I Became a Veteran Heroine in a Harem Story

“This is a city without even the common back-alley criminal organizations. Honestly, the possibility of something happening is low. I’ve never seen any incidents happen until now.”

Academy students began pouring into the city. Though they were less than 300 people in total across all years, Reten was not a very large city.

Even the influx of students was enough to give the entire city a bustling feel.

‘This kind of scene isn’t much different.’

I watched them as I patrolled along the route with Eric.

The students were either enjoying things they couldn’t enjoy inside the Academy by entering restaurants and theaters that had made thorough preparations for this peak season, or meeting family members who had visited the city, showing both the aspects of students of that age and soldiers on leave.

Happy and joyful. It was so intense that even I, standing one step away, could immediately feel it.

“It’s nice.”

I had no reason to dislike this atmosphere. For my last year, I had basically been repeating battles alone in a devastated world.

It was the same before that too. I was tired of a life inevitably entangled and buried in missions given arbitrarily for the amusement of the Constellations and bloody struggles. No matter how worn out I was, now that I’m living a new life, I’m not completely broken.

Indeed, seeing people happy and joyful was more pleasant to see than them being hurt and sad.

“You say it’s good to watch other kids play, what is this…”

Eric, who couldn’t understand my inner thoughts, shook his head as if dumbfounded after hearing my words. Since there was a generation gap, no, something even more than that between him and me, I just kept my mouth shut and didn’t try to make him understand.

‘Is he coming towards us? He’s been watching us for a while now.’

That’s when I sensed small footsteps approaching from the side. I realized that the owner of these footsteps was the gaze that had been watching us for a while.

“We are on official duty now. Do you have something to say?”

“Well…”

The person who approached us was a young girl who seemed less than 10 years old. The girl, who had been watching continuously but hesitated when I looked down at her, flinched.

“My mom taught me. She said I should be grateful when I see knights. She said they are important people who protect us.”

The girl held out a candy that she had been holding in her hand. Though it’s not something great, it was clearly quite valuable to this child who didn’t seem very well-off.

“What are you doing? Take it. Don’t embarrass the person.”

Eric, who received the candy as if familiar with this, pretending to be cool by clearing his throat, whispered to me who was standing still. Unlike with Eric, when I didn’t accept the candy, the girl seemed slightly bewildered and watched us cautiously.

“This candy, you’re giving up something you want to eat for me, right?”

“W-well…”

“I will accept your heart of gratitude, but this candy is precious to you, so I won’t take it. Taking a weak person’s possessions under the pretext of gratitude is exploitation.”

Kneeling on one knee, I didn’t accept the candy and put it back in her hand. Then the girl opened her mouth with a blank face.

“Then how do I convey my heart of gratitude? I was taught that greetings with just words are false.”

“I’m just fulfilling my duty. So you should fulfill your duty too. If a knight’s duty is to protect the country and citizens, a citizen’s duty is to happily enjoy daily life. That’s enough.”

Ah, at this moment, I feel like my vision is getting a bit brighter.

I, who had been completely immersed in the thoughts of my first possession when starting my second possession, seemed to have gained a hint about new values and perspectives.

My goal of becoming the strongest and enjoying everything I could enjoy remained, but the purpose was somewhat empty. But now it seemed like I could add one more thing to what I could enjoy.

A knight’s duty to protect others seemed much more valuable than fighting for the amusement of the Constellations.

“I-I thought so too. Here.”

Eric, who seemed at a loss for words, cleared his throat and returned his candy to the girl as well.

“Damn, if you say such things, what does that make me?”

“Values differ from person to person. If you have your own convictions, there’s no need to bend them.”

He grumbled to me. His clumsy but considerate behavior of those around him was behavior that suited his age perfectly.

Still, since that behavior wasn’t rooted in evil, it couldn’t be said to be bad.

“By the way, time flies, it’s really delicious, are you really not going to eat it?”

“Please follow the regulations.”

When I had completed the patrol route, practically dragging Eric who kept trying to stray and look elsewhere, it was already lunchtime.

After that, time passed like an arrow shot.

Without any particular problems, and without catching anyone for rule violations, the weekend sun finished its ascent and began its descent again.

“Finally, it’s break time. All day long, patrol, patrol, patrol…”

“It’s because it’s your first time.”

Erich, with a bitter smile, patted Karin’s shoulder as she sighed.

In the evening after sunset, this was the northern square where they had gotten off the carriage. Academy students who had all gathered here verified personnel, and the day-trip students returned to the Academy in this state.

This was also the first time since departure that all the duty personnel had gathered together.

“Nothing unusual happened? It seems like something should have.”

Karin looked at Erich, Lunara, and Deina, who had gathered beside her, with a faint smile. No one could refute her words.

This was because everyone had created friction at least once while performing duties one-on-one with second-year seniors today. The cause was, of course, having to carry out Kiina’s order to tackle them mercilessly, even if they were seniors.

“Senior Arisa said she’d settle things once we get back to the Academy?”

“Sir Luster just sighed deeply all day and didn’t say much…”

“Herman initially resisted, but when I explained the reasons, he was persuaded.”

Erich shrugging his shoulders, Lunara being cautious, and Deina smirking, they each talked about what they had experienced. There were truly diverse reactions to the juniors’ audacious behavior, but there were no direct confrontations on the street.

For now, there was an ongoing duel. During the duel, the second-years couldn’t treat them, who were also members of the same Student Council, recklessly.

Moreover, the second-years were also the direct participants who had fought and lost the duel. They had lost very shamefully, so their right to speak had shrunken even more.

“Well, I didn’t particularly fight either. To begin with, that person didn’t seem to have much interest in things like snacking. What do you think Kiina was like?”

“She did confront the toughest senior, but she should be fine.”

“That’s right.”

Everyone nodded at Karin’s mention of Kiina. Although Eric was known as the power figure in the second-year Year Council, no one worried about Kiina.

“Everyone’s here. Nothing unusual happened, right?”

Right after that, as if speaking of the devil brings it, Kiina approached them.

‘What, why are you looking at me?’

At that moment, Karin flinched when she saw Kiina staring at her with her characteristic emotionless eyes.

‘M-me, doesn’t she trust me? Or is there another reason?’

Karin, who didn’t yet know the meaning of that gaze, harbored a small misunderstanding. And that misunderstanding grew as Kiina insisted on standing night watch with her tonight.

“Why are you like this to me? First forcibly picking me, and now this?”

“From my perspective, I just made the best move. It’s for your sake, so don’t worry too much.”

Eventually, Karin asked Kiina directly, but unlike other times, Kiina, who couldn’t reveal the exact reason, had no choice but to give a vague answer.

‘For, for me? You?’

Kiina didn’t say anything wrong, but from Karin’s perspective, it was natural to be confused when someone who hadn’t really talked to her much suddenly showed interest and acted strangely.

Kiina had already turned around and was heading elsewhere, but Karin, who unnecessarily hugged herself with her arms, had to be immersed in strange fantasies for a while.

“There are no issues with personnel, and all day-trip personnel have returned, so we’ll move to the lodgings. There are no unusual matters. Very good.”

After that, the instructors moved the students spending the night in the city to their lodgings. The lodging, a converted large mansion, was a building owned by the Academy that Academy students used whenever they came here.

“From after the gates close, you cannot go outside the lodgings, so this is the last time for outings. Please endure a bit more, everyone.”

After dinner, the lodgings were opened, and some of the duty personnel had to wait at the lodgings.

While the team including Karin and Kiina was guarding the lodgings, students went back into the city to enjoy the night in the city, which had started to light up brightly.

“We need to buy it and take it in so we can eat it secretly at night, right?”

“Let’s buy that right before going in.”

Isabel and Sophia, who were enjoying today more than anyone else, were the same. Especially Isabel, who had struggled so much until just yesterday, didn’t want to miss a bit of today’s opportunity that she had proudly earned.

“But who is that for?”

“A gift for the person who helped me.”

“Ah… Squad Leader Lunara? But why two?”

In the midst of this, Sophia was puzzled by the two gift boxes Isabel was holding. According to Isabel, there should only be one gift for Lunara, but she had bought two identical ones.

“I also need to give one to the person who asked Lunara… there’s something like that. Let’s go quickly.”

She giggled and put the gifts into the bag she was holding. Isabel’s mind, thinking that Lunara had approached her on someone’s special instructions, was already filled with one person’s face.

‘The morning, the morning would be good. When Monday morning comes, I’ll give it to that person first thing.’

She had already made all the plans. For her, today was the happiest moment since coming to the Academy.