Felix's Point Of View

"Oh~ Felix you asshole! You look good in that new uniform of yours! You would look even better if not for it being covered in muddy swamp water!" My older brother Ryder chimes as I approach him.

His wide lips are curled into a grin at my pitiful state as he compares it to his own clean appearance and his smoothed back brown hair... meanwhile I am covered in half dried swamp water and smelling like rotten eggs, mentally exhausted from the meeting of our village elder and the Lady... The difference is clear as night and day...

Still, as expected of my older brother. He has the guts to tease me after the nightmare I just went through. The Lady truly looked like she was going to rip our elder to pieces. The Elder wasn't being polite either, since she was high on spirit snake poison to greet the snake we brought back... I still cannot shake off the feeling of discomfort.

"Shaddup Ryder, it's just you that looks like a fopdoodle," I grumble... and yet I still end up grinning back at him.

Ryder's eyes widen for a moment before his lips turn into a grin.

"Fopdoodle? Where in the world did you learn that?"

He jerks his head towards the general store in a hint to change location.

"One of my unit mates has a very colorful vocabulary with these things," I joke mildly as we make our way into the general store. It has grown a bit larger since last I was home... Ryder has actually adapted to this life quite well since we got it running. It's the only general store in Plymfell, but it makes deliveries to the other villages too.

Ryder moves to the counter and pulls out a couple of chairs. He tends to talk with people a lot here, so I guess that's why he kept extra chairs. He sits down and watches me quietly for a moment.

"Felix. Won't you say here?" His brows furrow and his eyes narrow. We return to the same old argument. I move a hand to the back of my head and scratch it as I pull off the ribbon tying it together.

"We've talked about this before, Ryder. I am not suited for a desk job. If anything I am amazed how you adjusted to it. You used to be one of the best trackers too, now you're wasting away behind a general store desk," I shoot back at him. Ryder, as expected, just sighs for a moment... but he doesn't let it go that easily.

"You are going to war this time... it's not like your usual tracking missions from the black market... your life is at stake here more so than ever. They may give you pretty equipment, expensive lessons and pretty promises, but you won't be the same when you return... if... you return," he speaks in a heavy and... somber tone. I understand his worry... but... I decided this is where I want to be, so I grit my teeth and endure my older brother's worry.

"I have been given the chance of a lifetime, Ryder... we grew up hunting snakes just to get by and to eat. We have neither parents nor grandparents... all dead... for me to be given the role of a knight is more than we could ever have hoped for when we were orphans. I cannot live the same peaceful life as you, Ryder," I reply softly... but Ryder doesn't let up.

"The general store is going well! You can track and hunt as we used to, you won't be bored."

I smile a bit.

"But I won't make a difference for anyone here, Ryder..."

We both go quiet for a while and let the silence spread. I'm not the only one going. Every single member in our units have someone waiting for them at home. For me, my only family member just happens to be here... right before we head into the mountains and the battlefield. It is a part people like to forget... that there are people behind those going to war... that even the 'enemy' have people close to them... I wonder if Peony has someone too...

"What do you need?" He finally asks, bringing the subject to business. He's probably just delaying the argument until he finds something to convince me. He will likely try to stop me once more when morning comes.

"Winter clothes, spike additions. We aren't properly equipped for entering the mountains."

---*---

After dealing with the preparations for the rest of our journey I headed back to help the others set up our tent. Each tent provides sleeping arrangements for ten men, as such it's easy to spot the others among the ten tents being set up... however... to my... great disappointment... Peony has run off. That guy just really has a tendency of running off and doing whatever he finds within the boundaries of rules without considering the feelings of the people around him. No, perhaps he considers it and just doesn't care... but either way it is a pain since I'm his baby sitter from when we stop marching... and I lost all sight of him.

I... just exactly managed to everything done when once again I was called... and this time by the village elder. She peered at me tiredly. She was coming down from the high... her skin was pale and her wrinkles seemed deeper than ever. The spirit snake poison was still poison despite its supernatural effects... it was incredible that she had lived this long despite that... but... she was looking terribly fragile today.

"Child, you do us great honor standing by a lord's side. You have come far from the brat you used to be. You have fulfilled your role well, however, I will need to speak with your lord once more about her... role in this world." Her voice is strained, and it glows with a fire I haven't seen in her eyes for many years.

"As you wish, Elder Willow."

I kneel for a moment and then turn away. The words Elder willow told us as she drew the shape of our Lady's soul lingers with me...

---*---

The Lady finally stepped out of her den when dinner came about... of course the little squabble between Mike and Darius ended up taking her attention first... needless to say I began getting anxious as Elder Williow herself started getting impatient... her knees were getting weak and she started leaning up more against the staff... was this going to be okay?

When the Lady finally stepped out of her den she was halted immediately by Elder Willow... and thus I let them be. Rather, by the look of Elder Willow... it was not a meeting I was allowed to attend.

---*---

I of course slipped down next to the others with a clay plate with roasted snake, a pipe with leaves of the swamp grasses and a minty freshness. Next to that, our alcohol based on water wheat. It's the only sort of grain we can produce here, but at least it makes quite strong alcohol.

I glance to Vitis and Asher talking happily and awkwardly grimacing at the taste of the snake meat. I scootch up closer and pull out my jar of water wheat wine.

"Want some?"

They both look at me and pull out a mug.

"Not too much, I don't actually intend to get drunk," Vitis cautions me as I pour. Of course I pour a bit more than he asks for. Vitis raises an eyebrow and shakes his head with a grin.

"If I'm drunk tomorrow you're getting a beating," he cautions me. Of course I'm not worried about him being drunk. Both of them can drink plenty without actually getting drunk. As expected Vitis grimaces at the taste. His brows are all furrowed and his nose scrunches up like a prune. It's quite different from the beer they are used to ehehehe~

I happily fill the second cup without hesitance and then the third, all to watch more grimaces...

Wait... Third?

The third cup rises out of view and I follow it up to the bright and... unexpectedly happy sounding voice coming from above.

"Oh~ it's sake! As expected of you Felix. You know where to get the best things."

The Lady appeared!

Wasn't she talking with Elder Willow?!

"He- Li- Celeste-sama!" Asher stutters out and immediately gets up and looks at our Lady with hints of worry. Her small body won't handle alcohol well, especially not things this strong. I'm not sure what she is confusing this with, but it's not water!

The Lady just hums happily and sips the alcohol without hesitance with a hand on her hip. A pleasant smile spreads on her lips and her eyes close... she hums again and looks like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders...

Why does she look like she's used to this?! No, why does she look like drinking it is actually pleasant?! Who tainted our Lady's taste buds to this extent? Asher?!

I look to Asher, but he appears more surprised than me... and wanting to tell her that there may be huge side effects to this... but he's unable to express it since the Lady actually looks happy and pleased. That is to say... she can actually smile.

Rudder pulls out a chair for the Lady to sit on, and after a bit of internal deliberation she sits down.

"Now! I hear you guys have plenty of foolish questions for me. I'll do you the favor of answering some of them!" She calls out in a visibly good mood and noms down a piece of snake meat in a rather graceful movement. Ah... she really is like a cat... look at that cat-like arrogance in her eyes like she's at the top of the world. Like a cat going 'give me food, petty human!'.

She's drunk already, isn't she?

"Did you possess that body?"

...Who asked that?!

"I did not. I was reincarnated into this body and received the memories of a previous life after a near death experience. See, a foolish question appeared."

...She's completely and utterly drunk, isn't she? No but... considering that her soul has the shape of a magic beast rather than a human... I don't know which one is worse. At least she appears to be in a good mood.

Though, I suppose answering questions like this is... in some ways better than leaving them unanswered. I mean, we already know she's a girl, and that she commanded an army at the age of eight... in fact... it would make more sense to believe she actually does have memories of her past life. But if she's going to answer questions, then I have some as well.