Today’s patrol had been a real headache. First, she had to wake the new recruits after their heavy drinking party the day before. Then, she had to find herself a breakfast that wasn’t just sugar. It had been over 72 hours, and her body was starving for sugar.

Third, and certainly not the last, they encountered monsters. A few of her comrades were injured due to negligence and a lack of seriousness in facing a monster that appeared small and passive... until it took a bite out of one of her men. They killed the creature in the end, but the damage had been done. Now, she finally had a break. But still, no sugar.

She rubbed her forehead as the headache grew worse. It felt like withdrawal. Her head throbbed, and her body was heavier than usual, weighed down by exhaustion. Maybe it was the lack of sugar for so long. Maybe it was the stress that kept piling up. Either way, her usual grumpy mood had deepened into something sharper, meaner. Her words cut like blades.

When they finally returned to the knight training grounds, she sank onto a bench, her headache spiraling into dizziness. Sugar... I need it... she thought, jaw clenching.

A knight approached. She shot him a glare. "What?" she muttered, her tone sharp and full of warning.

The knight raised his hands in surrender, offering a half-smile. "Wow, Commander... I’ve never seen you this angry before. Usually you already—"

She cut him off. "I asked what. Speak, or I’ll send you to clean the horses’ enclosure." Her irritation flared as he kept mumbling uselessly instead of getting to the point.

He straightened up. "Right. I heard you were quite fond of sweetness an—"

"No. I’m not." She cut him off again, eyes narrowing. "Sweetness implies weakness. I don’t have weaknesses."

He gulped, his voice faltering. "You're right... So, uh, I just thought I’d mention there’s a new bakery in town. Not that it matters, since you don’t like sweet things. But, if you ever needed anything... it’s the blue house near the town center."