I’d heard that the spirit’s voices sounded like the blowing of the breeze or the crackling of a fire to everyone else but me. If that was true, no one would be able to catch what Seven was saying, but just in case, I had the knights guard me from a short distance away.
Seven and I squatted under one of the trees together, whispering as we discussed our plans.
“Okay, Seven. I don’t want you to be too taken aback, but all the knights think Sirius is ruthless and unfeeling—that he’s like a demon without a human heart!”
Even after revealing this shocking news, my friend didn’t look startled in the least. Well, that was Seven for you, always cool as a cucumber.
“Yeah, that’s not surprising. Sirius always puts his knights through hellish training, so it’s no wonder that’s what they think of him. To be honest, that training is the root of the problem. The knights end up getting all emotional, thinking, ‘But the vice-commander is sweating and sparring alongside us!’ That encourages them to keep going, but because Sirius has incredible physical stamina, the training never seems to end.”
“R-right. So you’re saying they should stop training?” If that was the problem, the logical answer would be to stop, but when I voiced that thought, Seven shook his head.
“No need to go that far. They may moan and groan about it, but the knights like to be active. In fact, I think they’d be even more disappointed if the training stopped.”
“Oh, Seven, you really are something else! You can pick up on subtle things that no one else notices, huh?” I was surprised by how well Seven could read how the knights felt, but he waved off my praise.
“It’s only because the knights are so simpleminded. Whenever the knights are at the training grounds, they all line up in front of Sirius itching to spar. In any case, all you want is for them to think that Sirius is kind, right?”
“Yep, exactly!”
“Heh heh.” Seven chuckled, his face the picture of confidence. “All right, I have the perfect solution. Your own ladies-in-waiting were talking about it just the other day. The answer is simple: show off an unexpected side of him! If someone who’s typically seen as cold shows kindness to dogs and cats, others will often think, ‘Wow, they’re so nice!’”
“Is that how the world works?!” I was taken aback. “But ‘dogs,’ you say? So, all I need to do is have the knights see Sirius being nice to Ludo, right?” Now that I had a plan, I wanted to put it into action straight away.
“I don’t think so. Ludo’s not a dog but an incredibly rare black monster. Seeing Sirius being kind to a creature like that might make it seem as if he were trying to tame a vicious beast. That’ll likely end up making Sirius seem even more terrifying. …Hey! Fi! I’m talking about something important here! And…she’s gone.”
I couldn’t wait any longer. Even though I could hear Seven calling after me, I kept running without paying him any mind. Once I’d gotten to the entrance of Ludo’s burrow, I got on all fours and crawled inside the hole.
✦ ✦ ✦
Three days later, I was walking toward my garden with the knights. I thought having them witness the scene in their “free time” would probably have more of an impact, so I’d asked them not to wear their uniforms. Don’t get me wrong, they were still on duty, protecting me, so whether it could truly be considered free time is debatable. But despite that, they all complied with my request without any pushback.
At first, the knights were talking and joking like they always did, but the deeper we went into my garden, the more their steps grew hesitant.
“P-Princess, we’re going further in?”
“H-hold on. This is one of the castle’s restricted areas. This is where th-that black creature…”
“Ahh, I messed up! I didn’t bother polishing my sword today since I figured I’d just be working around the castle grounds. I never imagined I’d end up visiting one of the restricted areas!”
Scheat, Fackt, and Miaplacidus seemed to physically shrink as we ventured deeper. I cast a sideways glance at them before suddenly freezing in my tracks and trying to look as surprised as I could. I placed my index finger to my lips to signal that we should be quiet and pointed out the scene unfolding before them.
“Oh! Would you take a look at that? The usually mean and scary Sirius is petting a small, weak puppy!”
As expected, Sirius was right on time. He had come to my garden exactly when I asked and was gently petting Ludo, who was resting in his lap. It was the perfect depiction of someone who was usually a bit intimidating having a soft spot for small animals.
I glanced at the knights, hoping that seeing Sirius like this would tug at their heartstrings, but all they did was stare, eyes bulging, when they heard what I said.
“Huh?”
“Vice-Commander Sirius is petting a puppy?”
“Well, that’s sure unexpected! But he’s likely just considering if it would make an acceptable emergency ration.”
Hmm. I usually wouldn’t be thrilled with that final remark, but just for today, I’d choose to look the other way. It seemed important to show off his unexpected side, so hopefully the eventual shift in thinking from “Sirius is cruel” to “Sirius is kind” would paint him in an even better light.
I quickly stepped aside to give them a better view, keeping an eye on their faces as they watched him. Although they had initially looked in the direction I pointed out with suspicion, they soon tensed up in surprise. Next, they clenched their fists at their sides, their expressions clouding as if they were witnessing something unbelievable.
…Th-that wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for. I wondered why they were acting so unexpectedly when Scheat frantically called out to me.
“Princess! Take a closer look! That’s not a puppy the vice-commander is petting—it’s the black monster! The very same elite creature that’s sure to be far stronger than us once it matures!! For him to be petting it…all I can surmise is that he’s training it to be the final nail in our coffin!”
“What?” I gasped, my eyes widening in surprise. I hadn’t expected him to say that. I was so taken aback that I was momentarily at a loss for words. It was then that Miaplacidus and Fackt, who both appeared equally incredulous, began to voice their thoughts as well.
“This is incredible! That monster is letting Sirius do as he pleases without showing any aggression at all! Something on its level should be able to gauge the capabilities of an opponent, so it must understand that defying the vice-commander would be unfavorable. Is the vice-commander so powerful that he even has a black monster at his disposal?”
“It seems the vice-commander is truly a force to be reckoned with! Though, I wouldn’t expect anything less from a man whose icy facade never thaws. He even has an untamable monster under his command.”
“…Uh, what?”
This didn’t seem right. The knights were saying things that were the complete opposite of what I had expected. I followed their gaze and stared at Sirius.
Perhaps we were all seeing something different? I needed to make sure that wasn’t the case. But all I could see was the same scene as earlier; Sirius sitting under one of the trees petting Ludo in his lap. It was the perfect picture of kindness.
There was nothing strange about that, was there? All he’d done was exactly what I’d asked him to do yesterday. I thought back to the conversation we had the day before.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Sirius, Ludo is still just a baby that needs a lot of cuddles. Would you mind taking over petting duties for me tomorrow?”
Even though my request had come out of the blue, Sirius didn’t show any surprise. All he did was give me a slightly bemused look.
“That’s fine, but I think Ludo would appreciate the pets coming from you, no?”
“B-but I’m busy tomorrow!”
His retort had taken me by such surprise that I blurted out an honest answer. I wouldn’t be available the next day because I had plans to sneak the knights into the garden to witness Sirius being kind to a small animal, and I needed to be there to encourage their inevitable praise of how nice he was!
Sirius gave me a look before nodding, as if he understood, and a wave of relief washed over me.