The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 4

Chapter IV: Inglis, Age 15—Dual Starlets (4)

Several days later, Ian’s perception of Inglis suddenly changed.

Crrrashhh! Bam, bam, bam! Booooom!

Inglis and Yua leaped between Flygears over the audience seating, exchanging blows as they practiced the battle scene of the finale.

Inglis’s character, Maribelle, was a popular dancer but had been born into a famous family of knights. She and Prince Malik were childhood friends who were expected to marry, but when she was ten years old, her family fell to ruin, and the engagement was called off. She traveled the land for seven years until meeting Prince Malik in a foreign land, where he had been appointed feudal lord.

In the current scene, Maribelle, trained as a knight and with a personality befitting one, was on her way to save Prince Malik, whose life was in danger. The tide of battle had turned against him. Yua was playing the other protagonist and Maribelle’s romantic rival, Euthylis. She was a lady knight who had entered Prince Malik’s service after his engagement to Maribelle was called off.

Maribelle, wanting to rescue Malik herself, faces off against Euthylis, who tries to stop her. In a show of strength, Maribelle battles Euthylis. Later, having learned to respect each other’s skill, the two come to an understanding that the loser will promise to step back from the rescue. Afterward, the most exciting part unfolds: a serious, unscripted battle.

The speedy movement of both Inglis and Yua was dazzling, magnificent, and uncannily forceful. The heavy sound of strikes echoing through the air made that clear at once.

“A-Amazing... Now I understand what Lahti meant,” Ian murmured as he watched, dumbstruck. His eyes darted in all directions as he tried to follow the pair.

“Now you get it. Try pointing out anything ladylike there,” Lahti said from next to him.

Lahti and Pullum would be appearing in the play as Flygear pilots. Right now, Pullum was the one practicing her piloting skills.

“Ha ha, indeed... I guess every rose has its thorns.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Anyway, it looks like neither of them have Runes or Artifacts. They’re incredible.”

“Right? Those two can even take out magicite beasts.”

“What?! Without an Artifact?!”

“Yeah. I’ve seen it myself.”

“H-How?”

“No clue! But it’s a big world—maybe even big enough for people like them.”

“We don’t have many Artifacts in Alcard...”

“Yeah.”

To some, the king of Alcard was neglecting the protection of his people, but the reality was that Alcard had a uniquely difficult situation. The country’s poor harvests due to its inhospitable climate made it a challenge to put together enough goods and crops to afford numerous Artifacts or a hieral menace. Highlanders didn’t care that some countries had harder circumstances. Even if they did exchange their crops for Artifacts and a hieral menace, letting the people starve and the country collapse in the process would be putting the cart before the horse.

“If only there had been people like them in Alcard...” Ian trailed off before shaking his head. “No, what’s done is done. I need to stop letting my mind wander, and work as hard at this play as I can... I guess.”

“Yeah...”

Meanwhile, Count Weismar erupted in high-pitched praise for Inglis and Yua. “Oh my! Oh my! You’re even more wonderful than before! My head was spinning so hard to follow you that I have a cramp in the back of my neck! Ouch! Ah, such a pleasant pain! Then, let’s move to Prince Malik’s scene... Ian, you’re on stage,” Count Weismar prompted.

“Right!”

As Ian advanced, Inglis and Yua traded places with him, retreating to the wings.

“Good work, Yua. That must have taken a lot out of you. Here, have some water.” Inglis filled a glass from the pitcher set aside for breaks and passed it to Yua.

“Thanks. I’m not really tired, though, you know.”

“Ah! So you’re feeling enthusiastic?” That was unexpected for Yua. It usually didn’t take her long to complain about being worn out, or bored, or tired.

“I’ve been feeling good lately.”

“That’s good to hear. I was worried that you might have been affected by some kind of residual effect from before.” In their fight against the Prismer on the school grounds, it had absorbed Yua into its body. Inglis had hoped Yua was completely fine afterward, so she was pleased with how Yua was acting.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“By the way, Yua, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

“What?”

“When we fought seriously, you used some kind of fearsome technique to mask what you were doing so that I couldn’t perceive it, right? What kind of technique was that? If you don’t mind telling me.”

Being able to hide all traces of mana was an amazing feat. It was something Inglis currently couldn’t achieve herself. She wanted to learn everything she could about it. She was sure it would come in handy.

“I...wasn’t really hiding anything,” Yua answered.

“Huh? But you were obviously...” Maybe you don’t want to answer, but I’m going to keep pressing on this one, Inglis thought.

“I just blended in,” Yua said.

Apparently, it wasn’t that Yua didn’t want to answer, but that her perception was different.

“Huh? You blended in?”

“With the world.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“My dad told me to return to the world.”

Inglis paused, giving Yua’s words some weight. “I see. So you go with the flow of the world—of nature.”

The world—nature—was filled with various flows of power: light which illuminated one’s path, wind which brushed one’s cheek, the rain which nurtured the earth, flame which gave birth to civilization. The flow of mana existed within all those natural phenomena. Probed more deeply, it revealed itself as the flow of aether.

Even as someone who could sense both mana and aether, Inglis found it difficult to clearly recognize and grasp these natural flows. After all, for those who lived in this world, it was truly natural. It was a constant cosmic backdrop of life.

Artificial flows, like the ones an individual gathered around themselves or the twisting of nature by the floating circle in the town of Nova, were easy to understand, but Yua had mastered the art of matching her power to the natural flows around her. Inglis’s own habit of treating them as strictly natural and not to be worried about had dulled her response to Yua’s movements. Even she had found Yua difficult to read, except by the radical measure of ignoring her sense of sight to focus solely on the flow of mana.

“Yeah. I guess,” Yua said.

“That’s a wonderful technique! What kind of person is your father? I’d love to get the same kind of training from him as you did!”

If he can train me in the same way, I’m sure it will improve my ability to manipulate aether as well, Inglis reasoned to herself. The black-masked leader of the Steelblood Front had a final technique that was able to manipulate the wavelength of his own aether and change its nature to repel mine, which let him deflect my attacks, protecting himself. With what I’ve learned so far, I can’t break through that defense. But a more flexible approach like Yua’s may be the key to doing so. I’d love to learn it! 

“What kind of person is he?” Yua repeated lazily.

“Yes. I’d love to meet him someday!” Inglis said.

“Hmm... I don’t remember what he looks like,” Yua said, much to Inglis’s shock.

“Huhhh?!” She’d forgotten such a thing? Inglis had no words for that.

Maybe they don’t have a good relationship, maybe he’s passed away, maybe it’s something like that. But even if she is avoiding the subject, why would she say that?

It was too astonishing. Well, maybe it wasn’t that surprising for Yua to say such a thing.

“Huh? Is that weird?” Yua asked.

“Err... Yeah. Very.”

“Really? I guess maybe he wasn’t my dad?”

“How am I supposed to answer— Anyway! Would it be difficult to meet him?”

“Probably.”

Not that it’s any of my business, but...

“All right, next is the scene with Prince Malik and Euthylis. Yua, over this way, please!” Count Weismar called.

“Okay.” Yua ambled off to the center of the stage.

“Well, then...” Looks like it might be difficult to get that kind of training. If I can’t do that, I’ll just have to learn by watching her. I can’t wait to fight her for real again. Showtime can’t come soon enough, Inglis thought.

Also waiting in the wings, Lahti struck up a conversation. “Hey, Inglis. Yua sure said something surprising, didn’t she?”

“You were listening? When she said she couldn’t remember what her father looked like.”

“Yeah, I’m shocked.”

“Hm...”

“You think she’ll be able to remember the script?”

“Actually, she’s doing a pretty good job of it.”

As Yua rehearsed her scene with Prince Malik, she wasn’t holding a copy of the script—Inglis figured she must have committed the lines to memory. Her performance was surprisingly solid. Inglis wasn’t concerned about Yua’s ability to play her role. Ian was also very good as Prince Malik—so good that Inglis was worried she’d be the one to drag the performance down.

“Anyway, Inglis, um...”

“Yes?”

“This is about Ian, but can you promise me not to tell Pullum or anyone else? Something about him seems strange.”

“He seems reliable to me, but... Is there something you noticed?”

“Yeah. I grew up with him, so I think I know him pretty well. The person I know would have stayed behind and helped rebuild after his family’s lands were destroyed and the capital was damaged... Joining a theatrical troupe alone and washing up here... I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but it just doesn’t seem like him.”

“Maybe something happened that he didn’t tell us about,” Inglis said, pausing. “I think it’s better for us not to pry. It might make things even harder on him. We should wait until he’s comfortable coming to us about it.”

Lahti nodded. “Right. Got it.”

I think it’ll be better that way. I’m glad he thinks so too.

“Next, let’s practice Maribelle’s dance scene! Over here, Inglis! Rafinha, Leone, Liselotte, you too!”

“Okay.” As Inglis took her place at center stage, Leone and Liselotte, who had been watching, also joined in.

“Huh? Where’s Rani?” Inglis asked.

“I haven’t seen her in a little while. She said she had something important to take care of,” Leone answered.

“She left earlier and said she’d be right back. Did she say anything to you?” Liselotte added.

“Wait, is she—” As Inglis began to ask, Rafinha returned.

“Ahmm hacc!” Rafinha announced, her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk’s. What she’d been up to was immediately obvious. “Phoo, mave ih ih faim! (Phew, made it in time!)”

“Rani... You snuck off for a snack...” Lunchtime was approaching, and the troupe was preparing. Rani had apparently been unable to wait any longer and snuck off to eat. No fair. I’ve been trying to hold off despite being hungry.

“Hee. Vow va vohf nihlfee. (Here. Now we’re both guilty.)”

Rafinha stuffed the cold-cut sandwich in her hand into Inglis’s mouth.

“Fhff. Wahmai vuhn oo vifoo? (Sheesh. What am I gonna do with you?)”

“Well, well! Growing children must eat well! Eat well, and give me a good performance!” Even with Inglis and Rafinha, Count Weismar was tolerant.

“Count Weismar sure is generous,” Leone whispered to Liselotte.

“You’re right. He doesn’t seem angry at all. He may be even more relaxed than the principal...” Liselotte replied.

Principal Miriela was definitely soft-spoken, gentle, and kind, but even she had her limits, which Inglis and Rafinha tested from time to time. Leone and Liselotte had expected the count to behave like the principal during their rehearsals.

“Well, I believe that each person has their own way of growing,” Count Weismar whispered to Leone and Liselotte as if he’d heard them. “Some grow by being scolded. Some grow by being praised. There are many types—but those two grow by being fed. If their stomachs are full, they’ll show me something wonderful. So, it’s worth feeding them.”

“They sound like animals,” Leone replied.

“Indeed... Like lions in the zoo,” Liselotte continued.

“Yeah.”

“I know I’m not supposed to laugh about this, but...”

Leone and Liselotte both giggled.

“Mm... There we go!” Inglis said as they stopped eating.

“Sorry to keep you waiting! Let’s start!” Rafinha agreed.

“I see, I see! Very well, then, dance beautifully!”

Count Weismar brought the group into formation, with Inglis in front and the other three in a line behind. Then, as he clapped out a beat, they performed the choreography they’d been taught, changing their positions as they went. It hadn’t been long since they had begun practicing, but their choreography was flawless.

“Ah, you’re wonderful! Like goddesses descended from heaven! That’s perfect!” Count Weismar was full of excitement as he cheered them on.

“Ha ha ha. Being praised like this doesn’t feel bad,” Leone whispered as they danced.

“Yeah,” Inglis agreed.

“This is a little embarrassing, but it might be a good way to relax,” Liselotte followed.

“Yes. Let’s have some fun while we’re here! We wouldn’t normally get to do something like this,” Rafinha said.

None of the four were particularly practiced dancers, but they made up for their lack of experience with their exceptional training from the knights’ academy. In terms of physical ability, they all far surpassed the average person. It took barely any time at all before they could outstrip the Weismar Troupe’s professional actors. From the tips of their fingers to the tips of their toes, their movements were coordinated and supple. Their hair and outfits swayed as they moved, and you could even hear the sound of fabric rubbing against fabric. At the end of the routine, Inglis stepped forward alone, and after a few lightning-fast steps, she struck a pose as a drop of sweat rolled down her cheek and hit the floor. It was quite intense.

“That’s it! That was so good! I have nothing more to say about this scene!” the count pronounced, nodding in satisfaction.

“You all were so beautiful! I wonder if I could be like that...” Pullum pondered, her eyes gleaming.

“Don’t start thinking you should be up there! You’d just get in the way,” Lahti interjected.

“Hmph. So I’m not as cute as Inglis and the others?”

“That’s not what I meant. Just, different people have different talents.”

As the two bickered like usual, they suddenly heard applause from another direction.

“That was wonderful! You’re so beautiful, Lady Inglis!”

“Ah, Reddas...”

Reddas had, at some point, set himself up in the audience, and now he was clapping wildly while weeping tears of joy. He wasn’t alone either—several others from the Royal Guard accompanied him. They had rave reviews of the girls’ dance performance.

“That was so beautiful...”

“Yet so different from before... It swept me off my feet.”

“The other girls were cute too. That we got to see this was truly a blessing.”

Not that any of that was particularly important.

Among the applauding knights was one other person of note. “Mm. A wonderful performance. I quite enjoyed it. Perhaps this will help return a sense of normalcy to the people of the capital as well.”

“Ah...! His Majesty—” Inglis gasped. Even King Carlias was clapping with a smile.

“Oh, he’s really here!” Rafinha added.

“Eh?! His Majesty was watching us?” Leone said.

“Oh my!” Liselotte said.

The four were stunned.

“Well, well. If it isn’t His Majesty! Thank you for your presence! Be sure to come see the show! We’ll present a masterpiece!” Count Weismar said.

King Carlias nodded. “Very well. I shall. I see I was right to grant you use of the Royal Theater.”

“Even this country’s king will be watching... This is really intense...” Ian’s face went pale, and he suddenly seemed very nervous.

At odds with everyone else, Yua asked Inglis, “Who’s the old guy?”

Inglis just stared at her.

◆◇◆

It had been a while since Inglis and the others began practicing with Weismar’s troupe for their performance; the curtain would be raised soon. The troupe had provided Inglis and Rafinha with meals the whole time, for which the pair was extremely grateful. And now, the time had come.

“Today’s the day, Chris!”

“Yeah. It’s been such a wait, Rani!” Faint tears welled up in Inglis’s and Rafinha’s eyes.

“We’ve worked so hard!”

“Yeah. I’m so proud!”

They hugged each other tightly, thinking fondly on their days of perseverance. The school building of the knights’ academy was finally rebuilt. Many parts were not completely done, but the door to the cafeteria loomed in front of Inglis and Rafinha. Today, it reopened. Unable to stand still, they’d been camped out in front of it before the reopening.

Soon, so soon, the moment they’d been waiting for would finally arrive.

“Is it really something to cry about?” Leone asked, taken aback.

“Did the troupe not give you all the meals you wanted while the cafeteria was closed?” Liselotte asked, surprised by how emotional they were being.

“Yes, but we were eating off of a limited menu!” Rafinha insisted.

“And we’ve been holding back so there was food for the troupe too!” Inglis added.

“That was you holding back?” Leone and Liselotte gasped in unison.

The troupe’s cooks had cradled their heads in their hands, watching Inglis and Rafinha eat, wondering whether the show would even turn a profit, but Count Weismar didn’t seem to care so long as the performance was good.

The door to the cafeteria opened with a creak.

“Oh? Were you lining up? Sorry to keep you waiting! We’re open again!” The familiar smile of the cafeteria worker welcomed them inside.

“Yay! We did it! The super-sized supreme blazin’ hot pasta awaits me!” Rafinha exclaimed.

“Me too! I wonder how many servings I can eat?” Inglis said.

“Er... Don’t you two have rehearsal after?” Leone reminded them.

“If you eat too much, you won’t even be able to move,” Liselotte scolded.

“You can’t fight on an empty stomach!” Inglis and Rafinha replied in unison. They had nothing but food on the brain as usual.

“I knew you’d be here, Inglis, Rafinha!” Principal Miriela said, walking in.

“Ah, Principal—” they replied.

“This isn’t the time to be in the cafeteria!” she said.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Inglis asked.

“We’ve still got plenty of time before rehearsal,” Rafinha pointed out.

“That’s not what I mean! You have some very important guests!”

“Err?” Inglis asked. What social engagement could be more important than their date with a plate of super-sized supreme blazin’ hot pasta? Hopefully not another summons to the castle, where they’d be asked to take on a bothersome job and then miss out on a feast. That was definitely not in her plans for the day.

“Can we go after we eat?” Rafinha seemed to be in full agreement with Inglis.

“Absolutely not! It would be rude to keep them waiting!”

“Well, if we have to...” Rafinha sighed.

“Let’s make this quick, Rani.”

“Yeah, let’s.”

“They’re waiting in my office. Let’s go,” Principal Miriela prompted. Inglis and the others left the cafeteria behind and headed to Miriela’s office.

“Phew, I caught them before they could ransack the cafeteria... The budget’s bad enough with the rebuilding, any savings I can find...” Principal Miriela muttered quietly to herself.

With that under her breath, they all arrived at the principal’s office.

“Inglis!”

“Rafinha!”

Waiting for them were two beautiful adult women.

“Mom!”

“Mother!”

It was Inglis’s mother, Serena, and her aunt, Irina.

“Mom! I can’t believe you came to visit! I’m so happy to see you!” As soon as Rafinha spotted her mother, she rushed over to hug her.

“Ha ha ha... I see you’re still my little girl, Rafinha.”

“Chris! Are you doing well? I’ve been worried about you,” Serena said.

“Yes, mother. Things have been fine. I’m glad to see you.” Inglis didn’t behave as childishly as Rafinha, but she still couldn’t resist a hug. The nostalgic warmth was comforting. No matter how old Inglis got, her mom was still her mom. In her previous life, she had been an orphan, so the value of and gratitude toward a mother was something she felt more deeply than anyone else.

“Fine? Err...” Principal Miriela groaned.

“Ah, my daughter hasn’t been causing you any trouble, has she?” Serena asked.

“Er, no, no, not at all! These two are excellent students. They’ve been such a help to have around.”

“I see. That’s a relief.” Serena smiled.

“So, mother, what brings you here?”

“Every year, the duke collects taxes for His Majesty. Starting this year, using those flying boats...”

“The Flygears and Flygear Ports?”

“Yes. This year, officials from the capital came to help with the transport.”

“That’s good to hear. It’s a lot faster than shipping via ground travel.”

Until now, the taxes would have been sent by road. It took a long time to travel from the frontier region of Ymir, and there was the danger of magicite beast attacks. Sending Flygears from the capital was both quicker and safer. They wouldn’t be attacked by magicite beasts on the ground, and they could likely evade even flying ones. Normally, the local lord would arrange the shipping and assign porters, but the Flygear was a state-of-the-art aircraft, one not yet available in a rural place like Ymir. Thus, they had been sent from the capital. It was a flexible use of the latest technology. A clever choice.

“Yes. Because the duke was going to take one back to the capital to greet His Majesty, we came along as well. We wanted to see you. It’s a pity your father couldn’t make it,” Serena said.

“I see. That’s too bad, I wanted to see him,” Inglis said with a pause.

“Wow! So dad’s here too! Yay!” Rafinha exclaimed.

“Rafinha, don’t get too excited. Think of how Chris must feel,” Irina chided.

“I don’t mind. I’m happy to be able to see the duke as well,” Inglis replied.

“I understand. You really have matured, Chris. I’m glad you’re here with Rafinha,” Irina said.

“No, I still have a lot of growing to do. Please tell Rani not to be interested in fraternizing with men and to focus on her studies as a future knight.”

Perhaps because of her own past, Inglis hadn’t been able to get Rafinha to stop talking about how so-and-so was cool, or how so-and-so was her type, or how wonderful Ambassador Theodore was. Perhaps Rafinha’s mother could put a stop to that.

“Oh my! Rafinha has a boyfriend? That’s wonderful! What kind of boy is he? Could we meet him?” Irina’s eyes glittered. Her face looked just like Rafinha’s.

“Aunt Irina!” Inglis said, her voice rising into a screech for a moment. “Not like that! I want you to tell her to concentrate on her future!”

“Oh? Isn’t young love an important learning experience? So, how’s it going, Rafinha?”

“Well... I don’t have a boyfriend. Not that I’d mind one.”

“Is there anyone you’re interested in?”

“Well... Tee hee hee...”

What’s that supposed to mean?!

“No! You need to focus on your training at the knights’ academy!” Inglis insisted.

“Give it a rest, Chris. Even mom said it was fine.”

“It’s my duty! I promised the duke that I’d protect you from any bad influences!”

“You don’t need to worry that much about it, Inglis. He’s just worried that someone will take away his daughter,” Irina said.

“Please, Aunt Irina, think!” This is backfiring. Rafinha isn’t going to listen to me at all after this. “The duke is worried for Rani, and I see where he’s coming from. She’s still too young for that!”

“Aha ha ha... Sorry, sister, Rafinha. It looks like Inglis doesn’t want anyone else to take her Rani away from her either. Just like the duke,” Serena remarked.

“N-No, mother! I’m simply doing my duty as Rani’s squire!”

Irina laughed. “My husband was acting the same way today.”

“Ugh...” Maybe that’s true. Duke Bilford probably does think of her like I do.

“Thank you, Chris, for caring so much about my daughter. Rafinha, remember to listen to Chris.”

“Ah?! But you just said—” Rafinha began.

“It’s fine. Chris is the most important person to you, right?”

“Well, yeah, but...”

“Aunt Irina...” Inglis had succeeded in swaying Irina.

Serena’s gaze turned toward Leone and Liselotte, who had accompanied them. “Are these your friends? I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I’m Inglis’s mother, Serena. This is my sister, Irina.”

“I thank you for taking care of our daughters,” Irina said. It was a polite greeting with the graceful manner of a mature woman.

“It is wonderful to meet you. My name is Liselotte Arc—” As Liselotte began to introduce herself, Rafinha interrupted her.

“Mom, Aunt Serena, let me introduce you! This is Liselotte, and that’s Leone.” Rafinha didn’t mention either of their families, just their given names.

Leone’s family, the Olfas, was viewed negatively by the public due to Leon’s defection.

Rafinha sent Liselotte a glance that conveyed her motivations: Our mothers know what Leon did in Ymir, even though they heard it secondhand, so they probably don’t have a completely bad impression of Leon and the Olfas, but still. Leone has a hard time introducing herself. That’s why I interrupted you to do the introductions instead. They might find out someday, but it doesn’t have to be today.

Liselotte appeared to understand. “Ah...yes! It’s always a pleasure to be with them.”

Rafinha’s kindness and concern for others made Inglis proud.

“They’ve been quite kind to me as well.” Leone nodded with a smile.

“Oh, by the way, mom! Count Weismar’s troupe is in the capital! We’ll be performing, and you can come see us! And, and—!”

“Wait, Rani. Why don’t we continue this conversation elsewhere? We don’t have much time.”

“That would be wonderful. Rehearsal’s coming up. You can show them around the capital, have tea at a cute little cafe somewhere, and then go to rehearsal,” Principal Miriela prompted.

“No, we’re going to the cafeteria! We need to hurry!” Inglis insisted.

“Yeah! Principal, tea for our moms is included in all we can eat, right?” Rafinha asked.

“Er, yes... Go right ahead!” Just a cup of tea doesn’t matter much. Principal Miriela didn’t think a cup of tea would amount to much, and it’d be rude to decline in front of their parents. In addition, there wasn’t much time left before rehearsal, and the two girls would probably eat slower if they were catching up with their mothers after all that time. She assumed any financial costs Inglis and Rafinha would accrue would be less than usual.

Yet...

Thud! Thud!

Two mountainous plates of pasta landed on the cafeteria table.

“It’s been so long! Super-sized supreme blazin’ hot pasta!” Rafinha exclaimed.

“It looks delicious!” Inglis agreed.

Chomp! Chomp! Nom!

Inglis and Rafinha furiously thrust their forks into the food in front of them.

“Luh! Vuvinih luh elifif? Weee u luhuh fee! (Look! Doesn’t it look delicious? We eat a lot of these!)” Rafinha remarked around, or through, a mouthful.

“Uh hrifihuh wleh uh eeh awwe fan. Ifh hrea! (The principal lets us eat all we can. It’s great!)” Inglis agreed.

Leone, watching, sighed quietly. “Just like usual... You can’t even hold a conversation with them...”

“You’d think they’d be more polite with their mothers here...yet it seems their appetites are winning...” Liselotte agreed.

Inglis and Rafinha were all smiles, ignoring their friends’ comments.

“Rafinha...”

“Inglis...”

Their mothers spoke softly. Leone and Liselotte were sure a scolding would follow. Instead, the two women’s voices grew louder.

“Two more plates!” they yelled.

“Yeih!” Inglis and Rafinha cheered, mouths full of food.

Thud! Thud!

“Ho maihf! Viff ih uhlifuh! Ahnuhuhvih ahuh fenih nuhih unhuhhu! (Oh my! This is delicious! As much of this as you can eat must be wonderful!)” Irina remarked.

“Uhvuh vuhhee uhhuhiuh hoo, vuh hiheh finh! (I was worried about your food, but this is fine!)” Serena agreed.

“Fuh vih! (Sure is!)” Rafinha said.

“Ihfhih heheo vih wohhuh hih! (Even tastier with Mother here!)” Inglis said.

Chomp! Chomp! Nom! 

Their mothers’ paces were on par with Inglis’s and Rafinha’s—or perhaps even faster.

“Ah, I see, Inglis and Rafinha...” Leone began to ponder aloud.

“They get it from their mothers!” Liselotte finished.

“Monsters... More monsters...” Principal Miriela moaned.

In no time at all, all four plates were empty.

“Mmmm, that was delicious!” Rafinha exclaimed.

“It was all the better for the wait. I could eat plenty more,” Inglis said.

“Errrr, you two... Isn’t it almost time for rehearsal?” Principal Miriela prompted, trying to move them along.

“We still have time for two more plates each. Let’s eat! A super-sized supreme blazin’ hot pasta and a super-sized supreme alfredo, please!” Rafinha ordered.

“Me too. Let’s just keep it a light meal so we have room for food at rehearsal too,” Inglis agreed.

“I’ll have two of each as well,” Serena and Irina both said.

“Mother, Aunt Irina, you’re adults. There’s no way we can keep up with your appetites,” Inglis said.

“Okay! Ma’am, could we have six more super-sized supreme blazin’ hot pastas and super-sized supreme alfredoes, please?” Rafinha cheerfully called out an order to the cafeteria worker.

“Sorry to lean on you for this, Principal Miriela,” Irina said.

“However, any worries we had about our children in this kind of environment are gone. Thank you so much,” Serena said.

“Aha ha... Aha ha ha... It’s a small price to pay.” Principal Miriela’s forced smile twitched.

“Hey, mom, after lunch you can come watch us at rehearsal! It’s almost time for the show. I hope you can see it before you go back to Ymir!” Rafinha said.

“Yes, of course. I haven’t seen the Weismar Troupe in so long. It seems we came at a good time. A pity Rafael isn’t here, though,” Irina said.

“I’m looking forward to it, Chris. It truly is sad your father isn’t here,” Serena said.

“Yes, mother. I’ll be sure to fight to your satisfaction.”

“Well, I just wanted to see you look cute...”

The cafeteria’s reopening was a great boon to Inglis, ensuring she and Rafinha could eat their fill. All that remained was the play with Weismar’s troupe. On that stage, Inglis could fight Yua to the fullest, and she was going to enjoy it even more with her mother in the audience. Inglis had to make sure she’d be in good shape for the performance.

“In that case, a little more nutrition is necessary. Could I get another super-sized supreme blazin’ hot pasta and another super-sized supreme alfredo, please!” she called.

“Me too, me too! Can I get two more of each?” Rafinha said.

“Ughhhh, this is giving me a migraine. I’m going to rest in my room.” Principal Miriela staggered out of the cafeteria.