Lucia Gets Researched

It took us three days to reach Foristarn from where we were. The group stopped at the nearby fort to pick up the letter we sent. The first letter I’d ever touched ended up being one that we sent ourselves. I almost wanted to cry, even if it wasn’t technically addressed to me.

Saying goodbye to the Vatis knights who asked to come with us, we stepped into the forest surrounding the Cristallo Sacro. We’d been attacked by monsters as soon as we got to the forest in Kyriest, hadn’t we? Remembering the severed head of the Each-uisge from the last time, I shook my head to keep myself from feeling sick.

“Are you okay?” Sir Celes, back in his normal uniform and sword, whispered in my ear. We were still on his horse, but he’d had his hand on the hilt of his sword since we got to the forest.

“I’m alright. I’ll be fine. I’m not afraid of anything when I’m with you.”

“Gnh!” He tensed up.

Sir Gaius called out to me, “Lucia, you know we’re here too, right?”

“I know. It’s reassuring that you’re all here, too!”

“Whoo, your reaction is too pure for this old man! Cap’n, I know you might be overjoyed, finally getting a girlfriend, but keep your eyes on the road. Now’s not the time to be thinkin’ of romance. We don’t know when the monsters’ll come at us. You’re the one who’ll cry if she gets knocked off the horse.”

The rest of the party had learned about our relationship over the last few days. I mean, we never actually intended to hide it, but Sir Gaius and Eric found out after Miss Maria started teasing Sir Celes the morning after our girl’s talk. After that, it got spread to the rest.

“It’s bugging me how happy the captain is! We’re working right now. Can I burn him, just a bit?”

“No friendly fire, kid.”

“What’s wrong with wanting him to keep his mind on work? What do you think, Commander?”

His Highness was alone in the carriage, while Lord Reynard and Miss Maria (and Shiro) were sitting on the coachman’s stand. Sir Agliardi, Sir Gaius, Eric, and Sir Celes had their horses surrounding the carriage. I couldn’t ride by myself, so I was on Sir Celes’s horse, but...it was getting hard to say anything.

“...Leave them be, Eric. It’s not affecting his work. I’ll get on him myself if it gets too bad.”

Sir Celes replied, “I’m sorry, Commander. I’ll try to hold back.”

“You’re too nice, Commander! Be serious!” Eric exclaimed.

“You’re in a bad mood today, huh, brat?”

“We’d been so worried about them, and now they’re flirting like that. Can you blame me for being mad!?”

It seemed like the reason for Eric’s attitude was because he’d been worried. Feeling bad, I turned to him and said, “I’m sorry, Eric, everyone. Um...”

“Ah, no. You don’t need to apologize. It’s just kinda disappointing that the captain is being so annoying about it when we worried so much.”

Sir Celes seemed surprised that Eric singled him out. “Am I really being that annoying?”

“What’s with that ‘oh, I never noticed’ look. Okay, Captain, I’m just gonna say it. You’re looking at her and smiling too much. It might seem like you’re trying to hide it, but you keep smirking, and it doesn’t even seem like you care that we see. You used to only do it once or twice every half hour, but now I don’t even want to count. And Lucia used to ride with the bear, but she’s been with you ever since you got back.”

Eric pouted, glaring at Sir Celes.

“I’d wanted to watch you guys more, but you got together when we were apart. What’s with that? Skipping the investigation process and just showing the results? That’s so unfair. Watching and seeing how you react is the funniest part, and you took it away from me! Of course I’m mad!”

“Oh, so it seems our researcher’s just mad that everything got settled without him.”

“I worried about them! I really did! It’s not all about the observation stuff, but I still wanted to do it! And you’ve been looking at them and smirking too, you bear! You traitor!”

“Don’t tell them that!”

Oh no...were they really all watching us that much!? I looked down, incredibly embarrassed. It felt like my face was on fire. Eric, please keep the research to the Cristallo Sacro!