Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V2Part9

Part 17 (Part 9 of Volume 2)

As thousands of excited spectators discussed what they had just witnessed, a man walked toward a place unrelated to the mock aerial battle.

He was in his late twenties. With his hands tucked into the pockets of a black long coat, he slouched his tall, thin body and walked discreetly across the vast Air Hunt Officer School grounds, like a wild cat, until he reached the back of the Navy Memorial Hall.

The person he was supposed to meet had not yet arrived. He had been instructed to come here right after Kiyoaki’s mock aerial battle with Illia Kreischmidt, but it seemed he was too early. With no one around, the man took off his bothersome hat and gazed at the clear sky.

A pale face. Skin rough like it had been scraped with a knife. Cheeks that looked like they had been shaved down and eyes too sharp. Just standing there, a strange aura emanated from him.

The Holy Knight Akmed.

He was the modern “King of the Skies,” boasting a confirmed record of 186 enemy aircraft shot down.

If someone were to spot the number one aviator of the Multi-Island Sea in such a place, it wouldn’t end well. A crowd would quickly gather, causing a big commotion. It seemed his appointment was chosen in this inconspicuous spot out of fear of such attention.

Akmed looked up at the clear sky and pondered the recent mock aerial battle.

—Kiyoaki is getting stronger. So is Illia.

Though still rough around the edges, they had both reached a level of skill that was impressive for students. It was clear to him, having trained Kiyoaki over five years ago, that this progress was significant. The talent passed down from Sakagami Masaharu, coupled with their continuous effort, was yielding results. Even the last challenge of the “Snake Shot” seemed to hint that it might be accomplished someday.

—I want them in Valkyrie.

Akmed found himself thinking such things. While there’s no guarantee for the future compared to the regular army, and being constantly sent to the front lines doubles the risk to one’s life, Valkyrie was filled with true warriors of the sky who would gladly accept such conditions. Being able to train among them would bring more benefits than joining the regular army.

Just as he considered this, he scoffed lightly, shaking off the daydream.

—It’s this kind of thinking that makes me disliked by the heir.

He knew he was being self-centred. It was clear that joining the regular army and aiming for a high-ranking position in Akitsu would be more beneficial for Kiyoaki’s future.

—Similarly, for the heir...

The heir was still young. she probably had many choices for her future and was in a state of confusion. She was likely troubled by being the first in line for the Sylvanian royal family. He had heard as much from her guardians.

But still...

The faces of the king, queen, and many comrades who had died protecting the royal family clung to the back of Akmed’s mind.

Having been attacked by Urano, Valkyrie, led by Akmed, had been unable to protect Sylvania’s royal family, leading to its destruction. He had never forgotten the king’s wish as he lay dying while holding Akmed’s hand.

“Please, Akmed. Take the child and escape.”

Akmed, who had wanted to die alongside the king, had received that request in his final moments.

“Leave behind the blood of Sylvania. It will become the hope of the Multi-Island Sea. A beacon of hope to one day destroy Urano.”

He cut through the desire to stay close and accepted the king's final order. He took the heir on the back seat, broke through the encirclement of Urano surrounding the capital, Sierra Greed, and delivered her safely to his aunt waiting on Chandler Fortress on Mauregan Island. Five and a half years had passed since then, and now he was here to meet the grown heir.

The purpose was to confirm the heir's intentions for succession.

Valkyrie continued to exist as an aerial mercenary force, still fighting in various parts of the world for the restoration of the Sylvania royal family. But if the heir did not wish for that restoration, it would make exposing his comrades to danger meaningless.

—She must want the restoration of the royal family.

That was not merely Akmed’s personal desire. It was the wish of the many comrades who had died defending the king and the old officials. It was unfortunate for the heir, but she needed to consider that weight once more. He had brought words written to express this. By reiterating the king’s wishes here today, he hoped to guide the heir toward a better direction. He believed in that.

—She’s late.

As his anxiety began to rise, a shadow appeared behind the history museum.

He could not be mistaken. It was the royal heir.

Akmed looked at the person and immediately knelt down. He had been asked in advance not to kneel, but he couldn’t help it.

The heir, who had been a fragile child five and a half years ago, had grown into such a remarkable figure.

Tears threatened to spill.

As the King of the Multi-Island Sea Skies, who had become the object of admiration for all aviators, Akmed pressed his forehead to the ground in front of this person.

“I asked you to stop,” came the cold voice of the heir from above. However, Akmed remained on his knees, unmoving.

“Raise your face. I am in disguise. What would happen if someone saw us?”

Reluctantly chastised, Akmed lifted his face while still kneeling.

The heir glared at him as if reproaching him.

Unable to contain the swell of emotions, Akmed spoke the name of his lord.

“Your Highness Cecil.”

The heir to the Sylvanian throne, Elisabeth Cecil Sylvania, stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, staring at Akmed.

“You have grown splendidly. The King would surely be pleased.”

In a sincere tone, while admiring the figure of the one he should serve, Akmed conveyed his thoughts.

Though remnants of childhood remained, the strong gaze and stubbornly set mouth resembled the King. The colour of her hair and the shape of her nose and ears were inherited from the Queen. He had worried about what would become of her when she expressed a desire to advance to military school, inspired by her friend Illia Kreischmidt at the gymnasium, but the training at the military academy had undoubtedly had a positive impact on the princess. The girl who had appeared frail when rescued had become dignified and strong.

Akmed could see it.

One day, she would unfurl the royal flag and proclaim her dominion over the Multi-Island Sea as Queen Elisabeth.

She would be the Holy Scepter of the Queen of Hope, transforming this world filled with blood and betrayal.

“The wings shall forever belong to the Sylvanian royal family.”

Akmed repeated the vow he had exchanged with the deceased king.

The Valkyrie continued to spill blood across battlefields worldwide, simply to honour Cecil as their Queen.

“The Valkyrie is your wings, Your Highness Cecil.”

For the day of resurrection that would come, Akmed and the Valkyrie existed solely to be her wings. They would travel across the skies of the world, honing their skills, and one day, they would rule the skies pointed out by Cecil—this was the very purpose of the world’s strongest combat squadron, the Valkyrie.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a pure white ceiling.

A faint smell of chemicals stung my nostrils. Bringing my arm in front of my face, I noticed I was wearing a white hospital gown, and there was a bandage wrapped around my forehead.

“……?”

Kiyoaki sat up halfway. I was in a bed in the infirmary. A soft reddish light was filtering in from the window, reaching the middle of the hospital room.

I tried to recall the events of the day. Kagura had fallen, Reiner had fallen, I had a one-on-one duel with Illia, and the fight had somehow turned into a dance. Then I attempted the Snake Shot—and I had no memory of what happened afterward. Given my current state, I must have lost. I felt frustrated, but I had no regrets. The memories of dancing with Illia were far more vivid.

There was someone sitting next to the bed.

“Oh…”

It was Illia. With her arms crossed, she leaned against the wall on her left side, eyes closed, and soft snores were escaping her lips.

She must have fallen asleep while keeping me company. Kiyoaki found himself watching Illia’s defenceless sleeping face, illuminated by the evening sunlight.

The usual sharpness that kept others at bay was gone, replaced by a soft, innocent expression typical of a late-teen girl. I had never seen this kind of unguarded expression on her before.

It seemed that the other friends had kindly left us alone together. They might just be having fun, but I was grateful for their consideration. I had so much to talk about with Illia.

“Illia…”

I called her name, but there was no response. She was likely in a deep sleep, exhausted from pushing her physical and mental limits.

Her sleeping face stirred some indescribable feelings within me. I wanted to express them, but something held me back.

“Illia.”

There was still no sign of her waking up.

Thinking back, she was indeed a person with a mysterious connection.

Not only was it the duel between our fathers, but also how we sat next to each other on the aerial ship, and how we fought for the top spot in the mock aerial battle. These encounters felt significant. After graduating from this school, we would belong to different military branches, but surely our connection would continue.

—I wonder what lies ahead for us…

As I gazed at Illia’s innocent sleeping face in the sunset, those thoughts crossed my mind.

“Mm…”

Illia’s lips moved slightly. Her long eyelashes fluttered. Kiyoaki hurriedly averted his gaze to the window.

“Oh…”

As she opened her eyes and noticed Kiyoaki sitting up, Illia let out a sound. He smiled in return.

“Good morning, Illia. You slept well, huh?”

For just a moment, Illia looked away, embarrassed, but quickly regained her usual dignified and confident expression.

“…I asked you not to. You were sleeping too, so I got careless…”

“Yeah, thanks to you, I got a good rest. I appreciate you staying with me.”

“I only did it because I was assigned. I had no choice but to do as Kagura told me. Someone should be coming to relieve me soon.”

Saying this awkwardly, Illia glared at him for some reason. Predicting that if it were Kagura's arrangement, a change wouldn’t come for a while, Kiyoaki smiled.

“You won, congratulations.”

As Kiyoaki praised her, Illia continued to glare at him.

“…You just fell out on your own. I didn’t do anything.”

“I don’t remember. Did I get thrown out?”

“The aircraft broke apart in mid-air, and you were ejected from your seat, and the parachute opened. You really are lucky.”

“…I see. I’ll probably get scolded by the instructor. I damaged the aircraft.”

“This isn’t the first accident. There was no harm to the spectators. You should accept the instructor’s reprimand.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. …Hey, Illia, can I ask you something?”

“?”

“When we were fighting together, what were you thinking?”

When I asked, it was as if I had thrown a stone into a lake, causing ripples to form in the depths of Illia's eyes.

“It’s a strange question, but… I want to know how you felt.”

Her expression remained stern, but for once, a hint of hesitation and confusion appeared in the usually expressionless Illia.

“That is…”

Illia stared into space as if searching for words, then suddenly snapped back to reality and glared at Kiyoaki.

“First, you should tell me how you felt.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s true. Um… I…”

Faced with her counter-question, Kiyoaki searched for his own words.

What I felt at that moment… It was as if I became one with Illia through the sky. The aircraft, our bodies—everything that separated us melted away, and I felt directly connected to Illia's heart. I had never experienced such happiness before. It was a moment when I felt all of Illia.

Thinking that far, Kiyoaki raised his flushed face, looking apologetically at Illia, who was waiting for his response with a tense expression.

"I'm sorry, I can't say it because I'm embarrassed."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's impossible. You’ll definitely get angry."

"That's even more intriguing. If you’ve said that much, you should say it."

"I'm sorry, but I was in a bit of a strange state at that time. How should I put it, it felt like I had evolved, in a cool way? It's like I was myself, but not myself... something like that..."

"...Flying at high altitudes affects brain function. It's not an especially rare phenomenon."

"Yeah, that's true, but it felt different. I mean... well, yeah, maybe that was it."

Kiyoaki tried to end the conversation, but Illia unusually pressed for more questions.

"You're trying to dodge the issue. That's cowardly. You should say it clearly until the end."

With unexpected pressure from Illia, Kiyoaki's cheeks grew even redder as he retorted.

"If you're going to say that, what about you, Illia? You haven't said anything at all!"

"I-I will say it after you. If you say it honestly, I will say it properly."

"Is that really true?"

"What kind of face is that? Do you think I would lie? You're being disrespectful. I am a candidate officer; I will definitely keep my promises."

Illia said this with an angry demeanour, leaning back in her chair.

Breaking a promise would result in being branded unfit to be an officer. This is true for any military in the world. The duty of an officer is to give orders to non-commissioned officers and soldiers, leading them into danger, which requires the officer's character to be honourable. Keeping promises is fundamental. Those who break promises or lie are deeply resented among officer candidates, ostracized, and it even affects their advancement. The sense of "promise" for soldiers is far stricter than in general society.

──If Illia is saying all this.

Kiyoaki made up his mind. It was embarrassing and awkward, and if he expressed it incorrectly, it could be misunderstood, but as long as he chose his words carefully, it would be fine.

With a resolute expression, Kiyoaki looked directly at Illia.

"...I understand. Then I'll say it. If I say it, you have to say it too, okay?"

Illia also regained her composure and glared back at him.

"I intend to. I won't run away or hide. Now, say it."

clearing his throat, Kiyoaki recalled the memory of that moment.

"When the one-on-one battle started and the remaining time dropped below five minutes... the colour of the sky looked different. It was clearer and brighter than usual... It might be an exaggeration to say it looked divine. Even though I should be used to it, it was a sky I had never seen before."

"...........It can be thought that due to maintaining extreme concentration, the senses became sharper than usual. I also felt that the colour of the sky was bright."

"Yeah... that might be it. So, it's embarrassing to say, but for some reason, it felt like I was sharing the pain, suffering, and joy of flying with you... I can understand it when I watch how you fly..."

Upon hearing this, a faint blush appeared on Illia's typically stoic face.

"..............That's a coincidence. ................I can't deny that I also felt like I was sharing sensations with you."

She blushed awkwardly, struggling to articulate her thoughts.

Illia was earnestly trying to be honest. She couldn’t fabricate what she saw or felt and report it falsely.

As long as he spoke honestly, Illia would respond sincerely.

Kiyoaki’s heart raced more as he spoke. The fact that Illia had shared the same sensations in that sky made him very happy. He leaned forward, eager to continue.

"Really!? Yeah, I find it really strange, but it felt like... my body was disappearing, or something like that... I was merging with the sky. My senses were so finely tuned that I could grasp where and how you were flying..."

In Illia's expression, a flicker of emotion broke through. Her typically tightly closed lips and slightly tense cheeks showed a hint of human emotion.

"...........I was probably in a similar state. No... I experienced the same state."

Kiyoaki couldn't hide his joy. The fact that Illia had flown while feeling the same way as him—this meant that she had also experienced the feeling of transcending physical barriers, where both the aircraft and body had dissolved.

──At that moment, Illia and I were one.

That realization filled him with fundamental joy. He couldn't suppress his smile or words.

"I felt you so close. Close, or rather... it felt like we were the same."

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

"Everything you're thinking, your feelings and emotions... I could feel them all, and indeed, it became a reality. Everything about you came into me..."

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

"My body disappeared, and my heart melted together with you in the sky."

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

"It felt like the sky was... wait, Illia?"

I realized there was no response or even a nod.

Ilia's face, and even the tips of her fingers, were completely red. She was completely frozen. It seemed my expression had been too much.

"Ilia, I'm sorry! I said something strange!"

"Ah, ah... no, um... it's fine..."

"Your face looks like a tomato...!"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine! It'll be back to normal soon..."

"I'm sorry I couldn't say it well. That was a strange thing to say, maybe a bit exaggerated."

"Y-yeah... um, it's okay. It's just that you felt that way."

"...I understand it must be hard to hear something like that suddenly. I couldn't choose my words well..."

"...There's no need to apologize. ...We don't usually talk that much, so I was just confused about what you were feeling..."

Illia placed one hand on her chest and let out a big breath, raising her expression to a softer one than usual. A hint of kindness and empathy flickered through her usually cold lips.

"...It was a mysterious experience. ...It was a sky I had never felt before. It was like something that had been sleeping within me was drawn out and blossomed into the high-altitude atmosphere... I think I misunderstood my perception of the sky."

I could tell Illia was doing her best to express her honest feelings. She was trying to respond to Kiyoaki's sincerity.

"...For a long time... the sky had been a painful place for me. For the first time today, I felt joy in flying. I understood that flying together with someone can be so enjoyable... I can't express it well, but that’s my impression."

Kiyoaki smiled back at Illia's awkward but sincere words.

"I'm so happy! Yeah, I'm really happy, Illia. Today was the best. This was my first time enjoying flying so much."

"...I see. ...Yeah. ...If that's the case, I'm glad."

"Right? We barely talk normally. If we talked more, we might understand how to express ourselves better. Honestly, I want to talk to you more, but I’ve always thought maybe you didn’t like me."

"I don't dislike you. ...I'm not very good at socializing... I don't really know how to enter a group."

"There’s no method. You just talk about things you find interesting. It’s fine if it’s silly or meaningless. What’s important is spending time together."

"...I see. ...That’s how it is."

Kiyoaki laughed happily, finding a casual topic to start some light chatter. Illia only nodded along, but when he asked questions, she responded each time with diligence. The conversation wasn’t particularly lively, but Kiyoaki was enjoying himself. He was genuinely happy to be spending time with Illia.

Even as it got dark outside the window, Kiyoaki continued to bring up topics as best as he could. There were many things he wanted to talk to Illia about—school, subjects, friends. As Illia's initial awkwardness began to fade, Kiyoaki brought up the topic of "The Seven Wonders of Air Hunt."

"By the way, the other day, the FairyTale Donuts appeared again! It was an unprecedented massive emergence! Have you ever had them?"

At this, Illia, who had been responding calmly until now, showed a slight flicker of movement in her expression.

"D-Donuts? I don't know about them."

She said this in an even more awkward tone than usual, looking down unusually.

"What? You don’t know? They're so famous! By the way, you weren't around during the supply uproar the other day, were you?"

"Y-yeah. I was somewhere else. I had no idea about any commotion."

She spoke as if reading each sentence in an awkward syllabic manner. Kiyoaki continued, feeling puzzled.

"You've never had them? You’re definitely missing out. I had heard the rumours, but I was amazed. I've never had donuts that good."

After saying this, Illia, who had been looking down, glanced up at him uncertainly.

"...Really? They were that good?"

"Yeah, they were the best I've ever eaten."

"Th-that's an exaggeration. Mio's cooking is way better."

"Ah, well... Mio's cooking is definitely good, but those donuts are in a different league. The aroma of the eggs, the balance of the flour, the baking time... it's unbelievable. It's divine."

"Th-that's too much praise...! That's going too far; it’s way too exaggerated."

Illia, who was rarely flustered, became a bit more animated, and Kiyoaki intensified his tone.

"No, really! They’re that amazing! Plus, they have cute designs like bears and rabbits made with chocolate chips! I thought the person who made them was amazing!"

At this, for just a moment, Illia’s lips seemed to twitch into a smile, but she quickly looked down again to hide her expression.

After taking a couple of deep breaths, Illia spoke again in that strange syllabic manner.

"R-really? The bears and rabbits are cute? Is that so?"

"I hope you can see the Fairytale Donuts, too. The problem is we don’t know when they’ll appear... The person making them should just make them in public. Then you could eat them too."

"W-well, there might be some deep reason for it. The maker probably doesn’t want anyone to know they have such a girlish hobby. Maybe."

"Y-yeah, that’s true, there might be some reasons they can’t reveal themselves. But it’s a shame. Just talking about them makes me want to eat them again. I wonder how many times I can meet them before graduation...?"

"...By the way, which donut was the best?"

"Huh? Oh, right, the one I ate was lemon cream. Reiner got strawberry and shared a little with me, and it was really good. I want to try different ones, but you know, it’s rationed. The almond one looked delicious, too..."

"...I see. ...Strawberry, huh? ...Got it."

Illia nodded to herself, looking as if she understood something. It was a rare reaction, so Kiyoaki wanted to continue the donut talk, but Illia stubbornly refused to delve any deeper into the topic. He had no choice but to change the subject and keep talking.

The happy conversation continued for another hour. Medical staff brought in dinner, and Illia returned to her room. Despite feeling a twinge of regret, Kiyoaki was glad to have spent a fun time with her.

The next day, the Fairytale Donuts made another massive appearance in the student hall. This time, for some reason, there were more strawberries, and the bears, rabbits, and tanukis seemed to dance joyfully. Kiyoaki got his share of strawberries and enjoyed them.

"I wonder who makes these donuts?"

Cecil, munching nearby, tilted her head.

"You shouldn't investigate. They probably don’t want anyone to know they have such a girlish hobby..."

Kiyoaki said with a smile, stuffing strawberries into his cheeks. He already knew who the maker was, but he thought he would keep this secret in his heart until he passed away.

The newspapers and magazines sensationalized the results of the mock aerial battle, and the people of St Vault rejoiced while the Akitsu citizens felt frustration but still praised Kiyoaki’s efforts. Both Kiyoaki and Illia faced a flood of interviews, and following the principal's request, they managed to provide exemplary responses. Even Karsten Kreischmidt, who was hiding, was surrounded by numerous media outlets. About a week later, when the Odessa Fortress Assault began, the press finally began to disappear.

By the time things settled down, March was fast approaching. Kagura and Balthazar were about to graduate. Just when Kiyoaki felt a bit lonely, he received an unexpected joyful report from the Akitsu military headquarters.

After graduating from Air Hunt Officer School, Kagura and Kiyoaki would be "deployed as candidate officers" directly into the St Vault military.

Although the title seemed rather peculiar, according to the explanation from the embassy, it was a request from the St Vault military headquarters. Kagura and Kiyoaki were recognized by both nations as "The Seven from Eriadore," and their fighting as St Vault soldiers would greatly boost the morale of the young St Vault people and increase volunteer recruits. Simultaneously, it would also demonstrate the strong alliance between both countries to the continental powers. For the Akitsu Federation, it was also possible for Kagura and Kiyoaki to learn advanced military science at the frontlines and bring it back home. There were no disadvantages for either country—so they said.

Both Kagura and Kiyoaki were overjoyed. They had planned to join the Akitsu military after graduation, but now they could fight as soldiers of the St Vault military. They had thought they would be separated from Illia, Cecil, Balthazar, Reiner, and Mio, so this was the best news they could hope for.

Immediately after receiving the news, Kiyoaki searched for Mio. He wanted to be the first to share the good news with her. However, he couldn’t find her anywhere. Feeling frustrated by the vast campus, he asked passersby if they had seen Mio. But there was no sign of her. Exhausted, he sat weakly on a bench by the field where he had last talked to her when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Ah... Reiner."

"Hey. You look down. Did you get rejected by Mio again?"

With a playful grin, Reiner approached, dressed for an outing. Kiyoaki could only laugh awkwardly.

"Yeah... something like that. Have you seen Mio?"

"Nope. If I see her, I’ll let her know you were searching for her, crying."

"...Thanks. Oh, by the way, Reiner, Kagura and I will be able to join the St Vault military after graduation."

Reiner raised one eyebrow.

"Oh, really? Kagura is joining us? That’s great."

Kiyoaki explained the situation briefly, stood up from the bench, and smiled at Reiner.

"Yeah. It's just a deployment, but I can officially become a St Vault soldier. Let’s keep in touch, Reiner."

He extended his hand for a handshake, but Reiner continued to smile playfully, shrugging his shoulders and refusing.

"Don't do that. It’s annoying. Well, let’s keep it casual from here on out."

Kiyoaki kept his hand extended, speaking seriously.

"I want to thank you. Even though you hide it, you sometimes silently help me, right? It was like that during the mock aerial battle, but also in other ways, behind the scenes."

Reiner looked at him suspiciously, raising the other eyebrow.

"You’re really capable and a good guy. I’m sure... you’re probably the most well-rounded among us seven."

As he maintained his seriousness, Reiner turned his face away, sending only his left eye toward Kiyoaki.

"...What’s with the sudden seriousness? That’s creepy. Did you eat something weird?"

In response to Reiner's cold words, Kiyoaki smiled back.

"I want to stay friends with you. Even when we join the military. Even if we quit. For life. We’re the same age and get along."

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

"I think of you as my best friend. So, please shake my hand."

Reiner made a strange face, mouth forming a frown, eyebrows furrowing in a way Kiyoaki had never seen before. Then, hesitantly, he raised his right hand, reaching for Kiyoaki's hand... but then dropped it again.

Kiyoaki’s expression turned sad. After clicking his tongue, Reiner suddenly wrapped his right hand around the back of Kiyoaki's neck and twisted him sideways.

"Ouch! What are you doing!?"

In a classic headlock position, Kiyoaki struggled frantically, but Reiner tightened his grip on Kiyoaki's head with his right hand.

"It hurts, stop it!"

"Shut up. This is punishment for saying something stupid with a serious face."

"It really hurts! Stop, stop!"

"I'm going to teach you something, rich kid. I’m not the kind of guy you can just trust easily. Don’t just believe in people blindly."

"I get it, so stop it! My back hurts!"

"Alright, don't ever call me your best friend again, okay? Got it? If you say it again, there’s going to be worse than this."

"I understand, I won't say it again!"

Finally, when Kiyoaki screamed, Reiner let go of his right arm. Kiyoaki stepped back as if escaping a rabbit. Reiner's strong arms felt like they might actually break his neck.

"I'm sorry! Are you mad!? I didn’t think you’d get angry...!"

As Kiyoaki hurriedly tried to explain, Reiner snorted and turned his back.

"...You’re just too cheerful, so it annoyed me. You’re so carefree, it’s impressive how you can live like that."

He spat that out and began to walk away.

Feeling the unusual atmosphere pressing down on him, Kiyoaki couldn’t move.

"Reiner..."

At that moment, the blue sky was behind Reiner. The light clouds were drifting in the refreshing February sky.

It was so clear, without a single impurity, an exceptionally pure blue that Kiyoaki would never forget.

Reiner stopped walking and gazed up at that sky for a while.

A gust of wind blew past, sweeping away the dust at their feet.

"Hey, Kiyoaki."

Suddenly, Reiner spoke in a serious tone without turning around.

"................?"

The atmosphere felt different from usual.

"If... someone deceives you and betrays you in the future..."

Reiner turned to face him. A light-hearted smile was on his face.

"You can hate them."

The smile was there, but something behind it was clearly different.

"Hate them, resent them... you can even think you want to kill them."

This was a Reiner Kiyoaki knew, yet it felt unfamiliar.

"You’re too much of a nice guy. Even after being betrayed, it seems like you’d still want to trust them... Don’t do that."

Reiner smirked.

Kiyoaki didn’t understand what he was saying. Yet somehow, he could feel Reiner's underlying sadness seeping through that light-hearted smile.

"Reiner...?"

Reiner chuckled again and turned away.

"...Just kidding. It was just a youth game. Anyway, I’ve got to go; some girls are waiting for me at the club. You should tone down the warmth a bit."

Waving a hand over his shoulder, Reiner walked away. Kiyoaki could only stare blankly at his departing figure.

"Idiot."

He clicked his tongue, donned his helmet, and mounted his bike in the parking lot.

"Ugh, what a hassle."

He kicked the starter angrily, reflecting his feelings in his rough driving, and reached the familiar clubhouse in about fifteen minutes.

The building was a white pension-style structure by the seaside. On weekends, dressed-up girls flock to mingle with future sailors and airmen. In this remote island community, the only entertainment for young people is romance, so as long as there are no serious issues, officer candidates tend to be popular.

Reiner sauntered into the shop, casually chatting with familiar faces while sipping a soft drink.

Several local girls cast glances at Reiner. He was well-known as one of "The Seven from Eriadore," and his impressive performance in the recent mock aerial battle had been reported. It was undeniable that he was a promising Pilot, so many girls wanted to approach him.

But Reiner paid them no mind. He watched the entrance, looking for today's target.

One girl with red hair and a plain look entered. It was unusual for someone to come alone; typically, they come with a group of friends.

Reiner got up and approached her.

The girl noticed and looked up. Reiner held up his glass in a pretentious manner.

"My sister is in the hospital. I'm thinking of a gift, but I don’t know what girls like. What would you give?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, the red-haired girl hesitated before answering.

"Maybe a cake. Like a strawberry shortcake."

"I see. Sweet things are probably good."

He made small talk, adding a few more words, but it was clear Reiner had lost interest in the girl. She noticed his aloofness, and soon they parted ways.

Reiner sat back at the counter, observing the new arrivals as he had done before.

He didn’t approach any girls who came with friends. Instead, he only targeted those who came alone, asking about gifts for his sister, receiving answers like "stuffed animals," "books," or "underwear," and having short conversations before parting. He repeated this process continuously.

"Reiner, you still aren't very popular."

The bartender teased, but Reiner shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"I’m the one turning them down."

He responded confidently.

Another girl entered. She had nondescript brown hair, cheap tortoiseshell glasses, and an outdated half coat with a pleated skirt. Reiner approached her casually and threw out the same question.

"My sister is in the hospital. I'm thinking of a gift. What would you give?"

The girl assessed Reiner from behind her glasses, thinking for a moment before responding.

"December roses."

Reiner nodded and smiled at the girl.

"I'm Reiner Beck. And you?"

"Heather."

"Alright. Let’s go, Heather."

Without hesitation, Heather nodded, and the two left the shop together.

Reiner mounted his bike again. Heather, as if on cue, took a helmet and settled into the back seat.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at Jujiji Cape, dismounting from the bike.

From the cape, they could look down on Air Hunt Port. They could easily discern the passing ships and warships from there.

The cold wind howled across the sparsely populated cape, and the two spent two hours there in silence.

"Time’s up. Let’s go."

Reiner suddenly urged Heather, and after seating her again, they headed to the ferry terminal at Air Hunt Port. There were two daily sailings to the homeland of St Vault, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Heather bought a ticket for the ferry home. Reiner pulled a thin envelope from his pocket and handed it to Heather.

"It's a love letter."

"Sure."

"Well then."

"Okay."

After exchanging short words, Heather headed alone to the ferry waiting room. Reiner didn’t even see her off as he mounted his bike and returned to the officer school.

The ferry departed for the homeland an hour later.

Heather sat alone on a bed in a first-class cabin, gazing out the round window at the receding Air Hunt Island.

Once the island disappeared from view, she opened the "love letter" she had received from Reiner. Inside were three sheets of report paper, each neatly handwritten with the following content:

"Responses to the various questions concerning Air Hunt Port 1.The third pier has been opened to the military. The total number of moored ships is around 150. 2.Two new model air battleships. Model names unknown. One Greenland-class battleship, one Southern Cross-class battleship. One Nashville-class escort carrier. Twelve Percival-class air cruisers. 3.The new air battleships are moored at the third pier. The carrier is in the first dock. The standard battleships and cruisers are anchored in a double column formation in Sanjiru Bay to the southwest of Air Hunt Island. 4.The new battleships, standard battleships, and cruisers form one strike group, and they all conduct exercises at sea from 8 AM to 5 PM on weekdays before returning to port. 5.It takes about 45 minutes for the strike group to leave the anchorage and head outside the port. 6.The strike group does not conduct exercises on Sundays, and all ships are moored. 7.Neither the battleships, carriers, nor cruisers install anti-torpedo nets when they are anchored. 8.The Nashville-class carrier is in dock for repairs. As of February 17th, it has been there for over three months. 9.In Sanjiru Bay, the ships are always anchored in a double column formation. 10.Patrols by large aircraft are conducted at dawn and dusk. The number of planes is unknown, but it is assumed to be seven or eight in a fan-shaped patrol. 11.There is only one air base on Air Hunt Island: Saragana Base. The number of permanently stationed aircraft includes over 20 carrier-based fighters, over 10 polar fighters, over 20 dive bombers, and over 20 attack aircraft. It is estimated that about 70% of these aircraft are operational. 12.There are barrage balloons present in the airspace. They are indicated on a separate diagram. 13.Possible enemy landing points are also indicated on a separate diagram. 14.There is an anti-submarine net installed in Sanjiru Bay. The type is unknown. 15.The possibility of temporary anchorage at nearby islands cannot be ruled out. 16.The size of the underground fuel depot is..."

The remaining two pages were filled with detailed enemy information, and the last page was a map of Air Hunt Island. In red ink, the positions of the fleet, the anti-submarine nets, the barrage balloons, and three possible enemy landing points were circled.

Heather put the nameless, sender-less letter into her pocket. Once she arrived in the St Vault mainland, she would take the train via the Zunjin Dynasty to the Harmonia Empire. From there, she would travel by air to the 11th Air Fortress "Balsinos" of Urano. Once she handed over this letter to her superior officer, her mission would be complete.

Being a courier wasn’t easy, but it was still better than being an undercover agent, Heather thought. As a courier, you only had to meet most people once, but undercover agents had to live their lives in their assigned locations, constantly deceiving those around them. Just thinking about it was exhausting. As she gazed out of the round window at the approaching silhouette of the St Vault Empire, Heather erased any thoughts of Reiner from her mind, knowing they would never meet again.

After parking his bike in the officer academy’s parking lot, Reiner walked alone along the path back to the dormitory.

The campus was as large as a small city. In addition to the school buildings, there were three stadiums, a memorial hall, and even a canal. It was designed to be modern and sophisticated without unnecessary grandeur, as a hub for St Vault’s military education.

As Reiner walked, passing a few scattered people, he noticed a familiar figure.

It was Mio.

She was heading behind the school building, alone.

Feeling a vague sense of unease, Reiner quietly followed her.

Mio, occasionally checking her surroundings, entered the shadowy area behind the gym equipment shed. Reiner, with skilful steps, stayed out of sight, hiding in the shadows and observing her.

After confirming once more that no one else was around, Mio whistled.

After a short while, something descended from the sky.

It was Fio.

As always, Fio landed directly on Mio’s shoulder.

Mio pulled a slip of paper from her pocket, twisted it into a string, and tied it to Fio's leg.

"I'm counting on you."

Fio chirped as if understanding Mio's words and flew off into the sky. Mio stood silently, watching the sky where Fio had disappeared.

Reiner observed the entire sequence from the shadows and thought back to Balthazar's words.

"The true nature of a diplomat. Eight highly skilled children, adopted from around the world, each with different skin tones. The special nature of the bird called Fio. When you analyze all the factors, you can deduce the cause of Mio’s transformation."

A diplomat, in the broad sense, is a spy.

They openly reside in enemy countries, working both overtly and covertly for the benefit of their own nation. It’s not uncommon for agents trained by intelligence agencies to be given the title of "diplomat" and sent to enemy countries. Likewise, diplomats are always targets for bribery by enemy countries. Money, women, power—every possible means is used to bribe diplomats, turning them into assets for the enemy. Many diplomats, after long stays in enemy nations, have become entangled in enemy interests and turned into double agents. Mio's parents had been stationed in the Harmonia Empire for a long time, so it’s not out of the question that some issue arose during that time.

And then there’s the matter of too many adopted children.

The strongest bond in the world is the bond of family.

It's much stronger than friendship or romance. If children are raised and nurtured with love from a young age, they would likely never disobey their adoptive parents. What if Mio’s parents had gathered exceptional children with the sole purpose of sending them into key institutions of the continental powers, raising them to never defy their orders? And then, there’s the special nature of Fio, the bird.

An extraordinary bird.

Usually, carrier pigeons can only carry messages in one direction—from the sender to the receiver. When a pigeon is released, it flies to its "mate" on the receiver’s side. It’s a communication method that relies on the bird’s homing instinct, so once the pigeon returns to its home, it can’t be sent back to the original sender.

But Fio is different.

Fio can fly not only to the mate but also back to Mio. Mio sends Fio to the mate, the receiver writes a reply, and then Fio flies back to Mio.

With Fio, two-way communication through written messages is possible. For undercover agents, this is a dream come true.

The greatest challenge for agents is maintaining communication with their home country.

If they were to use simple methods like wireless telegraphs or telephone communications, they would immediately be intercepted and arrested by the enemy’s counterintelligence agency. Coded messages may also be deciphered, so they should not be used either.

The safest method is to entrust the documents to a courier. No matter how much communication technology advances, documents remain the most secure means of transmitting sensitive information. However, it’s risky to use a familiar courier, so they must use cumbersome methods, like exchanging code words, as we saw earlier. If the courier’s identity is known in advance, there’s a risk that if they are captured and given truth serum, they could reveal the entire intelligence network.

There’s no better courier than Fio.

And Mio, who skilfully controls Fio, might be an extremely valuable asset as an undercover agent.

––It wouldn’t be surprising if the Urano Special Intelligence Agency had already set their sights on her.

Having thought this far, Reiner left the shadows and approached Mio.

"Ah... Reiner."

Mio noticed him and turned around in surprise.

With his usual frivolous smile, Reiner approached without answering.

Mio’s expression clearly showed caution.

"...What? Why are you here?"

Her eyes held a fear she had never shown before, even when she was aboard the Eriadore.

Reiner grinned and asked:

"My sister was hospitalized. I’m trying to decide what to get her as a gift."

At that moment, Mio’s eyes lost their colour.

With just that reaction, Reiner understood everything.

He had seen eyes like that many times before.

There was probably no need to ask further questions.

But Reiner continued.

"Mio, what would you send as a gift?"

Mio stared intently at Reiner.

Before the winter break, her eyes had shone so brightly, but now they had lost all their light.

Hope was gone, leaving behind only despair for the future, eyes filled with sadness as if cursing her own birth.

Reiner Beck, the Urano Special Agent known as "Hachidori" (Hummingbird), had seen many children with eyes like hers since he was young.

Many of them had died with those same eyes. Out of the hundred selected, only eight had survived.

Filled with sadness, hatred, anger, and despair—Mio’s eyes continued to stare at Hachidori.

Hachidori had already seen through Mio’s current situation and internally mocked her.

––To think there are two traitors hidden among "The Seven of Eriadore."

What awaited them was a cruel stage designed by the malice of the gods.

As Mio came to the same realization, her lips parted.

"December roses..."

Along with her words, a single tear traced down Mio’s cheek.

End Volume 2