Ch.93

"Already Margaret told me what happened to you, so it is necessary for me to tell you what happened to me...".

A time of silence later, Claudia spoke up.

"But, Claudia, isn't it better than me...?"

Alexander asked Claudia with some concern on his face, even calling Claudia only by name, since she herself had insisted on this, somewhat pointedly, on the way here.

Claudia shook her head, "No, I'd better tell it myself, thank you, Alex-sama."

She thanked Alexander, with a very beautiful smile, and this seemed very strange to Margaret, who was the closest to Claudia of all those present, both in the tent, and in the shelter.

She knew that her Princess Knight seldom smiled in such a.... Vivid way? Brilliant?

"Grave Levantine, my father-in-law, turned out to be a traitor, he drugged me and led me towards the dungeon..."

Claudia began to speak with her face, now cold, as she explained.

She told the others about how Grave took her towards the dungeon when she was supposed to be protecting the City, and that by the time she woke up, the attack was over.

She told the girls that her husband had been killed, and that she was also about to be raped by Grave...

Up to this point, already the girls were looking pretty dark.

"But right there, as if it was fate.... Alex-sama appeared..."

She looked up at Alexander, pausing a bit in Alexander's face without realizing it, as she was beginning to think that it really might be fate.

Again, Margaret had an ambiguous feeling, only that even she herself felt very grateful to Alexander in her heart to know that her Commander did not suffer that kind of disaster...

...

...

And so, for quite a while, they were talking there.

Claudia, Alexander, Margaret and several other girls.

Claudia told them of all that had happened, though she did not give deep details, of the sights in the City and on the way here, so that no plan would have to be made to defend the shelter, since Alexander had defeated that group by himself.

Alexander said that he had to go to the Seventh Fortress, due to the fact that right now the remaining Kuroinu army was marching there, with Volt leading it.

In the shelter there was food and water to survive for at least two months, since it was not winter, and the environment was not hindered, only that it was something in vain.

Claudia immediately ordered that out of the 231 guards active in this place, 100 would lead a group composed of 5 magicians, and 200 civilian men and women who could help, ahead to the City, to carry out the cleaning and prepare the conditions for arrival, while the Female Knights, as they had done on the journey here, would serve as bodyguards or protection agents, due to the magical beasts present in the area, which, although a minority, were still dangerous.

Since now the entire army of Kuroinu, of this unscrupulous mercenary, was on its way to the Capital of Mankind, it was no longer necessary to worry about any attack on the Sixth Fortress for the time being.

And Claudia knew, that most likely with Alexander's Skills... it was possibly not be an illusion to think that they would win this great battle that would decide the fate of the World for a long period of time, perhaps even whole decades, like the worn out and bitter war against the Dark Elves, which it seemed... had finally culminated.

It was about 3 PM in the afternoon, and already the group in charge of the cleanup had departed.

The chatter about the near future ceased, and Claudia ordered the priest from the Church of the Dawn to perform a small ceremony for today's fallen warriors.

And although it was not essential, the need for the Church in virtually all of Humanity, these kinds of rituals and ceremonies were.

The ceremony was carried out quietly, and a few families and relatives wept as they learned the names or units of the people who had died, the children especially were quiet, feeling the somber atmosphere.

After that was over, then the people devoted themselves to being quiet until the message came that the City was completely ready for the large number of civilians to return, and at this time, a quiet time passed throughout the extensive cave, naturally... gossip and so forth about Alexander, began to be the main topic.

Only Alexander wasn't here to hear them, as he and Claudia were sitting at a table, created with Creation, and with food, or a dinner, on it.

Only the two of them were here, for since the maids had left the dishes, Claudia had ordered them that no one could enter until she had given notice, unless it was something very urgent.

Claudia: "... Mn, why were you so insistent on being alone here, Alex-sama~?"

She glossed over it, but her tone sounded happier than usual.

Alexander: "I wanted to tell you what I'm going to do, and also, now that things are calmer, about other issues."

Claudia nodded.

Claudia: "Okay, Alex-sama, but first, let's have dinner, since it's been a long time without being able to eat anything."

Alexander nodded at what Claudia said, but he didn't notice something...

... Claudia's eyes were shining brightly as she looked at him intently.

'If he had a scar, I still don't think that would greatly diminish his attractiveness, but if he doesn't have one then... *Gulp* ... w-whatever! Here I'll find out, no matter what I see, I have to keep my expression normal... as much as I can...'

Alexander: "Itadakimasu."

Alexander, omitting Claudia's thoughts, showed respect for the food in front of him, he was not Japanese, but this terribly contagious habit had rubbed off on his Soul.

...

...

Alexander: "Oh, is this pork? It looks much more delicious than usual."

Claudia: "..."

Alexander: "Also, this way of mixing this flavor with stronger ones is great."

Claudia: "..."

Alexander: "This food is almost unique to the Sixth Fortress, I think it's mainly because of the magical beasts that are surrounding there, isn't it, Claudia?"

Claudia: "..."

Alexander: "Clau.... dia."

Alexander finally fell out of the palm as he realized that Claudia was being very silent, or as she looking in his direction and seeing that she was looking back at him with her face as red as beets.

'Haaa, the mask slipped my mind again, I still have a long way to go to be like Kakashi-sensei...'