The flickering flames of the campfire captivated anyone who gazed upon them with a mysterious power. 

Arsil sat, staring vacantly at the fire. 

The flames, which made one lose themselves in thought, seemed as if they would never tire, no matter how long they burned until dawn.

However, the commander of the two-man expedition, who had already been holed up in the snow-capped mountains for days, was growing restless. 

“Hey, Tigria.”

She spoke to the mage scribbling something with a quill beyond the flames. 

Tigria responded with only a slight lift of his gaze, and a disheartened sigh escaped Arsil.

“Never mind.”

Tigria resumed her note-taking, and Arsil continued to watch the campfire and the pot hanging over it. 

Inside the pot, soup was bubbling away. 

The soup was the one dish that the saint could cook properly. 

Curiously, the shield knight was an aristocrat, Lucy was a celestial warrior, the mage was self-explanatory, and Naidrian only foraged fruits and herbs from the forest. 

Thus, initially, the task of cooking fell to Arsil.

In the early days, the party members, who initially praised the soup, grew weary of eating nothing but soup for over a week. 

Arsil, too, found it a considerable hardship to build a fire and cook the soup after exhausting battles and training.

Thus, a new recruit was brought in—a porter. 

Apart from fighting, he was a diligent worker, skilled in various tasks, including cooking, and was quick to take action if there was any sign of fatigue or discomfort.

Arsil shook his head. 

There was no point in dwelling on it now. 

During their first battle, the hero party had witnessed their soldiers being needlessly sacrificed, which ignited their fury and led to fierce combat.

After such battles, what Arsil and his companions saw was the porter hiding and trembling behind a small shield. 

The porter, relieved to have survived amidst the mangled and butchered bodies of soldiers, sighed with relief. 

The party members, overwhelmed with disappointment and disgust, each voiced their criticisms.

“Those soldiers trembled in fear but sacrificed their lives for their families.”

Hearing Arsil’s words, the porter lowered his head in shame. 

The treatment of the porter grew harsher. 

Yet, despite the irritation and sarcasm, the porter adapted and fulfilled his role, aside from his initial reckless behavior. 

It was only later that Arsil discovered he was a civilian, and even then, she protested to the princess.

“A hero party, and they assign someone who can’t even handle a sword!”

At the time, Arsil was too preoccupied with endless battles to think clearly, but now that things had somewhat settled, there was time to reflect. 

From the flickering campfire, Arsil could glimpse both past regrets and future anxieties.

“Why did the porter save Lucy?”

She spoke without realizing it, drawn into the fire’s enigmatic power. 

“He was someone who didn’t even know how to fight.”

“That was affection.”

Tigria wished to agree but only answered inwardly, recalling Arsil’s ridiculous treatment of him previously. 

Coincidentally, Tigria was also thinking about the porter.

“What do you think of the porter?”

“…Are you talking to me?”

“It’s just the two of us here,…”

It was the first time the mage had initiated a conversation. 

Arsil, both intrigued and at a loss for words, struggled to respond.

“Well, someone who was of no help except with menial tasks caused a major accident?”

“Is that all?”

“That’s it. He wasn’t even fighting by our side; he was just doing chores like cooking and camping.”

“Was there anyone named Lin in your hometown when you were young?”

“The name itself is quite common. And there wasn’t anyone by that name in my childhood town.”

Tigria accepted this explanation without question. 

Lin was merely a fleeting acquaintance.

“Thinking about childhood makes me nostalgic.”

“Where was your hometown?”

Today the  mage seemed peculiar. 

Tigria, usually focused on capturing or such matters, was asking about the saint’s hometown. 

Perhaps it was the fact that they were alone together.

Arsil shrugged. “A slum called Alley of waste, a bit away from the city.”

The church had been reluctant to reveal that the saint came from a slum. 

It would have been fine if she were from a modest family, but the Alley of waste was a place where society’s refuse gathered.

Here, girls sold their bodies once they came of age, and boys relied on their muscles or cunning to survive. 

Adults exploited these children to live.

“Never heard of it.”

“Well, not many know. It’s an imperial disgrace, the last sewer of the city. It’s quite well hidden.”

“Were there close friends when you were young?”

“Friends? Well, one was a realist who didn’t amount to much, and another was a proud pretender who left the place. And then…”

Arsil remembered a man. 

He was a scrawny fellow with a mop of hair but possessed a warm smile. 

Though considered weak and disregarded, his devotion and comforting presence kept Arsil’s attention always on him. 

Leaving him behind when chosen as the saint was a painful mistake, exacerbated by the church’s coercion and urgency.

“Arsil! There’s no hope here. Clean up and find a new place!”

It was a sudden memory, from when the adversary, Ravin, had trapped her. 

Displeased with Ravin’s politician-like rhetoric, Arsil raised her fist in defiance.

“Eat this.”

“You really…! Get in line properly. If we combine our strength, our group will never suffer from hunger or illness again!”

“The damn adults who were devouring us have all self-destructed.”

With her back against the wall, Arsil raised her fists before numerous enemies, taking her stance.

“As long as we remain refuse, we’ll only be treated as refuse. We’ll cultivate this place anew. We will become better.”

“You can’t improve here!”

“If people improve, their place improves too! If we leave now, we’ll just be pickpockets, thieves, and thugs!”

The rest was the usual scenario. 

Ravin’s group charged, and Arsil fought back with her fists. 

The only difference was that Arsil was facing them alone. 

She should have listened to Lee’s advice.

“Don’t go alone.”

“Commander! It’s Arsil’s group! They’re circling around behind us!”

“Rina’s trying to be clever again. Take the kids with you.”

“What about the commander?”

“That woman can’t be stopped except by me.”

“Don’t support her!”

Ravin drew a dagger, laughing cruelly. 

Arsil wrapped cloth around her fists.

“Cheer them on, they’re good subordinates.”

“Yes, they may not be proud to boast about, but they’re not ashamed.”

“Our kids are proud.”

“Speaking of which…”

Ravin stuck out her tongue and raised her pinky finger. 

“Hand over Lee. Then we’ll leave quietly.”

“Wow, look at those eyes. You must be scared stiff.”

“I didn’t think you had a taste for weaklings.”

Ravin’s forehead veins bulged with anger. 

“Call me a weakling, you bitch.”

Clang, clang, clang!

She ground the edge of his dagger against another, causing sparks and a harsh sound.

“There’s no man as strong as Lee. Don’t provoke me with such words.”

“…”

“Besides.”

A glint of madness began to flicker in Ravin’s eyes. 

When Ravin showed that face, she was all in. 

The provocation must have struck a nerve.

“Among men who would embrace us lowly and somewhat broken women, Lee is the finest. Isn’t he?”

“….”

“What? You can’t agree? Then I’ll take him.”

Boom!

As mentioned before, Arsil had little patience. 

Her punch, swung sideways, made a dent in the wall. 

Picking up falling fragments, her eyes were no less abnormal.

“Try it.”

No words were needed. 

It would be decided by who crushed the other’s head first. 

At the moment both sides held their breath and took a step forward, 

“Stop.”

From atop the collapsed buildings, Rina and Arsil’s group appeared. 

They aimed their rudimentary bows and arrows at Ravin’s group, with Rina’s mocking laughter ringing through.

“Just as planned?”

“Wasn’t it supposed to be a rear encirclement?”

“That was a decoy.”

Despite falling into a trap, Ravin remained unperturbed. 

It wasn’t just Rina, the half-witted strategist, appearing here.

“That you’re here means…?”

Before Ravin could finish speaking, Arsil had already discerned her intentions. 

Desperately trying to block the escape route, Arsil’s faction found themselves thwarted as Ravin’s group retreated swiftly.

“Fire!” Rina commanded with authority, but the crude arrows lacked strength and fell weakly to the ground.

“How about that? I thought I’d turn the tables by coming up with a little scheme since the captain was wandering off alone.”

“Rina! What about Lee?”

“Lee? I assigned them as bait, didn’t I?”

“You idiot!”

“You… called me an idiot…?!”

Arsil, though tempted to strike Rina, held back. 

Despite her bravado, Rina was a member of Arsil’s faction. 

One must always give their comrades the benefit of the doubt. 

True to her principles, Arsil chose to chase after Ravin’s group instead of taking it out on Rina.

“Where are you going, Captain?”

“I’m going to save Lee, you fool!”

“Calling me an idiot again…!”

The battle that ensued as Arsil pursued Ravin was nothing short of brutal.

Ignoring their unspoken agreement to minimize casualties, Ravin and Arsil clashed with all their might. 

Daggers skimmed Arsil’s forearm while punches struck Ravin’s ribs.

“Arsiiiiiiil!!!!!”

In the end, it was Arsil who emerged victorious. 

Leaving behind Ravin’s anguished cries, Arsil returned triumphantly to their hideout, supported by Lee.

“Are you okay, Captain?”

“Lee, I told you to call me Arsil.”

“It’s because of me that you got hurt.”

“It was dangerous for you.”

“Rina said Ravin wouldn’t harm me anyway, so it was the perfect bait. It was all calculated.”

Despite Lee’s defense, Arsil glared at Rina. 

Rina couldn’t understand why she was being treated this way. 

She had assessed the risks, devised a minimal-risk strategy, and succeeded, yet Arsil treated her as if she were a fool. 

Overwhelmed by injustice, Rina shed tears, prompting Lee to rush over and comfort her.

“Today, Rina’s plan worked perfectly. Well done!”

“That’s nice, but that gorilla just called me an idiot.”

“Captain hates seeing any of us get hurt.”

“And yet, you’re always at the forefront!”

“Hey! You use your comrades as bait…!”

“Alright, everyone, calm down.”

As Arsil snapped, Lee pacified them both.

“Today, we were really lucky. I managed to steal some bread from Ravin’s side.”

It was likely intentional. Ravin’s faction didn’t seem to dislike Lee.

“And I happened to make some jam recently.”

Lee revealed a basket hidden behind her back.

“Tada! Potato jam sandwiches!”

“Sandwiches!”

Both Arsil and Rina cheered in unison. 

It was difficult to find decent food in the grimy alleyways. 

Yet Lee managed to procure edible plants and prepared fresh food for the faction.

“Even though it’s not my birthday…”

Rina was so moved she could hardly speak. 

The sandwiches made by Lee had become a staple of Arsil’s faction’s birthday celebrations.

“Today, we won again. Instead of arguing, let’s celebrate our victory!”

Lee distributed the sandwiches to the faction. 

When Arsil’s turn came, she eagerly reached out, but Lee held the sandwich just out of her grasp. 

With a firm gaze, Lee applied silent pressure, and Arsil grumbled.

“Alright, alright.”

Reluctantly, she approached Rina.

“Rina.”

“…What is it, Captain?”

“Using Lee as bait was a bit much, but… it helped us win today.”

“Hmph… I’ll avoid baiting tactics in the future.”

After their reconciliation, Lee smiled brightly and handed over the sandwich. 

The entire faction took a bite simultaneously.

“It’s delicious!”

The sandwich was truly sweet.

Arsil gazed at the campfire with a faint smile. 

Yet, the wizard refused to let her linger in her memories.

“And?”

“Hmm?”

“Besides the realist and the braggart, who’s the other friend?”

“Ah.”

Though reluctantly pulled from her reverie, Arsil answered earnestly.

“There’s someone cute.”

“Cute, huh? Is it a crush?”

“What, what?!”

“I read in a book that if a girl calls a boy cute, it’s beyond mere affection.”

“Where in the world does a book like that exist!”

“It does.”

“I never even said he was a guy!”

“Didn’t you?”

“Ah… damn, yes, he’s a guy.”

With Arsil admitting defeat, the wizard asked another question.

“What does he look like?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Otherwise, nine-tenths of all conversations are useless.”

“It’s strange hearing that from you.”

“So, what does he look like?”

“Hmm~”

Arsil, unusually fidgety, recalled him—the person who still gave her that faint thrill.

“He has tousled hair and a generally lean build. Despite that, he was surprisingly strong. He always made sure to prioritize hygiene and a comfortable place to sleep. He even avoided using harsh language, unlike others from the slums! And very rarely, he’d make potato jam sandwiches for me…!”

Yes, she liked that. Indeed! He cooked.

Without pause, Arsil chattered about him. 

Her vibrant, joyful demeanor was exactly what people expected from the active and cheerful saint.

The wizard, observing her with a steady gaze, quickly sketched her face in his notebook. 

Underneath, he wrote a title:

[Expression of a Woman in Love]

“Ah, I miss Lee. I want to eat the sandwiches Lee made!”

“Here, potato jam sandwiches.”

They were lucky.

Ravin had always kept sandwich ingredients ready, anticipating the day he’d meet Lin. 

Lin, unable to resist Lucy’s pleas, made sandwiches again for the first time in a while.

“This is it!”

“It only has potatoes and jam.”

Ravin, overjoyed, made Lin feel awkward. 

Lin handed a sandwich to Lucy as well.

“I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste.”

Contrary to his worries, Lucy was deeply moved. 

Lin’s proper food was something Lucy had taken for granted during the Demon King subjugation. 

Moreover, this sandwich was specially made for Lucy by Lin.

There was no time to waste.

Both Lucy and Ravin bit into the sandwiches simultaneously.

And they exclaimed in unison:

“Delicious!”