Chapter 17: Softness

  A gentle girl stood behind a young lady, who was sitting down while looking at a flowing stream.

  As the royal army was quite rich, each soldier was eligible to be outfitted in iron or steel plate armor according to the dimensions of their body. Afterall, there was no one size fits all. Immutable metal had to fit closely to the wearer’s body, while remaining comfortable enough not to decrease their mobility, but still offer maximum protection.

  Yet, both individuals on the scene did not fit the look of the standard issue.

  Laelin’s armor was lighter, less bulky, and over her breastplate was a long tunic that held the symbol of a heart and a cross.

  While Ruby, was literally wearing armor made out of a higher, and visibly more exquisite metal.

  The young lady sat with her legs extended and her back leaned, she was as relaxed as if enjoying a picnic out in the forest. While behind her, Laelin stood timidly and nervously.

  As she wasn’t as silent as Vendus, Ruby had long noticed her, but hadn’t turned her head as if it wasn’t worth the effort.

  “He– Hello…” Laelin spoke softly.

  “Yeah?” Ruby finally turned her head ever so slightly, giving her minor acknowledgement.

  “Oh, umm…”

  “We noticed you were missing, so we came to come and find you…”

  “Is that so?” Surprised, Ruby replied, not at all hiding the doubt in her tone.

  ‘Didn’t think they’d care. Is she lying to me?’

  ‘Why would she do that though?’

  Realizing that she herself didn’t actually care all too much, Ruby replied flatly, “Well, thanks.”

  “But I can find my own way back. You can go.”

  “O– Oh…”

  Laelin stood in place, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly as if she had something else she wanted to say.

  “You’re still here?” Ruby asked. The way she said it was neutral, and nonchalant, but Laelin interpreted it differently.

  She heard, “Why’re you still here?”

  “I— I wanted to ask where your platoon was!” She exclaimed. With that question, she felt a heaviness lift from her chest, only to come back as she awaited a hopefully gentle answer.

  Ruby scoffed, ‘Is she demanding an answer for why I left?’

  ‘Let’s just give her a non-answer…’

  She replied in a snarky tone, “Oh, them?”

  “Honestly, I hadn’t even noticed they were gone after searching for four hours. Not that they were of much help anyway.”

  “O– Oh…”

  “That must really suck, you were searching diligently while they went off without you…”

  Ruby was taken aback, “Uh…what?”

  ‘Is this sarcasm?’

  Ruby grew confused at Laelin’s compassionate answer.

  “I— I know what it's like to be treated that way so…”

  ‘Does she think I’m getting bullied?’

  ‘I guess I am getting singled out, but—’

  “Uhh— N– No I really don’t care…” These were Ruby’s true feelings.

  In fact, she didn’t depart from the group to brood, or ruminate, but because the young lady urgently needed to take a tinkle! How could a noble lady say these things outright!

  “It must be really hard for you…”

  “It's fine dearie, you don’t need to be strong all the time.”

  ‘Dearie!?’ Before Ruby could retort, two arms wrapped around her head from behind, and held it close into an embrace.

  ‘What the fuck…’

  Leaning her head on Ruby’s hair, a soft voice came from just above her, “...You don’t need to act like it doesn’t hurt. It might not seem like it to you, but you are enough. You are loved. You won’t ever be unworthy.”

  A silence enveloped the surrounding area, leaving only the sounds of water flowing down a calm stream.

  Oddly enough, Ruby let out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes for a few moments, before quickly opening them up again.

  Lightly tapping the two arms with her hand, Ruby spoke awkwardly, “That’s good…you can let go now.”

  “Are you okay now?” Laelin’s soft and gentle voice filled the area.

  Ruby held back her tongue, and instead replied with, “Ye– Yeah…”

  “Don’t you go randomly hugging people by the way!”

  “I’m sorry…” Laelin’s face twisted into an authentic expression of guilt and sorry. Faced with such genuine softness, Ruby didn’t quite know how to react.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “A– Anyway…what’s your name?”

  “It’s Laelin.”

  “Do you know my name?”

  “Of course! Everyone knows your name!” She said brightly and honestly.

  ‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing…’

  “So, Laelin…” Ruby quickly connected the dots.

  “You lied. It’s not that the battalion came to look for me, but you did, maybe even by yourself.”

  “I— I’m sorry…” The girl clasped at her hands, and Ruby could see them almost trembling.

  “Wa— Wait! My bad! I’m just saying you don’t have to skirt around the truth.”

  ‘This is more exhausting than swinging my sword!’

  “Oh…o– okay! I didn’t want you to feel bad by remembering the bullying…”

  ‘She thought I went off on my own because I felt bad about being ostracized?’

  ‘You’re misunderstanding things, I just needed to take a leak!’

  Having long decided it was best to just go with it, she said, “It’s alright— Thanks, actually.”

  “It— It was a good hug! Th– Thank you.” Ruby replied awkwardly.

  Laelin smiled warmly and wholesomely, “I’m glad it helped.”

  Ruby was thinking to herself, ‘Gods. In a way she’s like Sera.’

  ‘It’s almost impossible to stop the energy coming out of her, except instead of sunshine, it's like soft clouds and stuffed animals are flying at me.’

  Grasping what kind of character Laelin was, curiosity and confusion colored her next, and Ruby couldn’t help but ask the gentle girl directly, “So why is someone like you in the military?”

  ‘Someone like me?’

  “Don’t tell me you’re actually really good with a sword?”

  “Can’t be honor and glory…” Ruby placed a hand near her chin, thinking honestly.

  “Ah— A girl like you…Devotion and honest service to the Kingdom?”

  In the midst of her assumptions, Ruby had actually let down her guard, while excitedly shooting out more guesses.

  “Hmm wait. Your attire— you’re a field medic, right?”

  “So…you must have a natural inclination to help people! Tending to people’s wounds and nursing them gives you joy.”

  “O– Oh no…” Laelin replied shakily.

  “I just needed money…”

  “...”

  “Hahaha!”

  “Can’t argue with that.”

  Noticing the positive change in atmosphere, Laelin pushed herself to support the conversation, “Ho– How about you? Why did you join the military?”

  “Ah.”

  “I— I just wanted to spread my wings is all!”

  “I was tired of living back home so I…de— departed from my family to blaze my own path.” Ruby spoke oddly quicker and less composed than usual.

  Thinking deeply, Laelin’s soft voice sounded like blown wind chimes, “Oh, I get it.”

  As she was not of noble blood, nor keenly observant, whatever details were in between Ruby’s replies went over her head.

  “Ugh, anyway, due to some reasons that jerk sent me here to the commone—”

  “Uhh, that jerk sent me here to the soldier divisions for a little while.” Ruby corrected herself.

  “That j– j– jerk?” Laelin struggled to say the last word.

  “What was the title? Count Marshal…”

  “Ma— Marshal?”

  “Count Marshal Alastair Barett.” Ruby said after finally remembering his name.

  Even Laelin, who was not very interested in military figures, had heard of the eleven marshalls.

  “I was supposed to be one of the three apprentice-knights under him, but he sent me here despite me obviously outclassing the other two!”

  Laelin grew speechless only barely being able to nod her head.

  “G– Gotcha…”

  “Yeah…” Ruby’s voice trailed off.

  Ruby cleared her throat before asking, “So what’re you gonna do with that money after serving?”

  “Buy some land? A manor in the woods? Invest in businesses so that you’d never have to work again?”

  “No umm…”

  ‘They don’t pay me that much…’

  “I— I come from a relatively poor family.” Laelin spat out like an embarrassing confession to the noble lady, hoping not to get ridiculed. The rumors surrounding her after all, made that chance highly likely…and yet she still took a leap.

  “I have three siblings much younger than me, and…I wanted to be able to send them to school.”

  “School?”

  “Yes…”

  ‘Are they not free?

  “O— Oh…Evelyn said the same thing you did, but the free schools are only held in the prominent cities…”

  “As for me…”

  Laelin smiled bittersweetly, “I was lucky enough to hand a lost wallet back to a passing noble carriage going by my village, and the promissory note he wrote in reward to me, was more than what both my parents had ever made in their whole lives.”

  The soft spoken girl chuckled softly, “Back then I was only six, and got spankings because I thought it was an odd toy of some kind.”

  “M— My parents couldn’t read it either, but they had an idea of what it was.”

  “We almost got kicked out of the building for suspected theft though…” Ruby was speechless. Worst of all, Laelin was so earnestly and fondly recounting her life story.

  “We— We eventually got it cleared up! Or I wouldn’t be standing here in front of you…”

  ‘Ah. That is true.’

  “With that money, my parents sent me to a military boarding school, hoping the skills I’d get would help us more than just spending it quickly.”

  “But— I know my siblings probably won’t get the same opportunity I got.”

  “I— I want to support them, and hope to give them the opportunities I was given, and more if I can!”

  Ruby silently nodded her head. Through all of her short months in the military, she never actually heard the backstories that others had. Of course, meeting someone with such a story as Laelin’s was incredibly rare.

  Thinking about it, she had never asked her only friend Sera, about why she was in the military either. The chappy courier seemed to be born for the job, fitting in so well like laces were to boots. It’d be weird if she wasn’t exactly where she was.

  Ruby thought for a few moments, before filling the silence. She said genuinely, “Thank you for telling me. It must have been hard.”

  “O— Oh! Of course!”

  “You seemed willing to listen.”

  “It kind of just felt right!”

  “So my three siblings are…” Laelin’s soft voice spoke excitedly.

  ‘I didn’t ask…’ Ruby continued with an awkward smile.

  “And Sophia! She’s the youngest at seven years.”

  “Seven?”

  “Mmhmm. She’s the most adorable, but also the most mischievous.”

  Ruby’s face instantly softened, and oddly the surroundings transformed to match it. The golden setting sun seemed to shine brighter, yet landed softer with a gentle power.

  The young lady smiled genuinely this time, wholly and warmly, and having never shown anyone but Sera, Laelin’s mouth dropped to an ‘O’.

  Speaking softly and gently, she said, “I see.”

  “Mine too…”

  The horizon that depicted sunset, had slowly sunk to make way for serene nightfall.

  ‘Gods, where is that girl?’

  ‘How far could she have gone? How haven’t we found her?’

  While scouring through the forest, and valiantly slaying the surrounding vegetation, suddenly Evelyn heard the laughter shared between two girls.

  Briskly, she forced her way through the bushes, the vines, and all else to reach the source of those voices.

  Once she laid eyes on an unharmed Laelin, she shouted, directly interrupting their exchange.

  “Do you know how long I've looked for you!?”

  Laelin visibly jumped back. Being someone of profoundly sensitive temperament, she even got a little misty-eyed.

  “Are you okay? Didn't trip on something and fall on your face?” Evelyn asked earnestly, in a genuinely concerned tone despite her words.

  “O— Of course not!”

  “As you can clearly see, I’m all alright.” Laelin said matter-of-factly.

  After briefly scanning her friend again for any injuries, her gaze then landed on Ruby.

  “As for you!”

  Instantly, Ruby’s expression contorted from warm to icy.

  “What?” She answered curtly.

  For some reason Evelyn instinctively flinched back, before erupting with outrage.

  “If you hadn’t gone missing, she wouldn’t have had to come and get you!”

  “Do you know what kind of trouble you’ve caused all of us!?”

  “Of course someone like you wouldn’t even care!”

  Laelin stood between them, trying, and failing to get the two to hear her pleas.

  “What business is any of that yours? Who even are you?”

  “Do you think you’re some protective figure?”

  “You’re probably the type to get all up into people’s business, and then get mopey when they dump you like some loser.”

  Perhaps that line hit a little too close to home, for Evelyn started to frantically loose her right gauntlet from her hand.

  Ruby stood up and stared at her in contempt. If eyes could talk, her’s would say, “I dare you to throw that glove— just see what happens.”

  Seeing things escalate out of control, the gentle girl in between them started to tear up. Laelin was enough to keep one of them placated, but not both of the two walking-volcanoes, and especially not when they were colliding against one another.

  She watched as the straps and buckles that held Evelyn’s gauntlet in place were finally removed. Before she could throw it down in a formal challenge however, a barely audible voice shouted from the distance, “Help! Help me!”

  Ruby’s ears flinched, but the other two hadn’t noticed the voice.

  The young lady’s hands balled up into fists, and suddenly the piles of leaves within a three meter radius flew up into miniature tornados. The mana inside her body was boiling and roiling, and finally having a chance to be released, it started to swirl into impending storms.

  The young woman took a long furious look at her supposed challenger, before explosively disappearing from her spot.

  In Evelyn and Laelin’s eyes an indistinct and blurry figure shot out like a cannonball, before disappearing somewhere into the forest.

  Dirt, and stone flew in all different directions, before leaves started to gently fall over the area like confetti. The mood however was not pleasant or celebratory, but downcast. Behind her back, Evelyn was trying to stop the trembling in her hands. She was livid, outraged, and afraid.