After Sirius left, I surveyed the canteen again. Honestly, it was just as chaotic as it was when I first arrived.
The recovered knights looked confused, unable to comprehend how they’d been instantly cured of their food poisoning. The saints were busy confirming that the knights were actually feeling better, and the knights who had been fine to begin with were running around, almost in a panic.
Since saints usually detoxified one person at a time, none of them seemed to realize that the knights had been cured all at once. I decided to take advantage of the chaos and get out of the canteen. I started to make my way to the exit with a now fully recovered Canopus by my side. Although Canopus was cured of his food poisoning, he’d been in critical condition earlier—I needed to bring him back with me so he could get some rest.
As expected of my royal guard, Mirach, Fackt, and Scheat said they would accompany us to the canteen’s exit. Since the three of them had been unaffected, they were going to stay behind and help clean up.
I really have the most wonderful knights, I proudly thought to myself as we parted ways. But after just a couple of steps, I remembered I had something I needed to say to them.
“Oh, right!” I exclaimed as I quickly turned around.
The three of them had been watching us depart and were puzzled to see me turn back. I placed one hand over my mouth and spoke in a voice just loud enough for them to hear.
“I forgot to mention it earlier, but the reason you were all safe when the others got food poisoning was because you drank the Galle Gold Leaf tea.”
“Come again?” the three knights chorused, looking utterly confused.
I frowned slightly; I’d expected at least Mirach to be a little less surprised.
“Huh? Why are you so shocked, Mirach? You’re the one who said that Galle Gold Leaf has preventive effects that make you less susceptible to various diseases, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes, I did say something to that extent.” Mirach responded, obviously shaken.
“Well, you drank Galle Gold Leaf tea at my tea party, and its preventive effects kept you from getting poisoned, right?” I asked bluntly.
The three of them fell completely silent; it was almost like they’d forgotten how to speak. Having said what I needed to say, I just waved goodbye.
“Anyway, thanks for taking care of everything!”
With that, I left the canteen hand in hand with Canopus, but for some reason, I could hear the three knights starting to cause quite a commotion behind me.
“N-no way! That can’t be it!”
“That’s completely out of the scope of preventative effects!”
“If what the princess is saying is true, do you realize what an incredible medicinal herb your village possesses, Mirach?!”
Oh dear. It sounded like the three of them were starting to argue—and it was only getting more heated.
“There’s no way that’s possible! This has to be another one of those ‘Princess Serafina Specials.’”
“Right! That must be what it is!”
“I mean, it fits the usual pattern, doesn’t it?!”
That last statement seemed to carry a note of agreement, so when I glanced over my shoulder, the three of them were patting each other on the back, clearly having reached an understanding.
Ah, so this is what they mean by “The best of friends argue the most.”
Feeling relieved, Canopus and I made our way back to my room.