Bonus Short Stories
Yoink!
Lunchtime had arrived at the knights’ academy.
With the cafeteria not yet rebuilt after its destruction, the students had been provided rations for lunch. Inglis and her friends had found a nice place to eat on the grass at the edge of the courtyard.
Leone looked up at the sky, watching the birds soar over faraway buildings. Her mind had seemed to be elsewhere lately, like she was preoccupied with something.
“What’s wrong, Leone?” Inglis asked.
“Ah, well... I’ve been thinking about my brother... He disappeared without saying anything, but I wonder why he decided to help us to begin with. The Steelblood Front’s plan was to attack the palace and kill the Highland ambassador, right? So why wasn’t he with the rest of them?”
“Maybe he was worried about you, Leone? I think that’s why he came to help,” Rafinha chimed in from the far side of Leone.
“Worried now, though? In that case, he never should have abandoned his post as a holy knight and joined the Steelblood Front.”
Thanks to Leon’s defection, Leone’s hometown of Ahlemin had scorned her and she’d gone through a great deal of hardship.
Rafinha paused. “Hmm, that’s true. Hey, why do you think he joined the Steelblood Front in the first place? Prince Wayne and Ambassador Theodore are working together to make this country a better place, and while His Majesty Carlias is a bit subservient, he doesn’t seem like a bad person. What do you think, Chris?”
“I agree, Rani.”
Rafinha continued, “Even if he insists it’s because he dislikes the Highlanders—I mean, Rahl was really brutish, but...was that really enough to make Leon turn his back on the holy knights?”
“It really makes me wonder. I have no clue what he’s doing,” Leone said.
Inglis listened silently. Leon had to have a reason behind his actions. She thought she had caught a glimpse of his motives when he fought the Prismer with them a few days earlier, but Ripple had warned her not to speak to Rafinha and the others of it yet.
“If he couldn’t stand submitting to the Highlanders, couldn’t he have sided with Prince Wayne’s faction on the side of reform? But he didn’t... That’s why I’m curious,” Rafinha said.
Leone’s gaze returned to the far-off skies.
Yoink!
A hand stretched from the side toward the meal open on Leone’s lap. This was the work of Rafinha. She had swiftly stolen a piece of food while Leone was distracted.
“Ah—!” Inglis exclaimed as she watched it happen.
“Huh? Inglis? Do you know something about Leon?” Leone asked.
“Nope... Why not ask Rani?”
“Rafinha?” Leone turned toward her.
Yoink!
Inglis took that opportunity to grab a bite for herself.
“No, no, I think Chris knows something,” Rafinha deflected.
“Er?” Leone turned to Inglis.
Yoink!
Another bite for Rafinha.
“Nah, you’re just imagining things. Rani definitely—”
“Errrr?”
Yoink!
Inglis went back for seconds as well. Leone’s head twisted back and forth until she finally looked down at her lap. “Ah! My food’s disappearing! Who did that?!”
“It was Chris!”
“No, it was Rani!”
“It was both of you, then, wasn’t it...? Ah well. I’ve been thinking about going on a diet again...”
“Sweet!” the pair cheered.
“I guess it’s nice that at least you two don’t have any worries.” Leone sighed.
“Oh, I have plenty. Like what if Chris is arrested for being too violent?”
“I worry plenty,” Inglis cut in. “I’m always worried Rafinha will fall in with a bad crowd and become a delinquent.”
“No, you’re the one to worry about, Chris!”
“No, you are, Rani!”
“Chris is gonna get in trouble!”
“Rani’s who we should fuss over!”
“Aha ha, you two get along so well...” Leone remarked with a chuckle.
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