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“Thank you, Rafinha, Leone, Lieselotte, and Inglis. It was a short but incredibly valuable experience, and the fish was delicious! See you later!”

A staircase leading underground, near a large road closer to town than the coast where Inglis and the others had met, was where Mais had emerged. There was a thick bulkhead below, but an entrance opened for one person in response to Mais’ stigma. Mais descended with a smile as he waved at the girls.

“See you again! Let’s have meat together next time!”

Rafinha waved back energetically, matching Mais’ enthusiasm.

“Goodbye, please play with Rani again.”
“Take care on your way back.”
“Try not to worry your parents too much.”

Inglis and the others also bid Mais farewell with smiles and then turned back to the grand arsenal. Repairs were already underway on the damaged Æthelstan Firm’s flying battleship. Several unmanned mechanical hands were busy at work on the hull.

Über was no longer there, but Vilma was about to board an intra-city transport, accompanied by a young girl.

The girl was probably close in age to Inglis—not the younger Inglis, but the sixteen-year-old one. Her hair was silver, tinted a soft light blue, and cut just above her shoulders, unusually short for a young woman. She appeared slightly gaunt but maintained a graceful and beautiful demeanor.

Unlike Inglis and her friends, she bore no stigma on her forehead and wore no ceremonial robe. Clearly, she had been aboard the Æthelstan Firm’s ship.

Upon noticing Inglis and the others, the girl made a desperate plea.

“Y-, you…! You’re from Midland, aren’t you?! Please, lend us some help…! Save the people who’ve been brought along with me…! They only joined me because they believed in my cause; they’re completely innocent…!”
“Eh…?! Wh-, what do you mean?! Who are you…?!”

Rafinha inquired, puzzled.

“I’m a princess of Venefique—!”
“Let’s go. Someone is waiting for you.”

Vilma interrupted the girl and initiated the automated flygear.

“Ah…! Hold on, Miss Vilma!”
“…Command. By administrative authority, reopening the bulkhead is prohibited for one hour.”

As they departed, the entrance to the grand arsenal was sealed shut. If Vilma’s words held true, it seemed they could pass again after an hour.

“She said she’s Venefique’s Princess…! You heard that, right?”
“Indeed, Leone. That’s what I heard too…!”
“So this ship was here to deliver her all this way…?”
“I don’t think she’s alone, Rani. She asked us to save the people who came with her…”
“She seems more concerned about others than herself… She’s truly kind.”

Rafinha, ever optimistic, believed in the fundamental goodness of people and always looked for the best in them.

“What should we do, Rani? Should we help as she asked?”

Inglis posed the question, considering aiding those who had been brought along.

“Yeah, we’ll do that! The wall is closed on us, and I don’t think we can get out any time soon… so let’s look for the others! We’ll chase after her once the wall opens. If we break it open, we might get scolded after all!”

“I’ll follow you, Rani.”
“Leone, Liselotte, what do you say?”
“I agree, Rafinha. Let’s do that…!”

“I am of the same opinion. If her claim to be the princess of Venefique proves true, then perhaps rescuing her could foster a better relationship with Venefique.”
“Ooh, you’re so smart, Liselotte! That’s a good plan, right Glis?”
“Eh? Hmm… I wonder. Isn’t there a theory that people can truly understand each other when they exchange blows…?”

Inglis pondered aloud.

“That’s what they say about talking with your fists! And it’s only you and Lord Jill who can do that!”
“Really? I heard that Knights with temperaments similar to Instructor Rochefort exist in Venefique, so I think we can understand them better by exchanging blows — with the Venefian Army, I mean. And if possible, I’d be glad to have a conversation with the entire army at once.”
“You’re talking about a full-blown war! No way, nuh-uh! Come on, let’s go!”
“Well, I’ll always listen to what you ask me, Rani.”

An all-out war with Venefique would indeed be exciting, but if Rafinha preferred to avoid it, Inglis would respect her wishes. She cherished seeing Rafinha happy more than anything.

As for a worthy opponent, Inglis knew she could always rely on Jeldegrīva. If she desired a fight, a visit to him would guarantee immediate action.

“Where are we going, Rafinha?”
“There! Their battleship! Maybe there are still people in there!”
“Good point. The ship belongs to a trading company from the Midland, so even if we get a bit rough with it, the Highland authorities won’t make a fuss…!”
“Let’s get on with it!”¹

Inglis and her companions boarded the Æthelstan Firm’s flying battleship. Unmanned mechanical hands surrounded the hull, working silently and ignoring the girls’ presence.

The vessel was docked at a pier, supported by a large prop, with a bridge connecting the interior of the vessel to the dock. While the deck appeared deserted, there might still be people inside.

1. Mab: I honestly don’t know who’s speaking in here except Rafinha.

   The first is usually reserved for Inglis, but she doesn’t call Rafinha with that name. The only one who does that is Leone. Liselotte uses Rafinha-san (Miss Rafinha).

   The second is definitely Rafinha.

   The third could be Leone, since she is the only one who uses Desuwa suffix while speaks a bit roughly. However, Liselotte also uses Desuwa suffix and sometimes she says the most unhinged thing.

   I have no idea who’s the third, but it could be Rafinha again. Or it could be Liselotte. I doubt it’s Inglis since she’s not usually this hyped up.

   My best bet is:
   1. Inglis (Author forgot to change Rafinha to Rani)
   2. Rafinha
   3. Leone
   4. Liselotte

   My second best bet is:
   1. Leone
   2. Rafinha
   3. Leone
   4. Rafinha

   Lio: My bet is:
   1. Leone
   2. Rafinha
   3. Inglis
   4. Liselotte

   My reasoning for this is that Leone doesn’t particularly strike me as someone who thinks before she acts, so she would ask Rafinha to make sure she isn’t moving too quickly.
   Rafinha is obviously second since she’s the de-facto leader of the group.
   Inglis third because she’s the tactical one that is biased to percussive diplomacy, so obviously she would think about the repercussions of getting into a fight.
   Last is Liselotte because she’s the last one left that hasn’t spoken yet.