“Kreiz is taking his time, isn’t he?” Licia eventually commented. They’d been carrying on their studies for quite a long while, but Wren’s brother had yet to return from the training grounds. “Do you suppose he’s still practicing? Too much exercise is bad for the body… I think I’ll go check up on him.”
“Elder Sister…?” said Wren. “Make sure he’s all right, okay?”
Licia departed from the room and made her way toward the training grounds.
“Hah! Hiyah! Hraaah!”
Licia arrived at the training ground to find Kreiz on his own, swinging a wooden sword through the air. He was focused single-mindedly on his training blade, and his frantic energy was palpable. His form was a mess, as well─even a total amateur could tell that if he stepped onto a battlefield and fought like that, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
The training grounds were normally packed with soldiers running through their drills, but today, Kreiz was the only one present. That, Licia assumed, was because most of Canarre’s army had gone into battle. A small number of troops had stayed behind to maintain public order in Canarre, but it seemed that none of them had picked this particular moment to train.
After one final swing, Kreiz’s wooden sword clattered to the ground. He stooped over, shoulders heaving as he gasped for breath with his hands on his knees. Sweat poured from his face, dripping to the ground below him. Anyone could see that he’d driven himself past the brink of exhaustion.
“Kreiz…” Licia called out as she walked toward him.
“O-Oh… Big Sister… You’re back…” Kreiz managed to choke out between heavy, panting breaths as he turned to face her. “Sorry. I still have a few more drills to run through. I’ll talk later…”
“I believe you would be better off stopping here,” Licia said, stepping in to intervene. “Pushing yourself too hard will have quite the opposite of the effect you’re hoping for.”
“N-No! I have to get stronger, now! I should’ve gone out to fight with the others this time, but I got stuck back here instead! If I’d been stronger, I could be out there too, fighting for my big brother!” Kreiz shouted with tears in his eyes. He had clearly taken his inability to go to war personally.
Kreiz bent down to pick up his wooden sword, but his hands were trembling so violently that he couldn’t seem to grip its hilt. It fell from his grasp right away.
“Ah,” Kreiz exclaimed in surprise as the clatter of his sword hitting the ground rang out through the training grounds.
“Let me see your hands, Kreiz,” said Licia. She took him by the hand to inspect his palms, and as expected, they were in a terrible state. He’d swung his sword for so long that he’d rubbed his skin raw and bloody. “If you keep practicing your swordsmanship like this, there’s a chance you’ll never be able to hold a sword again.”
“Wha…? N-No way! I can’t let that happen!”
“Then call your training off here for the day. We need to treat your hands as soon as possible. Come along!”
Licia pulled Kreiz by the hand, leading him to the first-aid room set up near the training grounds. Injuries were a fact of life when carrying out military drills, and a convenient place to treat them was a vital necessity.
Licia and Kreiz made their way inside the first-aid station. Canarre’s medics had gone out to aid in the war effort, just like the soldiers, so at the moment no one else was present. Licia searched through the room and soon found a medical salve, which she rubbed onto Kreiz’s palms.
“Ouch!” Kreiz yelped with a wince.
Once she was finished treating his wounds, Licia wrapped Kreiz’s hands in bandages. “There! All better now,” she said.
“Yeah… Thanks, Big Sister,” Kreiz muttered. He seemed to be in very low spirits.
“You should know, Kreiz, that haphazard training won’t make you stronger. Resting from time to time is just as important as pushing yourself,” said Licia.
Kreiz silently nodded.
“I know that you’ll be a force to be reckoned with eventually, but eventually and immediately are very much not the same thing. Rushing yourself will get you nowhere. You should take your time, building up skill and experience slowly but surely.”
“I know…” Kreiz muttered, in spite of his obvious frustration.
Licia believed that Kreiz’s ability to put in such incredible effort would make him a valuable asset to House Louvent in the future. For now, though, she led him back to the castle to join Wren in their room.
“Oh, honestly, Kreiz─why would you train so hard you hurt yourself? How many times have I told you not to overdo it?!”
“B-But…”
“No buts!”
“S-Sorry.”
The moment Kreiz arrived back at the room he shared with his sister, Wren laid into him with a no-holds-barred scolding. Kreiz just sat there and took it, offering her a dejected apology. He couldn’t bring himself to stand up against her.
After Wren’s lecture was finished, the siblings and Licia had dinner, then spent the evening chatting and playing games with one another.
“The two of you look tired,” Licia eventually observed. “Shall we be heading to bed soon?”
“Y-Yes, I think so,” Wren replied before letting out an impressive yawn.
“I-I’m not sleepy at all,” protested Kreiz, who was struggling to stay on his feet from how tired he was.
“M-May I sleep with you tonight, Elder Sister?” Wren somewhat bashfully asked.
“That’s quite all right,” replied Licia.
“Hurray!” Wren cheered.
“M-Me too,” Kreiz insisted, already half asleep.
“All right, then. The three of us will all sleep together tonight!” said Licia.
Licia led the twins to the room she shared with Ars, where the three of them turned in for the night. Kreiz was out like a light and snoring away mere moments after getting into bed.
“Look at that. He’s already asleep,” commented Wren.
“It’s hardly a surprise. He must be exhausted,” said Licia.
Licia and Wren joined Kreiz in bed, with Licia in the middle and one twin on either side of her.
“I hope our brother’s okay…” Wren anxiously muttered. “Going to war is dangerous, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure he’s just fine. He’s surrounded by a handpicked band of incredible people, so there isn’t a chance that they could lose,” replied Licia. She was more worried about Ars than anyone, in truth, but she hid those feelings away and did her best to reassure Wren instead.
“Y-Yeah, you’re right,” said Wren.
“Let’s go to sleep now, shall we?”
“O-Okay…”
With that, Licia and Wren closed their eyes and drifted off.
The next day, Licia woke up and had breakfast with the twins. Normally, Ars would have eaten with her, but today, it turned out to be a three-person meal. Not being alone made Ars’s absence a little easier for her to bear, and Licia was grateful for the comfort that Wren and Kreiz’s presence brought her.
A few days later, a letter from Ars arrived at the castle. He’d written about how the plan involving the airship had gone off without a hitch, and how Fort Purledo had fallen under Canarre’s control.
“Oh, Ars! You’ve done it now!” Licia said with a smile that was as broad as could be. She headed straight back to her room to find some paper and begin writing a letter in reply.