3.1 – And the First Night

And today was…  

“Knight Adolf de Ludwig of the Imperial Army’s 6th Division at the Western Border, as of January 17th, Imperial Year 205, has been honorably discharged by the order of His Majesty the Emperor.”  

“Sir Adolf, congratulations on your safe discharge.”  

It was the day he was finally freed after enduring a hellish 4 years and 3 months amidst the quartet of discomfort: poor sleeping conditions, bugs, blood, and unpleasant people, all accompanied by the Emperor’s decree that had reached even the borderlands.  

On the short journey to the capital, Adolf decided to spend a night in the city of Eren, located in the western territory. He was overjoyed at the thought of no longer sleeping in a filthy sleeping bag or encountering grotesque monsters and blood.  

But this happiness was short-lived. He soon faced a life-or-death crisis at a tavern in Eren. While celebrating his discharge with a drink, a red-haired creature crept up to him.  

It was Ella, so drunk that she couldn’t control her neck or body.  

The creature muttered, 

“Alone…?”  

‘Is it a zombie with its head covered in blood?’  

Adolf, who never imagined a human woman would approach him first, used his knightly instincts honed over 4 years and 3 months at the border’s frontline to arrive at the most logical conclusion. The staggering figure reminded him of the zombies occasionally seen at the outposts.  

Why is there a zombie in this peaceful village?

‘To kill a zombie, you have to destroy its head.’  

The thought of feeling the sticky fluids oozing from a head again was horrifying, but as an Imperial Knight responsible for the safety of civilians, Adolf’s hand silently reached for the dagger in his pocket. Just as he was about to draw it, the creature spoke again.

“More… alcohol…”  

Zombies only groaned “Ughhhh” and couldn’t form words, so this being had to be human. Judging by the voice, it was a woman.  

Realizing this, cold sweat trickled down Adolf’s back.  

Except for the innkeeper’s wife, the village chief’s wife, Her Majesty the Empress, and the maids in his mansion, it had been about 20 years since Adolf had engaged in casual conversation with a woman, the last time being with Lady Herision, the daughter of the Earl of Herision, at the Imperial Elementary Academy when he was seven.

Adolf felt tears welling up, wondering how little experience he had with women that he still remembered a conversation from when he was seven.  

But he didn’t have time to dwell on his sadness. The red-haired woman suddenly narrowed her eyes into crescent moons and winked at him.  

Startled, Adolf almost dropped the dagger he was holding.  

W-What is this? Why is she squinting her eyes?

Adolf carefully observed her. Her limbs were intact, and the red wasn’t blood but red hair. She was merely unable to control her head properly due to being drunk. The smell of alcohol emanated strongly from her entire body.  

Despite looking like a thug, Adolf had received thorough etiquette training befitting a duke’s son. Suppressing his trembling, he addressed the intoxicated stranger with as much politeness as possible.  

“You seem quite drunk. Are you here alone?”  

To his surprise, she responded with a strange expression and an absurd answer.  

“Voice… very… zing… talk…?” 

Recognizing the words “very amazing” and “talk” in the language of the Kingdom of Britain, it was clear she had received higher education.

As a knight of the Empire sworn to protect ladies, Adolf felt an even greater sense of duty to escort her safely home.  

Wait, did she just compliment my voice?  

Realizing this, his ears turned slightly red.  

He had received compliments before, such as “You’re strong and split firewood well, young man” from the village chief’s wife or “You’re very diligent today” from the ducal family’s maids. But a compliment about his voice? That was a first.  

“Hah…”  

Feeling his face heating up, Adolf rubbed his forehead, wondering if the warmth was from the alcohol.  

He became eager to assist her while remaining as composed as possible. Looking around, he spotted the tavern owner and spoke up.  

“Do you happen to know this lady’s residence or guardian…?”  

Ah.  

Even as he addressed the tavern owner, Adolf’s body instinctively reacted to her movements. She was collapsing to the floor.  

Adolf quickly extended his hand and managed to catch her by the waist.  

The only problem was that he didn’t realize how delicate and fragile a woman’s waist could be.  

“Ugh…”  

A painful groan escaped her lips. Only then did Adolf realize his large hand was pressing against her stomach. As he hurriedly tried to release his grip, it was too late.  

“Bleegh, bleeegh.”

She vomited all over his chest.  

Adolf hated blood, but he also had a weak stomach. He had an aversion to anything that smelled foul or looked disgusting. So, with vomit covering his body, even a seasoned soldier like him felt his stomach churn.  

“Bleegh…”

But seeing her face, pale and struggling as she vomited, filled him with guilt.  

‘She’s the first woman to approach me and even compliment me, and I’ve made her suffer because of my mistake.’  

When he saw her teary eyes and labored breathing, Adolf felt like crying too.  

Why did I grab her waist? I could’ve done a princess carry or something else!  

Adolf wanted to pat Ella’s back to comfort her, but fearing he might accidentally hurt her again, he stood still until she finished vomiting.  

When the tavern fell silent, she finally stopped.  

Soon, murmurs filled the room. Adolf felt as though they were criticizing him for failing to properly assist a lady.  

At that moment of uncertainty, the tavern owner came to his rescue. The owner wiped the woman’s face with a wet towel and said to Adolf,  

“Sir Knight, there’s a room behind the tavern where drunk patrons sometimes sleep. It has a bathroom attached, so you can wash up there. You can leave the young lady in the room; I’ll wake her up and send her off tomorrow.”  

Adolf was momentarily choked up and couldn’t respond.  

Are the people of Eren all angels?  

Resolving to properly thank the owner tomorrow, he finally managed to say thank you.  

Worrying that Ella might get her vomit on herself, Adolf carried her exactly as he had first grabbed her and headed toward the back room.  

He thought he was walking carefully, but the sleeping Ella squirmed slightly.  

“Am I… flying right now…?”

“No. I’m carrying you.”  

As he walked straight ahead, her face suddenly came into view. It was the first time he had seen a woman his age this close. Clearing away the hair that covered her entire face, he noticed her pale white skin. Her cheeks were plump.  

Her nose was round too.  

Whenever she frowned, her slightly reddish eyelashes, matching her hair, fluttered faintly.  

Ah, this is improper. Staring at a lady’s face like this was against etiquette.  

Adolf erased his stray thoughts and hastened his steps to let her rest as soon as possible.  

“Where… are we going…?”  

“To wash and sleep.”  

In this filthy state, no other inn would accept him, so he decided to at least clean up here. While it felt improper to wash himself in the presence of a lady, the situation left him no choice. He resolved to wash quickly, lay her down to rest, and then leave.  

He arrived at the back room without much difficulty. To open the door, he briefly set her down, but her body swayed as if she had lost all strength. Blaming himself again for holding her waist too tightly earlier, he carefully seated her on the bed.  

Since there was a chance someone might briefly pass through the room, Adolf sought her permission before removing his shirt.  

“Take it off…”

Hearing her faint approval, he removed his shirt and swiftly entered the bathroom to ensure she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.  

The bathroom was small but had everything necessary. Silently thanking the owner again, he took off all his clothes and began filling the bathtub with hot water. Once the tub was partially filled, he used a bucket to scoop up the water and started washing off the filth on his body.  

Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open, and she, completely n*ked, stumbled inside. For a moment, Adolf was unsure if this was a dream or reality.  

“What is this…?”  

Was the heat from the bathroom making me hallucinate due to the alcohol?  

Adolf tried not to look at her n*ked body, but the small bathroom was filled with her presence, leaving him unsure where to direct his gaze.  

Beneath her flowing red hair were blue eyes, strikingly different from his own. Her lips, small and plump like freshly ripened fruit, caught his attention. Lowering his gaze, he saw her delicate shoulders and full, white br*asts. Her waist, so slender it seemed it could fit in one hand, led down to her nether region, covered by hair slightly lighter than the color of her head.  

He froze completely, staring blankly at her.  

Suddenly, she smiled. That harmless smile made Adolf feel as though he was committing a crime. He tried to hide his growing arousal and attempted to leave the tub to avoid her.