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With a quick change of clothes, Vivian was completely transformed.

Gone were the splendid silk dresses and luxurious jewelry she usually wore.

Such garments would merely be a nuisance on a grueling expedition, and likely to get damaged.

She tossed aside all that aristocratic stuff and donned equipment that looked like something a peasant might wear.

The leather vest covering her upper body was thick and rough, unlike her usual attire.

Pieces of cloth were patched all over, and crooked stitches were blatantly exposed.

The vest didn’t fit well either; the shoulders were slightly elevated, and one edge was faded from old use.

Her arms were covered with small leather pads for protection, yet they were worn with cracks everywhere.

The gloves covering her hands had frayed fingertips and were filthy.

Her lower body wasn’t much different.

Instead of a girl’s dress, she wore snug pants like a boy.

A rough leather belt encircled her waist, loaded with various gear.

Vivian’s face showed a rather bewildered expression as she wore all of this.

The corners of her mouth trembled subtly, and her cheeks flushed… she appeared to be feeling quite a bit of shame.

“…”

Seeing her like this made it hard for me not to laugh for some reason.

It definitely wasn’t because she looked silly.

In fact, I was just surprised at how well it suited her compared to what I had imagined.

Vivian, noticing the look on my face, clenched her fists.

“…Don’t laugh.”

She coldly warned me, but that only made it harder to stifle my laughter.

As I continued to chuckle, Vivian, seemingly angry, attempted to throw off her gear.

-Whap!

Even at that moment, I wiped away tears that had clung to my eyes and responded.

“Alright, let’s go. Everyone will be waiting.”

I turned and started walking away.

Only then did Vivian timidly follow me.

We were at the Punishment Unit’s quarters.

There couldn’t be a better place to find suitable equipment for Vivian.

Right here were all kinds of gear that would be fitting for her size as a boy soldier.

And the people from the Punishment Unit, who had witnessed Vivian’s antics as she entered the quarters, were eagerly waiting for her to come out.

When Vivian stepped outside, the first to greet her was, of course, Burgor.

He scanned Vivian from head to toe, mumbling in disbelief.

“Lady Vivian, what on earth…?”

“…”

Vivian hesitated and glanced at me. Her eyes were filled with fiery anger.

I pretended not to notice and turned my gaze away. The stage was set; from here on out, it was her choice.

Finally, Vivian hesitated and looked up at Burgor.

She spoke.

“…The whole army is departing… I cannot stay in the castle and just watch. I will go with you.”

Upon hearing that, the boy soldiers were filled with awe, surprise, emotion, and curiosity.

Of them, Burgor looked the most shocked.

He struggled to find words before finally speaking.

“B-but, Lady Vivian… the journey will surely be arduous… It might be too much to endure for a girl’s body…”

“…Don’t treat me like a girl. I am the lord of Roktana.”

Vivian adamantly claimed herself, spouting words she didn’t feel were sincere, and conveyed that she was already mentally prepared.

“I know. It could be a long trek, I might have to sleep in filthy places, the food might not agree with me, I could see terrible sights, and it might be dangerous, but… I will still go.”

“…”

“…Because my father always said so.”

Seeing Vivian mention her father made me consider that maybe not all her words were lies.

Perhaps she felt a certain sense of responsibility in sending the whole army into battle.

If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have brought up her father in the first place.

When the mention of Duke Rondore was made, Burgor’s expression slowly turned resolute.

“Understood.”

He straightened up and stated,

“I will do my utmost to ensure a safe journey.”

Vivian nodded.

Before long, Burgor’s aide Coleman brought Vivian’s horse over.

Vivian gently pet the horse for a while before climbing up with Coleman’s help.

I smiled as I watched her and then turned to head back to my position.

“Kyle!”

But just as I was about to leave, Vivian halted me.

With an expression of lingering embarrassment and slight irritation, she spoke to me.

“Where are you going? You should be in charge of me.”

“…”

A few members of the Punishment Unit snickered at her words.

It seemed more like they found it amusing to see me being teased by a friend rather than as a result of hostility towards me.

Just watching Balron, Willas, and Martin laugh the most was enough to tell that.

Feeling a tad embarrassed to be in such a position in front of them, I finally took hold of the reins.

.

.

.

As we approached the courtyard, where the entire army was prepared, the commanders of the knight orders were taken aback by Vivian dressed like a boy.

If it weren’t for her flowing red hair, they might not have believed it was actually her.

“Lady Vivian, what is this…?”

The commander of the 2nd Knight Order, Toros, mumbled much like Burgor.

Vivian looked at Burgor, and he explained on her behalf.

“An order has been issued for the entire army to depart, and Lady Vivian feels responsible and has decided to accompany us, just like the Duke did.”

At that, all the knights surrounding them murmured in awe.

They all showed positive reactions, just as they had in the Punishment Unit; some were surprised, and others impressed.

“We will do our best!”

Someone shouted. With that, everyone started chiming in.

“This is truly touching, Lady Vivian!”

“I will give it my all!”

“You are amazing!”

The lively atmosphere startled Vivian slightly. She kept casting sidelong glances at me, as if asking what to do.

Not knowing the answer myself, I pretended not to notice.

In the meantime, Vivian slyly raised her hand to show appreciation to the knights cheering for her.

During this commotion, Mordaine, the commander of the 3rd Knight Order, raised a question.

“Lady Vivian, then what about Lord Robert, who is supposed to be arriving?”

Vivian silenced for a moment before replying boldly.

“…He will have to wait for me.”

No one dared to argue against her audacity.

They merely nodded slowly, accepting Vivian’s choice.

Baelor then changed the subject and asked.

“Lady Vivian, which knight order will you be joining for this expedition?”

“…I will remain with this Punishment Unit.”

“That seems dangerous.”

Regardless, the boy soldiers in the Punishment Unit were brought here as prisoners.

Baelor pointed this out, but Vivian shot him a glare instead.

“…I appreciate it. Now you’re concerned for me.”

It seemed that Baelor had finally come to terms with Vivian’s attitude, as he didn’t show an overly intense reaction.

“But I will stay with the Punishment Unit.”

Vivian declared once more. Then, while surveying the gazes focused on her, she shouted.

“Everyone, come back safely. Depart as prepared.”

A resounding response echoed back.

The knights and the peasants shouted loudly in response to her commands.

Baelor, Toros, and Mordaine saluted and took their leave.

The Punishment Unit too organized themselves amid the commotion and set off.

****

As they left the castle and entered the vast plains of Roktana, Vivian realized something.

She was more excited about this journey than she had anticipated.

Though it was a sudden decision and action, from the moment she stepped out of the castle, it felt like she had left all her sadness behind and was filled only with calm joy.

The fragrant scent of nature wafted through the air. A gentle breeze brushed her hair.

The endless plains spread out before her, with tall and beautiful mountains visible here and there.

Wild animals frolicked about, and the boy soldiers walked along, chattering happily.

Everything was heart-pounding excitement.

It felt like an adventure, to the point she even looked forward to the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements at night.

How long had it been since she’d felt such emotions?

“…”

Vivian looked at the one who made all of this possible.

Kyle was now walking along, humming away without any concern for her.

If he hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have felt such simple joy and would have probably been trembling in the castle.

A massive two-handed sword was slung across Kyle’s back, and unlike usual, he appeared even stronger and more solid than before.

“…”

Suddenly, Vivian found herself thinking.

What would it have felt like if he had been her personal knight?

If they hadn’t met as enemies and instead he had grown up in Roktana and become her knight… how would she have viewed him then?

“…”

Vivian felt her heart flutter strangely again.

There was definitely something wrong with the spell. Even while walking, she couldn’t keep her heartbeat steady.

“Isn’t it nice to get out?”

Kyle asked out of the blue, oblivious to her thoughts.

Vivian jolted in surprise at his question.

Kyle looked at her oddly, waiting for her answer as if he didn’t mind that she was startled.

Seeing his expectant face made Vivian feel a bit annoyed.

She didn’t want to admit that he was right.

She didn’t want him to know she felt grateful towards him.

“…You’re just making me embarrassed.”

That’s why she replied gruffly.

Even with such a nasty response, Kyle merely smiled, looking back at her and then chuckling at her outfit.

Vivian was the one who ended up irritated by his reaction.

Ultimately, no matter what anyone said, it was she who dressed like a boy, not ladylike at all.

If Lady Linne saw her like this, she would surely faint.

Vivian couldn’t hold back her annoyance any longer, pulled her foot out of the stirrup, and gave Kyle’s head a good shove.

His face showed confusion at the sudden blow.

Seeing that expression made Vivian burst out laughing.

“Pfft…”

At the same time, the murmurs around her grew louder.

Some of the boy soldiers started whispering in surprise.

‘No way, to Kyle…’

‘Wow, what kind of courage…’

‘Looks like Lady Vivian is tougher than I thought…’

It seemed that Kyle’s notoriety wasn’t so low among the unit after all.

Vivian became flustered, gradually suppressing her laughter, and then…

Kyle had come to a halt, watching her smile.

With the surrounding reactions and Kyle’s sudden stop, Vivian realized and quickly covered her mouth, scrambling for an excuse.

“…You really just annoy me…”

“…”

But Kyle said nothing. He merely awkwardly cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head.

As he resumed walking, I could have sworn his ears were slightly red.

Aside from one watch unit, the 200 boy soldiers in the Punishment Unit divided themselves into four groups.

At the front was a boy soldier from the Punishment Unit named Yanes, leading the whole unit, followed by the watch unit, then Kyle’s group, and finally the remaining two groups.

Vivian, of course, was part of Kyle’s group.

Taking her position at the very center of the Punishment Unit, she looked around.

Suddenly, it hit her; she didn’t fully grasp the reality that she was their lord.

It felt overwhelming that such people were supporting someone as inadequate as her… Pressure began to weigh on her.

How many people were going into battle on her command? She could only understand that now that she was participating in it.

Even if it was a rational and logical choice, in the end, someone had to bear the burden.

“…Hah.”

When reality crashed in, the excitement in her heart settled down.

Kyle inquired when he noticed her sigh.

“Why the sigh?”

“…”

She didn’t want to answer but figured there was no need to hide her thoughts.

“I just can’t believe I’m leading these people.”

Kyle shrugged, as if it was nothing significant, and quickly disregarded it.

So, Vivian asked him.

“…What would you have felt in my position?”

“Huh?”

“You’re the eldest son of the Allen Family. If things had gone as they should have… you would have inherited the family.”

“…Things will still go that way for me.”

Vivian frowned.

“Who would let you go? You have to stay here.”

“…That was the deal if I won the bet.”

“That was only if you won. That future isn’t coming.”

For him to win, it required he be loved by the people of the territory or that he cry.

Neither sounded like a future that would come about easily.

Kyle seemed indifferent, letting go of the debate.

Then he returned to the previous topic and answered.

“Well, in my case… I’d probably just feel good. Isn’t it great that they’re all under me?”

“…”

That answer was so typical of Kyle that Vivian couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

His trivial words seemed to lighten Vivian’s heart too.

****

As her thighs began to ache, Vivian’s expression started to sour momentarily when Burgor up ahead called an end to the march.

‘Stop!’

His voice echoed from afar, causing my fellow soldiers to plop down onto the ground.

“That was tough, for sure…”

“…Finally, it’s over for today.”

I sighed in relief.

The fatigue from my legs had accumulated, making it tough.

I looked around.

There were sporadic trees sprouting from the ground.

The hills were erratically raised in various directions.

The sunset cast a gentle glow over the clear sky.

Everything seemed quite safe around us.

This was a decent place to spend the night.

I glanced back at Vivian, who was struggling to dismount her horse.

I reached out to her.

-Swoosh.

Her horse was too high for her to get down alone.

“…”

She blinked at my hand silently.

I stood quietly, not bothering to add any explanation.

-Swoosh.

Eventually, she slowly took my hand.

Our hands intertwined tightly. It felt like it had been the first time since that fire incident that we were this close.

With my assistance, she dismounted from her horse.

“…Thank you.”

She whispered, but I gave no response.

Meanwhile, Burgor stepped up to her to explain.

“Lady Vivian, please rest. We will camp here tonight. Yanes’ unit will go scout the area to ensure there are no dangers, and the rest will set up the lodging and prepare food. Tomorrow, we will likely engage in battle.”

“Yes.”

“If there’s anything uncomfortable, please do let me know. I might follow Yanes on the scout too, so I’ll leave Coleman here. If any dangerous situations arise, rely on him.”

“Yes, understood.”

While they were conversing, I pulled Vivian away and headed toward a distant tree.

This was where the real problem lay.

Could Vivian endure being around these odoriferous twits?

Everybody seemed awkward, behaving foolishly already right before my eyes.

I could see that she was having a hard time in the process.

I exhaled a sigh and tied the reins of my horse to a post.

As I turned my body around…

“…Yikes!”

“…”

Turning around, I found Vivian standing right behind me.

I had assumed she was having a chat with Burgor, so I thought she would be with Coleman… but she had been trailing me.

“…Why are you here?”

I asked, and Vivian grimaced.

Then she pointed behind her.

“I… I couldn’t just stand awkwardly among those people…”

The boy soldiers glanced over, unable to resist their curiosity, casting fierce looks my way.

If it were just one or two, it wouldn’t have been that noticeable, but seeing all 50 of them glancing this way was quite the sight.

“…”

I sighed through my nose.

Then I scolded Vivian again.

“They’re all your people, right?”

“But…”

“What, are you saying as a noble you can’t hang out with commoners? I live among those commoners too!”

“That’s not it…!”

I paused my baiting and thought for a moment.

Maybe because they were roughly the same age, Vivian might be able to find someone among her own people in this crowd.

With that thought, I composed myself.

“…Come on, follow me, I’ll introduce you.”

“What?”

I left a flustered Vivian behind and started walking.

Vivian fidgeted her feet, struggling, but ultimately followed me once again.

 

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