“Good luck, Al!”
Al waved to Luna, who stood atop the castle walls. Judging by the blue, cloudless sky stretching out before them, it was safe to assume that they’d have to battle under the blazing sun.
After marching for a while, Al remembered something and moved next to Kanon.
“Hey, Kanon...”
“Oh wow, that’s rare. You never come to talk to me.” There was a lot of truth in that statement.
“I’m, uh, sorry for yesterday. Or, well, for everything.”
“Huh? Sorry for what?”
Unsure of where to even start with his apology, Al simply bowed his head.
“I never realized that you were lonely. I should pay more heed to your warriors as well.”
Being busy was not a valid excuse, as he should’ve prioritized helping Kanon and her troops—his brand new citizens—assimilate faster.
“Hahaha, why the long face?” Kanon was puzzled at first, but quickly began laughing at Al.
“I promise I’ll pay more attention to you. Feel free to make yourself at home, and come to me if you need anything. I’d be happy to help with any of your requests.”
“Huh!? ‘I’ll take care of your every need, you don’t have to worry about anything for the rest of your life!’ you say!?”
“No, I never said that. All I’m saying is that you should consider yourself family—” Al realized his grave mistake, but it was too late.
“F-Family!? Then after this battle is over, do you think we can make a descend—”
Fwooooosh!
A harrowing, frigid breeze was suddenly unleashed next to Kanon, to the point where it started freezing her flushed face.
“Cold! It’s too cold, Feena! Are you trying to turn me into a snowman!?”
The ice crackled on Kanon’s face as it slowly broke up and fell onto the ground.
“Tch, you can handle this much.”
“Yeah, but do you really have to freeze me just before a battle!?”
Kanon’s warriors witnessed their accomplished leader’s childish quarrel from behind. Despite having known her as a fierce, battle-hardened man for years, their loyalty to her didn’t falter in the slightest.
I’ll have to get to know them better too. If I don’t, he’ll never forgive me. The face of her friend who’d passed crossed her mind.
“Maybe I should have a pub built after this battle.” A certain crimson-haired girl popped into his mind after uttering those words. “Right. I’ll have to stuff her with food once we’re back home.”
He gripped the reins and set off for the border, where Sharon was being held captive.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yeah, seriously! He’s a weakling, yet every time I ask for half a slice of cake, he goes off about food costs and me being fat and all! How cheap can you get!? And don’t even get me started on...” Sharon was gently stroking her silver hair ornaments while telling the others about her life in Althos, or, more specifically, while badmouthing Al.
While the soldiers were restlessly running around outside, the Lost Children, chained up and wearing what amounted to scraps of clothing, enjoyed their time in the cafeteria, eating and listening to Sharon’s stories. Regardless of their circumstances, they were happy to be reunited. After moving to the cafeteria, Sharon had been bombarded with questions upon Barbara’s proposal.
“Our duty is to monitor the area and to act as your personal guards. In order to carry out our duties to the best of our abilities, we need to know everything about your life. As such, we will interrogate you right here, right now!”
The Lost Children consisted of five hundred youths gathered by the Freiyan king in search of the next Diva, but they were currently being used as a bargaining chip against Sharon. They’d received the same torturous training as she had and were a notch above the average soldier in terms of combat ability, so they were also deployed as combat slaves under the direct command of the Freiyan royalty. The platoon’s commanding officer was Airi, while Barbara was their lieutenant. Now, they were all listening to Sharon go off on Al with a collective wry smile.
“Did I say something strange?” Sharon was simply enjoying their reunion without giving much thought to what she was saying.
“Well, you didn’t say anything weird, but, you know...” Barbara looked around for support, which she got in the form of four hundred ninety-nine simultaneous nods. Sharon was completely dumbfounded.
“Nhhhh! Tha’s it! Imma ask it straight!” Airi had been listening with her arms crossed, but she suddenly jumped in front of Sharon.
“You’re too close! What!? Is there something in my hair!?”
She moved her hand to where Airi was looking, but all that was there was her silver hair ornament.
“Where’d ya get that? Who got it fer ya?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I bought it myself?”
“O’course not! The Demon King’d break loose if ya got sumthin’ so girly yaself!”
Airi, despite being rude, was pretty much on the mark. As a matter of fact, Sharon had gotten it from the Demon King.
“So, who did you get it from?” Barbara gave Sharon a look like a parent urging a child to spill the beans on mischief they’d caused.
Sharon slowly realized that she was trapped in all directions. The pressure on her was getting suffocating as the sea of people stepped closer and closer, staring at her in search of an answer.
“Umm, it’s from... Alnoa...” She caved under the pressure, and answered with deadpan eyes, to which...
“Haaaaaaaaaah...”
...the room was filled with half a thousand disappointed sighs.
What is this, some sort of a séance? Desperate for an explanation, she pleaded to Airi with her eyes.
“Yah, yah. I’ll explain it to ya slowly, that yer thick, dull block’ead can process it, got it?”
“Who are you calling a blockhead!?”
“You, Sharon. She’s calling you a blockhead.”
Sharon struck back, but Barbara immediately came in with a sneak attack.
“List’n, Sharon. We’re at war wit’ Althos, and want intel on ’em. Do ya understand that much?”
“Do you really think I’m that dumb? Of course I understand that!”
“So then why ya only talkin’ ’bout Alnoa?”
“Wait, did I talk that much about him?”
They specifically asked Sharon about information on Althos, so she’d tried her best to give them breadcrumbs.
“Ahhh! Ya’ meat’ead!”
“What!? That’s rich, coming from you! Maybe try specifying what you want next time!” Sharon started to get tired of being called names, but Airi was also at her breaking point.
“Ya know, I still learned sumthin’! Yer all over that Lord Alnoa!”
“Me? All over Al? Where did that come from?” Sharon tilted her head in confusion. Deep down, she knew exactly where Airi was coming from, but she was trying to shoo those thoughts away.
“Haah... An’ ya dun even realize it.” Airi lifted both her hands and theatrically shook her head. The others also seemed to be in utter disbelief.
“Come on, what’s this look on everyone’s face? I mean, Al is...”
Sharon shuffled through her memories. She realized that recently, thinking about Al caused an inexplicable tightness in her chest. What was even more baffling to her was that being next to him only made that feeling even stronger. But naturally, being the way she was, she could never admit to that.
“What!? I’m not...” Sharon’s gradually weaker resistance was completely snuffed out by Airi.
“Then why’re ya wearin’ tha ornament ya got from Alnoa an’ not tha one ya got from tha second prince? Just watchin’ ya stroke it all the damn time’s makin’ me red as a chili pepper!”
“Huh? Who’s stroking what?” Sharon herself hadn’t noticed what she was doing.
“Indeed. When you talk about Althos, particularly Alnoa, your face lights up. Would you like to confirm it with a mirror?”
“No, there’s no way that’s true!”
“Why’re ya pitchin’ a fit? All ya talked about was ’ow much ya love that Alnoa!”
“No! It was more like boasting about having a Casanova for a boyfriend!” Sharon desperately tried to explain the apparent misunderstanding.
“Haah... That’s why yer never gonna kiss. Yer like a dull, naive lil’ girl.”
Airi’s insult was the final straw.
“Huh!? I’ll have you know that I’ve already—”
Crap! Too late. She could virtually see the thousand ears perk up at her statement.
“Who did you kiss!? Was it Alnoa!?”
“Where did it happen!?”
“Sharonnnn, how did it taste?”
“Wow, I never thought this meathead would...”
“She’s already taken her first step into adulthood!”
Disregarding the curious looks from the surrounding soldiers, the girls flocked over to Sharon. She cursed her mouth for working faster than her brain, but if she didn’t put an end to this quickly, she’d be bombarded with even more questions.
I have to spill the beans, don’t I?
“It was with...”
“Kyahh!”
Everyone’s focus shifted to the source of the sudden shriek, which had interrupted Sharon’s confession.
“Too noisy. Stay put like the good slaves you are.” Behind them, Ranbolg, fully armed, kicked one of the girls to the ground and gave a stern warning to the others.
The tent went dead silent. Not only did no one raise a voice of concern, but they didn’t even cross eyes with Ranbolg. It was surreal to Sharon.
“Hmph, anyway. We’re going into battle in a few hours. Get your chains sorted and prepare for dispatch.” He threw the key to the chains onto the ground, turned on his heels, and left.
“Are you okay?”
Sharon was slowly catching on to how little had changed since she slipped away from Ranbolg’s claws. She was frozen in place for a good ten seconds after he left, and only then was she able to rush over to the abused girl. The roots of the curse put upon her were still nested deep inside her soul.
“Am I imagining things, or did he say that we’re going into battle soon?”
“No, you’re not imagining anything.”
Time stopped for a second before the tent started bustling with chatter. Airi and Barbara cast worried glances at Sharon, who was silently, internally wrestling with herself.
Althos against the Lost Children... Who should I side with?