Voluue (1/2)

Prologue - The Past Wish

–

Part 1

He wondered since as it

He wished for someone to look at him

And then, when he noticed he stopped wishi+ng for it

The old eo, when royalty and nobility possessed authority, the tendency of , and a despotic administration was imposed

Lux as the youngest brother was the farthest existence from the strife for the imperial succession

Inside the castle was suffocating where he had to pay attention to the mood and expression of his fellow imperial family

「──This is the first time we meet since the banquet at the end of the year huh, are you well, Lux?」

However, it was only Fugil as the eldest brother frouely out of place amidst that environment He called out to him friendlily even at the banquet

His gloomy self as smeared with distorted elitism

For such Lux, he thought for the first time that there was someone who seemed able to understand him even for just a little bit

–

Part 2

The autu color

At the early e even called the campus festival would be held

Lux finished his Drag-Ride independent training in the practice ground inside the Academy site and he took a breather

「Fuu……」

He had gotten usedDrag-Ride alone like this, he suddenly recalled the pastthe last five years

『Why are people beco?』

Once the boss of a s out at that time told him that inside a bar

『There is also the si off, but that ain't all When people saw their effort bear fruit to a certain degree, it's gonna become harder for them to put in even more effort than that They won't notice with just their own thought and viewpoint Even though there won't be any proble over theot to be like that……』

'I see', Lux at that tireement

However currently, he was thinking that he didn't want to be seen by anyone while like this alone he──,

「Now, then……」

He ended his rest before his body could cool doore his Drag-Ride once

In the day when there was no practical class, it was Lux's custo-Ride even if just for a short time

His body wouldn't forget the control of Drag-Ride, but he would feel like the precision of his technique would fall without doing that

After finishi+ng the general things, at the end he took a deep breath, then he strongly grasped the Drag-Ride's control stick

He heaved up the pebbles he gathered into the air, then he released Bahamut's Divine Raiment

「──Reload on Fire」

Co──with this ability, the flow of timent of the normal time, and after that time was super accelerated until several tie of several ml around him and activated it

At the sareat sword to lop off the slowly falling pebbles

His own e was that he could confir

It was the application of Divine Raiment to cope with simultaneous attack from multiple directions as well as counterattack

It wasn't soreat that it could be called as a hidden technique, but it was a battle skill that could becoth proportionate to that

「Ku……!」

But, in the h Lux's head, the Reload on Fire was undid and the technique failed

As expected because it was originally a powerful Divine Raie would put considerable burden to his mind and body

Since five years ago he was just a step short of coo well

『If you are able to grasp one ht be able to complete that technique For example──』

He reil, his eldest brother who observed this technique

But, after that his childhood friend Philuffy was captured and the plan of the revolution was hastened, in the end Lux was unable to complete this technique

He doubted the advice of his brother who betrayed hiht be a trap』

Even with the last key in his hand, he kept being unable to open the door and always stopped over there

However──

「You are working hard every day aren't you, Lux」

「Eh……?」

A voce called out to hiht after he dispelled his armor Lux turned around to behind him

A blonde haired girl wearing costuhtly to the body exclusively for use in Drag-Ride──a pilot suit, was staring toward hiaze

The third year student as a daughter of a duke as one of the four great nobles, and the captain of the raid squad Syvalles

The girl as serving as the aide of Lux who becaris

She had glossy blonde hair that hung down until her waist, and well-featured looks

Her figure that was clad in aloof elegance was so beautiful it caused him to hold his breath unconsciously

Furthere of her breasts that protruded out noticeably was so big it was disproportional even between that lean and toned body When it rapped in pilot suit it became even more lascivious

Surely Celis herself wasn't aware of it, but for Lux as pretty much a healthy boy in his puberty, it caused him to be a bit troubled of where to look

「……Go, goodCelis-senpai」

Lux greeted stiffly toward the older girl who had close relationshi+p with hiht now

Lux beca to the degree he didn't notice her existence and how he got fascinated with her appearance just now that he unconsciously averted his eyes

「I'reeted you late I've noticed you since soht that I shouldn't become nuisance to Lux」

Celis co courteous attitude even toward him as her junior

Celis also had cluht that she was a splendid senior

Looking at the sweat on her skin, shetoo

「I was practicing a coht of It -Ride Release but…… As expected it cannot be completed with ordinary means」

Lux turned his face whilesuch talk

「What Lux did just noas a development of new technique? It looked like a technique to oppose sie number of opponent but──」

As expected froest

It seelance

「Yes I have atte well──, as expected swingingDivine Rai the output to be co」

Lux s out his oeak spot

Then, Celis put her hand on her chin while thinking for a while, before long she lightly clapped her hands pon

「That's right You are able to execute the technique itself, so how about increasing the precision and durability of your concentration?」

「──Eh?」

Lux was taken by surprise and raised his voice Celis was nodding with 'uh-huh' in understanding before she took a stance with the Sword Device of Lindwur

「I a that has conditions attached With the esture as the switch, I pushed aside any idle thoughts and obtained the power to concentrate I trained so I can do that anytime when I touch the handle of this Sword Device on my waist」

Celis explained about the randfather and also her private tutor

A practice estion

When practicing in an environment where she could concentrate, she would touch the handle of her Sword Device beforehand as the initial signal

By thoroughly i that act to become a habit, that act itself would become a switch to perform the conversion of th, so like that

It seemed that the for-Ride were also a variety of that Surely the power of concentration that Celis possessed also thanks to that

「After that, there is the padding of concentration by letting out voice I don't really use it, but it seems that even the output ofout voice you know? If several techniques are combined like that──」

「That's, right I think I will give it a try later」

Celis was always practicing alone, so perhaps she was happy to be able to talk with Lux because she was strangely talkative with bright expression Lux thought warmly of such Celis, but on the other hand for some reason he also felt a sense of discomfort

Celis's advice was accurate, and he thought that she spoke correctly

In fact if he becaht be able to complete the technique just now

In spite of that, some part inside his mind rejected it

Even though he thought of it as correct, he didn't want to accept it

(Just, what aht in the past──)

He had recollection hearing it five years ago

Fro Lux's training at that time──

「Oi Lux! Also Celis, here, over here!」

When Lux was falling in thought, a familiar voice came down from above

The one who appeared was the figure of a girl, clad in huge scarlet Divine Drag-Ride, Tiamat

The princess of the new kingdoht, Lizsharte Atismata

「Go, good , Lisha-sama Today, you are unusually early aren't──」

It was still around six o'clock of early , usually this was a ti-Ride's atelier

Lisha landed down beside Lux and Celis, then she dispelled the ar

It see her uniforown on top of it

「Fuh, I guess Even I can at least wake up early soency contact came for us! It's the war council that we heard froed It will be held at this Cross Field throughout the 」

Lux and Celis looked at each other's face seeing Lisha's serious face

The other day at the royal capital, someone who introduced themselves as the Lord──the ancient imperial family whose existence was described from the ancient document of Ruin appeared

Ato decide counterdom's chief vassal would also participate

「──Understood I will ie」

Lux told her that and then started running to return toward his room in the dormitory

Right after seeing hi toward the waiting rooe

「However, ere you two doing alone since theindecent right?」

「Wha, what are you saying Lizsharte!? That's disrespectful! I wasby chance──」

「I, I see Then that's fine It's, that ero woh, it looks like recently that Krulcifer is doing suspicious movement see……」

Lisha's cheeks slightly reddened and she ers uneasily

「What do you mean by suspicious?」

Celis tilted her head in puzzlement Lisha's face turned even redder and she yelled

「Tha, that's why you see That, it looked like when co that she lo, loved hi, she di, did that as she pleased without even any permission from me──」

「Ki, kiss──is it-!? Lux and Krulcifer were!?」

Celis reacted to that word and even her face instantly blushed

In respond even Lisha also became even more panicked and flustered after Celis said that loudly

「Do, don't say it so loudly! Tha, that ht!?」

After speaking with a troubled look, Lisha crawled her gaze on the practice ground's floor and took a deep breath

「We, well, this is just soh Ho, however in the end, it looks like Lux doesn't really thing anything about it, he also didn't give back any answer anyway to Krulcifer I think there is no problem but……anyway!」

Lisha deliberately let out a loud voice and straightened her back to pull herself together

And then, she puffed out her breast that was quite large for her petite body and folded her ar with her cheeks still dyed red

「You too, if you are Lux's aide, pay attention so that Krulcifer won't do anything uncalled-for Because, that, it will be troubling if she ht It will also adversely affect his duty in the future, besides, even though I'-!」

At the end, Lisha said such thing with a voice so small it couldn't be made out clearly

「A, anyway that's all! Then, a horse carriage is waiting outside so hurry!」

「Un, understood! I will also head there immediately……」

Celis responded with a slightly nervous voice and she too returned to the waiting room

She wiped her skin with a towel, then she noticed the beating of her own heart that was pounding fast like an alarm bell

「Krulcifer, kissed Lux……!? Even I, have that kind of knowledge, the act of ascertaining feeling between man and woman but……」

A face that she didn't know, a face that was in a daze as though in fever was reflected on the mirror in front of her

Celis too had heard some stories many times from her classmates and juniors in the Academy

The love story of relatives and friends, or the evaluation toward the male instructors

Because she wastiirls around her had never nized Lux and his enlistment into Syvalles was formally decided, occasionally she would be asked about such topic from the students

『The first boy that Celis-senpai recognized, as expected it ht? About him──』

『You said to Lux-kun that you want to be taught various things about boy but, what kind of thing you have hiht you?』

『I'ht that Celis-san is absolutely a person who like girl──!』

With the last one as exception, since then the people around her would sometimes talk to her about that kind of topic

Each time she was teased about her relationshi+p with Lux, Celis would say 「Tha, that kind of talk is not permitted!」 shyly and denied it decisively

He thought of Lux as likeable as a junior, and she was also relying on him from the bottom of her heart as the first man who became close with her

She was also healed when he would give her heartfelt consideration toward her as always strongly disciplining herself as the captain of Syvalles

Actually she wanted to show him her reliable aspect as the ether with Lux, she so

While thinking that it wasn't really praiseworthy, that time was really pleasant for her

In that kind of , Lux was unmistakably a 『likable man』

She was also a duke's daughter, so by all rights she was at the age when the talk of e would flood in

The ru』, and how she was an officer cadet while also possessing strength that would put even male from military to shame

If only those two factors were nonexistent, her engageo

「Lux as someone of the opposite sex that I like……, is it?」

Celis still wasn't conscious of Lux until that far

But, hearing that Krulcifer was approaching Lux, the shock that she felt was surprising even to herself

The young htness』 and 『duty』

Just by i love relationshi+p with so of anxiety and irritation

「Ju, just what in the world I a──!?」

When she was thinking of Lux while wiping her body, her body was strangely turning hot and a throbbing impulse welled up

She took a deep breath to calm herself down somehow, but her heart's palpitation wouldn't settle down, and she only leaked out feverish sigh

「Krulcifer, toward Lux she……」

She became Lux's aide till the end was only to support him as her junior

She went to Ymir Theocracy the other day as reinforcement was also like that

However──was that really all there was to it?

「There is no such thing So the position of aide as excuse because I merely want to stay at Lux's side is──」

She thought that

And yet, she wondered why her feeling wouldn't calm down like this

「It's unrelated with thethat kind of wicked feeling toward Lux, that should be true Isn't that right, Wade-sensei?」

Celis muttered that toward her teacher who had passed away

Even so her feeling was still soed her clothes She then hurried to head toward the caate

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Part 3

A few dozen e

The conference rooovernment office located in the first block of Cross Field A tense at it

Celis's father as a great feudal lord that was one of the four great nobles──Dist Ralgris

And then, the young aide who assisted the queen, Prime Minister Nulph

Lux and Celis were sitting in front of the two chief vassals who represented the new kingdom

「Then, let's quickly beging the briefing session for this occasion, if it's alright?」

When Nulph began the talk with a serious voice, Lux and Celis both nodded

Right after they finished the incident in Ymir Theocracy and returned back to the Academy

A do a letter that told that a chief vassal froreat nobles would come to talk to them

The topic was about the counter for the incident that was related to the world's trend

It was an urgent talk for Lux as a on Paladins