Lily Shane Spryde

"Phew...I'm so tired today..."

　I let out a sigh as I unbuttoned the buttons one by one.

　Definitely not physically tired, but mentally.

　I never thought I would make such a mistake...

　Well, it seems like Yaga is clearly being asked for...!

　I soared alone and exposed myself to shame.

　When he hugged me, my heart was so loud I thought it was going to jump out of my chest.

　I've probably never been so nervous in a life-threatening fight.

"A lifetime of confusion...!"

　She was about to throw away the maid uniform she had taken off in embarrassment, but decided against it.

　This is a custom-made serving uniform given to me by Ogre-sama. Never handle it roughly.

　Fold it tightly so there are no wrinkles and place it on the sofa.

　...If it were me in the past, I would probably just throw it on the floor and go to sleep.

"...It's quite different."

　The surrounding environment too. My position too.

　She rose from being the commander of the Holy Knights to a swordsman in the arena on the outskirts of the battlefield, and then became a maid serving the four great ducal families, especially the Verret family. Moreover, he even gave up his name and followed his younger master.

"...I'm sure he'd be surprised if he saw me now."

　I'm sure he'll be laughing heartily while pointing at me.

　...I dug up my memories from my days as a Holy Knight.

　I don't mind if you just talk about my past.

　But today, I couldn't help but see that person's shadow flickering in my mind.

　Maybe it was because he was a person who had the same feelings of admiration that he had for Ogre-sama.

　Maybe it was because he asked me about my beloved sword.

　However, I didn't tell Ogre-sama the details.

　I know I didn't dare touch it.

　When the emotions that I've been keeping a lid on come out.

"...Captain Lily"

　I whisper the name of my former superior who gave me this sword.

　...I feel like today will come out in my dreams.

　I fell asleep with this almost certain premonition in my mind.

"Welcome, Commander Chris Ragnica. My name is Lilyshane Spryde. I am the commander-in-chief of the Holy Knights. I look forward to working with you from now on."

"I'm Chris Ragnica! Nice to meet you, Captain Spride!"

"Ahaha, hard and hard. You can call me Lily. All my members call me that."

　That was the first conversation I had with her, who was famous all over the world as the Holy War Maiden and admired by everyone.

　Lily Shane Spryde is so famous that it is said that if you live in the Londism Kingdom, you have definitely heard of her at least once.

　Although she was born into an aristocratic family, the heroine joined the Holy Knights with the belief that she wanted to make everyone around the world smile, and with her innate talent rose to the rank of commander-in-chief.

　She was also blessed with good looks, earning her the nickname "Holy War Maiden."

　Her silver hair dances like feathers on the battlefield.

　Pure white skin with no impurities.

　Beautiful deep red eyes that attract people's attention.

　I especially liked Captain Lily's eyes.

　Sometimes it's sharp, sometimes it's soft. Her eyes held a firm will of her own.

　It is said that heaven does not give two things, but she is probably an exception loved by God.

　In recent years, it is said that many newcomers have joined the Holy Knights because they admire Captain Lily.

　And I myself was one of those people who admired her.

Even though the person I admire has been training earlier than anyone else, I can't help but do it even though I'm still inexperienced.

　Also, at this time, I can make time to practice alone with Captain Lily.

　With a strong sense of mission and a little desire, I often practiced early morning battles with the commander-in-chief.

　It doesn't matter whether the sun is shining or the snow is falling.

　The cold wind hurt our skin again today, but we faced each other and clashed swords. ...However, now he was completely collapsed from under his feet and was looking up at the sky.

"Well, Chris is very smart. He absorbs what I teach him quickly, and I think he will be able to surpass him in the future."

"Mm, that's impossible! I can surpass Captain Lily!"

"Ahaha. Chris is as stiff as ever. But I don't flatter him. Well...then, let's do this."

　Commander Lily crouched down and held out her beloved sword in front of me.

"If Chris defeats me, I will give him this sword."

"I-Are you okay!?"

"If you have a goal, you'll be more motivated. Besides, I'm happier when my cute subordinates grow. I'll continue to train hard."

"Yes! I'll try my best!!"

　While lying sprawled on my back, I loudly responded to Captain Lily's encouragement with a cheerful smile.

　Naturally, the loser is me, and the winner is the captain.

　I can't even imagine myself overtaking the commander-in-chief.

　Even now, he was only able to land a single blow on the commander-in-chief.

　Next, I will attack the commander in chief with two shots...!

"Congratulations on your promotion, Chris!"

"Oh, thank you very much..."

"What? Are you shy? So cute~"

"S-Captain! It's going to spill! If you hug me so suddenly, your drink will spill!"

　The day his efforts and accomplishments were recognized and his promotion to squad leader was announced.

　Captain Lily said it was a party and took me to a high-end store.

　This place is famous for being used by aristocrats, and as a commoner, I would never be able to set foot there alone.

　The dishes on the table were all items I had never seen before...to be honest, I didn't know where to start.

"You don't have to worry about manners. Today is a rude lecture, so start eating what you want. I ordered a lot, so I'll keep coming back."

"Oh, I understand!"

　I start devouring the food in front of me.

　At first, I was nervous and thought I wouldn't be able to eat so much, but as soon as I took a bite, I was overcome by how delicious it was. She piles up the dishes one by one.

"Hehe...is it delicious?"

"Eh? Ah... yes... it's delicious..."

　When I noticed Captain Lily smiling at me, I felt embarrassed and my face heated up.

　What did I do in front of the person I admire...!

"That's good. I've been wondering about it for a while. Chris trains morning, noon, and night, and doesn't seem to take any time off."

"That's... well, I thought I wouldn't be able to catch up with Captain Lily unless I did that..."

"I told you before, right? Chris will pass me someday. He's steadily getting stronger... But training alone isn't enough. You have to pay attention to other things once in a while."

"…Is that what it is?"

"Yeah. From my experience, there's no doubt about it. People who concentrate on one thing and narrow their field of vision are more likely to stumble. So, Chris, be careful not to do that."

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

"Yeah, that's a good answer. From now on, I'll have subordinates. Training alone will suffocate me and no one will follow me."

"Ugh... I-I'll be careful."

　It hits me exactly where it hurts and I shrink back.

　The schedule I had in mind had most days filled with training.

　The commander-in-chief pats me on the head as if to comfort me.

"If you have any questions, please come and talk to me. You don't have to be shy. You are my precious subordinate."

　...I wonder why Captain Lily's words and smile warm my heart so much.

　When I joined the military, I just admired him and thought he was someone I could never reach.

　But the more I get to know it, the more I love it.

　My desire to become a person like Captain Lily grows.

　...After all, I can't imagine myself overtaking the commander-in-chief.

　I want to wield a sword under you as your subordinate.

　The eyes of my beloved Commander-in-Chief, who reflected my image, were both strong and gentle today.

　Just like that, I kept repeating my failures every day. Once in a while, I would achieve my goals and update them...I kept repeating those days, and one day I entered my third year.

　The greatest tragedy in the history of the Holy Knights occurred.