There was a burden Lamplight now carried that they hadn’t back when the team was formed.
“…Avian, you mean.”
Back in the Fend Commonwealth, all but one of those elites had perished. If it weren’t for their sacrifice, Serpent might very well have swallowed Lamplight up and destroyed them.
“Lamplight and Avian can protect Din on two fronts.”—that was the promise that Avian’s boss, “Flock” Vindo, had made, and it was a vow that was still holding strong. It wasn’t just Lily. There was conviction in the other girls’ expressions, too.
“Our classes with you taught us skills, Teach, and our classes with the elites honed them. This is just the next lesson in that chain,” Lily declared. “It’s time for our extracurriculars. We’re gonna leave the classroom and spread our wings in the world beyond!”
That was the speech Klaus was supposed to make, but Lily had stolen the words right out of his mouth.
Maybe that was a sign that Lamplight’s leader was growing up.
“Magnificent.”
Klaus gave her an appreciative nod, and Lily said, “Sounds like it’s settled!” before looking back toward her teammates and thrusting her fist in the air. “That means all we gotta do now is party! Let’s make this last night of our vacation count!”
The mood had been getting serious, but Lily’s cheerful shout blew all the solemnity away.
The other girls raised their fists as well, and they used some of their last precious hours there to have one final dinner.
Just like on the first day, their dinner of choice was a seafood barbeque.
Lying on the beach was a generator and a set of large floodlights. “Isn’t that the generator you stole from the naval base?” Thea pointed out. “It’s fine, we’ll give it back later!” Sybilla offered by way of an excuse.
Sandwiched between the lights and the table and chairs, there was a charcoal grill. Once all there was left to do was barbeque the food, Lily left the beach before returning with someone carrying a large basket.
“I brought a special guest! Iiiiiiiiit’s Raftania!”
“And I brought loads of food! It’s my treat!”
It was, in fact, Raftania.
She flashed them her pearly whites, and she tugged along a handcart laden with ingredients and drinks. She looked like a girl reborn, and she smiled happily as she filled the grill up with seafood. A delectable aroma rose up, and the girls let out another round of cheers.
Over the course of the meal, Klaus held private discussions with three different girls.
Each and every one of those conversations was a vacation memory he would never forget.
The first was with Raftania. When Klaus stepped away from the main festivities, she approached him.
“…So, uh, Mr. Klaus.”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure your mind’s made up? About marryin’ me and all, I mean. I could even just be the second or third wife, I don’t mind…”
“It’s not happening. I know about how you tried to feed the girls hamburger steak made from human flesh and how you pawned your murder weapon off on Grete.”
“I promise, I would never have put human meat in yours!”
“Oh, so that’s why mine was so fancy… That doesn’t make it okay, you know.”
“Aww. I know, I know. I’ll go apologize to ’em later.”
“Make sure you do. As for the rest, I already filled you in. I talked things over with the vice-admiral. He’s not going to expose your crime, and he’s going to give up on expanding the base. The pirate ship is going to become a tourist attraction. That boardinghouse of yours is going to get a lot busier. With how bright the island’s future is, there shouldn’t be any need for you to leave.”
“…I guess not, nah. I was right, y’know? You really are my hero, Mr. Klaus!”
“I’m not sure I’d go that far.”
“Give Sybilla an’ them my thanks, too. I was lost, an’ they pulled me up from the dark. Those’re some good students you got there.”
“Indeed I do. They’re my pride and joy.”
“Y’all should come visit again someday. I’ll be sure to give you another warm welcome.”
“…You know that if I ever come back to this island, there’s no way I’m staying at your boardinghouse, right? It’s too much of a headache.”
“………………Why, I never!”
When Klaus told her his very reasonable opinion, Raftania burst into tears. “This time, I really ain’t lettin’ go till you agree to marry me!” she cried as she clung to his leg, and he had to call Sybilla over to pry her off and drag her away. It was a giant mess.
After Klaus drove off Raftania and caught his breath, Grete came over. “You and Raftania really do get along like a house on fire, don’t you?”
“What wild misunderstandings could possibly have led you to that conclusion?”
“I was joking.”
She chuckled and sat down next to him.
Klaus nodded. She was someone else he needed to have a serious conversation with.
“You were right, Grete.”
“About what?”
“There really was a pirate ship. It wasn’t a fantasy.”
“…No, it wasn’t.”
“You were right about it all. Our lives aren’t set in stone. Neither is the world, and neither am I. Thinking that everything can be understood is nothing more than base conceit.”
“That’s very true.”
“Would it be okay if I took a year to think about it?”
“Huh………?”
“I do apologize for asking for so long. However, it’s not like we’ll be able to see each other anyways. I need time to properly confront my emotions. When we see each other a year from now, would you mind giving me another chance to tell you how I feel?”
“…O-of course not, it would be my pleasure!”
Grete let out a flustered gasp, then nodded as vigorously as she could.
After Grete left, her face all flushed, Klaus spotted Annette lying on the beach.
She was staring up at the night sky, utterly unperturbed by the sand dirtying her clothes and hair. She’d clearly eaten her fill, as she was contentedly patting her belly.
“Hello, Annette,” Klaus said as he walked over to her.
Annette snapped upright and gave him a smile. “What’s up, Bro?!”
“I was wondering if I could ask about how you’re going to remember this vacation.”
At long last, it was time for the final story.
It was the story one could only arrive at after hearing everything there was to hear about the islanders, the navy, and the pirates. It was Annette’s story.
They ended up walking along the beach as they chatted. Annette was likely more comfortable talking like that. They strolled slowly, listening as they went to the sound of the waves washing up across the beach, then washing back the way they came. The soles of their shoes left imprints in the wet sand. A cold wind nipped at them from the sea.
“Why did you offer Raftania so much help?”
That was the question Klaus chose to open with.
Annette walked with big strides, savoring the sensation of each step as she went. “I wanted to see what being a wedding planner was all about, so I—”
“That was you laying the groundwork. You wanted to worm your way into Raftania’s heart.”
At no point had Annette’s interest in the wedding been genuine. She’d gotten bored of the whole thing by halfway through her vacation, and besides, she had no reason to side with Raftania in the first place.
No, Klaus was asking about something else entirely.
“What was your reason for secretly orchestrating the murder Raftania committed?”
Late at night on the fourth day of their vacation, Raftania the islander committed a grisly crime.