News flash - In light of the recent news, I hereby announce that I WON'T include any O.V.A. content in the upcoming stories. Unless you want (at least) a year long break. And you don't, right?

Chapter 20 – Gratitude

Toshiro bumped into Mio during his morning jog, although it looked more like she was eagerly waiting for him.

"Let me guess, Mio, you are eager to do a marathon today?"

"Your wits don't fail you on this one, Toshiro. What do you say?"

"Sure, why not. I have a feeling it will be peaceful today, but I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"We will do it after 1100."

"And why's that?"

"There will be a very special radio broadcast at 1000, and I would like everyone to hear it."

"Care to fill me in on the details?"

"Naaaah… I don't feel like it…"

Mio sighed and said, "You are being so full of yourself sometimes…"

"Thankfully this broadcast won't be about me, heheh…"

"At least that… So how was it in Rome? Is it still a beautiful city?"

"Yeah, pretty much. If not for that Neuroi the girls had to fight…"

"Ah yes, I've heard reports about a fight with a Neuroi over Rome… Was it your doing?"

"Not mine, the girls. I just kicked back and watched the show, talking to a new acquaintance."

"New acquaintance?"

"Her name is Maria, and Francesca gave her a tour of Rome."

"You should tell me more about it later."

"Yeah, yeah. Francesca has to face Minna anyway…"

"Because of the tour?"

"Partially yes… She blew all our money on it…"

"She did what?! Preposterous!"

"Yeah… I wonder if she will stand before Minna herself, or will she have to be dragged there…"

"I can help you with that."

"Oh I know you can, Mio. But let's give her a few minutes after breakfast to do it herself before tying her up like a roast pig and dragging her there."

"Hahah! I just imagined it like that! Well fine then, let us wait."

"By the way, since you're so fired up, did you by chance find out a good rout for our little run?"

"As a matter of fact yes. I took Minna in the air yesterday, and using her Area Analysis magic, she found out that a lap around the inner circle of the castle is 1/40th of a marathon distance."

"So we have to do forty laps?"

"Yes, precisely."

"Trude all fired up?"

"Bah! Minna said that she will be running too!"

"Impossible!"

"Ain't it? Minna is really a tough nut, despite her sitting behind the desk all the day. She even ran around a bit with Perrine and Lynne to get some of her shape back."

"And I was in Rome that time… Oh such a waste…"

"You'll have time to watch her during the marathon."

They finished the jog an hour and a half later, giving Toshiro a few minutes of respite before he would blow the trumpet.

While they were sitting in the dining room, Mio said, "The sauna is going along nicely, and the bath is slowly taking shape."

"Good, good… No problems?"

"No, besides the fact that those guidos are so sleazy, sheesh… They would probably fuck everything that has two legs and a vagina…"

"Hmmm… Maybe I should knock some sense into them?"

"No need, Minna took care of it. Don't know how, but suddenly they became so timid…"

Toshiro shuddered, imagining what verbal abuse the workers were exposed to.

"Okay, Mio, time for me to sound the bugle, and play Santa Claus."

"Oh yes, you've bought stuff for the girls."

He went on to his room, and sounded of the bugle. Afterwards, he went down to the hangar, and found a big bag, and stuffed everything that they bought inside of it. With the bag full, he went to the dining room.

Entering said room, he was greeted by Yoshika of course, and then by the rest of the girls. Erica ran up to hip, and jumping up and down she asked, "Did you get them? Did you get them?"

"Well, I got something…"

"Weeee!"

Toshiro rummaged the sack, and pulled the alarm clock.

"Huh? That doesn't' look like sweets…"

"It's an alarm clock for your lazy ass, Hartmann." Trude said with a superiority.

"But I don't wanna! I want my sweeeeets!"

"Well I don't know… You got a present already, and you are behaving like a brat right now…"

Erica made big puppy eyes that were slowly welling up with tears.

Nobody can resist such a torture!

Toshiro grabbed the five small bags together and pulled them out.

"Here, here… Just don't eat them now!"

"Yaaaay! You are the best, bro!"

"Heheheh… I'm spoiling you too much… Lynne, come 'ere!"

"Oh, yes!"

Toshiro pulled out the can with black tea and the two bags of seeds.

"Thank you, Toshiro." She said. "Perrine will have something to tend to now, heehee…"

"Huh, what are you saying about me there?" Perrine asked.

"I asked Toshiro to buy some flower seeds, so you can make a nice flower bed…" Lynne responded shyly.

"Oh… Well… I suppose I should accept this gift. But… Um…"

"It's on me, Perrine, don't worry about it." Lynne said with a smile.

"Ah well… Then let's make a flower bed after breakfast! I have to show you how it's done!"

"Oh, oh, did you get all the things I wanted?" Eila asked eagerly.

"You sure you want to get all of that in public?"

"Meh, why not?"

Toshiro shrugged and first pulled out the pillow. He threw it to Eila, and she caught it perfectly, just as expected from someone who can see the future.

"Heehee, thanks!" Eila cheered.

Toshiro also pulled out the enormous vodka bottle plus the hipflask. The girls looked at the bottle curiously.

"Eila, do you have a drinking problem?" Minna asked.

"No. I just want to keep a bottle of vodka for special occasions."

"But why the hipflask then?"

"You never know…" Eila shrugged.

"Whatever… I won't stick my nose in your private life… But if you get drunk on duty, I'll sentence you to solitary. With no visits." Minna said with a cold voice.

"Eheheh… I understand…" Eila said with a bleak face.

"Toshiro… Do… You have what I requested?" Trude stuttered.

"Heh… I had a nice laugh when Yoshika showed me it, heheh… But here, for you…"

Toshiro pulled out the wrapped dress and Trude snatched it from his hands in a blink of an eye.

"Thank you…"

"And now, the radio…"

Toshiro pulled out the radio from the sack and placed it on the table. The girls murmured in appreciation.

"I see you picked up a nice unit, Toshiro."

"It was Shirley who spotted it." Toshiro confessed.

"My, my, then thank you, Shirley."

"Heheh, no problem, Minna. Where should I hook it up?"

"I think the common room would be good, since it was tidied up yesterday."

"It was?" Toshiro and Shirley asked in unison.

"Yes, it was."

After everyone ate, Francesca finally did what Toshiro wanted her to do, alone.

"Uuuuum… Minna…" Francesca shyly raised her hand.

"What is it, Lucchini?"

"Can I talk to you on the side…?"

"Yes, of course."

"Hey, Francesca, do you wish for a lawyer?" Toshiro said with a smile.

"Well…"

"You want it… I know you do…"

"Okay. Can Toshiro come with me?"

"I don't know what this is about, but come one you two. Shirley, wait a few minutes with that radio, okay?"

"Sure thing."

Toshiro, Francesca and Minna went out of the dining room, and ventured to the common room. It was now sparkly clean, with new drapes, a red carpet, chairs and sofas.

Minna took a seat on one of the sofas and said, "Please, Lucchini, have a seat."

Francesca seated herself, and Toshiro rested his derriere beside her.

"So, what is this all about?" Minna asked.

"Well… You see… Ummm… I squandered all the money Toshiro got for the trip…"

"Oh? And on what did you squander our hard earned money, with which we could buy half a year worth of supplies?" Minna said with venom almost seeping from her mouth.

"I found this girl… She was attacked by the mafia… We ran away… I gave her a tour around Roma… Then some orphans tagged along… And in the end there was no money left…" Francesca confessed with an atoning behavior.

"My, my…" Minna sighed. "And what do you want to add, Toshiro."

"Although I think Francesca behaved like a stupid child, running away and blowing our money, I think there are some attenuating circumstances. She did it out of her kind heart, giving the girl the time of her life. And there's also something about only I and said girl know about."

"Then tell it to us, maybe I'll be more lenient to Lucchini then."

"I can't right now, I want it to be a surprise. At 1000, everything will be clear."

"As you wish… Ensign Francesca Lucchini, for now I sentence you to water bucket holding for the next four hours. If that ace in the sleeve Toshiro is hiding is worth something, I might consider not punishing you further."

"Yes ma'am…"

"Go to Trude, and tell her to supervise your punishment. Do it in the hangar."

"Oh, and tell her to tune into BBC Rome."

"Huh?" Francesca tilted her head.

"Trust me. And be sure to listen to it at 1000, heheh…"

"Okay… Can I go now?"

"Dismissed."

Francesca went out of the room with a gloom face.

"So, Toshiro, care to write a report about yesterday's battle?"

"Sure, why not."

"And what in Gottes Namen (Gods name) are you hiding exactly?"

"It appears that Francesca toured a rather… well born lady around Rome, not knowing it in the slightest."

"You got me interested…. Oh well, let's wait for that radio broadcast in the office."

"Yes, lets."

Thus they went to the office, and Toshiro wrote up a report accounting for what happened during the battle. After Minna read it, she questioned him a bit.

"So, you didn't take part in the battle? Why?"

"This was not my fight to fight, Minna. I could just fly in, rip that Neuroi a new one and poof, battle over. I wanted for Francesca to defend her homeland on her own, so she would earn some points, heheh… I really felt the determination in her."

"But you would step in once thing would get out of control, right?"

"Immediately."

"Okay then… I won't bother you more, dear supervisor, heh…"

"While we're talking already… You are really going to run with us?"

"Heehee, sure, why not?"

"But that's 42 kilometers and a few odd meters, you think you will manage?"

"Toshiro… I may be a paper pusher, but I have stamina on par with Mio."

"Well, Adolfine surprised me, now you…"

"Huh? What did she surprise you with?"

"She's ripped. Not bodybuilder class, but she has some nice muscles there."

"That's something new…"

"Well, she doesn't run around and shout it out to everyone you know. She actually wore a bikini for the first time after she started training when we were on Florida, heheh…"

"She must have turned a few heads, huh?"

"Oh yes… We were alone in the cargo bay of that plane for almost a week. Do you imagine what I could do with her if not for Yoshika?"

"I bet it would be unsuitable for viewing for people under 18…"

"Probably… So, do you have some kind of special outfit for the run?"

"As a matter of fact yes, heehee… But you'll see it when the time comes."

"I can't wait!"

"Aren't you a bit too flirty with me? I mean considering Yoshika… I don't have anything against it personally…" Minna started reddening on her whole body.

"As long as it's look and not touch, Yuki doesn't give a cold fuck about it."

"But did you as Yoshika about it, huh? You are relying too much on that snake to be your moral compass, Toshiro."

"Ugh… I guess you are right… I have to ask Yoshika about how far I can go with other women…"

"See? I probably saved you from some major fallout."

"On the other hand, I washed the hair of some of the girls, with them being stark naked, and Yoshika didn't say anything…"

"Or maybe she doesn't want to say anything so you won't be hurt?"

"Oh my… I didn't think about it that way…"

"You see, Toshiro, I can't just let there be any friction between you two… If one of you would get injured, or God forbid die after an argument…"

Minna lowered her head down, and went silent. Toshiro also didn't utter a word.

"Why am I doing this to myself…" Minna sighed.

"I really don't know, Minna…" Toshiro stood up and went out of the office.

Poor Minna… She still didn't let go of Kurt after all this time…

Toshiro decided to peek into the hangar, since there was still half an hour left until the broadcast. He saw Trude sitting at the table and watching over Francesca, who was standing in the middle of the hangar with two buckets in her hands. As he approached, he heard that the radio was playing some song in Romagnian.

"Hi, Trude."

"Hi. As you can see, Lucchini is undergoing her punishment according to plan."

"Good that you take so much pleasure in enforcing the law here, heheh…"

"Bah!"

"My arms huuurt…" Francesca moaned.

"You should have thought about that before embezzling our money." Toshiro said. "But don't worry; I think that your punishment will end sooner than you think." Toshiro shot her a wink.

"I hope so…" She moaned again.

Toshiro went to the common room, and sat on the sofa for a few minutes. Afterward, he approached the PA panel on the wall, set the channel to 'All' and started saying, "Everyone, please come to the common room. Trude, Francesca, you stay in the hangar, just crank up the volume a bit."

He himself fired up the radio, which Shirley already installed. He dialed it in to the same frequency as that one in the hangar, and waited.

The girls slowly swarmed into the room, taking places on the chairs and sofas.

"So it's time for that mysterious broadcast?" Minna asked.

"Verily. We still have a few minutes so… Anyone else want to join us in our marathon in little over an hour?"

Toshiro had the feeling that the only thing missing here in the room was a tumbleweed, tumbling slowly from one end of the room to the other.

"Your lack of enthusiasm is truly debilitating…" Toshiro sighed.

"I…I can run with you, Toshiro… If you want…" Yoshika mumbled.

"Nice of you to say that, Yoshika, but you know that you'll fall flat after two or three laps?"

"If this relieves me from training later on, then I'll run!" Yoshika said aloud.

Toshiro shot a look at Mio, and she nodded back.

"Okay then, you can run along with us. Just be sure to run at least four laps, so Mio will be content."

"Sure!"

Suddenly, the radio broadcast changed.

"It is now 10 AM, and this is BBC Rome. We will now transmit the live speech of Her Highness, Duchess Maria in her first day of official duty in the Principality of Romagna."

"It is my greatest pleasure to address my subjects for the first time in public. Rome was attacked by the Neuroi yesterday. However, one small group of witches helped to thwart the attack. Yoshika Miyafuji and Shirley Yeager, I truly thank you for your help, but the one who shone that day was a daughter of this land, Francesca Lucchini. I learned a valuable lesson from her while this was all transpiring. We each must do everything in our power to protect the world. I will do everything I can, starting today, to defend Romagna. So, I thank you, my dear friend, who showed me the wonders of Rome, and how such a small body can house such immense determination. And please, Colonel Edelweiss, you know what happened, don't let her be punished too much. As I speak, a plane full of the finest supplies is flying towards your base. Let this be a small token of gratitude, and compensation for what the little Francesca did…"

"We know return to the normal broadcast…"

It goes without saying that Yoshika and Shirley had their jaws dropped right now, but the others were a little intrigued by what they heard.

"Toshiro… So this is what you've been hiding, right?" Minna asked.

"Yes. Francesca, not knowing that, has given a tour to Maria Pier di Romagna, the Duchess of Romagna. She really enjoyed it, must I add… Maria is really a nice girl, but a bit too sheltered…"

"Everyone, a plane from the Romagnan Air Force just paradropped some crates!" Trude's voice sounded from the intercom. "What should I do?"

"Wait for me, Trude." Toshiro replied. "How is Francesca going?"

"She's shocked after what she heard, but besides that, okay."

"Uuuhhmmm… T-Toshiro… Is that all true? Was that red haired girl really… a princess?"

"Heh, yes, Yoshika. You could say that besides seeing my uncle from a few meters, you also did the same with the Duchess of Romagna, heheh… But anyway, who wants to accompany me to see what goodies Maria sent us, follow me."

Toshiro went to the hangar, with all the girls following him. He saw that Francesca was peering from behind Trude, with a bucket on her head.

"Francesca Lucchini, why are you not doing your punishment?" Minna asked.

"Wah!" She shouted and hid completely behind Trude. "B-b-b-b-because I'm afraid of you!"

"Oh? And why are you afraid?"

"B-b-because I messed up back in Roma…"

"True… Abducting a princess, beating up her bodyguards, embezzling our units' money… I don't think that holding buckets full of water is enough for you, my little missy…" Minna sighed. "But since she addressed Toshiro directly about your punishment… Say, Toshiro, what should we do now?"

"Hummmmm…" Toshiro pondered ostentatiously. "Since Maria is technically the ruler of this country, it would be rude to not listen to our host, right, Minna?"

Minna nodded.

"Ensign Francesca Lucchini, your punishment has now officially ended. Get that bucket off your head, and come on, you'll help us identify what delicacies Maria has sent us."

"Yaaaaay!" Francesca cheered, ran up to Toshiro and hugged him. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, yeah… Come on now."

They ran up to the crates, and Toshiro opened the first one. Two dozens of yellow cheese wheels were lined up nicely inside.

"Hmmm… A good start… Francesca, you know what type it is?"

"Parmigiano-Reggiano!" Francesca cheered.

"Ah, Parmesan. Good, good. Okay, next crate."

Toshiro approached the second crate, and after opening it, he saw about thirty cheese wheels, smaller and packed in black foil.

"Oh, this must be Gorgonzola! It's a blue cheese, so it's wrapped in the foil so it doesn't grow any further."

"You certainly are knowledgeable about food, Francesca…"

"I have to! Romagnan food is the pride of this country!"

In the next crate, Toshiro discovered a slew of big sausages.

"Salami!" Toshiro shouted. "I love salami!"

"I prefer Pastrami to be honest…"

"Who knows, maybe we'll also have that…"

And as Toshiro predicted, so it was. The next crate was full to the brim with blocks of the delicatessen meat.

"Yay, all the pastrami I can eat!"

"All the pastrami we can all eat. Don't be so selfish, Francesca…"

"Eheheh…"

There were still three crates to be opened. Toshiro lifted the lid on one of them, and saw six bottles, tucked into a thick layer of hay. Toshiro pulled out one of the bottles and started reading aloud.

"Monprivato… In Castiglione Falletto… Hmmm… Francesca?"

"I have no idea."

"Hey Mi…" Toshiro started turning around calling Minna, but she was already behind him.

"Toshiro, did I hear correctly? Can I have a look?"

"Sure…"

Toshiro gave her the bottle, which she carefully inspected, as if it was some sort of holy relic.

"You truly are blessed by the gods, Toshiro… This wine is made from the Nebbiolo grape variety, one of the most noble in the whole world! And this winery… That six pack of wine is basically worth half of your two-week' pay, Toshiro."

"So much?! Well, then I'll better store in the wine cellar…"

"Awwww… But I thought we would taste it…"

Toshiro thought for a few seconds and said, "Soon, Minna, soon. Be right back."

He went to the wine cellar with the wine crate, and locked it away. When he returned, the girls were already carrying the crates in the direction of the dorm.

"Please, girls, I'll do it." He said. "And what's in the two other crates by the way?

"Hoho, my bro is a true gentleman!" Erica said and dropped the crate on the ground. "One is full of flour, and the other had at least a gross of eggs in it."

"I hope it wasn't the one you dropped on the floor like a stone…"

"Hahah, no, no! This one has flour inside…"

He picked up that crate, and lifted two from Trude.

"Don't overexert yourself, Trude, we have a marathon soon."

"Oh pff, don't pamper me…"

The two went to the pantry, and placed the crates in and orderly fashion.

"So, Trude, all fired up?"

"Bah! I want to beat a record!"

"Do tell."

"Well, there are actually two records, one for 'normal' people, and one for witches."

"And you want to break both, right?"

"Genau (Exactly)! One is by your former compatriot, Son Kitei. I think 2 hours 26 minutes and 42 seconds is a reasonable time to beat…"

"And the other one…"

"The other one is a second under two hour's dead…"

"What a gap…"

"And the record holder is Marseille…"

"No way!"

"Way, way! I want to throw that posh princess off her throne!"

"She didn't tell me about that… Oh well, at least you are motivated, heheh…"

"Yes I am! Now excuse me, I have to change…"

"You too? Minna said she also has some track outfit or something…"

"Hah… You will be surprised, by all three of us!"

"Mio too?!"

"Yes!"

"Damn it… Then I'll also dress accordingly."

"I hope you won't disappoint me…"

"Depends… Okay, I'm off!"

Toshiro slowly walked up to his room in the castle. He pulled of all his clothes, sans his briefs and socks, and pulled on only the tattered Africa Korps shorts.

"Now, this will surely please the girls, heheh…" Toshiro said to himself.

Toshiro went down, and on the junction, he saw Lynne and Erica doing something.

"Hey you two, what's up?"

"Oh, Toshiro… We are setting up a stand with water so you all can refresh yourselves during the event." Lynne answered.

"Good idea, Lynne. Do you need me to carry something?"

"No, bro, I got it." Erica butted it. "I got everything under perfect control."

"Okay, I'm not interfering then…"

And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]