GREETINGS!
Did you miss me ya wankers? First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for this long absence and I hope that this hefty chapter is enough compensation for the long wait. Anyways, I have more to say, but until the end of the chapter, cheerio!


Chapter XIII
Ring Around the Shamrock

Somewhere on board the Unicorn
25th of April
2:31 PM

"So what do you think?"

The last hour had been a blur for Rosehip as she stared at an empty crystal bowl which was once filled with thick udon noodles soaked in steaming hot broth. Her cheeks were still a rosy red as the umami flavour of the soy beef lingered on her taste buds. In front of her, Roselle's bowl told a similar tale as their little quintet act had stopped for a noodle break.

After they had walked out of the train station, Rosehip was dragged across the shopping streets of Shamrock, shimmering with sales of everything from sweets to shawls. They had spent the past hour or so gawking at displays and trying out the local delicacies, including the so-called soda bread, which to both her and Roselle's disappointment had no soft drinks in it.

The meal had been Annalee's idea, who led them through a series of alleyways and cobbled streets, through winding passages until they reached a quaint little square with a small marble fountain in the middle, whose bottom was so littered with coins that they had to haul Roselle away from the edge due to her getting ready to dive in and take some for herself.

"Welcome to Pery Square!" the fiddler had exclaimed, scattering the flock of pigeons quietly roaming the square, before running off to the other side of the square.

And for a while, the reason why they had been brought here alluded Rosehip, until they saw their guide standing next to a peculiar stall. In the midst of the foreign architecture that adored its surroundings, a small Japanese noodle shop somehow not only blended in but was able to complement the scene. For Rosehip, it brought about a sense of familiarity, something that reminded her of her upbringing as first and foremost a citizen of Japan.

"This here's the Shiroiwa Noodle Shop; it's my favourite udon place in all of Shamrock. Their noodles are shooting with richness and the broth's filled with explosive flavour. I always go here with my sister when we can!" Annalee proudly proclaimed to them, pulling up seats for them to settle down.

As the five of them took their seats by the counter of the Shiroiwa, Rosehip couldn't help but notice the mixture of Eastern and Western influences, like how the noodles were served in clear highly-decorated crystal bowls instead of the traditional Japanese bowls. Even some of the patrons, who were clearly having a late lunch were comfortable enough to use forks instead of chopsticks, something she herself had yet to do masterfully well.

"It was great!" Roselle heartily replied, with an empty bowl to show for, grinning ear to ear as her hunger was once again vanquished.

Rosehip voiced her own agreement and even her own senpai, as well as Mallow, silently showed their enthusiasm as their nods of approval equated to that of judges' praise.

Beaming with pride and joy, their orange-haired escort picked up her violin case and stood up from her chair. "How about some dessert?"

With their stomachs full but nonetheless still excited by the promise of dessert, the five paid their tab and set off, traversing the serpentine pathways that separated antiquated buildings until they finally emerged onto one of the main roads once again.

The street, which Rosehip remembered was called Grafton, was still bustling with activity as the locals went on their own shopping. The wares were not the only things they were checking out, though. From the corner of her eyes, Rosehip noticed the stares people were giving their entourage, giving her the impression that they saw them as if they were mythical creatures, like some red-coated unicorns.

After passing glass displays already seen and selections already perused, Annalee rounded the corner, with them following shortly after. To say they were shocked was almost insulting to the grandeur of what stood before them.

Tucked between the buildings, was a vast open space, dwarfing Pery in comparison and instead of a fountain, it led itself to a grand old brick building, which one could have mistaken for a train station. Standing on top of polished stone, the establishment's facade was built out of red brick which gave way to a tall arched opening that was topped off by an arch made up of interchanging black and white bricks.

"And finally, here we are, Shamrock's best-kept secret, the Gloria Market!" the fiddler declared, waving her hands across the whole establishment, bringing Rosehip's attention to a plaque sign up top that stated such, only to note that it appeared as if it might be missing two letters.

Gloria… that sounds quite familiar…

"What's with the name?" Assam-senpai asked, snatching the question from her mouth as all four of them probably thought of the connection to their very own school.

"Dunno," the ginger shrugged her shoulders and turned her back towards them, walking up to the entrance. "No one knows either," before turning around, facing them as she continued to walk backwards, not caring if she could hit someone, as she said, "Legend has it that this place was the oldest building here onboard the Unicorn."

With a bit of hesitation, the four of them walked through the passageway, passing two black grilled gates, unsure of what lay beyond, only for their senses to be overwhelmed by what was inside. As it turned out, the fountain Rosehip thought was missing from outside was centre stage in the middle of the market, serving as the pièce de résistance in all its cast iron glory. Around it, archways and stalls gave way to a wide variety of shops, all brimming with wares, each one looking more appealing than the last.

Illumination was provided by the sun, the light of which passed through lunette windows with stained glass panes, flooding the inside of the market in lively green-coloured light, giving the place an even jollier atmosphere. The intensity of conversation increased tenfold as shopkeepers called out to the crowd and customers haggled for goods.

Rosehip found herself standing on the colourfully tiled floors, which produced delightfully intricate patterns, before settling her eyes on a small upturned crate that stood next to the fountain.

"Ah! The box where my sister and I play on the weekends. Great way to earn a few coins and cheers," Annalee popped in, waving around her instrument case, staring off into the distance while a grin appeared on her face, probably a sign of her being carted off towards wonderland.

"You must love your sister very much?" Rosemallow inquired, bringing back the carrot head to reality. "You've brought up going with her quite a few times now," she explained as their group made their way to the cast-iron fountain.

"Aye! She's the best sister in the world!" the fiddler cheered, clasping her hands together.

"Lucky," her loader chuckled as she tossed a yen coin into the fountain. "Mine's a massive pain in the arse."

With a tug, Rosehip felt herself being dragged once again as Roselle pulled her arm, wanting someone to accompany her as the conversation bored her and would probably rather check out the sweets the place had to offer.

"Just hold your horses, you two!" their loader called out, holding onto her other free arm as Rosehip found herself caught in between the two, each one pulling and stretching her in opposite directions.

"Where is your sense of adventure?" Roselle asked, trying to free Rosehip from Mallow's grasp, not succeeding as their loader effortlessly held back her advances.

"Left it back in Gloriana," Rosemallow snarkily replied, pulling Rosehip towards herself, slowly dragging Roselle along.

"No need to be so uptight," Assam-senpai said, putting her hand on Mallow's shoulder. "Let the girls have their fun," she finished, surprising the trio at this change of pace.

"Assam-senpai…" their loader said out in a mixture of shock and dismay before letting out a deep sigh and letting Rosehip's arm go, which was starting to feel as if it was being pulled from its socket.

"In fact, I'm going to go to the tea shop myself," her blonde senpai pointed behind her, where a hanging steel sign in the shape of a teapot was to be found.

Annalee, perhaps unsure of what to make of what just happened, began pulling on her collar and awkwardly said, "I-uh, let's… Let's all meet here l-later, I'll get the pies ready."

The group parted ways and Rosehip and Roselle, now unrestrained, spread their wings as they dashed through the place, their eyes and noses their guides as they searched for any tasty treats. The two of them expertly weaved through the crowds, managing to avoid bumping into anyone or anything, which used to be an all too common occurrence at the start.

Rosehip knew that, behind them, calmly walking by, was Rosemallow, who was used to following them, her eyes being able to keep track of the speeding red blurs that they were right now.

The pair blitzed through a confectionery called Candy Cauldron, pressing their faces against the glass drooling over trays loaded with realistic-looking marzipan fruits mouth-watering toffees. By the time their loader had reached them, both already had paper bags loaded with sweets and munching away at the colourful candies that they picked.

"Let me have some!" Rosemallow said, scooting her arms from behind Roselle, with the goal of getting some of the treats.

"Newww!" her driver replied, ducking underneath the twin-tailed girl and running off.

With a sigh, Rosehip handed hers over, not feeling like putting up a fight, her head still tingling from her drinks last night. "Here you go."

"Hmmm… a tad bit too sweet," Rosemallow commented, a frown on her face before going off after their driver.

With Roselle reeled in, the trio continued their trek, passing through stores of all kinds, one, in particular, was brimming with buckets of spices, each step inside bringing forth a new smell before all being replaced by the stench of the meat shop next to it.

"Fancy anything lassies?" an old man in a bloodstained apron asked them from behind the counter, waving a sharp-looking cleaver.

Seeing as it would be rude not to reply, the trio shook their heads and pretended to peruse the produce on display, most of which was freshly cut meat.

"Ari would have loved all of that," Roselle brought up, using her hand to point out the thing in question, her other one was busy pinching her nose.

Rosehip looked over to where she was pointing and saw a pile of pale-looking mutilated pig's feet.

"By love you mean she'd be puking her guts out, then yea, she'd totally love this," she retorted, feigning to have an interest in a stack of blood puddings.

"Oh yea," Rosemallow let out, snapping her finger, which sounded like a small pop, "Speaking of Mary, we should probably make use of this opportunity to buy her souvenirs now."

With only a nod, the three silently agreed to split up further to cover the multiple bookshops in the market, with Rosehip taking the one down the lane; a competitive spirit suddenly waking up inside her as the bid to buy the best gift for their bookish friend was up for grabs.

While walking, she couldn't shake off the feeling that, behind the stalls and even the floor above, someone out there was watching her and so she did what she did best; she ran. She was barely able to keep track of people in her way, only her destination in mind.

She caught sight of the overhanging metal sign of an opened book on top of an anvil and screeched to a halt, coming to a stop in front of the Wordsmith Bookstore.

Gingerly entering, Rosehip was greeted by a store crammed pack of colourful shelves of books, preceded only by tables filled with book-related trinkets, from wooden book stands to lightbulbs inside jars.

Assam-senpai would have loved all of these…. she thought to herself as she started browsing the wide selection of novelties available, resorting to buying one of them rather than getting a random book that she has no chance in hell of knowing if Rosemary would like.

Hmmmm…. Maybe she should get something for her senpai. After all, she still hadn't been able to properly thank her for helping her out of a pickle.

Rosehip came to a stop, realising that she didn't know what Assam would like.

Most of their conversations in the past were about her and her behaviour that Rosehip wasn't able to ask her senpai about herself. It didn't help that Assam-senpai was also prudent about what she said during the rare times that she was able to ask her. Often, any answer she gave seemed to Rosehip like it had been prepared and polished beforehand.

Pushing the matter out of her mind, she selected a hollowed-out metal bookmark, of which formed intricately detailed Celtic knots, all held up a short green tassel.

Surely not, this would certainly blow Mary's socks off?

Approaching the counter, she was even more surprised at how cheap it was, not wanting to break the bank for a mere souvenir.

For a thank you gift, however…

After being handed a small paper bag by the cashier, Rosehip made her way back. She kept her eyes open for a shop that could hold the very gift she was looking for, only half her mind focusing on the return route.

After a few missteps and wrong turns, she finally made her way back to her two teammates, who were waiting in front of the confectioners and the first thing her eyes noticed was both of them were holding or wearing peculiar items they didn't have before.

"Hippu, over here!" Rosemallow shouted, beckoning her over, her iconic Gloriana red coat now hidden underneath a teal-coloured wool jumper.

"There you are, ya nitwit!" Roselle yelled in turn, each hand holding a shopping bag, which were being swung around, a tell-tale sign of her driver being bored as heck; jostling around the bags' contents of whose nature she could only guess.

"We've been waiting for you!" her loader started in line with one of her notorious scoldings.

"Assam-senpai's been calling us multiple times now, saying Annalee's waiting. Where have you been?" she asked. Rosehip could feel the burning gaze on her as she approached them.

"Where did that all come from?" Rosehip asked, not having the heart to tell them that she was, for all intents and purposes, lost.

"You were gone for so long that we took the liberty to buy things for ourselves. Lookie! I got myself a kaleidoscope!" Roselle replied, digging into one of the bags and producing a long green tube that was star-studded with eye-catching designs and patterns.

In typical Roselle fashion, she shoved the telescopic device in front of Rosehip's face, almost taking an eye out in the process. It only took a second for her to realise as to why Roselle would buy such a peculiarity as the amalgamation of different shades of green in varied shapes was quite breathtaking. It was cut short, however, as her driver took back her kaleidoscope and stowed it back in its hiding place; its brilliant green hues still continued to dance before her very eyes for a while.

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten something for yourself," Rosemallow added, twirling around the group like a ballerina, displaying her new found comfy-looking garment in all its pattern-covered glory.

The trio started walking as a pack, eating up the entire corridor, being careful to make way for anyone going the opposite way. Seemingly, they started coming across more and more people, as this swell of the shoppers in the market continued to grow by the hour.

"Where did you even get that much money?" Rosehip asked, knowing very well that her driver didn't have much in the way of an allowance.

"I asked Nilgiri for a loan!" Roselle cockily replied, swinging around her shopping bags, almost hitting a small lad in the face in the process.

"And you're not gonna pay her back?" Rosemallow wrly retorted, very much the expert in knowing how hard it was to ask the boot-wearing speedster what she owed.

"Well," the brunette looked up at the glass roof, mockingly thinking. "I may be behind on our rent for a while but I think I will. Shocker, I know," she revealed, looking towards Rosemallow direction, surely watching out for what she has to say.

"A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one," Mallow replied, before shifting her attention towards Rosehip. "Aren't you going to buy something for yourself?"

She was about to reply when she felt herself get dragged once again, as Roselle dashed off someplace she didn't know, leaving Rosehip hanging on for dear life.

They finally came to a halt as she slightly bumped into her driver's back, dazed for a good few seconds before coming to stare at what Elle was looking at.

In front of her was just another brick-faced store, only this time, instead of food or clothes, the display cases were loaded with musical instruments of all kinds, from the biggest of pianos to the smallest of triangles. Above it all, another metal sign hung, only this time in the form of a clover leaf engraved with a musical note and below it was what Rosehip assumed was the name of the establishment; ShamRock N' Roll.

"Can you two not run off for at least thirty minutes?!" Rosemallow let out, announcing that she had finally arrived, only for her words to fall on deaf ears, as Roselle stepped into the store, leaving the two of them behind.

"Bloody Elle… She did that earlier with the shillelagh as well, wanting to buy me a bloody walking stick," Mallow muttered, still breathing heavily from speed walking just a moment ago.

"But yea, Roselle has already bought herself a walking stick and a kaleidoscope and is now looking to buy herself Gloriana knows what," Rosemallow carried on, looking at her watch as the two impatiently stood in front of the music store.

"Are you still feeling unwell?" Rosehip's loader asked, slowly taking on her motherly attitude as worry started creeping up her face.

"No, no, I'm fine now," Rosehip promptly replied, not wanting Rosemallow to worry about her too much.

"Do you need money? I can lend you some," the twin-tailed girl said, already in the process of opening her hand bag to pull out her wallet.

Rosehip let out a sigh; she guessed there was no point in hiding it anymore. "It's… I don't know; I want to buy something for Assam-senpai," she divulged, noticing Mallow's ears perk up at the mere mention of Rosehip's mentor; while she felt hers turn a sharp red.

"Buy her something she wants!" Rosemallow suggested, her head moving about as she scanned the surrounding store for anything noteworthy to buy.

"That's the problem! In all my time of knowing her, I barely know what she likes!" Rosehip confessed, noting a hint of frustration in her own voice.

"There must be something here that she would very much like," Rosemallow stated, her hand subconsciously going up to her chin, just as she always did when she was deep in thought.

"How. About. You. Buy. Her. A. Ring!" Roselle declared, causing both of them to jump up in surprise as their driver tooted her newly-bought instrument after every word.

"That's it!" Rosemallow blurted out.

"What in Gloriana's good name is that?" Rosehip asked, using her pinkie finger to clean her ears out, which were still ringing from the notes blown by her driver.

"It's a tin whistle," Roselle replied, letting out more ear splitting tunes, randomly fingering the holes along the length of the metal pipe.

"Alright, alright, better put that away now, people are staring," Rosemallow advised, starting on the hunt for the store that held their sought-after treasure.

"It was either this or a ukulele," Roselle replied, still fiddling with her instrument before producing a long, padded box from another shopping bag that held the whistle snugly.

"Ukulele…" their loader uttered, deep in thought once again before returning shortly thereafter. "Wait, isn't Rukuriri-san's birthday near?" she asked.

"Oh, yea!" Rosehip exclaimed, realising that the event was only days away. "It's less than a week away! We should definitely buy her a gift as well," she concluded, thinking about her dear buddy, the only other friend she could rely upon and besides, Rosehip needed to repay her the favour of giving information.

"Any suggestions?" Rosemallow asked, as they turned a corner, meeting more people on their own shopping sprees.

"How about a teacup?" Roselle sarcastically suggested, stuffing the whistle box away into one of her shopping bags.

"I think we have enough of those already that if we were to stack all that we have, it would be as tall as the Castle itself," Rosehip replied, referring to the large control superstructure that towered over the Ark Royal.

"Doesn't she like to drink?" Rosemallow asked, peering into one of the display windows that housed shelves of lovely bowls of various shapes and sizes, all made from the expertly-cut glass.

"Oh yea, definitely!" Rosehip replied, having been invited to the pub by Rukuriri for Gloriana knows how many times for some post-practice drinking.

"We'll buy her a drink then," Rosemallow stated, as the three of them conveniently came across a store that specialises in non-alcoholic booze. "Well, talk about sheer luck, let's get this done with."

The trio gingerly entered the dark and musky shop, its walls filled to the brim with bottles and bottles of liquor, from sweet Maginotian wine to clear, water-like Pravdan vodka.

"Well, there's also another thing she likes..." Rosehip jokingly said, narrowly avoiding bumping into a stand filled with bottles and bottles of cider.

"And it's not our Rosemary, is it?" Roselle jested, picking up one of the fancy-schmancy glasses used for drinking the stuff.

"Stop spouting utter nonsense and help me out here," their loader said, pulling out a bottle from the shelf, examining its label by the little sunlight that somehow made its way inside.

"Not by a long shot; haven't you heard the news around these days?" Rosehip asked, playfully drumming her hands on some of the barrels on the back of the store. "She's taken a fancy to that volleyball captain, an obsession even."

"Why don't we just gift her that girl then?" their driver replied humorously, playing around with the corkscrew she found on the counter.

Gears started turning in her head, plans started to form as she contemplated Roselle's reply. However, given their current predicament, she could only plan and for the moment, kept all of it at the back of her mind.

"Ah, this is perfect," Rosemallow uttered almost to herself, as she presented to them a tall clear rectangular bottle, completely filled with amber-coloured liquid and capped off and labelled in green, the name of the whisky being, Shamrock Dew.

"What do you two think? No use getting anything fancy, we still have a ring to buy," she continued, waiting for their opinion on the matter, holding the bottle with both hands.

Rosehip, whose knowledge of liquor ended at what was currently in her glass, went along with her loader's decision, supported in part by their driver.

Rosemallow went to the counter to pay for the liquor, with the transaction going smoothly and the storekeeper placing the bottle in the box and expertly wrapping it in white paper; to hide its true identity, which then got handed to Rosehip, "Here."

"You better be the one holding on to it," she answered back, passing the package back to Rosemallow, "It will break if it's in my possession, or Elle's for that matter."

Mallow, perhaps knowing arguing further was all but futile, begrudgingly accepted the bottle back.

"Oh, and keep it hidden from Assam-senpai," Rosehip said, knowing very well what her senpai would say on the matter.

"Of course, let's buy ourselves a ring now, shall we?"

The three set off once again in search of the one ring, going about like hawks as they navigated the labyrinthine nature of the market. Their eyes were peeled sharp as if they were out scouting the enemy on the battlefield; but this time on the lookout for a shop instead of tanks.

Watching the wrought iron signs that Rosehip was starting to get accustomed to, she was able to perceive one that was simply two circular rings entwined with one another. With most of her job in the Crusader being more or less spotting opponents miles away with the aid of binoculars, it came as no surprise that she was the first to notice it, even being able to make out the text written on the sign: Lady of the Rings.

"There!" she exclaimed, pointing to the shop in question.

Sensing her chance at revenge, Rosehip grabbed Roselle's shopping bag-laden arm, and for good measure, grabbed that of Rosemallow's as well, and dashed off towards their destination, taking her crew in tow.

They reached the store in no time, all out of breath and panting for air. Protests from the two filled her ears but she heard none of it, as she was too mesmerised by what stood before her. Black velvet necklace busts lined the storefront like tin soldiers, each wearing a pendant or chain made with the finest silver holding glistering gemstones.

Coming from a modest provincial background, Rosehip wasn't really much into items of jewellery like her peers, finding them a bit too easy to lose especially given how they weren't exactly cheap.

Still, even if the trinkets were typically way beyond her financial reach, there was no denying that they were beautiful. She'd seen such things before, of course, behind the glass walls in museums aboard the Ark Royal, sometimes in other people's possession but never something she herself would wear. Yet here she was, standing in front of the jewellery store with eyes glued to the display cases, unable to take her eyes off them.

Without as much as a word, Rosehip set foot into the shop, causing a bell to chime. Upon entering, she found a small girl their age behind the counter, her head raised up to the ceiling, holding up a small stone against the glow of the chandelier that illuminated the place; inspecting it using what Rosehip could only assume were binoculars but for gems.

It came as a surprise to her that the place was entirely bathed in light from old-fashioned kerosene lamps rather than lightbulbs, the glow emitted by them giving the place a rustic feel, elevating the jewellery displayed within.

Set beneath a domed ceiling that held the single chandelier, the modestly-sized store had precious stones as far as the eye could see with earrings made of gold laid delicately on display pillows alongside rows and rows of felt-lined ring boxes which held wedding bands of all shapes and sizes, some carved with the most intricate of designs and others bearing the brightest of gemstones.

In the centre of it all, in a display bust placed upon an elevated pedestal complete with its own limelight, was a heart-shaped blue diamond, held by beads of smaller but nonetheless magnificent diamonds.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Rosehip heard Rosemallow say to Roselle, who probably had a look of greed in her eyes.

"Fear not, I'm no Rosemar-," their driver replied before cutting herself off at the last minute.

Rosemallow, ever the sagacious, raised an eyebrow, at this comment and asked,

"What was that?"

"N-nothing…" Roselle stammered meekly, pretending to examine a collection of bejewelled hairpins.

"It would appear the heavens have opened!" the girl behind the counter said out, laying the gem she was examining on the counter and making her way towards the, giving Rosehip ample time to make an examination of her.

The girl in question was of a small stature, so much so that Rosehip had to look down rather than the usual up she did when encountering new people. The girl wore a dark blue dress, hidden beneath a pristine white apron, complemented by a red ribbon set with an orange gemstone.

Behind her was a trail of wavy brown hair tied with a simple white head scarf, worn in a balanced fashion that walked the tightrope between simple and extravagant, which reminded her all too much of the girl whom she was buying a ring for.

"How may I help you?" the proprietor asked cheerfully, her brown eyes filled to the brim with poetry and character.

"I'd like to buy a ring," Rosehip answered, setting her eyes on the silver rings situated on top of silk white handkerchiefs on top of the counter.

"Hmmm, pink hair and quite vivid orange eyes, I'd say you're an amber lady!" the girl exclaimed, turning her back on them and returning to her position behind the counter. "Just in time, I just received a fresh shipment from Bonple."

Every time the girl spoke, she let flow from her mouth a proclamation of her love for jewels and Rosehip could only aspire to reach such a level of dedication to one's craft.

"No, it's not for me…" she gingerly let out, causing the jeweller to stop dead in her tracks. "It's for a friend…" she responded, hoping her infatuation wasn't all too obvious.

"Of course," the jewel girl smiled slyly, implying that she was in the know. "Describe her."

Rosehip, who could hardly close her eyes without the image of her sweet senpai filling her vision, found this task menial and replied, "Luscious blonde hair tied with a black ribbon paired with bright purple eyes," she replied, doing her best not to go overboard, though, by the snickering of the two behind her, it would seem she did her job too well.

"Is that so?" the proprietor asked, "Amethyst should be perfect then!" she declared before returning to her flurry of work as she tinkered behind one of the displays, taking out a small black ring box and placing it on the glass counter.

The trio stepped forward as the brown-haired girl opened the box, revealing a sterling silver ring placed snugly in a layer of silk, encrusted by a heart-shaped gem that emitted a light purple hue.

Cautiously, Rosehip picked the ring up from its container and held it up to the light, noticing at once the intricate details carved into the ring, with a crown sitting on top of the gem, which in turn was held by two small hands.

"It's beautiful," she whispered to herself.

"Our store specialises in traditional Claddagh rings, which as you may have noticed have a few key elements," the jeweller started explaining. "The heart, as you may have guessed, denotes love, the crown just above represents loyalty, and the two clasped hands stand for friendship," she finished.

Rosehip found herself nodding along before delicately returning the ring back to its box.

"Splendid! How much is it?"

"36,957 yen," the jewel girl promptly replied.

Rosehip could have faded then and there. She scarcely had half that amount in her pocket much less the full price. Dejectedly, she closed the ring box and started to push it away from herself.

"But…." the proprietor started, "for one so enamoured with love, I'm willing to give a 15% discount!"

"Really? Arigato Gozaimasu!" she cheered, before realising she didn't know the new price. "How-"

"It's around 31, 000 yen, give or take," Rosemallow cut her off, somehow quickly coming up with the answer in a few seconds.

"Yep, 31, 414 to be exact," the jeweller curtly replied.

"This might help," 'Elle said from behind her, placing a 10,000 yen bill on the glass countertop. Also known as the Yukichi, after Fukuzawa Yukichi, one of the founders of modern Japan; whose face was on the bill, the 10,000 yen bill was the highest denomination in the Japanese yen.

"And this too," Mallow joined in, taking another Yukichi from her own billfold and putting it alongside that of Roselle's.

"Thank you so much, guys!" Rosehip blurted out, ever so thankful for having them as friends.

"Just make sure to pay us back," their driver patted her on the back. "With interest," she added in a low whisper.

Letting that comment slide, Rosehip took out her own wallet, which was more of a glorified coin purse emblazoned with the Union Jack and took out another 10,000 yen bill (the only one she had) alongside a 1,000 yen bill.

She began counting out various coinage to total into the remaining 494 yen, making sure not to include any of Gloriana's own poundage in the count.

While doing so, she spotted something sparkling buried within the coins and reached out for it. Rosehip didn't need to bring it out fully in the light to realise it was the golden coin given to her by Assam-sama.

All the more reason to buy her this ring!

With as much sleight of hand as she could muster, she slid the special coin into her jacket, placing it snugly into her inner left coat pocket, just above her breast; as close to her heart as she could give this token of gratitude from her senpai.

She stared back at the collection of bills and coins in her hand. 'This is the single largest amount of money I ever held in my hand,' she thought, before forking it all over the counter.

There goes a whole lot of Yukichis…

The jeweller took the payment and counted it on the glass counter, putting it all in her cash register and writing down a receipt for the purchase. "It's a pleasure doing business! Please come again!" the shopkeeper cheered before handing the piece of paper to her.

'Not a chance in hell' her wallet would reply if it could, as Rosehip picked up the receipt and the ring box, placing both in her pocket, before exiting out of the establishment together with her friends.

Her poor wallet who would undoubtedly feel the sting of this purchase for weeks to come.


Just above the stores, accessible by sets of wooden staircases, were cafes and restaurants, each one with its own set of tables and chairs. Seated at one such table was a long-haired blonde, whose hair was tied with a black ribbon, mindlessly tapping her long fingers on the wooden tabletop, boredom in her eyes.

A subtle blend of coffee and baked goods wafted through the air but she appreciated none of it as worry filled her insides with dread and foreboding. "What's taking them so long?" Assam breathed to herself, careful to not raise her voice above a whisper, knowing very well that Annalee was just standing nearby.

She sighed to herself: Her trip to the tea emporium was a bust; there was more tea in the Sahara itself than in that accursed shop. Assam wanted nothing more than to flatten the establishment with a tank, at least the rubble would have been more useful.

Begrudgingly, she had no choice but to return to Annalee with nothing but frustration to show for her efforts. She found the violinist standing in a line and, having nothing better to do, she resolved herself to just watch the comings and goings of people in the long queue, observing Annalee get closer and closer to the front of the line; who waved at her when she saw her staring, which Assam returned in kind.

Minutes went by as their tour guide inched more and more towards the counter, but there was still no sign of the trio. It was with regret that she thought that she didn't bring along more bugs with her, now being unable to listen in on them, unfortunately leaving her in the dark; a feeling she immensely hated.

'Wish I didn't leave the gun on the hotel rooftop…' she thought to herself, only now realising the grave mistake she had committed.

Assam only grew more restless with every passing, at one point even considering going down and looking for the three. She had already called Rosemallow before, after she had asked for her number earlier; correctly anticipating that the group would go their separate ways.

With her eyes following the motions of the crowd, she desperately scanned for the red-clad figures that represented the rest of their entourage. However, this was all for nought, as Assam heard the Rosebush before she saw them, their standard Gloriana boots (alongside one distinct pair of genuine leather boots) racing up the stairs, clattering loudly against the wood.

Laying her eyes on the trio, it came as a surprise to her that she was the only one empty-handed, with the other three all carrying with them shopping bags undoubtedly filled with souvenirs. Even Rosehip had a small paper bag with her and a suspicious bulge in her jacket.

Assam raised her arm, waving it to draw the attention of the three, and in no time, the Rosebush were already piling up next to her, out of breath and their paper bags thrown haphazardly onto the table.

"Phew, we're pooped!" Roselle sighed deeply as she plopped herself onto a seat, beads of perspiration present on her large forehead from all the running.

"Oh, perfect timing!" Annalee let out, announcing her presence, a trayful of delicious-smelling pastry dishes in hand as she took one careful step at a time towards them to avoid sending the tray flying.

The three hastily cleared their shopping bags off the table, with Assam noticing Rosemallow being extra careful with hers. Thick slices of steaming hot pie were what greeted the four, as their tour guide placed the tray on the table. Their purplish-black fruit filling oozed over the side, all complemented with a generous dollop of fluffy whipped cream up top.

"Ohhhh, what's that?" Rosehip asked, the mere sight of food reinvigorating her pink-haired kouhai and giving her newfound strength as she went in for a closer look.

"It's Shamrock's signature dessert, Bramble Pie! Eat up!" Annalee cheered, putting the plates and utensils before each and every one of them, before sitting down herself.

"Itadakimasu!" all said out of loud, before digging in.

Trying her best to not stand out, Assam paused for a moment as the others started eating, taking out her handkerchief and giving the cutlery a good wiping until she was satisfied. Precautionary measures just as this were drilled into her when she was young and had served her well in both daily life and on the field.

Holding the fork and knife, her mind was immediately reminded of the silverware training that was hardwired into her as a child. Wielding both utensils with ease and elegance, she broke through the crunchy exterior of the pie, just as her shots would pierce through the thickest of armour, and placed a piece into her mouth.

No sooner had the food touched her tongue when the explosion of flavour started, and she was quite certain that she was blushing madly for all to see. Each chew only confirmed further that these were little snippets of heaven and as such, should be cherished slowly, savouring the pie's fruity flavour.

Taking in another piece, Assam glanced up around the table to see how the others were doing. Annalee the violinist was simply watching all of them, only taking small bites while she had a small proud grin on her face. Rosemallow, as expected, was too engrossed with the pastry to have any other care in the world, perhaps her mind was racing as to figure out the ingredients and methods used in making the dish.

On the other hand, their wards were having another speed eating contest, as the two speedsters stuffed their faces with pie with the aid of the fork, their knives being left out of the occasion altogether. Her sharp eye was able to capture every little bit of the bramble filling and crumbs collecting on Rosehip's cheeks and wanted nothing more than to reach across the table to wipe it.

For a few minutes, the clank of cutlery against plates was the only noise, as the five each enjoyed their slices until there was not even a crumb left. Their guide stood up and left to buy something for them to drink, leaving the four to their senses.

"Tastes quite punny, doesn't it?" Assam jokingly asked the trio.

"You mean funny?" Rosemallow replied, sharp as a tack as always.

"No, it's definitely punny, with the bramble and all."

Rosehip continued to look sheepishly, staring deeply at the empty pie plate, something she didn't normally do back in the Tea Garden and even when she was hungover as hell earlier.

"Cat got your tongue?" Assam asked, breaking the ice.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Roselle, making no attempts at hiding her actions, slightly shift in her seat, giving more space for her elbow to repeatedly jab into Rosehip's side.

Her kouhai sat to attention, being a bit more discrete as she acted under the table, only being given away by the yelp of pain from her driver.

"Assam-senpai, there's something I…" Rosehip started only for words to fail her all the while reaching deep into her jacket.

Assam held her breath as the pink haired-girl produced a small black ring box from inside her uniform, her hand trembling noticeably.

Is it going to be a ring?!

Is this a marriage proposal?! I'm not ready yet ahhhhh

Wait… isn't marriage between girls….

All these thoughts raced inside her mind, each one speeding faster than bullet trains, all at the same time, resulting in a neural overload as she was being boiled into a red lobster.

"I…I wish to g-give to you this," Rosehip awkwardly stated, her voice filled with doubt and scepticism, finally working up the courage to open the box.

Assam gasped, for before her sat a shining silver ring ensconced within the silky confines of the box, but what truly caught her eye was the mother of all gems that capped it off. Emitting a vivid violet tint, was an amethyst gemstone, delicately cut in the shape of a heart.

How in Gloriana's name did she know what size my ring finger is?! she thought to herself as her kouhai took the ring from the box and held out her palm.

Unable to think straight anymore, Assam had a minor panic as to which hand to give as her mind was swamped over with thoughts about the future. In a split second, she decided to simply give her right hand and gingerly extended it, feeling Rosehip's calloused hand hold her own.

Words failed to come to her lips, she wasn't to give no snappy retort or even expression of gratitude. She sat there silently, her tongue frozen and so she used her eyes to do the talking for her.

Scanning her surroundings, Assam was thankful that Annalee was not around to witness this spectacle; it would have taken a lot of awkward explanation just for her to be brought up to date on the matters. Meanwhile, Roselle and Rosemallow, were both looking on eagerly, holding their breath and each other as if they were watching a nail-biting romance movie come to an end.

And then, there was the girl directly in front of her, Rosehip; the girl who caused her not only a great annoyance but affection as well all these years. This girl whose pink hair was always seen at the scene of trouble. This girl, who at this very moment was blushing madly, becoming so red she looked like a vine ripe tomato.

With much new-found gravitas, Rosehip ceremoniously pushed the ring onto her finger, audibly breathing hard as her cheeks puffed with every intake of air. Feeling the cold metal make contact with her skin made Assam almost recoil but it didn't take long for her to realise that the ring barely made it past her fingernail that the thing would be stuck.

"It won't fit," Assam giggled, causing Rosehip to blush even further, looking more sheepish than ever.

"Don't worry, that doesn't mean I appreciate it any less," she added, turning her kouhai's emerging hurt look into a slight smile.

"Are you sure?" the pink-haired girl asked, her orange puppy eyes staring at hers, almost on the verge of tears; a clear window into her heart.

"Of course," Assam replied, caressing her hand as she took the ring off, and placed it back in the box. "Now, let's see what's in the other bag!" she said with much cheer as she could put into her voice as possible to break the ensuing tense atmosphere.

"Uh, it's for Rosemary," Rosehip responded, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Ah, I see."

"Yea, we bought souvenirs for her!" Roselle, who until that moment Assam had forgotten was there, chipped in anr with that, Assam felt the tension in the immediate surrounding somewhat subsiding.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Annalee approaching, holding what looked like clear bottles of water. In one swift movement, she snatched the ring box from the table top and stowed it within the safety of her jacket.

Composing herself, she pushed Rosehip's hand across the table as the orange-haired violinist made her final approach with armfuls of bottles.

"Here you go!" their chaperone announced. "Unfortunately, all I can find is water, so here you go," she said as she placed a bottle before everyone, not bothering to sit down as she took a gulp from hers.

Assam opened hers and took a sip as the pink-haired girl in front of her almost chugged hers down in a single go.

"Is there anything you want me to buy for you?" Annalee asked, clearly not tiring from all the walking she had to do all day long.

"The pies were delicious!" Assam started. "Do they sell anything else at the shop? Something that can be a souvenir."

"Hmmmm… they sell jars of blueberry jam as well," their guide replied after a moment's pause.

"Two jars then… No, make it three." Assam responded, wanting to buy a souvenir for Rosemary as well, alongside those that were for her other Noble Sisters.

"Alright, I'll be quick!"

With Annalee taking her leave once again, Assam somewhat relaxed and returned her attention to the trio. "So, what gifts do you bear for your friend back aboard the Ark Royal?"

"Oh, oh, oh me, first!" Roselle started, placing a small white paper bag on the table. "I got her this!" she exclaimed, showing off a bluish crystal in the shape of a fish, held by a silver chain. "It's the Salmon of Knowledge but in pendant form. It supposedly gives knowledge to a wearer. Pretty good, eh?"

Ah, so it's one of those sham charms…. Though, I think I can borrow the chain idea for the ring….

"From me, Mary gets this bookmark." Rosehip pulled out a shiny flat piece of steel, on which ornate Celtic knots were patterned all across the bookmark, crowned with a green tassel.

Simple and practical, lovely!

"As for me, I bought her Sweny's Lemon Soap, which is a bar of lemon-scented soap that was in the novel, Ulysses, one of Rosemary's favourites," Rosemallow presented a small white box that let loose a sweet-smelling perfume that permeated across the table.

I see, so each one possesses a different level of understanding their friend…. Interesting!

Cheerful footsteps rang out nearby and as promised, Annalee was back in no time, this time bearing a paper bag that presumably held the jars Assam requested. Before Annalee had a chance to speak out, a wonderful rendition of Morrison's Jig played out, cutting off the violinist as she took out her pink-coloured flip phone with a G-clef keychain and answered the call.

Only nodding her head, their orange-haired guide snapped her phone closed and looked at the four of them. "Well!" she clapped her hands together. "I think it's about time we got back!"

The five cleared the table in a blink of an eye and were in no time already walking down the stairs to go back into the ground floor of the market, all the while still being led by Annalee.

"I have so much to show you guys tomorrow!" the violinist cheered, constantly looking at them and not at the way because she probably knew it by heart already. "Maybe we can go to Blarney?" she asked, looking up to the green-tinted glass panes high above in thought.

"Blarney?" Rosemallow inquired, her Aran Island jumper blending in well with the green-coloured sunlight.

"Yea, Blarney Castle, it's that castle in the middle of Glendalough. It has this stone that legend has it, one can kiss and receive the gifts of eloquence and persuasiveness," Annalee replied, making way for a bunch of children running through the stalls.

"Have you kissed it before?" Rosehip asked, who Assam thought was too interested in this legend.

"Once, it tasted like wet grass and I didn't feel any more persuasive than before," their chaperone lamented. "Ballintra-san, however, said she got her great gab from doing it, so it's probably just me."

Soon, they had already left behind the premises of the Gloria Market and were standing on the pavement, watching streams of cars passing by, only slowing down for those crossing the street.

Annalee, scanning the line of parked cars on the other side of the road, put her free hand up to her face and much to the bewilderment of all parties except the violinist, shoved two of her fingers inside her mouth and blew an ear-splitting whistle.

A familiar-looking car pulled out of the line a few blocks away and Assam, who up until that point hadn't noticed, saw the Rolls rolling in, painted in a sleek coat of black paint with streaks of silver to give prominence to its curves. Behind the wheel of the Silver Wraith, was Laune, all smartly dressed in a fresh set of uniform sitting next to a fellow blonde (a breath of fresh air in this sea of redheads) she hadn't had the pleasure of meeting.

Their party all watched as the car, with its great chrome engine grate front and centre, was manoeuvred right next to them, with the blonde jumping out and giving Annalee a kiss on both cheeks.

"I didn't expect they'd send you, Calli!" their guide said in surprise.

"They didn't. I swung by the apothecary to restock my kit and heard you gals needed a ride, so here we are," the blonde replied, gesturing towards the car, bringing to Assam's attention the white armband with a green cross she had on her left arm.

"That reminds me," the girl pointed towards Rosehip. "I have your medicine!"

"Medicine? Oh, I forgot about that!" Rosemallow bellowed, slapping her palm on her forehead.

"By the looks, you seem to be doing dainty now," the blonde voiced out, scanning the pink-haired gal from head to toe, making Assam feel a bit weird herself.

"Guess you wouldn't be needing this anymore." She brought out a bottle of stomach pain pills, like the one often associated with Eclair-san of Maginot, and shook it, producing a rattling noise.

Assam must have had a perplexed look on her face, as the white armband-wearing girl turned her attention towards her. "I believe we haven't had a proper introduction," the supposed medic remarked. "My name's Callan, I'm the team's medic and an assistant nurse at the onboard hospital," she said, extending her hand out.

"Assam, a member of the St. Gloriana tactical planning team," she immediately replied, lying flawlessly and hiding her true role behind a cloak of secrecy as she shook the hand of the girl in front of her; which by the soft and silky feel of it she assumed was always covered in gloves.

"And I'm Roselle, leather boots appreciator!" the Rosebush's driver blurted out, seemingly popping out behind her and taking both of their hands and shaking them vigorously, in some absurd real-life three-way handshake.

"Uhhh…" Annalee started after everyone settled down, "We better be going now. It will be a tight squeeze but I think we'll all fit in," she continued, opening the passenger door of the Silver Wraith.

The two speed sisters were naturally the first one to hop aboard, with Assam following suit, bringing her attention to the driver. Laune had a sour look on her face , looking all gloom as if she didn't want to be here, which for all intents and purposes, she probably didn't.

With just the three of them, the passenger seat was already a bit of a snug fit, but with Rosemallow, it was like playing Tetris on hard mode, with much swearing as they tried to figure out a way to fit another block to complete a stack. Those in the front passenger seat weren't having any better luck as Annalee and co squeezed themselves into a space made for one.

Perhaps it was the awkwardness or the tiredness setting in, but no one dared to speak out. Compared to the ride they had earlier this morning, a general air of malaise hung around the car as they drove, plunging the cramped car into an uneasy silence, with the seven staying wordless as they left the market behind and headed back to the field.

Tolka was once again high up the watchtower, but it wasn't the forest and trees she was scanning this time around, rather it was the road and asphalt; keeping her eyes sharp for the mechanical outline of a car. The sun had nearly run through its course across the heavens and the sky was beginning to transition to dusk, making her job all the more difficult.

She could hear her feathery friends calling out for her but she chose to ignore them for now and focused on the task at hand, not wanting to mess up the singular order given to her by Shannon. Below her, other members of the team were running around like headless chickens as they added the final touches to their preparation of the place.

There!

Its passengers crammed in like hatchlings in a nest, an open-topped car was making its way down the road just as the crow flies. Despite the dying light, the wonderful combination of green and red seated inside was visible to her sharp eagle eye and with the vehicle fast approaching, Tolka pulled out her wooden whistle she had carved from a branch and blew on it hard, causing more activity

Amid the anarchy, a clear loud voice made its way across the field, propagated by a cheap handheld plastic megaphone, restoring some sense of order into the rowdy bunch:

PLACES EVERYONE, JUST LIKE WE PRACTISED!


Author Note: It's been half a year since I last updated the story and I think you all deserve to be given an explanation. Essentially, after the last update, my focus was shifted to a Valentine's short, which drained me to the point I had to take a break for a few months. This compounded with school work, made writing a tad bit more difficulty and it is only with the summer break I was able to erk out stuff.

But anyways! This chapter's finally here and it's all thanks to the people who supported me along the way, especially those who nagged me to near-death about an update, I wouldn't have done it without y'all.

Special thanks to Sharky and Rihno for the proofreading help and to Zobers... who has gone out and DMed me for an update and has now taken on the role of being my cheerleader.

Well, here's to hoping the next one wouldn't take six months again or worse, longer...

Cheerio!