***

As the morning sun rose, the sounds of bustling activity could be heard outside the tent. Seria, who had been in a deep sleep, sat up groggily.

“Ugh…”

‘When did I fall asleep?’ she wondered, rubbing her eyes. But the moment she moved, an unfamiliar pain shot through her entire body. As if shocked, her muscles ached everywhere – from her legs to her waist, and even her arms throbbed with pain.

“Aah…”

Startled by the pain, Seria curled up into a ball and let out a soft moan. Her moans filled the tent and Kashan, who had been in the adjoining bathroom, rushed to her bedside.

“You’re awake?”

“K-Kashan…?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

The sight of his face in the bright daylight brought back vivid memories of the previous night. Flustered, Seria quickly looked away, fanning her face with her hands in embarrassment.

Despite everything that had happened, her body was remarkably clean. There was no stickiness or discomfort – she felt fresh, as if she had just stepped out of a bath.

She tilted her head slightly, confused by how clean she felt, but quickly realised that wasn’t the most pressing issue at the moment. As her mind swirled with confusion and conflicting emotions, Kashan spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

“There’s breakfast on the table. Take your time eating.”

He seemed completely at ease, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened the night before. His calm demeanour only made Seria more nervous, her face flushing as she nodded in response.

‘Am I the only one thinking too much?’

But how could anyone not think about what had happened? Seria’s mind was a chaotic mess. Even as she sat at the table and picked up her fork, her mind was consumed by memories of the previous night.

‘And also… I… I made a mess on the bed.’

The thought made her cheeks burn with shame.

‘Why on earth did I do that?’

She tortured herself, unable to concentrate on the meal in front of her.

It was a mistake she hadn’t even made as a child. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, Seria shook her head as if to clear her mind. Determined to distract herself, she reached for the food on the table.

“Commander, it’s time to head out.”

A voice called from outside the tent. Seria paused mid-bite, tilting her head in curiosity. Moments later, Kashan appeared, fully armoured – a stark contrast to his usual appearance. He carried a large sword in one hand, its weight evident.

It was a commanding and imposing sight, unlike anything she had ever seen before. Startled, her eyes darted nervously, stealing glances at him as she tried to gauge his mood.

“I might be a little late getting back today. It might take a few days.”

“W-where are you going?”

“Reconnaissance.”

For someone on reconnaissance, he looked more like a man ready to march into battle. But Seria couldn’t bring herself to ask any more questions. She just nodded in agreement.

“Don’t worry. Everyone here will take good care of you. Stay close to the area.”

“Yes, I will.”

Kashan’s large hand ruffled her hair a few times before he walked away, his expression one of reluctance. Then, without another word, he left the tent.

Once again, Seria found herself alone in the big tent.

***

There were no fancy dresses or glittering jewels here, but there was a warm and cosy bed and plenty of food to eat – a place of comfort.

Without realising it, she had grown accustomed to the place. After finishing her morning meal, she sat alone in the tent. Her body still ached and she was tired, so she thought about resting a little longer.

“Can we go in?”

“I don’t know, probably. Let’s just go in.”

Suddenly she heard voices from outside the tent. Before she could react, a group of large women burst into the tent.

Seria, who had been about to lie back on the bed, couldn’t hide her surprise and blinked in confusion.

Despite being women, they were all at least a head taller than her. And that wasn’t all – they had muscular arms, broad chests and strong legs, their bodies radiating sheer strength.

Their skin was a sun-kissed bronze, no different from the men’s. No matter how often Seria saw them, she couldn’t get used to their appearance. In her world, women were delicate, reserved and refined ladies in need of protection.

The women who had burst into the tent so suddenly were now standing in front of Seria, staring at her intently, as if examining every detail. Unable to bear their persistent gaze any longer, Seria opened her mouth carefully, her voice small and hesitant.

“Wh-what brings you here…?”

She knew they probably wouldn’t understand her words, but she spoke anyway, unable to bear the awkward silence.

At her words, the barbarian women exchanged glances and began to murmur to each other.

“What is she saying?”

“I don’t know. None of us speak Imperial.”

“This is driving me crazy. What does the Captain expect me to do with such a small child?”

“Well, for now, they said to keep her entertained, so… OK. How about spear throwing? We can play javelin.”

“That sounds good. Javelin is the best way to kill time. I’ll vote for javelin too.”

“Do you really think she can throw a javelin? I don’t think she can even hold one.”

“Yes, this woman is so stupid, she almost got herself speared with a mace. She must be careful. If she gets hurt for no reason…”

“But isn’t javelin something a 10-year-old can do?”

“It is for us.”

Unable to understand the conversation, Seria couldn’t hide her embarrassment as they continued to whisper without her. As the discussion continued, their expressions grew more serious.

‘Is there… some kind of problem?’

Seria, feeling a hint of fear at the thought that something bad might happen to her, felt a growing sense of dread. And of course Kashan was nowhere to be found.

“So what are we going to do?”

As Seria froze in fear, the women continued their heated discussion. The more they talked, the paler Seria’s face became, though they didn’t seem to notice.

“U-Um… Excuse me… What’s going on… here…?”

Her voice trembled weakly at the end. It was clear she was frightened.

“This is driving me crazy. What are we going to do to keep her entertained?”

As her worries deepened, Seria and the women of the Kuth tribe grew increasingly anxious.