Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 4 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Silver-Armored Hreidmar

Part 1

Three years prior—after NIFL took me away—I became Major Loki's subordinate and went through his "education."

It started mainly with basic physical training and language to facilitate communications with teammates on the battlefield, without actual firearm combat.

But conversely, one mandatory lesson I had each day was to watch that man fight.

The location was sometimes in a training room, sometimes on a real battlefield. I was ordered to watch how he fought the whole time.

My gaze was not allowed to shift, simply staring at him fight for hours on end. I had no idea what the point was, but could only obey.

However, even I felt rather surprised... Spending time like that did not feel like hardship for me.

His fighting style was very refined. While I watched in mesmerization, time flew by instantly.

With his entire body clad in silver armor, he effortlessly subdued the enemies blocking his path.

Even if surrounded by a large group, he would become the only person standing after several gunshots.

Racing past hails of bullets, he vanquished enemy troops without suffering a single wound.

His fighting style was as though he had perfect knowledge of human movements and bullet trajectories.

This kind of technique was not possible for humans. "What" on earth was he?

One day, I posed this question to Major Loki. For myself back then, speaking up to ask a question needed a huge amount of courage. Even so, I still asked while preparing myself to be punished.

This was proof how fascinated I was with that man's fighting at the time.

"Let's put it this way, he is my personal bodyguard... If you are going to develop into the real 'Fafnir,' then he would be Hreidmar."

Without scolding me, Major Loki replied. It was truly a strange analogy.

The name Hreidmar belonged to the father of Fafnir in mythology. This story was something I learned about much later.

Starting from that day, my daily observation of him—Hreidmar—was cancelled. Replacing it was the beginning of combat training.

I asked Major Loki for the reason and his answer was:

"—Because the seed has already taken root inside your 'gap.' There is no need to watch an inferior sample anymore."

For him with such a powerful and elegant fighting style to be called an inferior sample, I found it hard to believe.

But now... Having become an existence very close to his, I now understood vaguely.

He was probably the previous "Fafnir" raised by Major Loki.

Part 2

"Yuu! Time to get up! It's morning!"

Feeling my head shaken by a shrill voice, I woke up to find Tia jumping up and down on the bed.

I think I was dreaming of the past, but listening to Tia's voice, I gradually became unable to recall the contents of my dream.

I looked at my portable terminal next to the pillow. It was still a bit too early to get up.

"...Good morning, Tia. You're really energetic this early in the morning."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

"Yeah, because Tia slept for so long and is full of energy now."

Tia had fallen asleep during the plane ride and slept all the way until the next morning. She had apparently overcome the time difference as a result.

"I'm surprised you knew... that my room was here."

"Tia tried hard to get Lisa out of bed, but Lisa told Tia the location of Yuu's room and had Tia wake Yuu first."

—That Lisa. She told Tia to come over to me first because she wanted to sleep longer.

Despite my resentment for having my sleeping time reduced, I could not complain since Lisa had to look after Tia every day.

I gave up resisting, switched moods and got out of bed. On the other side of the terrace, I could see the fountain in the courtyard, glittering under the morning sunlight.

Since the sun had set last night, I did not notice that there were many types of flowers planted in the courtyard. These were probably species suited to high altitudes. Petals of vivid hues decorated the courtyard in a colorful display.

"By the way, Tia, have you heard about today's schedule?"

"No, not yet."

"Let me be frank—After breakfast today, we're going sightseeing together with Kili."

"...With Kili?"

Gloom shrouded Tia's face.

"You could stay here if you don't want to go, you know? Besides, NIFL might be attacking too."

I made this suggestion in light of her relationship with Kili. Tia bowed her head and thought for a while before clenching her tiny fist and looking at me.

"Yuu will protect Kili?"

"Yeah."

"If that's the case... Tia will protect Yuu, so Tia will come along too!"

Tia spoke with eyes of determination.

"...I see. Thank you."

I thanked Tia and patted her head.

"Ehehe!"

Tia smiled happily and leaned her head towards me.

But at this moment, her stomach rumbled adorably.

"...So ashamed."

Tia clutched her stomach and went red with embarrassment.

She must be famished, having skipped the dinner party last night.

"You should go to the dining hall first and see if you can ask someone to prepare food for your first."

"Ah—Okay!"

Tia made an excited expression then nodded vigorously.

Thus, a brand new day started.

Today was the first day of King Albert's three-day funeral. It was this country's custom to see the deceased off in a lively celebration, hence, this was also the beginning of a grand festival.

Part 3

After breakfast, we went sightseeing as planned.

Taking a stretch limo would attract too much attention after all, hence, we left the palace in a large van prepared by Helen-san instead.

Shinomiya-sensei was driving while Firill sat in the front passenger seat to provide directions.

Including Kili, the eight of us sat face to face in the spacious back of the van. Instead of the formal dresses last night, Mitsuki and the girls were wearing their school uniforms with a winter jacket on top.

The atmosphere in the van could not be described as harmonious, because of Kili.

Everyone had a stiff expression because they had to stay on guard against attackers and Kili herself. Tia was particularly nervous. Sitting between Lisa and me, she was holding our hands tightly.

"—The most popular tourist attraction in the country is Erlia Castle, but since we're going there anyway during the festival, let me take us sightseeing somewhere else."

From the front passenger seat, Firill looked back and told us.

The van was crossing a bridge over the lake while making its way towards town.

"Where are we going first?"

To slightly ease the tense atmosphere, I asked in a cheerful voice.

"...The Great Waterfall of Erlia. It's quite spectacular."

Firill made a thumbs-up and answered. She seemed quite confident.

After crossing the bridge, the van drove on a road along the lakeshore. The town seemed even more lively than yesterday, with many people packed in the streets.

"—How lively. You guys should enjoy the festivities and stop making such scary faces."

Looking out at the scenery the whole time, Kili turned her gaze back into the vehicle and spoke to the others.

"Now that would be a challenging demand. Have you forgotten your past deeds?"

However, Lisa retorted sarcastically.

"Speaking of which... Back when I was taking Tia away, I did fight you once. Although I had no intention of killing you, I apologize for injuring you."

"An injury of that sort is trivial. Rather than apologize, I would rather have you swear you will never betray us. Because what I fear most is my comrades coming to harm."

"Sure, I will promise you that, since right now, I have no reason to harm any of you. However... Will you really be at ease just because I said so?"

Kili answered sarcastically.

"If you responded seriously to me, perhaps I might be reassured slightly... But right now, it's impossible."

"Really? What a shame. I thought I was very serious already. Looks like my seriousness was not conveyed to you."

Kili shrugged then turned her gaze towards Tia whose entire body was stiff.

"Tia, you can probably believe me, right? To this date, I have never harmed you, right?"

"That's true... But you did many awful things to Tia's loved ones."

Tia squeezed my hand and answered.

Hearing her answer, Kili swept her gaze across everyone in turn then smiled as though in resignation.

"—All of you seem to worry more about others than yourselves."

"Not merely others, but family. We worry about one another precisely because we are family."

Lisa corrected Kili.

"What strong camaraderie, I'm envious. If I made a request, may I join your circle?"

"...If that is your sincere wish, I shall consider it."

Despite glaring at Kili, Lisa gave a positive answer with a condition attached.

"You are truly nice to a fault. Given the rare opportunity I really would like to accept your benevolence, but I guess it's impossible for me, because I am definitely different from you people. Even Tia, whom I painstakingly raised, has forsaken me."

Kili sighed and turned her gaze to Tia again.

"Frankly speaking, that was quite a blow to me, you know? Because I never expected you would change allegiance in a few short days, having believed in me and obeyed me all along."

"Ah..."

Tia widened her eyes and seemed to understand something.

"Did Tia... hurt Kili's feelings?"

"Fufu—indeed, it does make me a little sad. Now that I think back... The reason why I gave you horns was perhaps to create an existence as close to mine as possible."

Kili shrugged and laughed in self-deprecation. Somehow, I got the feeling that Kili was speaking from the heart just now.

"U-Umm..."

Silent until now, Iris immediately spoke.

"I remember you—Iris-san, right? What is it?"

"Based on what you just said... Do you consider yourself a dragon like Tia-chan did before, Kili-chan?"

"K-Kili-chan?"

Kili was unsettled by Iris' way of addressing her, but she immediately concealed her feelings and continued.

"...Since I am seeking Midgard's protection, I won't call myself a dragon no matter what. But it's a fact that I am different from you all. As to what kind of person I am, please ask him, okay?"

Saying that, Kili pointed at me.

"Ask Mononobe? Why?"

Iris widened her eyes in surprise, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"Because I asked him just as I was leaving Midgard. I said: 'Who I am? If it's okay with you, can I ask you to decide?'"

I remembered Kili asking something like that in response to my question of who she was. At the time, I simply thought she was dodging the question, but her eyes gazing at me were very serious.

"Kili, you..."

"Judging from your reaction, it looks like I won't get the answer yet. Fine, whatever—I will continue to wait."

Kili spoke with disappointment then shrugged.

"...What do you mean?"

With a muddled look on her face, Iris looked alternately between me and Kili.

"She insists on withholding the truth."

Lisa remarked in irritation.

Indeed, Kili seemed to be trying to deceive us with ambiguous language... But I could also feel that—It was possible that she really had no idea what words to use to describe herself.

RUMBLE—...

We were surrounded by an astounding roaring, the sound of lake water plunging dozens of meters into a river.

"So this is the Great Waterfall of Erlia..."

Drowned out by the roaring sound, my mutters failed to reach anyone's ears.

This was an observation deck overlooking the entire waterfall. Iris and Tia were horsing around in excitement next to the railing while Ariella and Ren were using the camera functions of their portable terminals to take photos as keepsakes.

Having been confined in the palace for a while recently, Kili took a deep breath comfortably while Mitsuki and Lisa monitored her warily. Shinomiya-sensei was slightly farther away, talking to someone on the phone.

—I've a dam release before, but it could not compare to this.

Just as I was deeply impressed by the powerful sight of the giant waterfall, hundreds of meters wide, Firill approached me.

She was wearing a wide hat securely with a scarf covering her mouth. These efforts were probably to prevent others from recognizing her identity, but I wondered if the disguise was actually effective.

"...Mononobe-kun, how is the waterfall?"

Since it was hard for our voices to reach one another if speaking normally, Firill stood on tiptoe slightly and spoke in my ear. This sort of distance, within a breath's reach, made my heart begin to race, but I suppressed my wavering emotions then brought my lips next to Firill's ear.

"It's spectacular. Seeing so much water flow down, it makes me worry about the lake drying up."

"It won't dry up because the meltwater from the mountains flows into the lake. There is a royal cottage nearby... I like to read there a lot."

We were carrying our conversation by speaking alternately in each other's ear. Every time we spoke, our distance would shrink and Firill's voluptuous bust would touch my arm. Feeling that soft sensation through clothing, it made my heartbeat accelerate.

"You can read in such a noisy place?"

"I stop hearing unnecessary noise after I grow accustomed to it, which allows me to really focus. The feeling is kind of like a rainy day's."

"I-I suppose. With so much noise, all other sounds would get drowned out."

Although I nodded to concur with what she said, I was finding it harder and harder to feign composure.

"...What's the matter? Your face is very red, you know?"

"No, umm..."

Hearing my vague answer, Firill probably thought I failed to catch what she said. She leaned in even closer.

"Mononobe-kun, are you okay?"

She had her breasts pressed tightly against my arm, making my heart pound even faster. To tell her that she was too close, I brought my face next to Firill's ear.

"—"

However, I seemed to hear a voice, so I turned my gaze towards the waterfall.

Iris, who was next to the railing with Tia to view the waterfall, was pointing her finger at me, saying something. Although I could not hear what she was saying due to the water being too loud, her face was bright red.

Seeing her like that, I finally noticed that my current posture made me look like I was just about to kiss Firill's cheek.

Iris ran over with her face red and kept hammering her hands against my chest.

"N-No doing that in this kind of place!"

"No, you got the wrong idea!"

I shook my head and yelled.

"Mononobe, you're such a jerk! What if Mitsuki-chan sees?"

"...!"

After finding out why Iris was angry, I could not help but gasp.

"...?"

Unable to understand the situation, Firill looked incredulously at Iris' interactions with me.

"Iris, calm down. I was talking to Firill like that only because the waterfall is too loud—"

To explain the situation in detail, I brought my face next to Iris' ear.

"Eh? Y-You can't kiss me now either! Do you really... want to kiss that much?"

But she seemed to be misunderstanding my behavior again. Iris blushed all the way to her ears.

"No, like I said, that's not what's going on!"

"...No? Mononobe, you want to kiss Firill-chan... But not me?"

Iris looked at me, almost about to burst into tears.

"O-Of course not!"

Seeing me shake my head frantically in denial, Iris smiled, seemingly reassured.

"Then save it for later—You have to hold back for now, okay? So, if possible... If you don't do that to Firill-chan... I will be very happy."

After saying that in my ear, Iris shyly covered her face in her hands and fled.

S-Save it for later...?

After hearing her say that, I could not help but wonder whether I should clear up the misunderstanding.

"Mononobe-kun, what was that about?"

Firill asked with her head cocked.

"Don't mind it. Iris just got the wrong idea."

I sighed and answered. Whatever, although it was a shame... I felt bad about exploiting Iris' misunderstanding, so I decided to explain properly to her later.

Just as I made the decision mentally, my neck suddenly trembled but not from cold.

It was a gaze, sharp and murderous in intent.

"...!"

I looked back but could not see anyone.

—That's pretty quick.

I expected this long ago, but the enemy looked like they still intended to attack. If Sleipnir had already entered the Principality of Erlia, just as Kili said, then they must be the enemy.

I did not think that they would leak murderous intent so overtly as accomplished soldiers. Hence, this was probably a greeting to me, their former captain, as well as a final warning.

No mercy if you interfered—That was probably the message.

Then I could rule out the possibility that the incoming enemy was the tall man who had almost killed Kili. Because if he really was the one I predicted, he would not do anything this naive.

Looking around, I saw Kili with a tense expression, glaring in the same direction as I did.

In fact, Kili and I were probably the only ones capable of fighting Sleipnir. It seemed like the others had virtually no experience in human combat. It was possible to defeat Sleipnir through combat methods that destroyed them together with the town, but of course, such tactics were not allowed.

—Why don't Kili and I get this settled quickly, just the two of us?

Although I felt bad for the others, unless they possessed combat instincts allowing them to sense the murderous intent just now, I could not count them as potential combatants.

Even alone, Kili was capable of fighting Sleipnir, so with the addition of me, it should be enough.

Thinking that, I walked over to Kili. But along the way, I found one of my classmates staring in the direction of the killing intent.

"Ariella...?"

However, she soon shifted her gaze and went back to taking photos for Ren.

Perhaps she had sensed something without knowing it was dangerous.

Then sure enough, I could not get her involved.

Deciding that, I told only Kili my thoughts.

Part 6

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