Episode 29
By the time the day was nearly over, we arrived at an inn in Mejalo, a suburban town south of the imperial capital.
Apparently, one of the members had come ahead of us and already reserved the rooms.
“…I thought we’d be pitching tents outdoors.”
That was a bit unexpected. I had assumed we’d be sleeping rough, but the place we arrived at was a proper inn made of sturdy stone walls.
“Kallen, you didn’t book a nice place just because of me, did you?”
“Of course not. If we were in the middle of nowhere, we’d pitch tents, but this is still a city. No need to sleep outside when there are proper facilities.”
At that moment, the member in charge of booking approached Antonio with disciplined steps.
“I booked the usual—two people per room. Of course, I made sure the commander and Kallen each have their own. Uh, but that person over there…”
The member looked puzzled as he glanced at me, clearly unsure who I was.
“Didn’t I mention a new recruit might be joining?”
“I-I’m terribly sorry! I just heard it was a ‘Vessel,’ so I didn’t think you’d actually hire her…”
From the sound of it, my joining was quite a surprise to them.
After all, I wasn’t an official mage—just a ‘Vessel,’ someone who needed to receive magic infusion from others to gain power.
“Then there are two options. Josephine, you’ll have to choose who to share a room with.”
Antonio said, and I could feel his gaze settling on the side of my face. Maybe I was imagining it.
At that moment, Kallen raised his hand.
“I’ll share with Miss Josephine!”
“You will?”
“Yes. Who else would, if not me?”
A brief silence followed. Finally, Antonio nodded and said, “Do as you like,” and walked upstairs with the others.
“Ah, we didn’t ask Miss Josephine for her opinion. I snore a bit—will that be okay?”
“It’s fine. I’m a heavy sleeper.”
I did briefly consider rooming with Antonio. After all, to receive magic infusion, physical contact was required—and I couldn’t very well press our mucous membranes together in public.
But suggesting we share a room would surely raise eyebrows among the others.
I was eager to grow stronger, but I had to be cautious. Once, I had considered him just a friend… but now, he was my superior and comrade.
“Miss Josephine, shall we go up? Let’s unpack and head to dinner!”
The room we were shown was spacious enough for two and more well-kept than the private quarters I had used back at Ruby Palace.
“Ah right, you should speak casually with the others. That way, the members won’t be intimidated by you.”
I agreed. We’d be spending a lot of time together, and if I was comfortable, they would eventually be too.
Downstairs, the inn’s dining area was lively like a market square. The knights were gathered around long wooden tables, chatting loudly.
“Alright, let’s keep the orders simple. How about chicken soup for everyone?”
Bartol, apparently in charge of ordering, sought everyone’s agreement. The members readily agreed.
…What do I do?
Since I gained the ability to understand birds, I hadn’t been able to eat poultry. The chickens raised in the palace courtyard were all incredibly devoted. They viewed giving to humans as a noble duty.
That’s exactly why I couldn’t bring myself to eat them.
But I hesitated to speak up, afraid of being seen as a picky, arrogant princess.
“Is something wrong?”
Antonio, sitting across from me, noticed my unease.
His question gave me the courage to speak up.
“Could I have lentil soup instead?”
“Ah, yes! Of course!”
Bartol answered with a big smile.
“…I’ll have the same.”
Antonio suddenly chimed in.
“Huh? Commander, I thought you didn’t like meatless food—said it didn’t fill you up…”
“Stop talking and just order. I feel like my stomach is stuck to my spine.”
Kallen shoved Bartol forward to the counter, and Bartol placed the order with a puzzled look.
The lentil soup arrived. The moment I tasted it, my eyes lit up. It was nutty, savory, and perfectly seasoned. Maybe it was the hunger from all that riding, but it tasted incredible.
I kept eating without pause. As my empty stomach slowly filled, a warm sense of satisfaction spread through me.
“You’re eating well.”
Antonio commented from across the table. I hadn’t even noticed him watching me, so focused was I on the food.
“Oh? Yeah—it’s really good. The chef must be talented.”
“By the way, Commander—what exactly is your relationship with Miss Josephine?”
Nathan, seated diagonally from me, suddenly asked a rather bold question. Since I had joined the order so abruptly under Antonio’s recommendation, he seemed curious about the circumstances.
Antonio didn’t answer. He just stared coldly at Nathan.
“Why are you asking something like that?”
Kallen, apparently the enforcer of group discipline, scolded him while glancing at Antonio.
“Well, honestly… A stunning beauty joins out of nowhere, and she’s a ‘Vessel,’ too. The others have been acting all stiff and proper since she showed up.”
Ahem. Ahem. Cough.
The knights began clearing their throats awkwardly. Their shifty eyes and feigned ignorance made the whole thing more suspicious.
I was dumbfounded.
“Nathan, what do you mean exactly? Are you saying the others are acting differently now?”
“Yes! You haven’t seen how these guys usually eat. Soup like this? They’d usually just drink it straight from the bowl. But look! Everyone’s politely spooning it and even dabbing their lips with napkins.”
“Lies! We always eat like this!”
“Shut it, you pretentious idiots. You think Miss Josephine’s going to hold your hand just because you act like gentlemen?”
Nathan snapped at the others.
Everyone fell silent.
Antonio ran a hand roughly over his face, deepening the crease between his dark brows.
“No wonder dinner’s been so quiet lately. Some of you really let your imaginations run wild.”
His voice, low and flat, carried a terrifying weight.
“No!”
“That’s not true!”
“Of course not!”
The knights all waved their hands in denial, but none of them could meet Antonio’s eyes.
“Let me make this clear. None of you will ever need to infuse magic into Josephine.”
Antonio declared solemnly.
“You’re not overflowing with magic after battle—what arrogance makes you think you’ll have spare to give?”
His tone was icy.
The knights lowered their heads and murmured apologies, then quietly resumed eating their soup as though nothing had happened.
Clink. Clink. The only sounds were spoons tapping bowls.
Kallen looked around at them with disgust and sighed, lifting his spoon again.
“Bunch of clueless idiots. Should’ve warned them beforehand. Their hopes were way too high.”
He grumbled beside me.
I set my spoon down for a moment. The meal had suddenly turned tense.
It seemed that everyone knew magic infusion required physical contact—and since I was a female ‘Vessel,’ they’d all been conscious of it.
They might’ve been wondering if they’d be the ones to provide me with magic.
“…I’ve decided that Antonio will be the one to infuse magic into me. Please just act as you normally would.”
I said this bravely to the others. They responded respectfully, saying they understood.
And so, my exclusive partnership with Antonio was now publicly acknowledged.
