4 days ago, before Careth rejoined the E-PBSF.
"Histoire!"
Histoire languidly raised her head, and looked next to her, where Neptune sat.
"...What is it, Neptune?"
Neptune sighed.
"We've still got a lot of things to do… but…"
Histoire stared silently at her table and the metropolis of papers on it, before looking back at Neptune and wondering what the purple haired goddess was going to say.
"Hmm…?"
"Could you grab some paper for me? It's time to write another letter, and it's also time to ship some things to them. They haven't had a supply drop in two years, and I think that it's about time they get some rewards for their efforts."
"...Who?"
Neptune gave a small, sombre grin.
"The E-PBSF. The Elite Planeptune Basilicom Special Forces. Don't you remember? It's the division that Kei has been taking care of for the longest time now. Made of Planeptune's finest fighters, they are our secret military group assigned for tasks like no other."
"Ah… Yes, I suppose it's about time. Here's their file," Histoire pulled a red file out of nowhere, "… Kei updated it earlier, so I had it on hand."
"Hmm? Do we have a new member?"
Histoire shook her head.
"No, it's an old one. Kei said that he would come out of retirement to 'protect' someone, if I remember correctly from her report."
Opening the file and looking over the newest entry's name, Neptune sighed once more.
"...Careth Coeur… Oh, I know why…"
Histoire raised her eyebrow.
"You know who he is?"
"I only know a bit, but I technically know of his granddaughters since I've sort-of kind-of met them before. And if my hunch is right–"
'He doesn't want them to be a part of the E-PBSF. You're too sly, Kei. Threatening him to join back to protect his granddaughters… Sometimes the stuff you do makes it hard to trust you… But I guess I'll give this guy, judging from this file, a little special treatment — He deserves it.'
"What was that about your hunch?"
Neptune quickly looked back up from the file, closed it with a resounding noise, and stared back at Histoire.
"—Nothing. Get me the phone. I want to talk to Vert. I'll get the transferral template," Neptune pondered for a while, before continuing. "Also, I'll get the weapons-department ready for some customs, and see if they're ready to make some pre-war and post-war weapons; I'm setting up a shipment to be sent to the E-PBSF."
"...I understand, Neptune. I'll go get a line to Leanbox."
Neptune placed the file back on the table, stood up, and walked away.
Histoire glanced over the file, as she prepped the phone.
Careth Coeur
Age: 53 [Enlisted Age: 19]
Sex: Male
Father: Unknown(Deceased: OD War)
[Unavailable information]
Mother: Unknown(Deceased: OD War)
[Unavailable information]
Wife: Amarante Coeur [Deceased: Incurable Disease]
Son: Feu Coeur [Deceased: REDACTED]
Daughter-in-Law: Lavende Coeur [Deceased: REDACTED]
Granddaughter: Compa Coeur [Age: 19]
Adopted Granddaughter: IF Coeur [Age: 20]
(Note: IF is likely the daughter of missing E-PBSF operatives, Ai and Fabrique.)
[Note: They are considered K.I.A., but bodies and dog-tags were never found.]
Equipment: Customized Nagant M1895 Revolver in Modified .44 Cal.
(Can be silenced)
Customized bullets that have different properties, Bayonet.
[Other equipment is unknown, but the last mission he undertook had him with steel wire, on-field painkillers and et cetera.]
Summary:
Served in the Great Outredimension War as a combat medic, but despite that, had an extraordinary kill count of around 400 ASIC soldiers. Has only one 'failure' in first-aid treatment during the war and after. Joined the E-PBSF after the war via recruitment from
[Code-Named 'Fusil'- 'Former [REDACTED]'. Also known as 'The Remedy'.].
Extremely versatile in combat, quick-thinker. Above average intelligence. Can fire 7 rounds from revolver in approximately 2 seconds. Steel wire is used in tandem with pitfalls to slice adversaries apart. Has other practical purposes with other traps and on-field. Skill with bayonet is above average.
Makes heavy use of traps and revolver to fight. No long-range capability or mass destruction capability. Has experience riding and fighting on horsebirds. Test pilot for experimental [now abandoned] "aeroplane" project.
Does not appear to have magic reserves. Relies on physical and mental ability.
Optimal Engagement Range: ~80 metres.
Maximum Engagement Range: ~200 metres.
Undoubtable loyalty to Planeptune.
Doubtable mental stability due to war
and excessive missions.
[Extent is unknown.]
95% Mission Completion Rate.
2% Squad Mortality Rate.
[EDIT: - 31 years ago] Via observations, it seems that he is able to predict where enemies can and will move to after a few seconds of watching the target. It makes him a very deadly adversary to fight against, since he can fire his revolver very quickly and accurately, whilst being able to keep track of the enemy. Accuracy is maintained even when somewhat dazed. Traps set by him are also much more deadly and efficient due to this. However, it is not a 'sixth-sense' or 'instinct'. This ability is a combination of observation and discernation.
[NEW - 7 years ago] Has two granddaughters, Compa Coeur and IF Coeur. Latter is adopted, and has been recently uncovered to be the daughter of deceased E-PBSF members.
Both IF and Compa have files under their names, they are prospective recruits.
Recommended by Kei.
[EDIT:] Files have been archived. Operative Careth intends to move them to Leanbox.
(Kei's note: I suggest that we allow it. He will keep fighting and remain loyal to Planeptune so long as those two are safe. If not, he'll most likely go rogue and commit suicide. They're practically his reason to keep living and fighting. I suspect that forcing them into service will lead to Careth's "Divine Wind" and the unaffordable destruction of vital Planeptune localities, including potentially the Planeptower itself. We can also keep track of the granddaughters via the 'dream catcher' that Careth and Eau gave the two a year or two back. It's extremely resistant, so it won't be destroyed easily. It does 'choose' its bearers carefully, after all.)
- Sources: Lowee Operative Disaster: Operation #574, Operation #579-603,
Outredimension War-Records.
[End Report]
Histoire raised her eyebrow in surprise when she finished reading.
Didn't Kei talk about this guy as well?
And that woman personally recruited this person?
Histoire sighed.
That woman… seriously.
She might've be a friend of Histoire's since time immemorial, and she was also thankful that she was back, but sometimes she did… questionable things.
Thankfully, Neptune had no idea who she was…
If she did, something terrifying would happen, or possibly, nothing.
At this point, Histoire couldn't predict how Neptune would react.
Of course, Fusil kept transforming into an old woman in order to hide her identity in the first place, so it was largely a moot point.
Histoire brought her mind back to what she was doing.
'Well… let's see… Ah... She's not answering.'
Vert did not seem to want to answer the phone today.
'How inconvenient…-ah?!'
Histoire jumped in small fright as she felt a hand grasp her shoulder.
"I'm back. Let's think about what we should give them."
Histoire looked back at Neptune, who held a piece of paper. A smile was taking ahold of the small goddess's face.
Smiling weakly in response, Histoire replied:
"Let's get to it. We need to repay them for their work."
Neptune nodded in response. Her shining smile persisted.
Whether it was real or not, Histoire couldn't tell.
These days, she couldn't discern what Neptune was feeling.
Happiness? Sadness? Despair?
Back in the days of peace, she knew exactly what was going on with Neptune.
Now, she hid everything from her.
Histoire knew Neptune was suffering inside, but she knew she couldn't do anything about it.
It was just how it was now— wait, she needed to listen.
Histoire brought her attention back to Neptune, who was now beginning to speak with a small smile on her face.
"It's a little nice. They don't ask for the best weapons possible, but rather what they're comfortable with. Thankfully, that isn't much. Their budget has been unused for quite some time, so I think despite the fact that we don't need to spend too much, let's add a few little things here and there for them."
Histoire stared blankly at Neptune, knowing that she was trying to lighten the foreboding mood that was always prevalent in the Basilicom.
'Ring!'
Neptune raised her eyebrow in silence, whereas Histoire softly smiled.
"Ah, she called back. Let's get this started."
'Ah. There we go. We're back, in record time, no less.'
After what seemed like an eternity, he had finally reached his destination.
He forced the undecorated wooden door open with a grunt, and a jovial, high-pitched voice greeted him from behind the bar table.
"Heyoo! Welcome back, old man!"
Nodding as a greeting, he motioned to his back as a signal. The old soldier then spoke in a raspy tone, as a testament to his tiredness.
"Oh, B. How's it going?"
During the many times that Careth had come here to drink, B-Sha and Careth had talked for a bit and got to know each other. Careth had also been given time to get acquainted with his soon-to-be teammate before proceeding with his latest mission.
They got along quite well, despite the vast age difference.
They were comfortable with calling each other friends, and had given each other nicknames.
Careth referred to B-Sha as 'B', and B-Sha referred to him as 'Old man'.
Honestly, Careth could see quite a bit of IF in B-Sha... no, he definitely shouldn't think about it that way. B-Sha was her own person, and IF was also her own.
With that all in his mind, he studied B-Sha's expressions.
She seemed to be confused for a moment, staring at the body that Careth was carrying, before a look of realization took hold.
"That's our 'prisoner', right? Fusil already told me about it!"
Careth raised his eyebrow, deciding to process what B-Sha had said.
'...Did she just say that with a straight face…? I severely underestimated her. Then again, she's part of Gold Third. I should've expected that.'
He sighed, and began to think about the Gold Third.
The Gold Third was a division of the Planeptune Basilicom Special Forces that was shrouded in secrecy. Only people in the E-PBSF knew about it.
Careth hadn't been around in the E-PBSF for quite some time, but he was around enough to know of its existence. In fact, he was pretty sure that he indirectly facilitated their growth via the small favors that Fusil had asked of him.
The Gold Third was a Mass Destruction Squad, one that had its members scouted and trained from their youth.
If Lady Purple Heart decided to unleash them upon any nation, they would most likely destroy a large portion of it. But obviously, Careth knew that Lady Purple Heart wouldn't do such a thing.
After all, Lady Purple Heart was the person that wanted peace the most.
Yet, with Lady Purple Heart's demeanour in mind, there was something interesting about the Gold Third…
The main reason behind their formation and creation was an experiment, birthed from a concept that had been inspired by Lowee.
Back when Lowee was still peaceful, and not the hostile militarist state of today, they had something known as 'Heaven's Luck'.
It was a play on the name of a certain company that had helped produce and design the gaming hardware of Lowee, but that wasn't important.
'Heaven's Luck' was a training programme in which Lowee would randomly pick several mages from the nation to receive training. It was basically the highest honor of sorts, and whomever came out of that training would come out as a master of the craft.
It was an extremely peculiar concept, yet Lowee somehow made it work.
When Purple Heart had found out about it following the breakup between the nations, she decided to get the elite-PBSF members to train a few kids that she had scouted out.
The result of that training was a force to be reckoned with: the Gold Third. Their fearsome powers meant they had been kept top secret, privy essentially only to the people whom had trained them. Careth only really knew of them in the first place since B-Sha was one of them.
He did have some knowledge of who the current official members were. Knowing two of the members personally, they were most likely both in the bar at the moment. One was behind the bar table serving drinks, and the other was most likely in the kitchen. If the latter wasn't, she'd most likely be shopping for meat in the market.
The other two members were unfortunately an enigma to him.
He did hear that one of them used a jewelled sword that held incredible power, but that was about it. The other one… well, he was embarrassed that he knew nothing despite being one of the best intelligence-gatherers of his time. His best 'information' was a cryptic warning from Eau that 'the cardboard boxes have eyes'.
'Well, best not reminisce too much. Time to place our prisoner somewhere…'
Looking around a second, Careth spotted a couch nearby.
Walking up to it, he set the woman down and sighed.
He rubbed his hands against each other, and he turned back to face B-Sha, who still was behind the bar table as per usual.
Walking towards the bar table, he finally sat down on his usual bar stool.
"Well, that's done with. Could I get a drink? The usual, please."
B-Sha gave him a thumbs up, and turned to pick up a pint glass.
After a moment, B-Sha passed Careth a pint glass full of a dark amber liquid that he had come to enjoy over the years.
Picking it up and taking a quick gulp, he sighed in pleasure. It was always nice to take a break after a mission.
"Hey, B. Is Fusil done with the preparations yet? It's morning already, and I'm running on energy pills to stay awake at the moment."
B-Sha looked up from the bar and responded:
"Nah. She's still at the supermarket, picking up more eggplants."
Careth hid a wince upon hearing 'eggplants'. He had seen what those demonic things had done to some prisoners, and he just didn't want to think about it.
They were simply that utterly terrifying.
"Well, at least we have that covered for the moment. That's great."
Careth sighed, and stared at the wall behind the bar table with his fist on his cheek.
The pint glass slowly emptied with each passing second.
As the glass turned to a quarter-full, B-Sha cut through the silence with a few words.
"Hey, old man…?"
Careth raised his eyebrow in silence, and turned his attention to B-Sha.
With a bored look, he acknowledged B-Sha with a glance.
"Yes?"
"What was Gamindustri like, y'know… well, before everything?"
"Huh?"
A look of surprise flashed through Careth's face as he processed B-Sha's question.
'Why does she want to know…? I'd best tread lightly and be careful with what info I give her… best find out why she wants to know in the first place.'
Mulling over it for a second, he decided to reply, his eyes focused on B-Sha's face.
"...Why do you ask…?"
B-Sha scratched her head and looked off to the side, whilst responding:
"Well… all I've ever known is Lastation and Lowee being what… well, what they are now, and Leanbox just surviving on its own. All I've really known is this state of 'war' that Planeptune is in... I want to know what exactly this 'peace' we're fighting for is. I want to know how life was like back then."
With his eyes focused on B-Sha, Careth started to process every single detail that occurred within the few seconds in which she had spoken.
His mind went into overdrive, coming up with a conclusion as quickly as he could.
'Eyes were looking to the side and she was scratching her head: Signs of embarrassment. Tone of voice was of utmost sincerity. She genuinely just wants to know about it… I'll fill her in then. It's something I can do, so why not?'
Sighing in resignation, he nodded in response.
"Well… get a chair. This will take a while."
B-Sha's expression lit up like the stars at his words, and she instantly sat down on the stool behind the bar table.
Wait, what?
Since when was there a stool behind the bar table?
He raised his eyebrow in confusion.
Last time he was here… no, he was fairly sure it wasn't there when he walked in.
'Where did it even come from…?'
It was best not to ask questions, Careth supposed.
'That reminds me of something my wife told me quite often… a girl has her ways...'
He stared at B-Sha, who was obviously excited to hear from one of the oldest people in the Elite-PBSF about how their lives were back then.
Well… this was going to be a bit difficult.
He wasn't particularly fond of telling stories to people that he didn't really consider his family, but he could make an exception here. B-Sha was a nice kid, and she would definitely be a great friend to IF and Compa.
Last he'd heard, he was a pretty good storyteller… but that had been an emotional rollercoaster for both him and IF. He had almost lost control and nearly told her about one of his deeply kept secrets about his experiences in the war.
'Well, it's nice for kids to know their roots…so let's go for it.'
"Well… I'm not too good at telling stories, but I'll try. Well, here you go; this is a little something, about the world before 'The Fall'."
About 30 years ago…
'Back then, things were pretty simple.'
A silver haired woman sat behind the bar table, cleaning the aforementioned with a cloth.
Her hair flowed down to her hips, and her blue eyes greatly contrasted her pale skin.
She wore a rather revealing outfit, almost reminiscent of a witch, perhaps.
A black corset, with matching detached sleeves that had blue squares outlining the circumference of the upper arm. Under the corset, she wore a mostly black dress that was mostly blue around her breasts with white and blue highlights spread around.
Her ears twitched, hearing the creak of a door.
She raised her head to speak.
"Welcome back, you two–"
She paused, taking a look at the two that were at the door.
Her face twitched with annoyance.
"HEY! CLEAN YOURSELVES BEFORE YOU COME IN!"
A younger looking Careth grimaced alongside with his partner, Eau, their hair stained with blue, sticky goop that had been the byproduct of their questing.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault this time, Fusil! Eau decided to use a combustion spell on the Dogoos for some reason!"
Eau turned accusingly at Careth, giving him a look of mock-indignation.
"Well, you're the one who said that it was a good idea, you twat of a mingebag," Pointing an outstretched finger in accusation at Careth, he continued, "Hey, you hearing me, Fusil? This damn cockeye 'ere said that it would speed things up!"
'Eau, Fusil and I were stand-in members in the PBSF. We didn't really get jobs often, and neither did we need to substitute often into other squads, so we tended to stay in this bar, and if we got bored, we went out and did some quests from the Basilicom. '
"It was just a suggestion! You didn't have to listen to me, right?!"
"Okay, okay, calm down you two. I'll turn on the heater, and you two get cleaned up in the bath–"
"DIBS ON THE BATH FIRST, CARETH! SUCK ON IT!"
Eau made a beeline for the door behind the bar, practically smashing through it.
"—Ugh. He'll never change."
Careth chuckled.
"I know what you mean, Fusil. We've had to deal with his crap for these past few years now..."
Fusil sighed once again, thinking for a moment, before she spoke with a questioning tone.
"Hey, Careth. How's your wife and child?"
Careth raised his eyebrow, not expecting the question.
"They're doing well… Wish I could see my son more often though. He's growing up to be a fine young man in the PBSF. Last I'd heard, he's fancying some girl. I'm going to be a grandpa soon enough at this rate…"
Fusil blinked once.
Twice.
"...You're being a bit too optimistic there. He's like, what, 13, right?"
"Yeah… something like that. Hope he doesn't get too optimistic and go for it at his age despite it being legal… he's quite mature at his age, but I don't know too much. I did marry quite early too though, so I can't say much for myself."
With an akimbo pose, Fusil sighed once more.
"You young ones are getting more youthful nowadays, huh? Wish I could say the same..."
With a look of indignation, Careth palmed his face.
"You're not that old, Fusil…"
Fusil smiled, closing her eyes and folding her arms in silence.
"Shush. You know nothing about my age."
Raising his arms up in mock-surrender, Careth gave a grin in return.
"Yeah, I know nothing about this maiden's age."
'Back then… we didn't fight because we needed to.'
"That's more like it, Careth. Remember, you know nothing at all..." Fusil seemed to give him a glare that told him that he would die if he said otherwise.
'It was… a time where war was not perpetually on our backs.'
Careth nervously laughed:
"Haha… okay. I know nothing."
'Those days… were what'd you call peaceful.'
"Glad you know. Make sure to remember that."
"I will, Fusil… I will."
'But now…'
A voice came from behind the back door.
"Oi! Can you two stop being so mushy together, and get me some toilet paper?! There's nothing left!"
Careth signalled Fusil with his hand that he was going to do as asked; the woman in question nodded in return.
"Wait for a bit, alright Eau?"
Careth paced to the back door with a sigh, and opened it.
Fusil sighed, as she watched Careth's figure walk behind the door.
She gave a genuine smile to nobody in particular.
"...Well. This is nice, isn't it? Let's just hope it stays this way…"
'But obviously, we knew that it wouldn't be that way. It's now… a mere shadow,' Careth paused to give a sombre grin.
'It's now a mere shadow… of what it used to be.'
"Well, with that depressing line out of the way, that's pretty much it was back then. Fusil, Eau and I still work together pretty often. Here's a picture of us from back then for reference."
Careth fished out a piece of what seemed like paper out of his coat and passed it to B-Sha, who snatched it away without hesitation.
B-Sha stared at the picture for a moment.
It was the three of them in the bar, with a younger, unscarred Careth on the right, looking at his revolver, Fusil on the left with her arms folded, and Eau in between them, attempting to pose.
'Attempting' being the keyword. He looked more like a flamboyant imbecile, with his eyebrows raised and arms raised in some sort of 'superhero' pose. It was somewhat reminiscent of what Careth would refer to as a person with 'some sort of 8th grader syndrome'.
B-Sha beamed, before commenting:
"Ohoh! So the old lady looked like that back then. She's pretty," B-Sha pointed at the right side of the picture, "Hey, you looked pretty good too!"
Careth grinned, before making a small pose with his thumb and index finger under his chin.
"Of course. This old man was pretty handsome back in the day."
B-Sha recoiled, making a disgusted look at Careth's 'glamorous' act.
"Bleeehh… Old man, don't do that... It's disturbing."
Careth made a look as well, disgusted with what he had just done.
"Ugh. Yeah. Never doing that again. That's Eau's thing," Hearing a creak from behind, he raised his eyebrow in interest. "Hmm?"
Careth instinctively turned to the door to see a very familiar face.
"Hello…Huh? What's with you two?"
Fusil, whom now looked exactly like how she did in the picture, had walked into the bar with a plastic bag full of eggplants raised behind her back.
'...She's young again. What…?'
Careth looked back at B-Sha with a stupefied look on his face.
The same thought seemed to be in their heads, judging from the same glint in their eyes.
"...Has this degenerated into some sort of deranged comedy, B-Sha…? I don't even know anymore."
B-Sha gave a look that befit a fish out of water, before shaking her head in silence.
"...Same here, old man. Same here."
Both of them sighed, and palmed their faces.
"You two have become good friends, huh? I undid the magic because, well, who'd want to see an old lady use eggplants to torture a young woman?"
Careth shivered involuntarily as he took his palm off his face.
"...Noted. Although, I wouldn't want those hellspawns near me in the first place."
"Y-Yup…"
B-Sha shivered frightfully as well, her body practically shaking in fear from the thought of eggplants.
It seemed like all of them knew just how terrifying the purple vegetable could be.
With that small thought passing through Careth's mind, he sniggered inwardly.
While it was strange for the both of them to fear eggplants, Careth didn't really fear the vegetable itself.
He only feared it when it was in the hands of Fusil, unlike his granddaughter, who… well, would have a panic attack and curl up in a corner whenever she saw an eggplant.
Fusil really did torture her with her training, as he had suspected. He didn't even want to know how.
Though if he had to admit, it was rather funny. His granddaughter, whom he would reluctantly admit had incredible potential, even more so than a lot of people he'd seen in his lifetime, would instantaneously run away at the sight at the purple vegetable.
It was one of the reasons she didn't accompany Compa to the supermarket.
He pushed those thoughts aside and got his head back on track.
"Anyways, do you have the stuff prepped?" Careth questioned.
Fusil's eyes shifted, as if taunting Careth, "I do, but I'm supposed to give you a mission briefing alongside with B-Sha right now."
"...What? I just came back. Give me a break, alright?" Careth raised his eyebrow in confusion and tiredness.
"You're getting a mission, no excuses. This is what you signed up for, remember?" Fusil replied mockingly.
A moment of silence.
After a short moment of contemplation, Careth sighed.
"...Screw you, Fusil."
Fusil's lips curled into a mocking smile as Careth finished his brief line.
"Hoh! I didn't know you've gotten over your wife's death already. I'm not accepting the invitation, though. I'm not interested."
"-Guh. That was a low blow, and you know it," Careth massaged his temples before continuing, "Ugh. Fine. What's the mission?"
"Well," Fusil pulled a piece of paper out of nowhere and shoved it in Careth's face. "Why don't you read this and find out?"
Careth plucked the paper out of Fusil's hands, and began to read silently.
After a while, he stopped reading, sighed, and looked back at Fusil.
"...Are you serious? This isn't my forté, so why the hell did Histoire choose me to do this?"
"Hey, old man! Could I take a look?" B-Sha reached from behind the bar table.
"Here," Careth passed the paper along to B-Sha, sighing once again as she took the paper in her hands, "You need to see it anyway."
B-Sha briefly skimmed through over the paper's details, and once she was done, quickly jumped to action.
"Ooh! I can do this! Just let me get my rocket launcher," B-Sha paced to the door at the back of the bar table.
"...What." Careth deadpanned.
"What is it?" B-Sha turned to look at Careth, and innocently blinked.
"...You have a rocket launcher?" Careth had his shaking index finger pointed at B-Sha.
"Yeah, I do! Let me get it."
B-Sha, speaking with that jolly tone, skipped into the back room.
Another moment of silence.
"...She has a rocket launcher. What."
Careth stared at the door in disbelief, as if he were waiting for B-Sha to come back out and say it was a joke.
Turning back to look at Fusil, he picked up his glass from the table, and gulped the rest of its contents down in one go.
He gave a blank stare.
"Fusil. What the hell are we giving the kids nowadays?"
Fusil shrugged her shoulders in response.
"I dunno."
"Goddess forbid... All I got was a bayonet, tracking equipment and a first-aid pack when I first joined… and she gets a bloody rocket launcher. This is totally fair," He briefly glanced at the door. "Yup. Totally fair."
Careth's words dripped with sarcasm, his eye twitching every few seconds.
"Well, while you're waiting… I'll go and get the prisoner to my 'chamber'. Have fun, okay?"
In an instant and with a pale blue flash, Fusil warped to the side of the couch and picked up the woman whom laid there unconscious, and teleported with another pale blue flash once more to somewhere else.
Careth blankly stared at where Fusil once stood, before shaking his head lightly with a smile.
'Forgot she could do that… wait. If she could do that in the first place, why didn't she just teleport in? Ugh, whatever. I'll just get prepped as well…'
Pulling out his revolver from his leather coat, he placed it on the bar table.
'This thing has really served me well… hmm. Maybe, just maybe, I should get Iffy a gun too. Feels like she needs one…'
He propped his leather coat on the table, and began to sort everything out.
A bayonet, complete with leather sheath. Perfect for close combat situations.
Speed loaders for his revolver, all loaded and sorted with different types of ammo.
'Special', 'Incendiary', 'Subsonic', and 'Hollow-point'. Different ammo for different situations.
'Great. Seems like I've still got a lot of ammo… 28 for subsonic… hmm… I think I can make use of them during this mission.'
He continued to sort through his equipment.
A roll of steel wire for traps and tying things together.
A box that held needles and thread for suturing wounds or patching up clothing.
A matchbox for fires, and if needed, quick cauterization.
A flask that held spirits for disinfecting wounds.
Some small towels to clean off blood, and to be used in tandem with the spirits to disinfect wounds.
Bandages for obvious reasons.
Energy pills and small Nep Bull vials just in case…
That was all he needed.
Was it?
It felt like he was forgetting something.
'Eh, probably nothing important. Let's get our head back on track.'
He sighed.
While he didn't have anything that gave him any sort of capability for destruction, he did make it up with his flexibility… partially.
His revolver, the Nagant M1895 was extremely versatile due to its closed gas-seal system, unlike other revolvers that ran on an open gas-seal system.
Basically, the cylinder moved forward when the gun was cocked in order to close the gap between the cylinder and barrel, resulting in a boost in the muzzle velocity of the round, and it also allowed for the gun to be suppressed.
He did modify and improve it over the decades that he had owned the gun, however. At one point he had rebuilt the entire gun, completely remaking certain parts in order to change the caliber of the gun. It was now approximately one third larger compared to how it was previously.
What used to be a 7.62x38mmR revolver now ran on modified .44 Magnum, which was drastically more powerful than the gun's former caliber.
Technically, it was now a completely different gun since he had remade it. He just preferred to call it by its original name.
He also modified the double-action lever system and the cylinder, so that the hammer pull and trigger pull would be somewhat lighter and more convenient.
The modifications worked perfectly, so he could fire through his entire 7 round cylinder within a few seconds without destroying his wrist.
His modifications also made loading rounds and emptying spent bullet casings easier. Unlike the original model which required the painfully slow use of the gun's built-in extraction rod to eject its spent bullet casings one at a time, the revolver's cylinder could now simply swing out.
Combined with his speedloaders, reloading the weapon was a far quicker affair. The obsoleted extraction rod was naturally removed in this revision.
With all of that in mind, he knew it would be rare for him to shoot so quickly. He preferred to go for one shot at a time.
Obviously, there were some cases in which he had to use everything in his arsenal to survive, but those hadn't happened often.
But of course, there was one particular mission that always came to mind that happened over two decades ago.
He had to fight through an entire squadron of Loweean saboteurs, a desperate battle for survival that forced him to set up traps whilst engaging in a ferocious firefight.
That experience had nearly turned him insane with just how much mental stress he had went through in just the matter of an hour, though it did teach him quite a bit about the importance of keeping a clear head in battle.
Without a clear mind, any skill that you may have had was worthless, and you became useless in battle.
Without a clear mind, you couldn't think of a way to defeat your adversaries. This was why he always reminded himself to keep a clear head.
"Hey, old man— Woah, that's a lot of stuff!"
Careth raised his head and looked at B-Sha. She had walked out of the back room, two ballistic-proof shell cases in her hands, one of which was noticeably smaller than the other. Both looked extremely heavy though, and Careth was a little surprised that B-Sha was able to carry them.
"Hmm? Yeah," Careth slowly inserted his speed loaders back into his leather coat on the table, sorting them into different parts of the coat. "What's in those cases anyway?"
"Some stuff for you that Kei had ordered. She said that you'd appreciate it for this mission."
Careth nodded, signalling for B-Sha to place the things on the other part of the bar table that was unused, instructions that she nodded to and followed.
B-Sha, with her job done, walked back into the back room, leaving Careth all alone.
'Well, seems like I have everything. I've packed my coat with everything I need… so time to find out what Kei got for me.'
After making sure that everything was fastened inside his coat, he donned the leather coat once more, and turned to look at the ballistic cases.
Pacing to the front of the bar table that supported the cases, he momentarily paused and wondered what they held.
'...Let's find out, shall we?'
Taking a small breath, he slowly opened the first smaller case.
As he saw what the case held…
Disbelief came to his senses.
"Holy shit... Is this what I think it is?"
Atop the foam cushioning that was inside the case were three cuboid packs of plastic explosive about the size of a child's arm, complete with detonator and blasting caps.
"Bloody hell, Kei. You really know how to spoil someone."
Lifting the plastic explosive and placing them aside one by one, he raised his eyebrow at a certain sight.
"There's a note… eh, knowing Kei, she probably put it there to tell me how to use it. She always thinks that we're incapable for some reason."
Careth picked up the folded note, unfolded it and began to read.
Dear E-PBSF members:
Hello there!
I haven't written anything to you guys in a long time since Kei took over your small, secret division within the PBSF, but this is one of the small things that I've had transferred to you all to help you out with your covert missions.
I think it should help out with a fairly new mission too, wherein if I remember correctly, it needs you all to 'pacify' a camp of high-profile bandits whom have been attacking trading caravans that hold quite a bit of goods that are very important to Planeptune.
This has been detrimental to our trading routes with the nearby towns, exports and imports included. I would deal it with myself, but I've been stuck with too much paperwork to do anything about it.
So, with all of this in mind, and though there might only be a handful of you, you've all done many great things to help, so I've prepared something over these four days.
As a form of a reward, I had quite a bit of special equipment made and customized to suit all of your needs.
Everything is labelled for all of the members, and last I'd heard, we have an old member that re-joined recently, so it was a bit of a scramble to get all of this done.
Thankfully, with some reference to his exploits (which I am thoroughly impressed by) I had a weapon made for him that I'm sure that he'll make great use of.
Kei suggested on what weapon to give him, by the way. I haven't seen her request anything for a very long time, so I was very surprised when she gave me a call, requesting for a weapon to be made for him. I honestly don't know why she stepped up for this.
Also, if he's reading this: I've made some documents for your granddaughters to be able move to and from Leanbox. This is a thank you for what you've done for Planeptune throughout your life.
With all of that aside, I sincerely hope all of you will enjoy these, and may they serve you well on the field.
May you find Victory,
Lady Neptune
"...She remembered. Her handwriting is still as great as ever, it seems- eh? There's something else at the bottom."
He read the italicised words with the paper up close to his face.
'*P.S. I don't know why, but Green Heart was rather quick to accept my special request. She usually doesn't bother to answer me, so it was a surprise to see her reply so quickly. I think she'd said something along the lines of 'my cute little Ai-chan's daughter is coming?!' or something like that.'
"...!"
He grinned, knowing just what those words entailed.
"I guess… all the work I've done paid off in the end, huh? Let's go and look at the other case, shall we?"
After placing the plastic explosive back into the case, closing it and placing it aside, he moved on to the next case.
The case was about three-fourths his size, so Careth pondered in silence.
'...I wonder. If it's made specifically for me… then what could it be?'
He looked at the small lock that the ballistic case had with apprehension, knowing that it was disallowing him from opening the case itself.
With that in mind, he called for a tiny bit of help.
"B-Sha! This case is locked, so could you get the key for me?"
"Yup, sorry! I forgot to give you the key!" B-Sha ran out from the back room, a key in her hand, with a large, bright yellow and red rocket launcher strapped to her back.
Careth stared at the sight before him for a second, before sighing.
A young girl with a rocket launcher that could most likely annihilate a small town.
Why?
Why was his life so peculiar?
He sighed internally.
"...Much obliged." Careth stretched out his hand for B-Sha.
B-Sha jovially placed the key into Careth's hand, before questioning:
"So, what do you think it is, old man?"
"I dunno... so let's find out," Careth unlocked the lock with the key that B-Sha had given him, and slowly opened it.
His eyebrows raised higher and higher, before he sighed whilst smiling.
"Take a look at that."
"Woah," B-Sha gasped, "I've never seen anyone get this sort of gun before! And with all this extra stuff?"
Once again, atop of the foam that once protected the contents from the elements, sat a waxed and polished wooden rifle, complete with metal parts that were the bolt, internal magazine, sights, and barrel.
This was a Mosin-Nagant, a pre-war weapon, just like his revolver.
It also came with a sling, three loaded clips that could be used to reload the rifle quickly and two finger gloves that were made in some strange material that looked rubbery but after feeling them and putting them on, he found that was not the case.
Its comfort was on par with silk, and with a small test that had him clench and unclench his fists, did not hinder his hand movements whatsoever.
Prodding the rifle with his gloved hand, it seemed that friction was no issue either. There was plenty resistance, so it would most likely never fall out of his hands accidentally.
He grinned in excitement.
"Damn," Staring at the gun and placing his gloved hands over it, his eyes twinkling as he did, "Never knew they still made these."
'I've always really wanted one… How the heck did they know…?"
"Old man, this is a really old gun, isn't it? I've never seen this on-field before…" B-Sha questioned, her form next to Careth whom remained unmoving as his attention was completely on the work of art that was before him.
He turned to look at B-Sha with a smile on his face.
"Yeah. This isn't a gun you'll see often. Most guns nowadays have an all metal-construction, like what the Lastation Special Forces use or something, or the laser rifles that our Planeptune military, the PBSF uses. This thing uses actual bullets, and as far as I've heard, is considered a novelty in Planeptune, isn't it?"
"Yup! Nowadays, our guns run on plasma batteries, right? So why did Neptune give you this?"
Careth twitched subtly in response to what B-Sha said.
'Just 'Neptune'? Eh, doesn't matter. It's probably just one of her little kinks. Let's continue. She's trustworthy, as far as I can tell.'
"Hmm… it might be because of this." Careth murmured as he pulled his revolver out of his coat, holding it by the barrel. "Here. Take it."
Careth raised his eyebrow, waiting for B-Sha's response.
As if she could not believe what she was seeing, B-Sha's eyes widened in surprise and she instantly snatched the revolver out of his hands.
Now holding the revolver, she looked at it with amazement and wonder, since she had never seen or held anything like it before.
"This is another old gun! It looks weird though. What's with the thing that you put the bullets in? What's this? It doesn't have a magazine either, so how do you use it?"
Careth stared peculiarly at B-Sha whilst his gloved hands took the clips from the case and placed them in his coat.
'Ugh, this is somehow cute in some weird way… But, eh, let's teach her something.'
"Here, I'll teach you how to use it," Careth plucked the revolver from the hands of B-Sha and holstered it before continuing with a smile, "Let's go to the gun range down at the back since after all..."
Careth tapped the rifle that now was slung behind his back.
"I need to test this Mosin out as well. You up for some shooting?"
With a set of eyes that shone so bright in excitement, B-Sha rejoiced:
"Alright!" She fistpumped with unbridled excitedment. "I finally get to see how these things work!"
Careth grinned upon seeing B-Sha's childish elation.
He was, at last, finally going to teach someone a thing or two about old firearms.
"You're going to see and learn a lot more than that, B… a whole lot more."
Within an underground firing range, a man stood.
He briefly looked around.
Metal. White.
A standard range, with close to no decorations that would make it special.
A target post.
A doll that had its face painted in red.
The man took aim with the rifle.
'BANG!'
Without thinking about compensation, he fired.
'Clink, clink.'
The casing fell to the ground next to him, and at the same time, the doll that was approximately 40 metres away falling along with it.
The ballistic gel that was the 'head' of the doll was split into two.
The man smiled, feeling a little rattled by the force that just forced itself upon his shoulder.
"...Right between the eyes. Guess I still have it. Not bad, me."
The girl who was beside him, dressed in an orange dress along with red gloves pouted as he smirked to himself.
"Old man! You said that you'll let me use that cylinder-gun! You've been using that gun for 20 minutes now..."
Careth chuckled, a small sense of idiocy taking ahold of his thoughts.
Hearing B-Sha whine childishly somehow brought a nostalgic smile to his face.
It really reminded him of Compa when she was a lot younger- but he remembered, right at that moment, it really wasn't the time to reminisce.
"Ah, sorry," He pulled his revolver out of his coat. "Here you go."
Holding the revolver by the barrel, he passed the gun along to B-Sha, whom took it with a smile on her face.
"Thank you! So… how do I use it? Do I do this… or do I do that… uh…? Wuh...?"
Slinging the rifle over his back, he chuckled softly at B-Sha's confusion.
He found it kind of adorable. In a way, it was rather endearing.
'Well, let's help her.'
Breaking out of his thoughts, he patted B-Sha's shoulder and instructed her.
"Here," He bent over B-Sha's shoulder and pointed towards the doll-target. "You just aim at the target with the sights and pull the trigger. Careful though, until you're ready to fire, keep your fingers out of the guard. Trigger discipline is important."
He smiled before continuing.
"There's also a whole lot else to remember. I'll briefly go over the things that you have to remember when handling these things. Remember, this isn't a laser rifle. You're not shooting recoilless plasma from a battery. You're shooting actual bullets that have a kick to them. An explosion, albeit a tiny one, is literally happening in your hands. Don't forget that."
Double-action revolvers were really convenient compared to single-action revolvers in Careth's opinion.
There was no need to pull the hammer before firing. However, the trigger pull was rather heavy for anyone who was not used to it.
B-Sha, whom now aimed at the doll target at the back of the range, seemed to struggle with that very trigger pull.
"...Like this— w-woah?!"
'BANG!'
The deafening sound of pressurized gases leaving the muzzle of the revolver reverberated throughout the firing range.
The powerful recoil that had came along with firing the revolver sent it flying from B-Sha's hands and soaring away.
After a brief moment, it landed onto the ground with a sickening clack.
After the noise of the revolver faded from the room, Careth bent over and laughed heartily, his laughs echoing throughout the underground range.
"Hahaha! What did I say, B?"
"Wuh-?" B-Sha looked dazed and out of it, before her eyes snapped back into clarity. "H-Hey! What happened?!"
Clearing his eyes and bending over to pick up the revolver, he grinned at B-Sha before his grin softened into a somewhat nostalgic yet fatherly smile.
'Heh… If only I had the chance to teach my kid how to handle guns, huh…?'
For a brief moment, he felt sorrow.
Regret.
His smile curled into one of bitter remorse.
"E-Eh?! Why are you looking at me like that?!"
Careth snapped back to reality.
"-Ah. Sorry. Just remembered something."
B-Sha gave Careth a look of worry.
"Old man… you looked sad for a bit there. You okay?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm okay. Nothing going on here," He paused to think. "Anyway, remember this. Always treat the gun as if it's loaded. Even if you just took out the bullets from the cylinder, magazine and whatever, you still have to treat it as if it's loaded. Finally," He took a breath. "This is something you have to keep in mind at all times, even with your rocket launcher: never point at things you don't want to shoot, ergo, destroy. Never forget that."
B-Sha nodded fervently in response.
"Understood. I'll remember this!"
Careth grinned, joy filling his veins as he heard B-Sha's response.
'Glad to see someone listening for once.'
"So," Careth continued with his lecture. "What you felt there was the recoil. Ever felt anything like that before, perhaps with your rocket launcher?"
"Nope! My rocket launcher just has to worry about backblast, but other than that, I don't really feel anything."
That explained quite a bit. Careth did wonder how exactly she handled the rocket launcher, especially since it looked like it had quite an incredible amount of destruction capability, and with it, recoil.
"I see… hmm, why did you pick a rocket launcher, anyway?"
B-Sha tilted her head in confusion.
"Hah? What do you mean?"
With a somewhat exasperated tone, Careth continued his question.
"Why did you choose a rocket launcher as a weapon?"
"Ah!" She rubbed the back of her head in minor embarrassment. "Well… it looked cool."
Careth raised his eyebrow, somewhat disappointed with what B-Sha had said.
"...Not for its practical applications?"
B-Sha beamed.
"Nope! Not at all!"
'Seriously…?'
Careth folded his arms.
"B. You need to think about what your weapons do."
"Eh…? What about it?"
"Rocket launchers are very useful in combat, B. I'll give you a small guidebook later. That aside, what do your rockets run on?"
B-Sha nodded in acceptance whilst putting her finger on her lip, thinking for a bit before coming to a conclusion.
"I understand, old man. And for my rocket launcher… It's some weird magic thing… I can control the amount of damage by adjusting the magic energy I use into my rockets."
Careth sighed, just hearing 'magic' made him feel a little bad about himself.
He was born without any capacity for magic, so he couldn't do anything that a magic-user could, such as raise barriers or manipulate some forms of matter.
'...I really hate my disability sometimes.'
Well, it wasn't a disability per se. It just felt that way because even though most people couldn't use magic, it seemed like most of his peers in the elite forces could.
"Why does your face look like that, old man?"
B-Sha questioned.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"You always look so sad, old man. Even when you smile, it just… I don't know how to put it…" She paused to think, before a metaphorical lightbulb lit up in her head. "Ah! What I mean is that it just 'feels' sad."
'She's sharp. Well… I can't be mad at her… she reminds me too much of both Compa and Iffy, in a way.'
"Old man, you've been spacing out for a bit, you okay?"
Careth let out a breath that he hadn't known that he was holding.
"Yeah," He blinked. "Yeah. I'm fine. Hey, B. I have a question for you."
B-Sha looked peculiarly at Careth.
"Hmm?"
"What do you want to be? Your dream or dreams for the future, I mean."
B-Sha rubbed the back of her head embarrassedly.
"Well… it's a little embarrassing… but... I want to be a hero. That's why I agreed to joining the Gold Third..."
Careth gave a small grin that was in response, knowing just what that entailed.
"A very impressive dream you have, B." He continued to grin, staring at B-Sha in the eye, whom looked back embarrassedly. "A very impressive dream."
Hearing Careth's response, B-Sha's face reddened a little, her embarrassment somehow amplified by the fact that he hadn't made fun of her.
"You really think so?! It's childish and hypocritical, though… at least that's what the others tell me."
Careth's grin softened to one of understanding, almost reminiscent of a father that would always guide and help his child. He knew what exactly she meant by 'childish and hypocritical.'
"Heh," He rubbed his nose. "They don't know what they're talking about, B. Always keep holding onto that dream, it'll serve you well no matter what you face. Just—"
He momentarily hesitated, knowing that whatever he was going to say next would most likely influence B-Sha's actions — be it good or bad.
Being a hero wasn't all that it was built up to be in the world they lived in. Despite that, Careth knew that she meant well, so he couldn't exactly just disprove her.
The life of a hero was someone who fought for others instead of themselves; they valued others more than themselves.
It was an existence that was based around helping the people around the 'hero'.
What could he do in order to make sure that she didn't sacrifice herself for nothing?
What could he say?
….You know, Careth.
Careth's eyes widened slightly, remembering words that someone told him before—
The people back home still care for you. You can't just rush in to save everyone you can. You'll die that way. What will they think if you die? Don't forget about them.
Careth gave a small, unnoticeable look of realization.
'Ah. I see. That's what I need to say.'
Careth now smiled with nostalgia in mind, knowing what exactly he needed to say.
"—Don't forget to also fight for yourself as well, alright?"
B-Sha's expression brightened, her form no longer synonymous with any type of unease.
She nodded fervently.
"I definitely will, old man!"
When IF opened her eyes, and noticed that she was on her soft, cosy bed, she knew that something was definitely off.
When did she doze off?
How was she on her bed?
"W-What…? W-When did I-"
She didn't remember going to bed.
So why was she laying here, resting up from yesterday…?
'No,' she thought, it was more like today, since she most likely played that game on her PC till past midnight, as her body's still somewhat exhausted state seemed to tell her.
It was unlikely that she had slept for an entire day either. If she did, Deco would be rolling around in her grave, having taught her that sleeping too much was bad for anyone's health, no matter who they were.
Somehow, for some unknown reason...
It was incredibly comfy as well.
Too comfortable.
It was too warm.
Wait, why did she feel like something was wrapped around her chest and stomach?
There was something soft pushing up against her back too.
The bindings just felt… warm.
Comforting.
'This… just feels nice. I really wish I could feel this way forever…"
She truly did. Things just hadn't been so simple these past few days.
Careth's instructions, Kei's mission, meeting Plutia…
She really felt like she wanted to go back to the old days where she was with Deco, back where all that she had was just simple, harmless fun.
She smiled in her remembrance- but despite it, she knew.
'I would never give this up. Compa, Careth… and Plutia, even...'
With that thought, a metaphorical lightbulb lit up in her head.
'Wait… don't I need to get up soon for work…? I've been too caught up in my thoughts here, and I never really found out what's holding me this way either…'
She turned her head back to see- wait, Compa?!
Her eyes widened in realization, and her face red, as the current situation finally dawned upon IF: Compa was hugging IF in her sleep.
No, that wasn't the most important thing.
What the most important thing was-
'Why is Compa in my bed?!'
IF's mind and heart raced to figure out why exactly they were together, alone on her bed.
The feeling of her arms wrapped around her body, the feeling of those two soft mounds being pushed upon her back…
It was just… incredible—
'—Woah, slow down there IF. Let's think.'
There had to be a reason for this.
There had to be a reason… right?
'Okay… Let's think about what could've happened.'
Did she accidentally do something in her tiredness?
Did she… perhaps, confess her love to Compa accidentally?
No, that was going a little bit too far. She wouldn't do such a thing even if she was that tired.
It was a secret that she wanted to keep as long as she lived. After all, she didn't want to ruin their current relationship...
'...Time to think about this a little more rationally. Calm down, IF. You didn't endure purple hell for nothing…'
She shivered involuntarily despite the comforting warmth that she felt. Since her training with the blacksmith, she hadn't looked at an eggplant the same again.
'...Alright. Let's not think about that. Trace back your steps, IF. Trace back your steps.'
She closed her eyes and thought carefully. What had she done since coming home yesterday?
She ate dinner… went back to her room and played that game and met up with Vert in her room… and after that…
IF sifted through her mind's crevasse, trying to find anything that could tell her what exactly had happened.
She couldn't think of anything else. With that, she placed her palm over her face.
'Everything after that is a blank... I must've dozed off then.'
IF sighed, and decided that she had better get ready, and took her palm off her visage.
With great care, she tried to tear herself away from Compa's grasp, despite herself wanting to stay in it as long as she could.
As she turned her back to Compa, she heard a voice that made her eyes widen even further than it ever had today.
She stopped in silence.
"...Ai-chan."
The voice that belonged to the woman that IF yearned to be together with for eternity had then called out to her, with a soft, begging tone.
Untold words were shared between IF and Compa in that moment.
They both knew that this was the moment that they had to listen to one another.
They both had to listen to each other's hearts.
"...Compa."
IF knew that the words that Compa had left unsaid in that moment were-
'Stay with me, IF. I need you.'
IF smiled softly in this realization, her eyes softening in turn.
At this very moment, she did what she always did.
With that floaty feeling in her heart-
She did what she felt was right.
"I'll stay, Compa."
She fell back onto the bed, the warmth slowly overtaking her.
The warmth grew, and she was bound yet again by her choice.
She then turned and faced the source of her warmth.
She decided to return the favor.
IF wrapped her arms around Compa, hugging her close and tight.
Compa seemed shocked, her eyes widening for a moment, before her expression softened.
'I'll stay here as long as possible, Compa...'
As IF lay there, with Compa in her arms…
She figured that she would stay together with her for as long as possible.
There wasn't much to do today, anyway.
She knew, that despite it all...
This was where she needed to be.
The two, laid on the bed together in each other's arms serenely...
Shared a soft, content smile.
