Chapter 159: One Who is Watched Over

***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 159 One Who is Watched Over***

*1 ken = about 1.8 meters, 1 ri = about 400 meters.

Without saying a word, Gallen walked down the corridor to the snow-covered balcony.

Krische followed behind him and looked up at Gallen.

"Regarding the dragon incident, he heard the general details from Selene and the others. It's not that I can't understand the situation or your feelings. There's another thing I want to ask you about...about the nobles who died in the capital the night you left.''

Gallen looked at Krische, his eyes sharp.

In Krische's memories, it was the first time he had ever looked at her that way.

"Did you kill them?"

"...Yes, Grandpa."

"Then, close your eyes."

She closed her eyes as was told.

Even with her eyes closed, she somehow understood what he was going to do.

The sound of a hand swinging――she restrained her body, which immediately tried to avoid it, and endure it.

"Hg......?"

But she didn't feel the pain she expected.

Gallen's hand only gently touched Krische's cheek.

She opened her eyes timidly, and Gallen looked sadly at Krische.

"Why don't you avoid it? It should be easy for you."

"...Krische, did something not good. If Ojii-sama gets angry because of it, Krische thought Krische should put up with it."

Gallen sighed, rubbed his brow, and leaned against the door.

"Did you do it understanding it wasn't good?"

What followed was a gentle voice, like a grandfather asking his grandchild.

"yes. But...Krische doesn't think it's a bad thing either. Krische simply eliminated the people who Kreschenta would one day judge first."

Krische looked up and stared at Gallen.

"If you see a wolf near a village, kill it before it causes any damage. Even if it's a baby, if you don't do that, the wolf will eventually attack the village and kill people. ...Ojii-sama taught me that long ago."

"...I did say that."

"Because Krische neglected to do that, Bery, who had done nothing wrong, was stabbed. It's not a good thing, but Krische thought it was necessary because the rules weren't followed, and Selene and the others were also worried while Krische was away."

Krische thinks for a moment, her gaze flicking from side to side as if searching for the words.

"Even when the village was attacked by bandits, Krische released them as bad people. If Krische had dealt with them quickly, Kaa-sama and Tou-sama wouldn't have died...Krische actually thinks that would have been the best thing. There should be exceptions...shouldn't we eliminate such dangers as soon as possible?"

There's nothing good about putting it off.

As Kreschenta said, it was a theory.

Things are irreversible.

"Krische wants to be a good girl, but Krische still thinks we should do what is necessary before it becomes irreversible, rather than what is right or wrong, or what the rules dictate. ......But Krische also thinks it's natural to be angry because, and that it's something Krische has to put up with, so Krische also thought that if Ojii-sama got angry, then Krische should take the punishment."

Gallen listened to the words in silence, closing his eyes.

Krische was silent as well, and silence filled the room for a while.

Gallen was the one who opened his mouth first before Krische, who was hesitant.

"...If you think it's right, I don't mind. I don't think it's wrong, and my personal thoughts aren't that far off from yours."

"...?"

"When you see a wolf, kill it. Like you say, in fact, we lost a lot of lives in the village by neglecting to do that. Even with Bogan, it might have been avoided if I had firmly held the side."

'Though it's all in the past', Gallen continues.

When Gallen returned from the battlefield, he discarded his sword and became a mere hunter rather than a vigilante.

Or, if he had listened to the words of the vigilante leader Zarl and made himself the center of the vigilante group, he might have been able to deal with the situation better.

Such regrets were piling up on his aging body.

However, these were nothing but regrets, and they were the result of his own actions.

Regretting now would not bring anything back to him.

"I believe that sometimes there is more right and wrong than rules and social right and wrong. If you understand all this and come to a conclusion, then I have nothing to say. ...That's one way to be a powerful noble.

Gallen looked up at the sky.

The sun was shining dazzlingly, but it was not enough to melt the snow.

"Nobles are one who stands above others and sets the norms of things. Society and its right and wrong are merely what many nobles have created in the past. However, there was no great distortion in the structure, and the people were convinced of the nobles' actions――and thus the society was maintained. Understand first that society is based on such understanding. In essence, it is no different from the rules that existed in the village.''

"...The village rules?"

"Yes. Countries and villages have different scales. Therefore, their mechanisms and rules may seem to be very different, but they are essentially the same. It's something that everyone agrees on."

Gallen said, 'let me see', and started walking, leaning against the railing.

"Krische, try to forget your existence once."

"Huh...?"

"For example, imagine you are Grace. You're not smart, you're clumsy, and you can't even swing a sword like now. You wouldn't even be able to defend yourself."

"...That's right. It's impossible for Kaa-sama to do that."

What did he want to say? Krische tilted her head but did as she was told.

Krische nodded thoughtfully.

"Laws and rules are, in the end, meant to help the weak spend their days in peace...The reason why the powerless are happy to be bound by them is because they believe that as long as they abide by them, they will be given peace of mind (relief). It may seem bothersome to you at times, but that is only because you have the strength and wisdom to resort to such measures."

Krische approached Gallen, and Gallen stared at Krische and petted her.

Gallen bent his waist and matched the height of his gaze with Krische's.

"If you kill someone, they say you're evil. But if you kill someone in battle, you're a hero. Don't you think it's strange? What do you think is the difference?"

"...A justification for protecting the community or not?"

"Taking it to the extreme that's how it is. Everyone is afraid of being killed, so killing someone is defined as evil.' This is the logic of the weak――for example, if everyone had enough strength to not be killed, it would not be treated that way. No one wants to be killed, and no one wants their relatives to be killed either. ...That's why killing is considered evil.''

At least that's one answer, Gallen thinks.

Right and wrong (good and evil) is like that, no such thing as compassion.

It is caused by a selfish mindset.

"But in war, the enemy wants to threaten our society, so it is rather just to kill them. Good and evil are simple things, they are made to suit the weak, and because they are convenient, they are accepted by many."

Krische remembered the village of Kalka——Bery's word.

Gallen's words were probably close to that.

"This time it's the same. You broke the law and killed many nobles in order to protect the small world of Christand, the weak people around you.... You are certainly just on one side. It protected Christand from foreign enemies."

It sounded like he was praising her, but his tone was not in a complimentary way.

"But if you look at it in the big world of a country, you're still evil after all. You must be a terrifying existence to many powerless people, thinking only of your small world and punishing those who cause you harm. At least many of the weak——the nobles must have felt their peace of mind (relief) threatened by you."

Squinting his eyes sadly, Gallen continues.

"And fear will always turn to hostility. They fear you now, and they will follow you. But it may become a root of disaster that will threaten you and your surroundings again in ten or twenty years time. That's what it means to deprive the weak of the security of being protected by the law...Are you going to repeat the same thing every time?"

"That's..."

Krische wavered her gaze as if lost.

*Thud*, as if touching her.

Gallen hits Krische on the forehead with his fist.

"That's a stupid thing. You know that much, right?"

"...Yes. It's stupid."

There was no pain, but there was weight in it.

The feeling of being hit for the first time made her head dizzy.

The fact that she was scolded by the gentle Gallen was very shocking.

At least, the shock resounded dully within her.

"Bery was stabbed and the situation being what it was. At least I don't blame you. But don't look at things shortsightedly. ...At least because of what you did, Her Majesty the Queen, Selene, Faren-dono——various people were worried about your safety, and suffered various hardships on your behalf. That's why the capital is so calm. First of all, be grateful for that."

"......yes"

"......good girl"

Gallen smiled and stroked her smooth hair.

He then raised himself up and put his hand on the railing.

"Five years or ten years from now... anyway, I won't have long to live. I want to watch over you forever in place of Grace and Gorka, but life expectancy is the one thing you can't do anything about."

"Ojii-sama..."

Gallen laughed, thinking that there wouldn't be much of this kind of nagging.

"Then, when my lifespan comes to an end, I want to depart without any regrets, thinking that you will be fine even without me. Many people, including Bery, care about you and support you. I don't have that many concerns now, but..."

Then he looked firmly into Krische's eyes.

He gently cupped her cheek with his hard palm.

"Regardless of whether you want it or not, you are no longer just a village girl. From now on, think about things from a wider and longer perspective than just your surroundings. Also, take care of those close to you. That's what it means to be an adult."

"......yes"

"You are fortunate to be surrounded by many people to learn from. They will all be good examples for you."

After saying that, Gallen stroked Cliché's head again.

Krische looked up at Gallen and wrapped her arms around him.

"Well, it's not something that will happen overnight....Your life has just begun, so you should take your time and think about it."

"Ehehe... yes, Ojii-sama."

That figure of his granddaughter was far from that of an adult.

With a wry smile, Gallen started walking with her.

When they returned, Selene looked relieved.

After exchanging a few words, she went to her work.

It seems that she stayed behind because she was worried about Krische, and when Gallen pointed it out, her face turned red and she ran away.

The Black Flag Special Force personnel had already returned to the training grounds, and Krische then went with Gallen to look around the place, which had been left unattended for a while.

In addition to the first Jarea Gashea that had been left alone, two more had been assembled.

Nagal, who told Krische that Bery had been stabbed, seems to have been worried about her absence for quite some time.

He repeatedly muttered thank goodness, thank goodness, and looked completely relieved.After such a reunion, he put on his military face and enthusiastically showed the mass-produced Jarea Gashea, which had been stripped of its unnecessary parts.

With the current workforce, they could manufacture at most two units per month.

Regardless of whether or not an increase in personnel was necessary, they told her that there was a limit to the underground laboratory, and that it was necessary to allocate new workshops.

It seems that Selene has already dealt with this, and it seems that the tower where Krische was once imprisoned——the warehouse nearby will be used as a temporary workshop.

It may eventually become too cramped there, but that's for the future.

In the future, a large-scale manufacturing plant will be built in Royal Capital, but it has not yet been used in actual warfare.

That was enough for a while.

After that, they headed to inspect the various corps and went to the Black Flag Special Forces training site surrounded by trees.

"Aleha, it's no good, you know. Krische is wounded, so Krische shouldn't be doing any training for a while."

Hat on, scarf wrapped around, and gloves.

Fully protected from the cold winter Krische put her hands on her hips and glared at Aleha as soon as she saw him.

Maybe she really doesn't like it, but it was a very rare line for Krische.

Aleha smiled wryly while brushing his brown hair and shook his head.

"Hahaha......Of course, I would never do something like asking an injured person, Krische-sama, for help."

"...Then that's fine though."

"After your injury is healed, please have a bout with me."

But Aleha is a strong person.

He took a step closer and said that.

Krische took a step back

"K-Krische is pretty badly injured, so it might be far in the future."

"Then that means you can join us as long as the injuries are healed."

"Eh, uh... th-that's uhh..."

"Because I missed the opportunity the other day... It's been a long time since then. It's partly to make up for that time, and even though injured, and couldn't train, the kingdom's model for warriors, Alberinea——Krische-sama, surely have been concerned about it. That, if it's like this, it won't set a good example for the subordinates."

The members of the Black Flag Special Forces look in amazement at the exchange that has become a regular occurrence since he arrived.

Alberinea, who usually swung around the people around her, is weak against rational pushes.

"T-that's certainly true, but..."

"Once Krische-sama injuries have healed, I'll be your partner to your heart's content. Please call me when you do."

"Ugh..."

"Adjutant Aleha, don't pick on Usa-chan like that."

It's a Krische that could be sold who knows somewhere the next day if caught by a bad-natured pedant.

Kalua sends out a rescue boat even as she was exasperated, hugging Krische from behind and glaring at Aleha.

"Saying such a scandalous thing. It's just a normal conversation between a subordinate and a superior."

"It looks really very criminal to me, though. Hey, Usa-chan, let's leave the scary Onii-san here, and let's go over there and reapply the bandages."

"...? Kahlua, the bandages were just changed this morning..."

Krische tilted her head troublingly,

"Okay, stop there."

"Agh"

"If anything, Kalua is the one more criminal here, geez."

Mia tugged at Kalua's hair and sighed.

"Uu, like I said, don't pull like that."

"It's because Kahlua always says stupid things."

Mia raised her eyebrows and tugged at the horsetail-like hair.

Krische looked at Mia in wonder.

"Mia, how is the squad doing?"

"Yes, Krische-sama. The current number of personnel is 247. The selection for training archers has been completed, and a total of 67 people, 13 of whom are former hunters, are continuing to train as they are qualified. Most of them are new recruits, and based on Gallen-sama's suggestion, Commander Dagra decided to mix it in with hand-to-hand combat training and continue archery training in parallel."

It takes time to become proficient with a bow.

One month is enough to learn how to shoot arrows to a certain extent, but it takes a long time to improve one's skills.

After a certain amount of intensive training, it was necessary to continue training in parallel with hand-to-hand combat.

"It would be better to have them draw the bow every day, especially when it comes to rapid training. At least until the sensation becomes ingrained in their bodies. Krische knows why me and Gorka went into the forest every day, right?"

Gallen, who had been talking with Dagra, said.

The Kalka hunters would go into the forest at least once a day to draw their bows, even if they were not hunting for prey, unless there was a storm.

This was so as to make their senses dull.

Especially in the darkness of forests covered with trees and in the darkness of night when there is little light.

In such places, an optical illusion causes the aim to shift slightly above the target.

It was necessary to make the body memorize this sensation, which was different from that of the plains during the daytime, and it was necessary to develop the habit of capturing the target not with a point (dot) but with a plane.

"Yes. Um... Krische doesn't really know how to adjust that, so Krische'll leave it to Bald Eagle and the Ojii-sama."

The first time she picked up a bow, she could hit the center of the target within the day.

Krische did not understand the difficulty of the bow.

The same goes for the sword——Krische never touched the planning of basic training, leaving everything to his subordinates.

She would present the minimum standards required, give them what they needed for that training, and that would be the end of it.

If it was Dagra and Gallen's decision, she would not interfere.

"What about throwing spears?"

"In particular, long distance throwing is improving steadily. Everyone is working hard."

"Fumufumu..."

Javelin throwing is supposed to be done at the end of training and in a state of fatigue, especially when throwing metal training spears——The so-called "Nightmare Ten Throws'' was particularly unpopular with new recruits, but the training was highly effective.

"Kalua was really surprising. Last week, she threw an ordinary throwing spear almost one ri away."

"Eheh, now Usa-chan, praise me, praise me."

"Hmm, what's the average?"

"About seventy to eighty ken (125~145m)."

The effective range of the bow is at most 100 ken. If it's an elite longbow, it's about 120 to 140 ken.

A soldier's throwing spear average is 20 to 30 ken. If it's a specialized light skirmisher, it's a little over 30 ken.

Nearly 1 ri――It's not bad if she could throw 200 ken.

That's more than double the average of the Black Flag Special Forces, and was more than a longbow.

Krische reached behind her head and patted Kalua appropriately while thinking about it a little.

"That's a passing score. Krische'll praise you."

"Well, I'm no match for Usa-chan though."

"It's no good if Kalua is satisfied with that. Kalua is taller than Krische and has more advantages, so Krische needs to be able to throw farther than Krische. Kalua still has a long way to go."

Krische said to Kalua while patting who rested her chin on Krische's shoulder.

Considering the physical ability of a magic possessor, it is only natural that they can throw twice as much as an ordinary person.

And for Krische, the definition of a good thrower is a complete theoretical value that utilizes toes to fingertips.

Kahlua's throwing spear, which was unimaginable for ordinary people, was still so-so for her.

The new recruits who were listening to the conversation looked at her in bewilderment.

They had heard that she, who looked very small, could throw a spear that could collapse the castle walls, but after seeing Kalua's spear, which made a roaring sound that could not be thought of as a spear, it was hard to imagine a more powerful spear.

"Mia, that's not a bad number, but as Krische said before, Krische's hope is to average over a hundred ken for the time being. It would be much easier if you could aim with a throwing spear from outside the archer's effective range, and you could incorporate it as a tactic even in a head-on decisive battle that does not rely on ambushes. Please make them work harder."

The reason why the bow cannot strike a fatal blow in a frontal curved fire is because of its weight.

If the arrow is made heavier, range is compromised, and if it is made lighter, penetration is compromised.

Arrows inevitably had their limitations.

However, if it were spears, it would be able to inflict fatal blows beyond the limits of what the common soldiers' armor and shields could prevent.

Killing an opponent unilaterally without taking any risks.

That was always the only result Krische was looking for, and what she was looking for was the means to achieve it.

"Eh...?"

"Bald Eagle always tells you not to talk back right. Mia, are you sure you're doing everything you can?"

"I-I'm pretty good at it, uh, I'd say it's above average this time...I'm a pretty good thrower, okay?"

"No. Kalua, you have to properly train Mia. This kind of thing won't show unless the person instructing the training does it properly."

"Hmm, Mia has a habit of doing things by force."

"Kalua shut up. It's fine if it flies."

"Let's do our best, Adjutant Mia. No matter how slow and dull Adjutant Mia's motor skills are, I, the head of the Kalua special operations team, will teach her everything she needs to know. You can say 'Please teach me Kalua-sensei' you know."

"You..."

"Usa-chan, Deputy Mia says she can't follow Usa-chan's orders. She can't ask her subordinates to teach her――Uhg."

"I told you not to do that! Krische-sama will take them seriously..."

Mia pulled Kahlua's cheek and glared at her.

Krische was a little annoyed by the exchange going on behind her head, but nodded, thinking that it's a good thing that they get along well.

In Krische's mind, the tugging cheek was an affectionate gesture.

"Well, things are going well in general. We've added more people to training...the Piririn team seems to be doing their job seriously too. Bald Eagle."

"Yes ma'am"

"As Krische said before, this time we will take out the escort team Kilik and the others, and there will be up to 300 new Piririn. As soon as Piririn is finished, please give the Piririn team a suitable vacation. Cliché will give you another job. Krische will give them other duties, so please be prepared for that."

"Understood. The selection team――no, no, I'll contact Team Leader Piririn, Daz again.''

Krische, who was dissatisfied with the name of the sorting squad, looked at Dagura who rephrased and nodded in satisfaction.

"The official name is Piririn Squad, right? We allow people to call them that outside of the squad, but Bald Eagle have to be proper in these areas. It would be a problem if there were any misunderstandings about the name when giving orders, wouldn't it?"

"M-my apologies..."

Unable to endure it, Kalua turned her face away and shook her shoulder, while Dagra glared at her.

Noticing this, Kalua immediately grabbed Krische's slender waist, lifted her up, placed her between herself and Dagra, and hid behind her.

A shield against Dagra――even the Dagra cannot glare at Kalua, who was right behind Krische.

He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"...? Well, for now, please always use the official name when giving orders and reports. It's a Piririn team, so the official name is New Piririn."

"Yes ma'am....I-I'll be careful from now on, Master Cliche."

Gallen smiled wryly at Dagra's state, and Mia pitied the Pirrin group――Daz and the others.

Krische seems to like the name Piririn.

In the end, from now on, they will always be called that by her.

How Pitiful

"If you understand, that's fine. Guess that's about it..."

Krische moved her lips and leaned against Kahlua.

The sun was already beginning to set, and after walking around and looking at everything, even though it was an inspection tour, Krische's wounds were not fully healed.

There was a little lethargy in her body.

Kahlua patted her head and asked her if she was okay.

"Krische is fine. But Krische've finished what Krische ness to do, so Krische will go home today."

"I see. Well, Usa-chan had just recovered after all, so should I send Usa-chan home?"

"It's okay."

Krische says happily and smiles.

"Usa-chan should have gotten some dragon blood too... Oh no, I guess that would make her too energetic. It did say something like it's too strong... What about Bery-san?"

"Um, better. She was out in the garden today...but, yeah, Krische didn't think about it too much....Bery said she's feeling better, so Krische think she's okay but"

Krische said worriedly, and Kalua was deep in thought.

"Hmmm, she's probably the kind of person who's going to bear it and be considerate to others whatever happens, so Usa-chan should take a proper look at her. If she's really fine, then that's fine, but"

"...Yes. There's a lot more fluff on her body than before, so there may be some strange things about it."

That was probably the only visible change.

The magic power is slightly different from the previous Bery.

Maybe it's because it mixed with the dragon's magic power――She didn't think there was much of a problem with the increase itself, but there might be a sensory issue.

Especially since Berry's body is not very strong, she uses magical powers on a daily basis like Krische and Kreschenta.

If there was a change in magical power, it would have some effect on that part, but Bery didn't say anything.

Was it only an error or discomfort, or perhaps because she did not want Krische to be worried.

Berry, as Kalua said, seemed like she wouldn't say a word if something like that happened, and Krische needed to be more careful than usual.

"Thank you. Krische was just told by Ojii-sama at lunch that Krische should be more aware of the surroundings. ...Come to think of it, Krische was too happy to properly care about Bery more than anyone else."

Krische said and lowered her eyes.

Kalua smiled bitterly and pinched Krische's cheek.

"Look, look, you can't make that face. I'm just a little worried about her, and it's more likely that we're worrying too much. It's a big blow to Bery-san if Usa-chan makes that kind of face. Look, smile, smile."

Kalua smiled while forcing the corner of Krische's mouth to turn up.

Mia looked at Kalua completely exasperated.

No matter how much Krische was a person who did not care about formality, she was still royalty and a military man with a rank second only to that of Marshal.

She was essentially a being above the clouds.

Yet, she was completely treated like a child――even though it's as usuals, is that really okay?

However, that is one of the good things about her she thought. She giggled and looked at Dagra and Gallen.

"Commander, Gallen-sama, is there anything else for Krische-sama?"

"No. Anyway, it's true that Krische-sama's wounds haven't healed. It would be better for her to take a rest for a while...Krische-sama, at present, there are no problems and everything is progressing smoothly. If anything happens, I'll contact you again. Please rest until your wounds heal."

"Nn... yes. Bald Eagle should also take turns with Mia and Aleha and take a proper rest. You can't overdo it, Bald Eagle had also been stabbed after all."

Dagra laughed happily and patted his side.

"Haha, that was a long time ago. Don't worry about it...However, I'll keep it in mind."

Gallen also looked at the situation and nodded with satisfaction.

"It's part of the job to rest. Please tell that Bery next time you see her."

"Yes, Ojii-sama. See you next time."

"Yeah."

After Krische finished, Kalua immediately took her hand.

"Then Princess, I will accompany you..."

"Um, Kahlua? Krische is fine..."

"It's okay, it's okay, Usa-chan is an injured person after all."

Kalua said that and tried to pull Krische's hand――Dagra called to Kalua in a low voice.

"Kalua...I have a lot of things to say to you later. Don't think you can always get away like that."

"Ugh..."

"Haa, really, why are you so... Well, it's fine. For now, I'd like you to Krische-sama and go see your little sister's face. I'll leave the sermon after that."

"Yes~......"

"Brief answers, you idiot."

"Yes commander, Squad Leader of the Black Flag Special Forces Squadron, I will now be assigned to protect Alberinea."

When Kalua clicked her heels and saluted him, Dagra rubbed his temples and sighed.

If it weren't for this, he would have nothing to say about her, but he had a headache looking at her.

She was outstandingly talented, but this was a source of concern for Dagra.

"Then let's go, Usa-chan. I'll ask Elvena to make some tea for me."

"Yes."

"...Kahlua is really cunning, isn't he?"

"Fufun, I hope you call me smart."

"That's what they call cunning."

Mia also let out a sigh, just like Dagra, and smiled at the sight of Krische being led by her hand.