3

The next morning after talking all night with Father. I woke up with the sunrise.

To do my daily self-practice, I slipped out quietly into the garden without waking Father and the others, swinging the training sword I’d brought out. I was given a knight’s sword when assigned to the Armunale unit, but since it’s a proper weapon, I only carry it when I’m doing knightly duties.

This training sword in my hand? It’s the one Rene gave me back in academy days.

Same weight, same length as a real knight’s blade—probably her way of thinking ahead.

"112... 113..."

Sweat beading on my forehead under the morning sun, I’m mid-strike when suddenly Ange leaps over the hedge and lands right in the garden, all energy and motion.

I flinch, instinctively raising my sword, bracing myself. But by the time I realize it, Ange’s already out of reach—safe distance between us, like she’d never been in the way of my blade.

That move—my body just couldn’t follow. Felt like I’d been shown, plain as day, that a support maid could outclass a knight. She’s got that kind of strength, sure. No way she’d ever get caught off guard like that. But still… a little shock, honestly. I’ve been training hard, too…

But Ange? She doesn’t notice a thing. Her head snaps up, all energy and motion.

Her face—bright with a grin that’s almost too wide to fit.

“Eld-kun! I’m a big sister now!”

“—You just *leap* into someone’s garden and that’s the first thing you say?!”

“Oh! Right, right. Good morning, Eld-kun!”

“That’s not what I meant…”

From the look of things, there’s no way I’m getting my point across. I’m practically radiating “please listen to me” from every pore.

“Good morning. So, what’s up? You’re an older sister now—did a little brother or sister pop up?”

“Yeah! That’s right! When I got home, I heard baby cries! I was startled, and Mom said, ‘Ange, you’re an older sister now!’ And you know what? So cute! Big round eyes, and if you poke her cheeks, she giggles!”

“Huh. Glad to hear it. Now calm down a bit.”

I get the excitement—I’ve got a little sister myself—but seriously, settle down. It’s still early. Some people are still asleep…

“Eld-kun, you’re not reacting enough! You should be happier about this!”

"Can't say I'm jealous—been there, done that, yesterday. I’m a brother now, after all."

"Wait—did your uncle’s house have a baby too!?"

Ah, my little sister. And you?

"Was my little brother! So, marriage in the future, huh?"

Too eager, you are.

Ange’s probably talking like she’s back in our day—but these days, other families have babies too, and Emi doesn’t have to marry just because of it.

And it's not like there's zero chance of it happening to me, either.

That’s something best left to the person involved, don’t you think?

Well, I suppose so.

Ange nodded, as if my words were already settled—easy as breathing.

Well, Ange ran off and left the house chasing after me, so I’m not exactly in a position to tell her what to do.

I get you’re excited, but why’d you show up so early?

Could’ve still been asleep, couldn’t it?

"See, once it becomes a habit, you can’t just change it, can you? I wake up every time it’s time for morning training."

"So you ran here then."

"Even you, Eld—saying you’re swinging your sword at this hour means you’re already awake, right?"

"Either way, I was gonna do my routine anyway. If I skip even one day, Rene gets furious."

"Heh, then I’ll join in too. Let’s have a sword-only match."

"Sword-only, huh?"

With magic in play, this whole place’d turn into a firestorm, so a sword-only fight’s about right for the garden. Honestly, I’m not great at sword-only matches, but Ange’ll be here for practice too. Shouldn’t be too bad, then.

"Alright, let me know when you’re ready."

"Yessir!"

While Ange starts her warm-up, I loosen up my arms with some practice swings.

After about a minute, Ange called out that she was ready.

“Alright, let’s settle this the normal way!”

“Yeah, yeah, bring it on from anywhere.”

“Ei!”

With a breathy whoosh, Ange lunged straight at me, closing the distance in a flash. I barely dodged back, deflecting her upward slash with a quick parry.

“Hey, hurry up, okay!?”

“Huh? I thought this was fine?”

Ange tilted her head, puzzled, then settled into stance again. I scrambled to brace myself, waiting for her next strike.

And after a few exchanges—two, three—there was no denying it.

Ange’s swordplay was clearly better than mine.

Even after all the hard training I’d gotten from Rene, how the heck did she get this strong?

After a few more clashes, our bodies warmed up just right, and Ange stepped back, putting space between us.

Eld-kun’s not bad at all! But how about this one? Support Maid Number One, Secret Oral Tradition Technique!

What kind of ominous-sounding move is that!

I fumbled into a defensive stance, sheathing her sword and dropping low.

"An instant tragedy by unsheathing—(master’s early change of clothes!)"

Something’s coming. By the time I realized it, it was already too late.

The slash, unleashed in a single step, passed right by me—just wind brushing past.

And then I suddenly noticed: I was feeling the wind directly on my skin.

Slowly, I looked down. The scraps of cloth fluttering down—same color as what I’d been wearing.

"Th-this…"

"Secret technique only taught to the top graduate of the Support Maid program. Pretty neat, huh! There’s still lots more, you know! I’ll show you sometime, okay?"

"Neat—but really, it *is* neat! But—"

The way he’d sliced through my jacket, clinging with sweat, not even a scratch on my skin, not even a breeze from the swing of the blade—no one in the Pilot program could ever copy that kind of precision. But why, *why* would anyone use such a skill just to cut clothes?

Here I was, half-naked in the garden, and I swear I’d rather never see that trick again in my life.

We finished morning drills—my clothes reduced to confetti—and each of us headed home to help with chores before noon.

I was out in the woods, using magic for hunting—something I hadn’t done in ages. Ange was zipping through the fields, farming and plowing with magic, finishing in minutes what the villagers usually took all day to do. She said the farmers with their shovels just stood there, mouths wide open, couldn’t do anything but gape.

Well, sure. Watch the dirt rise up on its own, and who wouldn’t? Especially in this village, where hardly anyone even knew how to cast a spell. I doubt anyone’s seen me do it—except maybe my mother, back when I was little.

Anyway, I wrapped up a week’s worth of hunting in just an hour or so, brought the game to the butchery, and then took a break.

Without me around, my father couldn’t just pick his own prey anymore—he was struggling a bit, I hear.

Can’t just go hunting fancy meats all the time—got to keep the villagers fed regular. So I’ve been helping since I was a kid.

And now, after lunch, I’m face-to-face with Ange’s baby brother at the village chief’s house.

“How’s that! Isn’t he adorable!”

“Yeah. Kinda reminds me of Ange. Or… the chief? Maybe?”

The features are all Ange—no, wait, more like the mother—but the air about him? Distant. Blank. Like the chief.

This sleepy little thing, floating in and out of sleep, just swaying in Ange’s arms.

“Seems really tired, huh.”

“Just like Eld, don’t you think?”

“Nah, my eyes aren’t tired at all. Wait—Enje? Or is it Ange? Maybe she’s fussing so much he can’t even sleep proper?”

“Wait! Really? Then we gotta put her down!”

“Then you might wanna lower the volume a bit.”

“Yeah.”

Ange nods, her voice soft now, and gently places the sleeping Enje back into the baby bed, draping a blanket-like cloth over her. Enje closes her eyes at once and drifts off.

“Guess we shouldn’t bother Enje’s nap, then. Let’s go outside.”

“Yeah.”

Ange gives Enje’s head a quick stroke, then steps out.

We end up, naturally, heading toward the woods.

We move through the forest using magic, quietly imagining what the place might look like now.

“Gotta be completely ruined by now. Just left to rot.”

“Would’ve been nice if the little hut still stood.”

“Hey… we left our stuff there, didn’t we?”

We’re still talking like that when we leap down into the Valley of Beginnings. I slow my descent with a pinpoint cyclone, while Ange burns her flare boosters and lands at the bottom.

This is where I first found the Armunale. Where I found my dream.

“Started right here, didn’t it.”

Even after three years, the mark’s still clear. The cliff face, once my backrest, is carved into the shape of the Armunale. The shadow it casts still looks like the machine sits there, waiting.

“Back then I was shocked. Eld-kun, dripping wet, showing up like that.”

“Yeah, that’s a humbling memory. That bird played me like a fiddle.”

I grimace, remembering how neatly I’d been led into that valley. But then again, if it hadn’t been for that bird, I never would’ve met Armunale. Can’t really hate it, not after that. Still, I did give it a proper dinner, at least.

“Let’s go check out the hut.”

“Yeah.”

We make our way toward the crack in the valley, where a small shelter should be—full of tools, waiting to fix Armunale.

The gap leads to a hut still standing firm. Cracked and worn in places, sure, but holding its shape just fine.

I yank open the creaking door, coughing as dust swirls up in the air. A quick flick of magic clears the air.

“Still just like it was back then.”

“Whoa—this is the first time I’ve ever held a wrench bought from a merchant.”

“This is the bucket I brought from home, huh. Ended up forgetting to return it, didn’t you?”

All of it feels like something from long ago now. The cabin itself was built small—child-sized—so it’s painfully tight for us now.

We step out quickly, breathing in the fresh air outside.

“Phew… what should we do with this cabin?”

“Leave it as it is. No one’s gonna find it anyway. Maybe just let it rot in peace?”

No need to go digging up old memories ourselves. Let the rain or a flood wash it away when it wants to.

“Yeah… Eld-kun, you know…”

“Hm?”

“Are you really enjoying yourself right now? Joining the army, fighting in a war—do you still feel like you’re chasing your own dream?”

Ange looks straight into my eyes. Her gaze is so earnest, so unflinching, that I suddenly can’t speak.

“How’s it going? Did you ever actually get to the dream you chased as a kid—fixing an Armunale right here, back when you were little?”

There was something in those words, something beyond just riding the Armunale.

I think. What was my dream, anyway?

I look up at the place where the machine had stood still.

At this starting point—what was the first thing I thought when I first decided to fix an Armunale?

Just wanted to ride it. That’s all. Wanted to get behind the controls, feel it hum beneath me.

That’s where it began. And that part—yeah, that part’s true. I’m in the Armunale squad, a pilot, actually flying one, fighting like it’s a game.

But… am I satisfied now? Is just flying enough? Is that all it takes?

No. Just one word—rose up from deep inside my heart. And suddenly, I remembered. The university days I hadn’t thought of since joining the academy.

Back then, I was in the robotics club. I piloted the machines. But that wasn’t all. Could I really be satisfied with just controlling a robot handed to me?

No. I argued over designs. Debated operation systems with the programmers. Always pushing.

“Still not satisfied.”

“Then what do you want, Eld?”

“I… I want—”

What I really wanted. What it truly meant to ride the Armunale—

“My Armunale. I haven’t gotten it yet.”

The physical simulators—sensiboards—are already tuned to me, and the weapons’ve been adjusted so I can handle them easy enough. But that’s something any machine can do. You could tweak it on the battlefield, swap it out, no big deal. What I’m after isn’t some half-baked, one-off machine made just for me.

No. I want a one-of-a-kind, built only for me. No thought for juniors. Only I can pilot it. That’s what I’m after. And to make that real—

“Ange, thanks. I think I remembered my dream again.”

Yeah. Just like when I first found the Armunale. I wanted my own machine—my own machine I could fix, my own machine I could make mine.

“Good. Eld-kun’s still having fun, huh?”

"Yeah, gotta talk to Orell and the others as soon as we get back—oh, right."

"What's wrong?"

Ange tilted her head. I looked at her, the question hanging in the air.

"Ange, are you having fun? Are you chasing your dream—really chasing it?"

Ange nodded, bright-eyed and smiling.

"Of course. My dream’s always been to be by Eld’s side. And I’m right here, aren’t I?"

"Huh. Still the same as when we were kids."

"Yeah. I’ve always liked you."

Another confession from Ange—how many times now? I can’t count.

Can’t keep her waiting forever, not after I’ve known how I feel since that day. All that’s left is to say it out loud.

"I like you too, Ange."

"………W-well, what kind of 'like' is that?"

A pause. Then, soft, trembling: "Do you mean… like that?"

I answered firmly, brushing aside Ange’s worries like dust from my sleeve.

“Of course I like you—like a girl. Will you go out with me?”

“Of course I will!”

Tears in her eyes, she threw herself into my arms. I held her gently.