Ffsh!
A drop of hot stew liquid dropped onto Bastle's hand. The mixture of tomato and onion was ground into a soup for dipping.
The kingdom was beginning to spend more money on infantry, which prevented the tomatoes from rotting and kept the bread from going stale.
He did not flinch as the drop of soup landed on the back of his hand, splashing.
"The heat no longer bothers me like before, as it did in the past," Bastle quietly muttered.
Bastle sat at a campfire, surrounded by his fellow soldiers. They ate, and chat, and conversed. But he kept his head down, staring at his soup. Dipping and chewing.
"Hm. Food has gotten better around here, and there are many more food options. Especially with the blockade taken care of, imports have increased. Yet you still choose to eat that… creation of yours?"
When Bastle turned his head, he finally noticed Clementina sitting beside him.
Leaning against her, was the wooden handle of a large, refurbished axe. The clear white metal was lined at the blade with a darker metal.
— Even amidst her comrades, she still finds it necessary to hold her weapon. Even though we've pushed the forces so far back that they're practically outside of the island?
"It tastes good. I enjoy it."
Bastle answered quickly and sharply, holding no time for conversation. Clementina stared blankly, squinting.
"You know what I've noticed about you, Bastle?"
"What?"
"You try to push everyone away. You don't engage in conversation with anyone, you rarely eat with everyone else, and you always have this kind of threatening look on your face to scare people away."
"So what? Is there a problem with that?"
"What's making you adopt these… traits, Bastle? You're just a kid."
Bastle refuted quickly, almost interrupting her, "You're saying that like you know me."
"…"
With night fallen, cold breezes came through, scattering leaves across the air and carrying the earthy scent of spring.
With hardened resolve, and a desire to escape the uncomfortable confrontation, Bastle held the wooden bowl with two hands, gulping down the soup.
"…"
Clementina stared with an amused expression on her face.
He wiped the remaining residue off his lips with his sleeve, and stood up quickly, turning to walk to his barracks.
"You'll break eventually, Bastle! And you'll want to talk to everyone in the battalion!" Clementina yelled, cupping her hands to her mouth.
Bastle walked toward the barracks with his hands in his pockets. A few seconds during his walk, he let out a huge sigh.
"Come out already."
"You knew I was there the whole time?"
Out of the shadows cast by the trees, an elven boy stepped into the light.
"Of course I did, General Lunan de Mumixir. Any reason for you to be tailing me like this?" Bastle spoke with his back turned to Lunan.
Lunan quietly sighed, before the ends of his lips curved just slightly, in his own silent amusement.
— Even though I masked my mana. Despite his age, he is very perceptive.
"I was just observing you."
"For what purpose?"
Lunan did not respond, only walking closer toward the boy, until he reached a shoulder-to-shoulder distance.
Lunan whispered into his ear.
"… I see. So it's like that."
"It's indeed like that. So, why don't you come with me? To make things easier?"
"Like I would do that!"
Base unhooked his scabbard from his waist, pulling the sword out of its sheath. He pointed the tip toward Lunan.
The unarmed Lunan balled his fists, raising them.
Fwsh!
In a single quick movement, Lunan was cut down. He fell to the ground, the clean-cut leaving no blood.
He quickly sheathed his sword.
Suddenly, a voice was heard. Low and feminine.
"You've made it much easier for me. Feeling that you were backed into a corner, knowing your personality, it was obvious what you were going to do."
The voice came from a cloaked individual who stood several meters away, coming from the barracks.
Tap. Tap. Tap!
Her slow footsteps grew quickly, turning into a full sprint.
"Two in one! I'll finish you off quickly, and make this painless for you!"
At her side was a silver rapier.
Bastle smirked. Despite her still being several meters away from him, he swiped.
Swsh!
The wind from his strike blew her hood off her coat.
Freely flowing white hair with brownish highlights. Cheeky light brown eyes, which was different from her usual shy, timid expression.
One of the great generals of Anore. Liluth Muradrus!