Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V2Part6

Part 14 (Part 6 of Volume 2) The year had changed to Imperial Year 1348.

As the new semester began, the mock aerial battles reached their final stage, with upperclassmen starting to clash against each other. Since the results at the officer academy directly influenced future promotions within the military, all fourth-year students were flying with the same determination as if they were facing real aerial combat, eager to improve their ranks.

This year, there was also something that inevitably spurred on the aviation students.

A crowd of several newspaper reporters and cameras were stationed by the runway. The outcome of this year’s mock aerial combat was no longer a concern limited to within the school.

Among the “Seven of Eriadore,” two significant figures had unexpectedly come together: Illia Kreischmidt and Reiner Sakagami Kiyoaki, both descendants of the former “King of the Skies.” Citizens from both the St Vault Empire and the Akitsu Federation were showing considerable interest in the outcome of their duel.

The instigator was Akitsu Daily reporter, Tokiwa.

The article discussed the differing accounts of the duel between Karsten Kreischmidt and Sakagami Masaharu during the Twenty Years’ War, the tragic end of Masaharu due to the invasion of Urano’s Messus Island, as well as the current standings and states of mind of Kiyoaki and Illia. And then—about the current situation of Karsten Kreischmidt.

Kiyoaki had seen the article. It hadn’t contained any lies. However, its clear purpose was to sensationalize the conflict between the two and gather public attention. The descriptions of Karsten were tinged with malice. It claimed that the arm lost by Karsten had fuelled Illia's resolve against the Sakagami family, entrusting his desire for vengeance to his only daughter.

The article sparked reactions, and in St Vault, especially in gossip magazines, numerous follow-up articles emerged. There were growing calls within the Empire for Illia’s victory in the mock aerial combat, and voices began to rise again condemning the Akitsu military’s cruel tactics during the previous duel. Similarly, in the Akitsu Federation, there was a dominant tone of supporting Kiyoaki, criticizing Karsten for putting Illia through harsh training.

Citizens from both great nations, separated by the Archipelago Sea, were focusing their attention on the outcome of this aerial race on a remote island. The Hydrabard campaign was currently in a slight lull before the large-scale operation plans, with no other major topics of discussion, further increasing the number of reporters.

— I don’t care about that.

Kiyoaki thought with a sense of aversion. The connections to his father and the dignity of the nation had nothing to do with him and his peers right now. He only needed to unleash all his power against his opponent. It was troubling to have the expectations and grievances of people he had never seen before placed upon him.

Currently, Kiyoaki had climbed to sixth place overall. The top was Illia, followed by Balthazar in second, and Kagura in third. As expected, the “Seven of Eriadore” had gathered top performers, and it seemed that the race would ultimately come down to four contenders, including Kiyoaki.

— The connection to my parents doesn’t matter. I just don’t want to lose to Illia.

That was the only thought occupying Kiyoaki’s mind. Because he admired and respected Illia’s abilities, he wanted her to acknowledge his strength as well.

— I’ll keep winning until the very end.

As he marked the fleeing enemy aircraft with red bullets, Kiyoaki spread his wings. The instructor's voice came through the speaker.

“Sakagami, you’ve moved up to fifth place now. This is where the real contest begins; don’t let your guard down.”

“Yes, I will do my best.”

Kiyoaki glanced around the canopy and checked the airfield as he entered a descent manoeuvre. As the ground approached, he noticed a row of cameras pointed at him. This was likely part of the military’s intentions to attract public interest in the officer academy and recruit more applicants. Recently, not only had the media flocked to Air Hunt Island, but tourists were also pouring in as if a mock aerial combat festival was taking place.

After landing and finishing his report to the instructor, he was quickly surrounded by reporters before his classmates. Among them was a face from the Akitsu Federation. He held back any resentment and stuck to standard responses, answering the questions about his upcoming match against Illia with a simple, “I will do my best.”

He wanted to keep as much distance as possible from the interviewers. The matter concerning the Akitsu Federation was unpleasant, and there were many horrible reporters as well. Just four days prior, a fabricated article about Illia’s past had been published in a tabloid, prompting a protest from the principal of Air Hunt Academy. Kiyoaki had glimpsed that article, which unjustly tarnished Illia’s family, and anger welled up inside him. He could only imagine the extent of the emotional wounds that Illia carried, but she showed no signs of change after the article, continuing to go about her daily life with calmness as usual.

Kiyoaki managed to shake off the reporters, finish the afternoon training session, have dinner in the cafeteria, and then headed to the dedicated officers’ room for the seven of them to study.

Amidst the noise surrounding the publication of the Tokiwa Udakuni article, he realized he hadn’t really spoken to Mio since winter break ended. He opened the door, thinking he should at least greet her for the New Year.

“Aki-chan, good evening! Today, there’s no one else here!”

Sitting comfortably on the sofa was only Cecil.

"Ah, I see. That's rare. Is Mio not here?"

When Kiyoaki asked, the usually cheerful expression of Cecil clouded.

"Did something happen with Mio at home?"

"Huh?"

"Since she returned, she's been acting strangely..."

"...What do you mean?"

"Umm, Aki-chan, do you not know? There are quite a few rumours among the girls..."

"What? What’s going on?"

According to Cecil,

A week ago, after the break ended, Illia, Kagura, Cecil, and Mio finally got together in their shared dorm room. Cecil was eager to share stories from the break, but no matter how fun the conversation was, Mio seemed somewhat absent-minded. Eventually, she drifted away from the conversation and went off by herself. At that time, they thought she might be feeling unwell, but as the days passed, Mio spoke less and less, and now she avoided interacting with anyone, preferring to study alone in the study room or sit in a corner of the dining hall.

"What’s going on? Why is Mio like that?"

"I don't know. She wasn't there during the recent Fairytale Donut Festival either..."

"Oh, now that you mention it..."

Three days ago, the Fairytale Donuts had appeared again in the student hall. It was an unprecedentedly large appearance, and students gathered in droves to get their share, leading the squadron monitors to intervene and instruct the crowd to line up, eventually distributing all the donuts equally in a commotion.

"The donuts were weird but tasted amazing. It’s no wonder they’re so popular. But yeah, Mio wasn’t there at that time..."

"Since we share a room, I see her every night when we go to sleep, but no matter what I say, she hardly responds... Kagura said it might be because something happened at her home, so it’s better to leave her alone for a while and ask her about it later..."

From what I’ve heard, it’s clear that Mio’s behaviour is quite odd. She’s usually bright and cheerful, valuing the bond among the seven of them. It’s surprising that she’s still dragging along the weight of having put her comrades’ lives at risk during the night landing.

"I thought since you’ve known her the longest, you might be able to help her..."

"I’ve been so focused on the mock aerial combat that I didn’t even notice... Tomorrow, I’ll have class with Mio in naval history, so I’ll talk to her then. I know her family too, so I can casually ask if anything happened at home."

"Yeah... Thank you. I really hope she gets better soon. For some reason, just looking at Mio like this makes me feel sad..."

Comforting the dejected Cecil, Kiyoaki entered the study room. Despite preparing for the next day’s lessons, he couldn’t shake off a strange sense of unease.

The next day, as he entered the naval history classroom for the second period, he saw Mio sitting alone in the back corner, staring out the window.

Kiyoaki approached her with a smile, took the seat next to her, and greeted her.

"Mio, it's been a while. Happy New Year! How have you been?"

Mio's back stiffened in surprise.

Her colourful eyes turned towards Kiyoaki.

"Oh, um. You..."

That was all she said before quickly turning her gaze back to the window, falling silent.

"Is something out there?"

Kiyoaki asked, glancing outside as well, but no one was on the grounds. Mio wouldn’t look at him, fixating instead on the empty field.

I see, this is definitely unusual.

"Winter break was fun. I spent most of it playing with Reiner. I learned how to ride a bike, and I'm thinking about getting a license."

"Is that so..."

Mio continued to stare out the window, only giving a brief acknowledgment.

Another silence fell between them.

It felt as if he were conversing with Illia, where the connection was severed.

"How was your family, Mio?"

He asked, but she wouldn’t even glance his way. Anxiety began to creep in.

"Hey, Mio. What’s wrong? You seem down... Are you sick?"

As he continued to question her, Mio responded without looking at him.

"Shut up. Just leave me alone."

Kiyoaki was taken aback. He had been with Mio since they were twelve, but he had never seen her like this.

"Ah... um... yeah. Are you just lost in thought? If so, I won’t disturb you..."

At a loss for words, he sat next to her and attended the class. Throughout the lecture, Mio was focused on the blackboard and never once glanced in Kiyoaki's direction.

After the lecture, he tried to speak to Mio again as she put her notebook away.

"Want to have lunch together? I’d like to hear how your uncle and aunt are doing. Is your little brother doing well?"

But even when he brought up her foster parents, Mio didn’t even return his gaze.

"I’m not hungry."

She said bluntly, quickly getting up from her chair.

"Mio, wait, why...?"

Kiyoaki called after her, but she left the classroom without looking back.

"................"

Kiyoaki could only stare blankly into the emptiness. He wondered if he had done something wrong to her, but he hadn’t said anything to upset her.

Mio’s personality had suddenly changed.

Something must have happened on Crossnodal Island when she visited her foster parents during the winter break. That was the only explanation. But what kind of event could have changed her so drastically?

"Must be that time of the month."

In the afternoon, while watching the mock aerial battle overhead, Reiner replied.

Kiyoaki returned a vague smile.

"But it felt more serious than that."

"It’s a serious one. Just let it be."

At an altitude of five hundred meters, four Gray Foxes were engaged in a fierce battle. As expected from a clash of top-ranking students, the excitement was several notches above previous encounters. All the students in the aviation department lined up next to the runway, holding their breath, as two blue aircraft, "Lance," overwhelmed two silver aircraft, "Arrow."

"Kagura and Illia are teamed up. That’s unfair. They’re so strong."

The two "Lance" aircraft belonged to Illia and Kagura. With the first and third place pilots teaming up, they were a force no ordinary pair could contend with. In no time, the two "Arrow" aircraft were marked with red paint, signalling their defeat.

"Illia is being protected by Kagura, the point getter. If that’s how they fight, I can’t see us winning."

Reiner was more engrossed in the mock aerial battle than in Mio’s situation, not giving Kiyoaki much attention. Beyond the fence separating the runway from the outside world, younger female students gathered, cheering loudly for Kagura and Illia’s impressive performance.

"I wish I could be that popular. I wonder why I don’t have any fans..."

Realizing he had chosen the wrong person to confide in, Kiyoaki sighed and looked up at the blue sky. The sight of Kagura and Illia returning to the airfield, wings aligned, was quite majestic.

"More pair aerial battles are increasing. Is that the trend nowadays? Is one-on-one battles going out of style?"

As Reiner mentioned, as the mock aerial combat progressed, one-on-one encounters decreased, and two-on-two formations increased. It was said that in the battles of the Multi-Island sea, three-aircraft formations were being promoted. The match against Illia could also potentially turn into a two-on-two situation instead of a one-on-one.

"While worrying about others, you should think about your own grades. The results of this will determine your future. If you want to continue being an aviator, you have to beat Illia here."

"...Yeah, I know..."

From here on, Kiyoaki would be facing opponents of equal skill. It wasn’t a situation where he could afford to be complacent. Just as Reiner had said, this was an essential skills test that would shape their future. He decided to wait a while before approaching Mio again, as Cecil suggested.

But──.

"What happened to Mio? She hasn’t come here lately."

The abnormal situation continued for another week, and even Balthazar began to worry.

At 10:30 PM, the other five gathered in the Seven’s exclusive officer room, exchanging dark looks.

"I’ll make it clear that I’m not worried about Mio. However, if some foolish person has angered her with light words, then you should apologize immediately."

Balthazar said, looking directly at Reiner.

"Why are you looking at me? I haven’t done anything! We’re in trouble because we don’t know the cause."

"Have you thrown any crude remarks? Your usual language is sexual harassment for any decent woman. Reflect on your behaviour."

"How can you say that with certainty? It wasn’t me! You’re the one treating Mio like a maid!"

"I didn’t treat her like that; I merely issued orders. What’s wrong with a candidate officer giving commands to their subordinates?"

"That’s called treating her like a maid in common society!"

"That aside. It’s probably not just the two of you at fault. There’s something deeper."

Kagura interrupted the two, and the room fell silent again. Cecil sighed.

"Even Aki-chan doesn’t know the cause? That’s quite serious. Mio used to be so bright and cheerful, but now she’s completely changed..."

"...The cause probably isn’t us. Something must have happened at home. She may want to avoid us, or maybe she can’t... That could be it."

In response to Kagura's guess, Cecil tilted her head.

"At home...? Is it about her diplomat parents? I heard Mio has eight siblings, all adopted, right? I’ve heard that all of them, including Mio, are incredibly gifted..."

Balthazar leaned back deeply into the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

"Does a diplomat really adopt eight children? What for?"

Cecil turned a worried face towards Kiyoaki, who answered in her stead.

"It seems that they either have acquaintances request them, do volunteer work, or take in talented children who can't continue their studies due to family circumstances. It’s a wealthy and lively household."

"What are the nationalities of the adopted children? Do they share the same skin colour?"

"…The nationalities include people from Akitsu, Hydrabard, and small countries from the Vestelant continent. The skin colours also vary depending on their places of origin."

"Why was Mio taken in by that family?"

"I heard she was taken in after her parents died in the war, but… I don’t really know the details. It feels bad to pry..."

After this exchange, Balthazar thought for a moment and posed a strange question.

"Is Fio kept by the family?"

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding the intent behind the question.

"Fio is closest to Mio, but it’s the family that keeps her. The food is given by the servants, parents, and siblings."

"Were there multiple birds of the same type as Fio kept at home?"

Balthazar continued to ask strange questions for some reason. Kiyoaki recalled Mio's family from when they were on Messus Island.

"...Yes, there were. I didn’t count, but it might have been five or six... maybe even more. I think they were close to her parents and siblings."

"Does Fio have a mate?"

"Yes. A female mate was at Mio’s home."

With a furrowed brow, Balthazar stared intently into space. Kiyoaki felt a bit uneasy and asked in return.

"...What’s it to you, Captain? We’re talking about Mio, so why are you concerned about Fio?"

Balthazar didn’t respond. After a long time lost in thought, he finally spoke.

"...In my mind, the puzzle pieces are coming together. However… the picture that emerges feels very theatrical. It’s not something to be conveyed verbally with sincerity. But if my deduction is correct, I can say this."

After a dramatic pause, Balthazar locked eyes with Kiyoaki.

"Mio will likely sever all ties with us forever."

Kiyoaki’s heart skipped a beat.

"...What?"

"There’s no chance she’ll appear in this officer room again, and once she graduates, she will completely cut ties with us. Being praised as one of the 'Seven of Eriadore' is nothing but a burden for Mio."

Kiyoaki felt a surge of anger at Balthazar’s words, which seemed to see through everything.

"W-what are you talking about?! On what basis are you saying that?!"

"It’s my deduction."

"That’s just… there’s no way Mio would do that!"

"I hope I’m wrong. I wish for things to remain unchanged. Losing my familiar coffee maker would be quite inconvenient."

"W-who is this coffee maker you’re talking about...?!"

Before the conversation could veer off course, Kagura intervened.

"Balthazar, what’s the basis for that claim? It can’t be…?"

"You understand, don't you, Kagura? The true nature of the diplomat profession. Eight adopted children, gathered from around the world, all exceptional and of different skin colours. The uniqueness of the bird named Fio. If you analyze these elements, you can deduce the cause of Mio's sudden change."

As the points of deduction were laid out, Kagura's eyes widened. Rarely expressive, Kagura couldn't hide her surprise.

"However, that can't be the case..."

"Wait, what is it, Captain? I have no idea what you're talking about..."

Cecil leaned forward, but Balthazar stood up from the sofa with a look of annoyance.

"It's just a guessing game; proof is impossible at this point. Mio is currently lacking mental stability, but there's a chance she could return to normal tomorrow. That's all. I can't keep playing around. I'm going to study. Cecil, make some coffee. A strong black, please."

"I refuse. Just tell me the answer."

"Are you defying my orders?"

"Captain, you're not my superior. You have no authority to order me around."

Cecil closed her eyes with a composed expression, remaining seated on the sofa. Balthazar looked down at his junior with a scowl.

"As expected, substitutes are useless. You're several steps inferior to those I'm familiar with."

"I'm not a substitute or anything."

"Sakagami, you make it."

"Please take back what you said about calling Mio a coffee maker."

"Kagura, you give it a try."

"If Balthazar makes pancakes for me, I'd gladly do it."

"Illia, do you know how to make it?"

"........................"

"Fine, I'll make it."

Balthazar sighed and entered the kitchen, starting to boil water himself. With meticulous hands, he folded the filter and set it perfectly in the dripper.

"Balthazar, make one for me too."

"Please make one for me as well."

"Be quiet."

Reiner pouted and asked,

"Captain, why don’t you ask me to do it?"

"I don't want to drink coffee made by you."

"That's harsh. It's exquisite..."

While Reiner sulked beside him, Illia, who hadn’t spoken a word since the discussion started, suddenly said,

"I... was apologized to by Mio last night."

All eyes turned to Illia. She continued slowly.

"In our dorm room. Mio is in the lower bunk of the same bunk bed... I heard her struggling to breathe at night, so I thought she might be unwell. I got down to check on her. At that moment..."

Illia paused, thought for a moment, and continued.

"I think Mio was crying... She noticed I had gotten down and was suppressing her sobs. I asked if she was feeling unwell, but she didn't respond. She seemed like she didn't want me to say anything, so I went back to my upper bunk... After a while, she called out from the lower bunk, saying 'I'm sorry.'"

Illia clumsily wove her words together and then closed her eyes.

"Was Mio crying? Alone?"

"Yeah. It was dark, so I couldn't see, but probably."

"...What does that mean? I don't understand. If something sad happened, why didn't she tell me anything?"

Kagura added her words.

"...There must be circumstances she can't talk about. I don't know what they are, but what we should do isn't to press her for answers. We should treat her as we normally do and wait for her to open up again. That's all."

A heavy atmosphere filled the officer's room. Just a little while ago, the seven of them had been cheerful with Mio at the centre, but now it felt as cold as a mountain cabin without a stove.

──Mio, why...?

The anxiety continued to burn in Kiyoaki's chest.

February──.

Mio still continued to shut herself off, while on the other hand, the mock aerial combat race was finally approaching its final battle. With graduation just a month away, the fourth-year students were showing fierce competition, and Kiyoaki had finally climbed to second place, surpassing Kagura and Balthazar. First place was Illia, third was Balthazar, and fourth was Kagura. The final battle was planned to be a one-on-one between Kiyoaki and Illia, considering the public excitement, but then the naval air force intervened.

It was stated that the naval air force was no longer promoting one-on-one aerial combat and encouraged three-plane formations instead. Therefore, in the final battle, they would conduct a three-on-three formation battle, hoping to convey to the public and military the new era of aerial combat.

As for the confrontation between Kiyoaki and Illia, curiosity from the citizens of both the Akitsu Federation and the St Vault Empire extended beyond the academy, and the military wanted to use this content effectively to boost morale and increase enlistment. The academy leaders could not defy these intentions, and they decided to divide into Arrow, led by Illia, and Lance, led by Kiyoaki, to conduct the final battle, with the winner being crowned the champion of the mock aerial combat race.

The assignments were as follows.

"Hey Kiyoaki, tough luck. Your victory is gone. After all, I'm here."

Reiner, who was in the same formation, grinned and threw an arm around Kiyoaki.

"We're going to win, Kiyoaki-kun. Starting now, we're having a strategy meeting, and we won't lose for sure!"

Kagura, too, declared with determination, promising victory in the final battle.

The Lance group consisted of Kiyoaki, Reiner, and Kagura. On the other hand, the Arrow group led by Illia...

“Ilia, Balthazar, and Obando… they’re strong.”

Kagura groaned as she looked at the team formation displayed on the bulletin board in front of the control tower.

Obando Ezmo was a fourth-year student who struggled with academics but excelled in aerial combat. He was currently ranked fifth. Kiyoaki had managed to win against him in a match, but it was clear that he possessed considerable talent. On the ground, he was known for his boisterous personality, often leading a large group of underclassmen in wild revelry at the clubhouse during weekends.

“This means the captain will definitely come up with a strategy… I’m sure he’ll study our weaknesses and devise detailed tactics. We need to think ahead as well.”

As Kiyoaki discussed this with Kagura, Obando approached them with a towering figure over 190 centimetres tall, his spiky blonde hair and tanned skin radiating confidence as he stood in front of Kagura.

“Kagura, marry me.”

“Where is this coming from, Obando?”

“This is conditional on our Arrow team winning this match. What do you say?”

“If I had a sword right now, I would cut you down.”

“If we graduate like this, we’ll be separated. Aren’t you sad about that?”

“I won’t particularly miss parting from you.”

“I’m sad, Kagura. So if our Arrow team wins this battle, let’s get married.”

“That’s not a fair exchange. What’s the benefit if the Lance team wins?”

“I’ll be your slave. You can do whatever you want with me.”

“No thanks.”

“Then how about this guy, and this guy too, as your slaves?”

Obando flashed a broad, carefree smile, putting his arms around Kiyoaki and Reiner.

“I understand now that your synapses are made of muscle fibres, Obando. I look forward to the showdown. I’ll shoot your withered brain first.”

As Kagura said this with a clever smile, Obando beamed even brighter.

“Oh, you’ll agree to it? If I win, we’re getting married. I’ll make sure you wear a transparent wedding dress!”

With a triumphant fist pump, Obando dashed back to his group. Cheers erupted among the crowd, and in the centre, Obando joyfully reported something in a loud voice, while underclassmen began chanting “Marriage! Marriage!” at their teary-eyed senior.

“...Kagura, when did you agree to this?” Reiner asked, looking at Kagura’s back.

“I… don’t remember agreeing to anything…”

Kagura turned around, looking puzzled.

“What’s this transparent wedding dress thing?”

“Not that! What was that just now?”

“I don’t really know, but it seems that if we lose, Kagura will have to marry that muscle-bound guy.”

“That’s why I didn’t agree!”

“Perhaps that muscle-headed guy can’t understand human language. This is going to be a problem. Don’t worry, if we lose, I’ll accompany you on the run.”

“No, I told you I didn’t agree… What was that?”

Kagura gazed at Obando being lifted into the air, feeling at a loss, while Kiyoaki turned to her with a serious expression.

“Let’s win, Kagura. Obando is strong in aerial combat, and I’m starting to feel a heavy responsibility…”

“Yeah, let’s win. But wait, even if we lose, I’m not marrying him! I never agreed to that!”

While Kagura, unusually flustered, was distracted, the excitement surrounding Obando continued to grow. Eventually, even the newspaper reporters, noticing the commotion, rushed over to ask Obando what was happening. Kiyoaki could only watch, realizing that another reason to absolutely not lose had been added to the already pressing match against Illia…