The Great Bareahard Race - Part 1

A race; a simple competition on who is the fastest to get from Point A to Point B. To Jusis' knowledge, there were many different types of races— one of such was horse racing, a sport favored by the nobles in Erebonia. Being a noble himself, horse riding was one of his many, many talents. He was almost as good as professional racers even. Why the other day he had broken his previous record around the racing track by a fraction of a second. He felt one-hundred percent prepared for such an event.

So how come he did not feel instilled with confidence at all about this 'plan' of theirs?

"FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

Oh, right. Because this was Millium's idea.

"Would you kindly get off?!" Jusis yelled, exasperated at the spritely devil riding on his shoulders. Aside from the obvious bait squeezing his head from either side, Millium's sweet scent wafted dangerously close to overwhelming him. She was usually so sloven that it was like she used way too much soap in the bath earlier.

And he could tell… because it was his own goddamn soap. "GET OFF."

"Boo." Millium pouted, but relented, hopping off his shoulder and onto Airgetlam that materialized behind them. "Do you hate fun or something?"

Trade one headache for another. He should've been used to this by now, but Jusis failed to stop his eyebrow from twitching. "Despawn. Now."

"Oops."

"I understand you're excited," Jusis said, sighing in relief when Millium hopped off her robot and walked beside him like a normal person, "but can you restrain yourself until the race proper? Show some consideration for the time and place."

Millium's cheeks flushed. Looking around, all eyes were on the two of them, no doubt curious as to what their resident Duke was doing in town at this time of day. "W-were they watching us…?" she asked, the embarrassment cracking her voice.

Jusis nodded, shooing away the onlookers with a glance.

"Oh… Sorry. Hehe…"

Millium apologized… but why did she look so happy? Jusis decided to ignore the question, massaging his temple instead. It would have been a futile effort to try and understand the girl.

Minutes into the afternoon, Artisan Street bustled with mercantile life as the two of them strolled past the shops. At the bottom of the slope, they took a sharp turn towards another district, one only recently built after the lord owning the land passed away and donated it to the city. Their destination was further along the street: an industrial-looking building one would expect to see in Roer or Heimdallr displaced among the old-fashioned ones. It looked almost identical to an orbal factory save for the large glass display windows situated at the front lobby.

Jusis read the sign glowing above them in flashy, neon colors. Radical Denver's. It wouldn't have been his first choice for a name, but the crudity would certainly pique a noble's curiosity.

The inside was less racy than what he had expected. Rows upon rows of orbal bikes flanked the entrance all the way to the counter. Spare parts, batteries, and other luxurious goods were organized neatly on the shelves, dustless and freshly stocked. The air smelled faintly of mint, and Jusis reminded himself to purchase one of their incenses, as an obligatory gesture of good faith for a merchant of his city.

They weren't a whole lot of customers browsing at the moment. but those who were seemed to be enjoying themselves, chatting openly with the staff about the different models of orbal bikes on display.

Radical Denver's looked so clean and polished that it was a stark contrast to the owner himself. The burlesque, grease-covered man stood tall at the counter, welcoming the two of them with wide-open arms and an even wider smile, his mustache quivering as he spoke. "Welcome, welcome! Enjoying the shop?"

Millium waved. "Hi-ya!"

Jusis greeted back with a simple nod, listening in as a familiar smooth, saxophone tune started playing from the stereo. "I certainly was not expecting this level of sophistication. I haven't heard this piece in a while."

"It's a family favorite," Denver said, face filled with nostalgia. "Your friend's inside; I'll take you to her if you like."

Denver ushered them to the garage area inside the factory where he and his crew worked on the bikes. Oil and the sounds of cranking gears permeated the air like dirty lead. Despite the relaxing atmosphere in the shop, the mechanics here busied themselves, repairing leaks, pumping tires, manufacturing, and tuning custom parts for the orbal bikes on demand.

"Watch your step," Denver said, pushing aside a pile of machine parts blocking their path. Jusis glanced at Millium who followed behind the two of them with her hands tucked obediently inside her pockets.

"Business is boomin' thanks to the live show we had the other day. Ol' Davos was even kind enough to lend me some of his staff to deal with all the customers practically bustin' down our doors."

"Was this what you meant about needing a recruitment drive?" Jusis asked. They had discussed the specifics beforehand, but he wanted to clarify.

"More or less. You're friends with the Bracer Guild, right? Bracer work is practically synonymous with orbal tech, so I was hoping the guild could introduce me to some people I could hire. Start acquainting myself y, know?"

"You have my thanks," Jusis said.

"I should be thanking you. I owe you a favor, sir; that'll help me out a lot more than you think." Denver guffawed as he unlocked another door into his personal workspace. 'Here you are. Make yourselves at home."

Contrary to what Jusis expected, the place was spotless. Various mechanical tools were hung on the racks, each labeled and organized to the letter. Next to it was a bookcase filled with intimidating-looking encyclopedias from top to bottom. Rolled-up blueprints were stacked high near a desk, delicately balanced on top of each other like a house of cards. On the opposite corner, a sleek orbal bike, graffitied with loud and fiery imagery, enamored the two girls crowding around it.

Anelace was the first to spot them, raising her hand in an excitable greeting. "Ah! Mi— "

Millium, already tiptoeing to that corner of the room, placed a finger on her lips. With a smirk, she launched towards her sister, cuddling her in surprise. "GOTCHA!"

"Eep—!"

Having been absorbed on the orbal bike, Altina yelped and jumped in shock like a caught rabbit— accidentally tipping the bike in the process.

"Ah..."

There was a loud crash, then an even louder yelling as the three girls panicked, fumbling about and trying to stand the bike upright again. Anelace had it mostly under control until one of the other two girls (guess who) had the bright idea of summoning a giant robot to help lift the bike up.

"Ah—"

Airgetlam's arms clipped against one of the racks, toppling it over and sending everything crashing down. More screaming.

Not even bothering to look, Jusis' heart sank to the deepest abyss as the chaos ensued behind him. "I apologize on behalf of my companions. I will gladly pay for any and all damages they may have caused to your property."

Another crash as the bike fell… again.

Denver bellowed out a hearty laugh. ""GAH HAHA! Don't worry 'bout it! Bikes weren't made to be fragile babies, sir; break them all ya want and I'll fix 'em right up! Gahahahah!"

Gritting his teeth, Jusis bowed his head solemnly. "You have my thanks…"

It took the five of them half an hour to clean up the mess, most of which was done by Denver after Jusis chased away the two walking disasters and had them buy snacks instead.

"You're all a lively bunch, ain't ya?" Denver said, placing a tray of pastries down on the table. "No wonder the boss lady liked you all so much."

"You mentioned you used to work for Alisa," Millium reiterated, her hand already reaching out for the sweets. Between her and Altina, the pastries pretty much vanished instantly, leaving Jusis only a modest amount of crumbs in their wake. Anelace politely declined, too engrossed with the cuteness to care.

"Yeah, I did before comin' here. In fact, it was Lady Alisa's idea to set up a shop in Bareahard. The orbal bike programs are sort of her pet projects, you see. If it's anything about them, we ask her."

"So the ones you're lending us are these newer models?" Jusis asked.

"That's right," Denver said. He tapped a finger on the table, separating a line of crumbs left on the tray. "Normal bikes like the ones we're selling run entirely on orbal energy. They're great for it, obviously! Clean, silent, easily replenished, but…"

"Costly," Anelace said, taking a sip from her juice. Denver nodded.

"The prices for septium-based fuel haven't spiked up yet in Erebonia, but at this point, it's only a matter of time," he continued. "And that's mostly because Erebonia still relies on its trains for mass transportation."

Anelace nodded too, clearly displeased. "You should see the prices down in Calvard. Talk about gouging your headlights out."

"...And since almost everything runs on orbments nowadays, there's going to be competition," Altina said. She nibbled on the berry tart she's been caressing in her hand. her eyes closing as the berry-flavored delightfulness gushed in her mouth.

"Correct, little missy." Denver laughed at the sight before disappearing into the kitchen and reemerging with a jar full of cookies. It seemed like the jovial man shared the two sister's sweet tooth, grabbing a couple of big cookies for himself. "Cars, firearms, battle orbments, medical equipment, you name it. If it runs on orbal energy, it's competition— one we ain't got the backing to suppress."

"We've discussed this before in class," Altina chirped up. "Contrary to what an average person might think, septium and the energy it provides isn't an infinite resource. As the orbal revolution continues at its peak, the government is forced to dig deeper and deeper. Once abundant mines have now started to show signs of stagnation, with the most optimistic estimates equating to a couple more years until we deplete our reserves."

"Wait, 'run out?" Millium asked. "What do you mean 'run out?"

Altina answered her with a sharp expression. "Exactly that: the septium mines will dry up, and we will no longer be able to provide ourselves with the lifestyle we have grown accustomed to. The inevitable coming of a dark age, so to speak."

It was a grim reminder of the state of their world— delivered to them by a cute girl in bunny-themed clothes. Altina remained oblivious to the contrast, blissfully munching on a chocolate chip cookie.

"Two years? Isn't that kinda short?" Millium asked, doubtful of the implications. "Why aren't Lechter and Claire talking more about this, then?"

Everyone except Jusis looked away.

"...It's not so much as news as it is an eventuality," Jusis answered after a painfully long silence. "The higher powers of the government have long realized that orbal energy cannot sustain Zemuria for long. It is a blessing that we, as a civilization, advanced as far as we have."

"The people crave peace," Anelace said, dispirited. "...and peace forever hangs precariously on the balance. News like that will send the masses into a panic, leading to unfortunate consequences that we may never be able to recover from."

"But— "

"There is no need to worry, dear sister," Altina said, calmly easing her face into a smile. "Orbal energy won't disappear entirely overnight. What I only meant was that in a couple of years, the use of septium as a resource will be heavily rationed by the government, making it last as long as possible to ensure our survival."

A slow, cold death. Millium bit her lip. Her sister's level-headedness annoyed her, but she had no choice except to believe in her.

"Thus," Altina continued, "the government is scrambling for alternatives. Roer has been successful so far in innovating its wind turbines as a source of renewable energy, and as of now, it powers two-sevenths of their city, with plans of expanding that to cover the entire city- eventually, the entire Nortian Province. It's slow, but progress nonetheless. In fact, there were already talks about installing more turbines along the mountain range surrounding Ymir."

Denver laughed again. "She even knows about em' turbines! You're one bright missy, aren't ya?"

Unsure of how to take the compliment, Altina averted her gaze from the boisterous man. "N-not necessarily. This should be common knowledge for everyone."

"Aye, but not just anyone knows the plans to expand to Ymir," Denver said. What he asked next surprised almost everyone on the table "You working for the government, by any chance, miss?"

Altina withheld her tongue. While it was an open secret to her friends that she and Millium worked for the Intelligence Agency, it was a fact not to be shared with civilians. "I'm… a student at Thors, Levees Branch Campus. My instructor was the one who told me all about it," she half-lied, further bolstering her excuse.

"Oh, I see!"

"In any case," Jusis cut in, diverting the conversation back to their original topic. "You wanted us to use one of your bikes as an experiment?"

Denver nodded. "Pretty much. When blue-haired missy over here came to me asking to negotiate, we've just received the newest models from our manufacturers for testing." Fishing out a scroll from his drawer, he rolled it over the table, revealing a schematic for what appeared to be an orbal engine— far smaller than the regular ones mounted on the bikes. "Hybrids is what we call 'em"

"High-breeds?" Millium asked. Her mind was already too tired to keep up.

Altina patted her sister on the head. "Hybrids, dear sister. It refers to their mixed-use of two or more different energy sources."

Denver pointed at one of the fuel cells in the schematic. "Currently, the RF group is looking to test out various types of hybridized fuel: gasoline, solar energy, and biofuel, which is a compost made from natural ingredients like wood, crops, or animal fat. It also happens to be the one I've been assigned to test out."

"...The Kreuzen Province is renowned not only for its production of fur and textiles but also because it is a land surrounded by fertile soil and an abundance of nature." Jusis held his chin in both intrigue and awe. "Naturally, there would be an abundance of biomass here which would have been regarded as wasted by-product otherwise."

"Scary, right? The boss lady's thought of this so thoroughly, it reminds me of the former chairwoman."

Had Alisa really thought of all this by herself? When did their cute, bumbling rebellious princess become such a shrewd businesswoman? She certainly took after her mother, all things considered.

"There's a couple of things I want testing before the end of the day," Denver said, rolling up the schematics and bussing away the dishes. "But I think we've talked enough; it's faster if I just show you. The bikes should already be on the track. Come with me."

"Yo. Took you long enough."

Fie looked up and smiled at the arrival of her companions. Tucking the Dark Prince of Helmdrr back into her pocket, she waved her hand curtly, looking in all the world that she was bored— which wasn't all that unusual, thinking about it. She could always go back to reading whenever she wanted, and more importantly, deciphering the notebook she found took away most of her brainpower. A little bit of exercise was warranted, she believed.

She casually dodged Anelace's hand before it could pat her head.

"Why?!"

Fie didn't answer. "I've already scouted ahead. Road's clear. The monsters shouldn't bother us too much."

"Don't ignore me!"

Plea ignored. Crossing her arms, Fie inspected the bright orange orbal bike being worked on by Denver's crew. Spray-painted flames emblazoned the sides of the bike, and the horns that originally came with the handles had been removed for the purposes of the experiment. A shame really, Fie opined. She was a fan of the aesthetic, despite its supposed impracticality.

Altina hovered near the bike, a curious expression tilling her face as she bombarded the men with questions. She seemed to be enjoying herself, hopping to and fro and trying to get a better look at what each part moved, and etc.

Jusis strode up beside Fie, followed by a majestic white horse with an ecstatic Millium at the back. The horse radiated an aura of the highest pedigree mira could buy, armored in a green and gold saddle emblematic of the Albarea household. Fie expected no less. It whinnied happily when she reached out to rub its snout— a gesture she learned from Rean.

"I will ask again, just in case," Jusis asked, addressing Fie. "Are you sure you will not require a bike? We could have the race postponed until one is prepared for you."

"It's fine."

"Any particular reason you refuse?"

"Well…" Pointing to the horse, then to the bike, Fie nodded her head in a kind of resignation. "I still don't know how to ride a horse… and Machias told me to never touch an orbal bike again— so yeah. I'm running."

Jusis gawked at her as if she just casually murdered a pom. "...What did you do?"

She looked away.

...

"Nevermind. Forget I asked."

"And done!" one of the mechanics shouted triumphantly. "The speedometers all set up, boss!"

"Tires are all pumped up too, boss!" another mechanic quipped, wiping the sweat off his brow. The men had been hard at work before Fie had arrived here, and their passion for their craft definitely had a sunny effect on the atmosphere despite the cloudy sky.

Denver nodded proudly, patting his crew on the back. He then turned to Anelace, the designated rider for the bike. "Take her out for a spin, miss. I hope we adjusted her to your liking."

"Gotcha." Anelace practically jumped atop the bike as her lower body sunk deep into the driver's seat. Grabbing the handlebars, she smiled broadly and, in one practiced motion, revved the engine to life. It hissed and roared on the sandy pavement, clawing its way as it slowly racked up speed.

All eyes were on her as Anelace swerved from left to right, fluidly guiding the bike to her whims. The mechanisms shifted on like clockwork, accelerating her forward and changing gears with the turns. With a confident smirk, Anelace leaned back, lifting the bike into a wheelie before skidding to a halt, sending speckles of sand flying. "Phew."

Everyone, Fie included, clapped in amazement.

"Impressive!" Denver exclaimed. "You've got a lot of skill, miss. Ridden an orbal bike before?"

"I have some experience," Anelace said with a blush and a scratch on her cheek. "You could say I'm sort of a speed fanatic."

Fie nodded vehemently in agreement.

Denver chuckled. "That's what I like to hear! Obviously, one of the tests is seeing how fast the bike can go using the biofuel, so feel free to let her rip!"

"Got it!"

"Are your preparations complete, everyone?" Altina asked, clearing her throat. She was going to be their referee for their race, deciding herself that she would be the one best suited for it. "Shall I explain the details of this race?"

The race was a simple one, due in part to its impromptu nature. It would be a single lap around the track Denver had set up beforehand during his live show of the orbal bikes. The track spans the roads through Artisan Street and then down Ebel Highway before it loops back through the foliage and into the city. As Fie had said, the main road was clear of monsters, although the route back wouldn't be so forgiving. Considering who those monsters were up against, however, it shouldn't pose much of a threat.

And lastly, whoever reaches the finish line first wins.

There were no hard rules after that. Each contestant was free to use whatever means necessary to ensure their victory. Jusis had argued about their safety and all, but Millium countered by saying it would have been boring otherwise. Fie had to agree. And thus, the five of them decided on a definitive clause:

No pulling your punches, no backing out, no hesitations. Enjoy yourselves, have fun, and let the best racer win.

Fie bit her lip.

"Any questions?" Altina asked. "If there are none, then we shall begin immediately."

The sound of an engine revved up in response to Altina's words. Anelace had gone to her position first, one foot on the ground to stabilize the bike. She beamed enthusiastically, the excitement bursting from her chest. "I got this in the bag!"

Jusis sneered. Adjusting his saddle one last time, he expertly climbed atop his steed, lurching defiantly. "You may think you have the advantage in terms of speed, Miss Elfead," Jusis said, "but I am no stranger to adversity. Do watch your back, else someone might plunder away your victory right from under your nose."

"Yeah!" Millium clamored. Airgetlam materialized behind her and lifted her up in its arms, "Lammy and I won't hold back, Anelace. I'm going to win this race for sure!"

"Oh? I would love to see that," Jusis mocked. Millium pouted in response. "Overconfidence is the hallmark of an amateur. Why don't you sit this one out? I wouldn't want to pick you off from the dirt when you trip, child."

"You're sooo going down, Jusis…"

Anelace giggled, the fire of competition burning intensely in her eyes. "Never a dull day with you guys around, huh? Alright, I won't hold back either, Millium. Don't forget my prize afterward!"

"Not gonna, cuz I'M gonna win!"

Sitting on Claiomh Solais, Altina floated into the air and cleared her throat. A bright smile plastered her face— a far cry from her past self and enhanced cutely by her attire. "The Great Bareahard Race shall now commence! Racers, take your positions please!"

A heavy, yet pleasant air of rivalry grew thick as the banter continued. For once, Fie felt herself the odd one of the bunch, mulling over her thoughts in silence. Something at the back of her head nagged at her agreeing to be here. She should have been training or doing bracer work to make up for the points she lost.

Yet, seeing her friends now, those thoughts seemed irrelevant.

Eyes closed, she crouched down and assumed her starting position, her lips curving ever so slightly into a smile.

A crowd had formed on the track, mostly nobles curious about the ruckus in the track. Among them, though, were some of the merchants in the shops and engineers in the nearby orbal factory. Swiftly introducing himself, Denver invited them to watch with his usual cheerful attitude.

"Good luck, everyone!"

Like a black iron flag, Claiomh Solais raised a hand up into the air. Silence fell upon the field, the audience's eyes solely on the little referee.

Fie faced forward, and somehow, a weight seemed to have been unburdened from her shoulders as time slowed to a crawl around her. Fun… huh?

She heard Altina shout. "On your marks!"

That's right. There was nothing to be upset about. She was surrounded by people who cared for her. Who adored her. Sure they were annoying, but reflecting on it now, she'd been more trouble to them this past year than she could care to count. And all this time, she worked tirelessly to make it up to them, even if they told her not to worry.

When was the last time she had 'fun'? The smirk widened on Fie's lips.

"Get set!"

Oh, yes, she was going to have fun, alright.

And, she was going to win.

"GO!"

*Click*

Hi.