“Huh?” I said, unable to hide my surprise. “All I did was make a handkerchief out of the materials my tutor gave me.”
“I see. I’ll be sure to confirm that the cloth and thread you used didn’t have any special properties,” he said, gently ruffling my hair. “I don’t have the full picture of what happened since it occurred during the battle, but there’s no doubt that magic was involved. Since this handkerchief is the only thing that remained intact, I’ll assume it’s what triggered the spell and proceed with my investigation. Regardless, Serafina, you saved me.”
“That’s not true! I didn’t even cast any healing magic.”
“It’s all the more impressive that you didn’t need to.”
A straightforward compliment from Sirius was all it took to make me smile.
I nodded along in response, “Heh! If my handkerchief really is behind what happened, maybe I should make ten more!”
But Sirius’s lighthearted expression immediately disappeared, and he said in a serious tone, “If you’re going to sew candy into the handkerchief, I’d suggest waiting until after summer. For now, how about we focus on the investigation and forget about handkerchiefs all together.”
“Really?” After considering his words, I nodded, deciding to put off giving him anymore embroidered handkerchiefs for now.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mirach staring anxiously into the distance. This caused me to recall the whole point of coming to this forest in the first place.
I gasped, “That’s right! Sirius, hang on a moment, okay?”
I grabbed Mirach’s hand as I called out, dragging him with me to the spot where I’d seen the golden plant earlier. As we got closer, I could see the plant glittering in the sunlight.
This could be the Galle Gold Leaf we’re looking for! I thought, my heart starting to pound as I came to a stop right in front of it. But when I got a better look, I could see that the leaves weren’t gold but yellow.
As I stared at the plant without blinking, wondering if it was the wrong one, Mirach plucked one leaf from it as he stood by my side.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the Galle Gold Leaf. The leaves aren’t golden, and this isn’t the right shape.”
“…You’re right, Mirach. This isn’t even the right type of plant.” I could tell at a glance that the yellow leaf he’d handed over to me wasn’t from a medicinal herb.
I glanced down at the yellowish leaf, feeling utterly defeated. I’d gotten my hopes up because the information had come from the Saint Knight Brigade, but this wasn’t the Galle Gold Leaf. It was going to take some time, but it seemed like the only option was for me to grow it myself.
Though I was disappointed, Mirach seemed even more disheartened than I was, so I began searching for something comforting to say. But before I could even speak, the other knights stepped in and started calling out words to encourage him.
“Keep your chin up, Mirach! Grass grows everywhere! The type you’re after is bound to be out there somewhere!”
“Scheat’s right! A golden plant would stand out for sure, so you’ll find it in no time! We’ll also keep an eye out whenever we venture into forests or woodlands.”
Following Scheat and Miaplacidus, Fackt pushed his glasses all the way up as he chimed in, “Don’t worry. As long as I wear these glasses, I can clearly see objects in the distance. I’ll be sure to grab anything that has golden leaves whenever I come across it.”
Canopus finished up with an expressionless nod, “I may not know much about plants, but I’ve seen the Galle herbs every day, as the princess tends to them. I know exactly what they look like, so if I come across any, I’ll be sure to gather them.”
This was quite the surprising sight—it wasn’t common for all the knights to come together and comfort one of their own.
Still, I was struck by how Mirach managed to remain so cool and nonchalant.
“You must be way more upset than me, but it’s not showing on your face at all, Mirach.”
“Honestly, I’m not as disappointed as you might think. I’m really touched by how much you and the other knights have done for me, so I have no reason to feel down.”
“Really?” I asked, wondering if that was actually the case.
Mirach looked back with a smile, “Recovering the lost herbs has always been a dream for my village. It’s where I grew up, so it’s only natural for me to hope the Galle Gold Leaf will one day be found. Since this tip came from the vice-captain of the Saint Knight Brigade, I did get my hopes up. That’s why, as soon as I realized it wasn’t what I was looking for, I felt even more let down than usual.”
Well, that went without saying.
“However, more than anything, my happiness has taken over, so the emotion I feel most strongly is joy.”
“Why are you so happy, Mirach?” I asked, confused.
An odd grin crossed Mirach’s face as he chuckled, “Princess, the fact that you don’t understand is exactly what shows how truly good-hearted you and the others are. Even if I had found the Galle Gold Leaf, it wouldn’t have benefited any of you. Yet, all of you came out here without a single complaint. Even when we were attacked by monsters and our lives were at risk, no one protested. And when I couldn’t find the herbs I was looking for, I was offered comfort instead of being subjected to complaints. Anyone would be touched by kindness like that.”
Hearing Mirach’s gratitude-filled speech, the knights flinched in surprise.
“How can you say something like that?! You and the princess are the only ones who blurt out your thoughts so openly! At twenty-three, your honesty is like that of a six-year-old!”
“Scheat’s right! Don’t go around with your heart on your sleeve! Helping you look for herbs is hardly something to make a fuss about!”
Watching Scheat and Miaplacidus flush with embarrassment as they scolded Mirach, it was pretty easy to understand that they were both feeling bashful about this.
Ooh! That gave me the inspiration for a proverb from yours truly.
“‘Octopus or squid, they both turn red’!”
“…What did you just say?”
“Princess?”
Scheat and Miaplacidus looked dumbfounded as I explained with a smile, “I just came up with the perfect proverb for you two: ‘Octopus or squid, they both turn red.’ It means two people who might seem completely different on the outside are actually very alike—especially when it comes to blushing easily!”
“Princess, you do know those creatures only turn red when they’re dead and being cooked, right?”
“I don’t know which of us is the octopus and which is the squid, but either way, it’s not a very flattering comparison.”
Hearing their responses, I crossed my arms and thought, Hmm, coming up with proverbs is tougher than I thought.
We continued chatting as we made our way home, with Sirius and Commander Wezen accompanying us.