(Cass's Point of View)

A village in central Castall. 

Nearly a week had already passed since they repelled the last attack of Margrave's knights. 

Although there had been no signs of them resuming their attack, Cass couldn’t afford to mope around all the time.

“…Guess I’ll get up.”

Cass got off her bed and put on her blackish military uniform. Once she stepped out into the lawn after throwing a mantle over her shoulders, she found Irijina standing there.

The tall woman was said to suffer severe wounds during Torun's conquest three months ago. Even now, she had bandage wrapping her upper body.

“Good mornin’, Boss.”

“Morning.”

At first, Cass forbade the big woman from calling her "boss" but she gave up on that after Irijina was so persistent.

“What’s the plan for today?”

“The same as yesterday…visiting our injured men.”

“In that case, I’ll accompany you.”

“Thanks.”

Taking Irijina with her, Cass walked across the lawn where one shack followed the next. The temporary hospital was located in a  crudely made long house. There are close to 100 mattresses. The same structures were built in nine other occupied villages in central Castall.

As the two women walk along the building, they could hear all the noise from below.

“It sure sounds like they’re lively today as well.”

“Sorry. I’ll have the folks, who are healthy enough to kick up a fuss, leave the hospital.”

“Don’t mind it. It’s their justified privilege, so let them unwind a bit.”

“Thank you very much.”

As soon as Cass entered the hall, the noise died down all at once. Her men stopped what they were doing, looking at her way. Some of them were laying on their beds, but quite a few of them were up and about.

“Stay at ease.”

Her men started to move again, somewhat awkwardly. While casting a fleeting glance at them, Cass walked up to a nearby bed. Spotting her, a guy with curly hair lying on it trembled with a start.

"Is it our first time to talk with each other?”

“I-It seems like I h-happened to go outside for some exercises, and I also frequently v-visit the t-toilet, so y-you must have m-missed me.”

“I see. It might be unnecessary for me to ask, but how are you doing?”

“F-Fortunately I’m doing much better!”

“Great.”

“――gh! N-No, my w-wounds still hurt a bit! I need to r-recuperate a bit l-longer!” The elven girl unnaturally held her stomach, gasping.

“Then take your time and heal up, okay?”

“I will!”

When Cass turned around, she heard him breathing out behind her.

“Now then, next is…”

Cass let her eyes wander, and then headed over to the bed where a man with spike hair was resting.

“How are you doing?”

“Things have improved quite a bit.” The pike haired guy sat up with his face screwing up as his wounds painfully tormented him.

“It looks like they still hurt.”

“Well, I got injured all over. But, my hands, legs, and eyes are fine.”

"Anyway, make sure to rest up well,."

He laid back down on the bed with a grimace, and the two women returned to the passage between the beds.

When she scanned her surroundings once again, her men turned their faces away or looked downwards.

There was a big guy, a lot taller than Irijina.

"I’m here for a sick visit. How are you doing?”

“Like yesterday. I’m sorry, but it’ll take some time for me to be able to fight again.”

“Okay, that’s a bit unexpected now.”

“What is?”

“I just took you for someone who’d try to force himself, big guy.”

“I’m a warrior.” He mumbled while looking up to the ceiling. “Grasping one’s own condition is one of the important skills of a warrior. If I can’t tell the state of my own body, I won’t be able to hold the line either.”

“Is this something like you telling me, leave this place to me and go ahead?” Irijina gor excited by his spirit and responded.

“You got it.” He bared his canine, apparently laughing. “Still…leave this place to me and go ahead, eh? What an awfully corny and hotblooded line.”

“It’s hotblooded, but I could do without situations where I’d need to tell you that.”

Then again, Cass thought Irijina alone might not be able to keep back the enemy anyway.

“I’m with you on that. But it’s always necessary to assume the worst in advance.”

“Well, sometimes I’ve made such assumptions as well.”

“Hoh, I guess you’re a warrior then, Lady Irijina.”

“I don’t really think that this description applies to me, though.” Cass joked.

"Well then, I’ll take a nap. I want my injuries to heal up as quickly as possible.”

“Okay, sleep well.”

“Thanks.”

The big guy closed his eyes, and very soon started to peacefully snore. The two women  went back to the aisle while making sure to not wake him, and headed over to the other side.

"Uugh, it hurts!”

“You’re looking as bad as usual, eh?” Cass muttered while staring at a thin man moaning with tears in his eyes.

“Kero, the boss went out of his way to visit you. Shape up some, will you?” Irijina shoke his bed.

“Even if you’re telling me all that, my whole body is in pain.”

Getting scolded by Irijina, the thin man called Kero shed big tears.

“Now, now, Irijina. It’s obvious that Kero is doing his best.”

“Right, right, I’m doing my best.”

Kero immediately got carried away as soon as Cass covered for him.

“Boss, ’tis bad for Kero if you only pamper him.”

“Hmm, you do have a point there.”

“That’s so mean! You gotta treat me kinder!”

“My gentleness will quickly run out if you push it.” Irijna scolded him.

"Now then, next is…”

Once Cass looked around herself again, her men faced away or cast their eyes down. Cass called out to her subordinates, before ultimately leaving the hospital.

***

Cass and Irijina walked towards the area with shacks in order to visit the subordinates who were recuperating in the house. Only the leaders recuperated in shacks. The two women passed through the lawn, the area with the hospital and gardens.

As they crossed the garth――

“Do you think I should abstain from making sick visits?” Cass asked.

“Why are you asking all of a sudden?” Irijina hurled back.

“The men always turn the other way whenever I go to visit them.”

“That’s just them being uncertain how they should face you.”

“They can simply treat me normally.”

"Well, you are a noble lady and beautiful. I am also beautiful."

"Is there anything I can do for you?”

“No, nothing, boss. And even if there was, I do not wish for ye to do anything that’d put ye at disadvantage!"

A refusal as reply, no, Irijina was considering Cass’s future.

“We’ve gone off-topic, but I just wanted to tell ye that lots of folk aren’t quite used to being treated nicely.” Irijina said cheerfully, apparently having pulled herself together.

“I don’t consider myself to be overly kind, though…”

“Captain, you might not know, but…ah, it’s not like I’m trying to make fun of you, no?”

“I know that you aren’t.” Cass smiled wryly.

“Even when being shown kindness and goodwill, many of them won’t trust you and turn it down, thinking that it might be some trick, as they’ve gone through a cruel life.”

“You too?”

“I’ve understood that you are a good person, boss, but sometimes I’ll end up putting myself on guard too."

"How about some flowers?” 

A lovely voice interrupted Irijina, and a bunch of flowers was held out in front of the two.

Cass stopped, and stared at the girl holding those flowers. She wore her brown hair in braids. Her simple dress was slightly dirty, but her hair was well-tended.

It made Cass feel sick at heart that such a small girl had to work.

“How much?”

“It is one brass coin per flower.”

Cass retrieved a leather bag out of her pocket, and checked its content. Inside he saw silver coins, and several gold coins.

By the way, brass coins were the lowest coinage in the Thedas continent. The usual exchange rates were: 10 brass coins for one copper coin, 10 copper coins for one silver coin, and 20 silver coins for one gold coin.

“I got no brass coins.”

“I see,” the girl said with disappointment in her voice, and then suddenly lifted her face. Immediately following she bowed as if frightened, no, as if feeling ashamed. 

“Please forgive me, milady.”

“No need to apologize.”

Thinking that she might not be able to sell much without having change at hand, Cass stared at the bunch of flowers in her hands.

“Oh well, keep the change then.”

“I-Is that alright with you, milady?”

“Sure, go for it.”

“Thank you very much.”

The girl respectfully lowered her head when Cass passed her a silver coin. Even though she should have done something good, feelings of guilt welled up in her for some reason.

“Milady, here are your flowers.”

“Thanks.”

After receiving a bunch of flowers, Cass started to walk again.