IICSYIRD l CH 32

Chapter 03

Actually, I was pretty surprised when I heard what rank I’d been assigned.

I knew the military was interested in Oparts, but I didn’t think they’d promote me this high because of it.
And if the military was interested, that really meant Schloitz, the Commander-in-Chief, was the one interested.

Enricor frowned.

“Both the 1st and 7th Commanders are honorary positions, but…”

“Yeah.”

“Well, the title might be the same, but there’s a big difference. The 7th is basically just a title, but the 1st is an honorary position that even the other commanders respect. It’s often left unfilled, too.”

He was right. The 1st Commander spot was usually empty. It was still an honorary role like the 7th, but on a whole different level.
If you were from a prestigious family like Lefevre, that was enough to be made the 7th Commander.

But to be made 1st Commander, you needed both noble birth and enough talent and achievement.

The talent part was mine. The achievements were Enrico’s.
But since Enrico’s things were basically mine anyway, I didn’t feel bad.

I smiled.

“Thanks to that, I can talk casually to the Commander’s personal aide.”

“Must be nice to live without a care,” Enrico sighed and dropped into a chair. He ruffled his already short hair—cut often for experiments—but still looked good.
His golden hair, so much like mine, shimmered in the sunlight.

“Enri, are you done yelling?”

“Yeah, I’m done.”

“Then finish what you were saying earlier—what about Schloitz?”

I had stayed quiet and listened because I didn’t expect Enrico to come rushing in like this.
But while he was talking, my hands had gone cold.

“I only figured this out three days ago, but… apparently, some people can have negative reactions to the blessing. I even got a message from the Commander about it. He probably felt really bad that day. Or maybe really bad.”

Enrico suddenly frowned mid-sentence.

“Blan… what’s wrong with your face? Are you sick?”

“No…”

I barely stopped myself from wiping my face with both hands.

Side effects? Sure, that can happen. But why Schloitz, of all people?

He’s not the type to complain if he’s in pain.
I figured his aide would take care of him—but still, I couldn’t help feeling a bit upset.

“Then should I stop giving him blessings?”

But then he wouldn’t be able to use the Oparts.
Enrico had said the early versions of the Oparts would cause people to cough blood without the blessing.

When I’d asked Venus—who once used one in an emergency against a monster—she’d said,

“It felt like my insides were being crushed, milady.”

“…So yeah. Not an option.”

“No, I found a workaround.”

“What is it?”

“If the blessing is given closer to the hair… it works better.”

“Like where? The forehead?”

“I tried, but I wasn’t strong enough to pull it up that far.”

“…Huh?”

Enrico tapped his own cheek.

“The cheek.”

“Are you insane?”

****

Well, technically…

In noble society, light physical contact is often used as a greeting.
A kiss on the forehead or cheek as a sign of support or good wishes isn’t unusual.

So yes, my reaction was a bit over the top.
But Enricor didn’t seem suspicious. He just thought I was scared of Schloitz.

Honestly, I wished that was all it was.

What if my heart explodes? Who’s going to pay for that?

No one, probably.

Well… at least it’s not the lips.

Maybe because of that kiss when we were kids—something told me that if our lips touched again, he might recognize me.

I was walking now.

On my way to show Schloitz the new blessing method.
This was, after all, a contract between House Lefevre and the military.
And I didn’t want to ruin Enrico’s hard work just because of my feelings.

“You’re here, Lady—no, I mean, Commander Blandea Lefevre.”

The aide with pink hair greeted me with a smile.

“Still not used to being called Commander, huh?”

“Yeah. Everyone usually calls me ‘Lady.’”

Honestly, I never planned on becoming a knight.
But Lord Baroque had trained me so harshly that he suggested I might qualify.
So I took the test—and passed.

Plus, it comes with a pension.

It wasn’t much, but still. Money’s money.

Still, even with a knight title, other nobles didn’t call me “Commander Blandea.”
As the daughter of a noble house, I was just “Lady” to them.

So it still felt weird.

“Oh, right—Commander Blandea, how was the chicken and onion stew?”

“It was good.”

“Glad to hear it! That district has some great restaurants. In about three months, when you’re due for leave…”

The aide, who had seemed warm and friendly from our first meeting, was even more cheerful now.
It was clear he saw me as a proper commander now.

Well, since I’m here…

I should do my best to support Schloitz, return to my family safely, and… live a peaceful life.

If the Oparts work, and Schloitz’s health stabilizes, maybe the whole “dark tragic novel” scenario will calm down too.

As we chatted, the aide walked me to the Commander’s office and knocked politely.

“Commander. It’s me. I’ve brought Commander Blandea Lefevre with me.”

****

A little earlier…

A letter had arrived for Schloitz.

“A minor side effect from the blessing has been discovered.
House Lefevre has developed a solution.
Please provide a list of any affected swordsmen.
The method of blessing will be changed.
– Enrico Lefevre.”

Enrico had sent the letter ahead—and then heard I had already gone to the military.
So he’d dropped everything and rushed over.

Which meant the letter and Enrico basically arrived at the same time.

Schloitz looked down at the broken Opart.

About a week ago—on the day he received a blessing from a direct member of the Lefevre family—

He’d felt a strange coldness take over his body.
That night, he had one of the worst fevers in years.
But for Schloitz, that didn’t mean much.

When he first arrived at the military as a child—after his uncle dumped him there like trash—his entire body had burned with fever.
The military doctors had panicked, but there were no injuries.
It was just the body of a ten-year-old breaking down from emotional shock.

He remembered how the voices in his head had started cutting out back then.

That girl…

You…

But Schloitz didn’t dwell on it.

He knew the blessing only lasted a week, so he’d gone on patrol the next day.

The Opart had worked brilliantly against a monster they encountered.
It shattered after creating a temporary barrier—but in a life-or-death moment, even a few seconds of protection felt miraculous.

Except for the numbness in his hand—it was hard to move.

The other commanders who’d helped fight the monster were overjoyed, praising it like a gift from the gods.

Seems like I’m the only one with side effects.

But they were manageable.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Commander, it’s me. I’ve brought Commander Blandea Lefevre with me.”

****

Schleuz’s office windows were always half-open.

The novel said that too, I thought.

How cute.
It was just a little habit, but because it was Schloitz’s, it seemed endearing.

Even while thinking that, I kept my face blank and polite.

“Sir Procyon.”

One of House Lefevre’s special rights was being allowed to call the Commander “Sir” even after joining the military.

It was a way of showing we were treated differently from regular knights.

Thankfully, my voice didn’t shake.

“You may have already read my brother’s letter. There was a small side effect with the blessing, and we’ve now found a fix.”

Well, Enrico personally came to deliver it, actually.

“I brought a new Opart too. Please take a look.”

I walked up to Schloitz’s desk and handed him the Opart with both hands—very humbly…
Well, politely.

And yes—he really was interested in Oparts.
He stood up immediately without even examining it.

He strode over in just a few steps.
Wow. He really had gotten taller.
I’d been too nervous the first time to notice properly.

“They say the blessing method has changed?”

“Yes. Not for everyone—just for those who experienced side effects.”

With him standing in front of me, my throat felt dry.
But I couldn’t exactly ask for water now.

“From what I’ve seen, no one else had side effects. Just you, Sir Procyon. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

Schloitz looked down at me as he answered.

“I’m the only one.”

“Then…”

“Was it just a coincidence? Why did it happen only to me?”

His gaze never left mine.