Mornings are early at the military base. Before the sun rises, the morning signal can be heard.
Rose and Rinka wake up to a trumpet sound like "Ratatata~tata~♪".
It's even earlier than mornings in the village. And after that sound, the soldiers stomped out of the surrounding rooms. They're getting ready early! Rose and Rinka are drawn in, and when they quickly get changed and go outside, Efain and Haintz are already in front of the room. They're already on guard duty.
"Good morning!"
Haintz and Efain greeted them cheerfully. Rose was half asleep, but Rinka answered in her usual voice.
"Good morning. Is this the signal for morning exercise?"
"Yes. I came here because I thought you'd wake up, but if you're sleepy, you can go back to sleep."
Efain said, and nodded.
"What will Rose do?"
"I'm already awake, so I'll do it."
"Then I'll take you to His Highness."
Haintz guided Rose and Rinka to Efergan and the others. On the way, they met Etule and the others from the Black Ops, and they were already doing light exercises. Rocco was also doing light stretches next to Etule. Rose thought he was shirtless, and the blue scales on his back were still noticeable. Rose looked at Rocco, thinking he must be difficult to work as a Black Ops at Suzukinoyama.
"Good morning, Rose."
"Oh, good morning."
Rose greeted Efergan, who had called out to her.
"You could still sleep."
"It's okay. I'm awake, so it can't be helped. Besides, I'm curious to see what Suzukinoyama soldiers' morning exercise is like. I'm looking forward to seeing how it differs from the morning exercise of the Alhatross soldiers."
"I see. Then, next to me."
Standing at a set distance, the instructor gave the signal to exercise. The soldiers responded with a unanimous "Oh!" and started exercising. Following the instructor's signal they warmed up with slow and intense movements. Then they sparred in pairs. Naturally, Rose's opponent was Efergan. She first watched and imitated him since she didn't know how to do it. After imitating him, she tried it little by little, and it gradually became more fun. Rose thought that this was Suzukinoyama's martial arts. It was surprisingly fun and intense! she thought.
Efergan who didn't hold back at all, also looked very happy. Rose had a hard time with him.
They heard a beep! and this time everyone ran. They headed to the grounds of the military base. They said they would run ten laps. This was also hard. There were a lot of pebbles on the ground, so it was quite difficult to run. Moreover, everyone was running at full speed.
It was quite dangerous, so Rose and Rinka decided to move to the side and run. Then, Haintz and Efain guarded Rose and kept the pace. Rinka was running next to Rose.
The soldiers, who wanted to peek at Rinka's beautiful figure, were running around Rose and her friends before they knew it. The instructor saw this and scolded the soldiers loudly, ordering them to run faster. The soldiers hurriedly started running, leaving Rose and her friends behind.
After running 10 laps, they hydrated. Next was weapon practice. They tried various weapons such as spears and swords. They realized that martial arts movements differ depending on the country. They were not used to it, so they made mistakes many times. Even so, Rinka's movements were beautiful. The soldiers around her stopped moving and were mesmerized by her graceful movements. Her long hair, easily tied up, swayed beautifully every time Rinka moved, making her a beautiful warrior who looked like a picture. Rinka, mesmerized by them, ignored them as if nothing had happened. She may have gotten used to being mesmerized like this. Rose thought that it was probably like this in the village.
Then, the whistle blew again, and everyone sat on the benches outside the ground. Some people sat on the ground, and the whole group formed a circle. It seemed that they were going to have a mock match. The names of Rose, Rinka, and Rocco were announced as today's special participants. When the instructor asked if anyone wanted to fight Rinka, almost all the soldiers raised their hands.
What can I say, Rose thought, Rinka looked so beautiful in the morning sun, and the sweat on her face reflected the sunlight and sparkled. She was more than just a charming woman, she was a goddess. Even Rose, a woman, couldn't take her eyes off her.
"Hmph!"
There she was! Rose laughed. That was Rinka's amazed cat language. At last, the instructor chose a male soldier to fight against Rinka.
Rinka took the prepared club and bowed to her opponent before taking a stance. It was the Alhatross style, and she was firmly guarding it. The opponent also bowed to Rinka and got ready. It was a club showdown.
At the signal "Start!", the opponent quickly moved towards Rinka and tried to sweep her legs, but Rinka jumped higher and got behind him, and instead stabbed her opponent's back from behind. When the opponent fell and tried to stand up, Rinka's club instantly moved over his head and stopped dead.
The match was over.
In a real fight, this person would die. After the match, Rinka bowed again, and the opponent also bowed. Then, with sparkling eyes, he approached Rinka, told her his name and the unit he belonged to, and asked Rinka for a handshake. When Rinka shook hands with no expression, the soldier raised his hand happily, and the other soldiers booed him. However, he looked happy. Amazed, Rinka sat next to Rose.
"Hmph!"
When it was Rose's turn, no one raised their hand. The surroundings became very quiet. They could hear whispers that if they fought the princess, Efergan would get angry with them later. They could also overhear whispers that if they hurt her and she cried, Rocco would kill them. Maybe some soldiers had heard their conversation yesterday.
It's difficult to do things with two scary men behind you, Rose said with a wry smile.
"I had sword fights with the General daily in Alhatross, so I'm sure it'll be fine."
Rose said gently. But after she said, she realized the content was frightening.
When you're up against a General daily, you're at a level that ordinary soldiers can't handle.
Efergan laughed and called out the name of the National Army commander. The commander whose name was called stepped forward and brought a practice sword. He was big and muscular. Rose thought he looked strong.
Rose got permission to use the barrier, and it was approved. If something happened, it would become an international issue. Rocco, who Rose could see in a glimpse, just stared at her without saying anything. Rose bowed to the commander and then took her weapon. The commander also bowed.
At the signal "Start!", Rose also took her weapon. Since she hadn't brought her own practice sword, she found an unused whip in the armory and borrowed it. She fought the commander with it. The sword and whip were completely different shapes, and many people were interested.
The commander went on the attack. The commander was large and Rose was small, so naturally, the commander had the advantage of distance. The commander had a higher chance of hitting due to the length of his arms and weapon. However, the whip was also long, and if used to its full potential, it's potentially dangerous. This whip, which had never been used by anyone, was new and had been sleeping in the armory for a long time. Now, in Rose's hands, it made its debut in combat.
It made a beautiful "bang!" sound. Rose put strength into the whip and began to move it. It was very flexible and moved beautifully. The whip moved up and down, left to right, just as she wanted it to. The whip she controlled in her arms felt like a part of her body, and she could hear the murmurs of the onlookers.
She used the whip to guard against most of the commander's attacks, while gradually going on the offensive. The commander's face changed every time the whip hit. It may have hurt. But since she was in the middle of a match, she decided not to worry about it. As Darga had taught her, she aimed for her opponent's vital points while maintaining the whip's distance.
However, since the opponent was the commander of an expert combat team, he naturally knew how to deal with whips. He tried to stop the whip aimed at his vital points with his sword and quickly grabbed it. However, Darga had taught her that technique painfully well. Darga had taken her whip from her and kicked her so many times that her body had learned the technique. In this case, she used her explosive power to move forward and close the distance, switching to martial arts. The commander was surprised by her sudden movement. But it was too late. Rose's kick hit the commander's face first. Then she took the whip back and swung it...!
"That's enough!"
The match ended with the instructor's signal. Rose reached out to help the commander up. The commander nodded with a pained look on his face and stood up. When she said she would use a healing spell later, the commander shook his head and replied with a smile. After a bow, Rose decided to return to her seat.
Finally, in the last match of the day, Rocco entered the match venue. Rose couldn't help but stare at him, thinking he had a strong body. His abdominal muscles were ripped. The scales on his back looked beautiful in the morning sun. He was very blue. His face looked very young, so most people thought Rocco was a young man. However, he was actually quite old. He was at least twice as old as Yanagi. However, his face and figure were those of a young man. Even when standing next to Efergan, they looked about the same age. It seems that Rocco's fight yesterday had become the talk of the entire base. After defeating the monster in an instant, everyone was wary.
Efergan raised his hand. He stood up, stepped forward, and bowed at once as Rocco. It seems he understood how to bow after watching the fight between Rose and Rinka. All Alhatross warriors bow before a match. In fact, Darga had taught Rose that this was a sign of respect for the opponent and a sign of intent to fight with all his might. The final bow is a sign of gratitude to the opponent.
This fight will be barehanded.
Rocco told Efergan to put up a barrier. This is because Rocco is actually better at martial arts than weapons. He is strong enough to kill someone with his bare hands.
In fact, Rocco's aura alone is so strong that it kills a lot of snakes. Efergan did as he was told and put a barrier around his body.
When the match started, Rocco didn't move. Instead, he signaled Efergan to come. Rocco dodged almost all of Efergan's attacks as he came at him with all his might, and stopped them with one hand. Sometimes he moved, kicking Efergan away. But Efergan got up and came at him again. The flow of the battle changed, and Efergan grabbed hold of Rocco and used all his skills to hit him with all his might. Rocco fought back with a smile.
This time Rocco used both hands to counter Efergan's techniques. It was so fast that it was hard to follow with his eyes. Efergan also looked very happy. They continued to grapple for a while, and Efergan's face began to show signs of fatigue. After fighting for quite a while, Efergan could no longer conserve his strength in front of Rocco.
On the other hand, Rocco still had more leeway. Finally, one kick from Rocco sent Efergan flying and hitting the audience. The match was over. Rocco reached out his hand to Efergan and helped him stand. Efergan looked happy. They returned to the venue, bowed, and returned to their seats. This marked the end of morning training.
Rocco appeared in Suzukinoyama's military uniform and began to eat the meal that had been prepared for him. Rose thought that Rocco always looked young, no matter how often she saw him.
"Rose, aren't you going to eat?"
Noticing that Rose hadn't started eating, Efergan called out to her.
"I'll eat. Thank you!"
Rose clasped her hands together and began to eat.
"You can eat as much as you want, as many refills as you like."
"Your Highness, you shouldn't say things like that."
Rocco said this with a laugh. Outside of work, he would call Efergan "Bird Prince" and "You," which were rude, but at work, he would call Efergan "Your Highness," and even used polite language.
"Why is that?"
Efergan tilted his head and asked.
"I heard from a military source that Rose once overate at the Alhatross military cafeteria, causing a temporary panic there."
"Hmmmm."
Rocco looked at Rose with a smile and nodded.
"Is that true, Rose?"
"Yes."
When Efergan asked Rose, Rose nodded with a troubled look.
"Right?"
Rocco laughed and drank hot water.
"I only did that once. I didn't know how much to eat, so I ate it all."
"Rose was smaller than she is now. When I met her in Alhatross, she was about this size, right?"
"Yeah."
Rocco asked, and Rose nodded.
"You eat a lot."
"Yes. Before I knew it, I had eaten it all."
Rose said awkwardly, and Efergan looked at her in surprise.
"She's still in her growth period, Your Highness."
The captain must have said this to help Rose out of her predicament.
"I see. I get it. It's okay, Rose. It's okay if you eat it all. I'll have the chef here to cook again."
"No, it's okay. I've recently gotten better at controlling my appetite."
"I see. But doesn't that mean you're holding back? You don't have to hold back here. Rose, I learned yesterday that using a lot of magical power makes you hungry. That means you recover your magical power by eating. So if you're hungry, you can eat here anytime."
"Yes."
Efergan said this and smiled at Rose.
"That's good, Rose."
"Yeah."
Rocco smiled as he watched Rose and Efergan interact. Rocco probably said it on purpose, Efergan thought. He might want to know how Efergan would react.
If Efergan laughed and Rose felt embarrassed, Rocco would kill Efergan.
Today's plan is for Efergan to go to the lord's office to investigate the corruption. He also must draw up a restoration plan. Etule and the Black Ops Squad will investigate the fake medicine and also the identities of the missing and the bodies found. Rose will be assisting Galey in the medical building treating the injured. Rocco asked permission to focus on the interrogation. Efergan decided that Galey would be present just to be sure.
Efergan with a smile told the commander that Rinka was allowed to bask in the sun as a cat. At first, the commander didn't understand what he meant, but Efergan gave him a simple explanation. It means peace in the base will be maintained if Rinka spends her time as a cat. That's exactly right. The mess hall staff who brought the drinks told them it was very noisy in the next room, and many soldiers wanted to shake Rinka's hand.
After breakfast, everyone went to their respective roles. Rose was assisting Galey in treating the injured. Although she was only given magic, the medical staff taught her carefully. She was given simple instructions on how to wrap bandages and take temperatures. The burn patient she treated yesterday regained consciousness this morning. Rose was trying to regenerate his cells by casting a spell again. This soldier is naturally strong, so he recovered quickly. Rose was happy that he was able to talk a little. After all, Rose was recognized as Efergan's fiance at this base and was told he was scared of her.
The other unconscious patients regained consciousness one after another, Rose was happy to see that. Seeing Rose working hard to look after them, the black cat Rinka yawned at the window. Besides, Rinka is a cat, so basking in the sun is also part of her job.
After a few hours of busy work, she had lunch alone and took a break with Rinka when she saw Galey and Rocco. Neither of them looked happy. Rose didn't know if the interrogation had gone well, so it was difficult to talk to them.
When Rocco saw Rose, he stopped and asked Galey for some time. Galey nodded and said he would head to the dining room first. When Rocco got close to Rose, Rinka went off somewhere. Rose didn't know if she was being considerate or just didn't like snakes.
"Have you had lunch?"
"Yeah, I ate alone earlier."
"I'm going to eat now, but I don't have much appetite."
"Your job is hard."
Rose said, and Rocco nodded.
"That's right."
"I don't know how the Black Ops works, but if you're tired, maybe it's a good idea to take a break."
"So that's why Rose and I are taking a break right now."
"Then turn to me."
Rocco turned his face towards Rose. And Rose probably showed him the biggest smile he'd ever seen.
"It's okay. Rocco can do the job well."
Rocco looked surprised for a moment, but then he smiled.
"If Rose says so, then it must be okay."
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"Yes."
"Well, I'll try a little harder. I'll have to get him to talk again after lunch."
"Rocco is suited to work in the underworld or the security forces."
"Why all of a sudden?"
"Just because... ah never mind."
"I don't have the concept of not caring about Rose."
Rocco said clearly.
"Yeah, you said that before."
"That's right. I'll have to ask you the reason next time."
Rose gave a bitter smile after hearing Rocco's words.
"Rocco, since when have you become Efergan?"
"Hmm?"
"You've caught my persistentness."
"Is that prince persistent?"
"He's so persistent it's annoying. If I don't tell him honestly what's bothering me, he'll ask me every day."
"I see. I love Rose, so I can't help but be concerned. I'm the same."
Rocco smiles, looking at Rose.
"Since when did you get so close with him?"
"Since last night."
"I see. That's good."
"That's not good."
"Why?"
Rocco sighed at Rose's question.
"I realized that we're alike. Especially when it comes to how much we care about Rose. I'm wondering if I should leave Rose with him, and I'm thinking about it. I'm worried that he might take you away. So I'm anxious to finish this mission quickly."
"I see."
"I want to go somewhere with Rose soon. I want to spend the whole day looking at Rose's smile."
"But you have to be careful. It's dangerous. Rocco's job is a life-threatening job."
"When I'm working, I can concentrate, so it'll be fine."
Rocco nodded in response to Rose's concern.
"Yes."
"Well, I'll go to Galey's place. I'll try again after lunch."
"If the job goes well, can I get permission from Efergan to take some time off to go out with Rocco?"
"No, I'm on a mission, so if I stop now, I'll be out of sorts."
"I guess you are already out of sorts, aren't you?"
Rocco's vibrations are disturbing. He's not his usual self.
"..."
"Am I right?"
"That's bad."
"Well, let's have lunch together now."
"No, His Highness is in the lord's office now."
"I'll ask him to use the link. It'll be fine for us for only a short time."
Rose explained the situation to Efergan and decided to take some time off with Rocco. She told the situation to Efergan and got permission to go out with Rocco for a short time, she explained it to Efain, promising to call him by link if necessary, and got permission. She also contacted Galey just to be sure.
"But I don't have any money, so Rocco pays."
"Aye."
When Rose and Rocco went outside the military base, they saw many food stalls.
It was lunchtime, so the food stalls were crowded with people asking for lunch. Rocco and Rose bought one food that caught their eye and ate half of it. A soldier was eating at a food stall saluted Rocco when he saw him wearing a captain-class necklace. It was a lively place. Rose thought with a smile that it was a tropical atmosphere.
After walking around the base, they walked to the beach. As they were looking at the empty daytime sea, Rocco approached them.
"Rose"
"Hmm?"
"Actually, I asked my master."
"To my father? About what?"
Rose tilted her head.
"I asked that once this mission is completed, I would like to date you, to marry you."
"What did Father say?"
"He will think about it after it's over."
"Yeah..."
"That's why I really want to end it. Before that prince takes you away..."
Rocco said, looking at Rose. He loves her, Rocco thought. He really doesn't want to lose her.
"The Queen is against my marriage to Efergan, so now I'm in a difficult position."
"From Suzukinoyama's point of view, Rose is already the prince's fiance."
"Yes, that's how His Majesty sees it, so most government officials and the military see me as the crown prince's fiance."
Rose said, confused.
"Alhatross doesn't want to hand Rose over to Suzukinoyama."
"Yeah. But Alhatross gets a lot of support from Suzukinoyama. Supplies, money, books, more quota for international students, and even an air force."
"Isn't this support on the premise of a political marriage?"
"His Majesty probably thinks so. Efergan said he genuinely loves me and wants to make me his wife. But I still don't know what I should do."
When Rose spoke, Rocco grabbed her hand.
"The prince is serious."
"Probably, but that would put me at odds with my sister."
"You'll have to think carefully about what you want to do."
Rose nodded at Rocco's words.
"So that's a source of worry."
"Do you like the prince?"
"We have a good relationship, but I don't know what the future holds. But he even killed his own brother to protect me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It was just recently though."
"Can you tell me what happened?"
Rocco asked, looking at Rose.
"Efergan's brother kidnapped me to make me his own. But Rinka and Efergan helped me, and Efergan killed his brother who kidnapped me."
"Of course. That would be extremely rude."
Rocco said, gripping Rose's hand tightly.
"But I want you to keep this a secret. I don't want a war to break out."
"Okay. If Rose says so, I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you."
"I understand the situation here. But I'm serious too. Since that day... I've come to know and desire you, Rose."
It was when he put his lips on Rose's lips.
"I'm just a four-year-old... Ah, I'm almost five..."
Rose said with a complicated look on her face.
"No, Rose is a fine, grown-up woman. That's why I honestly told my master how I felt. Lord Dalgodas has given me a mission as a condition for our relationship, with the intention of marriage."
Rocco stopped talking.
"A dangerous mission..?"
"Yes."
"Why so...?"
"It means that he has no intention of easily handing over his precious daughter to me."
Rocco answered clearly.
"I see."
"But I'm serious."
"I don't know what kind of mission it is, but I always hope for Rocco's safety."
Rose noticed that the atmosphere had changed. Now it was not Rocco in front of her, but Felto.
"You're Felto now."
"Did you notice?"
"Yes."
"I'll tell Rose..."
"What?"
"The truth about me..."
"Eh?"
"Rocco is just a low-ranking executive of the Black Ops, but Felto is different. He is under Lord Dalgodas's direct control. Felto is in the same position as Rinka, but doing work that has nothing to do with Rinka."
"I see."
"My job is to monitor all the institutions in the village. Of course, I became a member of the Black Ops because I monitor the Black Ops too."
Rocco looked at her as he said this.
"But why are you, a supervisor, taking on such a dangerous mission..."
"Because it has to do with my original job."
"Original job?"
"Before I met Lord Dalgodas, I was... an assassin."
"..."
Rocco smiles, gazing at Rose.
"I was still young then, and came to assassinate Lord Dalgodas, but I lost. Lord Dalgodas was much stronger than me."
"I see."
"But instead of killing me, he gave me a way to be reborn. He took me under his command and treated me very well. I followed him without hesitation when he told me he was going to another world. That's why I'm here now."
"Felto is very loyal to Father."
"Because he means everything to me."
"I see..."
"But I fell in love with you. Even though I knew our status wasn't right, I couldn't hold back my feelings, so I asked my master for permission to officially date Rose to get married."
"I see."
Rose looks at him.
"I've been given a mission that only Felto can carry out."
"Maybe it's a job that involves killing people?"
Rocco is silent for a while. It seems like he is unsure whether to answer or not.
"That's a possibility. Or, the opposite is true, and I might end up getting killed. That's why it's a dangerous mission. I can't tell you what it is."
"Felto, please don't go that far for my sake."
"Rose, it seems like I can't reach you, but if I can just finish this mission, maybe I will. It might be the only path for me."
When Felto said that, Rose shook her head.
"If anything happens to you, I'll never be able to forgive myself."
"Rose..."
"Felto...Rocco...is an important friend to me, so I'm worried..."
"I'll be fine. I'll definitely come back safely. I just don't know when that will be, but..."
"If, by that time, I've become someone else's, what will you do, Felto?"
"I'll give up, knowing that I wasn't strong enough. All I can say is that it's my fault for not returning sooner. As long as Rose is happy, I'll be your friend as Rocco, and support you from behind the scenes."
Rocco said this clearly. But for some reason, his heart ached.
"Yes."
"But if I judge that Rose is suffering, then as Felto I will kill the person who suffers you."
"Please don't kill someone so easily for my sake."
"I don't want to see Rose's sad tears."
"Then I'll smile as much as I can. I'll try not to make Felto suffer more than you already do."
"Rose."
"Both Felto and Rocco are important to me. That's why I don't want them to suffer because of me."
Rocco hugged Rose tightly. Rose felt that she could really understand his feelings.
"Rose, once a man has made a decision, he must complete it. This mission is also to protect Rose's life. That's why I intend to do my best to complete it."
"Protect me?"
"Yes. Lord Dalgodas bowed his head and entrusted me with this mission so that Rose can live in peace from now on, in the future."
"Felto..."
"So, even if I know it's a dangerous mission, it's a job only I can do. It's for Rose, but it's also for myself."
"Felto... I'm sorry I made you suffer."
"Don't cry. Please. Don't cry."
Rose cried her heart out on Rocco's chest. It's sad to think that she has caused such pain to someone so important to her.
Rocco held Rose gently. But even though Rose understood his feelings well, she couldn't answer. That was because Rose had no right to say her answer.
"Rose, don't cry anymore."
Rocco wiped Rose's tears with his fingers. He removed his own shawl and wiped Rose's face. He had very kind eyes.
"..."
"I'm fine, so I'll find out information from Jen by any means possible and get this done quickly. I promise to finish the mission and return to Rose quickly. Let's eat some delicious stew again, and go hunting together. Let's swim in the sea, I'll take you wherever Rose wants. I promise."
"Felto."
"Don't worry. I'm strong. That level of SSS was the level I was at when I lost to Lord Dalgodas in the other world. I don't know how much time has passed since then, so I should be stronger now. It's my fault for not checking my current level, but I'm strong. Even if the enemy is strong, I don't think I'll lose."
"Really?"
Rose looked at Rocco and asked.
"It's true. So don't cry anymore, it's making me so sad."
"Yeah. I'm sorry."
"Thank you. Rose's smile is the best."
It was a little unnatural, but Rose smiled. Tears were flowing from her eyes, but Felto gently wiped them away. After a while, she calmed down.
"Hey, how old are you now, Felto?"
"I don't know. I don't even know my own birthday."
"I see... then, today will be Felto's birthday."
"Why did you suddenly decide that?"
Rocco asked, stunned.
"Oh, you are Rocco now."
"Rose is amazing."
"Two of you are one anyway, so I've gotten used to it."
"So, why is today my birthday?"
"Because I decided to. Today, I'll make your birthday as a thank you for telling me so many stories about yourself, Felto."
"Hahaha. A birthday as a thank you."
Rocco embraced Rose again. Then he kissed her cheek.
"Thank you. It's the first birthday in my life."
"Yeah. Happy birthday, Rocco."
"I'm glad Rose celebrated with me."
"Yeah."
Rose nodded.
"Let's go back to the base soon. If we're not here, the prince might order the entire army to find you."
"Haha, that looks like it will happen, so let's return."
Rocco fixed his clothes and took Rose by the hand, returning to the base. Efergan was also at the base, worried that something had happened. Seeing Rose's face, with traces of tears, he was worried, but Rose lied and said that she had been moved by hearing Rocco's old stories. Then, when Rose told Efergan that today was Rocco's birthday, he congratulated him.