"Valentine's Day?" Artoria asked in confusion as she talked with Djeeta and Lyria in her room on the Grancypher, having a girls' night out with them.
"You don't know about it, Artoria? It's a day where women give gifts of appreciation to the men they like, like family and friends, or to someone they love."
"Lo-love..." Artoria stuttered when Lyria gave her a quick explanation about the event, making her blush a bit, before she shook her head and tried to calm herself down.
"No, we don't have that kind of thing back home, so it's the first time I've heard of it. For curiosity's sake, what kind of gifts were you talking about?"
"Well, usually chocolates are offered but it can be anything as long as your feelings are conveyed correctly."
"I see... And when is this Valentine's Day?"
"It will happen the day after tomorrow." Djeeta answered Artoria who blinked in surprise as it was sooner than she expected. "We thought of going to town tomorrow to buy some chocolates for everyone in the crew. We are indebted a lot to everyone, so it's only a given that we should give them our thanks. Do you want to come with us, Artoria?"
Hearing Djeeta's proposition, Artoria slowly pondered in her mind.
'A gift for a person I like... I wonder if he will be happy if I give him some chocolate...'
She then nodded, to the delight of Djeeta and Lyria who shared a high-five when they saw Artoria's gesture.
Meanwhile, standing behind the door was a certain woman leaning against it, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Valentine's Day... Now, things are getting interesting... Ufufu..."
At the same moment, on the deck of the Grancypher, Kay suddenly felt a shiver run up his spine before looking around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
'What was that just now... I have an ominous feeling about this...'
"Are you okay, Kay? Is there something wrong?"
Hearing a concerned voice calling out for him, Kay turned to its owner who was looking at him with a worried gaze, wielding two shortswords in his hands.
"Ah, no. I'm fine, Lancelot. I just had a weird feeling, but nothing important."
"If you say so. It's getting late so how about we call it a day?" Lancelot asked Kay who nodded at his question before the two knights putted away their respectives weapons. And then they both heard applause, causing them to turn to its direction to see Vane approaching them with a smile.
"Good work, you two. Here, I brought some towels and drinks for you guys."
"Thank you, Vane."
"Thank you very much."
"It's nothing. Still, you're so young and already so skilled. I'm envious of your talents, Kay. Hey, are you really sure you aren't willing to join the Order of the White Dragon?"
"No matter how many times you ask, my answer won't change, Vane." Kay said as he walked away, leaving Vane who let out a sigh.
"What a shame. Well, that aside, are you guys excited for Valentine?"
'Valentine... Ah, he must be talking about Valentine's Day. Oh yes, I remember there was some kind of yearly event every February in Granblue.'Kay thought before he felt an arm slung around him, making him blink before he turned to see Vane with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Hey, Kay. Wanna hear a funny story?"
"Sure, I'm always up for one."
"Well, you see, Lancey has so many admirers that when they decided to deliver wagon loads filled with chocolate to the Order's headquarters just for him."
"Oh my, it looks like Lancelot is loved by the ladies. I wonder what they will do this year? Raiding the place just to give their lovely Lancey their handmade chocolates?" Kay said, glancing at Lancelot with Vane as both of them smirked at the Captain of the Order of White Dragons who just shook his head, letting out a sigh.
"Please, I hope not. Also, Vane, you forgot that one of those wagons was destined for you, right?"
"But compared to yours, it's nothing. What about you, Kay? Now that I told you a story about us, isn't it fair that you share some of your stories with us?"
"You tricked me, didn't you..." Kay muttered under his breath, being gently nudged by Vane, before he looked at Lancelot who only gave him a smile, seemingly amused by the sight in front of him.
"Sorry, but you're on your own."
Hearing this, Kay let out a sigh and opened his mouth.
"Unfortunately for you, we don't celebrate Valentine's Day in our village, so I've never received chocolates once in my life. In fact, it will be the first time I celebrate Valentine's Day."
"I see. Then I'll give you a little advice. You should take bags with you because I'm sure you're going to get a lot of chocolates this year." Kay blinked in surprise at Lancelot's words, causing him to ponder about them.
"Well, there are a lot of women in Djeeta's crew, so it wouldn't be weird if I receive obligation chocolates from them. But again, they might not give me anything either."
"You're selling yourself too short, Kay. You may not recognize it yourself, but you have already formed some close relationships with many members of the crew during your time among us, especially after you took over cooking duties that made you interact with everyone and allowed you to get along well with all of them. Like you said earlier, it would be weird for the girls to give you, their new friends, a gift as a way of appreciation for you."
"Ah, I... Thank you, Lancelot, I really appreciate your words." Kay said as he bowed his head at the senior knight who gave him a smile. However, Vane who looked at them just let out a sigh before he looked at the moon in the starry sky.
'Oh lord, he's just as dense as Lancey... I don't know if I should pity the girls or support them... Let's just hope that everything goes well the day after tomorrow...'
Two days later, during the afternoon, Artoria walked nervously towards the kitchen, a small package in her hands.
'Although Lyria and Djeeta helped me make them, I wonder if they will suit Kay's taste. I think I did pretty well, having tasted them, but compared to the food he makes, it's nothing... Ah, I'm anxious...'
As she tried to fight off her anxiety, she quickly reached the dining room and when she entered, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Kay cleaning the kitchen behind the counter, causing her to quickly hide in a hidden spot in the corner of the room before he could notice her.
'Wait... why am I hiding?' She couldn't help but think before she discreetly looked at Kay who was frowning.
"I knew that letting them use the kitchen yesterday was a mistake... Just who turned the kitchen into a battlefield..."
Looking at his back, Artoria hesitated to get out of her spot, seeing her brother being in a bad mood.
'Perhaps I should wait a bit...'
And just as she thought that, Artoria heard footsteps coming from the entrance to the dining room, causing her to turn her gaze from Kay only to see Yaia walk in, dragging a bag behind her.
"Ah, big brother, I found you!" The young girl shouted with a bright smile on her face as she ran towards Kay who let out a small smile and crouched down in front of Yaia once she stood in front of him.
"Hi, Yaia. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Ehehe. Can you guess what day today is? I'll give you a hint. It starts with Valen and ends with tine. This one's kinda tricky!" Yaia excitedly said which made Kay let out a chuckle as he patted her head.
"Yes, it really is. So today is Valentine's Day, isn't it?"
"Wow, you guessed it! You're right, today is the day we give candy to someone we like! And I made these chocolates just for you, so eat up!" Yaia said as she took a package from her bag and gave it to Kay who took it.
"Thank you, Yaia. I am delighted to receive this gift from you. Is the rest for the other crew members?"
"Yes! After all, just like big brother Kay, I love big sister Djeeta, big sister Lyria, big sister Artoria, I love everybody! So, I gave my best to make those chocolates for everyone!"
"Thank you, Yaia. I love you too, and I'm sure that, just like me, others will be really happy if they hear that from you." Kay said as he kindly smiled at Yaia who nodded before she gave him a hug.
"Ehehe... Then, I'll be going now. See you later, big brother Kay!" She shouted as she let go of him and ran to the exit, dragging her huge bag full of gifts.
'Yaia... I'm sorry, I didn't think to leave some chocolates for you... I swear I'll give you a big hug after I manage to give big brother his chocolates...' Artoria thought as she clenched her fists before she blinked when she heard footsteps coming near the dining room once again. She glanced at the entrance only to see this time Andira, the Divine General who represents the year of the monkey.
"Hey, Kay! Are you here?"
She never understood the reason why but she felt that Kay was quite fond of the young Erune, to the point of spoiling her when he saw her.
'Does brother likes monkeys? No, I don't think so... and there is that nickname he loves to call her with...'
"Oh, Lady Pity! It's a pleasure to see you in good form today." Kay said, kneeling before the young Erune, his hands clasped together as if praying to Andira who gave out a pout.
"Who are you calling Lady Pity?! Anyway, I came to give you a little quiz! Hehehe... The question is, what day is today? If you get the answer right, I'll give you something good! And, if you lose, I'll shave your head and turn you into a monk! So what do you say?"
'Why are all children obsessed with quizzes?' Artoria thought as she looked at Kay who scratched his chin, seemingly playing along with Andira's antics by pretending to be lost in his thoughts.
"Let's see... I saw some girls being excited about making chocolates yesterday so... today's Valentine's Day?"
"That's right! Since you guessed it right, here is your prize! Look! Isn't it adorable? I was thinking all about you when I made it. I hope you like it!" Andira said as she gave Kay a small package, which he took with a kind smile.
"You're right. Very adorable. Thank you very much for the gift, Andira. I really like it. I can't wait to eat it." Kay said as he patted Andira's head who smiled bashfully at his action.
'How nice...'
"Oh yes. Mahiru managed to make a cotton candy machine. How about I make a chocolate-flavored cotton candy for you as thanks? You love them, right?"
"Yeah, I love them!" Andira shouted as she raised her arms high in the air, her monkey tail doing the same, which made Kay let out a laugh as he walked behind the counter with the young Erune, skillfully jumping at him and clung tightly to his back.
And in a matter of minutes, Kay made a huge brown cotton candy which he gave to Andira who let out a squeal at the size, her eyes shining as they stared at the treat.
"Here you go." Kay said as she handed the cotton candy to Andira who, as quickly as she took the sweet, quickly bit into it before letting out a moan, enjoying the taste.
"It's delicious! Thank you, Kay, I love you!" She said as she happily devoured the cotton candy with Kay chuckling as he looked at the girl latching on his shoulder.
"A grand pleasure."
Then, after she finished her treat, she left the room as she wanted to give some chocolates to the other Divine Generals, leaving Kay and her alone in the dining room.
'Alright, now's the time.'
But before Artoria could leave her hidden spot, another person entered the room, causing her to stop in her tracks to look at the entrance to see this time the devil of sloth itself, Narmaya.
Anyone she lets her hands on will become mere putty, slowly turning into a useless, lazy pig who wants nothing more than to be spoiled by her. Artoria could only recoil in her hiding place in fear as she once became one of those pigs, having already succumbed to her loving hands, soft thighs that are better than pillows, and soft and calming voice that made her relax. Ever since then, she always stayed in her guards every time she saw the doting draph.
"Kay, Kay! Happy Valentine's! Look, these are chocolates I made just for you! I hope you like them..." Narmaya coyly said as she took out a small package from her bosom, much to Kay and Artoria's shock.
'From where did she take that out?!'
"Say, Kay, are you okay eating them by yourself? How about you sit next to me and I feed them to you?"
'No, you can't allow her to do that, brother! If you do, you won't be able to come back from the dark side!'
"Sorry, Narmaya, but maybe later. It would be a little embarrassing if someone were to see us doing that." Kay said as he sheepishly laughed, making Artoria let out a sigh out of relief before she shook his head at his choice of words.
'Brother, I know you are trying to not hurt her, but please reject her more firmly. Or else, she'll continue to seduce you like she's doing right now.'
"I see. That's a shame." Narmaya said before she leaned her head in Kay's direction and whispered something, making Artoria frown as she couldn't hear her words.
'What is she saying? I can't hear anything from here...'
"If it's that, I don't mind."
"That's great. Thank you for agreeing, Kay. Well then, I'll be going and give everybody else their gifts."
"Oh, so you made them for everyone in the crew too."
"Yes, although I wonder if they'll be happy about it..." Narmaya said as she looked down, making Kay let out a sigh before he patted Narmaya's shoulder, giving her a kind smile.
"You don't have to worry about that. I mean, it's not the chocolates that are important, it's the thoughts behind them when you give them away. And I'm sure that everybody would be happy to receive chocolates from you, especially when they know how kind and caring you are towards them, so be more confident."
"Hee hee... thank you for cheering me like always. Alright, I'm pumped now. Then, I'll be going. Hee hee... I'll make another batch for you next year. Until then, my dearest Kay."
"Yeah, I'll be cheering on you from here." Kay said as he looked at Narmaya who happily skipped to the exit, dragging a huge bag behind her like Yaia did before her.
'Good, she's finally gone. Now, before someone else come-'
"Kay, fight me!"
Artoria could only let out a groan when another woman came into the kitchen, searching for her brother.
'Why is everything happening like this...'
And then, Artoria spent a few hours waiting in her corner as she could only watch in envy as many women came to visit Kay during that time, giving him chocolates or gifts of all sorts, all looking extravagant much to her own dismay. Looking at her gift, she felt her chocolates were nothing special compared to the other crew members' gifts, and the thought depressed her a little. However, it didn't last long as she remembered the words Kay uttered to Narmaya.
'It's fine... Brother said that it was the feelings that mattered, not the gift... and I'm sure that my feelings won't lose to anyone else...'
Making up her mind, she finally got up from her hiding place before walking towards Kay who had her back turned, washing dishes over the sink.
"Hmm... Brother, can I have a minute with you?" She nervously asked Kay who turned to her and nodded, a knowing smile on his face as if he already knew she was present in the room.
"Yes, what can I do for you, Artoria?"
"Th-those chocolates..." Artoria stuttered, her hands clutching her shaking present, before taking a deep breath and holding the package out to Kay. "These are my earnest feelings, please accept them."
And then, a silence perpetuated in the room and Artoria didn't move at all as she just stared at her brother, feeling her head and face overheat like a boiler. She was certain that her face looked like a tomato.
And after a few minutes that seemed to be hours to the young girl, Kay silently took the package and opened it, revealing the chocolates she made with her friends. And then, Kay took one of them and ate it without saying anything.
"So... is it to your liking?" Artoria nervously asked as she saw Kay swallow before he looked at her straight into her eyes and smiled.
"They are delicious, Artoria. You did a great job."
And just like that, Artoria fell to her knees, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
"I see... that's great." She muttered, feeling herself light as if a heavy weight was lifted from her shoulders. And then, she blinked when her stomach started to growl loudly, the noise resonating in the room.
"It looks like someone is really hungry." Kay said with a chuckle, making Artoria blush in embarrassment as she looked down on the floor.
"It's not my fault... I didn't eat much at lunchtime because I was too nervous..."
"Is that so? Then, how about I prepare a little feast for you right now?"
Hearing this, Artoria blushed harder when her stomach growled louder, as if responding in her place, making Kay laugh as he walked inside the kitchen.
'Why can't everything happen like I want...'
She thought as she sat down on a seat at the counter, and then, she blinked when she saw all the gifts and chocolate packages hidden behind it. And she was surprised to see that none of them were open.
'Does that mean that he ate my chocolates first? So he put my gift ahead of the others?'
Thinking this, Artoria couldn't help herself but to smile happily and started to hum a tune, looking at her brother's back.
And then, much to her grand joy, no one came to the dining room, allowing the siblings to spend their time together alone in the dining room, speaking happily with nobody bothering them.
Under the starry night, Kay stared absently at the sky, a mountain of presents by his side.
"Looks like I'm really loved by many... Damn, I feel really weird... I can't stop smiling..." He muttered as he closed his eyes for a moment until he heard a chime-like sound, causing him to open them.
"Ah, Yggdrasil. I didn't see you since yesterday, what were you doing?" Kay asked the Primal Beast who was, for some reasons, beaming before she handed him a small bouquet of flowers.
"Is this for me? Thank you... Oh?"
When he took a closer look at the bouquet, Kay noticed that the flowers weren't flowers, but delicately crafted chocolates given floral shapes. He then looked at Yggdrasil who gave him a smirk, showing how proud she was of her achievements.
'Confectionery-making isn't something you decide to learn at the drop of a hat. She must've put a lot of effort into preparing for today.'
"It makes me really happy to know you went so far for me, Yggdrasil. Thank you so much."
Hearing his thanks, Yggdrasil's face shone brighter than ever after learning how Kay felt about her gift, the young man having a satisfied smile on his face.
Returning to his room, Kay was then met by a familiar sight he hadn't seen in a long time since his arrival in the Granblue universe.
"Hi, Kay~! I didn't make any chocolates for you, but if you want, you can eat my body ." Merlin sultry said as she looked at him with a sly look and Kay could only let out a sigh.
"Looks like I won't sleep tonight." He said as he snapped his fingers, creating a Bounded field around his room to soundproof it.
The next morning, some crew members were shocked to see Merlin and Kay sitting together on the deck, the former being surprisingly silent as she only leaned her head against Kay's shoulder, her foot gently rubbing against his. And despite the fact that she wasn't wearing a smile on her face but instead an absentminded expression on it, anybody could tell that she was somehow happy.
"They must have done it..."
"How lucky..."
"So Kay was already taken..."
"You know, I've heard from Merlin herself that they weren't going out..."
"Really?!"
"Yeah... and that if we wanted, we could get Kay to pay us back the chocolates in any way we wanted during White Day..."
"Oh... in that case, I'm looking forward to next month..."
And just like that, a horde of predators appeared on the deck of the Grancypher, all staring at their prey who could only shiver, his hones senses warning him of an immense dangers, much to his confusion and fear.