Ch.7This is Why I’m Obsessed #3

“Haah…! This is really tough~.”

In the spacious tent that served as the commander’s quarters, Helena rolled around on her field bed and groaned. Though not as magnificent as a noble’s mansion, the space was practical and well-equipped with everything necessary. She looked extremely tired despite only one day having passed of the six-day Royal Knight Order training schedule.

“You worked hard today.”

As Helena’s attendant, I had observed how the training was conducted. However, that didn’t mean we were constantly together, nor did I unnecessarily show my face at the training grounds. I wanted to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

If someone were to ask whether I was just idling around, I could confidently say no. I had been busy preparing various items, from the relatively portable field bed to simple cooking utensils. For reference, the field bed wasn’t like modern ones but rather consisted of a frame with something like a mattress placed on top.

That said, it wasn’t something I could manage alone. If I were a bit older perhaps, but right now I was unmistakably a child. Therefore, I had to work together with several knights to get things done.

In return, I made them some modest sweets, which they were fortunately very pleased with. It was a moment when I felt rewarded for putting effort into cooking to enjoy a peaceful life in the divine realm that was so uneventful it was almost boring. Hypnos just ate and slept carelessly, so there was no sense of accomplishment with him.

“Zion, I really feel like I’m going to die…”

“You won’t die. You did well today too.”

Helena gestured for me to come closer to the bed, and when I approached, she hugged me tightly while continuing to groan. It felt strange, like watching a clumsy younger sister, but the sensation of her pressing against my stomach was no joke. It was overwhelming violence through mass and softness.

Nevertheless, I simply placed my hand on Helena’s head and comforted her with a calm demeanor. Thanks to the blessing of my steel mentality.

“Really…?”

“Yes. So you don’t need to worry too much. If you’re still anxious, it’s okay to act spoiled like this. I’ve always told you that it’s better to let it out than to keep it bottled up.”

“Ziooon…! Zion, you’re really like my mother!”

The girl, overwhelmingly larger than me, acted completely spoiled and even rubbed her cheek against mine. If anyone were to witness this scene of infantile regression, they would surely rub their eyes in disbelief, wondering if this woman was truly Helena Krauser.

Yeah. I’m your mom. At least in this moment.

“Yes, yes.”

Since I knew Helena well, I could just let it slide, but I thought it would be difficult for anyone else to imagine her acting so childishly. Even her parents would be no exception. Despite her fragile mentality, she was a woman who never showed vulnerability even at home.

“Now, I’ve baked some cookies and prepared tea. Let me bring them to you.”

“Cookies…? In a tent like this?”

“Yes. I asked the quartermaster for ingredients in advance. So, excuse me for a moment.”

I carefully detached myself from Helena and went to the cooking area set up in the corner of the tent to bring tea and cookies on a tray. Thanks to the practical magic items that were fairly widespread in this world, there were even things similar to modern portable burners.

“Wow…! Sweet, so sweet.”

Helena received the tray and placed it on her thighs, then eagerly bit into one of the lightly baked cookies. She seemed to enjoy them very much, as I had seasoned them to her taste.

The combination of slightly bitter tea and sweet cookies must have been incredible, as both were quickly finished. That was surprising, but what amazed me more was how Helena maintained her elegance throughout.

Wait, how could someone eat so ravenously yet not give the impression of being vulgar? Is this what they call noble breeding?

“Thank you. That was delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed them.”

I smiled slightly as I cleaned up. While meals were provided through rations, enjoying such luxuries during field training was quite difficult. It could even appear extravagant.

However, I thought it might be acceptable since I had made them by gathering leftover ingredients without causing trouble. Besides, no one was watching since we were alone in Helena’s tent.

“Um… I’d like to go to sleep now, if that’s alright?”

After finishing the cleanup, I asked while suppressing a yawn that was involuntarily rising. Being in a child’s body, I couldn’t help but feel sleepy when night fell.

Helena nodded in permission, understanding my situation, though her expression clearly showed disappointment. She seemed to wish I could stay a little longer.

“I’ll come wake you up on time tomorrow. And don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed.”

No one can rest comfortably with someone else in the same space, and servants need rest too. No servant stays awake by their master’s side 24 hours a day. It’s only natural.

When I said I’d come wake her tomorrow, Helena’s expression brightened considerably. Talk about giving with one hand and taking with the other…

Anyway, I left Helena’s tent and headed toward the quarters where the cooking staff stayed together. There was nothing surprising about this as it had already been arranged that I would sleep there.

“Ah, Lady Zion. Welcome.”

As I entered the spacious tent, the leader of the cooking unit, who was also a soldier of the Duke’s household, greeted me warmly. I believe his name was Bart. He was someone who had refused my request to speak to me casually, citing my noble status as the reason.

Thinking about it, addressing a noble informally would be more burdensome for him, so perhaps it was better for me to match his formality.

“Ah, Mr. Bart. You’re still awake?”

“The work is done, but it’s still too early to sleep. More importantly, is the young lady alright?”

“Yes. Her physical condition is good, and there are no problems.”

I sat down on the bedding prepared in the corner of the entrance and let out a sigh. Although it was on the ground, it was quite soft and warm thanks to blankets and heat-preserving materials. With a stove-like item installed in the center, I didn’t feel cold at all.

Similar items were installed in all the other tents, but I was newly impressed by the Duke’s family’s wealth. While lifestyle magic items were available to anyone with sufficient means, still…

“Ah… this feels really nice.”

I felt proud of my choice to wear servant’s clothing. If I had worn something like a tailcoat, dealing with changing clothes would have been a headache.

“Right? It doesn’t feel like we’re outdoors at all.”

“It really… doesn’t.”

As I lay quietly under the covers, sleepiness washed over me. The warm air, the comfortable warmth at my back, combined with being in a child’s body made it difficult to resist.

Well then… if I can’t resist, I might as well not try.

◎◎◎

“Uh, uhhh…”

Considering that the knights’ wake-up time was around 7 AM, it must have been about six o’clock now.

I looked around the now-empty cooking staff tent, then stretched and got up. This was a moment when I was truly grateful to be a noble.

If I had been an ordinary cooking staff member, I would have been busy kneading flour and boiling soup since the crack of dawn.

Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me nauseous…

“Lord Hypnos, thank you.”

I offered a quick prayer of thanks to Lord Hypnos for allowing me to be born a noble, then left the tent with a change of clothes. Having gone to bed after just brushing my teeth, I had gotten quite dirty, so I wanted to wash up before going to Helena.

Breathing in the clear morning air made me feel refreshed and lighter. Being able to strengthen my body with mana, albeit imperfectly, enhanced that sensation.

Since meals would be prepared by the cooking unit, my job was to wake Helena and help her with her grooming. This was possible because there was some leisure time available, as this wasn’t an actual war situation. Even during war, minimal grooming would be done, but not as leisurely as today.

“Ugh, cold.”

My body shivered as I exposed my bare skin to the cold morning air. The coldness intensified as I entered the stream that served as a shower, but I drew upon my mana to dispel the cold as much as possible. This was possible because I generated heat through physical enhancement.

“Owya… This is freezing all the way to my esophagus?”

When I drank from the stream because I was thirsty, it felt like my throat was freezing. I liked how refreshingly cold it was, but next time I should warm it up a bit before drinking. Otherwise, I might let out another deep-voiced exclamation of surprise.

“Ugh!”

I finished as quickly as possible, got out of the stream, and changed into fresh clothes. Today, while Helena was training, I planned to do laundry using magic items and make some snacks with the remaining ingredients.

Should I make cookies again since they’re easy to prepare? Or should I change it up and make something savory and simple like potato chips?

Potato chips would be easy to make, and I could prepare enough to share with the knights, but I was reluctant to convert field rations into snacks. So I felt sorry for the knights.

“Or should I help with the cooking and make the menu itself more varied?”

The ingredients were quite diverse, so I could make various dishes. However, it was difficult to balance whether they were suitable for mass cooking. This was why soup, which could be made in large quantities by adding ingredients and boiling, and which tasted reasonably good, was so popular.

In my opinion, it was one of the dishes that struck a good balance between taste and the effort required to prepare it.

“It’s really a dilemma.”

Having many options meant a wider range of choices, which sometimes made decisions more difficult. This was one of those times.

I was debating whether to work on bread dough or soup as I was about to leave the stream, when I spotted two familiar figures on the other side. They were Cain Krauser and a man in ordinary clothes. The man’s face was unfamiliar, but he was probably someone who handled odd jobs.

Cain was frowning severely as he berated the man, who kept bowing his head without resistance. I couldn’t hear their voices, but I was close enough to see their expressions.

I had no idea what they were saying, but I knew I shouldn’t be caught standing idly by the stream. Guided by this instinct, I carefully left the stream and hid in the shade of a nearby tree. I wanted to observe their actions as much as possible, even if I couldn’t hear their words.

However, after that, Cain simply said something one-sidedly and then departed into the shadows of the forest without showing any other signs. The man also trembled with lingering fear but returned to his original position without issue.

Perhaps Cain had ordered him to observe Helena and look for weaknesses.

It might be my prejudice, but someone like Cain, who disliked Helena and was steeped in elitism, could certainly do such a thing. Especially during large-scale training like this, where the possibility of finding weaknesses was high, it made sense that he would be proactive.

“What a waste of effort.”

Even if weaknesses were discovered, they would be nothing compared to his rotten personality.

Thinking that such schemes wouldn’t be much of a problem, I leisurely headed toward Helena’s tent.