8 — A Party at Full Swing

Rohtas led us to the main dining room, where even more alcohol and gourmet treats awaited us.

But we went through so much back in the salon... don’t tell me there’s still more? Egads.

Since it was a formal affair, a buffet had been set up with several small tables around it.

We’d been burning through food and drink since the start of the party. Everyone was so slim and well-proportioned, so just when I was beginning to wonder where they were putting all that food, one of the lady knights appeared (seemingly out of nowhere) by my side and explained, “We might be intelligence officers, but we’re still knights, so we do daily training. Physical training, that is—which is why we’re so hungry.”

You’d never think this beautiful woman was a knight, but just moments earlier I’d watched her scarf down more food and drink that I thought possible.

“Oh, now I understand. I was so surprised. You’re all in such good shape, I simply couldn’t figure out where you were putting all that food,” I answered her straightforwardly.

“I assume the commander usually has a hearty appetite, too, right?” she asked, sweeping her silky blonde bangs to the side and gazing at me with eyes the color of red wine. As I stared into her eyes, her beauty was like a shock to my system that made the rest of the world seem ugly in comparison.

Inside, I was a little embarrassed, but when she prompted me to think back on all the times I’d seen Mr. Fisalis eat, I replied, “...now that you mention it... yes, he does.” As I mentally replayed the now-familiar scene of him eating, I realized he didn’t usually finish his breakfast, but he would eat huge dinners.

Meanwhile, I’d have to surrender halfway through or else my stomach... Oops, there I go again, revealing the skeletons in my closet.

I hung my head in shame internally, but didn’t let it show on the surface.

“The commander really is great at his job.”

A woman with slightly curly, bronze-toned hair came over to me.

That reminds me—I’ve never really asked him about his work. Lieutenant Commander Corydalis’ lengthy lecture was the first I’d heard about it.

The main reason I never asked is that I wasn’t interested, but still.

“I had no idea. I know Corydalis mentioned it just a little while ago, but Mr. Fisalis doesn’t usually talk about his work.”

I couldn’t very well say, “because I never ask,” so I just gave a vague smile. Of course, I’d heard that he couldn’t talk about his duties in great detail at home anyway, so I just figured that he wouldn’t be able to answer even if I did.

And again, I didn’t really care.

I feel like that bears repeating.

“We aren’t out the front lines. Our division works behind the scenes,” said a woman with a most lovely smile. This one had hair like silver threads.

Yes, she also appeared out of nowhere.

I suddenly realized I was completely surrounded by a ring of dashing lady knights.

At last, I have acquired my very own har—

Ahem. No.

All of a sudden, I realized... I was basically back at the women’s club.

“Commander’s orders are very precise. He never wastes a single word.”

“Is that so?”

“And doesn’t treat the women any differently than the men.”

“You don’t say.”

“He gets things done promptly, too.”

“Does he?”

Now that they had me trapped, they started to wax poetic about what a great commander he was.

“Back during that one infiltration operation, he was prepared for catastrophe,” said the blonde with a grim smile.

I didn’t know what she meant by ‘that one operation,’ but I nodded along anyway.

“Mmhmm. But he still pulled off that one-in-a-million plan and we all made it out safely,” the silver-haired woman mused with a faraway look in her eye.

“His directives were utterly brilliant that day,” said the bronze-haired one, spellbound.

‘Distinguished service in battle’ this, ‘a man of the sword as well as the pen’ that: it seemed Mr. Fisalis had quite the reputation at work.

I couldn’t get anything more than some “oh”s, “mm”s, and “I see”s in.

It’s no different than my ‘chat’ with Corydalis— looks like today I’m just going to be bombarded with Mr. Fisalis stories.

We drank, we ate, and then got back to drinking.

The women rapidly grew chattier. They were all smiles as they amused themselves with stories about Mr. Fisalis. Which is to say, they praised him to high heaven, the enchantment apparent in their eyes.

“So, you’re all fans of Mr. Fisalis?” I asked, taking advantage of a brief lull in the conversation.

“Goodness, no!”

“You bet! I’m glad he’s my boss, but sometimes...”

“The way he acts in private, is just...”

“Besides, we’re all married!” they insisted, albeit with smiles on their faces.

Good grief, they’re married, too?

From there, the conversation turned to:

“Parading your mistress around even while married, though—I wouldn’t stand for it.”

“Seriously! If my husband did that, I’d strangle him!”

“And ignoring his lovely wife? Miss me with that nonsense, right?”

“Call ’im over here! I’ll strangle him for you! Ha ha ha!”

As they drank more and more, they switched from praising Mr. Fisalis to judging him. The tone changed, too, to one rather—no, quite scathing.

They were getting really worked up, too.

Just a second ago they were preaching to me about how wonderful he was, and then they changed their minds so fast! And is it just my imagination, or are their eyes starting to look a little glazed over?

Somebody H-E-L-P M-E!

As my eyes started to tear up at the realization that I couldn’t stop their drinking binge, there came a worried voice from behind me.

“Yowza! What did you guys say to Madam!?”

When I turned around, Corydalis was standing there, complete with a distressed look on his face.

The jovial ladies, however, continued on without a care.

“Uhh, lemme break down for you jus’ how much of a good for nothin’ that command... huh?”

They’re completely gone. Drunk out of their minds.

Hearing that made Corydalis even more upset.

“Jeez, you all look awful! Yo! Get these girls away from Madam!” he directed the other knights nearby.

“Yes sir!”

“Heeey! We’re still talking to her! Leave us alooone!” one of the women said to the knights who tried to pull her away, bracing her legs as if she was going to put up a fight.

“After I took the time to tell Cercis’ wife all those great things about him! You all went and undid everything I said!”

“Err, we told her nice things about ’im, toooo.”

“I guess the topic kinda changed halfway, though.”

“It was a little more than ‘kinda’!”

“But it was all truuue.”

“Which makes it even worse!”

Corydalis held his head in his hands.

“Vi! What happened?”

Mr. Fisalis came rushing over to me from where he had been idly chatting; everyone else just watched as the drunk women shoved each other around in frustration.

“Er, I think the ladies are drunk,” I informed him truthfully, with a strained smile.

“Argh, them again...” he said as he threw his head back and covered his face with his hands.

“Well, at least they had a good time, right?”

“Yes, but what did they tell you?” he asked, bending over slightly and gazing into my eyes.

“Oh, heheh, all sorts of things,” I nervously tried to laugh it off.

“Like what?” he pressed further.

No, I’m being evasive because it’s in your best interest that you don’t hear it. But I guess if you reeeally want me to tell you...

I will!

“Well, they started with your military achievements and the quality of your command—apparently, you’re almost too good at your job— but once the conversation turned to your private life, the praise turned into criticism. The points they made, in fact, are so difficult to describe right now that it’s probably best I start from the end—which could be summed up as ‘I shouldn’t stand for it’...”

Mr. Fisalis’ face quickly drained of its color as I laid out the facts.

“...Vi?”

“Yes?”

“Please stop. I don’t think I’ll ever recover if you keep going...”

He cut me off really fast for someone who had wanted to hear the details so badly, and now even seemed to have tears in his eyes.

“Look at it this way—it means that they really like you...”

“...I can’t be the only one here who doesn’t believe that.”

If you say so!