how you move."

"Oh, what would you have done if it was you?"

"Yes. I'm not sure. I'd have destroyed everything around me and used external Kei to take away all interference. And I wouldn't have given my opponent any chances."

"What if you can't destroy it?"

"Then I can take hold whatever opportunity that presents to me. If I feel that I can't win, then I'll have to concentrate on gaining time, and step into the opponent's trap. Isn't that more meaningful?"

Nina could discern Claribel's personality from her words.

"I want Layfon to participate in this training too," she muttered. It was regretful, but it would have been fun.

Layfon lacked the air of a Military Artist since he returned from Grendan. He was originally very ordinary. Now he even lacked his shine in battles. He didn't come to the platoon training. Even Nina saw that his skill was lacking luster in the last intercity Military Arts Competition.

Claribel knew all these and so she had applied to train with him in order to help him pick himself up. But it was all in vain. Now she had nothing to say to Layfon.

"We must find a way."

Nina felt that Claribel's reason for coming to Zuellni was Layfon. Claribel's expression contained a bit of anger at the current Layfon. Both of them failed to keep calm when facing this situation.

"But what should we do about the distance between us?"

Layfon still hadn't come to platoon training. Of course they were naturally growing apart. Shouldn't we have removed all roadblocks to get closer? But it wasn't possible for Nina. As a member of the 17th platoon, she understood why he felt so down.

Layfon had chosen to live an ordinary Academic life, but he was facing difficulties. Time still flowed even though Nina couldn't see him.

Layfon already had one year of experience at the Mechanical Department. He was able to make sound judgments and so didn't have to pair up with her anymore. He was an excellent Military Artist. Nina felt that he wanted to work alone.

All Military Arts students thought that they could relax after the intercity Military Arts Competition. The platoon training days and the cleaning of the Training Complex were days of the past. And the relationship between Sharnid and Felli were naturally becoming less and less harmonious.

Even Nina felt that the 17th platoon might be disbanded.

What should she do? She had no idea. There were many factors to consider, but it wasn't possible for her alone to make it into reality. Sadness and loneliness cut deep into her.

"You can only be strong."

Did Claribel say this because of her personality or that she still didn't understand? Nina didn't know.

The person looking for a good book to read saw through the window that Layfon was walking with a lot of luggage.

Felli put down the book and followed.

"Layfon," she called.

He turned around in surprise.

"Felli?"

"What're you doing?"

He didn't look to be shopping. It seemed he was moving his luggage to somewhere.

"I'm moving my things."

"Oh."

An ominous feeling flashed through her.

"I'm moving and taking the things I don't need to the rubbish collector."

"Uh........"

She heard of his reason as they walked together.

"So have you decided to move to the dormitory that far away?"

Felli was surprised that he was moving to the cargo area. She was strongly against his choice because that place was very far away from the school. She vaguely remembered that place as she had walked past it when she went to play somewhere after school.

"But it's still close to the station."

That wasn't assuring.

"You could have picked a better house."

She could imagine the rent of his house judging by the money and reward money given to her by the 17th platoon. She hadn't needed to find a new home, as she didn't have to move. But it wouldn't be difficult to find a place with better conditions if she were to find one right away.

"Yeah."

A strange smile appeared on his face.

They had arrived at the rubbish collector. The things Layfon took with him weren't worth a penny, but he wasn't frustrated. He happily transferred the money into his card and looked one more time at the things he were to sell.

This should be a busy time for the rubbish collecting point. The things that the graduates didn't need were lined up in rows. The assortment of domestic things weren't likeable because they were brought for the convenience of travel. It would take lots of effort to take apart or transfer those things.

Layfon stopped at a corner of the bed.

"The bed?"

"The old bed belongs to the dormitory, so I have to buy a new one."

"I see.."

"The place is really big, and I guess I'm the only person living in it. Might as well buy a bigger bed."

"Why are you living in such a big house?"

Felli guessed he would say because it was cheap. Was this due to his being raised in an orphanage? Or that he was affected by the poverty he experienced in the food shortage crisis? Anyway, he was a thrifty and easy person.

"I've always wanted a big house."

His answer was unexpected, but it wasn't surprising. He was happy that he could use the space that was meant for two. A spacious house must be very appealing. Felli had been living in a big house all her life. Even though she was able to understand a bit of his feeling, she probably couldn't understand the inconvenience brought by a small living space. Layfon seemed to really like this bed. The corner of his lips hadn't stopped smiling as he praised the bed, caressing the mattress with his hand.

"If a large room is good, would you come to my room?"

"Eh?"

After saying so, she realized she just said something ridiculous.

But, it wouldn't stop.

"My brother's room will be left behind once he graduates. That's why I haven't given any thought to moving. I have not received instructions from my brother or from home to move. What do you say?"

"Iya, even if you say that...."

Seeing Layfon's confused face, Felli desperately tried not to let her cheeks become red. If it's like this, there's no choice but to act obtuse. Even if Felli feel that she failed, she didn’t think that her proposal was bad, so she could not bring herself to withdraw.

"Iya, but that's a little difficult."

"Mu...."

Seeing Layfon's cheeks get red, Felli taunted Layfon in the back of her mind for having good intuition only at times like this.

After deciding what to buy and telling the delivery location, the two walked back to their own rooms.

Thinking that they would no longer share the same return path, Felli felt a sadness in her chest.

"Oh yeah, you received something from Delbone-san, right?"

Layfon suddenly said while they silently walked without talking.

"Y, yes. I still haven't analyzed it."

The information from data converted from the battle experience she received from the Heaven’s Blade successor, Psychokinesist Delbone still could not be accessed. Even though Psychokinesist users were used to treating their own brains like a calculator, because of the transfer of a difficult thing like digitized experience, or perhaps because it was the first encounter with something like it, she just followed intuition for the current situation.

"Delbone-sama is very lucky."

"Is that so."

Felli could not speculate the meaning of Layfon's words. However, Felli had heard the woman's words on the verge of death. She did not think it a lie.

"It’s unthinkable that even Tigris-san died too."

"The grandfather of that person who came to Zuellni, correct?"

"Yes. I wonder what Claribel wants to do from now on. I'm sure her family is in a dilemma."

"But she doesn’t seem to worry too much about it."

"Ah."

"Death is definitely a possibility on the battlefield. She said those kinds of words before."

"Just like Tigris-san’s style, huh?"

Layfon spoke to himself, looking into the distance.

"They were both so old, but even so I didn't think they would die like this."

Though the impact of death could be felt anytime, the turbulent chaotic situation had been too busy to be immersed in grief. Now, Layfon finally might be able to accept their deaths.

"Tigris-sama brought me a lot of sweets when I was little. Delbone-sama would often talk with my siblings with her flake. The two of them were good people."

"Ah."

Felli watched the Layfon’s little sister, whom she met at Grendan, waving her hand at Delbone's flake.

"However, whether you’re a good person or a bad person makes no difference on the battlefield."

Felli couldn’t say anything in front of that cold reality.

"What should I do.."

To that, Felli could not think of anything to say, and could only remain silent.

Not knowing how many more opportunities they would have like this, but with Layfon immersed in grief, Felli endured her uncontrollable anger, and did not open her mouth to say a word until they reached the place where they parted.

The talk reached the point of there being nothing left to say.

◇

Those who could be trusted, those who couldn’t, the undistinguishable, listing them out was almost the entirety of the task. After that was just to build an escort for that girl.

"For now, let them protect Leerin from the shadows in turns. That is the most effective way."

"Even if that’s true, how should I say it?"

Among those three classifications, the most important existences were the Heaven’s Blade successors.

"The ones we can completely trust are Lintence, Reverse, and Cauntia. These are the only ones your majesty picked up from the outside."

"Though the others have some various differences, they’re all involved in big military families. Kalvan and the others also stress regulations, so they should be the biggest rivals."

Elsmau was another faction that had been outside Grendan until a few days ago, but she originally had blood ties with Delbone, and because of the construction of the new information network using many Psychokinesists, she was too busy to be called upon. There were many people participating, and unlike the conventional methods, it was no longer a single person presiding over the handling of information.

Not only could it avoid the danger of one person running away, but it also guaranteed a sound organization. However, seemed like it wouldn’t come in handy for this situation.

"Lin doesn’t seem like he has energy for this kind of thing. We can’t give bodyguard duty or the like to Cauntia, so that only leaves Reverse."

"To request only him to guard a girl, it seems like I’m not qualified to do that job."

Cauntia was very jealous, and Minse trembled thinking about the scene of himself being slaughtered.

"I wouldn’t want to do it if that were possible. If I request that of him, it’s like I’m playing a game of chess, using one of my available pieces. Ah well, I don’t have the heart to change the status quo, and it’s not like I can’t think about changing the system."

"I also look for the usable among my subordinates."

Approving of Minse's words, Alsheyra laid on the sofa's backrest, looking up at the ceiling.

"If only they came to assassinate me."

"Is that sarcasm....?"

He glared at her thin neck.

"No way. That way of doing things is very quick and neat, isn’t it?"

Once, Minse had thought of assassinating the Queen.

"Yes, but I fear that this time, something like that won't happen. Without your majesty, we have no way of defeating our enemies. You are a kind of deterrent, even if the rebels run wild they cannot surpass you."

"....But we still need her, huh."

"That’s something that others cannot grasp."

"So annoying. Even though it’s something related to our life, we still can’t understand it."

"Even if many people expect a hero or a protagonist from a story, they won’t believe that such a person actually exists in their surroundings. No one wants their life to be held in someone else’s hands."

"But, the troublesome things are pushed onto other people."

"So true. Let’s stop the silly talk here. So, what should we do next? Our movements are unclear. Rather, we don’t even know if we should move. Has Reverse been added to the escort team?"

"In the end, we can only request of him to play along."

"Then, would you please do so."

After confirming the talk was over, Minse asked for tea and sweets to relieve his mind’s exhaustion. Leerin had unpacked the luggage that she had transported over, and inquired of a maid walking by about where to put it. The others were finished, but had not received instructions, so Minse told them to do whatever they wanted with a confused face. It was one thing to let someone become aware all at once of a change in position and lifestyle, but Minse thought that slowly becoming accustomed little by little was a necessary step.

While the maid prepared new tea, Alsheyra clapped her hands.

"I thought of something good."

Upon seeing her face, Minse didn’t think it would be anything good.

"What is it?"

"Kanaris or Barmelin, who’s better?"

"In what aspect?"

He thought to himself that it was as expected, but he pretended to not have discerned it. The maid perked her ears while also pretending not to know.

"Your marriage partner. You can’t choose no one, so why don’t you make the choice?"

With that, the topic turned to Minse’s side, but since others were around, he couldn’t say it.

"My house hasn't even been repaired, so I can’t think of marriage now."

Because of his brother Herder’s elopement and disappearance, the Eutnohl house had suffered a great loss. Because of the family situation, relatives of the Eutnohl had kept their distance, and focused on strengthening the power of the royal offshoot Military Artist Rivanes family.

Frankly, among the three royal families, house Eutnohl was the poorest.

The task in front of Minse was to revive the house. Actually, he was also involved in the use of a few roaming buses that conducted information trading.

"So, wouldn’t it be nice to marry Kanaris? "

"....It’s not that easy."

"You don’t want to rely on your bride’s connections and financials? Then pick Barmelin. She’s not from some elite Military Artist family, and her parent’s strength and status are pretty distant to the point of where they wonder how they produced her, and she’s not part of any faction."

Behind Minse was his wet nurse, making a gesture as if to say "say more say more". Minse made an unpleasant expression.

historical

"I haven’t thought of it."

"Aiya, it’s the obligation of the three royal families to produce even more excellent Military Artists."

"If that's the case, you should begin first. Aren’t you older than me?"

"But you’ll definitely become old first."

Cleverly countered, Minse breathed out a long sigh.

◇

After parting with Felli and returning to the dorm, Layfon was surprised to feel that the room had become more spacious.

One room had used the two-person room. He had felt happy that the room was so spacious, but somehow after placing his things he had felt it was no longer as spacious. Originally, the room’s furniture had been prepared beforehand, so he hadn’t really thought of buying anything.

However, he had been here for almost a year. When the sixth-years left, Layfon would change from a first-year into a second-year.

He didn’t feel like he had accomplished anything or that he could accomplish anything. The time had flowed. Things had changed. The Layfon who had just moved in here could no longer be seen.

Layfon didn’t know how to handle the inexpressible feeling passing through in his chest. He had been abandoned by Leerin, but even though he was sad, his heart wasn’t heavy. Time flied. And even if one did nothing at all, he could grasp hold of the strength to stand back up.

If one couldn’t stand up then there was only death. On the battlefield, wavering at seeing someone close die in front of you would weigh you down. Layfon didn’t know how many times he had seen that kind of scene. Though the situations were different, after seeing that kind of scene many times, Layfon had stood up. He had that kind of feeling.

He suddenly remembered.

About the time Claribel challenged him to a duel upon his return to Zuellni. Though she said it would just be practice, he felt that she took it as the real thing. Or maybe she would fight seriously even if it were practice, it could be her style.

Perhaps that was the manner of thinking of one who was accustomed to the battlefield.

Though she was helpless to follow the Academy City’s safety guidelines and protective equipment that covered her Kochouenshiken (Flaming Butterfly Sword), she soon got used to it, and then fought Layfon.

The result was Layfon's defeat.

There was nothing to say about it. Those who understood Layfon, regardless of strength, would be clear that he would be defeated.

"What?"

A surprised Claribel asked.

"You aren’t that kind of person, right?"

Having forcefully brought him to this secluded place on the city outskirts, in the mostly undisturbed atmosphere, with her face almost devoid of sweat, Claribel glared at Layfon who had fallen down on his bottom after she got over her surprise.

"I didn’t come to Zuellni to see you like this."

Claribel’s words were sharp and merciless. Layfon only remained silent. The Sapphire Dite had fallen by his side, and Layfon averted his gaze, not daring to even look at the cold light that it gave out.

"I don’t know what turned you into this."

She didn’t know Leerin. It was unclear whether she knew Leerin now, but at the time she had not known her.

"Anyone would think you shameful if they saw you now."

"......"

"I think so."

"......"

"Aside from being able to see many different things after leaving home, I always thought I had to do this. In order to keep my back straight in front of that man, I had to do this."

"......"

"That’s the reason that I came here."

Perhaps because Layfon didn’t make any response, Claribel became irritated, and walked away.

"I.... don’t want to see you like this."

"......"

"But, it’s just my selfish thinking."

A voice lowing in volume reached Layfon’s ears as though melting into the air, and then Claribel’s lilting voice disappeared in an instant.

....In order to keep my back straight in front of that man.

That must be Tigris. She had come to Zuellni first in order to keep from shaming her great grandfather, and secondly because there were more important things than succeeding her house. That was defeating Layfon. Then, it was to become a Heaven’s Blade successor. If it were only to train, then it would be much better to go to Grendan where strength gathered.

He couldn’t understand. Even though he couldn’t understand, she had indeed come here with a definite aim.

Even Layfon didn’t think this should continue. He didn’t want to let many people see his current slackened appearance. Of course they included his companions in Zuellni. There was also his father and those at the orphanage, and he also didn’t want Lintence to see this.

....He didn’t want Leerin to see it either.

But, what should he do?

What would he stand up for, perhaps that was the real question. His original purpose for enrolling was to search for a new self, but that had changed because of Zuellni’s situation, and he had become careless. Later due to some unknown changes, he had been pulled into the middle of a big commotion involving Grendan.

In a sense, Leerin had abandoned Layfon for the sake of letting him return to his original position. It could be interpreted that way. Thinking about Leerin made his chest hurt, because he protested against Leerin’s ideas, but had no other ideas of his own. If this were reality, if only he could completely return. He couldn’t even clearly form his own feelings towards Leerin.

When he became aware of this situation, things had already been destroyed.

He really didn’t understand.

Once again, Layfon had become unsure of his feelings.

It was this kind of feeling again, and he didn’t know what was a good thing to do.

He hadn’t really changed since the time he entered school.

Could he ignore the changes in front of him and continue walking?

Thinking of that, Layfon felt his chest hurt.

He threw his body onto the bed and rolled around. His excitement of obtaining a new room was quickly blown away. Even if he abandoned everything, collapsed on the bed, he still couldn’t act as if nothing had happened.

His thoughts were running wild, like a torrent, and something was screaming. Then, Layfon blocked his ears, and closed his eyes.

◇

In a new place that welcomed the night, it was very quiet. She wore a nightgown from the many types of clothes that Alsheyra had bought for her, looking out from the window that was large enough to suit the palace. On the other side was a balcony, but she didn’t feel like going out, only looking out from inside.

She could see the Eutnohl house’s garden and the skyline of Grendan.

If one’s location changed, the scenery of the city also changed. This was something that she learned after she entered the school dormitory. It had only been one year. No, it wasn’t even a year yet, but it would be soon, so calling it one year wouldn’t be a problem. In that one year, she never thought the landscape she could see again would have already changed.

No, it could be said that this year had a constantly changing landscape. After entering school, up until her leave of absence, and then leaving for Zuellni. The things she had seen on her journey, and the events that had happened in Zuellni. Though she hadn’t thought she would decide to return to Grendan so quickly.

She hadn’t thought that not only would the scenery change, but she herself would also change.

Leerin softly touched the eyepatch covering her right eye.

Saya had once again returned to the inner sanctuary. She had said that, though she didn’t know whether she would be able to sleep, she had no choice but to stay in the palace. Even though Leerin wished for Saya to teach her more things, she didn’t know after all what she wanted her to teach, and had no way to retain her.

Right now she was Leerin Eutnohl. She could confirm this as reality from the scenery outside and by turning her head to look back at the big room. This was the conclusion. In her heart she had already decided not to make those insignificant confirmations, so she observed the room. Even though it was for a single person, the bed was cleverly separated from the rest of the space. If this were the orphanage, this space would be enough for everyone to sleep in.

Thinking here, the night would quickly be over.

"....Oh well, get used to it already, Leerin."

She said to herself.

There were many things. Her reality was missing. Reality had changed. Right now she was Leerin Eutnohl.

She had to get used to many things.

"Well, before I sleep, I should write some of the report."

She had submitted a notice of reentry to her school in Grendan. Unfortunately, during the chaotic situation, Leerin had no time to receive her scholarship certificate from Zuellni. However, due to the Queen, she could be admitted as a second-year in Grendan after she finished her report.

First, she must return to a normal life.

Her normal life as Leerin Eutnohl.

Life was not all excitement.