So sorry for the longer wait on this chapter, but there were a few things that came up this month that occupied my time more than usual. Still, I did manage to get this in under the wire, so I'm pleased with that.
Daylight/The Best Laid Plans/Of Sharks and Bastards
I opened my eyes to the sight of Livia sprawled happily across me, smiling softly as she listened to my heartbeat. We'd stayed up for another two hours later that night, kissing and holding each other close, but nothing beyond what was proper-...well… I didn't let my hands wander further than "second base", but… goddammit, I'm as human as the next man. Still, it was nothing vigorous, and thank goodness for that, as I wasn't certain that I'd be able to maintain my honorable stance in regards to Livia with the siren call of teenage hormones pulsing through my veins. Which, of course, brought me to my current predicament….
Livia had been wearing her regular clothes when she entered my cabin the night before, and so she had not brought any sleepwear with her. When I'd asked her about it, she'd laughed shyly and told me that she'd not intended to wear anything to bed, fully expecting us to consummate our new relationship until the early morning, and by not allowing herself sleepwear to retreat to, she'd hoped to give herself the courage to take the next step. I'd offered to have an android fetch some of Livia's sleepwear for her, but she countered that, since I'd "already seen everything" anyhow and furthermore enjoyed it, she really had nothing to be embarrassed about. I tried to argue my point that she didn't need to be naked just because I knew what she looked like naked already, but found any other coherent words to be lost as her semi-sheer bra was revealed to me again, along with the matching panties that I hadn't seen prior to my unplanned confession.
In the end, the compromise was reached that she'd wear the bra and panties to bed, but now I felt as though she'd have been less tempting if she'd been simply naked. Sky blue and as almost as sheer as Clarice's bubble bath, even if I hadn't already known exactly what waited beneath the sheer silk and lace, there would still be very little left to the imagination. For a moment, I wondered who would have helped Livia pick out lingerie that was so scandalous, but realized a moment later that the answer was obvious. This was a clear example of Clarice influence; the only question now was when they were obtained. The thought of Livia wearing the lingerie beneath her gown from the Gala made my mouth go dry as images of her letting that gown fall to my bedroom floor filled my mind-
With an adorably soft yawn, Livia finally woke up and snuggled closer into me, her smile bright enough to be a second sunrise. Sunlight brought streaks of gold to her hair as she stared up at me from my chest. Any thoughts besides enjoying the loving look in Livia's eyes thankfully left me, and I was able to finally push back the rising tide of teenage arousal. Part of me still couldn't believe that this wonderful girl had picked me to love out of every other guy out there, but I let those doubts fade into the background of my mind as I gave this beautiful young woman the attention she deserved.
"Thank the Gods that I didn't just dream last night happened," beamed Livia as she stared up at me, resting her chin on her hands as she made happy little kicking motions with her legs. "I've been dreaming about this for weeks now, and I'm so happy that I feel like I could fly."
"The feeling is most certainly mutual," I chuckled as I gently ran my fingers through her hair. "I wish we could spend the entire day in bed like this, but I know we'll have to get up and face the music with our friends eventually. Still, I'm sure that you probably have some more questions for me, since we didn't do a whole lot of talking last night before bed."
"We certainly didn't…" giggled Livia as she blushed lightly, but then her academic fervor took over. "...Gods, I have so many questions, but I don't even know where to begin… How did you reincarnate in this world? Did you just wake up here or was it an intentional jump? What era did you live in during your life with the Old Humans? What nation did you live in? …Sorry, I just want to know everything-"
"You're adorable, Liv," I laughed gently as she gave me a sheepish look. "...Well, I never expected to reincarnate, that's for sure. I lived during the Computer Age I mentioned before, in a nation called Japan. And… Well, I reincarnated ten years ago when I died falling down the stairs…"
"...Oh…" winced Livia as her smile fell away. "I…I'm sorry, Leon-"
I instantly moved Livia up into my arms to kiss her, determined to wipe away her sadness at that revelation. Livia squeaked in surprise briefly before giving a happy little sigh as I could almost feel as all other thoughts drifted away, save for the sensation of my lips on hers. Once I felt that her smile had been fully restored, I broke the kiss to look into her eyes.
"The only regret that I have from my first life ending is that I didn't actually say that I loved my family nearly enough," I explained resolutely. "In my first life, I was alive, but I wasn't really living. Here, I've been given a second chance, which is a hell of a lot more than I thought I'd get, and I'm making the most of it."
Livia smiled in response, leaning into my hand as I caressed her cheek. At this point, it was clear that "touch" was Livia's primary love language, given how cuddly she'd been since I blurted out my panicked confession last night, and I certainly wasn't complaining about it. She was absolutely adorable with the way she brightened at my touch, and I couldn't get enough of it. Eventually, her curiosity returned to bring forward more questions.
"So…you never intended to become involved with the futures that you saw…" began Livia seriously. "What were you planning on doing? Why did you approach me that day?"
"Honestly, my plan was to do exactly what I have been doing with the Bastards, amassing huge piles of money and resources to bankroll and supply a fighting force to give the Kingdom time to evacuate if things were to go sideways," I explained. "If it seemed that things were going well for you, I'd have taken a back-seat, found a wife that I could tolerate, and then lived a quiet life in the border regions raising kids."
"Which, given your friendship with Liza and Danny, would probably have been Lady Dee," observed Livia with a knowing grin.
"...And how do you figure that?" I asked with a smirk even as I could feel my face heat up a little.
"Leon, love, forgive me, but you have a 'type'," laughed Livia as she traced circles on my bare chest. "Women with lighter hair colors that are of the more…buxom variety, especially those with a fire in their spirit. Lady Dee fits that description perfectly, as we are both well aware…"
"...I suppose you do have a point," I hedged sheepishly as Livia giggled. "...Speaking of Deidre, why did you invite her to tea with us?"
"...Before I answer that, if you can answer something for me first…" coughed Livia. "Why did you really approach me that day, besides the reason you said in your tea room?"
"...Well, I kind of jokingly let the real reason slip that day, even though I tried to lie to myself and Lux," I admitted sheepishly. "I didn't like seeing you crying in the hallway, and I wanted to make you smile again…"
For a moment, Livia stared at me in disbelief, completely silent, but then a small giggle slipped out before she burst into near-hysterical laughter, rolling off me as she continued to laugh with tears of mirth in her eyes. It was all I could do to watch her in bemusement, pleased to see that she was amused but baffled as to what about my answer could have been so amusing. Thankfully, I was able to mostly ignore the… interesting things that Livia's laughter was doing to her bust now that she'd rolled onto her back, focusing instead on the odd mix of confusion and joy I felt at her laughter.
"Oh gods, Leon! I just- Forgive me, but I've just realized that the main prerequisites for a girl to be invited to your tea room have always been 'she's sad and she's pretty'..." giggled Livia.
It took a moment for the implications of Livia's explanation to hit me, but I couldn't stop the laughter as I finally realized what Mylene, Angie, and Clarice had found so amusing about Livia inviting Deidre to tea a few days before. This set Livia off again, the two of us laughing hysterically at something that shouldn't have been that funny but somehow seemed to be all the same. As we settled back down, I felt my mouth grow dry as I was once again struck by Livia's beauty as she lay beside me in my bed. In Livia's eyes, I could see nervous excitement, arousal, and absolute faith and adoration, and it was all that I could do to resist going further so that we wouldn't leave Angie and Clarice behind. That being said, everything that Livia and I had done the night before… well, that was certainly fair territory, and I was only human-
As soon as my lips met Livia's, my comm unit instantly began buzzing an alert that Marie was calling. Livia gave a frustrated little huff against my lips as she pouted adorably at the com unit, but the effect was somewhat lost since she refused to break our newly-initiated kiss. I chuckled gently, even though I was just as frustrated. Still, we did have a job to do, and progress reports needed to be exchanged.
"As much as I want to proclaim our newly-changed relationship status to the entire world, I feel like it might be best to not traumatize Marie with the depth of our…relations… with each other," I murmured against Livia's lips even as she stubbornly tried to steal a few more kisses before we were forced to part. "I promise I'll try to wrap this up quickly so we can pick up where we left off."
"...If we really must," sighed Livia, smiling even in spite of her exasperation.
I stole one last kiss from Livia before she rolled off of me, and I quickly set myself to the task of looking presentable. There were no hickeys or scratches to cover up, at least while Livia was still innocent of such things, but I figured my bathrobe would be the best way to conceal the residual… excitement… from having a busty young woman laying on top of me as we kissed. I then walked briskly to the couch so that Livia could stay in the bed and relax, modesty preserved, while I got Marie to hang up. Marie appeared on-screen as I answered the call from the couch, fully kitted out in her adventuring gear and clearly about to set out for the dungeon. Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she caught sight of something in the background, and she spoke up before I could ask her what was wrong.
"...That had better be Livia's blouse and skirt on the couch behind you, or I'm going to be rather irate in a second, Leon-" threatened Marie, in spite of the growing smile on her face.
…Well, damn… In my haste, I'd failed to consider that Livia had removed her clothes while we were still cuddling- alright, fine; technically "making out"- on the couch. So much for keeping this quiet until we got back. Before I could say a word to defend myself or even explain, I felt the couch jostle as Livia dropped into the seat next to me, wearing my button-down shirt as the only shield to effectively preserve her modesty. I lost all higher brain function as I could feel her lips on my cheek and her breasts against my arm when she kissed me enthusiastically before addressing Marie.
"They're definitely mine, but I think they look much better right where they are," quipped Livia with a beaming smile.
"...I'm sure Leon agrees with that," smirked Marie before asking me directly. "So, you couldn't hold off from telling her for even a single day?"
"She guessed most of it on her own before I said a word," I chuckled ruefully, grinning as Livia stuck her tongue out playfully at me. I retaliated by stealing a quick kiss, eliciting a giggle from Livia.
"...God, I can feel my blood turn to syrup from just watching you two," sighed Marie with amused exasperation as she rolled her eyes at us, but then my words actually processed for her. "...Wait, what do you mean she 'guessed'?!"
"Well, I figured out Leon was some form of Old Human, that there was something involving Fanoss that scared the life out of him, and that he was in love with Angie and Clarice as well," listed Livia, seemingly oblivious as Marie's eyes continued to widen in shock.
"...You figured all that out from just observing?!" gaped Marie.
"Liv's really damn clever, isn't she?" I laughed as Livia cuddled into my shoulder with a wide smile. "Honestly, I just needed to fill in a few blanks for her, and now she's got a pretty clear picture of what's going on. She'll need to read the journals for the exact details, but we're planning to do that with Angie and Clarice."
"...So do you know… everything?" asked Marie with a wince.
"I know that you helped me dodge a fate that I would have hated, and I thank you for that, Marie," smiled Livia.
"...Still, I do apologize for the harm that I've done, and I'm sure you can see why I really need to apologize properly to Angelica and Clarice once they know what you know," replied Marie, even as she gave Livia a grateful smile.
"Yes, I suppose I can see that, but you're being sincere in your desire to make amends, and if it wasn't for your actions, things still wouldn't have worked out for them with Julius and Jilk," countered Livia before another thought seemed to occur to her. "...I should let them know what's going on. I don't want them to feel betrayed by my actions-"
"...About that…" chuckled Marie. "They actually had a bet on how long you'd be able to restrain yourself from declaring your undying love for Leon. Clarice won it, of course, since you didn't declare it the moment that the Razor's Crest left port. Still, it might be a good idea to set some boundaries, though. I'm sure they wouldn't begrudge a few teenaged makeouts, but probably for the best to keep them in the loop."
"Well, that sets my mind at ease," I laughed as I kissed Livia and passed her the clothing that she left behind on the couch. "You should probably change before calling them, as I'm sure you wearing my shirt will send all kinds of incorrect messages before you can explain yourself."
"If you insist," sighed Livia, even as she walked away with a slight sway in her hips and a smile on her face as she felt my eyes pull to her perfectly toned behind.
"Eyes forward, Casanova," quipped Marie, even as she smirked at my slightly dumbfounded expression. "You can go back to playing house with the new wifey after the calls are done."
"Oh come on, you know that I wouldn't let anything improper-" I began to protest fruitlessly when Livia's voice called out.
"Oh, Leon?" asked Livia. "One more thing before I talk to Angie and Clarice…"
"Yes, Liv-" I began.
I turned to look back at Livia to be met with something off-white and cloth hitting me in the face, with hints of vanilla from Livia's preferred soap, as the shirt that Livia was borrowing had been returned playfully to my face. While I tried to clear the offending cloth from my vision, I could hear Livia giggling as she retreated to my en-suite bathroom to change and call the others. I only barely caught a glimpse of her blue lace clad behind before the door closed behind her. I could see Marie giving me the smuggest look that I'd ever seen in both my lifetimes. Marie was definitely a little sister in her first lifetime; hell, dye her hair the right shade of brown and she'd be a dead ringer for Finley once she heard of this new development-
"So, tell me again how nothing improper happened?" grinned Marie. "Because I call bullshit on the grounds of this 'newlyweds after their wedding night' behavior-"
"God, you're worse than Jenna and Finley combined," I grumbled, even as a smile threatened to split my face in two. "And no, there was nothing remotely resembling a 'wedding night'. I wouldn't want to betray Angie and Clarice like that, so if we take that step, we will take it together."
"No duh you're going to take that step together," laughed Marie as she rolled her eyes. "Still, I know that more than just 'cuddling' happened last night, but I'm sure as hell not going to pry."
"Much appreciated," I drawled, smiling in spite of myself. Honestly, I was too happy to be annoyed at Marie's prodding, and she wasn't completely wrong, either.
"So, I just wanted to give you an update on the homefront here," continued Marie briskly. "We got approval from Duke Redgrave and Earl Atlee to go into the dungeon, so we'll be reaching the Bracelet right about the same time you'll be fighting the Sharks. Offrey tried to rile up Angelica again by making some taunt about hoping she'd said goodbye to you for the last time, so I asked her how her teeth were feeling. She was not nearly as amused as Clarice was."
"I'm sure Clarice thought it was hysterical," I laughed. "And I'm sure you won some points with them for that."
"I did, I think…" smiled Marie, but a slight frown came to her face. "Leon, I was going over my research with the girls earlier and… well, a disturbing thought came to me. Why are the Saintess's relics scattered like they are?"
"...You have a point, actually," I frowned, thinking back to my recent epiphany about the Slap that started the game. "We can't just argue 'video game logic' here because this isn't a game. Just like the Slap that started this mess, there has to be a real world reason for this. I take it you've got some sort of idea?"
"Well, the Staff is with the Temple itself, and is used as the final test to prove Olivia is the Saintess, but the Bracelet is buried deep in the Holfort Dungeon and the Necklace is in the hands of pirates, which all seems very strange to me. It's as if someone wanted to keep these three items as far apart as they could. I spoke with Angelica and Clarice about that, and it appears that the relics were separated about fifteen years ago, but no one knows why they were separated."
"...Fifteen years ago would've been right around the time that Livia was born," I observed. "You think this was sabotage?"
"Well, someone wanted to keep the Relics away from the Saintess candidate," shrugged Marie. "We already know that there are elements in Fanoss that have been trying to lay the groundwork for war for years now. Maybe they were looking to hedge their bets?"
"...It's possible, I suppose," I shrugged in return, keeping my actual thoughts to myself for the moment. "We'll put a pin in that for now to deal with it once we have the Relics in hand. Keep me informed of any unexpected developments."
"Just make sure I don't see anything that I'll regret seeing, and try not to make another-" began Marie with a smirk.
I disconnected the call before she could say "Bartfort Bastard", even as I smiled in spite of myself. Truly, I was too happy to be bothered by such teasing and prodding. I'd had three girlfriends in my first life, and none that had lasted for more than a year, so I'd stopped believing that anyone could love me for who I was. To have someone as wonderful as Livia look at me with loving adoration was… well, it was perfect. Even now, my hopes rose at having my own little happy ending with all three of them, what with how Livia was practically picking out curtains and dish patterns for our new lives together on the frontier. To be honest, it was all that I could do to keep that level of excitement down for myself.
Still, my mood darkened as I thought about what Marie had worked out. There was little doubt that someone had wanted the Relics separated, but I was much more skeptical of Marie's theory of intervention by Fanoss. If I was in Fanoss's shoes, it would make much more sense to steal a single Relic and drop it into the endless ocean that filled the world, never to be seen again. Instead, in the game and in this world, all of the Relics were in places that were… maybe not "easy" to reach, but at the very least accessible as a last resort, if needed. Someone in Holfort wanted to keep these items away from the Saintess unless absolutely necessary, but…why would they want to do that? Was there something about the Relics that was dangerous to have around Livia? If so, what the hell could be that dangerous?
The sound of the door to my bathroom drew my attention from my darker thoughts as Livia rejoined me, smiling warmly as she sauntered over to the bed. She was wearing her blouse, but it seems that her skirt had never made it back onto her body, even during her conversation with Angie and Clarice. It seemed like it would be a little longer before we left my cabin, but I certainly didn't mind it.
"How'd the conversation with the others go?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual even as thoughts of Livia's breathless giggles and ardor-filled sighs from the night before drifted through my mind.
"Well, Clarice won fifty dia, if that's what you're asking," chuckled Livia, her hands clasping something behind her back, which in turn did… wonderful things to her bust. "Only thing they asked was how good of a kisser you were and if we'd consummated things yet. I did tell them that you wanted to tell us that you loved us, but felt you had no right to until you could explain everything that I'd managed to guess, and that's what you'd wanted to talk to us about back at the Academy. We agreed that everything else could wait until we all reunited in a few days."
"Oh?" I smirked, deciding to tease Livia a little. "Did you really mean 'everything'?"
"They said that they'd understand if we 'lost ourselves in our passion'," quipped Livia in response, even as she blushed. "But I told them that you've been frustratingly honorable, even as you've been… quite satisfying…"
"Glad to know that I've been making you happy in spite of your frustrations," I laughed. "I was honestly hoping that I'd not left you disappointed last night, given your expectations for how the night was going to go."
"You know… last night was wonderful, but there was something that got in the way of it for me," smiled Livia shyly. "I was hoping we could try again now that I've removed that obstacle…"
"What obstacle-" I began to ask when something made of semi-sheer blue lace and vanilla-scented hit me in the face.
As I removed Livia's bra from my face, I cleared my vision just in time to see her blouse fall to the floor, her perfect breasts now exposed to the morning light and freed from the confines of any garment. Her pale skin was dusted red from her blush, her shyly excited wiggle giving her bountiful bust a gently mesmerizing sway, and her eyes were filled with an eager look to continue where we'd left off this morning. I could feel my blood rush through my veins as she sauntered forward with an aura of shy, eager innocence that was somehow all the more enticing for it.
"...Shall we, Leon?" asked Livia, barely repressing her excitement as she climbed onto the bed, her posture and expression screaming an invitation to join her..
"...As you wish…" I growled with a wolfish grin moments before I leapt into the bed to join her, relishing in her squeal of delight as we tumbled into the sheets.
It was long after sunrise by the time we finally left my cabin, and Livia was practically glowing with happiness. …No, we didn't go "all the way", but… well, to put it delicately, we discovered that we didn't need to for Livia to be…satisfied. Livia proceeded to give thanks to my "numerous lovers" from my first life for my "skills" in this one as she tried to catch her breath and stop trembling, convinced that this was proof of my reincarnation. When I told her that I could count the number of lovers I'd had in my first life with one hand, she'd practically tackled me back to the bed, her enthusiasm not dampened in the slightest, as she proceeded to be…satisfied… a few more times. I could see that it wouldn't be long until Livia wore down my resolve and something… more… happened. Ideally, I just had to remain strong for just another few days until I could talk to Angie and Clarice. Then, if they still wanted to be with me, then we could happily start our lives together.
…Yeah, "just remain strong", huh? That's a snowball's chance in Hell… Face it, man: You're totally fucked, but be glad that it'll be in the "fun way"...
One thing Livia had insisted on was having my arm around her while she hugged my side as we made our way down to the breakfast table. Honestly, I was enjoying how cuddly and affectionate Livia was, and it was hard to not get ahead of myself and jump to the idea of being her boyfriend or even her fiance. The magnetic pull that I had felt when standing next to her had been satisfied the moment that my arm made contact with her shoulders, like a missing piece sliding into place. Honestly, I couldn't get enough of it. I was broken from my thoughts by Luxion's approach, the AI clearly aware of everything that had transpired from the night before and this morning.
"Good morning, Master," greeted Luxion. "I hope that you and Mistress Livia slept well-"
"You're a bastard, Lux…" I grumbled briefly, before an honest smile came to my face. "But…Thank you…I'll feel better once Livia here has read the journals, but still…"
"Of course, Master," acknowledged Luxion. "I do have the digitized versions that can be sent to Mistress Livia's datapad, if you'd prefer?"
"Thanks, Luxy, but we decided that it would be better for me to read the originals with Angie and Clarice," replied Livia with a sigh. "As much as I would love to get that last obstacle out of the way, we do need to be mindful to not leave them too far behind."
"By your command, Mistress," acknowledged Luxion.
Livia smiled as she recognized the new title that Luxion had bestowed upon her, briefly leaning over to kiss the AI on the side of his drone body. I felt myself deadpan as it finally clicked in my brain why Luxion began to refer to Angie, Livia, and Clarice as 'Mistress'. The moment that I'd decided to confess everything to them, Luxion saw their acceptance of my history and my feelings for them as a forgone conclusion. While I gave the AI a token exasperated glare, I secretly appreciated the vote of confidence for what it was.
As we made our way to the conference room that would serve as our breakfast hall, I could see Brad, Greg, and Carla partway through their breakfast. Whether Luxion had informed them earlier or my arm over Livia's shoulder gave it away, our three friends instantly took note of my changed relationship with Livia. Carla was smiling happily at Livia, which Livia returned in equal measure before taking a seat near Carla to fill her in on some of the details from last night. I took a seat next to Livia, and braced myself for my own interrogation from my friends.
"So, I take it that I won't have to smack some sense into you?" grinned Greg as he watched the two of us sit down at the table.
"Liv made her feelings quite clear," I smirked, giving Livia a wink. "Honestly, the only reason why I didn't ask her sooner was because I felt I had no right to until she knew exactly what sort of trouble she was getting into by getting involved with me. Livia, of course, made her point rather clear that she could make decisions as well, and so… Well, we're not engaged until we can talk things out with Clarice and Angie, but if all three will have a scoundrel like me, then I'll devote my life to making them happy."
"...In other words, you're basically engaged," concluded Brad with a sly smirk. "I'm fairly certain that Clarice is only days away from simply dragging you before a Priestess to marry in the fastest ceremony in history, and Angelica seems only slightly more reserved."
"...Well, probably, but there's still a chance they say 'no'-" I hedged, but Livia didn't allow it.
"Leon, I guarantee you that the only reason why they won't immediately drag you to their fathers to set up the engagement will be them wanting to fully express the depth of their affections," quipped Livia as she leaned over and kissed my cheek.
I felt my heart swoop in my chest and, given the sly looks that Greg and Brad were giving me, I clearly showed exactly what sort of effect Livia had on me. Carla seemed only moments away from giggling with glee like she was watching a romantic "chick flick" in real life, which in all honesty, Livia and I were probably about that level of sappiness. Still, I couldn't find it in myself to give more than a brief clearing of my throat as I tucked into my breakfast and reclaimed control of the conversation.
"So, let's go over strategy," I began, leaping right into the briefing. "The Winged Sharks have enough resources and personnel to maintain and field a complement of fifty to sixty Armors from five cargo ships they've refitted as battlecruisers. They tend to use fast and light ships to attack the engines of their prey and then overwhelm them with Armors and boarding parties while their battlecruisers engage with any Royal Navy escort ships. According to Carla, they've had some generous patrons like the Offreys, who have provided them with a few newer model Holfortian Fusiliers to bolster their salvaged units. For their current task, they'll be fielding an additional fifteen Armors to try and take us down."
"...Gods above, that sounds like a suicide mission…" observed Brad.
"If it wasn't Leon and the Arroganz, I'd say that it would be," agreed Greg. "Fifth generation Fusiliers have improved speed and agility and are typically carrying armaments that'll chew through a Raschellan Crusader or Fanossian Paladin in seconds, as long as the pilot can get the right hit in. I'm hoping that you're just planning on using the Razor's Crest and her Big Freaking Gun to send them straight to hell, dude, because without even considering the fact that they'll have Fusiliers, being outnumbered twenty-five-to-one doesn't sound like a good time."
"You're right that I could end the fight in less than a minute with the Razor's Crest and her mass-driver cannon, but there's a complication to the matter," I nodded, before deciding to drop the bomb all at once. "The Winged Sharks are in possession of the Saintess's Necklace."
In unison, the heads of the other three members of our group turned to look directly at Livia, understanding dawning on their expressions as they nodded in acceptance. For her part, Livia simply pouted at them, still annoyed at how easy it was to assume that the next Saintess was her. I simply leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, bringing a smile to her face for a moment before I gave the serious news.
"So, since we don't know which ship they've got the Necklace on, we can't just start sinking them left and right," I explained. "We'll have to lure them in, take out their engines carefully with the rest of the Razor's Crest's armament, and hold out against their Armors."
"...Gods, you make it sound so simple-" smirked Greg. "Seventy-five Armors versus the three of us. I think you forgot to bring another Arroganz or two for me and Brad-"
"Did you actually want a Hubris-class, Greg?" I asked seriously. "I would have figured you'd want a Malice-class or a Torpor-class, but-"
"Wait, those things from the simulator are real-" exclaimed Greg in shock.
"Real and ready for you to specify any customizations that you want," I clarified. "Although, the gatling guns and barrier on the Malice-class are pretty damn cool-"
"You'll just give us one?!" exclaimed Brad in shock.
"Once they're ready, yeah," I shrugged nonchalantly. "For now, you'll be flying in what I consider to be my critique of the Holfortian Fusilier: The Alpha Fusilier."
The holographic display proceeded to change to show a Holfortian Fusilier in the same gunmetal gray of the Arroganz. A normal Fusilier was sleek and agile, armed with an Armor-sized saber and manapistol, but the Alpha instead carried an 88 millimeter autocannon carbine, a scaled-up weapon similar to my own autocannon pistols. To the untrained eye, it appeared identical to a standard Fusilier in every other aspect, but the rest of the group stared at the Armor with a sort of awe and reverence. I cleared my throat to continue to explain our advantages in the upcoming fight.
"The major difference that an Alpha has to a standard Fusilier is the anti-thaumatic armor plating, which disperses any mana-based attacks used directly against it," I explained. "Basically you can shoot at it for hours with a high-powered manarifle and do absolutely no damage. In fact, throwing the manarifle would have more of an effect-"
"Hang on, this is the same stuff that the Arroganz is covered in, isn't it?" realized Greg. "There wasn't a chance in hell of Jilk or Brad even making a dent during the Duel, was there?"
"There's a reason why I took down you and Chris first during that brawl," I confirmed. "The armor plates can stand more of a beating than a standard Fusilier, but you're going to want to take down any Pirates before they get close. Thankfully, you'll be able to take them down quickly using the autocannon carbine."
"I'm sure it's similar to the weapon you used in the Arena," mused Brad. "The Field Family Armorsmith was fascinated and appalled by the damage done by that single pistol. If you'd been aiming for the cockpit, you'd have killed anyone inside instantly."
"Which brings me to another point," I continued. "Try to aim for the Secondary Control Unit in the head-"
"What do you mean 'Secondary'?" interrupted Greg with a frown. "Isn't that just the regular Control Unit to help the pilot manage the Armor's functions and movement?"
"Oh right, I forgot that's not how they're used these days," I chuckled. "That's the other advantage that you'll have: Armors used to have assistance of a dedicated AI like Luxion, and what is used as the only Control Unit these days was meant to be a 'backup' for when an Armor was unable to link back to an AI's 'host network', so if you take a hit to your Armor's head, don't worry too much."
"Gods above…" whispered Carla, doubtlessly becoming overwhelmed by these revelations, yet still somehow pressing through the conversation. "I can see why you were so confident that you'd be able to survive whatever trap Steph had set for you…"
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," reassured Livia even as she gave me a teasing wink that sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. "I've certainly learned to love it."
"...In any case, the plan to deal with the Sharks will be pretty straightforward," I continued, clearing my throat even as I struggled to recover from the newfound influence Livia had over me yet again. "Carla will signal the Pirates to attack and then take cover below deck. Once they move in to surround us, Luxion will disable their engines with cannonfire so they can't escape. Livia will guard the primary access to the lower decks with the security droids, just in case the pirates decide to be clever and slip a few raiders to take anything and anyone once they realize they've been double-crossed. Meanwhile, Brad and Greg will set up on the deck to keep it clear of Armors and other boarding parties. I will support them as needed while going on the offensive until we can get them to surrender."
"So basically we lure them in with the promise of outnumbering us, and then we have them outgunned and outclassed as we box them in so they can't escape?" asked Greg with a raised eyebrow.
"And we need to do it without sinking any of their ships, as they're most likely keeping the Necklace aboard one of them," I confirmed. "We also want to avoid killing the pirates as much as we can, since we don't know which ones may or may not know something important if our search of their vessels proves unsuccessful. Once we've subdued and captured the Sharks, we'll make best possible speed to the Wayne territory-"
"Wait, why would we go to my father's territory?" asked Carla with a frown. "Shouldn't we bring the pirates in as quickly as possible and then secure my family?"
"We need to secure your family's safety before we bring in the Sharks," I explained. "Once the Offreys figure out that you betrayed them, they'll move to retaliate quickly, and I don't want to risk that they have a second band of pirates and mercenaries waiting for their order, or worse that they plan to wipe out your family regardless."
For a moment, Carla said nothing, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find words. I briefly wondered if I'd overdone it yet again and overwhelmed her, but I relaxed as Carla gave me a warm smile.
"...Lord Leon, thank you for your consideration for my family's well-being," stated Carla slowly before standing from her seat at the conference table, walking to where I sat, and kneeling before me in a formal position. "I hereby swear fealty to you, Baron Leon Bartfort, if you will have me as a retainer."
"...I humbly accept, and I hope to continue to be worthy of the faith you have placed in me," I replied with a smile, clearing my throat briefly before continuing. "In any event, since it'll still take us another day to reach the ambush point, I think it would be appropriate for us to get some time in the Armor Simulators."
"...Lord Leon, when you say 'us', are you including Lady Livia and myself?" asked Carla with a stunned look.
"Honestly, I'm not sure I could stop Livia," I chuckled as Livia gave me a bright-eyed look and Greg and Brad grinned at me knowingly. "However, it's entirely up to you if you want to try out the Simulator. I will say that it certainly is a lot of fun, especially when fighting alongside friends."
"...Still, I'm a noblewoman, even if only barely," commented Carla. "Are you sure that I wouldn't be completely useless?"
"You know the best Armor Pilot in Holfort is a thirteen year old commoner girl, right?" I countered, causing Greg to spray his orange juice in a fine mist while Brad choked on his bagel.
"The fuck?!" exclaimed Greg. "The White Rabbit of Holfort is younger than Jules' sister?!"
"...Right, I forgot to tell you guys about that…" I chuckled, letting a dossier on Alice appear on the holoprojector. "Meet Alice of Overland, also known as the 'White Rabbit'. She is the best Armor Pilot alive in the world."
"...Jules' dad is going to either strangle you or promote you," commented Greg as he let his head fall into his hands while Livia giggled.
"Well, they're right on time," I chuckled as I caught sight of the Winged Sharks' battle cruisers. "Punctual pirates; who'd have thought?"
"At least we can get this finished quickly so we can return to our loved ones," commented Brad.
Simulator training went surprisingly well yesterday. Livia had taken to Armor combat with the same zeal as everything else she'd done, and while she'd not be taking down Alice any time soon, Livia had found herself able to hold her own alongside Greg and Brad. Even though she was the weakest of us, Carla was far better at piloting than she gave herself credit for, and I could see her really getting into it as time went on, to the point where I offered to let her keep the simulator, if she wanted. She'd proceeded to tackle me in a hug that would rival Livia's in excitement, before realizing her blunder and instantly begging Livia for mercy. Thankfully for Carla, Livia had found the reaction to be hilarious, waving off Carla's apologies even as she was doubled over in laughter.
I'll admit, even with the presence of our friends, spending the day training in the simulators with Livia almost felt like an arcade date. We'd even spent the evening in each other's arms, but we'd decided to forgo most of the "fooling around" since we had a big day awaiting us. That being said, Livia had made a convincing argument for why wearing panties to bed with me was a bad idea, given the state that I'd left hers in that morning… Look, don't judge me: It was her idea, and she had a valid point that our laundry facilities were rather limited on the Razor's Crest…It was totally for practical reasons… In any case, I shook myself from the memories of the previous night as the Razor Crest soon found itself surrounded. The leader of the pirates took the opportunity to speak up, clearly using some method of voice amplification.
"Hear this, Holfortian vessel," proclaimed a voice in an accent reminiscent of an English West Country accent. "This be Captain Jakob Kane of the Winged Sharks. We've got yeh surrounded and dead to rights… Stand yer engines down, and we'll spare yer lives-"
"Lux, clip their wings," I chuckled. "Let's give this Long John Silver wannabe a warm welcome…"
"Firing for effect," confirmed Luxion with a hint of homicidal glee.
The Razor's Crest opened up with her small-bore mass-driver cannons, and I could hear the five dull thuds of the secondary guns firing even through the noise canceling filters on the Arroganz. The payload wasn't large or even explosive on its own, but a solid slug the size of a soda can moving at just over two thousand meters per second will punch through whatever stands in its way. The vessels remained upright and hovering, but without forward propulsion, they were stuck. I could see the hangar doors sliding open now on each of their warships as they prepared to launch their full complement of Armors. .
"By the Gods, I could feel that in my damn teeth!" exclaimed Greg over the comms. "If I wasn't in an Armor, I'd be deaf!"
"And you said those were the smaller guns?!" asked Brad in shock.
"Yeah, the big one wouldn't leave anything behind if I used it," I chuckled darkly.
"Boys, remember why we're here," chided Livia gently, even as I could feel the amusement in her tone. "You can play with the big cannon when there aren't pirates trying to kill us."
"As you wish, Liv," I quipped back, grinning as I could hear her lovingly exasperated sigh.
From my position, I watched the pirate fleet unload a combined swarm of twenty-five Armors to engage the Arroganz, all armed to the teeth. I could see another battlegroup of fifteen waiting to back up the first, while the last thirty-five moved to take down the defenses on the Razor's Crest. They were Holfortian and Fanossian in design, just as Carla had said; fourth generation Fanossian Paladins and fifth generation Holfortian Fusiliers. It was damning evidence of sponsorship by the Offreys at the very least, if not the infamous Forest of Ladies themselves. Any small group of Academy students would have been overwhelmed in an instant. I merely grinned at the opportunity to cut loose.
"Keep the deck clear, guys," I ordered with a smirk. "I'm gonna 'Rip and Tear Until It's Done'..."
"Copy that," replied Greg before audibly flinching. "..Gods, am I glad to be on your side…"
Two groups of five approached in formation, brazenly expecting to force my surrender or swat me from the sky. I corrected them of that delusion with a quick volley from my autocannon pistol. Three enemy Armors were sent smoking to the vast ocean far below us, causing the rest to scatter like roaches from a lightbulb. I shot forward to impale one of the squad leaders on my sword before shooting down two more, using the hapless Squad Leader's Armor to shield myself from incoming fire from the third squadron approaching me. I flicked my blade like a magic wand to launch the ruined Armor from it and at the approaching squad to disorient them.
"Greg and Brad are currently holding their own against a squadron trying to clear the deck of the Razor's Crest," reported Luxion. "Shields are still holding against pirate barrage. Pilots are being recovered from the fallen Armor units and the units themselves are being salvaged as we speak."
"Great work, Lux," I replied. "Give me five more kills before you start peppering them with gatling fire to scare them. Stand down if they offer to surrender, but feel free to go nuts with the main gun if they try to false surrender."
The survivors of the first two squads had regrouped with the third, attacking as a combined group of nine as they fired with their manarifles. I smirked as the energy blasts of their manarifles dispersed harmlessly against the Arroganz, putting away my pistol and sword to eject the wrist blades. I quickly closed the distance and sprang from target to target, slicing through processing cores and power supplies in minutes. I could feel myself going into a kind of "battle haze" as I grinned wickedly-
"Master, Greg and Brad need assistance," reported Luxion. "The remaining pirates and the leader have focused their efforts on the Razor's Crest, and the two of them are being overwhelmed by numbers as the Pirates have decided that fighting you is an exercise in futility."
"Shit," I swore briefly, disappointed that my fun had been cut short. "Guess I better save their asses-"
"Mistress Livia is already assisting the two," interrupted Luxion.
"Wait, what?" I asked in confusion, looking up from the Armor I had in a headlock. "Livia doesn't have an Armor yet, right? I thought we only brought the two modded Fusiliers."
"We did only bring two Fusilier units," replied Luxion. "She's holding the lead Armor back with a Barrier spell-"
…Shit. …Fuck… Oh God… Livia!
I instantly engaged the Turbo function on Arroganz, ignoring the warning alarms that flared to life as I desperately tried to reach the Razor's Crest. Livia was facing an Armor squadron without Armor. It didn't matter that her shields had vastly improved over the past few months, even a weak punch from a Light Armor would be several times stronger than the .50 BMG rounds that we'd tested Livia's Barrier spell against. The deck quickly came into view, and I could see three layers of Livia's Barriers concentrated around Greg and Brad as the leader of the Winged Sharks hammered away at the barrier. By some miracle, the first Barrier still held as I sped to the deck, but I could see cracks beginning to show.
"What are ye waitin' for, lads?!" exclaimed the pirate boss. "Give us a hand here-"
"Fuck you, asshole!" I snarled as I removed his Armor's right hand with my blade.
The captain didn't even get a chance to respond, much less move, as I tore into his Armor with everything that I had. My blade stuck into the deck after lopping off his Armor's right hand, so I abandoned it in favor of my Autocannon pistol, emptying the magazine into the Armor wherever I could reach. A final strike with my mounted arm blades beheaded his Armor, but I wasn't finished with this piece of shit yet as I loaded a fresh magazine into the autocannon. I gripped the cockpit plate on his Armor and ripped it free before grabbing the man and pulling him from the ruined machine. I'll admit that I could respect the man's resolve staring down the barrel of an eighty-eight millimeter autocannon.
"Yield," I growled at the man.
"...We're done, lads and lasses," sighed the pirate captain. "Stand down."
I watched as each of the pirate Armors dropped their weapons to the deck and raised their hands in surrender. In the background, I could see their vessels stand down as well. I had the Arroganz set the pirate down as I dismounted to check on Livia. I could see Livia's barriers fall in an instant as the girl collapsed to her knees, tired but satisfied, but she winced as she caught sight of my approach. Her actions were incredibly reckless, and honestly made no damn sense. Livia was probably the most level-headed out of all of us, so for her to come charging out? Either Brad and Greg were in deeper shit than it seemed, or Livia had a rare moment of losing her head. Either way, Livia seemed to sense my emotional state.
"Leon, I'm sorry-" began Livia, but I cut her off with a desperate embrace.
"...Don't get me wrong; I am very upset right now, and we will be having a long discussion on what constitutes 'necessary risk'..." I whispered. "...But I'm so happy that you're safe and so damned astounded by your abilities. For now, go get some rest, Liv."
Livia smiled gratefully and, after a brief apologetic kiss to the side of my helmet, she made her way down below deck, no doubt to collapse into her bed and rest. I sighed to myself, letting my mind go over the events of the last fifteen minutes, and no matter how I added things up, I couldn't make any more sense of it. If Greg and Brad were really in such bad shape, why didn't Livia back them up with her fifty caliber rifle? Even if she wanted to avoid killing the pilots, she could still take the Control Unit of any modern Armor down in two or three shots, so why did she walk out of cover right into danger? My earlier musings about the Relics instantly came to mind, but I decided to put a pin in that idea and not instantly jump to conclusions. For now, I had a job to do.
"...Lux, confine as many of the pirates as we can to the Brig," I ordered. "Confine the rest to quarters aboard the other vessels-"
"-Please let the lads and lasses go," interrupted the pirate captain. "My crew and I may be gentlemen of Fortune, but the kids had little choice in the matter-"
"Cap, no!" shouted one of the Armor pilots, and I froze at how young the voice sounded. "We're all shipmates! You told us that meant we were family in all but blood, and we'll follow you to the Gates of Hell-"
"The Hell you will, boy!" thundered the captain. "I gave my oath that you'd all have a better life, and I'll be damned before I see you dragged down with me-"
"Enough!" I snapped before drawing my sidearm on the man. "You've got thirty seconds to start making sense, bub! What the hell do you mean by 'kids'?"
"...Dismount, Lost Children," ordered the captain solemnly.
"...Cap, are you sure?" asked an older pilot, his voice uncertain.
"Dismount, all of you," confirmed the captain.
One by one, Armor cockpits opened, revealing… Gods above… They were children… There were older pilots, in their late teens and early twenties, but most of them were younger than I was. Gods, the one who spoke up first was as young as Collin for pity's sake! Did that mean that the pilots I was shooting down earlier- Oh god, I think I'm going to be sick…
"...Lux, please tell me that the pilots I shot down were all recovered safely?" I croaked over the private channel.
"They were all recovered safely with only minor injuries," answered Luxion. "And to answer your unasked question, yes, they were all younger pilots. As for my main guns, I primarily focused fire on their engines since their main guns were not a threat and we wanted to prevent them from escaping. Estimated casualty rate of 0%, per your earlier instructions to 'Take them all alive'."
"...Gods, this situation is fucked," I sighed. "...Alright, we need answers. Lux, get the prisoners to the Brig. Use the Main Cabins if you have to. I need to have a word with Carla and this Captain in my Stateroom."
"As you command, Master," replied Luxion.
I sighed as I popped my helmet off for a moment to stare into the clear blue sky while my security drones escorted the young pilots from their Armors. The captain passed by me, but gave what almost seemed like a grateful look to me as my drones handled his crew with care and respect as they took them into custody. A brief gleam of something shiny caught my eye from the captain's ruined Armor, the Saintess' Necklace dangling mockingly from the thrust throttle inside the cockpit. I walked over, picked up the offending item, and stuffed it into my belt pouch, not wanting to look at the damn thing any longer than I had to with all the trouble it had caused.
Seriously, how did this all go so wrong?
And there we have it, another chapter down.
I enjoyed writing the fluffy parts with Livia and Leon, going for a tone of "cinnamon cotton candy": sweet, slightly spicy, and sticks in your teeth. Still, there are some darker tones that eagle-eyed readers may have noticed mixed in.
Some things to note going forward is that there will be other Armor classes that the Bastards will use besides the Hubris-class, and we see mention of a few of those models here. Essentially based off of the same chassis as the Hubris-class, the other six standard variants are modified for more specific battlefield roles. I'll elaborate them more as they become relevant in the story, but for the ones mentioned so far:
The Malice-class is an Armor designed as a "heavy shock-trooper", armed with Gatling guns and a Barrier Overshield for spearheading forward assaults. Handles "crowd control" quite well against soft targets line humans and monsters.
The Torpor-class is an Armor designed to "slow down" enemy hardware and equipment with the use of a host of EMP Drones while still maintaining most of the combat effectiveness of a Hubris-class.
More models to follow in the upcoming chapters.
So it turns out that the Winged Sharks are not quite the scourge they were made out to be. This will be important for a few reasons that shall become readily apparent in the next chapter.
On that note, the next chapter may be delayed by two weeks since I have an obligation next month and I'm unsure how much writing that I'll be able to get done during that time. I will try to have it out by April 26 - May 10, but I may be delayed as late as May 24.
Thanks so much for reading!