Chapter 101
I Found a Fellow Muscle Enthusiast!
“—Hey, Sibel. Have you ever seen Leo’s body?”
“…!?”
That day, while everyone was having breakfast together, Armin quietly leaned toward me and asked that question.
His voice was so soft that it almost got lost in the surrounding chatter, but I caught every word clearly.
“W-what do you mean by that…?”
What could he possibly mean?
As I looked into Armin’s eyes, I struggled to hide my inner fluster. Leo’s body… in other words… that’s, um, naked… is what he’s asking about, isn’t it?
At the thought, countless images flashed through my mind. Half of them were “yes,” and half were “no.”
I had seen Leo shirtless during training before, and that image was etched vividly in my memory—so in that sense, yes.
“I mean, I took a bath with Leo yesterday.”
“Oh!”
Right, that’s true.
…Really, I’m so jealous.
As I hesitated, caught up in my thoughts, Armin continued.
“Leo’s really muscular and strong, you know. No wonder he was the former captain of the royal knights.”
His words made my heart start racing.
Without thinking, I nodded vigorously and felt my face growing red from excitement.
Of course, I had never actually bathed with him, but thankfully, I had seen that strong, muscular body several times before.
“I understand!!”
I blurted out loudly, immediately realizing all the eyes around me were on us. I hurriedly coughed and lowered my voice, leaning toward Armin.
“I understand. The knight truly has a strong and dependable body, but that is the result of his hard work. And beyond the muscles, he has so many other charms that make him truly admirable.”
“Exactly! That’s why knights are so cool!”
“Yes, exactly!!”
Being able to share that feeling with Armin made me want to silently pump my fist in triumph.
My love for muscles… my admiration for knights… had rarely been understood before. But here it was, finally recognized—and it filled me with happiness.
“…Sibel-chan? Armin? What are you two whispering about?”
At that moment, Leo, sitting on the opposite side from Armin, looked at us with a curious expression.
I had gotten too excited and spoken too loudly.
Milko and Elga, sitting across from us, were giving us indescribable looks.
“Ah… um… well…”
My heart was pounding, and my face felt hotter than ever. I feared that Leo might have overheard what we were talking about.
Ah… and here I am, in the middle of breakfast… Sibel, get it together…!!
“Sibel, you understand, don’t you!!”
“Hey, Armin! Sibel-chan is a saint! How many times have I told you not to speak like that?”
But Armin didn’t seem bothered at all and just laughed.
Yoti scolded him immediately, but Armin’s cheerful voice made my feelings lighten just a little.
“It’s fine, Yoti. Armin, let’s talk more about the knight!”
“Talk about the knight?”
“Ah…!”
At my words, Leo widened his eyes and gave a wry smile.
Seeing his reaction made my heart race again, and I felt my face burning even hotter.
I never imagined I’d find such a wonderful comrade. I was thrilled!
So that’s why Armin, just like me, had muttered “cool” while watching the knight’s training.
“Hey, Sibel, we really get along, don’t we?”
“Seems so…!”
I secretly clenched my hand in a silent handshake in my heart.
Once this mission is safely finished, I have to sit down and talk with Armin properly.
Until now, my love for muscles and admiration for knights had rarely been understood by anyone.
I didn’t really have many friends, and noble ladies wouldn’t normally talk about such improper things, so even if someone were interested, they probably wouldn’t notice.
“Isn’t that the captain! Long time no see!”
“Hey, hey, he’s not a captain anymore, right? This is Prince Leopold, the first prince!”
“Yeah, he’s been crowned heir, so watch your manners.”
“Oh, right. My apologies.”
After breakfast, Leo and I visited the town of Tori.
Seeing the townspeople happily greet Leo, who had returned after a long time, filled me with warmth.
I felt how beloved he was, and it drew me even closer to him.
“Haha, don’t worry about it. Everyone seems just as lively as before.”
“Yes, of course! Tori has become much more peaceful than before.”
“That’s thanks to the saint too!”
This place is dangerous, with monsters wreaking havoc, but the people who remain here clearly have strong ties to their homeland.
The people of Tori are genuinely kind and warmhearted.
Walking with Leo, smiles naturally gather around him. That’s always been the case.
Leo’s presence is like the sun, illuminating and warming the people of Tori.
Visiting to directly imbue blessings into the magic stones and seeing the faces of Tori’s people made me glad I came.
“Your Highness, Saint! Congratulations on your engagement!”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you so much!”
I never imagined back then that I would be engaged to Leo, but even then, he was truly wonderful.
Coming to Tori makes me nostalgic and happy, remembering those times.
Of course, now I’m happier than ever!
“Sibel-chan, is there anywhere else you want to visit?”
“Well…”
We enjoyed skewered foods at the market, drank lemonade while walking around the shops, and had a pleasant time together.
It was almost time to return to the knight’s dormitory, as we would depart for the Myukke territory tomorrow.
After that, we wouldn’t know when we could next visit Tori.
“Oh… that’s right. I want to go back to the shop where we bought Leo’s pendant.”
“Ah, the one that sold the magic stone. Sure, let’s go.”
That shop had a certain mysterious charm.
Back then, my knowledge of magic stones wasn’t enough, but now I felt I could understand them more deeply.
Also, the shopkeeper probably knows even more about magic stones than I do. Perhaps I could even consult them about the magic stone in Tori that had cracked.
