done!”
It was perfect timing, since they were just about to depart. She left the house and found Sir Aiskoletta waiting for her already.
“I am sorry! I was making lunch.”
“No, I just arrived here myself.”
“Oh, okay!”
As soon as Charlotte stepped outside, Umataro bent down so it would be easier to mount him. She attached their lunchboxes and the baskets they needed for herb picking to his saddle before climbing onto Umataro’s back.
Sir Aiskoletta put his foot in the stirrups and swiftly mounted his horse in one motion. No matter how violently he moved his body, Komerv never budged from his spot atop the man’s shoulder. That was one of the greatest mysteries surrounding Sir Aiskoletta, as Charlotte saw it.
Sir Aiskoletta led the way deep into the forest.
Umataro was slightly smaller than a normal horse, although he could easily keep up with their speed.
Riding through the woods on Umataro’s back felt incredible. It was like Charlotte herself had transformed into the wind.
After about two hours, they arrived at a field. Everything was a vibrant green at this time of year, just before summer. Charlotte took a deep breath of fresh air. She dismounted Umataro and told him to roam freely. This seemed to delight the monoceros, as he began to hop and dash around the field.
“All right. What say we begin the day’s harvest?”
“Okay!”
As beautiful as the field was, monsters were known to appear on occasion. Charlotte made sure to harvest herbs without straying too far from Sir Aiskoletta.
The pair chatted as they picked herbs. Today, Charlotte decided to ask him something she’d always been curious about.
“Gramps, do you ever take your armor off?”
“When I take my baths, yes. But then and only then.”
“Whaaat?! You sleep with it too?”
“Indeed.”
“But isn’t it too uncomfy to sleep?”
“I have lived this way for many, many years now. It’s become second nature to me.”
“I see…”
During meals, he merely opened the mouthpiece of his helmet to eat. Even though he never made exceptions, Charlotte was still shocked to learn that he slept with the suit of armor on too.
Charlotte decided to ask him the question at the very heart of the matter. “Why do you wear armor all the time?”
Sir Aiskoletta had his back to her as he picked herbs, but Charlotte turned around to ask him that question anyway.
“It is not a pleasant tale. Would you like to hear it anyway?”
“Is it okay for me to know?”
“I never tell anyone this story, but I would make an exception for you, Miss Charlotte.”
“Then okay, I want to hear.”
“This will take some time. Let us prepare tea.”
Sir Aiskoletta retrieved a pot and water from his bag. Then he built a circle with nearby rocks, filled the inside with dry leaves and twigs, and lit a fire.
He filled the pot with water and placed it on the flames, and after some time, they could hear the sound of it boiling. Sir Aiskoletta took a few different herbs from his basket, placed them in a teapot, and poured the boiling water inside. Their fresh herb tea was nearly ready to drink.
Sir Aiskoletta retrieved his pocket watch to measure how long the tea needed to steep. “Hmm. Already afternoon, I see.”
“Let’s have lunch now, Gramps.”
“Mmhm. Indeed.”
They spread a blanket out over the grass and placed their lunchboxes in the center. Sir Aiskoletta handed Charlotte a cup of herb tea, which she filled with plenty of honey and sugar.
“Mmm, it taste like leaves. So yummy!”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Now that they were nice and relaxed, it was time to eat the butterfly tuna sandwiches Charlotte had worked so hard on. The bread was soft and tender, while the savory juices from the tuna cutlet were already starting to seep out. It was the perfect flavor combination with the rich tartar sauce dressing.
“How delectable!”
“I know! I made them nice and yummy.”
The two of them finished lunch in no time at all. They had another cup of black tea after their meal, as well as a serving of cookies Sir Aiskoletta had baked beforehand.