He nodded. “One last question, though. Who are you? I didn’t think there were still people who could use these types of spells in this day and age.”
“I’d like to flip that question right back on you. You were able to see right through the spells I used yesterday, and you know they shouldn’t exist anymore.”
There were only a handful of people in the world who knew that information. Furthermore, Ves had been able to pinpoint exactly what my spells had been. I was incredibly curious—just who was he?
“I’m...a little special. Ah, would you look at that? It’s time for breakfast.”
He’d just evaded my question. But as we were both hiding our true identities here, I decided not to prod further and to play along instead.
“Do you think the higher-ups will get mad at us again if we’re late?” I asked.
“Probably. This place has so many rules, after all. It’ll be a pain if they cause a scene, so we should probably go.”
We each returned to our bunks before heading to breakfast as if nothing were amiss.
The mess hall was very tidy that morning. I had used my magic to clean up after the knights last night, so the tables and chairs were back in their proper places.
Food had been prepared for us, set up like a buffet, and we had to go to the front to dish out our own food. The other girls and I did just that, filling our plates before settling down at a table in the corner of the room.
Though we had claimed a room for ourselves the previous night and had begun eating without permission, the squad leader and her posse didn’t come to pester us.
They might be wary of me now. Either way, I’m glad they’ve left us alone.
Due to all the alcohol the older male knights had drunk, they seemed hungover this morning. Overall, this was what I expected to see...save for one thing.
Gahariet.
“Huh...? That’s the captain, right?” Ahn asked, seemingly confused. Her eyes were fixed on Gahariet, who had just walked through the door of the mess hall.
“He seems a little...different. Are his legs shorter?” one of the other two asked.
“He definitely shrank some,” the other confirmed.
Sporting quizzical expressions, they watched him take a seat at a table in the center of the room. It seemed that the spell Char had cast on him had started working its magic already.
So you’re telling me he’s already harassed women today?
Char had only put that spell on him last night. What a good-for-nothing that captain was.
As though us speaking about him summoned his evil, he announced our plans for the day. “You’ll be going back to your regular duties today. Rookies, you’ll be in charge of the palace’s security in the morning, and in the afternoon, I’ll hold a special training for you at the practice grounds in preparation for the hunting tournament. As for the women, follow the orders of your squad leader. That’s all!”
Ahn had cocked her head to the side as she listened to him. “His voice is weird too. Did he catch a cold, perhaps?”
No... That must’ve been the consequences of my spell. Just as Ahn said, his voice was much higher pitched now, like the buzzing of an insect. Should it get any higher, I was afraid the other knights wouldn’t be able to hear it anymore.
I’ll cancel that spell. Instead, I’ll make it so that his torso grows longer every time he’s mean to one of his subordinates. We can’t have him keep getting shorter, after all; people will realize something is up.
I’d promised Thibault we wouldn’t stand out too much, and I fully intended to keep my word—as much as I could. And so, I sneakily altered the spell I’d put on Gahariet.
As we began to eat, Char and the others approached and took their seats across our table, trays in hand. It was a novel sight, seeing my husband carry his food like this. If it weren’t for this mission, I probably would never have had the chance to witness such a thing.
“Did you manage to sleep last night, Char?” I asked.
“At the schoolhouse, I learned methods to sleep no matter the circumstances. Canon and the others should know them too,” he replied.
“Really? That’s amazing.”
Meanwhile, Ahn and the others were fidgeting nervously as they looked at the Mercures, their faces red. They didn’t seem used to interacting with the opposite sex, and to add to that, Char and the twins were objectively handsome. They probably couldn’t help but feel drawn to them.
“Oh, by the way, Char, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you later,” I said.
“Sure. Let’s talk when we’re done here.”
“Thank you.”
My fellow rookies’ eyes sparkled as they listened to our conversation. “They’re going on a secret date!” they squealed silently.
As promised, Char and I left the mess hall as soon as we finished eating, and we headed for the front yard.
“Have you had a chance to speak to Ves?” I asked him.
“I haven’t,” he replied.
I expected as much. Char wasn’t the kind of person who’d go out of his way to mingle with others.
“I ran into him this morning, and we had a little conversation. He’s a mage too, and he completely saw through my spells yesterday.”
Char’s expression grew grim. “You wouldn’t lie about this sort of thing. If what you’re saying is true, then we need to investigate him to figure out who he is.”
“I agree. He also suggested that we work together while we’re here.”
I started telling Char everything Ves had said that morning.
“Apparently, he’s also here to investigate the Motar Faith. He said that he wants the priests and bishops who have come to Hanche to leave.”
“Well, the Faith is awful for us mages.”
“What would you say about helping him? I think we could.”
“It’ll allow us to keep an eye on him. That’s better than letting him do as he pleases on his own. We’ll agree to his proposal,” Char said.
“Okay. I’ll let him know.”
“No, I will. I’ll probably run into him when we patrol the castle later.”
“Women are also on duty inside the castle today. I can finally start snooping!”
Thibault must’ve been pleased that we could, at last, begin our investigation.
With that, Char and I bid each other goodbye and went to work.