Vol 23 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Storm Bringer
The bell sounded.
It was the signal announcing the start of the compet.i.tion.
Only a week since the start of the new year, the new Student Council President had announced the holding of this compet.i.tion.
It was an individual sports compet.i.tion amongst the new Military Arts students.
Last year, Zuellni had fallen in danger of losing its last Selenium mine and had also encountered various other hards.h.i.+ps - one could call it a disastrous year. But it had obtained two victories in the Military Arts Compet.i.tions held between Academy Cities and had successfully increased its number of Selenium mines.
There was no Military Arts Compet.i.tion this year.
However, if they slacked off this year and failed in the Military Arts Compet.i.tion again next year, all of that would become meaningless. This compet.i.tion was being held in order to maintain the sense of urgency as well as to convey this sense of urgency to the new students.
”Hmm, how do you use this?”
Claribel stood on the battlefield, muttering as she tested the feel of the battle clothing and the practice sword that she wasn't used to.
Both of those were unfamiliar equipment, so she felt a bit off. After completing her basic training, Claribel had practiced under the guidance of her first teacher - who was also her grandfather - true Military Arts always without any safety equipment. Though her next teacher had been Troyatte, having reduced Kei flow was the most severe handicap out there when battling with primarily Karen Kei, so safety equipment had been completely meaningless.
In that sense, Claribel hadn't held any weapon other than the Kochouens.h.i.+ken since she had gotten used to it.
”Haah~ it really doesn't feel right.”
Claribel swung the practice sword several times as she muttered this. However, there wasn't any practice weapon with a similar exterior to the Kochouens.h.i.+ken, so there was no helping it.
Other first-year Military Artists had already scattered to various locations on the battlefield. Forest and mountain terrain had been set up just like during the normally-held platoon matches, and the terrain became more complex the closer it was to the center, a great place to ambush enemies. The Military Artists who had looked at the overview map beforehand realized this, so they had gone to the central area before the starting bell sounded.
Only Claribel alone had gone near the entrance.
The compet.i.tion rules were very simple. The one who defeated the most people and who was still standing on the battlefield after the allotted time was the winner. Teaming up or moving independently was all up to the individual to decide.
Claribel hadn't come across anyone near the entrance, nor had she even found a place to fight. To her, she was already in a disadvantageous situation.
The bell sounded.
The signal of the compet.i.tion's start.
”Ah, I guess this is still a bit unfavorable.”
After murmuring this, Claribel moved. The word 'defeat' wasn't in her mind at all.
She leisurely walked to the center of the battlefield. The sound of battle already came from around her. The cras.h.i.+ng sounds of Kei, sounds of impact, dust explosions mixed with the shadows of people. The spectators moved between cries and cheers, their shouts filling the sky of the battlefield.
There certainly were several Military Artists who were confused by this noise. Had they never fought in a compet.i.tion before in their hometown, or had they just never been in a compet.i.tion of this nature? To Claribel, the current atmosphere was no different from the countless compet.i.tions she had entered in Grendan. She ignored the Military Artists shaken up by the compet.i.tion atmosphere and advanced towards the intense fighting.
Of course, there were people who were jolted back to their senses by her demeanor, and who turned to attack her. Claribel counterattacked suitably while increasing her KOs.
”Huhu♪ Ah, that's about right.”
Claribel hummed as she swung her practice sword, seeming quite happy.
Two people watched this scene from the spectator seats.
”Uwah, how amazing.”
”Yeah.”
Nina nodded after Harley gasped in admiration.
”Just like Layfon and Gorneo-senpai, people from Grendan are really strong.”
”......Yeah.”
Even if she wasn't as good as Layfon, Claribel definitely was one of the best of Grendan's Military Artists. Though Nina had been in Grendan, she had pretty much never seen any of its Military Artists fight, other than Heaven's Blade successors. Maybe Felli or Sharnid, who had crossed swords with Grendan Military Artists, would be more knowledgeable about this.
However, neither of the two were here. Felli had shown a disinterested expression like always, and even Sharnid had said: 'that girl will win anyway' and publicly expressed that he wouldn't be going to watch the compet.i.tion.
Cheers rose again, with the voice of the female emcee especially excited.
Was this pretty much as expected? The cheers were for Claribel.
She had arrived at the center of the battlefield, which had already become an intense battleground. There were several temporary teams and hastily-formed alliances locked in battle with one another, reducing each other’s numbers. Nina believed that, when teaming up with strangers, quickly understanding what you and your new teammates could do was more important than trusting each other.
However, it was something very difficult to do, and even now Nina didn't fully grasp what she could do. She could fully realize that fact when she considered the many things that had happened despite the amount of time their platoon had acc.u.mulated training their teamwork.
Though the teams were temporary, attempting to act cooperatively was praiseworthy. Of course, whether she wanted to recruit any of them into her platoon was another matter.
”Ah, isn't it s.h.i.+n-senpai over there?”
”......Yeah.”
Before founding the seventeenth platoon, Nina had belonged to the fourteenth platoon, and s.h.i.+n was the current captain of the fourteenth platoon. He was watching Claribel with an extremely serious expression, with no trace of his normally-lighthearted air.
”He's incredibly into it.”
”It's because the fourteenth platoon lacks members.”
s.h.i.+n was her senpai and former commander. Nina sent him a respectful glance.
Harley had only noticed him, but Nina had already spotted the other platoon captains who had come out here and there. All of them were observing the strengths of the new students, and planned on recruiting the ones who interested them into their platoons.
Claribel was the only one among these new students who never left their gazes. Maybe it was the unfamiliar weapon in her hands, but she seemed a bit awkward to Nina's eyes. However, she actually was enjoying that disadvantaged feeling.
Claribel possessed incredible strength, and definitely reminded the spectators of Layfon from one year ago.
”......An incredible recruiting battle's going to start up.”
”......Yeah.”
After Harley said this, Nina nodded absent-mindedly.
A recruiting battle? Of course such a thing would happen.
”But she came here chasing after Layfon, right? In that case, won't she come to us?”
Harley hastily added, possibly worried about Nina's distracted demeanor.
As befitting her att.i.tude, Nina only nodded, but to tell the truth she wasn't thinking about that matter at all.
Nina was just watching Claribel's movements. She was standing in the center of the intense battleground alone, indifferently parrying the focused attacks that various groups directed towards her and striking them down one by one. The flas.h.i.+er she became, the hotter the looks the platoon leaders flashed at each other became. Nina felt the hot gazes, but felt as if that scene was happening somewhere far away.
The sun kept s.h.i.+ning. Now it was the afternoon.
The scene changed to a restaurant.
Of course, this was a celebration for Claribel.
”It was all so sudden.”
After a toast, Claribel spoke with a sight.
When she had returned to the changing room after the compet.i.tion, various platoon captains had been waiting to meet her. There were various kinds of people among them, some who were veteran captains, and some who were juniors who had taken over when their seniors graduated and given them the position. Hence among them were people that Nina had heard of but never actually seen. As could be expected, almost all of them were here to recruit Claribel.
”Though I heard about it already, everyone was surprisingly desperate.”
”It's because the scholars.h.i.+p they get varies depending on the performance of their platoon.”
Harley replied with that and then started explaining that part.
”......I see, that might not be bad for motivating training and compet.i.tion.”
”Is that how it goes?”
”That's right. But never mind that, what happened with the data I gave you before? Can you reproduce it?”
”Of course it's possible. Also, I brought it today. Even I can't fine-tune it without the person in question present.”
”You work so fast.”
”It’s because I've never made such a weird thing before, so making it was very interesting.”
”A weird thing......”
”Ah, that's a compliment, of course.”
The moment the topic switched to Dites, Harley's interest perked up. The Dites of the first-year new students weren't strong enough, but Claribel seemed to plan on fixing her Dite right here and now. After spotting that, Nina reminded her with a gentle tone.
Just then, Nina felt a sharp gaze, so she looked around.
The shop was almost full of customers. Was that to be expected? The other platoon members hadn't come, so there were only three people at the four-person table Nina and the other sat at.
Though Nina turned her head, there were people gazing openly and rudely at their table...... and there were several.
Faces she recognized and unfamiliar faces, all looking at Nina with grim expressions.
Speaking of faces she recognized, there was Vance of the third platoon. In addition, there were several new faces that looked like brand-new captains.
Faces of those who hadn't given up on recruiting Claribel.
”Ah~ they’re still here.”
Perhaps her talk with Harley had come to an end. Claribel muttered this, looking in the same direction as Nina.
”Those people are so annoying. But if what you said before is true, they won't give up so easily, right?”
”Money isn't the only reason they want rookies.”
Claribel's tone made Nina inadvertently voice a reb.u.t.tal.
”Especially people like Vance-senpai, who have a very strong sense of justice and duty. They definitely believe that, in order to keep from repeating last year's mistakes, they shouldn't let talented Military Artists laze around with nothing to do.”
Of course, among them were also Military Artists with their sights set on scholars.h.i.+ps. Nina wouldn't deny that those kinds of Military Artists existed, and she also knew that there were allies connected by things other than trust, so she wasn't sure exactly what the other new captains were thinking.
”But you're taking Military Arts at Zuellni, and you're so strong, so I think there will constantly be people looking for you to join their platoon.”
”I see.”
Harley's words made Claribel raise her head to look at the ceiling, as if in thought.
”If joining a platoon means I can gain battle experience, joining one would be okay.”
”In that case......”
”Hmm~ but......”
”Hey, Nina Antalk.”
She turned around and saw that Vance had already come up to them.
”What is it?”
”I have something to talk to you about.”
”Oh.”
After being singled out, Nina stood up from her seat.
Vance went to the entrance of the restaurant and stopped around the sofas that people waiting in line used.
”Senpai, what is it?”
”It's about her.”
Vance cut straight to the chase.
”Yeah.”
”Do you plan on having her join the seventeenth platoon?”
”Well, it depends on what she wants.”
”What? That's a very laid-back answer, considering your personality. But why is that?”
”Our rooms are very close, and we've met a few times, so we're friends.”
”Oh? In that case, can I believe you won't force her into joining the seventeenth platoon?”
”Senpai? Do you want a verbal guarantee?'
”Uh, that's pretty much right.”
”Being honest isn't necessarily a virtue.”
”You're become pretty eloquent.”
”Don't be like that, I've been here for four years.”
”It looks like your experience as a captain wasn't wasted.”
”......Our results last year weren't too different from yours, senpai.”
”Well, who's responsible for obtaining that kind of fighting strength but only managing those kinds of results?”
”Ugh......”
The platoon had Layfon, Felli, Sharnid, and Dalshena. They were all talented people who would definitely become core fighting strength no matter what platoon they were put in. Naruki was a first-year student, so she was still a growing talent, but her rate of growth also showed promise. They still had a weakness in their number of platoon members, so should she absorb Claribel into the platoon right here and now?”
”In terms of individual pieces, and considering the meaning of the platoon battles, the fighting strength you have is already enough. What you should focus on next is your teamwork and level of coordination rather than chasing after individual talents.”
The significance of the platoon battles was a wager between cities over the Selenium mines, a struggle that happened every two years...... The greatest goal among Academy cities was to refine their fighting strength and prepare for the Military Arts Compet.i.tion rather than to construct a singularly powerful team. From the perspective of raising their overall strength, it would be best to let everyone compete with even levels of combat strength, and not to let a single powerful team win exclusively.
That was the meaning Vance was trying to convey.
”Of course, we don't have control over who joins your platoon. You're the one who chooses who joins your platoon, and you're free to ask anyone.”
You're free to ask anyone - though his mouth said that, his eyes wouldn't allow Claribel to join the seventeenth platoon.
With that, Vance returned to his own seat, and Nina directed a long sigh at him.
To be honest, Nina didn't know what Claribel wanted to do at all. Her goal was quite clear. But that goal somewhat betrayed the student life.
Nina didn't know what she wanted to do with her ident.i.ty as a student of the Academy City Zuellni.
Nina had also contemplated how she had fervently pulled Layfon into the platoon last year. Because of that, Nina didn't want to hastily force Claribel to join the platoon.
However, if this situation had happened last year, Nina might not have been so mentally calm.
”What do you plan on doing, Clara?”
After murmuring this, Nina returned to her seat.
◇
After Claribel said that she had other business and parted with Nina and the others, she shook off the platoon captains who tried to get in contact with her and went for a walk alone.
”Ugh......”
Though she had taken advantage of the war with Grendan to come to this Academy City, until now the recent Military Arts Compet.i.tion had been over and it had been a transition period where the school prepared to enter a new term. The campus leaders.h.i.+p team had been chosen through the student council elections, and graduates and new students came and went - a busy period with lots of people moving about, a scene that would never be seen in Grendan. Claribel had only seen this side of the campus, so it was her first time actually experiencing the platoon system.
”It's not bad, but......”
As expected, the primary problem was the Military Artists' strengths. It was obvious, but purely considering that meant staying in Grendan was the only way she could fight with more powerful opponents. As for the compet.i.tion held today, fighting in a Grendan Military Arts compet.i.tion like normal would be more beneficial to her. Over there, nothing was unusual about someone dominating a Military Arts compet.i.tion with their strength, and you could even say that it was only because those people appeared that Military Artists would further improve their powers and motivate themselves.
Claribel placed her growth as a Military Artist first. In that regard, she felt that although Zuellni's ways and city system were very interesting, everything else was lackl.u.s.ter.
However, this place had things that Grendan didn't.
”That really is the most important thing.”
Thinking about the answer she had obtained after long consideration made Claribel not know what to do. When she was about to fall into contemplation again...... she quickly stopped thinking.
”Well, it's best to say those things to the person directly.”
After all, the time was about right, wasn't it?
Deep thought really wasn't one of her interests. After coming to her conclusion, Claribel's feet quickly moved towards her destination.
Her destination was Layfon's place, of course.
”That's how it is, so come fight.”
Claribel had suddenly come here while he was eating dinner and spoken those words. After she said that, Layfon handed over the saucer of broth that he was using to taste-test.
Many things had happened since the new school year started, and Claribel now lived in the same apartment as Layfon. Layfon had only moved here due to many things that had also happened in the dorm he had lived at before. Though the household tools and cookware around him was all new, Layfon seemed already used to living here. Also, some of his friends had rented rooms in this apartment.
Because of that, people with free time would be responsible for making communal dinner, but that job almost always fell on the shoulders of Layfon and one other person. Though Claribel could make food for herself, she mostly just helped Layfon make food in these situations.
Claribel had only recently realized that Layfon was so good at cooking, so she felt that this way of living was pretty fun.
Today too, Layfon had checked the schedules that everyone had written on the board and then started preparing dinner on his own.
”Wow, it's good.”
”Ah, great.”
Layfon smiled naturally at Claribel's response.
”What's today's dinner?”
”It's this soup with salad, and I plan on making something with chicken meat.”
”I like herb-roasted chicken.”
”Ah, got it.”
”Ooh, I'm looking forward to it!”
After smiling gently at Claribel as she clapped and cheered, Layfon checked the seasoning.
In that moment, Claribel realized.
”............Ah, that's not it!”
”But I'm making dinner right now.”
”Although that's important, there are more important things.”
”Clara......”
When they had started living like this, Claribel had requested that Layfon call her by that nickname. Layfon had straightforwardly agreed to that request, and hence addressed Claribel that way.
Claribel froze, exposed to his stern gaze.
”W......What?”
”Nothing's more important than eating.”
”Uwah!”
Claribel had been red-faced and paralyzed by Layfon's stare, but now lost her balance as if her strings had been cut.
”What's wrong?”
”Nothing......”
Claribel put on an unaffected expression as she thought.
I knew it! Right, I already knew it! I knew he was like this since Grendan!
When she heard that he was going to Grendan, where there were only girls and boys of similar age, she had worried about what might happen...... But in the end, nothing like that had occurred.
Even so, she still believed that the recent commotions might make him grow, but it seemed like that hadn't ended p happening either.
Maybe he just didn't like her as much as she hoped. Instead of worrying about that, believing that he was an incredibly dense idiot made it easier for her to keep calm mentally.
”Don't worry about that. How about we go get some exercise after eating dinner?”
But she would leave that question to the side for now. Right now, in order to realize her other desire, Claribel s.h.i.+fted her angle of approach and tried convincing Layfon.
”Hmm...”
Layfon showed a thoughtful expression after Claribel brought up her request. However, his hands didn't stop preparing the chicken. Claribel admired those motions as she waited for Layfon's answer.
”Unless it's like something from before, fighting with Clara would be very loud.”
'From before' referred to when Layfon had infiltrated Grendan.
”Don't use a one-hit kill, and also I've trained a ton since then. This time we'll compare our overall fighting strength.”
”Even so, right now is no good. It's too loud.”
”W......What do you mean, it's too loud......”
That answer almost made Claribel feel dazed. She couldn't imagine it being a reason worthy of being stressed twice.
”Y......Your reason is that it would be a little too noisy? This is a practice between true Military Artists. If you say something like that, then what does Ruimei-sama's morning exercise turn into?”
Every morning year-round, Ruimei would punctually carry out morning practice, and the citizens of Grendan even used that morning practice as a way to tell time.
”That's really noisy. It's nice that those people who work in the night haven't complained.”
”Huhh!”
The unexpected statement made Claribel lean backwards in shock.
”Once it started, I always thought 'Ugh, I have to go to school today.' And on holidays it always wakes me up when I try to sleep in.”
”W......What...... You never thought that you couldn't lose to him?”
”Uh, there are quieter training methods - that's what I think.”
”What...... You never felt a sense of compet.i.tion?”
”If we thought like that, the Heaven's Blades would band together and make noise, and then Her Majesty would scold us.”
”Uuu......”
Maybe that was true. Come to think of it, her grandfather and her master had never expressed any opinions about Ruimei.
Claribel understood that. But the fact that she burned with a compet.i.tive spirit yet Layfon didn't made her inadvertently think about the difference between them.
”Uuu, I guess that's the difference between someone who hasn't become a Heaven's Blade and someone who has.”
”Really?”
Claribel endured her deep shock. Next to her, Layfon was heating a pot that he had poured oil into.
”Clara, I think that motivation of yours is good.”
”Huh?”
”But if you're like that, it really might be better to stay in Grendan......”
”It's because there's someone I can't fight in Grendan.”
”Huh......?”
”Uh, do I have to explain that for you to understand it too?”
”Huh?”
”You, it's you! Layfon Alseif! The youngest Heaven's Blade successor, the one said to have the most Kei of all the Heaven's Blades. And the one who beat Savaris-sama one-on-one, and who had an incomparably intense swordfight with that mysterious person in the battle back then. Even now, everyone in Grendan my age and younger has their eyes on surpa.s.sing you!”
”Huh~ No way.”
”Don't reject it so fast, okay?”
”But I'm a criminal.”
”Please don't mix the views of ordinary citizens and Military Artists together. Also, you know that the kind of Military Artist n.o.ble sentiment that Nina-senpai has is a minority in Grendan.”
”Huh - I don’t think that's right. Psyharden was the source of the Salinvan Mercenary Gang, so it gets looked down on a lot. I wonder why Grendan's people hate mercenaries?”
”It's not so much their moving around a lot as much as them avoiding harsh battlefields like Grendan and running off to lukewarm battlefields in faraway cities to strut around, right?”
Thinking about it that way, it was possible that Grendan's people now thought about Claribel like that too. After noticing that, Claribel's mood worsened. She hadn't run off to a lower-skilled battlefield; she would definitely return a few years later to prove that to everyone.
”Is that so?”
”No, I haven't thought about it seriously, so I'm not sure.”
”Yeah. Well, it doesn't matter.”
As the two of them spoke, Layfon put the chicken, marinated with a special sauce, into the pot. Perhaps the oil had already heated up to a suitable degree.
The crisp sound of oil frying spread through the room. That sound, announcing that dinner was ready, made Claribel's mouth water.
When the pot was opened, the perfectly-fried chicken released an aroma of herbs and spices into the surroundings.
”Anyway, dinner's already done. It would be nice if you could call everyone who’s at home to come eat.”
”Ah, o......okay.”
The prospect of dinner made Claribel obediently do that, and she left the room to get the others.
She wasn't good at thinking.
However, right now it seemed that she had to think.
Claribel munched on herb-roasted chicken as she watched Layfon. Felli was the only one who could make dinner tonight, so the three of them ate around the dining table in Layfon's room.
The herb-roasted chicken was extremely delicious. A sweet taste spread through the mouth, and the aroma pa.s.sed into the nostrils. The amount of chicken, soup, and salad was too much, even if Layfon had planned for the maximum number of people who could potentially have been circled around this table. Though the huge amount of food surprised Claribel, the feeling that she could eat as much as she wanted made her practically forget about everything other than the delicious food, and she hastily restrained her appet.i.te.
Did Layfon not want to fight?
He had been in low spirits since being rescued from Grendan, but recently signs of recovery had slowly showed up.
Claribel had brought up that request because of that, but Layfon's response had been as bad as she antic.i.p.ated. Rather than Layfon being in low spirits, it felt more like he was leaving her behind.
Did he have no desire to fight?
But several possibilities hid inside that 'no desire'.
Does he think I'm not a match for him, or has he lost his motivation as a Military Artist?
Or does he plan on giving up being a Military Artist?
It's too early to judge......
Claribel chewed the chicken as she thought.