"I-I don't want to come out! I-I'm fine with how I am!" A child's anxious voice could be heard from behind the wooden door, desperation and utter terror clearly noticeable in it.
Having stood before it for several minutes now, the blonde woman with tanned skin could do nothing but sigh in disappointment. She was exhausted from multiple issues relating to the recent 'collision' with a brand new universe. Coming to be called 'Lemuria', the conflict with said world along with the sudden malfunctioning of Genesis had led the Vatlantis Empire to expand their territory in search of resources. Gravel's home country of Izgard, which she served as a soldier of, was naturally among the targets which had regrettably fallen.
It certainly was not the best of times, but the strange duty she had been left with this day was certainly a breath of fresh air.
Leaning her back on the wall, she began to ponder more possibilities to bring the child out of the room. After all, the door was locked, so she was in no position to force an exit unless she wanted to pay for some repairs.
Aside from that, not only was the door locked, but on the other side of it, the bed, dressers and a lamp had been pushed against it. For some reason, a small teddy bear had also been placed on top, as if it was the most important piece to the rather fortified barricade.
To think he could push so much stuff in such little time… What a frightening little child.
The woman thought with some weird sense of pride as she sighed yet again, fearing it might become a habit.
Nonetheless, she still couldn't let such a thing stand and raised her own voice a little.
"You know we need to do this. I don't like it one bit more than you do, but the sooner we do it the sooner we can come back… I'll make it up to you whenever you want, I promise." She said with a strict tone that still kept her natural kindness.
Initially, silence was all that replied to her. Silence that lasted for seemingly one full minute. However, the woman did not have an issue. After all, this child would never leave her with her word hanging.
"E-Even getting sweets?" A still small voice, but certainly less frightened, asked as if testing the waters on negotiation.
Hearing this, the woman couldn't help but make a small, yet warm smile.
"As many as you can have." She replied without issue.
"W-What about buying toys o-or books? M-Maybe even a movie?"
The child's voice held no fear or worry by now, save for maybe nervousness at having his requests rejected. Childish greed and curiosity at the pushing limit had completely replaced any anxiety, much to the woman's relief.
Feeling blessed by this child's disposition, she happily complied to his requests.
"Any day you want. We will have an entire week just for you."
"M-Mmm…"
After this sound of approval was heard, there was a brief moment of silence before the movement of the barricade was heard. With the additional sound of the wooden door opening, a young child, no older than six, had appeared.
He had long locks of blonde hair that shone beautifully under the dimly lit lamps. His blue eyes had a strange innocence to them that charmed the woman who had long lost hers. With white skin that seemed like it could break with mere touch, his appearance was almost indistinguishable from that of a girl of his age. As he spoke once again, he tightly embraced his highly treasured teddy bear with one hand, extending the other toward the woman.
"C-Can we hold hands too?"
The woman regretted her early judgment as she heard these words from him.
Yes, he was scared. Incredibly frightened, and how could he not be as he faced such a trial yet again?
And yet… That was why…
She was willing to accompany him to the end.
"Of course. No need to ask."
Without any hesitation, she took his hand.
The boy gripped her hand delicately, but with a certain strength. As if the woman was his lifeline to the world itself.
"Th-Thank you...Gravel."
The boy said softly, his voice as delicate as his appearance as he clung to her hand.
"Any time, Lapis."
The woman said with a smile that was strong, charming, and a little sad.
As they walked out, they couldn't know.
That this day, a new "God" would begin their journey.
A journey that would reach its turning point fifteen years from then...
(Fifteen years later...)
Seeing the utter display of violence through the sensors of her battleship, Gravel narrowed her eyes and gripped her arm tightly.
Her magic weapons of all kinds, both manned and unmanned, clashed head on against the prided dragon-type magic weapons of the kingdom of Baldein. Knights and viking machines against dragon riders and three-headed monsters.
Knowing of all the lives that would be lost today, Gravel could barely keep her emotions in check as her resentment toward the empire she served grew steadily stronger.
"Commander. Our weapons are falling much faster than the enemies. What should we do?"
"Order a movement to the sides, we will engage the battleship's cannons to provide back-up." Gravel replied to one of her subordinates, leading several more to promptly handle the controls for the battleship's weaponry.
Almost immediately, several shots of thick magic power were unleashed, each piercing through several of the dragon machines in a swift manner that didn't lose any momentum even as they lost themselves into the horizon.
Cheers could be heard from several areas of battleship, but Gravel could not afford to let down her guard even in such a situation. After all, the Baldein kingdom would finally start getting serious.
And as she expected, the three-headed beasts became more numerous and the powerful silver dragons finally made their appearance.
"About time… Aldea, can you do something for me? I need to know where Laplace is." Gravel said offhandedly to her partner, a beautiful and alluring woman with long green hair.
However, she ended up shocking Gravel with what she said.
"I thought Laplace had already exited the ship?"
"What!?"
Hearing this, Gravel immediately began handling the communication control to search for a certain energy signature.
An activated magic armor "Moros".
In just a few seconds, the sensors of the battleship swiftly pinpointed a dot in the sky, zooming in many times for a better view of it.
A beautiful armor of a pure white color was reflected in the sensor lens, with a delicate-looking person wearing it as they smashed apart several of Baldein's magic weapons and made their way toward the silver dragons.
Without using any particular weapon, their armored fists smashed through the dragon rider's armor like paper, blue linings shining strongly and producing powerful vibrations through the white mechanical plates.
As he continued smashing through dragon riders, one of the three-headed dragons breathed flame-like magic power down onto him. However, perhaps out of an overly developed pride, the white magic knight thrust his fist onto the flames rather than dodge them, unleashing a dense blast of compressed light that swiftly expanded, breaking apart the flames and piercing through the three-headed dragon's chest, sending it crashing down.
"Hah! Just like in the movies! Two jabs and you knock them all down!"
The magic knight cheered loudly, not caring in the least about the dragons flying toward their position.
"But wait... didn't they say something like… Oh yeah! Fists are the deadliest of all weapons!"
With this shout, their disposition suddenly became serious as the gauntlets enveloped in vast magic power.
Seeing this, a deadpan Gravel didn't wait anymore.
[Laplace.]
"W-Waaaahhh!?"
The intercom said directly on the magic knight's ear, taking him by surprise very clearly, as he had even lost control of his armor's flying capacity.
After recovering himself and barely avoiding a few shots from the neighboring dragons, the magic knight, Laplace, replied. "Yes, Commander Gravel, madame?" He replied in a respectful tone which completely contradicted his previous one.
Aldea you snitch!
He thought to himself as he cursed the green-haired vixen. Nonetheless, while he had feared the possible wrath of his guardian, only a deep breath could be heard through the intercom.
Oh well, she seems to be pretty calm, all things considered...
How wrong he was.
[WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?]
Gravel's powerful shout was loud enough that Laplace felt like his skull would crack.
"W-Well…! I-I was clearing up the skies to make it easier for you and the others to pass through and really this is all Aldea's fault if you think about it for seeing me and saying she wouldn't tell and..."
Laplace rambled nervously, steadily losing more coherence in his words as anxiousness overcame him.
Hearing the boy's sheer fright, Gravel could not stay mad at him. In the first place, what had caused that anger was worry at his safety.
However, there was one thing that had caught her attention as well…
"Wait, did you mention Aldea?"
Gravel could feel the green-haired woman tremble for a split-second after saying this, and as that happened, a thought passed through Laplace's mind as he grinned and shot some more dragons out of the sky.
"Y-Yes I did! Aldea saw me about to leave the ship, so I asked her to keep quiet and not tell you, but she still did!"
"So you were trying to move behind my back…" Gravel replied with a reproachful voice that was also a bit sad.
"I-It's not like that! I-I wanted to make your job easier and make sure it was safer!" Laplace responded quickly, feeling more worried about hurting Gravel than any punishment coming his way.
Nonetheless, he quickly recovered himself and continued with his original plan, inwardly feeling joy at the potential punishment of Aldea.
"But remember that she didn't tell you about my absence right away! She was looking forward to get me in trouble for her amusement, wasn't she?" Laplace said with a gleeful voice, especially upon hearing a hum of approval from Gravel.
"You are quite right… We have been battling for several minutes now and Aldea only told me now…."
At hearing this and feeling Gravel's narrowed gaze piercing into her, Aldea shook and glared at Laplace on the screen with a smile frozen from anger.
Laplace, you snitch!
She thought, not daring to say such a thing before Gravel.
"At any rate, we will leave the punishment for later. As of now, let's concentrate on the battle and end it quick. And since we already have a magic knight outside…. Laplace, we have detected the source from where the teleported dragons are coming. The silvers and three-heads. Once they are gone, the rest should be easy to clean up. You know what to do, right?"
Laplace kept silent as his smile grew wider into one of excitement. "Complete annihilation! So, I can go all out on destroying as long as I don't harm anyone left in the city, right?"
Gravel couldn't help but smile at his understanding, feeling pride that was not her own.
"Correct. I'll send you the coordinates, so go rampage!"
On her words, information was quickly sent and a holographic screen appeared before Laplace.
At the same time, the cannons of the battleship began to shoot much more frequently. Power was being lost in the shots, but the increased speed made it even better to backup Laplace.
Laplace upon studying the screen dived down to the city bellow before landing and beginning to run to his destination.
Laplace ran at full speed, not hesitating nor showing any signs of worry, yet maintaining focus and seriousness on his mission objective. Prepared for battle, he only smiled as he charged his fists and legs with magic power, all the while three knight-type magic weapons of Baldein, [Brigand], charged him at the same time.
At that moment, Laplace kicked the ground, jumping even higher than the three-meter Brigand with ease. While at the required altitude, he came down and delivered an axe-kick right on its head, with the remaining momentum breaking the Brigand into two.
Laplace then took advantage of the rebound and spun through the air before igniting the thrusters on the back of his armor again, driving into the second Brigand with added momentum from his fall. With little if any resistance, its chest was pierced through as Laplace landed with some roughness as he turned toward the final one.
The Brigand charged without the slightest hesitation, raising its sword and bringing it down with the preciseness of a complete machine. Nonetheless, Laplace simply grinned as he stopped the blade with his hands, the immense shockwave digging his feet into the ground.
"Now, take this!"
Pulling the blade out of the Brigand's grip, Laplace leapt high into the air and drove the weapon mercilessly upon the Brigand. Unable to do anything else, it was sliced in half without any resistance.
"Judgment dealt!" Laplace yelled in a gleeful voice, copying the line from a certain movie he loved. "Now onto the base."
As he said so, Laplace ignited his armor's thrusters and dashed at full speed toward the location marked on the map, having had his fill of fighting.
He passed by several buildings, turned directions several times as he dodged countless shots, until finally he came across the desired destination.
Looking like two metal bars with a kaleidoscope illusion in between, the [Entrance] the dragons had come from stood before him.
"Alright...Just need to destroy it and I'm through. I might even get out of my punishment!"
Not waiting anymore, Laplace grinned as he focused all the magic power throughout his limbs onto his left hand.
Before he could even blast it, however, one of the remaining three-headed dragons blocked his path. Nonetheless, even in the face of this, Laplace simply winded his shoulder clockwise, the magic power in his hand increasing in accordance to the steadily faster rotations.
The dragon did not seem to have much patience, not waiting a second before blasting him with a torrent of fire that engulfed the entire area, engulfing both him and a large portion of the city itself.
However, not a single thing it touched was burned or melted in any way, passing through much like a gust of wind would. No scorching or intense heat was present, and as the torrent of flames dissipated, Laplace himself was also revealed to be unharmed.
"How about some pay back?"
Saying only this, Laplace pulled his fist back as it got enveloped in an almost solid chunk of magic power.
The dragon reared back its three heads back to try and blow more magic flames, but Laplace's fist was thrust before it could do anything. With it a blast of magic power large enough to entirely swallow the dragon went through, destroying the Entrance in the process as well.
Seeing this, even the exhausted Laplace could not help but exclaim in joy.
"Mission complete!"
Nonetheless, even such joy did not allow him to keep standing. His magic power at a 3% he had just checked, it had dispersed alongside his armor as he collapsed on his knees.
While keeping delicate features and a boyish feeling from his youth, Laplace had grown into what anyone could consider a teenage male, perhaps of sixteen to seventeen years old in his appearance. His now trained physique was somewhat apparent through the 'pilot suit' worn for magic armor usage, and his chest heaved up and down as he breathed in exhaustion.
"I-I may have overdone it…" He said weakly as he fell backwards laying on the ground and looking up at the sky. "I hope Kapitan doesn't-"
"You hope Kapitan doesn't do what?"
A familiar voice said from above him. As Laplace turned up to see, a familiar pair of red eyes on a beautiful tanned woman with chin-length blonde hair brought him to attention.
"H-Hey, Gravel I-I mean Commander Gravel! I-I was just hoping you didn't punish me and all...I did take out the portal after all."
He responded with a nervous smile as if hoping she wouldn't punish him after he completed his mission.
"That is absolutely right. You eliminated over eight magic weapons of Baldein by yourself and destroyed the Entrance, which has allowed us to decisively take the city. You will probably earn some achievements from this."
However, even while sending praise after praise to Laplace, Gravel's smile did not look anything if not menacing.
"However, you did disobey your commander by going outside of your own, jeopardizing the mission and your own safety. On top of that, you even tried to do so behind my back…."
Seeing the figure of a demon itself in Gravel, a trembling Laplace quickly figured out he would not talk his way out of this.
Therefore… there was only one thing he could do now.
"W-Well... if I'm being punished, then Aldea should be too!" He exclaimed childishly.
Nonetheless…
"Yes, you are correct. And that is why I have brought her here."
"Let me go, Gravel! He's lying! Whatever he tells you! I'm innocent!"
It seemed to have had preemptive success, judging by the green-haired woman struggling with her neck in Gravel's grasp.
"Pffft, that's what you get you backstabbing snitch- G-Gaah!"
"Don't think I have forgotten about you…"
Gravel said as she held Laplace by his collar like a lion cub.
"H-Hey, it's all her fault! I took down most of the enemy so cut me some slack!"
Laplace yelled out as he struggled frantically much like Aldea did too.
However, Gravel did not reply with anything other than a cold voice, the smile of a demon on her face.
"Insubordination cannot be allowed in my ranks. Just follow me to the ship and do not worry~! I have prepared some great punishment for you both…"
And thus, for the first time, Laplace and Aldea thought the same thing in tandem.
C-Crap….
"— And that is the last of what we could get. The recordings of the battle end there."
"I see…. it was surely an interesting show. We could get a good grasp on the might of that so called Hero of the Frontier."
"As always, her Majesty's judgment is on point. Without your insight in using out magic weapons as recorders, we would still know only a small amount about Vatlantis force."
"Oh please. Boot-licking won't get you anywhere."
"I-I'm sorry, your Majesty! … Err, your Majesty. Is there an issue? You keep staring at the recordings."
"That white magic armor… How peculiar. Even with using them as recorders, that magic knight took on an entire platoon of our dragons, put down over ten and took the city unscathed."
"... Your Majesty…? Are you…"
"Ufufu~! I think that magic knight… She could be a great catch. I wonder what she will do from now on… White magic armor, [Moros]. Will it be conquest? Or..."
The wide sky of pinkish red stood out as always, without a single one of its normally gray clouds to obscuring it like normal. It was a good time… Or so it would have seemed a few minutes ago.
After all, now the sky was being covered by a gigantic machine. A mechanical quadrangle of massive proportions swept across the sky with three people exiting through a hatch at the top.
The Hero of the Frontier's battleship, Gravel's fleet had returned.
In response to their arrival, military ships, magic weapons and even civilians on the ground welcomed Gravel's arrival with loud cheers.
"How popular." Aldea snorted, without any particular ill-intention.
Laplace whistled as he watched the crowd. "For once Aldea is right."
Gravel, standing slightly before them, merely chuckled at this.
"I'm just a mere warmonger. This is unnecessary."
As they looked down at the port city of Gringam, the battleship descended with a slow and steady pace, eventually extending stairs down to the harbor.
Led by Gravel, Aldea and Laplace followed through, descending from the battleship's deck. The moment they had come down, the ship… No, the entire fleet dispersed into particles of light, as if it hadn't been there.
As if it was the most normal thing in the world, the the fleet leader and her two companions walked along the pier without issue. However, surprise came to the three of them when they noticed a certain person waiting for them.
Even compared to beauties such as Gravel and Aldea, she had an air that was clearly different.
The highlight about her was her hair that shone with a bright purple color, along with a mantle and clothes that made it clear she was a high-ranking person, but she was still an incredibly beautiful woman regardless of these unique qualities.
In fact, even Laplace felt himself slightly charmed for a moment. Nevertheless, after a few fleeting glances, he looked away and sighed.
This didn't pass the purple-haired woman, who made a seductive smile as she glanced at him as well before speaking up.
"So it seems the Tanned Beast and her lively companions have arrived unscathed. Was Baldein repelled from the desired territory?"
"Correct, Captain Zelcyone. Without a single issue, Baldein was defeated and our territory has been expanded with a new checkpoint to handle the battle."
Aldea answered in Gravel's place with masterful eloquence, not giving Zelcyone a chance to use anything against the foreign-born Gravel.
Meanwhile, Zelcyone herself did not care much, being more interested in another aspect.
"Did it require magic armor use?"
"Only one unit had to use it to help win the battle, Captain Zelcyone."
Laplace interjected quite quickly, for once working in tandem with Aldea for a common goal. Letting Gravel be humiliated is something he could not do.
Seeing this, Zelcyone narrowed her eyes in delight.
"Oh, and was this unit the much-renowned "Unchained"~?"
"Y-Yes, it was..."
Laplace responded a bit meekly. He certainly did not like the attention on him, but it was certainly better than have it fall on Gravel negatively.
"Oh, so just this single magic knight was enough to deal with Baldein's fleet… what an amazing performance. You might even get an accolade from this~." As she spoke, Zelcyone steadily drew closer to Laplace.
"I-I doubt it...It isn't that amazing of an achievement, really. Gravel could do it herself even...Aldea could."
Laplace responded while trying to sound as humble as he could, uncomfortable by the questions. Zelcyone's sadistic impulses were being truly tested in this situation.
"But they did not do so, you were the one to do it. And to think you are not even a commander… It's worth of admiration, isn't it?"
"Wh-What is she…!?"
"...!"
At this moment, Aldea and Gravel could barely hide their shock. After all, Zelcyone was now rubbing her finger on Laplace's chin.
"I-I u-um...w-what do you mean, C-Capitan?"
Laplace mumbled in a fluster, completely taken off guard by Zelcyone's forwardness. His thoughts jumbled in a mess, he could do nothing but blush.
"I mean that you are quite talented. A good knight of Vatlantis, so it would be a shame to leave you in the low-ranked subjugation army…. How would you feel about a spot in the Imperial Guard? Someday… It could be possible for you~." Only enjoying his reactions, Zelcyone continued to tease him.
Nonetheless, it was this bit that allowed Laplace to finally steady his thoughts.
"I-I'm fine under Gravel. She's a good commander, respectful to both her subordinates and her opponents. Thank you for the kind offer, Captain, but I will have to refuse."
And for the first time in the exchange, Zelcyone herself was rather surprised.
Nonetheless, before she could even reply, the reverberating sounds of a bell in the castle were heard repeatedly.
"So it's time for the commander meeting…. Gravel, Aldea. You will have to come with me."
"... R-Right…"
Surprisingly shaken, Gravel still walked forward along with Aldea, looking at Laplace one more time as if to tell him she would be back soon.
"Good luck, Captain!" Laplace said cheerfully as he smiled and saluted Gravel showing that he was fine.
"Y-Yeah umm…"
"Oh, one more thing, Knight Laplace."
Zelcyone addressed him one more time before walking away.
"Yes Captain Zelcyone?" Laplace asked dropping his salute.
But without even replying, Zelcyone simply lowered her head and…
Left a kiss on Laplace's cheek before calmly pulling away, smirking charmingly.
"I did say you needed a reward, right? Since you rejected joining the Imperial Guard, I hope this is good enough for now~."
…..
…...
After a few seconds of sheer disbelief, Laplace's face turned beet red as he struggled to form even a coherent thought. "W-Wha...!?"
"Captain Zelcyone!? What are you doing with a mere knight?!"
"Come on, Aldea. This is not an issue. I just felt like giving him a reward."
"That is too much for a knight, isn't it… What do you think, Gravel? ….. Eh…? Gravel…?"
Much to Aldea's confusion and eventual surprise, Gravel had already been walking off with strong steps, an intimidating aura around her as she did so.
"My, my. Has the tanned beast gotten attached? Oh well… It will make things certainly more interesting. For now…. Then I'll say bye as well. I am looking forward to more successes, Knight Laplace~!"
Saying this last thing, Zelcyone herself walked away without an issue. A few seconds later, a confused Aldea who had given up on making sense of the situation followed through, barely waving a hand to Laplace as a goodbye.
It took a few seconds for Laplace to snap out of his thoughts, and even more time to get himself calmed down after many breathing exercises. But by the time he could finally do so, he was once again surprised, this time by a hologram screen that appeared in front of him.
[Knight Laplace, right? This is the R&D and medical center. You seem to have had an appointment with us for today?]
"Y-Yes I do. Tell them I'll be right over." Laplace replied with a smile.
[Don't force yourself. From the reports I read… Your situation is delicate. And you seem to be handled by…. Nayuta Hida.]
Laplace nodded in response. "Yes, that's my usual doctor…"
[Alright then… I will tell her you're on your way.]
Saying this, the nurse shut down the communication, leaving a bad taste on Laplace's mouth.
"I really hate these visits...They always end up in pain." Laplace grumbled as he walked to the direction of the center.
"Come on in, Knight Laplace."
His hands shaking by themselves from past experiences in this room, Laplace walked through the door after having to gather courage for several seconds.. "H-Hello." He replied nervously to the woman in the desk.
Dressed in a lab coat that belied her considerable curves, long black hair that was rather rare in Vatlantis and a beautiful face that was set back by an unsettling, vague smile, professor Nayuta Hida addressed Laplace.
"Is something the matter? You seem rather tense. This is routine, isn't it?"
"N-No reason! J-Just got back from a mission so I'm a bit tired." Laplace replied with a small smile.
Not out of happiness, of course, but out of actual fear.
However, Nayuta did not seem to know or mind, proceeding to handle some things on the hologram-type computer at her desk.
"For now, just lay down as usual. Can you do that?"
Laplace nodded as he pulled himself onto the table and laid down. Nervousness would not leave him even now, causing him to wince due to childhood memories on that exact same table.
As soon as he got there, not minding at all the fear that crept to his mind, Nayuta began the tests, prodding Laplace's body with several magic instruments and analyzing on her holographic screen.
"Has there been any issues? Health concerns? Feelings of weakness? Sleep problems?" She asked in a coldly professional manner.
"N-Nothing out of the ordinary...Hey, Doctor Nayuta why do we keep having to do this every month?
Laplace questioned in a half-assed way, actually desperate to stop with the check-ups once and for all. Hearing that, Nayuta replied in a similarly half-assed way.
"We have to make sure you're ok, right? This is for your own good."
"But I mean... I'm always in good health…"
"You know that's not the only issue, right? Your particular circumstances… Don't try to pass them off."
Laplace kept silent for a few seconds before responding.
"I look normal, act normal and I do the same things that most people here do...The only difference is me being like the only male…"
"But you are not normal. In the end… You are still incubated. Grown from cells recovered in Lemuria. Do you think we can afford to be lax with your health? As the only person compatible with the Magic Armor [Moros], I would incur the wrath of the Imperial Guard if I let you die. This is for your safety, and mine."
Laplace laughed a bit at her comment before smiling, confusing Nayuta greatly.
"That's… actually funny. Our lives being connected in a way... Thanks, Doctor. that cheered me up~."
"... You're a strange one, aren't you? What about with [Moros]? Any problems with its use? Issues with the controls or strain on your body?"
Feeling rather intimidated by the return of her coldness, Laplace got into the adequate state of mind for his check-up.
"N-Not many issues. I'm even able to use the [Armament] for an extra second now before it completely drains me."
Despite his fear, however, some pride was indeed present in his voice. It had been a rather important achievement, after all.
In fact, even Nayuta's smile became ever-so-slightly brighter, demonstrating a clear delight in this.
"Good… You might have reached a level similar to the Imperial Guard by now. Many people were skeptical about a male magic knight, but as you are now, it will be easy to shut them up."
"Yep! Gravel might even praise me more…"
Hearing this, Nayuta could not waste the chance to make fun of him.
"Eh? What is that? Heeeh~... So all of this is just to get praised by your beloved~? To think my test subject would bear such immoral feelings toward the guardian who raised him~."
"D-Don't twist my words, you dirty doctor! G-Gravel is just my Captain! I-I hold nothing but the utmost respect for her..."
With his face as red as the sky of Vatlantis itself, Laplace shouted in sheer embarrassment. In response to this, Nayuta let out a laugh for the first time.
That is… not the first time during this appointment. But the first time in all the years Laplace had known her.
"You have a nice laugh and smile, Doctor. You should smile more."
"..."
And it ended as abruptly as it started. While her smile had not disappeared, not a single glimpse of Nayuta's laugh was left.
"S-Sorry...I just thought it was nice to see you laugh after all our time together…"
Laplace said meekly breaking the silence. However, Nayuta only seemed amused by his feeble efforts.
"You know…. You have made me lose some time of the appointment, and I can not make Her Majesty and Captain Zelcyone wait. Therefore…. you won't mind if I skip some procedure and get this over with quick, correct~?"
Nayuta's smile as she took out three enormous syringes was that of a true demon. A demon of the other world, Lemuria.
"I-I...Just get it over with...P-Please be gentle..."
Laplace said giving up any ideas on trying to skip out with how she was now.
However, Nayuta would clearly have none of it.
"Oh, did you say something~?"
"N… N-NoooooOOOOOOO~~~!"
"So… this is…."
"...Gravel is rather cruel for such a kind person..."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, you two."
In an instant, Gravel had shut down the last ditch efforts of Laplace to get out of the punishment.
It was decided. Both him… and Aldea… they would be….
"Why do I have to get chained down to this beansprout out of everyone!?"
Handcuffed to each other for a whole day.
"Who the heck are you calling a beansprout!? You grass-head!"
Not even a minute had passed and both Laplace and Aldea were already squabbling, pulling on their linked wrists as if their lives depended on it.
That is, until Gravel let loose a powerful strike from both hands on their heads.
""Owwie….""
Both said in unison.
"G-Gravel can't you punish us a different way? I-I mean anything is better than being with Aldea for a whole day!" Laplace complained like a spoiled child.
"No, and that's final. The issue comes from your enmity with each other. I have waited for months for you two to reach a middle ground on your own and it hasn't happened. Therefore, this is my only choice. You will spend your day together and have to rely on each other~!"
…. Gravel seemed to be having a lot of fun, for all her logical talk.
"Fine...But, don't expect me to like it…" Laplace pouted, but Gravel smiled like a demon.
"The point is for you to hate it~! That's why it's punishment. But don't worry, Lapis. Let's see, if you get through this…. I will buy you anything you want for a week~!"
"That isn't going to work on me! I'd need something bigger..." Laplace responded wanting a bigger compensation.
Hearing this, Aldea snickered naughtily.
"Bigger, he says… Ow!"
"That's what you can't do. You need to get along or you will be chained together even longer." Pulling Aldea by her ear, Gravel recovered her strict disposition.
"...Fine I'll try to put up with her...I expect you to keep your word, Gravel…" Laplace responded pouting a bit.
"Oh, come on! I could have had you two work for five days with no sleep and yet you still complain!?"
In exasperation, Gravel laid back on her chair. Utter frustration and resignation was clear in her face.
Under normal circumstances, this would be a normal occurrence. However, for Laplace, who had lived together with Gravel for years, he had acquired a certain mastery in several aspects.
And the moment now was right to use his expertise.
Thus, taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he did it.
"Ok.. Gravel I'll make an effort to get along with, Aldea~!"
Laplace replied with a smile of almost sickeningly sweet adorableness, taking Gravel and Aldea completely by surprise.
The green-haired woman had nothing but an expression of utter disgust, but Gravel…
Had a warm smile and eyes narrowed in delight.
"Oh, you are just the sweetest. I can trust you indeed, right? I know you can handle Aldea now~!"
How are you falling for this!? He's a little fox!
Aldea thought in utter despair at the ease with which Laplace handled Gravel.
"Don't worry about anything~! You can go rest and relax while Aldea and I try to get along! I'll do my best to make you happy, Big sis Gravel~!"
Laplace said with his sickeningly sweet smile not fading. All the while, he even sent a glance of mockery toward Aldea, who felt it like a lightning bolt.
This beansprout! But if Gravel is here…
"I knew I could rely on you, my best knight!" The tanned blonde squealed as she hugged Laplace.
I can't do anything… And he's still mocking me!
"Now let's get going, Aldea~ Bye, big sis~!"
After Gravel had let go of him, Laplace waved his free hand as he pulled Aldea out with him.
Seeing this, Gravel was utterly satisfied.
"Alright then! I can trust you two! I will come back tomorrow, then."
Seeing this final thing and waving at them with both hands, Gravel exited the house, leaving the green-haired woman and platinum-blonde boy alone.
…..
…
"...What is it? You've been looking at me like that for a while now..." Laplace asked breaking the silence and feeling a bit unsettled at being looked at for so long in silence.
At that moment, Aldea went straight for his jugular.
"What do you think you're doing making me out to be some bad guy!? You naughty fox! Have you no shame!?"
However, even having his collar strongly grasped, Laplace replied with a calm smile of complete neglect
"You are a bad guy here. I was the only one trying to make sure Gravel was happy before she goes visits her homeland, quite unlike you. Now then... Should we go get dinner?"
Even with that smile, however, the coldness in his blue eyes made his hostility very clear to Aldea.
However, even such clear communication did not mean she was intimidated in the least.
"My dinner will be your entrails…."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can't you at least try to get along with me? You should… if you even care the slightest about Gravel. Now then, let's get something to eat."
Laplace said in annoyance, all the while pulling on his cuffed hand to drive Aldea forward.
As he did so, Aldea herself had stopped yelling for a moment. Looking down, she mumbled.
"Gravel's wish… Hmm, fine then. I'll handle you for a while…"
Laplace heard her and responded his voice less annoyed.
"Good...Now, don't try anything sneaky."
With those final words spoken, the two walked out of the house.
However, this understanding and goal-oriented atmosphere would not last for too long. And as soon as the two individuals passed through the door to their home in their return, the squabble began yet again.
"You got me so dirty!" Laplace complained as he tried to air his clothes covered in all kinds of food stains. "I feel so sticky too!"
"You think I'm any better!? You threw your drink and mine on me!" All the while, Aldea tried her best to cover several red stains of wine.
"I was eating with my cuffed hand and in your infinite wisdom you decided to use your cuffed hand to drink!"
"Oh, come on! You should know how to respect! Back off when your superior and senior is impeded! It's only basic!" Aldea replied with venom-covered words, childishly upset.
"Oh, please! You? Being superior to me? I could kick your ass in a fight! As for being my senior you sure act like a little girl all the time~!"
Laplace responded with his own hostile words. In response, Aldea grew more and more irritated by the second.
"I am your superior in the fleet! You are a knight and I'm a platoon commander!"
"Sure you are but, don't forget I'm Gravel's favourite knight~!"
Laplace added knowing, it would annoy Aldea.
"Oh, come on! You have never even fought Gravel!"
It seemed like the bickering would go on for hours now, especially since now Gravel wasn't around to stop them. However, this statement had struck something.
A particular issue that caused Laplace to fall silent immediately, for several seconds.
"…. W-Wait… T-True...we haven't even sparred, ever…"
Much to Aldea's surprise, Laplace's voice had suddenly become quiet and subdued. He had even stopped paying attention to the filth in his clothes.
"D-Does that mean... she sees me as weak…? Maybe she says I'm her favourite knight out of pity…" Looking down to his feet, Laplace mumbled lost in thought.
To most people, this would seem like a somewhat sad display and they would take it as a queue to back off.
However, in Aldea's case, she had been too annoyed for a lot of time. For her, this was just an advantage.
"Yes, it's surely that! She was the one to raise you and take care of you! Did you seriously think she would have no bias toward you and judge you just on merit~? You're even more thoughtless than you look!"
However, Aldea was doing far more than she thought she was doing.
After all, upon hearing this, Laplace hearing felt like he was just pierced in his chest by a spear. Not finding strength to say anything more, he simply began to walk after several seconds of silence that greatly confused Aldea.
"R-Right… I… I will talk to her when she gets back... "
His mumbling and offness brought Aldea even more out of focus, so much as to not even mind as he pulled her along by their connected wrist. Even the wine stains and cold from them were not in her mind anymore.
"I'm going to go shower...stay out of the room while I'm in."
"Wait, what is the issue now? You're suddenly off. And you won't even try contradicting me?"
From the sheer shock at the current situation, Aldea had spoken with newfound complete honesty. Before Laplace would answer, they had already reached the room, with the door to the bathroom within his reach.
"... Err… n-never mind. It's nothing..."
WIthout wanting to say any more, Laplace walked into the bathroom while keeping his cuffed arm at the door while Aldea did the same from the back of it.
So troublesome...
Not wanting to waste too much time taking his shirt normally, Laplace decided to simply tear it off before turning on the water.
All the while, Aldea was unsettled and could not calm down. However, the presence of the naked body on the other side of the door was not at all what had been in her mind.
Over several months, years of knowing Laplace, this had never happened.
A boy who was annoying, reckless, pathetic and even violent, but she had never seen him behave in a subdued way much like Valdy of the imperial guard.
Ever since their discussion, Laplace had not spoken a single word to her on that regard. He had essentially left her with the last word, and Aldea couldn't imagine that confrontational boy leaving her with the last word without fighting to the end.
As she pondered over these things repeatedly, a certain thought began to make itself more and more clear in her mind.
Is this… due to me…?
Aldea was a frivolous, battle-hardened warrior. She wasn't concerned with the problems and feelings of other people, much less those she considered weak.
However, as much as she got annoyed and exasperated by Laplace and his taking of Gravel's attention, at the same time in a rather simple paradox, Gravel did indeed care for him. And thus, hurting the person Gravel cared for left a bad taste in Aldea's mouth for sure.
"..."
It was not a problem. She knew what she would do and had no hesitation.
And thus, it was only natural when Aldea entered the bathroom completely in the nude.
Laplace was rather focused on washing his hair at the time, and thus did not notice her even with the lesser pull being felt on his hand.
That is, before Aldea started to rub his hair with her hand as well.
"...! Wh-What the...?"
Laplace turned around immediately, and soon enough, blood rushed to his face.
"Wh-What are you doing i-in here!?"
Instinctively covering his crotch and chest, Laplace shouted in a surprisingly girlish tone. Aldea did not have any mercy on him, however.
"It will be annoying to wash up with only one hand, and time-consuming too. I want to wash up as well so I will help you." She said without the slightest shred of embarrassment.
"I-I...J-Just bathe yourself! I-I'm not a kid I-I can wash up on my own!"
Laplace replied with a shout, utterly confused by her sudden attitude change. Nonetheless, even while Aldea did enjoy seeing him so flustered and embarrassed, she did not have time for that and used the showerhead to spray water to the coldest on Laplace's back.
Understandably, Laplace made another rather cute yelp at the freezing water starting to shiver. "S-S-Stop that, Aldea!"
"Then shut up and let me help. You were taking far too long, geez! I wanna get clean too!"
While saying that, Aldea turned the water to warm and sprayed it all over Laplace's hair and back.
"F-Fine...just don't do anything weird."
Laplace mumbled as he let Aldea spray him with water, enjoying the warmth of the water in contrast with the cold from before.
"Did you soap yourself up yet? Shampoo is done, but that's important too."
Aldea asked as she carefully rinsed hidden spots in Laplace's body.
Laplace managed to keep calm despite the contact making his mind wander in pink-colored thoughts.
"N-Not really….I-I was focusing on my hair s-since it takes longer to wash than my other parts…"
"Hmm… alright then. Don't try to turn back, it will make things harder."
"O-Ok? I'll try not to?"
Laplace responded a bit confused by her command.
It was a few seconds before any change, but from one moment to the other, the change came in the form of a soft and slippery sensation all over his back.
"This will wash your body up…." Aldea's voice came from his nape, a soft whisper on his ear as she began to rub her body up and down on his back.
Of course, this was too much for Laplace who was already on his edge. Blushing even harder than before, he struggled to so much as find words.
"W-Whaa!? W-What are you doing!?"
N-Not even Gravel did this when we bathed together when we were little!
Laplace thought as his mind went through a complete roller coaster, and not being able to see Aldea only made the whole ordeal more arousing.
"Does it feel nice? Just tell me where else you need…"
Smiling from his nervous reaction, Aldea whispered on his ear with the disposition of a predator.
Laplace felt himself getting a bit dizzy by Aldea's actions before he finally decided he had enough, and began to act on his frustration itself. Taking the chance to quickly grab the showerhead, he sprayed Aldea in the face with it.
"WH-WHat!?"
"Stop messing with me!" He shouted in annoyance at her antics. "Jeez, sometimes you're a crazy one, Aldea…"
"If you're gonna spray me and be such a poor sport about getting this service then why don't you wash me up instead? Could make yourself useful and be a good boy."
Saying such an outrageous thing without any shame, Aldea turned back quickly, though not hard enough to pull strongly on their linked wrists.
"...! W-Wai, y-you are…! G-Grr..."
Laplace's nervousness did not decrease in the least from Aldea's steadily bold actions.
Nonetheless, he rolled his eyes and got soaped up his hands, deciding that washing her was in a way better than viceversa.
Starting the washing task with her hair, he was somewhat surprised and disappointed with the softness and quality of her jade-green locks.
What a shame she's such a despicable woman… Well…
For the first time since he knew her, Laplace was seriously pondering what he thought of Aldea. The confusion gradually crept up in his mind the more time they spent like this.
With his tone becoming actually softer than he thought, he asked as he continued the task of washing her hair. "So, why did you really come in here, Aldea?"
Taking a few seconds to reply due to enjoyment from this weird bath, Aldea spoke with a similarly soft tone.
"You suddenly became all depressed and off ever since our talk… Don't be thinking I will spoil you like this again, but it would be troublesome for Gravel if you were sad… That's it. I'm giving you some service for Gravel's sake. That's it…."
Aldea herself had been becoming more nervous for different reasons. Hearing this, Laplace felt a hint of joy in his heart without actually recognizing it
"Is that so...Well, I'm glad you care about Gravel this much." Rather strangely, his response also had a hint of happiness in it.
Finishing the rinsing of Aldea's hair, she surprised him again by turning around with a grin.
"How about you wash my breasts now too~?"
At that moment, while his face turned redder than ever, Laplace felt his newfound trust and amicable feelings completely betrayed.
I was right! She is despicable!
"NEVER!"
"Phew! That felt good indeed! It wasn't that bad, was it?" Aldea said as she drank from a bottle of water, having recently dried off and dressed in a rather skimpy camisole and hot pants.
It was probably past midnight already, so naturally, both her and Laplace were rather exhausted from the heavy day and getting ready to go to bed.
"Good...sure that's the word." Laplace replied in a sarcastic manner as he stretched.
In contrast with Aldea, he wore something much less revealing which was just a plain t-shirt and shorts. His usual loose nightwear and sometimes training clothes.
"Now then, how are we going to sleep? Without... you know… umm, touching each other…" Laplace asked Aldea, hoping she'd at least have an idea for the situation.
With no regard for common rules of courtesy, she didn't so much as look back to Laplace as she pulled on his wrist, walking over to the bed and crawling over to the right side while leaving the left one to him.
"Hmm, I have no issue as it is. If you want we could put a pillow between us, you big baby~!" She replied with a clearly mocking tone.
Green-haired skank...
Laplace thought to himself as he climbed onto the bed, glaring at Aldea with hostility.
"Fine then... I'll trust you, Aldea." Too tired to argue with her, he complied without much issue.
"Oh, that was rather quick. Are you finally becoming mature~?" She said as she gradually slipped the blankets over herself.
"More mature than you, damn greeny... Well… Whatever. Good night and… sleep well." He mumbled as he laid calmly on his side of the bed, just wanting to get the day over with officially.
Seeing this, and also unbelievably exhausted from the squabbles throughout the entire day, Aldea sighed and snapped her fingers, turning off the magic lights throughout the whole house.
It was the time to rest, but no matter how long a time passed, Aldea's honed experience as a warrior prevented her from falling asleep that easily. Nonetheless, this did not mean she did not get unbearably sleepy as time went on, laying on her comfortably warm pillow while not having to think of anything else.
However, after some time, there was indeed an event out of her usual sleep routine for this night.
Before she actually paid attention to it, the rustling on the other side of the bed had become rather prominent, and Aldea ended up overhearing what that seemingly unintelligible noise actually meant.
"N-Needles….no...normal..."
… Hm…?
Doing her best even in her exhausted state to look over, she could see Laplace tossing and turning in his sleep.
"I-I don't want to go back...I-I'm a-a normal person…"
"Hey… beansprout?"
Lifting herself up ever so slightly, Aldea drew closer and lifted the blanket a bit from Laplace's face.
The sight of a trembling boy completely unlike the warrior he was supposed to be greeted her, with the utterly fragile appearance of a small child he should have grown out of.
"D-Don't take me away from Gravel….I-I don't want to g-go back to the box…"
Seeing this, memories of several years ago came back into Aldea's mind, reminding her of who this strong, yet weak knight was.
That's right… The first years of his life… Only in that laboratory…
Perhaps out of some sense of pity, perhaps because she was too exhausted… She did not really know why.
But seeing this, Aldea began to caress the head of this sleeping boy she had known for so long.
It was an episode of one single moment, a second of weakness that drove her to try to offer even slight comfort to the boy that always behaved as the strongest, always hiding his weak spot.
However, it was this same brief episode that caused the sleeping Laplace to turn and hug Aldea tightly, as if she was his very lifeline.
…. Wait, what?
"G-Gravel...d-don't leave me…." Was the only thing the sleeping Laplace said as he got some sort of new calm, all from Aldea's decision.
Under normal circumstances, this would be an event of almost parody-levels of impossibility. However, with Laplace sleeping and Aldea almost at the point of losing consciousness too, no one refused this comfortable contact.
"... Sleep well…."
Somehow hugging him back gently with her free arm, Aldea fell asleep as well, a gentle smile unlike her normal ones floating in her face for a moment.