I return to my quarters once and give Nein and Leslie instructions for the future. Since both of them will be positioned as my assistants rather than military mages, they will share the responsibility of going around the large fortress and checking on the health status of the soldiers.

It's better to have them work together at first. When Noin gets used to it, we'll redefine the division of labor.
"Yes, Lord willing, if it's your command.
...... That, Lord, because people would be surprised to hear you call me Lord. I think you should call it something else.

　Leslie didn't hesitate to express her opinions to the older Noin. Noon did not seem to be particularly offended by her, and he was enjoying himself.

'There is no other word in me to call him other than that.
.......... well, it's not up to you to decide that, but my brother Glass. ......

　Leslie calls me that all the time, and it's something I'm very emotional about. Even though I dress up as a man and behave thoroughly as my squire, Leslie is still Leslie.

'...... Leslie, you could be a little more honest, too. Though the purity of it is very desirable to me.
I'm not ...... pure anything. I just do what I want ...... to do.
Yeah?　Then it seems even more desirable.

　I don't know Noyn well yet, and I don't know the whole truth behind Noyn's words just by listening to the current exchange.

　Noin became a court mage because he wanted to, but his will was twisted by Jorg-Frost. The pain she suffered in her mind and body while she was inhabited by the underworld spirit can only be imagined from the edges of her words.

''I'm sorry, Lord. I feel that I should respect your opinion as much as my Lord does, but there is something that I am not willing to concede to you.
'Well, well, ...... I'm in agreement with Leslie. It might be best for Noyn to do what he wants to do, and also ......
'...... Brother Glass, don't you have a soft spot for Mr. Noin?　I was famous in the academy for being extremely beautiful and talented, so my brother Glass was also .......
'I have been aware of the Lord since I was at the College. I remember how often he used to look at the plants in the courtyard.
'Ha ha ...... Well, they treated me like a freak. The only people who cared about me were Leslie and Sven.

　When I looked at Leslie, she seemed unhappy about something, but she smiled at me nostalgically.

'I've been trying to make sure that the spirits that were considered 'outliers' by the academy's regulations were really ...... no one questioned whether they were. But that was a mistake. If it turns out that the Lord's magic is great, I think the constitution of the academy will change as well.
''That's not something that can be changed overnight, but I do think it would be nice if they reviewed the evaluation of non-elemental spirit users. From the academy's point of view, though, I'm a 'straggler' and I think there's only so much I can do.

　The Silvana School of Magic. The highest academy in the country, which has produced mages to support the kingdom.

　It was only after leaving there that I was able to realize that my magic has value, and that it is needed by the people, even if it is not a useful spirit for warfare.

　I have a sister-in-law, Millennia, in the academy. If she hadn't given up on me, I'm sure she would have questioned the current nature of the academy. Even so, the inability to come up with a policy of not discriminating against spirits is probably due to the conventions of this country itself.

''...... Brother Glass's spirit magic is really amazing. So it's better not to spread it around too much and keep it a secret. Otherwise, our enemies will be after you.
''Well, ...... even if I were to protect my Lord at the cost of my life, it's still important to behave in a way that doesn't make him a target first. Lord, is it right to think of it that way?
'It would help if you did. Because I suppose there are times when it's better to be underestimated.
You mean ...... where only a limited number of people understand the magnificence of your spirit. I would be honored beyond measure if I could be one of them.
...... Brother Glass isn't very good at receiving praise, so don't say so much one after another.
'Well, well, ...... you're right there, Leslie, it would be helpful if you didn't lift it up too much. I'm human, too, and that's where the looseness comes from.

　After all, a room of three people, including Noin, is a venerable problem in that I might be corrupted. It's a good idea to recognize the severity of the current situation and brace yourself even more.

　　　◆◇◆

　I asked Leslie and Noin to find people who were feeling unwell in the fortress and bring them to the sanitation wing for treatment. Fortunately, we were able to treat all the cases with medicine with the herbs we had on hand.

　Some of the soldiers had already left the med wing and returned to duty. They've been writing me letters, but I haven't been able to take the time to read through them.

'They all love Dr. Glass. I think they can tell that he always cares about them. People I haven't been able to talk to for a long time have been asking me if Dr. Glass has made his rounds yet. ......

　Katie, who is helping me with my work in the filling station in the sanitation building, wipes the tears that nearly spill from her eyes as she speaks this.

'I'm still new here ...... and I feel bad about the opposite when I get people to thank me like this. When I get letters and such, I get so shy I can hardly open them.
Maybe I shouldn't be the one to tell you that I'm not supposed to say ...... after you've calmed down. Please, please read it to him. I'd be as nervous as if my letter were being read to me.
'I do too. If it says something good, that's great.
...... Dr. Glass is too humble. I can't tell you how much what you are doing is helping to heal our wounded soldiers. ......

　I'm glad to hear that. But the reason I'm treating everyone is to get our soldiers back on the battlefield, even if not all of them will return to the front.

　If only I could get them back to a life of calm, not fighting. I've vowed to follow His Highness Astina to make that happen, not just to hold it as an ideal.

　--Wouldn't doing so cause me to clash with your sister-in-law? If that were to happen, how could I avoid a fight? I think I'll have to think about it now as a possibility.

'Even at ......, sometimes you look very difficult. If you bring such a kind doctor to the battlefield, show him a terrible situation, and then have to go through the same thing ...... that happened to his predecessor again.
'Don't worry about that. I'm just me, so it won't be easy to change. And I've said with my friends that I won't fold under any circumstances.
'You're a wonderful friend: ...... oh. Are you referring to Mr. Lendl, by any chance?
'Yes, uh, ...... well, Mr. Rendle is one of them.

　Katie still thinks that Leslie is a man called "Mr. Lendl". Considering Leslie's home, the number of people who know his true identity is limited - and that means he can't reveal it to Katie yet.

'If I had gone to the wizarding academy to learn magic too, I wouldn't be able to make a dreamy metaphor about Miss Glass and ....... I'm going to take over the innkeeper.
'Don't take it too hard. I'll give you some pills to take away your fatigue. Put it in your tea and drink it, it will warm you up.
Thank you ...... Dr. Glass is really sweet.

　I wonder if it's a contrary conceited notion that I want to somehow restore the balance of human relations since I've been feeling like a compliment lately - or is it a contrary conceited notion?

　I wave to Katie, who has a big smile on her face, and leave the sanitation building. It's almost time for dinner, but let's pay a visit to Presha first.