129 3.41 A plan - Part 1

The lunch was quiet, unlike how everyone was expecting it to be. It was painful to see people cry with every bite of food, remembering the one they lost.

Everyone was grouped in small groups as they were having their lunch. However, no one was looking at each other's faces. Why would they when they themselves were trying to hide their own sorrow?

After Marina got her some clothes, Flare changed into a white top and black midi skirt. It didn't look as good as her flame clothes, but I was still glad that she could get something at times like these.

Luckily, all of us —the dormitory residents— got our breaks during lunch. We were sitting on the dry grass as we were having our lunch. Sistina's group was yet to arrive, so we were waiting for them, but everyone except Sistina and Miss Lilith was here.

Usually, at times like this, Arica would say something to lighten the mood, but she herself was quiet today. Even Ronald wasn't saying anything, which made this the quietest lunch we have ever had.

"Guys, it's going to be alright. Father is probably thinking of a way to get us through this situation," Princess Anna said with a small smile on her face.

Even though she tried lightening the mood, it wasn't helping much. But that was the right approach, so I decided to follow her lead.

"Yeah, we are lucky compared to the rest here, so I think we should lighten up and continue supporting others."

"B-but, will we be able to go back to normal?" Marina asked. Lucy, who was sitting on her shoulder, was munching the food without a care in the world.

I couldn't blame her for having doubts. She treated a lot of people who were the victim of this calamity. And their injuries weren't just physical; the psychological damage was far greater. It was no wonder that she felt that way after talking to that many of them.

There was a moment of silence since no one had the answer to her question. There was nobody who could claim that the thing that happened today won't happen again.

"It will."

My straight answer caught everyone's curiosity. Their eyes that were looking down a while ago were now focused on me.

"...And this time, we will be prepared for them. They wouldn't have won against us if they hadn't used their cowardly tricks. We would have never lost if we had anticipated the attack."

"Yeah, but we lost even though you took care of the fire and defeated most of the demons. I am not sure if any of us would have been able to survive on our own," Princess Eliane said. It looked like she also lacked confidence after everything.

I had no answer to that. I knew that nothing I say would make them feel better. I could tell them they helped, but it would only sound like I was trying to keep their hearts.

"And that is why we need to get stronger. Nara got stronger faster than us, but we can catch up to him slowly with hard work."

"Yeah, we should stop relying on my darling too much and improve our skills," Arica said with a small smile.

That was the best thing they could do at the moment. Changing their frustration into fuel was definitely a productive way of doing things.

It looked like everyone felt the same, even though no one said it out loud.

While we were talking, Sistina came walking towards us. That meant Markus and his party had finally returned.

"Nara, Markus is calling you. He said they need you for some kind of discussion."

I nodded in response and left the wooden bowl on the ground as I stood up.

I was expecting them to call me once Markus returns. I was the one who saw the enemy first handed, so it was natural that they would want to hear my opinion.

"Guys, I think it will take a while"—I turned towards Sistina—"You probably haven't eaten anything; get the stew before it finishes."

Many people were hungry, so it was somewhat of a surprise that knights were able to find food for everyone. However, that food wasn't enough, so there was no provision for extras.

"Actually, we had taken some food with us when we left, and we had it while we were returning."

"That's good then… Also, where's Miss Lilith?"

"She is resting in the tent where the other nobles are."

It was no wonder that they would separate the tents for nobles even at a time like this. But if there was someone like the bald man I met at the duke's castle, I was determined to take them out first if they try getting in the way.

"Alright. Flare, you stay here with everyone else"—I turned towards Sam— "Sam, can you please come with me?"

After the two of them nodded in affirmation, I turned around. But when I was about to leave, I realized Yoru looked upset. She was quiet during the whole time and had barely spoken to me.

I had several guesses about why she was feeling that way. The first and foremost being the trip that she was patiently waiting for got canceled. However, there was nothing that we could do about it since things turned out this way all of a sudden.

I walked up to her and petted her head. To others, it might look stupid, but I knew that she felt happy when I did that.

"You did really well today. I am proud of you."

I wasn't sure if I should be treating her like a pet when she looked like a human. But I guess it was okay as long as that made her happy.

"You mean it? I thought I was useless."

I had a feeling that she was thinking that way, and I knew the reason — her rivalry with Flare.

"Yes, thank you for helping me. You saved the lives of so many."

She looked cute when her cheeks turned a little red.

Sam was waiting for me, and it appeared that we were already late. So, I turned around and followed Sam as the two of us walked towards Duke's tent.

: A plan - Part 2