2

The scent of the sea drifted through the gaps in the canvas of the swaying carriage.

The road, just packed earth, made even a springy carriage jolt uncomfortably—but nobody here cared about that.

“This is the sea, huh…”

Ange gazed at the water, her voice thick with wonder. Beside her, Ais stood pressed close, eyes never leaving her. Whether he’d seen the sea before or was just lost in her face, he couldn’t look away.

“First time seeing the sea, is it?”

Orell asked, smiling as he watched Ange’s face light up.

“Yes. I grew up in the mountains. Have you all seen it before?”

“Used to come this way on past missions. But this—this is the first time I’ve come just for the sake of it.”

Right, ever since I got assigned here, most of my missions were up near the mountains or out on the plains. But sometimes I ended up guarding this side of things, too.

“Should be swim-ready about now, don’t you think?”

“Checked a bit before coming—seems like it’s fine this time of year. Might be a touch cold, though.”

Been all caught up in war lately. Didn’t even notice—summer’s already creeping in. In Fatal, where the weather’s mostly decent year-round, swimming’s been possible since pretty early on.

I thought it was still too early, personally. But turns out, people actually do swim here.

“Swimming in the sea!?”

“Supposedly you can even gather clams.”

“Clams! I’ll work hard and collect a whole bunch!”

Ange’s been obsessed ever since she tried clams for the first time at the academy.

Back in the village, it was meat and vegetables, so the texture and taste of clams must’ve been a shock.

“I’ll help too.”

“Make sure you do, Eis.”

Ange smiled at Eis, and Eis nodded furiously, head bobbing up and down.

“Not much moved by it, are you, Captain? This is the first time for the young lady, so it’s your first time seeing the sea too, isn’t it?”

“True enough, but I’ve read about it, so I knew what to expect. It’s pretty, I’ll admit, but not exactly mind-blowing. Just… the sea breeze. Honestly, that’s the kind of thing Armunale would hate.”

Sea breeze—enemy of machines!

“Ah, well said.”

Orell nodded deeply, and Ritz beside him was nodding just as hard. Seems like they’d had a rough time on a past mission.

A coating for salt damage? Nothing solid yet, I’d wager. Must’ve been wiping it down by hand every single day.

“Anyway, we didn’t bring the frame this time, so we’ll just rest easy for a bit.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly why we all came, wasn’t it?”

“The wagon behind us’s been noisy, hasn’t it?”

This time, the First Guard Armunale Battalion’s Second Princess’s Guard arrived in two covered wagons.

The first wagon held me, Ange, Orell, Ritz, and Ais. And Bouvier, the driver. The second wagon had Carine, Pamela, and Catreia, the driver. That one was packed tight with people, so we’d loaded up Carine’s wagon with all sorts of gear.

And from that second wagon, voices have been drifting out—something about a ruckus, ever since earlier.

“How much farther was it again?”

Should be in sight once we crest this pass. Right there.

Bnois points ahead, leaning out from the driver’s seat.

The peak. Beyond it, the view opens up—there it is, the beach we’re after.

“Hohoho, the sun’s lighting me up!”

“Let’s go!”

“Wait, Pamela—don’t forget your warm-up!”

The moment we reach the shore, the group from the back wagon leaps out and races toward the coast.

Carine and Pamela kick up soft sand as they dash, and Catrea chases after them.

And somehow—everyone’s already in swimwear.

“Those fools…”

Orell presses his fingers to his forehead and groans. Ritz bursts out laughing beside him. Bnois just smirks, quietly handing water to the horse.

Ange is all eyes for the soft sand, barefoot, pressing her toes into the grains. Beside her, Eis is pinching his nose shut. Don’t you dare bleed on me, now.

“Ange, you two go change. We’ll handle the setup.”

“Really? Can I help?”

“Girls take time with their clothes, don’t they? Besides, we can’t risk anything—gotta keep watch in shifts.”

“Got it. Thanks. C’mon, Eis.”

“Mm.”

Ange grabs Eis’s hand, her clothes in tow, and slips into the shade of the rocks.

Watching them go, we unload the vacation gear from the wagon.

Parasols, chairs, tables, food—should’ve brought everything we need.

We split up, set things up quick and efficient. Just as we finish, Ange and the others come back.

“Eld, how’s this look?”

Ange steps out from behind the rock, dragging Ais along with her, and strikes a pose right in front of me.

That swimsuit—white bikini with a halter neckline.

Back in my past life, I’d have been flustered, tongue-tied, no idea what to say. But now? After seeing Ange’s underwear—hell, even her bare skin—more times than I can count, I can just nod and act normal.

“Hey, looks good on you. Picked it out with everyone?”

“Yeah, Kreutzle had all kinds. We chose it together, with help from Carine.”

Carine’s got a knack for this sort of thing, you know.

Ange’s been learning a lot from her, too.

And standing beside her, looking dazed, is Ais—wearing a black tube top and a pareo.

Her chest is flat, almost like a stone, but she doesn’t seem to care. Stands there, straight-backed, unbothered.

“Isn’t Eis-chan lookin’ pretty cute? Borrowed this from one of the base’s support maids. Took some huntin’—wasn’t easy, I tell ya.”

“Huh. Yeah, Camentria’s in that state, so it’s not like anyone’d have a swimsuit on hand.”

“Honestly, I was about ready to start grillin’ her about why she even had one.”

Bringing a swimsuit to the battlefield? That’s just tellin’ you she was planpin’ on playin’ somewhere. Whether it was the beach or someone’s room—well, that’s another story.

“Anyway, we’re lucky this time. I’ll let it slide.”

“Good. If she learns her lesson, she won’t do it again.”

“Yeah. How’s your prep comin’ along? Need any help?”

“Nah, we’re pretty much set. We’ll change clothes now—just wait here with Karyne and the others.”

“Got it! Eis-chan!”

Eis gave a single nod and dashed off toward the seaside with Ange.

Watching them go, we headed for the shadow of the rocks to change clothes.

Once we’d finished changing, we returned to the sandy shore, and there were Ange and the others just stepping out of the sea.

“Eld-kun, it’s so salty!”

“Seawater, you know? You okay swimming, Ange? It’s different from rivers, isn’t it?”

“Seems fine. The deep parts have a weird current—kinda scary, but if you pay attention, it’s no big deal. Eis-chan’s a great swimmer, too.”

“Learned how.”

“Then the two of you should be fine. Still, keep an eye out.”

The pair of support maid and assassin—when it comes to physical ability, they’re top-tier even among us. Honestly, I’m not too worried. But you never know what’s lurking in the sea. Better safe than sorry, right?”

"Yeah. Found a whole bunch of clams too. Let’s go grab them later."

"Ah yeah. Perfect for a barbecue."

We’d planned to play on the beach, so the carriage was packed with a portable grill and charcoal. We’ve got meat and veggies too—might as well cook up some fish and clams while we’re at it.

"I’ll do my best!"

"Collecting clams’s good, but take it easy. It’s a holiday, after all."

"Yessir!"

Just as we’re talking, Catrea returns, carrying Karine and Pamela on her shoulders.

Karine’s in a standard bright red bikini. Catrea’s got something like a tankini, and Pamela’s in a full-on swim suit—like she picked that on purpose or something?

"Nice and prepared, I see. Impressive, impressive."

Karine nods and settles onto the seat we’d laid out.

"Hey, I’m the squad leader, you know..."

"Since it's a break, we're all informal, you know. Wanna add a little oil massage service too? Just say the word."

So you're not actually gonna rub it on me—me rubbing it on you, right?

"Think I'll pass."

"Aw, too bad. Ritz, you do it."

"Guess I gotta."

"Still, you're drooling like a puppy."

"Mr. Blois, can I ask you too? My back's just impossible to reach."

"Sure."

"Pamela, you don't need that! One more swim, that's all!"

"You take it easy, now!"

Pamela lunged for the sea again, only to be pinned down on the seat by Catria.

"Mmmph—snores."

Already out cold…

"Too much energy for such a small frame. You run yourself ragged, don't you think about your strength?"

Karine, still rubbing oil onto Ritz, gives her a little lecture.

Ah, so that’s why you pushed yourself so hard earlier.

“Just a little rest should do the trick, I think.”

“Got it. Well, we’ll be off to play a bit then. What about you, Ange? What’ll you do?”

“Let’s go!”

“Alright, we’ll be back in a bit.”

“Mm.”

“Be careful now.”

With the ladies waving me off, I headed out to enjoy the sea—something I hadn’t done since my last life.

I swam around, plundered sea creatures, rested when I needed to—just soaking it all in.

At first, the water felt strange after so long, but I adjusted quick enough. Good thing I’ve kept in shape.

When the sun started to dip, I got to work on grilling.

Ange lit the charcoal with her fire magic, and the girls set to prepping the ingredients.

Ange, being the support maid she is, got the prep done quick and neat. And there beside her, Karine slicing vegetables with the kind of cautious little hops you only see when someone’s scared of a knife. She’s so steady with the physics engine—sense board, whatever—why’s she acting like a blade’s gonna bite her?

Catherine? She’s normal, I guess. No trouble at all with the veggies, no wobbling or twitching.

Pamela? She’s passed out somewhere around here.

While the girls were busy prepping, we set up the tents.

Sure, it’s the beach, but no inns nearby, and we can’t even get close to the village. More like camping than sleeping rough.

We’ve done this enough to know the drill—four tents up in no time.

“Got this side ready.”

“Mine’s done too. Just need to fire it up.”

“Alright, then—let’s get started!”

‘Ooh!’

At my shout, the barbecue begins.

The meat sizzles, fat dripping down, while the shellfish twist their flesh on their shells.

The smell of the sea hangs thick in the air, and our bellies grumble, demanding the calories we burned from moving around.

“Alright, first batch done!”

Ange announces, and we all reach for the grill at once.

“Delicious!”

“Why, this meat’s not bad at all.”

“These clams are good too.”

“Oh—fish is starting to burn.”

“Gimme the meat!”

“Hey! That’s mine!”

“Fastest hand wins.”

“Then I’ve got it!”

“What?!”

“I’d like some wine.”

“Not a chance.”

The noisy dinner passes quickly, devouring the food we’d prepared in no time.

“Ange, you eating too?”

“Uh-huh, fresh off the grill—yum.”

I call out to Ange, who’s been tending the fire the whole time, but she’s already got her own share secured.

Ais is cramming skewers into his mouth right beside me.

"Good thing we came, huh. Everyone looks happy."

"Yeah. Been fighting nonstop—no time off at all. Gotta stretch your wings once in a while."

"Did you stretch yours, Eld?"

"...Yeah. Stretched 'em good."

He stretches his back, takes a deep breath.

Salt air and charcoal smoke fill his lungs.

As he exhales, muscles loosen—pleasant fatigue wraps around him like a blanket.

"Nice kind of tired. I like flying the Armunale, but I don’t like the tension of killing."

"Should be over soon, right?"

"Yeah. Me and the princess are doing our part. It’s gonna end. That’s why I need your support."

Yeah. I’m the first guard’s support maid—and Eld-kun’s future wife! I’ll give you the best support ever.

Thank you

Nature’s pulling our faces closer together.

Just as our lips were about to touch, a cheerful voice rang out from right beneath us.

I want meat!

“Whoa!” “Kyaa, Pimira-chan!?”

Gimme some meat, now~! Pamila wants meat, that’s what she wants!

Hey, ain’t this one drunk?

Pamela’s face, lit by the stove’s flame, was crimson—no firelight could ever make a face that red.

Hey, who the hell brought booze in here?

No one brought anything in. Just the smell of cooking wine, and this kid’s already like this.

Carline grabs Pamela by the back of the neck and lifts her up, her legs wobbling.

Pamila giggled, swinging her legs back and forth.

"With cooking wine!?"

"Guess he's pretty weak, huh. But you lot should try not to be so obvious, huh?"

"Huh?"

I glanced around at the smirking Ritz and Orell. Catrea looked away, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"Ah, sorry."

"Haha, sorry!"

"Fine, fine. So, you're gonna hog the tent all to yourselves?"

"Please, no."

I raised both hands in surrender, and everyone burst into laughter.

After dinner and cleaning up, we gathered in one of the tents.

It's a day off, sure, but that doesn’t change how precious the time is. So, a little work time, just a bit!

"Alright, here's tomorrow's plan."

"Right, heading toward Reitaki, wasn't it?"

By tomorrow, our preparations will be done. We’ll be moving from Camentria to the first defense line at Reitaki Base in the Delta Block.

But I’m thinking we’ll split my unit here.

“Originally that was the plan—but I’ve changed my mind a bit. Take a look at this.”

I pull out a single sheet of paper and show it to everyone.

“This! Is this a new model development permit!?”

“A new model? Not a retrofit?”

“This came from Lady Ines, right?”

“Yes, I received the new model development permit from the princess. With this, I’d like to begin full-scale development of the new model.”

“Ah, I see… But we still have to head to Reitaki, don’t we?”

“Yes, absolutely. Fort construction is urgent. So we’ll split the unit into two. Roughly speaking, I’d like to send a few mechanics back to the capital to work on the new model development.”

“Hmm.”

I’d really like to have Orell and Caline handle the new model’s development.

So you’re saying go back to the capital?

Orell looks like he’s thinking something over, but Caline’s clearly scowling.

“What about the physics processor—senseboard adjustment? That’s something only I can get right.”

“With the current model, the base’s lightweaver could manage a bit. But for the new one, we’ll have to write everything from scratch, naturally.”

“Right. So you’re planning to build another piece of junk again.”

“We don’t know if it’s junk or not. But it’ll be so different from the old models, it’ll feel like a whole new thing. I’ll go over the full development plan later, but Caline, you’re in for a rough ride.”

“Fine. Then I’m going back to the capital.”

“What about you, Orell?”

I ask, watching Orell’s face, caught in thought.

Orell let out a low hum, then spoke.

“Fine. I’m headin’ back to the capital too. Ritz.”

“Huh?”

“While I’m gone, you’ll be in charge of maintenance.”

“W-wait a sec! I can’t handle that yet!”

Ritz flinched, scrambling to protest Orell’s order.

He was still learnin’ a heap from Orell, after all. Maybe Orell was just testin’ him here, seein’ how far he’d come.

“I’ve taught you what I can. Pamila’ll stay too. You’ll manage.”

“…Alright. I’ll try.”

“That’s the spirit. Ritz and Pamila’ll stay here with me.”

“Got it. And you, Catreia—see they get back to the capital safe.”

“Understood. Should I come back once I’ve delivered them?”

“No. Stay in the capital and support them. We’ll need hands here when they return.”

“Understood.”

With everyone on board, let’s get to the point.

“So, I’ll explain my machine’s development plan. A unit designed to strengthen the weaknesses we’ve found so far—while still using full control—so we can fight more flexibly.”

“Still pulling nonsense, aren’t you?”

“Because that kind of fighting’s coming.”

I think of the mercenary Forze, tied up with the Eight Generals Knights in a nasty history, and of Rayla, likely standing by his side. My fist clenches.

Armunale, Volume One, is set to be released on the 25th, they say?

Seems pre-orders are already up on Amazon and such.

Personally, I’d recommend buying from stores that include the special SS bonus—just a little grin.