Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 8 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 2===

"Control thy force, too strenuous."

"You're so demanding..."

I washed Vritra's face while sighing.

We were at the lake shore where there was a large patch of gravel. Since we had gone to a place opposite in direction to where Lisa and the girls were bathing, there was no worry of running into them.

I dipped my handkerchief into the transparent lake water, wetting it, then gently wiped Vritra's face.

"So cold."

"Bear with it when it's just this much."

Her cheeks were soft yet elastic. While wiping off the soot from her face, I really felt as though I was looking after a little girl.

"—Okay, this should be good enough. Done?"

After confirming that her face was clean, I asked Vritra.

"If possible, I wish to wash my hair and body too... Forget it. I shall endure for now."

"You're quite complacent despite clearly being a captive..."

I looked in exasperation at Vritra whose attitude was inexplicably haughty. Although I wanted to mock her a bit, I did not have the energy because my thoughts were all occupied with Iris.

"—Then let's head back."

I urged Vritra and walked towards the van's direction along the lake side. To come here just now, we had passed through the forest surrounding the lake, which was quite difficult due to the dense foliage. However, there was no such problem when walking along the rocky lake shore and no danger of tripping either.

"Thou walkest too fast. Accommodate my pace."

Perhaps because of the easy walk, my pace quickened naturally. Vritra grumbled at me.

"Oh, sorry."

After apologizing, I paced myself to accommodate Vritra's little strides but for some reason, she looked surprised.

"...Wherefore art thou apologizing? Art thou not going to tell me to bear with it this time?"

"Well, I'm currently at fault, right?"

"Forsooth—Hmm... I understand too little of thee."

Vritra cocked her head, walking side by side with me.

In this manner, we advanced along the lake shore, only to encounter a giant rock blocking our way. Or maybe it was volcanic cinder. Either way, we had to make a detour around it by going through the forest.

However, when I circled around the rock, pushed aside the bushes and arrived at the lake's edge again—I was confronted with an unexpected sight.

"Huh—?"

Looking back over her shoulder in surprise, frozen to the spot, was John with his upper body naked.

Perhaps he was in the middle of wiping his body. John was sitting at the water's edge with a wet towel in his hand. His removed jacket was hanging on a nearby rock.

However, that was not the problem.

Pale skin as tender as milk, a narrow waist, as well as a bulging chest that did not belong to a man—

"Hyah!?"

John screamed and covered his chest with both arms.

"J-John?"

Was he—she—really John Hortensia? Uncertain, I called 
his name hesitantly.

"W-W-W-W-Why is the Captain here when the van was clearly on that side—"

Gone as white as a ghost, she cried out. Since Vritra and I had arrived from the opposite direction, it looked like she had been caught by surprise. Wait, by the way, since she called me 'Captain'—So she was John after all?

"I, uh, I was just helping Vritra wash her face..."

I motioned with my eyes to Vritra who was walking out from the bushes, then turned to face John.

"Putting that aside..."

"Y-Yes sir."

John gulped and waited for me to speak.

"John... So you're actually... a girl?"

I asked her in confirmation, unable to hide my confoundment.

"I am a man."

However, John asserted firmly, hiding her chest.

"Huh? But—"

"I am a man."

I frowned but John repeated himself with stronger emphasis.

"...Isn't that a bit unconvincing given the circumstances?"

"I am a man!"

With tears appearing in her eyes, John yelled with some resignation.

I scratched my head, unsure what to make of the situation.

"......Whatever, anyway, put your clothes on first. I'll look away for now."

Unsure where to look, I turned around.

Her bare skin was so beautiful that I could not help but stare in a trance. Even though she had covered the important parts, I still found it difficult to calm myself.

"O-Okay..."

John replied stiffly then I heard the sound of clothing rustling.

"Thou tellst me, what on earth is the situation?"

Vritra frowned, apparently baffled and inquired of me.

"...I haven't grasped the situation either."

"Hmm..?"

Hearing my answer, Vritra showed even greater puzzlement on her face.

"—Captain, I am ready now."

I looked back to see the familiar John dressed in military uniform.

Her feminine curves were cleverly disguised. Neither could the bulging of her chest be seen.

"That's amazing... Now you look totally like a man."

"Of course, because I am a man."

Seeing John say that with a nonchalant expression, I looked at her in utter exasperation.

"No, I'm not going to be fooled no matter what, you know? But if you don't want to talk about it, I won't pry..."

I sighed. After hearing that, John trembled and collapsed on her knees as though it was too much to bear.

"Oooh... So it won't work after all?"

Seeing her moist eyes staring at me, I felt my heart pounding like mad. Now that I was aware that she was female, her prim and proper face seemed to look even more beautiful than before.

"Sorry, but—If you really don't want the others to know, I'll definitely keep your secret."

Rather than surprise, I felt sorry for her so I apologized.

"No, Captain, you were the only one I wanted to keep the secret from... It's fine even if you tell the others. Or rather, some of them already now."

Supporting herself with her hands on the ground, John shook her head in dejection.

"You mean Kili?"

Since they had been working together for a while, it would not be strange for her to know.

"Yes... There is also Ariella Lu who fought me at Erlia..."

"Oh right, that reminds me. Ariella and you were exchanging mysterious words earlier."

I recalled what had happened at the stream, so I muttered.

Ever since the encounter at the Principality of Erlia, Ariella already knew John's real gender huh...?

I remembered back then, Ariella had told me to ask for his real name the next time we met.

"Can you tell me your real name?"

"—Jeanne. Jeanne Hortensia."

John—no, Jeanne—replied softly.

"What? That's pretty much the same. Should I call you John or Jeanne from now one—Which do you prefer?"

Hearing me ask that, Jeanne looked up at me with a surprised look.

"From now on...? Captain, you're not angry?"

Jeanne asked me in a tone of trepidation.

"Huh? Why should I be angry?"

Despite my surprise, I could not think of any reason to be angry.

"Because I have deceived you the whole time... All that trust built up till now... Bonds between men, everything is now moot, right?"

Jeanne answered in a feeble voice, her eyes watching me uneasily.

"Everyone has secrets—Me too. And in your case, your gender was your secret, that's all. Our experiences as teammates doesn't get written off just like that."

"Captain..."

Her pallid face starting to regain color.

"And you must have some kind of reason, right?"

"Yes, but it's nothing special. Because posing as a man is more convenient in the military... People are less likely to belittle you and I can avoid unnecessary trouble. It's just that..."

"—After I was assigned to Sleipnir, I wanted to win your approval, Captain... I didn't want to show my weakness, so I tried even harder than before to play the part of a strong man. That is why I was thinking, if you were to find out I am female, surely your impression of me will be ruined..."

Clenching her fist, she confessed the reason to me in a hoarse voice.

"Of course I won't do that. Whether you are male or female, you're still the best sniper."

I smiled wryly and told her that my opinion of her remained unchanged.

"Ooh..."

Jeanne's shoulders shook as she bit her lip, her golden eyes growing moist from tears.

"C-Captaaaaaaain!! I will follow you for the rest of my life!!"

Crying tears of emotion, Jeanne hugged me.

"H-Hey—"

If it were before, I would not falter, but after knowing she was female, it did bother me a bit.

Even hidden under clothing, the touch of her body remained soft. I could also smell a faint fragrance from her neck.

"Ooh... Captain... Captain!"

However, if I pushed her away by force now, I would be betraying what I had said about not changing my opinion of her, so I endured my embarrassment and patted her lightly on the back.

At this time, with Jeanne in between, I met Vritra's gaze.

Completely ignored on the side, Vritra was watching with an impatient look on her face.

"—Humans are truly creatures that agonize over inane matters. To think one would alter one's appearance over concerns of other people's opinion... What folly."

Vritra shook her head as though it was impossible to comprehend. Jeanne simply cried in my bosom, not listening to her at all.

"Really? But you changed yourself to this form in order to talk to Tia, right?"

"Hmm... 'Tis only to accommodate Yggdrasil's core."

Vritra looked at her body and her lips became bent in a frown. However, it was undeniably true that she had altered her own appearance for the sake of negotiations, so she did not argue any further.

To build up good relationships with others, sometimes it was necessary to change yourself.

—Was it really right for us to go ahead like this to persuade Kraken Zwei?

Suddenly, that thought occurred to me.

But of course, I did not know we should do either. Since we could not change our appearances like Vritra, our only choice was to face Kraken Zwei as humans.

"..."

Iris' face flashed in my mind. I shook my head.

Kraken Zwei was born between a dragon and a human—a D. Then there was Iris, who was gradually transforming into a dragon as a result of acquiring immense power.

Right now, the one closest to Kraken Zwei—might possibly be Iris.

I could not help but feel furious at myself for thinking such thoughts.