Mostly a dialogue chapter. Leave a review, please!
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Little Wing It
Volume 1
The Holy Light's Blessings On This Wonderful System!
Chapter 2
Tour de Petite Aile!
--
I
--
"Why'd you do this...?"
... huh?
"... why aren't you getting up?"
I'm... not?
"Don't leave me alone!"
I... what? I don't... understand.
"You are not alone. I am with you, always."
ooo000ooo
"Oh pardonne, but I cannot."
Huh? Who was that?
"Oui. Oui. Non. It was very kind of you to offer. Next time, yes?"
I tried opening my eyes to check but I was quickly blinded by the lights.
Guess I have to let them adjust first.
Right now, I'm lying down on what I assume to be a bed. Or at least a mattress.
So I was rescued...?
I don't remember much of what happened.
I came to check out this new relic site and ended up getting stuck in it along with a noisy girl.
... oh right, what happened to Emilia? Gotta check if they rescued her too.
Feeling that I can now open my eyes without burning them, I slowly lifted my eyelids.
Everything was blurry but I can somehow make out something white. Or what I assume to be white.
And it seemed to be... jiggling as it moved.
At that moment, my eyesight cleared to a point I can properly see.
Ah, I was staring at...
Boobies.
I averted my eyes so as to not be branded a perv once this fair lady noticed that I was awake.
From what I can tell, it seemed to be some kind of office.
There were a few people walking around and there were some working on desks.
Oh, one was watching something inappropriate.
The only one working was the boo- I mean, the fair lady.
Who conveniently seemed to notice my awakening.
"Ah, you 'ave awakened!"
What's with that weird accent?
Since I don't feel hurt anywhere, I decided to get up from where I was lying.
Ah, it was indeed a mattress on the floor.
Well, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.
"One moment, if you please."
She turned to the person watching something incredible.
On closer inspection, the guy was wearing a vaguely familiar open-chested purplish-pink coat. And his face was 80% brown hair. Can't even see his eyes.
Wait, I think I saw that guy before...
"Monsieur Boss! Monsieur Boss! Our guest has gotten up! Perhaps you could get it up too?"
The man only grunted in response and didn't seem to have any immediate plans to come over.
Where have I seen him before?
As I racked my brain trying to remember, the lady, who I noticed has green hair and wearing a dangerous dress, seemed to get tired of calling "Monsieur Boss" over and turned towards me.
"Welcome to Little Wing."
Hmm, she has a slightly robotic voice. And those triangle things on the sides of her head where the ears are supposed to be means she must be a CAST.
"I am Chelsea. Enchante."
"A pleasure to meet you"
I bowed slightly while I responded. Chelsea's eyes lit up, as if she just witnessed something rare and amazing.
"The pleasure is mine! How nice to meet someone who has not forgotten what manners are."
Oh, what were those people thinking?
If faced with such an attractive female, you should always be polite!
No, wait, I meant we should always be polite! Equality for all!
Yes, that's what I meant.
"Monsieur Boss! Monsieur Boss! Our guest is awake!"
Chelsea, a bit more cheerful than before, returned to calling "Monsieur Boss" over, who was now on the phone.
"Hang on, I'm talking to somebody."
I recognize that voice too...
"Hey, it's me. I need ya to get yer ass down here. ... I don't care if you don't wanna come! Spoiled Brat!"
Well, whoever he is, he seems to be preoccupied with something.
Really, if he didn't he rescue me from that relic site, I'd feel disrespected.
I assume, of course that he was the rescuer. Or at least, his company, Little Wing, is it?
"Oh my, I suppose it is I who will explain."
Chelsea said as she gave up on calling for the Boss for the second time in a span of a few minutes.
"No, no, it's alright, really. Please go on."
This seemed to please her as she started the explanations.
"This is Clad 6. It is a resort colony."
So I'm in space? Well it's not like I have stuff in Parum, the planet where the relic site was located, anyway.
"And you are in the offices of Little Wing! We are a civilian security firm, yes?"
A civilian security firm? Well, I guess it makes sense that I'd be rescued by them.
"Monsieur Boss brought you here. You were asleep all this time. Like a baby. So peaceful!"
... Am I being hit on?
Well it was a compliment, I guess. Or at least I think it was.
"Feelin' any better?"
A gruff voice, definitely not Chelsea's, asked.
Oh, it was Mr. Monsieur Boss.
"You look like someone spit on your soup."
Now, that's just nasty.
Though it's also true that I'm very confused.
"Maybe I should fill ya in on what's goin' on. Hmm, where to start?"
"Yes, please."
I answered without missing a beat. I would very much like to know what is goin' on.
"Heh. Name's Kraz Muehler. This little mercenary outfit I got goin' here is called Little Wing."
"I thought it was a civilian security firm?"
This made the boss, Kraz Muehler, snort in response.
"Well, more of that, yeah. But "mercenary outfit" has a better ring to it, wouldn't you say?"
Can't argue with that.
Seeing as I have no questions at the moment, Kraz returned to his explanation.
"We do private security for big shots with deep pockets, run patrols around factories. That sorta thing. We were down at that relic site when all hell broke loose."
So he was in that relic site, huh? Is that where I saw him before?
And what is with my memory? Did I get drugged with amnesia pills or something?
"Yeah, so instead of a nice scouting mission, I ended up rescuing the idiots who got trapped inside."
Wow, rude.
Wait, idiots? There was someone else who-
Oh shit, I completely forgot about Emilia!
Well, that must mean she got rescued too. That's one worry outta the way.
She was noisy and troublesome but I could tell she wasn't a bad person. I'd feel quite terrible if something happened to her. I'm not as cold hearted as some people may think.
"One of those idiots was you. Trouble was, you weren't carrying any ID. I couldn't exactly leave you where I found you, so here you are."
"Thanks for saving me."
Well, he continues to be quite rude but he DID save me.
"Don't mention it. In fact, you might say I had an ulterior motive."
Well, that's quite generous of him but that ulterior motive makes me quite uneasy.
Anyway, I should ask about Emilia. Just to make sure.
"Exuse me, what happened to the girl I was with?"
"Heh, worried about her, ain't ya?"
He cast a smile at me while saying so. I was expexting him to answer my question next but he just stayed in that position for a couple of seconds.
While he looks ridiculous, that doesn't answer my question!
As Kraz had a look that seemed as he was about to complain, the office's doors slid open. I couldn't see who it was since the doors were behind me at the moment.
Kraz's annoyance grew further as he saw who came in. Well, by the sound of the footsteps, they were walking quite slowly.
"Well, it's about damn time! Get yourself over here!
"Give it a rest boss. Today is not the day for this. Do you have any idea what I've been through."
Huh, another familiar voice.
It belonged to a girl, who had finally reached the table me and Kraz were at.
She had blonde hair, part of which was tied into a short ponytail but still had enough to hang freely to reach her shoulders. And she was wearing a pink blazer, a black undershirt, a black miniskirt and pink boots.
She had a lazy look on her face and she didn't seem to be particularly worried even though her boss is chewing her out.
For some reason, seeing her set off lots of danger signals in my system. Come to think of it, this girl also seems familiar...
Hey, wait a minute!
"Don't know, don't care. Save yer whining for someone who does. Can't you see we have company? Show some manners."
"Oh, sorry. Nice to meet- wait a minute! You look familiar..."
"'Sup, noisy girl."
Her eyes and mouth both slowly widened. She seemed to be in shock.
Just then, I had this really bad feeling from the pits of my stomach.
"EEEEHHHHHHHHHH!!!???"
Ouch.
--
II
--
"Wha!? Wh-what are you doing here?"
What is this girl even saying?
"... am I not allowed here or something?"
"No, I thought, I mean, uh, shouldn't you be dead?"
Hey, watch it.
And why would she even think that? I don't remember running into anything that would make her do so.
Last I remember, we got trapped inside a circular chamber, courtesy of the relic site's automated defense mechanism.
We had to fight a giant golem too. Now that I have time to recall, it was a Svaltia, if I remember correctly. Luckily, we managed to beat it.
After that, well...
Wait, what happened after that? I don't remember at all!
After the fight with the golem, the next thing I remember is waking up to a pair of boobies. Not a bad way of waking up but it doesn't explain anything at all.
I should ask Emilia about that later.
"Luckily, that's not up to you to decide. I swear, the things that come out of that mouth of yours."
"You might have told me. This is how I find out?"
Now that I turn my attention back to the two, I noticed that they seem to be arguing.
Well, at least, they're finishing up arguing. Emilia turned back towards me almost the same time I finished reminiscing about the great time I had in the relic site.
"Uh, sorry about earlier. I am glad you're okay, though."
Well, she should be. I was practically her pay-less bodyguard back there.
"It's just that, after I blacked out, I don't remember anything until waking up here. I must have dreamed the whole thing. Phew, talk about a load off!"
Oh, great, we were in the same boat. Well, I guess it's not that important anyway. We were both alive and that's all I need to know at the moment.
"Definitely not, delirious girl."
"Hey, stop calling me names! And it couldn't have been ANYTHING but a dream!"
Though her attitude about the whole thing kinda annoys me.
"So you're already acquainted! Good. Getting along well too. This should make this easier."
"Makes what easier?"
Kraz spoke up as me and Emilia were talking, saying something quite vague to me. Oh, and he ignored Emilia's question too and kept his attention on me.
That look of annoyance on her face is quite funny too.
"You're freelance, right? Well not anymore. You're with us now."
Huh? Hey, wait, a job offer? Really? Little old me?
"Whoa, where'd that come from?"
"Quiet, you. I was talking to him."
Me and Kraz ignored Emilia as she silently growled at the side.
This offer is actually intriguing me. Mostly because being freelance can be quite difficult at times.
Though, with Kraz's history of sending off non-fighters to dangerous relic sites, this requires a bit more thinking.
Kraz took my silence as an invitation to explain further. And so he did.
"We aren't a big company, but for someone with your experience, we'd sign you on with a full bonus package."
Bonus package? Now that's interesting.
I may not be an elite mercenary, but experience is one of the things I got going for me. I've been freelance for a while now, so I've had my fair share of mercenary action.
"I'll even throw in a partner. She's not much, but she's better than nothing."
Now, that's generous. Though that "not much" part kinda makes me suspicious."
"How unusually generous of you."
See? Even Emilia thinks it's suspicious.
But like he said, it's better than nothing. I'm practically getting VIP treatment here. With the recent dwindling of resources, it's hard to find a steady job, nowadays.
I was about to accept Kraz's offer but he suddenly said something incredible.
"I'm talking about you, knucklehead."
"Me!?"
What.
Oh, so that's the catch. So he was hiring me to practically be this girl's babysitter.
What a disservice. And here I thought there was loyalty between fellow beastkin!
"What do you say? No entrance exam, free partner. More than a fair offer, eh?"
In truth, that really was more than a fair offer. A steady, good-paying job was being offered to me on a silver, no, GOLD platter. There's even a partner thrown in.
Though if said partner is one Emilia Percival, then that's kinda a deal-breaker.
I looked at said deal-breaker and she was silently looking at me with pleading eyes while slowly shaking her head.
I thought it over. Since Kraz trapped me in this situation, there's certainly going to be another catch should I refuse.
"Say, this is all hypothetical, but if I refuse?"
I just had to ask.
"Well, that'll be too bad. 'Course, we'll have you pay us for rescuing you. And we'll also send you the medical bills. Checked earlier and there were a lot of zeroes! Well that's all hypothetical, like you said. You will sign up, won't ya?"
Ah, of course. Really, what a cruddy boss. I almost feel bad for Emilia.
Almost.
"Haha, yeah, hypothetical. Alright, sign me up."
The look of utter betrayal that appeared on Emilia's face made this all so worth it.
Really, with all the trouble she put me through before, I'm gonna take every chance I can get to have my fun at her expense.
"Then it's settled! Welcome aboard!"
"Thanks for having me."
Well, at the very least, I should still be grateful.
They saved my life, after all.
Too bad I can't say the same for my favorite black coat. What even happened to it?
For those interested, I was currently wearing a plain white shirt.
"Heh, don't mention it. I even went ahead and took the liberty of preparing some quarters for you."
Really, all this generosity is starting to make me uncomfortable. How many babysitters gave up on this girl before me...?
"So what's your name, kid?"
I was honestly hesitating to tell him and even thought about making up a different name.
Though that plan fell out the window when I saw Emilia snickering at me. Ah, right, she knew my name.
How irritating.
"K-Kara Draken."
Emilia covered her mouth with her hands to hide her laughing while Kraz just looked at me with an amused smile.
Even Chelsea got a little caught off-guard.
Really, why is that so funny? It's a normal name! It's not my fault a majority of Kara's are female!
Lucky for me, Kraz didn't seem to push the issue and returned his attention back to Emilia, who was getting the last snickers out of her system.
"Don't just stand there, Emilia! Escort your new partner to the living quarters. You two play nice, hear?"
It's amazing how fast this girl's expressions can change.
I have no idea what he meant by "play nice", what with all that incredibleness he was watching earlier, but if I'm to keep this job, I better not speak out of turn.
"Wait, boss! Don't I get any say in who my partner is?"
"What, am I not good enough for you?"
I was ignored.
I'm hurt, I really am.
"If you'd rather work solo, I suppose that could be arranged."
Wow, I better get some tips from him on how to handle this troublesome girl. Look at her look so defeated.
"Save yer complaints for when you're ready to work alone. Understood?"
"Ugh..."
"So, can you lead the way, partner?"
Kraz gave me a grin of approval on that one. Emilia, on the other hand, looked at me in annoyance.
Well, the feeling's mutual.
Seeing me shrug, she gave up.
"All right, you guys win. I'll be waiting outside the living quarters."
And then she left.
Without even telling me where the living quarters are. Typical.
"That girl has more lip on her than brains. Orders aren't up for debate."
You tell 'im, boss-man.
"Monsieur Boss is too hard on the girl. You catch more bees with honey than vinegar."
Chelsea offered her two meseta. I honestly forgot we were nearby her desk.
"If she worked more like a bee, maybe she'd deserve some honey."
Exactly.
Silently commentating like this is actually pretty fun.
That is, until Kraz turned to me and asked for MY two meseta.
"What'd you think? Am I too hard on her?"
Don't drag me into this, please.
Though, honestly? Nah, he's not. That girl is a special case.
"Meh, I'm sure she deserves it."
"Damn straight. Finally, someone with some sense 'round here."
Really? I was the first one to tell him this?
"At that age, give 'em an inch, and they take a light year. Let me go ahead and set the record straight right here and now."
Kraz straightened up as he continued. Or at least, as straightened up as one like him could get.
Which isn't saying much, really.
"Her and me aren't related in any way, shape, or form. I'm her boss, she's my employee. End of story."
Well, no shit.
Really, why would he even think that I thought they were related?
I barely spoke since waking up here.
"What a thing to say! You are the girl's guardian!"
Huh, now THAT caught me off guard.
Really? He's Emilia's legal guardian? Where did he even get the qualifications?
"I only took the two of you in to settle a bar tab."
"You were the only who keeps coming until the bar goes out of business. Truly, I am grateful for all you have done for us."
This seemed to make Kraz uncomfortable. He turned back to me.
And I was enjoying that little back and forth too.
"This is getting us nowhere. Listen, we're not related, all right?"
"I never thought you were..."
"Good. Though, technically, I am her legal guardian. And that's the only reason I keep her lazy, back-talking carcass around."
Why do I keep getting the faint feel of a tsundere parent?
I should bury that weird thought before it escalates.
"It is not her fault. There are so many new things at first, no?"
"I don't want to get into a whole thing about the girl's past. Frankly, I don't care."
He shut off that argument quite effectively, if I do say so myself. And of course, he turns back towards me.
"As for you, your only job is to keep Emilia out of trouble. Keep her safe."
There's that feeling again. People just can't be honest, it seems.
"If you can get her to where she actually pulls her own weight around here, even better. How you do it is up to you. Don't let me down."
"Sure thing, boss."
He nodded in response before returning back to his table. To resume watching his incredible show, I presume.
"Monsieur Boss has a sharp tongue, but Emilia is a good girl."
Chelsea said to me as soon as she confirmed that were out of Kraz's hearing range.
"Be nice to her, and I am happy. Emilia is happy. We are all happy."
Well, I suppose. I don't really have any grievances for the girl so I think I can be nice to her from time to time...
I nodded at Chelsea as my response. This seemed like a satisfactory answer for her.
"Now, Emilia is waiting for you outside the living quarters. Do not keep a lady waiting!"
I bid farewell to Chelsea as she returned back to her receptionist duties.
I started walking towards the office's exit but stopped midway after remembering something quite important that I had noted to myself earlier.
Emilia neglected to tell me where the living quarters were.
--
III
--
I found her in front of the residential area, looking like she could fall asleep standing up at any moment.
I'm gonna have one hell of a time whipping this problematic girl into a decent shape.
"Well it's about time!"
Yeah, I took my time heading over to where we were now. I learned some new stuff about Little Wing too while I was at it.
Turns out Little Wing's only a branch office for a much bigger company, Skyclad, whose head office is in Parum.
Skyclad has a lot going for it. Medicine making, clothes, makeup, food packaging, and even the hotel business.
The resort office where Little Wing is stationed in, Clad 6, is the sixth branch of Skyclad, hence the name. And of the many things Clad 6 does is run the security firm, Little Wing.
Truly makes one wonder why such a big and prosperous company is bothering with the security contractor business. Probably something mercenaries like me shouldn't have to worry about.
One more thing I learned about Little Wing is that when signing up, they require no documentation of any kind. As long as you have the skills to pay the bills, even if you have a criminal record.
One of the reasons why they don't have much personnel. Around fifty or so, I've been told.
Though the variety is pretty amazing. There are former thugs, pirates, etc. And they're very loyal to each other.
"We may be Little Wing now but we'll certainly be Much Bigger Wing soon!", I've been told.
But since they don't have much members, they try to recruit pretty much every chance they get. Which brings me to another thing I learned.
Imagine my surprise when I saw Vasque, the CAST I met back in the relic site, rolling with the Little Wing crew.
Turns out Kraz saw him helping out with the rescue efforts and asked him to come over.
He told me he was a little worried when he learned about the no documentation policy but so far, so good, he said. He also apologized about not noticing me tripping.
It wasn't his fault anyway. My luck is just not that good. And with all the stampeding around, I kinda expexted it. When I told him about it, he seemed impressed that I was able to survive as a freelance mercenary despite my bad luck.
He seemed worried about Kraz's attitude towards work but quickly let go of it.
"We're mercenaries, and we do as we're told, am I right?", he said.
He also told me that if we're ever put on assignment together, he'll watch my back if I watch his.
Vasque is a cool guy to hang with.
I also met a blue-haired woman clad in red clothing named Kunoh.
She seems to be a veteran Little Winger, so I was sure to be polite.
She told me that since they don't ask questions about what I did before I joined, I'll only go as far as I achieve. She added that if I don't think I got what it takes then I better take her advice and take off.
I thought that she was one of those bad superiors but turns out she was just testing me.
"Seeing as you didn't flinch just now, I'm guessing you do have what it takes. Or at least you think you do."
She told me not to worry, and that she's on my side so long as I'm on hers and to drop by anytime.
Overall, she seems alright too. Little Wing is mostly filled with good people, with a few exceptions.
Which brings me to one of those said exceptions.
"Can we get this over with now? I need some shut eye."
Really, this girl. Why can't you be like your peers?
Makes one wonder how they're putting up with this troublesome girl.
I followed her into my new room, and I wasn't disappointed. Seems like Kraz really did go out of his way for me. Heh.
It wasn't a big room, but it's big enough for one person.
There was a bed, a few tables and chairs and even a dressing room. Located by the corner was the storage for my stuff and on the corner table was a brand new VisiPhone.
VisiPhones can be used to record information about many things, file mission reports, etc.
Not bad, if I do say so myself. Much better than my previous living situation, which, as a freelance mercenary, was anywhere I can afford to stay for the night. Hotels, Inns, a random cave, you get the gist.
"That pretty much covers the important stuff, anyway. Try things out for yourself. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Now I seriously have to get to bed. *yawn*, I'm asleep on my feet..."
I can't tell if she's complimenting me or she's just being lazy.
No, I'm pretty sure she's just being lazy.
"Wha- hey! Go sleep in your own room!"
"*yawn*, when things get down, I get sleepy..."
No use, she's already knocked out and mumbling.
I sighed. What a troublesome partner. What happened to the serious Emilia that assisted me back in the relic site? I really wish I could switch.
Well, now that I can't use my own bed, I decided that I can kill some time wandering Clad 6. I can't exactly go on missions with my partner like this. I headed out the door.
"Wait. It should be safe for us to speak here."
Who said that? I thought Emilia was asleep. And her voice sounded different.
Funny, I don't remember anyone entering after us.
I turned back and saw Emilia standing up, but her eyes were still closed. And she was emitting a faint but noticeable golden light.
What the heck?
Before I could ask what the hell was going on, various markings appeared on Emilia's face and neck and glowed golden too.
And then a bright, blonde, beautiful girl appeared from behind her. There was a golden halo with distinct spikes protruding from it on her back.
The girl opened her eyes, and they were golden too.
I rubbed my own eyes briefly, and when I reopened them, the girl was still there, floating behind Emilia while covered with a bright golden aura.
I knew I should have gotten some coffee earlier.
--
IV
--
"I am Mika, an entity of pure consciousness. I have chosen this girl as my vessel. The form you see before you is a product of technology lost long ago."
Wait wait wait wait.
Am I hallucinating? Because I'm sure this is just a hallucination.
Did a person just appear out of thin air?
What in the heck?
"The people of your time call it the technology of the Ancients, which would make me an Ancient."
An Ancient, huh? I could swear I've heard about that term before.
"In the distant past, my people lived in this system. We were the first."
"Huh? You're selling what now?"
In truth, I was genuinely confused, even if it was just a daydream talking to me.
My response seemed to catch the lady off guard. She was confused for a moment before she continued.
"I understand your doubts, but please, hear all I have to say before making up your mind."
"Well, that's nice but I barely have any meseta on me. I can't buy whatever it is you're selling."
The glowing lady got even more confused.
Can you blame me? It's been a very tiring day, and then this daydream comes along and starts talking about ancient civilizations.
Of course I wouldn't be able to follow the conversation.
"I-I do not understand. I am not seeking to barter with you. Please, listen to my plea. You are the only one I can trust."
Huh, last time I checked, I wasn't anyone special.
But seeing the pleading look on her face, I felt kinda guilty about treating this as a joke.
And she just had that sincere feel about her that makes you think she couldn't possibly be lying.
Ah, whatever, I'll just play along for now. I just hope nobody else comes in or Emilia suddenly wakes up.
"Alright, what do you need?"
Upon hearing this, she, Mika, had a grateful look on her face as she started to continue her sales pi- I mean, her explanation.
"I have studied Emilia's memories to learn about your time. Three years ago, a great calamity befell the Gurhal System- The attack of the Seed."
That's one word I'd rather not hear again. The Seed left some very bad memories for me.
I'd rather not talk about the Seed again but I'll endure it this time. This seems very important for this person.
"But that was not their first attack. They came in my time as well."
The hell, really?
If what she said earlier, that she's an Ancient, is true, then that's a REALLY long time ago.
The Seed existed way back then? What even are those things anyway? This conversation just got very uncomfortable.
"I apologize if this is an unpleasant topic for you."
"N-no, it's alright. Please continue."
Mika seemed to have noticed that my expression turned sour at the mention of the Seed. In any case, it'd be rude to stop her at this point, so I told her to continue on.
This seemed to have relieved her.
"It was the height of our civilization. The Seed Invasion pushed us to the brink of ruin."
"You too, huh?"
"Indeed. The battle was long, but in the end, we triumphed, banishing the Seed and their leader, Dark Falz."
Only for them to return in our time. Granted, the Seed were resealed but the damage was already there.
I would guess this is the same case for the Ancients.
"But victory came too late. The planets of our system were already tainted by the Seed. Not even our bodies were spared. The taint of the Seed left nothing untouched."
The Seed truly were a nightmare Gurhal never really was prepared for.
To think that that calamity had already occured twice.
"It was only a matter of time before our system and all who lived there would perish. So the Ancients risked everything on a grand venture that would span the ages: Project Renaissance."
Oh boy, I've got a bad feeling about this.
I remained silent, since Mika was gonna explain everything anyway.
"First, we purified the Gurhal System of the Seed, restoring the planets to their former glory. Next, we created a new race of men, and loosed them on the pristine worlds. Finally, the Ancients shed their tainted flesh and became beings of thought. Our work done, we passed into sleep."
So, what's Project Renaissance?
I find it hard to believe that they just wanted to fix the system, create new people, and then just silently pass away.
If that's what they wanted, then they wouldn't need to become pure consciousness.
As I motioned for Mika to continue, the bad feeling in my gut intensified.
"We slept and waited. Waited for the day our children would rise as we had, that we might steal their bodies for our own."
"What!?"
I burst out. Luckily, this didn't seem to wake up Emilia, nor alert anyone outside the room. It did startle Mika, though.
I mean, it's only natural, right? If an ancient civilization is plotting to hijack the entire system's population, and you've just been told this by someone from said civilization...
You'd freak out too.
"I admit, I should have expected such a reaction..."
"Hell yeah, you should have! I should have known something was off about all this!"
If these Ancients think they can steal this system from us from right under our noses, then they've got another thing coming for them!
I mean, all my stuff is here.
"I understand your hostility but please! Please hear me out once more. The current Gurhal's survival rests on our very hands!"
What? Why would she bother with OUR survival? I thought the Ancients want to steal our bodies?
Wasn't she one of them? Boy, do I have a lot of questions.
"A-alright, go on."
"I am grateful for your consideration. Now, where did we stop..."
I'll just let her finish the entire explanation. THEN I'll bombard her with questions.
"As time passed, all went according to plan. The civilization of the men we created grew and prospered. Their technology advanced, until finally they unlocked the secrets that would lead them to our slumber."
So it's going to be an ambush? We somehow locate their sleeping grounds, then they hijack our minds?
Wait, don't tell me...
I might have an idea about this, but without hard facts, they're all just speculation. I have no choice but to rely on Mika's words.
"Thjs new race of men- humans- are our children. The Gurhal System has fallen into the trap laid so long ago by the Ancients. I know you must find it hard to believe... but it is the truth."
... I have no reason to believe her at all.
For all I know, I could just be daydreaming.
But there's also something about Mika that makes me just want to believe her.
I was about to say something but then Mika's next statement smashed that idea away.
"And so I ask for your help to stop this dreadful plan from happening."
Huh?
"The one you call Emilia will not hear me. Her heart and mind are closed. So I beg of you, please, lend me your assis-"
"Hold on just a flippin' minute!"
And so I startled Mika for the second time that day.
"I thought you were an Ancient? Why would you want to stop the plan? And why are you even telling me this?"
She remained a little shocked for a few more moments because of my outburst, before she straightened up and looked at me seriously.
"Though I am an Ancient, I have no desire to be reborn in this time."
"... why?"
"Our destruction was our fate. Our time has passed."
That doesn't answer my other question though.
Why go through all this trouble just to tell ME, of all people...?
I'm nobody special. I'm just another freelance mercenary who just recently got a job at a security contractor called Little Wing.
"Why me? Can't it be someone else?"
I'm no hero. I can just ignore all this, and maybe someone else will learn of the Ancients' plan, and they'll be the ones to stop this.
Maybe it'll be the Guardians' hero, Ethan Waber. Or even some kid out there aiming to be someone important.
Stay out of my business, and I'll keep out of yours. That's how I've lived all my life.
Mika stayed silent for a while, as if she's hesitating whether or not to answer my question.
After a few seconds, she seemed to have made a decision.
"You and I are not the strangers you might think."
Huh? We've met before? How's that even possible? Was I an Ancient in a past life?
"Ask yourself: Why can we talk as we do? What bond do we share?"
"I... have no idea."
She seemed to have been expecting this response, evidenced by the lack of change in her serious expression.
"When the automaton attacked you in the relic site, was it real?"
I thought we defeated that automaton?
Didn't we?
Strangely, when I try to remember, the dots don't seem to connect.
Me and Emilia defeated the Svaltia, somehow. And then the next thing I remember was waking up here in Little Wing.
What happened back there? Did I pass out from exhaustion?
Or...?
No, that can't be right. I'm still alive and kicking here.
Right?
"Are you even alive?"
"What kinda question is that? Of course I am! I'm right here! I'm alive... right?"
I was expecting something like "of course you are" or anything similar.
But Mika just continued to stare at me wordlessly.
What does that mean?
I died...?
But I'm right here!
And I couldn't have been a ghost, either. Emilia, Kraz and the others can see and talk to me just fine earlier!
"Haha, this is all just a bad joke, right?"
"This is no joke. The automaton destroyed your flesh. You knew true death."
So it was true? I really did die?
Perished? Kicked the bucket? Passed away?
It wasn't just a dream? The part where the Svaltia reactivated and attacked and I pushed Emilia out of the way? All that wasn't a dream?
But that doesn't answer why I'm still here!
Mika seemed to read my question from my face, and she opened her mouth to speak once again.
"It was Emilia's wish that activated my program and allowed me to reconstruct your broken body."
Emilia did?
I looked at her sitting but still sleeping form, and a wide range of emotions all started pouring in.
She saved me?
"Even now, we-"
"*yawn*"
Mika's latest statement was interrupted by Emilia spontaneously yawning and stretching.
"She will awaken soon. You and I will speak again."
And as grandiose as her first appearance was, Mika vanished in a relatively quiet way, like a light flickering out.
"*yawn*, guess I dozed there... um, why are you staring at me?"
"Uh, I was uh... watching you sleep?"
Well, if you consider talking to an Ancient sharing your body watching you sleep, then I wasn't really lying was I?
Unsurprisingly, this answer unsettled Emilia quite a lot.
"That's just creepy! Next time I fall asleep, wake me up! Ew..."
I think the lesson here is to sleep in your own room.
But after remembering that I just recently learned that I had died, I just didn't have any energy to start an argument.
Emilia didn't seem to have expected me to remain silent and thought I was being apologetic.
"Well, I'm not really mad... Just don't do it again, okay!?"
"O-oh, sure."
She continued to stare at me weirdly, still looking surprised that I'm not arguing.
Really, the urge to antagonize this girl significantly lowered after I learned that she was the reason why I'm still alive.
"O-okay then. I guess I should show you our ship now. C'mon, follow me."
--
V
--
"You're all set up to use the transporter. It'll take you straight to the bridge. Go on, give it a try."
I did as Emilia had said and stepped into the glowing blue circle on the ground.
It seems like the system automatically detects what ship you are assigned to since it didn't require any manual input from me.
And I was right. I was transported inside a relatively unused ship.
Of course, there must be a way to transport to a ship that's not assigned to you. For visiting purposes or others, probably.
I'm actually a bit impressed. It looks like the ship's in great condition. I can't say much about the exterior since I got transported inside but the interior looks good.
It's not too big. Just the right size for a small team. The bridge looks spacious enough. There are a few pilot seats and some passenger seats as well.
In the center of the bridge is what I assume to be the main control system. It has a holographic display of the three planets in the Gurhal System: Parum, Moatoob and Neudaiz, as well as one for Clad 6.
This might not be so bad after all!
As I was busy admiring the ship, I heard someone transport inside. It was probably Emilia.
"This is the ship we'll use for work. She's company property so take good care of her."
Well, it couldn't have been anyone else but her.
I still don't know what to feel hand. On one hand, she's loud, annoying, lazy and troublesome.
On the other hand, she did save my life.
I've decided. I'm gonna be a bit nicer to show my gratitude. Of course, I'm still gonna reprimand her if she does something stupid.
After all, I can't just tell her about all that Ancients business just yet. It's best if she thinks it was just a dream. For now, at least.
"Uh... what's gotten into you, Kara?"
Huh?
I must have been staring at her while I was thinking.
"You've been staring at my forehead the whole time I was talking. Do I have something stuck up there?
She asked while she started checking her forehead.
Best not tell her that there's an Ancient living inside her just yet.
"Huh? There's an Ancient living inside me?"
Huh?
Oh crap, did I say that out loud?
Oh well, it's not like she's gonna figure it all out just from that. Best just treat it as a joke.
"Yeah, like a tumor."
"Ha-ha, very funny. I'd probably notice something like that before anyone else, don't you think?"
To be honest, I'm not so sure. With a person like Emilia, you just never know.
"And besides, the Ancients have been dead since ages ago... You know, Kara, you've been weird since we got to your room. Don't tell me... You did something funny to me while I asleep, didn't you? You perv!"
What the heck is this crazy girl going on about now!?
"As if! Why would I do that to a kid?"
"Hey, I'm 16! I'm not a kid and don't treat me like one, you old man!"
"Old man? I'm only two years older than you!"
"Really...? Ah, whatever! Instead of arguing like this, we might as well be working!"
The nerve of this girl!
First she accuses me of being a pervert, next she calls me old and now she preaches about working?
Last time I heard, she couldn't keep a job for any amount of time!
Really, I have no energy left for this. I don't even know why I took the bait.
"Ah, fine."
Let's just end this argument here so I can head back to my room and rest. I have A LOT to think about. And that might even be an understatement.
"Oh and let's not forget who's in charge here! I have been with the company longer, after all."
"Sure, whatever."
Give it a rest, you noisy girl. How much actual work have you done FOR the company, anyway?
"Ugh! You're not making this easy!"
Heh, it's actually quite fun to rile her up.
I thought she was gonna keep on arguing but she just sighed and then smiled at me.
Really, if she keeps her mouth shut and just smile...
I've said this before, but she's actually pretty cute.
"Oh, forget it. Just treat me the way you have been and we'll get along fine."
"Alright then, problematic girl."
"That doesn't include the name-calling! Ah, geez! You're such a jerk, know that?"
Yep.
In any case, I've seen all there is here in our ship for now. Time to get some rest.
As I prepared to transport back to Little Wing, Emilia slumped her shoulders and exhaled deeply.
"Phew. Talk about a full day. I'm tired already..."
For once, I agree with this lazy girl.
It's been such a long day, I'm not even sure if it's the same day that I met her in the relic site.
"Well, no need getting into all that relic site business again. I guess the main thing is that we're both safe."
Well, she's half-right, I guess. That relic site technically DID kill me.
"I'm just glad that we both got out alive."
"Um... about that..."
Hm? She seemed a little hesitant to continue.
"What is it now?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure how to say this..."
Just spit it out already, you annoying girl!"
"I-if it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be trapped in that relic site. But more than that, you believed me. In my dream, that is."
Huh? I'm not sure I follow...
That part where she ranted about the Seed and relic sites?
When she said nobody believed her, and I semi-jokingly told her that I did?
She took that seriously?
Emilia then smiled sincerely at me, fiddling with her fingers nervously.
"Real or not, it made me happy."
She took it seriously.
I don't get it.
And what is with this atmosphere?
Stop skipping beats for a troublesome girl, you damn heart. You're being scammed!
I must have been gawking at her for a while now since she started getting annoyed.
"Hey, stop staring at me with that weird expression! You think it's easy spilling my guts like this?"
"S-sorry."
I'm not sure what came over me but it's probably not gonna happen again.
"Ah, enough of that. I think you've heard enough about me for one day. Next time, you're in the hot seat!"
While I agree about learning enough about this annoying for one lifetime, I'm not quite sure about that part about the hot seat.
She then put one hand on her hip while pointing at me with the other, winking at me while she spoke.
"We're partners now. We have to get to know each other!"
... what's this crazy girl going on about now?