Chapter IX: Inglis, Age 15—The Rimebound Prismer
In the center of Ahlemin stood a cathedral as large as any castle, inside of which was the frozen corpse of a Prismer. When one of these ultimate magicite beasts had been slain, its carcass remained where it had fallen, with none able to move it. At first, Ahlemin was nothing more than the barricades around the Prismer, then it housed a force to keep careful watch, and finally it became a city to support the people keeping watch.
Intense as the guard was, though, visitors could still obtain permission to enter. Because Rafinha was not only the daughter of Duke Bilford but also the sister of the holy knight Rafael, that permission was forthcoming—for herself and for her loyal squire, Inglis.
Rafinha stared at the wings of the birdlike beast glimmering above. “Wow! So that’s a Prismer. It looks so tough!”
As gigantic as Rahl or Cyrene had become, this was nearly ten times larger. The scale of the cathedral, already an imposing building from outside, was truly revealed only when seeing the massive pit within built to encircle the Prismer. The exterior construction was a small portion of the building as a whole.
As for the Prismer, the scars of its last battle dotted its wings, its legs, and its body.
Even still, within the ice, Inglis could sense a strange power pulsating. Maybe it’s not quite dead. I can’t say for sure, not having seen it alive, but...
Rafinha pouted. “C’mon, Chris. Could you stand to look a little less excited? People are gonna think you’re weird.”
Access to the cathedral was restricted to high-ranking knights, highborn nobility, and kingdom officials—in other words, the ruling class—solely for them to take in the full menace of a Prismer. They would feel their hair stand on end but turn their horror into determination in the end. The visit was supposed to bestow a somber awe of the foe they might face one day.
Somber being the intention.
Yet here was Inglis, decked out in her formal best, staring up at the Prismer, her eyes sparkling with admiration and anticipation. A reaction like that was sure to draw the attention of the knights on duty.
“It’s incredible!” Inglis exclaimed in wonder. “I’d love the chance to fight it. I wonder if it’ll ever thaw out like Rin did.”
That very same Rin nervously peeked out from the neckline of Inglis’s shirt, instinctively terrified of the Prismer.
“Really, Chris. This place is under a super-tight watch. If you keep being weird, they’re gonna haul you off.”
“But, but—! Frozen or no, can’t you feel the power it emanates? It might still be alive. Someone should crack it out of there and finish it off. And ideally, that someone should be me.”
“Seriously, Chris—”
“You there!” One of the knights guarding the cathedral suddenly called out.
“Eeek?! Oh, aha ha ha, just ignore her,” Rafinha said with her cutest smile. “She’s an oddball. I mean, you see how cute she is, right? You know how the good-looking ones get sometimes. But don’t worry! I’ll keep an eye on her!”
The knight shook his head. “Uh, I don’t quite follow, but there are magicite beasts loose in the town! It’s dangerous. You need to stay in the cathedral until things calm down. This is the safest place to be.”
Inglis grinned. “Magicite beasts? I can hear my fists calling out to me!”
She rushed off toward the cathedral’s entrance. Seeing the Prismer had worked up her fighting spirit. Magicite beasts were not as fun to clash with, but they were better than nothing.
“Hey, wait!” the knight yelled at Inglis, who ignored him without a second thought.
“Sheesh! Chris! This really doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Rafinha paused. “But what the heck—I’m in!”
More hands in a fight wouldn’t hurt. Besides, hiding inside when people were in danger wasn’t something Rafinha’s morals could allow.
She turned to the knight with a nod as she followed Inglis. “Sorry, but we’re gonna go help! Thanks for telling us about it, though!”
As Inglis left the cathedral, she saw the horde of magicite beasts descending upon the city. Most were soaring through the air above like birds or perched on rooftops. However, as numerous as they were, so were the knights who battled against them. It was, after all, a city founded to keep watch over the dead Prismer. It would naturally be well-defended.
As she ran out through the streets, Inglis hunted for a target.
Take a right, and through to that plaza! she thought as she sprinted ahead. She came out to an open space and saw about ten magicite beasts in the form of flightless birds milling about. It was the closest place with a good selection of foes, and a squad of knights had already formed a battle line and were closing in slowly.
“Not if I beat you to the punch!” Inglis broke into a sprint and leaped over them in a flash, eager to take on the magicite beasts alone.
The knights screamed at her in panic. To them, all they saw was a kid rushing headfirst into certain death.
“Whoa! Wha—?! No!”
“What are you doing?! It’s dangerous!”
“Wait, there’s too many! Stop! Get back here!”
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” Inglis flashed a grin. If nothing else, she appreciated their concern.
A shadow darted out from the sidewalk, grabbing Inglis and pulling her to the ground. “You fool! What are you doing?!”
“Aaah?!”
Inglis was shocked; she hadn’t expected anyone to take her unawares, whether or not she was using aether.
Who is this? They’re not half bad.
Inglis took a good look at the new threat, a girl of around her own age with deep indigo hair.
“You don’t have a Rune or an Artifact, and you’re taking on a pack of magicite beasts? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” the girl yelled. “You’re beautiful! Don’t throw your life away!”
The girl lecturing Inglis was beautiful in her own right. Her stern face was offset by fashionable ribbons on either side, and she was voluptuous, with a chest comparable to Inglis’s, maybe even larger—the kind Rin would probably love to nest in. And as could be expected of someone willing and capable of stopping Inglis, her hand bore a black Rune in the shape of a greatsword, matching the slab of metal strapped to her back. It was an upper-class one, theoretically on par with Rafinha’s. She must have been an upper-class knight. It was a rare sight, even for Inglis.
“Thanks again, but really, I’ll be fine,” Inglis insisted.
“Here they come! Get back!” The girl stepped forward, shielding Inglis from the beasts.
Their attention well and truly drawn, the magicite beasts began to swarm the two in leaps and bounds, ready to use their speed and weight to crush their foes. Yet the girl with the Rune held firm, as if the odds only steeled her resolve.
“I can take them out just fine myself!” In a fluid motion, she unslung her greatsword and leveled it at the beasts. She swept the blade sideways before they had a chance to draw close.
Curious, Inglis watched quietly rather than competing for prey.
“Line ’em up—” The girl’s sword glowed and then extended, quickly becoming long enough to connect with its intended targets. “—and cut ’em down!” The extended blade continued through its arc, slashing cleanly through the beasts’ necks.
“Huh, I’ve never seen that before,” Inglis said, impressed.
Transforming like that must be that Artifact’s gift, she thought. There’s probably a lot of ways you could take advantage of that. I’ve been wanting a weapon of my own lately, so honestly, I’m kind of jealous.
As Inglis reflected, the girl turned back to her. “Are you okay? You need to get out of—”
From over the girl’s shoulder, Inglis saw a flock of birdlike magical beasts swoop down from the rooftops. The creatures craned their necks to inhale deeply before blasting forth a storm of bladelike hail. Inglis didn’t find that surprising for a magicite beast. Rin was able to shoot white-hot beams from her hands too.
“Behind you! A blizzard!” Inglis yelled.
At Inglis’s warning, the girl spun around on a heel and planted her greatsword in the ground. “As if!”
The sword didn’t just lengthen, but it also expanded several times, enough for her and Inglis to take cover behind.
The hail pelted off the blade of the greatsword, leaving the pair behind it completely unharmed.
That the technique could be used both offensively and defensively did not escape Inglis’s notice.
“My turn now!” the mysterious girl declared.
The storm passed, and she went on the counterattack. Facing a beast on a nearby roof, she sent the tip of her sword plunging forward toward the beast. Inglis didn’t know if the girl didn’t quite have the reach or if the beast was exceptionally nimble. It flitted out of the way.
“Hmph. Cheeky one, aren’t you!”
“I’ll help out. Sit still for a second,” Inglis whispered to the girl before jumping onto the blade of the sword and sprinting to the roof.
“Whaaa—?! What the heck?! You’re fast!” she gasped in shock.
Inglis, closing in on the beast, took a running leap from the roof. She tumbled forward, slamming her heel into its head.
“Cawwwwwwww?!”
As the beast plummeted toward the square, Inglis called out to the girl below. “Now! Slice it!”
“Got it!” The girl’s swing was well-placed; it cleaved the beast in half.
“More are coming!” Inglis smashed a second, then a third, beast down toward the girl, who carved through them as they fell. “Not bad!” Inglis called over.
The girl beamed in return. “Same goes for you! I was worried about you when I didn’t see a Rune or Artifact, but I guess I didn’t need to get in your way. Sorry.”
“No, I appreciate it.”
“What’s your name?”
“Inglis Eucus.”
“I’m Leone. Leone Olfa. Let’s team up for now.”
Olfa... That name sounds familiar. Inglis shook her head. I can worry about that after we take down the magicite beasts. “Anyway, that sounds great, Lady Olfa.”
“Call me Leone. We’re around the same age, right?”
“Sure, Leone. Let’s do this!”
“Yeah!”
The two exchanged smiles and set to driving the magicite beasts out of the city. Leone focused on ground combat, scything through the ostrich-like beasts. Meanwhile, Inglis took to the rooftops, smashing the flying beasts down for Leone to finish off.
The arrows of light shot by Rafinha’s Artifact could easily take out slow-footed allies or the surrounding buildings, so Inglis thought the more precise control of Leone’s Artifact seemed more suited to close fighting.
Cutting through Inglis’s contemplation was a trio of flying beasts crowded on the roof of a nearby shop. She launched herself toward them.
“One!”
After making landfall on the roof, Inglis sprung up again, slamming her foot through a roundhouse kick into the neck of a beast.
As another pecked toward her back, she let her momentum carry her around fully, slipping past its attack before she grabbed it by the neck and swung it into the third.
“Two!”
The beast, caught by the full weight of Inglis’s second foe, fell like a rock toward Leone.
“Three!”
Inglis immediately slung along the beast in her grasp behind it—a little too early. Leone had cut two of the beasts down, but she was still in the process of winding up again for the last one.
“Oh! Sorry!”
“Aaaaaah! Too fast, Inglis!”
As Leone flailed her sword around in a fluster, an arrow of light flew past her, twisting around her to strike the beast down as it fell.
“Yay! A direct hit!” a familiar voice cheered. “Ugh, really, Chris! You can’t run off like that. You left me behind.”
“Rani! Good job catching up with us despite everything.”
“It’s not like you two were being all that stealthy.” Rafinha looked over at Leone.
“She’s Leone,” Inglis said. “We happened to run into each other, and now we’re fighting together.”
“Nice to meet you. Thanks for covering me.” Leone nodded to Rafinha.
“Pleased to meet you too! I’m Rafinha Bilford.”
As Rafinha shot her a friendly smile, Leone gasped. “Bilford...? Rafinha? You’re Rafael’s sister?!”
“Oh! You know Rafael?”
“Yes. I owe him a lot.”
“Let’s talk about that later!” Inglis interrupted. “We’ve got magicite beasts to fight!”
With Rafinha there, Inglis’s party blew through the magicite beasts. Barely an hour later, they had repelled every single beast there and returned peace to the city.
Rafinha ran the back of her hand over her brow. “Phew. That seems like about enough. Inglis, Leone, you must both be pretty tired out.”
“Yeah.” Leone nodded. “We were able to take a lot of them down because of you two, though. Thanks.”
“Hmm.” Rafinha paused to think. “But it’s strange how they appeared here, like, out of nowhere. This town is heavily guarded. I guess it would make sense if the Prism Flow suddenly fell here, but...”
“You’re right. Hmm, I wonder what happened.”
“It’s been happening a lot lately,” Leone said. “Beasts suddenly show up in Ahlemin, even without the Prism Flow.”
Inglis cut in enthusiastically. “At least there’s never a dull moment.”
“Huh? Um...” Leone was a bit taken aback.
“Oh, don’t worry about her,” Rafinha said. “She’s got the body of an angel, but the soul of a warlord.”
“Aha ha ha. But she calms right down as soon as the battle’s over.”
“Oh, do I, now.” Inglis stared at Rafinha in response.
“Yeah! You only get worked up like that in a fight, Chris.”
Leone nodded. “Now that I think of it, the first time I saw her, she was charging straight at a pack of magicite beasts. I was shocked.”
“Yep, that’s Chris for you. She really has a flair for making a first impression. I mean, a girl with no Rune running headfirst into battle? You’d think she’d get herself killed, right?”
“I tackled her to try to stop her before I even realized what I was doing! Turns out I didn’t need to, though.”
Inglis smiled as she listened to Rafinha and Leone. If they get along this well, I’m not unhappy that we met.
“You there! The dark-haired girl and the platinum blonde!” a middle-aged knight called out. “Thank you for helping defend the town! We’d like to reward you. Come with me.”
Rafinha frowned. “Huh? But what about Leone? We weren’t the ones who did most of the work—it was her.”
Inglis, too, cocked an eyebrow at the knight.
“What? No, of course not! We have not a crumb for that traitor’s blood!” The knight spoke as if surprised, and not a little offended, at the idea.
“Now hold on just a minute! You saw how hard she was fighting!” Rafinha refuted.
Leone spoke quietly. “Don’t worry about me, Rafinha. You two go along with him.”
“No! That’s not right!”
The knight sounded indignant. “How could we trust someone like her? You two must not know who she is. She’s Leone Olfa, sister of the traitor holy knight Leon Olfa! There can be no honor for one whose family scorns everything we hold dear!”
Rafinha’s jaw dropped. “Whaaaat?!”
“I see.” Inglis paused. She suddenly remembered something. “Leon was an Olfa...”
She had heard the name Olfa before in regard to Leon, the holy knight who turned to the Steelbloods.
“Now that you know, you’d best keep your distance. If you keep company like that, people will start to wonder why.” The knight turned forward. “Let’s go.”
“Who cares about your reward, then! We don’t need it!” Rafinha stuck out her tongue at the knight in a rather unladylike display.
“Let’s get out of here.” Inglis took Leone’s hand and led her along the road.
“That’s right!” Rafinha took her other hand.
A tear began to well up in the corner of Leone’s eye as the two led her along. “Thank you.”
Rafinha was still outraged. “What’s wrong with them?! That’s a terrible way to treat someone!”
Inglis agreed. “Yeah. Anyway, let’s find somewhere calmer to talk.”
Leone, gazing at the pavement, mumbled, “How about my house? It’s not very fancy, but if we’re outside like this...”
“In that case, thank you for the invitation.” Rafinha smiled.
“Yeah. Let’s go get the wagon,” Inglis suggested.
Once the trio returned to the wagon, Leone climbed in for the ride to her house.
Inglis called back to her from the driver’s bench. “Are the people here always like that?”
“Yeah. Ever since Leon turned to the Steelbloods three years ago...”
“But you still fight for them?” Rafinha asked out of curiosity.
“Whatever differences we have, a magicite beast’s a magicite beast.”
“Wow, you’re so mature! I’m impressed!” Rafinha’s eyes gleamed as she grasped Leone’s hand.
“Ha ha ha. I don’t think I’m anything special. If nothing else, maybe someday they’ll forgive me a little this way.”
“They still shouldn’t talk about you like that. You’re fighting hard to protect them. They’re so petty.”
“Try not to blame them, though,” Leone said. “They had a lot of hope riding on Leon—and a lot of respect for him. This town exists to watch over the dead Prismer, so there are many knights and a firm loyalty to the crown. Leon was the first holy knight we’ve ever had. So when he killed the inspector and the Highland ambassador and fled, his betrayal hurt all the more. They say the greatest hate springs from the greatest love.”
“Huh? Wait, Lord Shiony was—” Rafinha said, but Inglis cut her off and leaned into her ear.
“The official story ended up being that it was all Leon’s fault,” Inglis whispered. “If people heard that it had been Rahl who killed Shiony, it would just drum up more support for anti-Highland movements, and opposition to the royals that yield to their demands. It was a more convenient explanation.”
“But isn’t it unfair to blame Leon for everything? Especially when all he did was not put up with Rahl’s arrogance any longer.”
“Wait, you two met Leon?”
“Yeah. He was friendly,” Rafinha answered. “I don’t think he was a bad person.”
“I agree with Rani,” Inglis added.
“I see.” Leone took a moment to let their comments sink in. “Thanks. But don’t worry about it. Even Prince Wayne and Rafael came to explain and apologize.”
Inglis went over her picture of national politics. Wayne... Right, that’s the prince. He must be Rafael’s commander.
“I knew at least Rafael would be better,” Rafinha said. “Really, though. This isn’t right. Everyone else needs to at least apologize too.”
“They checked in on me from time to time afterward, so I don’t hold a grudge or anything. And plus...I mean, no matter what happened, Leon did abandon his rank and his country. The people have plenty of reasons to resent him. So it’s up to me to restore honor to the Olfa name. Becoming a knight in my own right and capturing my brother should do it.” Leone’s eyes shone with determination.
“You’re strong, Leone. There’s a lot I could learn from you.” Rafinha made no effort to hide her admiration.
Inglis, meanwhile, latched onto something else. “So you’re not a knight yet, Leone?”
“That’s right. Soon I’ll be heading off to the academy. With my father gone now, there’s nothing keeping me here.”
“Wow, really?! Us too! We’re on our way to the knights’ academy ourselves!” Rafinha cheered.
“You are? Great! It’ll be so nice to have classmates that—”
“This is a heck of a coincidence, but yeah! I can’t wait!”
“Me too!” Inglis chimed in happily.
“Me three, then!”
The trio held hands, excitedly looking forward to their future together.
“Ah, Rin!” Rin stuck her face out from Rafinha’s shadow, then ran to Leone as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.
“Oh, my. Isn’t she cute? I’ve never seen anything like her, though.”
“She’s Rin. She’s our pet.”
Rin spun around in a circle in front of Leone, obviously also happy to meet her—just before diving down her shirt headfirst.
“Eeek! Where’s she trying to— Ahh, stop it! What are you doing?!”
“Ah, Rin! Sorry, she loves to hide in places like that.”
Inglis sighed in relief. “Phew. At least it’s not just me anymore.” Another reason for Inglis to be happy that Leone was there.
As Rin calmed down, Rafinha shined a smile at them. “Anyway, it sounds like we’ll have a lot of fun at the academy.”
“I’m still worried about how magicite beasts are appearing in town, though. I wish I could find out why before leaving,” Leone remarked pensively.
“Do you have any leads to work with?” Inglis asked.
“Some rumors say it’s because of the dead Prismer; others think it’s something the Steelbloods are up to. There are a lot of explanations. I kind of lean toward the Steelbloods. If it was the Prismer, you’d think this sort of thing would have happened earlier.”
Rafinha cupped her chin. “Hmmm. What do you think, Chris?”
“I don’t think it’s the Steelbloods. They didn’t seem to care about anything but taking down the Highlanders, and there’s not a consul here for them to go after. So what would be in it for them?”
Leone nodded. “I guess that’s true. So then it probably is the Prismer.”
“But it wasn’t happening before?” Rafinha asked.
“I know we only recently arrived,” Inglis said, “but I don’t think that Prismer’s dead. And if it isn’t, I wouldn’t be surprised if it could summon lesser magicite beasts.”
“What?! You can tell it’s alive, Inglis?!”
“I think it’s alive, at least.”
“Hmm.” Leone paused in thought. “What could we even do about that, then?”
“Thaw it out and kill it for real. I wish they’d let me give it a try.” Inglis sighed like a young maiden in love.
Leone and Rafinha turned to each other in quiet conversation. “Uh, Rafinha, she’s kind of creeping me out.”
“I know, right? But it’s nothing new. She’s always like this.”
◆◇◆
Following Leone’s directions, they arrived at a mansion with intricate outer walls. Its courtyard, however, was a blighted, bare space, stripped of the verdant landscaping one would expect of such a residence.
“I know it’s a bit rude to point this out, but it seems kind of...desolate here.”
“Yeah. You’re right, Rani.”
“A little while ago, a mob stormed up here from town to punish our family,” Leone said. “The building was fine, but the garden burned away. We didn’t bother replanting. If we fixed things up, it’d only make them want to tear things down again. I’m sorry it looks so uninviting from the outside, but indoors, the hearth’s still burning. Not that anyone is here to tend it but myself.”
“It’s fine,” Inglis said. “That means you don’t have to worry about anyone else, right?”
“Thanks for your understanding,” Leone said after a pause.
She pulled the gates to the courtyard open.
Whoosh!
A loud noise passed over their heads. Inglis looked up to see a small, winged ship made of iron. Its complicated mechanisms made it obvious that it was not built on the surface, but rather a gift from Highland.
This must be a Flygear, Inglis thought.
This particular example was a standing type, with birdlike wings on either side of a metal hull that held a control stick and bars for the riders to grip. The hull was small, affording room for perhaps one or two passengers alongside its pilot. The Flygear was a new type of aircraft that Highland only recently sent down; it was still rare on the surface. Inglis could count the number of times she’d seen one out as far as Ymir on her fingers.
Uniquely, though, a Flygear required the involvement of a knight and their Rune to charge. Once powered, though, the Rune was no longer necessary to control its flight. Meaning a certain Runeless squire was still fully qualified to pilot one.
The term knight may have sprung into existence referring to heavy cavalry, but a squire on a Flygear was surely the equal of a knight on horseback. That’d make magicite beasts easier to deal with and allow for rapid tactical changes in redeploying forces. With dispersed forces that could concentrate quickly at a focal point, knights and their squires could more effectively fulfill their mission of protecting humans from magicite beasts. That was definitely a development Inglis was pleased with.
The knights’ academy, which was at the forefront of developing the doctrine for that mission, had recently instituted a course for squires for the development of a corps of trained Flygear pilots. It was the academy’s decision that a knight should focus on the training and use of their Artifact for battle, while Runeless squires would pilot the Flygears. That would make forces the most efficient.
Inglis herself, of course, was destined for that squires’ course and expected to become quite familiar with a Flygear’s handling. And if the current strategic thinking held, she’d be paired up with an Artifact-wielding knight, almost certainly Rafinha.
“A Flygear’s landing!” she announced.
The ornithopter slowly descended into the courtyard of Leone’s mansion. As it came level with the ground, its two passengers popped into view. The first was a short-statured yet curvy girl with auburn hair. Her eyes gleamed with a curiosity almost as intense as Rafinha’s, and her doglike animal ears and tail marked her as a demihuman. The second was a tall young man in his early twenties with black hair. His face was handsome, gentle but with a sharp focus.
Ah! He’s grown up so well! Inglis thought as she stared at her cousin, Rafinha’s brother, Rafael.
“Oh, isn’t that—Rafael! Rafaeeel!” As soon as Rafinha recognized her brother, she ran up to the Flygear and dove to embrace him as it landed.
“Wha—?! Rani?! It’s really you, Rani! What on earth are you doing here? How have you been?”
“Just fine! We came to see the dead Prismer here on our way to the capital! Chris just couldn’t miss the chance!”
“I see. So Chris is with you?”
“Yes. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” Inglis had followed hot on Rafinha’s heels, and gave a quick curtsy as Rafael’s focus swung to her.
Rafael was stunned into silence for a moment. “Wow. Y-You’re beautiful! I didn’t realize—”
Inglis was fifteen years old, but she’d been an early bloomer and looked seventeen or eighteen—enough to stand out as a woman, at least. Rafael seemed a little bit nervous as he looked at her.
He’s grown up in a lot of ways, but definitely not all of them.
The girl who’d accompanied him on the Flygear teased the young holy knight. “Why, I thought I’d never see the day! Rafael blushing at a girl? Is the legendary wallflower finally blossoming?!”
“S-Stop it, Ripple!”
“Thank you, Rafael.” Inglis knew she looked good and wasn’t particularly averse to having it recognized, but she really would have preferred if he had immediately unsheathed his sword with a It’s been so long since we’ve had a chance to spar! instead. As a smile spread across her face at the thought, Rafael smiled in return.
“Yeah. I’m glad to see you again too, Chris.”
Inglis turned to the other person from the Flygear. “And she’s Ripple... The hieral menace Ripple?”
“Yeppers, that’s me! Nice to meet ya!” Ripple beamed at Inglis.
“Did you come here to see Leone, Rafael?” Rafinha asked.
“Yeah. I was already in the area for a mission, so I thought I’d drop in.”
“Oh? What mission are you on?”
“Well...” he said before trailing off. “Actually, I bet we’re all pretty hungry. Why don’t we talk over a meal?”
Rafinha definitely was. “I’m famished! How about you, Chris?”
“Sure am.”
“Why don’t we head inside, then? I’ll whip something up—” Leone began to offer, only for Rafael to shake his head.
“That won’t—”
Rafinha cut in. “It probably—no, it definitely won’t—”
“It won’t be enough.” Inglis finished for the three of them.
“Why don’t you come along with us, Leone? I’ll rent a space, so you don’t have to worry about standing out,” Rafael offered.
Under his command now, Inglis and the others moved out to dinner.
◆◇◆
After Rafinha gave a brief narrative of the events at Nova, Rafael was relieved that she and Inglis had made it out unharmed.
“So that’s what happened in Nova, then. I’d heard rumors that the consul had gone missing, but that really must have been tough for the two of you. I’m glad you came back safe from meeting the leader of the Steelbloods.”
Inglis was curious if he knew more about what had happened there. “What I’m really worried about is the floating circle. Did the king know about that when he handed over the town to Highland?” If he did, that means he really did abandon his people.
“Well, it’s the first I’ve heard of it. I can’t speak for his close advisers, though.”
Rafinha pouted. “If he did, I’m gonna be so angry.”
“Me too, Rani,” Rafael said. “Thanks, Rani. Thanks, Chris. That’s really important information. Thank you for telling me.”
That was enough to ease Rafinha’s worry for now. “Mm. I hope it comes in handy.”
“You’re welcome.” Inglis agreed.
Rafael had his own questions. “What really surprises me is that, even after the consul became a magicite beast, you were able to tame her.”
“Well, she was a Highlander rather than an animal or insect beforehand, and an exceptionally thoughtful one on top of that,” Inglis explained. “I wonder if there’s still some bit of that left, struggling against a magicite beast’s instincts.”
“Maybe it has something to do with her being so tiny.”
“Hmmm.”
Leone’s and Ripple’s eyes were gradually widening as the conversation went on. They hadn’t said a word.
The cousins had, between them, already polished off enough food to sustain a grown man for two or three days, and the empty plates were beginning to stack high on the table. They were nowhere near done yet either—even the conversation about Rin was taking place around half-chewed mouthfuls.
Ripple watched in incredulity. “Wow, I had no idea your sister and cousin were just as hungry as you.”
“You all weren’t kidding,” Leone said. “There really wasn’t enough food at my place to feed you.”
As Rafinha marched her way through a third helping of steamed chicken, she asked her brother, “So, what are you doing here?”
“We were sent to help clear out the magicite beasts that suddenly appeared.”
“That’s been on my mind, too. I was thinking I should do something about it before leaving for the academy,” Leone said, her voice growing quieter by the end.
“It’ll be fine, Leone. A few more days, and it’ll stop.”
Inglis’s brow furrowed. “Do you have something planned, Rafael?”
“I do. I believe their appearance is tied to the influence of the frozen Prismer. So...” Rafael’s face was stone-serious as he explained, even with a piece of chicken tucked in his cheek.
Several days later...
Inglis, Rafinha, and Leone, along with Rafael and Ripple, soared through the sky aboard a Flygear Port, a sort of mothership for Flygears. It was a winged, barrel-like flying hull peppered with holes in which Flygears could land.
It was more than a storage hangar, though. Each of the docked Flygears also was a part of the Flygear Port’s motive force. The common strategy for operations established a squadron of Flygears around a Flygear Port.
“If the frozen Prismer is creating magicite beasts, then moving it away from the town should prevent them from appearing there,” Rafael had said to them during dinner a few nights ago.
That very plan was taking place before Inglis’s eyes. The roof of Ahlemin’s cathedral had been removed, and countless wires hung down and wrapped around the Prismer, allowing the Flygear Port and a large force of Flygears to begin lifting it away.
In other words, it was an airlift on a massive scale. The incredible sight of hundreds of Flygears spreading their wings was commanded by none other than the young holy knight Rafael, with the hieral menace Ripple there for backup.
Rafinha gasped. “This is amazing! I had no idea you could do even this with Flygears.”
Rafael nodded. “Yeah. Flygears are so useful. Highland uses them too. Having some of our own gives us more options.”
“Even if the Steelbloods were behind the beasts, the Prismer is probably still involved, so I guess if it’s gone...” Leone continued to be the most suspicious of the Steelbloods, but that was enough of an explanation for her.
One problem remained: if they were moving the Prismer, where were they moving it to? Dropping it in another town would just recreate the same problem there. Fortunately, there were other options.
“Moving it to an isolated area on a hostile border will let any magicite beasts it produces be our first line of defense,” Inglis said. “Fighting fire with fire. It still seems like such a waste, though.” For Inglis, the idea of pitting two strong enemies against each other instead of having to—instead of getting to—fight either was a crushing blow, even if the strategy was sound.
“Are you still complaining about that, Chris?” Rafinha teased. “C’mon, this is a great idea. It’ll let us defend ourselves without having to commit any resources.”
“You’re right, but...”
Leone cupped her chin. “So even though magicite beasts don’t care about borders at all, there are still people whose first thought is expanding theirs...”
Rafael nodded. “Yeah. It’s a shame that humans still fight among themselves, even under the Prism Flow. This is meant to stop that, but... It still feels strange, relying on magicite beasts to do it.”
The neighboring country, Venefic, had repeatedly attempted both incursions and full-scale invasions in the past. Tensions between nations still remained high, and Venefic was likely their greatest threat other than the magicite beasts. The main purpose of this airlift was to use the magicite beasts as a frontline of defense against Venefic’s army. The plan came from Prince Wayne, who was quite a strategist in his own right.
“All right, Rani, Chris, Leone. This Flygear Port will be returning to the capital. You three can take it there. Ripple and I will stay behind to direct the airlift.”
“Okay. Thanks, Rafael!” Rafinha smiled.
“Yes, thanks,” Inglis said.
Leona bowed her head. “Thank you for everything, Rafael.”
“Of course. Do your best at the knights’ academy, you three. I’m looking forward to fighting alongside you someday.” Rafael grinned at the girls.
“Hey, hey, Chrissy! You got a second?” Ripple took Inglis’s arm and led her into an isolated corner of the Flygear Port, then whispered furtively. “It’s you, right? You’re the crazy girl Eris was talking about?”
“Oh, Eris mentioned me?”
“Yeah. But it was just between us hieral menaces, right?”
Inglis paused. “Thanks.”
“Anyway. What do you really think of that there Prismer?”
“I think it’s a pity it’s being moved so far away.”
“A-ha! ♪ You’re not scared one bit, are ya? How about it? Think you could take it on?”
“I don’t fight to lose.”
“Listen, let’s keep this between you and me, but I think you’re gonna get your wish pretty soon now.”
“What?! Really?! I knew I felt something from it, but...”
“Really-really. That big ol’ guy ain’t dead yet. He’s just taking a little nap. I saw it for myself. Saw it for myself a long, long time ago.”
Inglis gasped. “I’d heard hieral menaces were long-lived, but...”
“We sure are. I could well be your granny. So could Eris.”
Inglis, of course, knew that she was old enough to have been their grandpa, if not many more generations back, even though they would never believe her if she said so.
“Anyway, we’re just calling the Prismer dead to keep everyone’s morale up, you know? If it’s creating magicite beasts now, it’s gotta be waking up. Better to get it away from any of the civvies while it’s still groggy.”
“Sounds great. Move it to somewhere where we can go all-out.”
“I can see how hyped up you are!”
“Oh, extremely!”
“That’s the stuff. ♪ Glad you’re on board, Inglis. When that thing wakes up, you’ll be the first to hear. So I’m gonna need you to do your best to get stronger until then.”
“Understood. I’ll be waiting.”
“Looking forward to it. So, let’s pinky promise!”
“Of course.”
Before long, it was time to split ways.
“All right, everyone! I’ll see you in the capital after I’m done!” Rafael said.
“Bye-bye! You cuties do your best, ’kay? See ya! ♪” Ripple said.
The pair climbed aboard their Flygear, and as it took off, Rafael’s voice echoed from its cockpit. “We’re off, then! New magicite beasts may appear at any time, so be on guard as we move!”
At Rafael’s order, the Prismer began to recede into the distance.
Inglis stayed on the flight deck of the Flygear Port for a while, watching the Prismer shrink away, calling out to it from her heart. Wake up soon, so we can have a good fight!
“Well, it’s time we returned to the capital!” the captain of the Flygear Port announced. As it picked up speed, Ahlemin soon sank under the horizon.
Leone watched, an intent look on her face. “Someday I shall return, holding my head high.”
“That’s right! You’ll change their minds—I just know it!” Rafinha smiled.
Inglis nodded. “And we’ll be helping out.”
“Thanks, both of you.”
And thus, Inglis and Rafinha’s journey to the capital came to a close. Their first day at the knights’ academy would arrive soon.
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