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Chapter Text

Marx looked uncomfortable.

He stood next to Julius, the only one happy at this time of day. They had called the two most recently promoted captains, Vangeance and Yami, to the office. They responded in haste, thinking there was danger. Marx wasn’t sure how to break it to them that this was just another one of Julius’ brilliant ideas.

“Thank you for coming here at short notice.” Julius chuckled. “I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t necessary.”

Yami just stared at him. “What’s this about?”

“I assure you, it’s an easy task.”

Marx wanted to grimace. He had gone over this with Julius several days prior. He could see the benefit of the whole idea, but he wasn’t sure it was that easy to implement. Marx  knew the minds of the people, more so the minds of their military after working with them for so long; they weren’t as open to change or sharing… especially not with them competing for merits.

“Lord Julius,” Vangeance spoke. “What do we have to do?”

Julius chuckled. “There are times when we need to work together with different squads during missions. I may have come up with a solution.”

“And what’s that?” Yami wondered.

“I want to introduce a system where one can borrow a team member from a different squad to aid the mission assigned to them.”

“Haven’t we done this before?”

“We have, Yami.” Julius nodded, raising a finger to make a point. “But I want this to not only be as a last resort, but as a permanent mindset. There have been times when a squad doesn’t have the necessary requirements of a mage in their team to have an advantage. This may just help.”

Yami mumbled, “Won’t that cause more problems?”

“I hope not.” He nervously chuckled. “Of course, this is just a trial. I do have an idea about the system and the payment methods should it become a success.”

“I can see the benefits,” Vangeance smiled. “It sounds wonderful.”

“Sounds like a pain.” Yami huffed. “What’s in it for us?”

Marx wanted to speak out that this might not end as well as they hoped. Julius was far too comfortable with the situation, probably because he trusted Yami and Vangeance too much. Of course, Julius was adamant about seeing this through. He sighed when Julius picked up two pieces of paper from his drawer and laid them on the table. He turned them around for the two captains to look over.

They picked it up and stared at it.

“What’s this?” Yami asked.

“You want us to give volunteers from our squad,” Vangeance clarified. “Is that correct?”

Julius nodded.  “I want to utilize the minimum number of your squads to our advantage before having it done to a far larger group, like the Purple Orcas or the Crimson Lions and the Silver Eagles.”

“Forgive me, Lord Julius.” Vangeance pressed his lips into a thin line. “But our squads aren’t exactly… balanced.”

“Just say it,” Yami snorted. “You can’t even call my team a squad.”

“Differences in number aside,” Julius said in all seriousness. “This is an experiment to get our Magic Knights to be more comfortable around each other without their fuel for competition. Stars or merits aside, both teams involved will be given compensation if the mission is proven successful; which is why I called you here. Both of you must set an example for your team members.”

“May I ask,” Vangeance said. “How long will this last?”

“Two to three days at maximum.”

“That’s acceptable.”

“What’s in it for us again?” Yami asked. “Besides terrifying the poor volunteer?”

Julius laughed. Marx paled, because this was just another excuse to probably see the world burn. Julius grinned, “I’m sure you’ll both find this experience amusing and educational. I will also award you stars should this prove successful or not, just for the effort and compliance. But the volunteers you choose will reflect on you, so please be mindful on who you write on the paper.”

“Fine by me.” Yami shrugged.

Vangeance wondered, “Do you know who to volunteer?”

“Yeah,” He snickered. “He’s a stickler for the rules, so he won’t cause you any trouble. You?”

“I think this will prove gamesome,” He replied. “But they like a challenge.”

Marx watched as the two captains walked to the table, papers in hand. Julius was already smiling and offering them both a pen each. Marx closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn’t going to end well, but Julius insisted it was for the best. Sometimes Marx wanted to wring his own neck for indulging some of Julius’ ridiculous ideas, but then again, Julius was always right about these things.

He knew not to doubt him, but often times, it was just too much.

The captains signed the papers and Julius thanked them.

“I’ll make the arrangements tomorrow,” He grinned. “So expect to see the two you volunteered in each other’s squads.”

Once they left, Julius chuckled.

“You’re enjoying this,” Marx voiced. “May I know why?”

Julius handed him the papers.

Marx read it. “Squad trade volunteers… Golden Dawn: Langris Vaude… and—” He nearly choked. He looked at Julius, who was still smiling. “Black Bulls: Finral Vaude.”

Julius laughed, “I think this will work out.”

No, Marx thought it might not.

oOo

“You volunteered me?!” Finral cried out. “How can you volunteer me?!”

“You should be happy.” Yami said, lighting up a cigarette. “Didn’t you say you barely go out to play or do something for the squad? This is it. So start packing. You’re going.”

“I meant on the field! You could have asked me first!”

“I’m telling you now. What’s the difference?”

“What’s the differ—?” Finral took a deep breath. “Who is going to port you to places you want to be at? Who will do the treasury? What about the reports?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t matter?” He whined. “Yami, do you hear yourself?”

“We’ll miss you, Finral!” Vanessa slurred, completely drunk on the couch. She kicked her legs and playfully raised the empty bottle of wine. “Don’t forget us… so come visit us from time to time, okay? Don’t terrorize the girls too much…”

“Don’t be quick to say goodbye,” Yami laughed. “He’ll only be gone for two to three days.”

“You’re horrible,” Finral pouted. “I don’t want to go.”

“Too bad.”

“Good Luck, Finral.” Vanessa giggled. “We’ll miss you.”

“I don’t know why you’re happy!” Finral cried out. “Someone is going to replace me for three days!”

“It’ll be fine.” Yami leaned back on the couch opposite Vanessa’s. “Captain Shiny is going to send someone that won’t ruin his reputation as a captain. Why do you think I sent you instead of anyone else in this room?”

“Hey,” Vanessa whined.

Finral snickered at that. “Okay, I can forgive you a little.” Then he wondered, “Who will you be trading me for?”

“Beats me.” Yami shrugged. “Some poor sap, I guess…”

“You didn’t ask?”

“Didn’t matter.”

Finral made a face and a rude comment. “How is it possible that you’re a functioning captain?” Then he started panicking. “Why aren’t you worried about this?!”

Yami rolled his eyes. “You really think that volunteer would survive making a mess on my turf? I’ve turned guys to mush for less.” Okay, so Yami made a good point. “As for you,” Yami huffed. “I know you won’t cause trouble, but try to keep out of it anyway.”

Vanessa hiccupped, “We’re counting on you, Finral.”

“Ugh!” Finral ruffled his hair. “I’m not forgiving you if I come out of this injured!”

“You won’t,” Yami said. “Trust me.”

oOo

“A trade?” Langris repeated.

“I’m sorry for telling you this at such short notice.” Vangeance sighed. “I volunteered you because not only will this encourage you to work with others, but it will also help you gain enough experience to handle the responsibilities should you be promoted even higher than your current rank.”

Langris nodded. “I see the benefit of the Wizard King’s idea.”

“I’m glad.” Vangeance smiled. “Does this mean you are in agreement?”

“Agreement?” He repeated.

“Let me clarify. This is a trial. You’re not obligated to go through with it if you don’t want to. I just want to know if you’re up to the task because I already wrote your name, if not I could find someone—”

“I’ll do it.” Langris answered. “I was merely surprised.”

He wasn’t happy about it, but the fact that Vangeance trusted him made him reconsider. This was a huge opportunity to get more merits. He was gaining rank faster than anyone his age. He had also been through several deadly missions; a simple squad exchange didn’t matter to him.

“For how long?” Langris wondered.

“Two to three days.”

Langris nodded, but he had a question. He was curious. There was a possibility that he would be working with Finral for three days. That would actually make things a lot easier because they were familiar with each other. It was also an opportunity for him to see Finral’s… living conditions.

“Captain Vangeance.” He called.

“Yes?”

“Who is the volunteer from the Black Bulls?”

“I never saw what Yami wrote and we never spoke of it.” Vangeance said. “But you will find out tomorrow after Lord Julius makes his arrangements. If I recall, your older brother is in the Black Bulls.”

Langris nodded to that.

“Then you will be in safe hands.” He smiled. “Try to enjoy your stay there, Langris.”

“I’ll try,” Langris assured. “But I’m not sure the Black Bulls will make it easy.”

“Yami is there,” Vangeance declared. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Somehow, Langris disagreed.

Chapter Text

Vanessa yawned and rubbed her eyes.

She had a late night after helping Finral pack some of his belongings. It was really just Vanessa’s excuse to spend time with her dear friend and hear him complain about Yami’s abrupt decisions. She quickly made her way to the common room and found Yami flipping through his newspaper.

“Is Finral already gone?”

“He left this morning.” Yami replied. “You worried?”

“No,” She shook her head. “I’m actually more worried about his stand-in.”

“I’m sure they’ll keep out of trouble.”

Vanessa nodded and sat opposite of Yami next to the bar. She was wearing more clothes than usual because Finral asked her to make an effort and not traumatize whoever the other volunteer was. Actually, Finral had practically begged majority of the Bulls to be decent, Yami included. Finral argued that they had enough bad reputation to last them a life time, so they did promise to try.

“Is Gauche coming back from his mission?” Vanessa asked. “He’s the only one that isn’t here.”

“Probably not.” Yami huffed. “He’s probably busy beating people up.”

“I suppose it doesn’t make a difference.”

“Why not?”

“He’s not exactly a social person.”

“Look behind you,” Yami snorted. “Neither are they.”

Vanessa turned and saw Grey and Gordon enter the room. They took a seat on the long couch. Vanessa giggled, because Yami was right. She greeted her two comrades a good morning. Gordon waved back and muttered a hello while Grey transformed with a puff of smoke that made Vanessa laugh.

“Do you miss him, Grey?”

“It’s not the same without Finral.”

“No.” Vanessa smiled, clearly amused. “It’s not.”

Grey managed to get Finral down from his looks to his voice and that certain whine in his tone. Despite being mysterious, Grey had always been playful. Vanessa tried her hardest to smother another laugh when Grey leaned back on the couch and hugged their body, looking like a picture of misery.

“I don’t want to leave.” Grey mimicked Finral’s complaints from yesterday. “It’s not fair.”

“We’re not going to replace him, Grey.” Vanessa assured.

“We’re not?” Grey perked up.

“No,” She chuckled, still looking at Finral’s form. “It’ll only be for a couple of days. Finral just likes to complain. But you should drop the transformation. Finral’s not going to like it if you start doing something when the stand-in gets here.”

“Is it a girl?”

Yami snorted at that one. “Good one, Grey.”

Vanessa let out a chuckle. Sometimes Grey was so observant to the point that they were able to copy anyone from their mannerisms to their habits and predict what they might say. But it was an obvious line that would come from Finral anyway.

“Don’t let Finral know you were teasing him while he’s not here,” Vanessa said. “If you’re bored, you’re more than welcome to copy me.”

Grey transformed with another puff of smoke.

This time, they transformed into Vanessa, wearing nothing but underwear and the Black Bull’s robe. The real Vanessa started laughing. Yami stared at them. The clear expression on his face radiated: They’re weirdos, but they’re mine. Yami went back to reading his newspaper when Charmy came in.

“Good morning!” She greeted. “Food is almost ready!”

“Thank you, Charmy.” Vanessa smiled.

“Do you have any wine?” Grey mimicked. “I’m starving.”

Charmy let one of her sheep hand a bottle over to Grey, but Grey only held it to somewhat perfect their copy of Vanessa’s image. Vanessa snickered. Honestly. Grey was hilarious sometimes. Vanessa was surprised when Charmy sauntered over to her and tugged her robe.

“What is it, Charmy?”

“What time will the stand-in get here?” She asked. “Will they have breakfast with us?”

“Should be any time soon.” Yami huffed, closing his newspaper. “They’re probably still at Julius’ office. Better get everything ready before they get here. Wouldn’t want Finral to start tearing his hair out if he hears we killed the new guy after they get here.”

“Roger!” Charmy saluted. “I’ll wake up Henry and make more food.”

Charmy sauntered away and Vanessa hummed.

“Something wrong?” Yami asked.

“Captain,” Vanessa muttered. “Do you think they’re anything like Finral?”

Yami snorted. “Wouldn’t count on it.”

oOo

Letoile narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

Breakfast was supposed to be relaxing, not stressful.  The glistening chandeliers and the soft rays of the morning sun, brushing through the arched windows into the billowing white curtains should’ve been enough to relax her.

Instead, she had to sit at a table with David.

She tried to calm herself and eat her meal in silence. It wasn’t the idle chatter around her that irritated her. It was David’s dice. The rattling sounds of the dice flipping over the table made her want to strangle him. The lost look on David’s face as he lost sense of reality was also getting on her nerves. When David spun the dice again, Letoile’s hand snatched it away and pocketed it.

“Hey!” David cried out. “Why did you take it?”

“Because you’re annoying.”

“I can’t help it!” He mumbled. “I’m just worried.”

“Hamon and I are trying to eat in peace.” Letoile said as she stabbed a piece of meat from her plate to make a statement. “Isn’t that right, Hamon?”

“Yes, of course. He’s distracting us from the most important meal of the day.” Hamon chuckled as he mixed several delicacies from the four plates he had on the table. It was almost enough to make both Letoile and David sick. “But I wouldn’t worry too much. I’m sure the volunteer will try to be decent.”

“I’m not following.” Letoile said. “What are you two going on about?”

“Haven’t you heard?” David gasped.

“If I did, I wouldn’t be asking.”

“Langris is being transferred to the Black Bulls!”

“Transferred?”

“Temporarily,” Hamon clarified for her as he took a bite of his food. “I wouldn’t worry so much. We’ll hear the whole thing during Captain Vangeance’s speech. Apparently, it’s supposed to be a secret, but someone overheard Eleanor and Philippe when they were ordered to prepare the main hall.”

Letoile urged, “About what?”

“They spoke about a squad trade.” David answered. “But only between the Golden Dawn and the Black Bulls. Captain Vangeance volunteered Langris to be his representative and no one knows who the other volunteer is.”

“And you know all of this from Eleanor and Philippe?”

“No, they’re Senior Knights and we’re not friends.” He snorted. “You know how difficult it is to keep a secret when your friends have friends. Besides, this is big news! It’s not every day you get to hear someone get transferred to another squad because of a temporary squad trade.”

“Really?” Letoile crossed her arms. “Where did you hear it from?”

“Alecdora and his friends weren’t exactly quiet.” Hamon answered for him. “I heard it from them when they were walking by the fountain. I think they were angry that Captain Vangeance trusted Langris to be his representative.”

“I heard them too.” David pointed. “They were very angry!”

“Who exactly?” Letoile asked.

“Patel, Mistrand, and Gavit were pretty vocal about it.”

“That’s foolish.” Letoile rolled her eyes. “We all know there’s a possibility of Langris getting promoted to vice-captain. He’s high noble, and it’s not as if this is the first time Captain Vangeance made him his representative. He’s training him. Why do you think he’s always hanging out with the Captain, for Leisure?”

David shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. I just hear things.”

“Do you know that you’re part of the problem?”

“What problem?”

“Gossip.”

“It’s news!” He defended. “I can’t help it if I’m shocked!”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Hamon chuckled as he ate another bite from his plate. “Captain Vangeance won’t let a Black Bull make a mess in the Golden Dawn. Besides, it’s only one among an entire squad. If I have to worry, I would worry about them getting Langris.”

David started laughing.

Letoile palmed her face.

Whoever thought this was a good idea was probably insane.

Chapter Text

Marx was starting to wonder if this job was a punishment.

He had never experienced stress like this, not even from a battlefield. Tension, in a completely safe room, was not something he expected first thing in the morning. There was also an awkward silence as the Vaude brothers stood next to each other.

Both were pretending everything was fine.

“Why is it always me?” Marx wondered. “And where is Lord Julius?”

Marx thought Julius had a little more restraint not to take one of his early morning jaunts. Julius knew the volunteers would be early. It just wasn’t fair. This was highly unprofessional and a little embarrassing given how high noble the Vaude family was.

He had to congratulate them for making the experience twice as horrible.

The moment Finral and Langris’ eyes met, Marx knew he was right when he thought this was a bad idea. It only solidified when the two greeted each other in shock, with the exclamation of “I’m replacing you?!” but after they realized Marx was within hearing distance, they shut their mouths.

Marx wasn’t sure he could last an hour or two with them.

Too awkward.

“If I may ask,” Finral started. “When will the Wizard King arrive?”

Marx paled. “Lord Julius is attending urgent matters.”

“How urgent?” Langris clarified.

“Not as urgent to need the attention of our Magic Knights.” He nervously chuckled as his eyes darted to the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll check if Lord Julius is done with his— tasks for the morning.” He disliked lying to good people, but it was better than letting the Knights know that Julius was off prancing around the Clover Kingdom looking for the unknown.

It was unprofessional.

“Excuse me.” Marx declared. “I’ll leave you two for a moment.”

As quickly as he could, he made his way out of the door.

oOo

Langris grimaced and turned to Finral, who was trying his hardest to disappear into the background. It wasn’t working. It might’ve if there were more people, but with the two of them inside a very silent room, his older brother was very hard to miss.

“So it’s you,” He stated.

Finral wondered, “Why does it sound like you’re disappointed?”

Langris shrugged in dismissal.

“No reason.”

He tried to stop his cheeks from turning red when another bout of silence came between them. Langris was more or less looking forward to his brother making his stay with the Bulls easier. Now, he wasn’t sure what to feel now that Finral will be filling in for him.

“Why did you volunteer?”

“Actually,” Finral mumbled. “I didn’t.”

“Meaning?”

“Yami kind of… spontaneously volunteered me.” He chuckled nervously and timidly rubbed his forearm. “I only found out yesterday. What about you? Did Captain Vangeance recommend you?”

“He thought it was a good idea.” Langris huffed. “Who am I to question the words of my captain?”

Finral nodded to that and another awkward silence came between them. It gave Langris enough time to think. Yami volunteered Finral. That didn’t sound so absurd. Langris knew Finral was a pushover that even his own captain turned him into an errand boy… and his brother was basically known as the Bull’s pack mule.

How sad.

But Langris understood why Finral, out of all the Black Bulls, was chosen.

His brother was raised high noble; who better than to represent their squad than him? Yet, it didn’t comfort Langris to know this. Deep down, Finral was faulty. His brother was a decent human being compared to the others, but he was still one of them. He was lazy and fake, and all of his bad habits were overlooked; that wasn’t a good thing.

“Langris,” Finral called. “Do… do you want any advice?”

“Why would I?” He glared. “Are you saying I can’t handle myself?”

“What?! No! I only meant—”

“Do you realize I rank higher than you?!”

Finral paled and raised his hand in defense. “I just meant that my squad is completely different from the Golden Dawn and I thought you might want to know something about them… before you go there. I swear I never meant anything by it.”

“No, thank you.” Langris grumbled. “I think I can handle less than a dozen members.”

“If… if you say so.”

Langris grimaced when Finral dropped the subject. So much for casual banter that Langris was used to; honestly, Finral gave up too easily. It wasn’t fun to watch him stand there looking like a kicked puppy. He rolled his eyes and scowled. He really shouldn’t encourage his brother’s bad behavior just because he was used to it.

“What is taking them so long?” He impatiently asked.

“Do you think it’s an emergency?” Finral wondered as he stared at the door. “The Wizard King is usually very punctual.”

“Whatever it is, I don’t like how long this meeting is dragging.”

“Yes… me neither.”

Langris crossed his arms and glared. Finral looked away and tried to count the number of tiles on the floor to pass the time. Langris hated how difficult it was to keep a conversation with him. They always ended too quickly. Even when they managed to get a topic in, they didn’t know how to continue it.

It was frustrating.

Furthermore, it was clear that Marx wasn’t returning any time soon.

It only made Langris’ temper flare. He tapped his foot in annoyance and gave into his impulses. Unable to control his rising temper, he unleashed his irritation on Finral instead. His hand reached out and forcefully tugged the back of Finral’s robe. Finral cried out when his robe momentarily cut off his breathing. When the pressure was released, he turned to see his brother’s eyes glaring at him.

“Langris,” Finral whined. “What did I do?”

“Nothing yet, but you will.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t want you to embarrass me.” Langris huffed as his grip tightened. “You’ve done that plenty of times already in the past couple of years. You’re not going to embarrass me this time!”

“What?” Finral startled. “I would never do that!”

“Not on purpose!”

“I wouldn’t!”

Langris pulled Finral closer by yanking his robe forward. His eyes twitched when the sudden realization came to him that Finral was too tall. However, the message was still very clear with the way his fists clenched ever so slowly. Finral paled when Langris tugged harder and pulled him closer to his level.

The worst thing wasn’t Langris shouting.

It was him whispering his threat.

“I’m this close to getting promoted, Brother.” Langris gritted through his teeth. “If you do anything to ruin my reputation, you’re dead to me. When I mean anything, I meant everything. Do we have an understanding, Brother?”

“We do,” Finral nodded.

Langris released him just in time for the door to open.

oOo

“Quickly,” Marx urged. “We can’t keep them waiting any longer.”

“Relax, Marx.” Julius chuckled. “They’ll be fine.”

“This is the Vaude family we’re talking about.” He grimaced as he lightly pushed Julius to the right direction when he lagged behind. “It wouldn’t do well to insult them. It’s not just about their high nobility, which everyone in the kingdom knows about, but their connection to the king is something to look out for.”

“You worry too much, Marx.”

“I have to! You don’t!”

“I assure you,” Julius dismissed. “This won’t reach the king.”

Marx wanted to cry in a corner, because Julius was far too carefree for his own good, but he trusted him. Therefore, during the rest of the way, Marx kept silent. When they finally reached the door to the office, Julius suddenly paused.

“Stop worrying, Marx.” He said, placing a hand over his shoulder in a comforting manner. “I will handle this.”

Marx nodded. “Of course, Lord Julius.”

Julius opened the door and cheerfully greeted his guests. “Hello! Good morning!” He chuckled when the two jumped and parted from each other. “I hope you didn’t wait too long. I apologize for the delay, but I had something important that needed my attention.” Julius took his seat and Marx stood in his usual place beside him.

There was tension in the room.

Something happened.

“You two are well,” Julius asked. “I hope?”

“We are.” The two answered.

“I won’t make this any longer than necessary.” He smiled. “Do forgive me for doing this to the two of you at such short notice. I’m sure you know that your captains trust you when they handed in their recommendations. Therefore, in extension, I trust you two to make this work.”

Finral and Langris nodded in acknowledgement.

“I’m not sure how much your captains have told you, but this system I want to introduce is to help further communications between our Magic Knight squads. There are times where one doesn’t have the necessary requirements like that of a certain mage to have an advantage over their missions. That is where you two will come along.”

Langris clarified, “You want us to cooperate with the opposite squad and make future missions successful.”

“And to get to know them as well.” Julius added. “But that is the very gist of it.”

“What happens after?” Finral asked.

“That depends on you two.” He chuckled as he arranged the documents on his table and handed a folder to his advisor. “Marx, if you would be so kind?” Marx took a step forward and pulled out two separate documents from the folder.

“I assume you two are prepared?”

The brothers nodded.

“Very well.” Marx sighed. “Then please sign these to confirm the temporary exchange.” They were each handed a pen and they quickly skimmed through the document. “To clarify, your ranks won’t matter. This is, after all, a test run. Every task you will do for three days, starting now, will be up to the captain of the squad you are assigned to.”

Julius added, “William and Yami will also evaluate your performance.”

“Yes, and every action you take will be recorded.”

“Recorded,” Finral swallowed. “That sounds reasonable.”

“Very reasonable.” Langris agreed.

The brothers signed and handed the papers back to Marx, who checked them and handed it back to Julius. Julius chuckled and stood up from his chair. “Wonderful.” He clapped his hand. “When the three days are finished, rest assured that you will be rewarded with merits and bonuses. In fact, for your participation alone, you are already awarded with merits.”

“Before we continue,” Marx asked. “Do any of you have any further questions?”

“I have a question.’ Langris voiced with trepidation. “When you meant every task, do you mean everything?”

Julius answered the question. “Unfortunately, yes, but I wouldn’t worry about Yami. You are a very skillful Magic Knight, Langris. I’m sure he’ll put you to good use. And I do hope you gain something out of this experience.”

He raised his chin and smiled.

“Now,” He declared. “Before I give you over to Cob to port you to your temporary squad, I must ask you two to exchange robes.”

“What?!” They both gasped.

Marx paled.

Julius was enjoying this, he knew it.

“This is to ensure the experience will be believable.” The Wizard King happily explained. “And that the robes, while symbolic of your squads, mean very little when we are all working for the same purpose. Usually, I would have new robes tailored for you, but since you are brothers… an exchange like this would be… illustrative to the cause. I hope there won’t be a problem.”

Finral and Langris exchanged looks.

They were uncomfortable, but did they have a choice?

Both brothers gave in as they unclasped their robes and handed them over to each other. Langris was far more reluctant than Finral. While Finral was only slightly hesitant, it was due to the fact that his brother was going to end up in a completely different world than what he was used to.

Finally wearing each other’s robes, they had a hard time looking at each other.

It was just too… strange.

“We’re done.” Julius delightfully announced. “Once more, I thank you for agreeing to do this and I hope you try and make this experience memorable. When the third day is finished, we will collect you to be evaluated on your progress.” He paused and turned to Marx. “If you would please escort them to Cob, I would be very grateful.”

Marx nodded. “Yes, Lord Julius.”

The brothers thanked the Wizard King and followed Marx outside.

oOo

Finral was terrified.

His brother’s threat was still ringing in his ears.

If you do anything to ruin my reputation, you’re dead to me.

Finral stared at Langris and his cheeks flushed red when he saw his brother wearing his Black Bull’s robe. It looked strange on him. Thankfully, Langris was wearing casual clothes and not his usual Golden Dawn uniform. The contrast between the white and the black would be too… noticeable.

Speaking of which, Finral wasn’t eager to wear the Golden Dawn robe.

Not because it didn’t look good on him, but because it felt wrong and that he didn’t deserve it. No wonder he felt a little disheartened when he had to give up his own robe to Langris. It was because Yami had given it to him and it meant that he was wanted.

He treasured it.

If he felt that way, then Langris must feel like he had been stripped of what he had earned too.

Having exchanged their rights to the robe must’ve been… insulting.

Almost.

As they walked out of the building, Finral was distracted, still unable to get over Langris wearing his robe. The only time he snapped was when Langris tugged him close.

“Damage that robe, Brother,” Langris threatened. “And my words will be the least of your worries. If not for your sake, at least for mine, you’ll make this experiment a lot less painful. If you can’t even do it for me, at least try not to embarrass Captain Vangeance… or better yet, the Vaude name.”

With that, Langris walked away.

Finral sighed.

“I won’t do anything bad with it, I promise.” Finral mumbled, trying to keep up with his brother. A thought popped into his head and he couldn’t help but say it. “If I’m being honest… I’m actually worried about you, Langris.”

“Why would you be?” His brother scoffed. “I rank higher than you.”

“That’s not why.”

“You shouldn’t be worried.” Langris declared. “I wouldn’t call your squad— a squad. If you’re worried I can’t handle less than a dozen members, then I should be more worried about you handling more than thirty.”

Finral nervously chuckled. “That’s still not it.”

“How hard could it be?” Langris huffed. “I’m not you.”

His brother quickened his pace, probably to get away from him, and Finral could do nothing but stare at his back. Finral sighed to himself. He was used to Langris’ insults and sarcasm, so it didn’t bother him. He could make a decent effort while he was in the Golden Dawn, but Finral wasn’t sure how Langris would adjust once he met the rest of the Black Bulls.

“Langris,” Finral called.

“What?”

“Please,” He begged. “Just don’t kill anyone.”

Langris rolled his eyes and ignored him the rest of the way. Finral tried to catch up and tried to give him some advice, anything at all that would help Langris adjust, but Langris tuned him out. In Finral’s mind, he begged over and over for all of this to end.

“Please don’t let anything bad happen,” He thought.

Chapter Text

A large, spatial door opened and Langris walked out.

He was greeted by an unsightly view of the Black Bull’s base.

Before he could make an indecent comment, Cob popped his head out of the portal. “Enjoy your stay!” He cheerfully voiced. “I’ll return for you and your brother after three days.” He waved his goodbye and the spatial door closed and faded away.

Langris sighed.

He wasn’t even a minute in and he wanted to turn around. He was never confident about the squad trade in the first place, but he wasn’t about to disappoint Captain Vangeance by ruining this. However, he wasn’t really optimistic about his stay; not when the base looked like it was going to collapse from a gentle breeze.

“It’s atrocious.” He thought. ”Who even designed this?”

The base was a large, multistory monstrosity full of inconsistent structures. One would think a child designed it and simply stuck pieces of different houses together.

None of them were even leveled.

Langris rolled his eyes.

He had been here before when Finral first started out as a Magic Knight. He never really went beyond the doors. He wasn’t happy about going in and living in this dump for three days. Everything was shabby and old. He could barely believe Finral was fine with this living condition, and this was just the outside.

“Seriously,” He thought. “This should be against building regulations.”

He sighed, having no choice but to continue forward. He moved to the entrance and raised his hand to knock on the door. He didn’t get a chance because the door opened and Langris was faced with his new captain.

Yami’s eyes lingered over him and settled on the robe.

Did he recognize it was his brother’s?

“So it’s you.” Yami sighed, sounding a little disappointed. “Should’ve known Vangeance would pull a stunt like this. Oh well. I should probably be grateful.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Only if you want it to.” He shrugged. “Get inside.”

Langris was cautious when Yami moved aside to give him room. Langris tried his hardest not to cringe when he entered the living room. Of course there would be a bar. Why the hell would Langris expect any less from a squad full of ruffians? Langris opened his mouth to ask a few questions when Yami walked past him and settled on the nearby chair to read his newspaper.

“Welcome to the Black Bulls.” Yami deadpanned. “Feel free to do whatever you want.”

What the hell was wrong with this squad?!

Langris grimaced. He had so many questions. First of all, how was it possible that the Black Bulls were able to function for so long as a Magic Knight squad?! Where was everyone? There should be at least a few inside the complex. Were they even informed about his arrival? Langris concluded that with a captain like Yami, it was most likely not the case. He tightened his hold on his shoulder bag, not daring to move. Was Yami seriously going to leave him hanging?

Before Langris could argue about propriety, someone walked into the living room.

He couldn’t help but stare at her.

What was she wearing?!

The lady was tall and beautiful, and she was showered with different shades of pink. However, her clothes were too revealing as it cut from the middle of her chest and ended just above her navel. Raised in a proper house with manners, Langris politely moved his gaze when she approached him.

“Hello!” She greeted. “You must be the volunteer!”

Langris kept his gaze locked with hers.

He wasn’t expecting her to approach him seductively and change the tone of her voice into something sultrier. “My name’s Vanessa.” She bent down, exposing a little more of her bosom. A finger slid underneath Langris’ chin and lifted it higher so they were leveled. “To think a cutie like you would end up here. What’s your name, little boy?”

Politely, he pushed her hand away.

“Langris Vaude,” He said as his cheeks reddened. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Vaude?” Vanessa blinked.

She turned to Yami in shock. Yami dropped his newspaper and stared at Vanessa. “You’re looking at Finral’s younger brother.” He explained and turned to Langris. “Say hello to Vanessa. She’s one of the oldest members in this squad. You’ll find everyone else around somewhere.”

Langris nodded to that.

“So, Langris, right?” Vanessa asked as she straightened herself. “Looks like fate brought you here for a reason.  I’m sure you’ll have fun. Does Finral know you’re here to volunteer?”

“We saw each other this morning.” He answered.

“Great.” She said in delight and nudged him out the door. “Come on. Since you’re Finral’s little brother, allow me to tour you. If he were here, he’ll try and make sure your stay is as comfortable as possible. Since he’s not, I’ll do that for him.” She turned to Yami. “Captain! You won’t mind if I steal him from you?”

“Go ahead.” Yami mumbled.

“Thank you!”

Langris grimaced when he realized that this woman had no boundaries. She was talkative and a little loud. Not to mention that strange first impression. Where was she expecting to go with that introduction anyway? Langris tried to ignore the implications as Vanessa guided him down the dark hallway. He couldn’t let go of what she had done. He reminded himself that this was one of Finral’s squad members, but he couldn’t shake off the thought that Finral was a little girl crazy.

Surely this woman caught his eye.

He wondered, “Are you and my brother close?”

“Are you asking if we’re together?” She teased and noticed the immediate redness on Langris’ face. “Don’t worry. We’re not. Finral and I are good friends.”

“I see.” He mumbled.

Langris wasn’t sure if he should be happy or weirded out. He knew how much Finral’s demeanor changed for different types of women. Having what Langris would call a distraction for his brother’s bad habits wasn’t something he’d enjoy knowing. But so long as Vanessa said they were friends and his brother was doing his job, Langris shouldn’t really care.

“Do you want to hear about Finral’s first time living inside the base?”

Langris allowed Vanessa to lighten the mood by telling him a story about his brother.

However, he wasn’t really interested in Finral’s life. But now that he was finally within his brother’s territory, he might as well be a little more concerned. None of the things he had seen so far were… practical. For example, he noticed how dark the hallway was. Unlike the Golden Dawn, there were barely any lamps to light the way.

“Would it kill them to install a few light fixtures?”

Someone could trip.

“— it took time for Finral to get used to the place.” Vanessa finished her story. “Anyways, this is the dining area.” She gestured. “Sometimes we eat here or in the living room.”

Langris’ eyes widened.

He expected a small room, but this was larger than he had imagined.

There were so many long tables and chairs, good enough to seat at least thirty members. But what surprised him more was the difference compared to the Golden Dawn’s pristine dining area. Where the Golden Dawn had chandeliers and large, arched windows with thin, white curtains the Black Bulls' dining area looked more like a rundown bar somewhere in the lower towns.

“Like it?” Vanessa chuckled. “You can come down any time and find Charmy if you’re hungry.”

“Charmy?” Langris asked.

“She’s another squad member. She cooks for us.”

Before Langris could ask, something soft bumped into him.

Immediately, his manners overtook him and he apologized. He turned, looked down, and found himself faced with a flock of sheep standing by the door. Every single one of them was holding different dishes on a silver tray. The sheep in front of him bleated softly. Langris moved aside and the flock moved to the table and neatly arranged the dishes together.

“Surprised?” Vanessa grinned. “Those are Charmy’s Sheep Cooks.”

One of the sheep moved and offered Vanessa a small piece of colorful pastry. She took one and the sheep moved to Langris and offered him another piece. Not wanting to be rude, Langris reluctantly took a bite.

He wouldn’t admit it, but it tasted good.

Before he could convince Vanessa to show him to his room, he felt someone tug his sleeves. Langris looked down and this time, it was a little child. What would a child be doing in a Magic Knight’s base?! Langris stared at her and noticed the Black Bull’s robe. Surely they weren’t recruiting so young. That was against the law.

“Try this one!” The child said, offering Langris a plate. “It’s delicious!”

“No, thank you.” Langris refused. “I’m full.”

“Charmy,” Vanessa greeted. “You’re just in time!” Wait? What?! This was her?! “Charmy, this is Langris.” She introduced. “He’s Finral’s little brother.” Shock aside, Langris disliked the way they introduced him only as Finral’s little brother. “Langris, this is Charmy. She makes all the meals for the Black Bulls.”

“What’s your favorite food?” Charmy randomly asked.

Langris made a face as he struggled to keep his composure. “I’m not a picky eater.” He said. He wasn’t about to admit to these people that he loved cherry tarts. That was exposing personal information and Langris wasn’t about to divulge something like that.

“I remember Finral said you loved cherry tarts.” Vanessa revealed. “Why don’t you make some for our guest, Charmy?”

Langris turned beet red.

Why would his brother mentioned that to them?!

“That’s great!” Charmy cheered as she ordered her sheep cooks to head to the kitchen. “Cherry tarts are delicious! I’ll cook it extra special for you since you’re new here! I’ll be right back!”

“Thank you, Charmy!” Vanessa giggled. “Langris and I will leave you to it. We still need to tour the entire base and meet the others.”

“Okay!” She replied. “Come back for your meal!”

“Thank you.” Langris mumbled.

Vanessa guided him out of the dining area and toured him around the rest of the base.

They stopped just before the intersection to the stairs.

“Be careful and try not to wander through that hallway.” She pointed at a much darker, more ominous hallway. “That’s where the captain keeps the magical beasts. They only really follow the captain.” She chuckled. “Sometimes Finral tries to feed them if no one else is available. We can’t go down there because they’re sleeping— wouldn’t want to disturb their rest.” She gestured to the other hall. “Come on, there’s more upstairs.”

“You must be joking.”

“About?”

“You don’t really have magical beasts in your base.”

“We do.” She smiled, seemingly enjoying the advantage of being more knowledgeable of their base. “You should see them in the morning before they’ve eaten. Maybe the captain would even let you feed them.”

Langris remained silent.

He wasn’t sure he liked that idea if what she was saying were true. Who kept magical beasts as pets anyway? Then again, this was Yami Sukehiro, captain of the Black Bulls and labeled Lord of Destruction. As a foreigner, perhaps Yami thought that was natural. Not that Langris was curious, but if he had the time, he would check it out to see if Vanessa was bluffing or not.

Such a thing shouldn’t be left unsupervised.

They went upstairs and Vanessa showed him the library.

“It’s very dusty.” Langris commented.

“No one really uses it.” She shrugged. “Finral usually port to the Royal Library or the library at the Investigations Department. Most of the books here are outdated and are mostly for display.”

“Of course.”

“Let’s move on, shall we?”

As they went through the rest of the available rooms, Langris disliked the idea of this exchange more and more. Vanessa showed him the men’s toilet and bathing room. He was surprised to find out that they were shared by all the squad members.

How did his brother not find this alarming?!

When they passed another hall, Langris was surprised when he felt someone following them. He turned around and a tall man was right behind them. He would’ve attacked if it wasn’t for the robe on the man’s shoulders.

“Gordon,” Vanessa scolded. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people.”

He muttered something back, but none of them could hear it.

“Langris, this is Gordon.” Vanessa gestured. “He’s another older member. He doesn’t talk much, but he’s nice. Gordon, this is Langris. He’s Finral’s younger brother. Surprising, isn’t it? Who knew he would be the volunteer?”

Gordon waved at him.

Langris blankly stared at the creepy smile Gordon was giving him. Thankfully, it wasn’t a long encounter. He and Vanessa quickly bid their farewell and continued with the tour. So far, Langris had only met a couple of them. Shouldn’t there be a few more?

“Will we meet the rest of your squad on the way to my room?”

“Maybe,” Vanessa shrugged as she lifted her fingers to count. “The only ones you haven’t met are Gauche, Grey, and Henry. Grey is somewhere in the base. I’ll introduce you when we find them. As for Henry, we’ll see him in a bit. You won’t be able to meet Gauche though. He’s on a mission.”

“Gauche… Adlai?” Langris wondered.

“Yes. That’s his name.”

“The ex-convict?”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” She softly warned. “He’s cleaning himself up. The captain wouldn’t have taken him in if he didn’t see anything interesting.”

“I noticed.” Langris replied.

He tried to be polite, but so far, he couldn’t find anything appealing about any of Finral’s squad members.  Sure, they were unique individuals, but how was it possible for them to function as an active Magic Knight’s squad? No wonder they were always at the bottom. Not a single one of them looked like they were capable of fighting.

“Please let this be over,” He thought.

He thought he had seen everything— from weird squad members, to shared bathrooms, to a possibility of living under the same roof with magical beasts, and the most minor thing in this whole mess were the ugly designs… but no… Langris was surprised when Vanessa led them to another room and knocked on the door. Someone answered for them to come in. Vanessa opened the door and Langris stared at the man on the bed. He looked very sick and his hair was way too long and bushy to be called normal.

“Henry,” Vanessa smiled. “Meet our guest.”

“Hello,” Henry waved. “I’m… Henry.”

“Langris Vaude.” He politely replied. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Vanessa introduced, “He’s Finral’s little brother.”

Once more, Langris grimaced at the continued repetition. Apparently, the only thing relevant to them was his familial status with Finral and Langris wasn’t sure why that was so important to know. It wasn’t like it meant anything. Before Langris could try and control the situation for himself, he paused when he felt his mana draining ever so slowly.

“Henry has a condition,” Vanessa whispered. “Try not to get too close.”

“I’m… sorry…” Henry apologized.

“It’s fine.” Langris answered. “It’s not as if you’re taking a lot.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t get close.” Vanessa winked and turned to Henry. “Do you have any extra rooms for Langris?”

“Right… above.” He answered. “Near… the stairs.”

“Alright, thank you, Henry!” She delightfully said. “We’ll be going now. Charmy’s almost done preparing. I’ll let her know to bring you up some food.”

“Thank… you.”

Vanessa nudged Langris out the door, but Langris couldn’t help but stare at Henry, who was waving back. Just before the door closed, Langris noticed a Black Bull's robe draped over the side table. They were joking, weren’t they? Unless that man had recently taken a mission… it was impossible for him to be a Magic Knight, let alone be an active one.

“Come on,” Vanessa cheered. “The sooner you get to your room, the faster you can unpack and tell us stories about you and Finral.”

Langris wasn’t looking forward to that at all.

He remained silent and contemplating as Vanessa led him the rest of the way. He was very confused. Who were these people and how the hell did Yami even find them— let alone recruit them?! None of them seemed credible.

So many questions ran through his head.  

Were any of them capable of fighting?! Okay, scratch that question… Finral wasn’t a fighter and Yami recruited him, so it must’ve been the same case for the others. First there was Vanessa, was she going to use her appeal and seduce strangers? Then there was that tiny girl with the sheep. What was she going to do, feed people to death? The tall, quiet, and creepy one might be able to do something to his enemies. But the one that stumped Langris the most was Henry.

It was just impossible.

Langris tried to stop himself from judging too quickly, but it wasn’t as if they were making an effort not to look or sound weird. So that was their fault. So to stop himself from thinking badly of these people without attempting to actually get to know them, Langris decided to judge the base instead. The place looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. And not once had Langris seen any maintenance mage to keep the place intact. He knew just from looking that not a single member in this squad had lifted a finger in attempting cleanliness.

Should they ever use Langris as an excuse to have the base cleaned, he had a fair argument to make.

He was no one’s manservant.

At this point, Langris had low expectations of his room.

When they reached it, he wasn’t surprised to find it dusty and way smaller than his own sleeping quarters in the Golden Dawn. There wasn’t even a private bathroom.

“Here you go.” Vanessa gestured. “You remember how to go downstairs?”

“Yes.” Langris nodded. “Thank you for the tour.”

“Look at you, being so polite.” She teased. “You sound like Finral.” Once more, he couldn’t stop himself from blushing at the unwanted comparison. “When you’re feeling a bit more comfortable, you can call me Big Sister, okay?” She laughed at Langris’ confused expression and moved out of the way. “I’ll leave you to unpack. Maybe later, we can introduce you to Grey. See you later!”

When the door closed, Langris just about died.

He was exhausted.

Langris placed his bag on the bed and walked over to the window for some fresh air. Even the window sill was dusty and some of the wood was worn out. Langris grimaced as he tried to calm himself down. He shouldn’t lose his temper now. He was trying to make a good impression for Captain Vangeance’s sake, but it was increasingly difficult when he was surrounded by mistakes.

“Three days,” He told himself. “Just endure it.”

His mind went to Finral and he couldn’t help but scowl.

“You’re probably having the time of your life, aren’t you, Brother?”

Chapter Text

A large, spatial door opened and Finral walked out.

He was greeted by none other than the Captain of the Golden Dawn.

Before he could make a comment, Cob popped his head out of the portal. "Ah, Captain Vangeance!" He greeted. "I'll leave this one in your hands. Langris was already transported to the Black Bulls. I'll return in three days to collect them." He waved his goodbye and the spatial door closed and faded away.

Vangeance welcomed him.

"Captain." Finral nervously returned. "G-good to see you."

"Likewise." Vangeance smiled as his eyes twinkled under his mask. "I should've known it was you. Given your relationship with Langris and the many times you've visited, you're the perfect candidate for this trade. It's also fortunate that we're already well acquainted. If you're wondering about your brother, let me assure you that he's doing quite well. He is making a name for himself and excelling well in his rank. With you here, the three days should prove enlightening."

"Thank you. That's very kind of you to say."

Finral wasn't sure he would describe it that way though.

His brother made it perfectly clear that he shouldn't do anything to embarrass him. It was easier said than done. Finral was already feeling the pressure just by standing here, wearing the same robes as the other Golden Dawn members. It didn't feel right. It felt like he was being put to slaughter in a lion's den and the robe was meat to entice the predators.

The cream colored robe was such a stark contrast to his regular ones, that it was so alarmingly jarring to wear.

"The robe." Vangeance pointed out. "I see Lord Julius made sure you two played the part."

"I'm not used to it." Finral admitted. "I've worn my other robe for so long."

"I'm sure Langris feels the same way." He chuckled. "But if this would enhance the experience of your stay here, then we shall let it play out. For now, come along." He gestured. "I'd like for us to get started immediately. You may be privy to most of our accessible areas here from your visits, but I'd like to have some time to properly tour you."

Finral nodded. "Of course."

He had dropped by enough times to pick Langris up from the Golden Dawn, so he was vaguely aware of what he was getting himself into. But nothing prepared him for actually being part of one of the most distinguished squads in the entire kingdom. He felt butterflies in his stomach. It was so strong that he wanted to run away and hide in a bush somewhere and wait things out for three days.

But Langris told him he wasn't allowed to embarrass him in any way, shape, or form.

So Finral had to endure it.

He was panicking.

The stakes were too high!

oOo

"I can't hear what they're saying." David whined. "We should get closer."

"No." Letoile squashed that idea. "This is far enough."

"But I can't hear anything!"

"Use your eyes."

David, Letoile, and Hamon were hiding behind a pillar. The other two blended well together, hidden safely from view. Hamon, on the other hand, wasn't making the same effort. Thankfully, they were far enough to go unnoticed.

At this point, everyone knew about the trade.

It was such a strange decision, that everyone became extremely curious. That curiosity only skyrocketed when they realized a Black Bull's member was replacing one of them. There were other members of the Golden Dawn who made excuses to pass by the area. They wanted to catch a glimpse of the temporary member so they could gossip about it to their friends. It caused quite a stir, that even the most levelheaded people were interested.

Of course, only the braver, more foolish ones came and not the ones with better things to do.

David gasped. "Are you sure the exchange isn't permanent?"

"Oh," Hamon hummed. "You mean the robe?"

"That is suspicious." Letoile adjusted her glasses. "I suppose exchanging the robe makes it look permanent, but they did say it's only temporary. Maybe it's for aesthetic purposes, and that it ensures there won't be any biases during their stay here."

"I don't like this." David announced.

"Give him a chance. He just got here. Besides, if you judge his interaction with the captain, he's exactly as Hamon described. It doesn't look like he'll make trouble for us while he's here and wearing our insignia."

"Really, Letoile? That's all it takes for you think he's okay?"

"Why not?"

"He's a Black Bull!"

"Not a good enough reason." She bit back. "The Wizard King seems to think there's merit to this trade. He wouldn't have picked the Black Bulls if there wasn't something to be gained out of the exchange."

David pouted. "Why do you have to be so logical?"

"Someone has to be."

Hamon started chuckling behind them. Curious to find out what was so funny, the two of them asked. The surprise on their face was evident when Hamon shared exactly what was so amusing.

"He's Langris' older brother."

David couldn't shut up long enough for the news to sink in.

"Older brother?" No way. "I didn't know he had an older brother." He didn't care enough about Langris' life to figure that out. To be fair, he didn't like Langris enough to be his friend. And on another point, he absolutely didn't think he was the type to have any siblings, let alone have an older brother.

"Hamon, are you sure you don't need glasses?"

"Quiet." Letoile nudged him aside. "What makes you think he's Langris' older brother, Hamon?"

"I've seen him around."

"When was this?"

"Whenever Langris visited his family." Hamon happily declared as he took a piece of bread out of nowhere. "Langris and I were recruited around the same time, so I was a little familiar with his routine. During certain holidays, he had to leave and someone would pick him up. It was always that man. Sometimes he'd wear the Black Bull's robe and other times he'd go without it."

David made a face. "And you just assumed he was his older brother?"

"They look alike."

Letoile turned back to look and readjusted her glasses. "Now that you mentioned it, he does come across like an older brother. And if you look hard enough, there's a slight resemblance in their appearance. He's also taller than Langris. Hamon, do you know his name?"

"His last name should be Vaude."

"Smooth, Hamon." David commented. "Very smooth. Should we bet on it?"

"No bets." Letoile shook her head. "If Hamon is right and it is Langris' older brother, then it makes perfect sense for them to be each other's temporary replacement. They should know each other's routines and they could maintain each other's respectable reputations. If they want the squad trade to work, it has to have good results. The exchange is—"

"The obvious choice."

"Yes, David. From what I heard, there are only a couple candidates in the Black Bulls who are mildly decent. So if it's true, then we really should be okay."

"Who cares about that?" David grinned. "Do you think he's anything like Langris?"

"Not all siblings are similar." Letoile sighed. "Although, I'm not sure it would be an improvement."

A moment later, Captain Vangeance was leading the man away. The captain already announced a meeting at the main hall, so knowing everyone, they would be eager to attend just so they could see who it was. At least David and Letoile had an idea, although Letoile wasn't sure that was a good thing and it would've probably been better if they were kept in the dark like everyone else.

"We should go." Hamon urged. "The captain will introduce him to us soon, so there's no point in wondering."

"Hamon's right." Letoile agreed. "Let's go."

David whined, "But where's the fun in that?"

"It's not supposed to be fun."

oOo

Finral was very nervous.

He wasn't used to this type of introduction.

When he first started out with the Black Bulls, he was one of the first few members of the team. Nothing was extraordinary or extravagant about it. They said their hellos at the living room of the base and went on with their lives. Okay, they did have some sort of party, because that was just Yami's thing, but it wasn't over the top either. It was like a regular dinner, but much more relaxed compared to an actual noble party.

Here, at the Golden Dawn, everything was too fancy.

Even the decorations looked expensive. To be fair, Finral didn't even mind the expensiveness of the place. He was used to seeing that sort of thing. But what bothered him the most was the gathering area for all the Golden Dawn members to listen to their captain.

Finral stood next to Vangeance at the top of the giant, long staircase covered in really expensive red velvet carpet. Behind them was an extremely large window, beautifully crafted in stained glass with the Golden Dawn insignia. The closest thing Finral could compare it to were the red curtains draped over the balustrade at the top floor, and that wasn't even a scratch on the surface of how large and extravagant the Golden Dawn base was.

He felt so small right now.

Slowly, the room was filled with Golden Dawn members.

The slight glimmer of light coming from the giant stained glass window wasn't helping, because Finral could see every single one of them. He hoped he was at least a silhouette, trapped in a golden halo of light, in their eyes.

He didn't like this type of attention.

Frankly, it was nerve-wrecking.

"...for this reason, we've decided to exchange squad members for at least three days." Vangeance had already started his announcement while Finral was tuning out. "I would like everyone to please welcome our temporary new member."

He elegantly gestured.

"Finral Vaude."

People clapped and murmured, but something was off.

Some of the looks Finral received were a little alarming. They didn't look too happy when they heard his last name. If Finral had to guess, some of them may have a history with his little brother. Of course, Finral didn't want to judge too early. After all, it may just be his paranoia acting up. But if he had to guess, most of them look a little scared? He had to admit, Langris had a strong personality that may come off terrifying in some ways, but he could also be sweet and kind if he wanted to be.

If you do anything to ruin my reputation, you’re dead to me.

Ah, the threat was still echoing in his ears.

But on a positive note, he should be okay here. No one would disobey their captain over some petty differences, right?

Right?

"Finral?" Vangeance called. "Do you have anything to add?"

"P-pleasure to meet everyone." Finral politely waved. "I look forward to working with all of you."

That sent another stream of murmurs among the crowd, but this time it was more confused than outright apprehensive. Finral wondered if they were comparing him to Langris. It seemed impossible, since they were completely different, but it was the only reason Finral could think of. If he knew his brother well, Langris had the image of a sweet looking boy- cheerful, smart, and outspoken- but ultimately belligerent and blunt when he opened his mouth.

He wasn't afraid to call out stupidity if he saw it.

So they probably thought the same of him.

"I expect everyone to treat him well." Vangeance announced. "Everyone is dismissed."

A portion of the crowd dispersed while a few of them stayed to linger and watch. Finral couldn't help but sigh now that it was over. He didn't know why that was so terrifying. He was used to introductions at noble gatherings. He made a couple required speeches himself and had been introduced similarly. But somehow, it was different being around a group of Magic Knights.

Still, that was at least one hurdle down. 

What else was in store for him?

Vangeance asked, "I hope that wasn't too much for you."

"N-not at all." Finral replied. "I'm just not used to the crowd."

"Understandable, given your numbers." He smiled, knowing full well Finral was used to a smaller group of friends. "Once you meet everyone, you'll find yourself surprised by how forthcoming they truly are." Vangeance knew them all. "In any case, allow me to show you around the base before I leave you to settle in your new room."

"Thank you. I'd love that."

Vangeance gestured him out of the hall.

Finral followed, but he had some questions. "I know it's too soon to ask, but I wanted to know what kind of tasks you have for me." He was a little worried. He had the mana and name to match what passes off as a respectable individual here at the Golden Dawn, but he wasn't a combatant like his brother. He wasn't even sure if Yami ever mentioned it to Vangeance. 

Yami chose him because of his other skills.

"Nothing too drastic." Vangeance smiled. "Perhaps some minor reports, if it's not too much trouble. I ran into some of your work regarding a few high profile cases. I believe some of them were written by you, if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh," Finral flushed. "Yes. I do write some of them."

"Then consider us fortunate to have you."

Finral was ecstatic. It felt nice to be praised for some of his work. It wasn't every day that he got to be appreciated without it dripping with loaded sarcasm. The Black Bulls loved to tease one another and it could get rowdy, but this was such a nice change of pace. Captain Vangeance sounded very genuine as well.

"Thank you." Finral chuckled. "I was a little worried that I wouldn't meet the standard here."

"Our standards may be high, but not unattainable."

"I see."

"If you're worried about your skills, don't be." Vangeance assured. "Yami gave me a rundown of it. I did my own research as well. You're quite capable and will fit right in. If you have reservations about using your transportation skills, don't be alarmed. We won't overwork you. It's a convenient skill to have to lessen the time it takes to get from one place to another, but I think it should be reserved for emergencies while you're here."

"That's very considerate." Finral pointed out.

"Of course." He nodded. "You're still a guest here, and should be treated as such."

The rest of Finral's worries had vanished.

He was intimidated by the thought of spending some time here at the Golden Dawn, but now it felt like nothing more than a passing thought. There was nothing to be afraid of. In fact, there were plenty of reasons for him to rejoice.

It shouldn't be a surprise, but the Golden Dawn was extremely well-organized.

He had been here before, but never long enough to admire the scenery in greater detail.

Vangeance showed him some of the training grounds located in the outer area of the base, much similar to how the Black Bulls used the nearby terrain for training. The garden was immaculate, with exotic plants and beautifully trimmed hedges littering the sides. There was a nicely crafted fountain in the middle, with pathways connecting to different areas of the outdoor base.

There was another garden, solely for the purpose of gatherings.

Some had tables and benches readily available.

Finral was in awe.

Every time they passed the hall of archways, he couldn't help but look up to admire it.

When they were done with the outer halls, the inner halls didn't look that different. There were collections of trinkets displayed in glass cabinets and a myriad of beautiful, and rather expensive, paintings on the walls. There were large windows for natural light to pass through, but it was the chandeliers that caught Finral's attention.

Some of them even had gold on them, how extravagant.

"We have conference areas where our members stay in to research and plan for missions." Vangeance gestured to some of the doors. "Our medical and recovery area isn't far, either. It's just at the other end of the hall. Let's hope you wouldn't need to visit them while you're here. But we do have some healers on standby and recovery rooms readily available."

"That's very convenient."

They had no such things at the Black Bulls. Their recovery rooms were their personal rooms which was private and comfortable enough to be in.

The tour continued, and Vangeance left no stone unturned.

He was extensive.

Finral was shown the library where it could almost rival the Royal Library. There were a ton of books and spaces to comfortably read them. It was so cozy that Finral wouldn't mind staying here on his off days instead of prancing around different places looking for fun. When they were done with the library, he was shown the dining hall, which was ten times larger than their own dining area.

Of course, being a large squad, they had their own staff members to do some of the dirty work.

They had cooks in their kitchen, a full laundry area for beddings and clothes, and a ton of other things that Finral could only dream of. They didn't have anything like that in the Black Bulls. Part of Finral was a little jealous that Langris was living this way. Sure, Finral made his own bed with the skills that he had and he generally had no complaints about being in the Black Bulls, but it almost seemed unfair.

"Here we are." Vangeance stopped at the door. "You'll be staying here for the next three days."

Finral opened the door to his room and was struck speechless.

It was a larger than his own room and it had a connecting bathroom to go with it. There was a chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, and small lamps for the side table and the desk. The bed was large enough to fit two people and he had his own cabinet to match the beautifully crafted designs on the walls. He had a window with a great view and a rather expensive carpet to match the marble floor.

Everything looked brand new!

"I hope it's to your liking."

"It's wonderful." Finral couldn't express how much he liked it. "Thank you. I hope this wasn't too much—"

"Not at all." Vangeance chuckled. "This isn't even one of our fancier rooms."

Finral could only imagine what a fancier room looked like.

It probably had a living room.

"I'll let you adjust for the time being." Vangeance smiled. "You remember your way around?"

"I do." Finral nodded. "Thank you for the tour."

"You're welcome."

"Oh," Finral remembered. "What about the reports?"

"I'll have someone assist you on how we do reports, but it can be handled later." Vangeance insisted. "For now, just enjoy your stay. Feel free to walk around the base to familiarize yourself with everyone. And if you're not up to leaving your room, you're welcome to have food delivered here. Someone will come by and assist with that as well. I'll leave you to unpack."

When the door closed, Finral visibly relaxed.

He felt so energized.

Finral dropped his bag and immediately went to the bed and laid down on it. He stared at the ceiling as he tried to calm his beating heart. He really thought this was going to be terrible and that he would embarrass himself in front of everyone and ruin Langris' reputation. But so far, he was enjoying himself. The threat Langris made to him seemed far distant, because how could he embarrass him or ruin his reputation if this was the environment. He didn't expect to be welcomed so kindly. He wasn't acquainted with the rest of the Golden Dawn yet, but the future seemed brighter.

"Three days." He thought with a smile. "It's practically a vacation."

His mind went to Langris and he couldn't help but worry.

"I hope he hasn't killed anyone yet."

Chapter Text

Langris was not having a good time.

He didn't even bother unpacking. He found the living conditions of his room to be in such a deplorable state, that it was pointless to subject his clothes to the same misery. Of course, Langris wasn't afraid to get down and dirty for it, but this didn't appeal to him in the same manner as his missions did. Sadly, he had no one to blame but himself. He was the one who accepted the trade, and backing out now would be foolish.

Captain Vangeance entrusted this to him, and with a promotion on the line, all he had to do was endure for a few days.

Seeing no point in staying idle in a room he would have to stay in for three days, Langris decided to find Vanessa. Contrary to what people believe, Langris did care when it came to making Clover Kingdom better. So if this trade worked out as it was intended, he could say that he played a good part in being active in it.

"That should be easy."

Langris exited his room and retraced his steps. The layout of the base seemed pretty simple and straightforward, so he shouldn't worry about getting lost. He figured Vanessa went back to the living room, so he decided to search there first. He walked down the stairs and turned a corner, but before he could leave the landing, he came face to face with Finral. Out of all the people at this base, he just had to run into his brother.

If he wasn't paying attention, they would've collided.

"What are you doing here?" Langris asked. "Did you forget something or did you run away from Captain Vangeance?"

"Umm..." Finral stared.

Unsure what his brother's motivations were for being back, Langris had to say something before Finral did any irreparable damage to both of their reputations. "It hasn't even been a few hours. And you're wearing a new set of robes. Where did you put mine?" Langris valued that robe as much as Finral valued his. "You better not have thrown it away, or so help me, I will do the same to yours."

Unbelievable!

"I told you not to embarrass me." Langris is annoyed that Finral had the gal to look surprised. "If you didn't want to trade squads, you should've said so in the beginning. We didn't have to go about it this way. You have to port yourself back to the Golden Dawn and apologize to my captain."

"Oh!" Something in Finral clicked. "You must be the new recruit."

Langris was dumfounded.

Was his brother purposefully mocking him? Was he trying to weasel his way out of a lecture and three days of work by doing- whatever this was? He really should've heeded the warning signs. He knew his brother was a flight risk from the very beginning. If he had just spoken up, maybe he could've prevented all this potential disaster. What a headache. This was going to cause more problems for him in the long run and he couldn't let that happen.

"Listen-"

He was cut short when a head popped out from the corner of the bottom stairs.

"I thought I heard something." Vanessa chuckled. "Are you done unpacking, Langris?

"Yes," He lied. "But my brother-"

"Oh, that's not Finral."

"Sorry?"

Vanessa walked up the stairs to the landing and wrapped her arms around Finral. "You haven't been introduced yet, but this is Grey." Finral blushed at the bold move and tried to pull away from her, but in a mischievous streak Vanessa tightened her grip so he couldn't escape. Langris wasn't happy with what he was seeing. Vanessa already told him that nothing was going on between them, and that it was just a friendship, but this made him a little skeptical.

"Vanessa, please." Finral whined.

Just by that reaction, Langris was sure this was his brother. From the lanky look down to his choice of clothes, even to the slight blemishes of his skin, this was Finral. Langris couldn't be mistaken. If there was a mage in this base that Langris had some faith in, it was Vanessa, but the more he talked to her, the more he had a feeling that she might be his brother's accomplice in most of his misdeeds and bad habits.

That idea didn't sit well with him at all.

If it was some sort of transformation spell- and there are plenty of mages capable of it, they wouldn't be able to perfectly mimic someone's appearance let alone their mannerisms. Langris had known Finral for years. It was impossible to mistake him for someone else. Every small detail was too on point for it to be a coincidence. The only thing left that he hadn't checked for was Finral's magic and mana.

Apart from that, how could it not be him?

"Could you please explain what you meant by 'he's not Finral'?"

"Of course, Langris." Vanessa's eyes were sparkling when she turned to Finral. "Grey," She sweetly called, letting a finger twirl around Finral's locks as she whispered to his ear in a playful manner. "Do you mind changing back for us?"

"Right," Finral laughed. "Sorry."

Finral squirmed out of Vanessa's grip and took a step back. A sudden puff of smoke exploded around them and a deep huff came from above. Langris had to wave a hand in front of him to clear the smoke awake. When he could finally see, he was met with a large, black figure. Langris had to crane his neck up to see a very tall person, twice his and Vanessa's size. They had no reaction other than indifference and it made Langris even more uncomfortable.

"This is Grey." Vanessa introduced. "Grey, meet Langris."

Grey huffed. "Chuu~"

"Isn't he cute? He's Finral's younger brother."

So Langris stood corrected. It really wasn't Finral. But this made things all the more stranger. He wasn't even fazed when Vanessa continued to introduce him as an extension of his brother. What bothered him were the new questions in his mind, like why was this person before him copying his brother? Were they just messing with him to trick him into thinking Finral was back at his base? Did Finral put them up to this? What magic did this person even have?

And how much free time did the Black Bulls have to pull this off?!

"Why-?"

Before he could ask, there was another puff of smoke.

Finral was back in front of him, looking shy, nervous, and a little embarrassed. "It's nice to meet you." He greeted, looking unsure of how to address him. If Langris had to guess, this person clearly didn't know what type of relationship they had to accurately portray his brother. For once, Langris was actually grateful. He didn't need another awkward encounter with Finral. "Don't worry, you'll fit right in. Everyone here is really nice. Ah, but Gauche isn't here. It's a shame you won't be able to meet him. He's nice, too."

"So I'm told." Langris answered.

"Don't worry, Grey." Vanessa joined in. "Gauche will be back soon."

"I know." Finral, or Grey, replied. "It would've been nice though."

This was so weird.

Grey's mannerisms and speech patterns were so eerily similar to Finral that it was enough to make Langris shiver. He was starting to feel uncomfortable. He gave Vanessa a side eye, hoping to get her to stop this madness, but Vanessa most likely just took it as confusion. Langris wouldn't admit it, but he did feel a bit embarrassed for yelling at this person when it clearly wasn't his brother.

"You see," Vanessa started. "Grey has Transformation Magic."

Langris knew different mages had spells that made you transform into a copy of another person, but to have that as the entirety of your magic was something new. Thinking as a Magic Knight, it had huge potential, but knowing they work for the Black Bulls just meant it was wasted potential and it made him lower his expectations.

What a waste.

"Why pretend to be him?" Langris wondered. "What was the point?"

"Grey missed him." Vanessa grinned. "Isn't that right, Grey?"

"A little." Grey mimicked Finral's meekness and nervous laughter. "Since he left to stay at the Golden Dawn, I thought we should remember him by like he never really left. That way, no one will miss him when he's gone."

Langris shook his head. "But he's only been gone for a day."

"But it'll be three days."

"That shouldn't be too long, either." At least, he hoped not. "I'm not looking to replace him."

"That's right!" Vanessa assured, nudging Langris downstairs and gesturing for Grey to follow. "This is only temporary! Finral will be back here in no time and Langris will go back to the Golden Dawn. So don't worry, Grey. Let's just give Langris a warm welcome and we can all have fun, alright?"

"That sounds nice." Grey perked up.

"And remember, Grey. If you're bored, you're more than welcome to copy me."

"Okay."

Langris wasn't sure if having two Vanessa's walking beside him was better than what he already had. Yes, it was weird to have Finral right next to him, but he would rather have this awkward encounter than having two Vanessa's play nice to him. Even if he could use his mana sense to tell them apart, assuming it would even work, it would still be a big effort for zero payout. Thankfully, he didn't have to do anything since Grey remained the same.

They continued to walk down the hall, following Vanessa.

"Where are we going?"

"Now that you've met Grey, I was thinking you should eat." Vanessa smiled. "We need to plump you up a little and Charmy told you to come back for cherry tarts."

Langris turned red.

He disliked being treated like a child, but he held his tongue in hopes that Vanessa was just teasing him and she really did mean well. If he didn't have self control and a sense of duty for the captain, he would've walked out of this place to spare his dignity. But he had to remember that they were just being accommodating and this was their way of welcoming him into their ranks as a temporary member.

It wasn't as splendid as the welcome he received at the Golden Dawn, but it wasn't bad either.

"What are your other food menus?"

"Oh," Vanessa was surprised. "You would have to ask Charmy."

"You don't have a scheduled meal?"

"Not really, no."

"Not even a buffet table?"

"Not even that." Grey replied, still in Finral's form. "We're such a small group that having a buffet table would be a waste. And Charmy doesn't like food just sitting at the table. So she cooks everyone their own meal and if she's hungry she makes extras for everyone. But don't worry, you'll like it. She's really good at what she does. So if you're hungry at any time of the day, you can always come to her."

Langris nodded. "I'll take your word for it."

"I'll go on ahead." Vanessa waved. "Get you two to catch up. I'll let Charmy know you're coming."

They watched her go and Langris was left with a copy of Finral.

He did his best to ignore him and instead think about the food he'll have. He had a taste of Charmy's cooking before  and it wasn't that bad. If the way they served dishes was as pristine as they did at the Golden Dawn, then Langris would have to say that food would be the highlight of this whole trip. He was picky with his meat though, so he really hoped they wouldn't force him to eat something he didn't like. But maybe he was being a harsh critic and should give them a chance to redeem themselves.

Before he could reach the dining hall, there was another puff of smoke next to him.

When Langris turned, he found an exact copy of himself.

It was like looking in the mirror.

"Could you not do that?" Langris politely said. "I don't appreciate being copied."

Grey was stunned.

Langris didn't think he had that kind of expression on his face when Grey looked surprised to be called out. It made Langris a little more self conscious about his appearance, and not in a good way. Grey didn't argue. They turned back into Finral and rubbed the back of their neck.

"Sorry." Grey apologized. "Force of habit."

Langris sighed and walked on.

Apparently, everyone here had a habit.

A bad one.

oOo

Langris' first day at the base went smoothly and rather boringly.

Vanessa and Charmy were very accommodating during meal hours. The food was great, even if he wouldn't admit it. But it did lack the large selection of meals he usually had at the Golden Dawn. If he had complaints, he would've liked for there to be more vegetables as opposed to having meat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The cherry tarts were really good though and it made him feel welcomed.

Still, sweets weren't enough to offset what Langris really thought of the place.

Although they were accommodating, Langris wished his meal hours didn't have to include so much commentary or gossip. Vanessa and Charmy were asking all sorts of questions about his home life at Tota and his living conditions at the Golden Dawn. They even snuck in some questions about Finral. Grey, who was still mimicking his brother, would often make comments about certain topics and the strange, silent one- Gordon?- he would whisper strange things under his breath.

Vanessa asked. "So what's Finral like at home?"

"Not that different."

"So would you say Grey's impression of him is accurate?"

"I would say so."

That answer wasn't exactly true. Finral was a lot more awkward and withdrawn at home, maybe timid would be a good word for it? But that was probably because they had to uphold a certain air when they're home. Acting out would just get them in a heap of trouble. They continued to ask him more things, like embarrassing stories about their childhood, but Langris wasn't into gossip.

So he stirred the conversation into something he could control.

He asked questions about what the team did and what Finral was usually up to, and they were polite about it. He didn't have expectations, but would it kill them to try and make their future look promising? Langris found out that Finral did reports and helped Captain Yami give out missions, but most of their missions were on the low end. Langris already knew this, given how destructive they were.

When he asked if they would be given any, they only told him it was their day off.

"So nothing at all?" Langris wondered.

"None." Vanessa shook her head. "But who knows, maybe we'll get something soon."

It was unfortunate, but Langris counted it as a blessing.

This gave him enough time to gauge what the Black Bulls were like before he joined them on a proper mission. Captain Vangeance wouldn't subject Finral to a huge mission on the first day, either. So today was probably all introduction and getting used to the new environment which was a relief. In truth, Langris was a little worried to join the Black Bulls on the field. Their reputation as a team wasn't exactly glowing with recommendations. He really hoped tomorrow would be different and the Black Bulls would actually prove the rumors false.

So far though, it was peaceful.

Langris got ready for bed.

He got to try out the bath which was surprisingly clean despite the very plain decor. He didn't like the idea of sharing one bathroom, but at least it wasn't dirt poor and he got to take a bath without having the other Bulls around. He changed his clothes and lay down on the bed, staring at the dilapidated ceiling. He told himself that this was just a different way to train. When he gets promoted, Langris would have to be away for longer periods of time, and go through missions far worse than this.

So if he could survive this, he could survive outside.

But frankly speaking, it might be better to sleep outside.

"I wonder how you're doing, Brother."

Finral was probably happier than Langris was. With a good bed, a good view, better teammates, and all the good things at the Golden Dawn, it was living in luxury that Finral never got to have here. Oh well. It would be pointless to get jealous over something Langris permanently had. He'll let his brother have his three days of fun and after that, if the trade went well, he'll find a way to never allow this again.

oOo

Langris woke up surprisingly comfortable.

It was the second day of the Squad Trade and he was feeling a lot more positive than he was yesterday. He started his morning routine early and got dressed. The sun wasn't even up, but he figured he could get a head start to gain some merits. But the moment he walked out the door, he was met with a brick wall. The layout of the hallway had changed and instead of his room being close to the stairs, the stairs was gone and the path was different.

"What is happening?"

He walked down the hall, but none of the connecting rooms were remotely similar to anything he saw yesterday. So the path he memorized was completely useless now. For a while, Langris followed the hall. He finally found the stairs, but instead of it going down, it only went up. Confused, Langris back tracked, but only found himself at a dead end. Starting to get annoyed, Langris used his mana sense to find an exit.

No one told him the base would change!

What was even with this base?! Why did it feel more like a dungeon than an actual livable military space? It took a while, with so many new pathways, for Langris to follow the strong mana signature resting at the bottom. By the time he got downstairs, the sun was already up. He wasn't sure if he was grateful that the rest of the Black Bulls were still asleep and he could spare some of his dignity from being embarrassed or if he was annoyed that none of them were taking their duties seriously to be awake at this hour.

He decided to be grateful instead.

When he reached the living room, the Captain of the Black Bulls was sitting on the armchair reading a newspaper.

"Figured you'd be up before anyone else." Yami commented, not even looking up from his newspaper. "You're really different from your brother. He wakes up early mornings on occasion, but most times he sleeps in. Captain Shiny must be running you guys ragged."

"I assure you we're not." Langris replied.

"If you say so."

Yami still didn't move from his spot. He turned the page of the newspaper and continued reading, making Langris feel extremely awkward standing in the middle of the room. Unused to being ignored, Langris took the silence as a chance to say something about his experience this morning.

"I wasn't told that the base could change its layout."

"Vanessa must've forgotten to say."

Langris' eye twitched at the nonchalant response. He could keep this going and complain, but he didn't want to sound like one of those people who do nothing but find wrong in things, even if he was justified for it. Besides, he was sure that if he continued, Yami would just find loopholes and excuses as to why Langris didn't figure it out on his own. Not wanting to look and sound foolish, Langris held his tongue on that topic, and decided to move on.

"Are there any missions for today?"

"At this hour?" Yami snorted as he set aside his newspaper for a cigarette. "Look kid, it's not every day that we get anything good our way." He lit the cigarette and took a deep drag before exhaling. "Sometimes it's a slow week."

Langris caught a whiff of smoke and waved a hand in front of his face. "Don't you train?"

"Does this team look like it does?"

"I'm sorry I asked."

"Sorry you had to."

"Do you have anything for anyone to do?" Langris wondered, hoping to gain merits for his promotion. He wasn't really used to being idle. He was taught to work and make most of the day like it was his last. He had no time to play games or take a leisurely stroll if he could make a difference elsewhere. "It doesn't have to be at this hour, but it's been day two of the Squad Trade and I haven't done anything yet."

"You gotta learn to relax, Kid." Yami sighed as he picked up the newspaper again. "Enjoy your free time. You sure as hell don't get that often at the Golden Dawn."

"But the-"

"Stop worrying about the evaluation. I'm not just gonna write you up for sitting idle when we don't get missions."

"So all you teach my brother is how to relax?"

That was a targeted response that Yami should've seen coming a mile away. He didn't take the bait though. "If that worked, your brother wouldn't be a shaking mess during tough situations. So no. That's not all I teach. Wish they could listen more though." Why was Langris not surprised by that?

"Do you at least have some papers for me to look over?" Langris was reaching at this point. "I was told that my brother would usually do them."

"You really want something to do?"

"That's what I'm here for."

"Gonna regret that, but alright."

Yami set aside the newspaper and got up. He went to the bar counter and fished something from the other side and started writing down what looked like a long list. Langris was starting to think that he might regret asking, but if Yami really had something for him to do, then Langris would do it well. He just hoped it was within his means and not something humiliating or demeaning.

"Here." Yami handed it to him. "Your tasks until the days are up."

Langris took the paper and looked it over.

He really shouldn't have expected anything good. The list wasn't about missions, mission reports, or person of interest, or anything related to being a Magic Knight at all. Langris skills were wasted here. What Yami gave him was a to-do-list! It wasn't even a good one. They had missions like these at the Golden Dawn, but they were more for the benefit of the members or labeled as a cause- and less humiliating, but most of all they were some kind of welcoming test.

This felt more like a to-do-list made to annoy the new recruit!

• Feed the beasts
• Delivery food and stay with Henry
• Join a team member during baths
• Visit Vanessa's room
• Clean the base
• Enjoy the playroom
• Spend time with Gordon
• Cook with Charmy

"If you achieve at least one of them correctly," Yami puffed out a cloud of smoke. "I'll give you high praises for the exchange."

"These aren't missions." Langris finally complained. "These are house chores."

"Well, too bad." Yami shrugged. "Because right now, while you're wearing that robe on your shoulder, you're a Black Bull. You wanted something to do, this is it. We don't have any active missions right now, so this is what you have to work with." Yami settled back on the armchair and blew another smoke. "Of course, you can say no and admit that it's hard for a high noble like you to do and stay idle like the rest of the members. I don't really care. Finral doesn't even do half of these things right, and he's been with us for years."

Langris' fingers clench against the paper. "I'm not saying I can't do it-"

"Then what were you saying?"

"I just meant that I expected actual missions."

"Yeah, well you're out of luck, Kid." Yami sighed and shrugged. "We don't have any missions lined up. And if there were, they would be tough missions for your frail little hands." Langris blanched at the comment. Frail? Langris wasn't frail. He could pull his own weight if necessary! "And if those missions are so hard, these tasks should be easy for you."

Langris glared at the piece of writing.

He was rarely tempted to prove someone wrong, but the captain was getting on his nerves.

Besides, the mere mention of Finral doing half of what was written on the paper made him a little competitive. How could these things be difficult to do when they're nothing more than child's play?! He wasn't looking forward to it, but Yami looked serious. Langris was really looking forward to his promotion, so if the others heard he turned down work like this because he thought himself above it, how would that reflect on his record?!

"Will this really help with the Squad Trade?"

"You're working for us." Yami shrugged. "Pretty sure that's the gist of the trade."

Langris sighed. "Then I'll do it."

"Just remember, I ain't holding that list over your head." He warned when he saw Langris pocket the paper. "Just wanted to make that clear before you file complaints to your captain. You just do one thing right on that list without any issues, and you get the glowing review you wanted. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"I think I'll be fine."

"If you say so." Yami nodded. "Since you're already up, you can go feed the beasts."

"So you really have magical beasts in your base?"

"Yeah, saved them when they were young. Why, you thought it was a joke?" Langris shrugged as an answer to which Yami shook his head. "Anyway, I already caught fresh meat for them and stored it down the hall to the right. It's in the storage room. There's three of them to feed. Should be easy. Just make sure they're all fed equally and you're done."

"That's it?" Langris looked skeptical. "Nothing else?"

"You've been on missions before. Handling magical beasts should be easy for you."

"Right. I'll... get to it."

Langris turned on his feet and headed right down the hall. The last few minutes felt like a blur. It was nothing like the debriefs they had at the Golden Dawn. This seemed too straightforward yet it was extremely vague at the same time. He wanted to clarify more, but he didn't want to look like a fool. Besides, Yami didn't look like he was willing to give an easy answer either, so Langris was stuck on his own.

He fished out the list again and hung his head.

"...feed the beasts."

Langris really should've kept his mouth shut.

Chapter Text

Vangeance was pleased to have Finral here.

He knew enough about him not to worry and he trusted Yami's judgement in choosing a suitable candidate for the trade. He would like to make Finral's stay more comfortable, curtesy of him being Langris' older brother and Yami's squad member, but he had work to do. He turned a corner, planning to head back to his office, but before he could exit the hallway, Vangeance paused just before a pillar.

"Oh," He smiled. "Are you here to volunteer?"

There was a squeak behind the pillar.

After a moment, three knights stepped aside and revealed themselves. David, Letoile, and Hamon all bowed, each giving their captain a greeting. Letoile was the most formal and composed. David was awkward and nervous, much less refined compared to Letoile. Hamon's version was friendly as always, with no hint of nervousness or exaggerated formality. Vangeance was pleased to see all three of them together.

Completely unbothered by their awkward greeting, Vangeance could only smile.

"Perfect timing." He praised. "I was about to look for you three."

Letoile wasn't sure if that was true or if the captain only said that so they wouldn't be embarrassed.

"If you're not too busy, may I have a moment of your time?" Vangeance continued, looking positively unaware of their previous motives for hiding behind the pillar. "If so, we can skip some of the formalities. I know you three have been working hard and it greatly reflects on your assignments. I haven't assigned any missions for today, but since we're here, are you three available?"

"We're flattered, Captain." Letoile answered. "And no, we're not busy."

"Not at all!" David stepped forward and puffed his chest out. "Anything for you, Captain Vangeance! We were just on our way to make our new guest feel welcome. As a member of the Golden Dawn, it's part of our duty and a gesture of our good will to see that they're taken care of. But aside from that, we're available for any missions."

Letoile stayed silent, but she made a face behind him.

What a blatant lie.

The only reason they came here was to get to know Langris' brother and see if any of their theories were correct. The only reason they got caught was because David wasn't subtle and chose a very poor hiding spot. Trust David to put their odds at a disadvantage, much like his gambling skills. It was always at a random, and she knew that he wasn't as lucky as he pretended to be.

"I see." Vangeance looked pleased. "Thank you for going through such an effort. In truth, this assignment aligns with yours."

The three of them look baffled.

"It's not exactly a mission, but let us treat it as such. I would like the three of you to continue helping our guest for the duration of his stay." This should take care of their curiosity and the comfort of their guest. "I would like to attend to him more if I could, but I have other pressing matters to see to. If you three could make him feel comfortable and help him adjust during his stay, it would be much appreciated. I don't expect him to learn everything, only enough to function as an active squad member for three days. Would that be alright with you three?"

Letoile continued to stay silent.

David looked shocked.

It was Hamon who spoke up.

"What a wonderful idea." It certainly aligned with their plans and they wouldn't need to scuffle about in the shadows like a colony of rats. If they played this correctly, not only would they get their answers, but they would also please their captain and gain merits. "Thank you for choosing us for this assignment, Captain."

"I'm grateful." Vangeance truly was. "If you need me, I'll be at my office."

The captain waved at them before leaving. The moment he disappeared from the corner, Letoile shot David a glare devoid of the usual animosity it was used for. Instead, it was replaced with disappointment. David had set them up for a task they weren't even supposed to be part of. It was obvious, at least to her, that the captain had simply redirected their curiosity into something more productive.

In truth, she admired the captain for his quick thinking, but she still wasn't pleased that this is what they got for eavesdropping.

"Don't give me that look." David complained. "How was I supposed to know it would end up this way?!"

"I should've known." Letoile shook her head. "Unbelievable."

"But isn't this great?" Hamon added, trying to look on the bright side. "This is the perfect opportunity to get to know him better. We wanted to know if he were anything like Langris. So this is the closest we can get without causing any unnecessary trouble. He'll be less likely to be suspicious of us, given that we're under orders to assist and everyone would be satisfied."

"Hamon," David laughed. "Sometimes you scare me."

oOo

Finral wasted no time in unpacking.

He placed everything he could in the drawers until he emptied his pack. When he was done, he folded it and hid it under his bed. The captain told him to relax and take his time, but Finral was anxious. A setting like this was perfect and there were a lot of things to admire, but he wasn't used to it anymore. In the Black Bull's base, there was usually always something to do.

Yami made sure he always had errands to run and not enough time to fool around. So he decided to check the place out, and see if he could walk around without causing any problems for Langris.

When he reached the door, someone knocked.

Surely that was just a coincidence.

No one could have known he wanted to get out of his room. Although, would it really be a surprise if they knew, given what base he was staying at? It didn't bring him any comfort though. It just made him a little more paranoid. Were they intentionally monitoring his movements because he was a stranger at their base? Wouldn't Langris have warned him about that if it were true? Then again, would Langris really have warned him about that? If he knew his brother well enough, and he really didn't, then there was a good chance he wouldn't share squad secrets.

Someone knocked again.

"One moment."

Finral took a deep breath, composing himself to look less like a wreck and more like the dignified noble that came with his last name. He opened the door and was greeted by three Golden Dawn members. His attention was less on the two at the back, and more on the lady standing in front of them. He didn't recognize any of them, but they looked friendly.

At least, Finral hoped they were.

"Sorry," He apologized. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"We were sent here by Captain Vangeance." Letoile answered. "Have you settled in?"

"Oh," Finral should've known before jumping to conclusions. Maybe it had something to do about the reports. The captain did say he would send someone later. "Yeah, I just finished unpacking. I'm told that I was free to walk around the base, so I was thinking of going. But... do you need me for anything? Are you here about the reports I'm supposed to be assigned with?"

"Report?" David repeated. "The captain didn't say anything about that. We just came here to welcome you."

"And get to know you better." Hamon added before Finral could say anything. "We know the captain already toured you, but we're here to make sure your stay is as beautiful and enriching as it should be. So if you plan to walk around, we would be happy to join you and help you get acquainted with everything."

"Thank you." Finral stepped out and closed the door behind him. "That would be great."

He really was grateful for the helping hand, but the formality was killing him.

It reminded him far too much of home, back in Tota, where he had to keep a certain image in order to impress the other nobles. He wasn't used to it anymore. Being with the Black Bulls allowed him some respite. None of them cared whether you were a royal, a noble, a commoner, or even a peasant. All they cared about was the way you treated other people.

With the Golden Dawn, their formality felt oddly intentional to create distance between them.

Already, he could tell there was an unspoken conversation between the three after he spoke. Whatever it was, Finral hoped it was something good and that he didn't tarnish Langris' reputation unknowingly. He could tell that the tall, blonde one looked skeptical and more shocked than the other two. For what reason, Finral could only guess. Maybe he was just reading too deep into it and there was really nothing going on.

He really shouldn't let his brother get into his head.

"Oh," Hamon chuckled. "We haven't introduced ourselves yet."

"That's true." Letoile agreed. "Allow me."

The lady with the glasses stepped forward and gave him a small bow. Finral found himself blushing, and raising a hand to dismiss the gesture. He really didn't need all of this formality stuff, but he couldn't really say no either because it was the polite thing to do. Apart from that, having a lady bow to him was strange. She was also very pretty and distracting and it was taking a lot of Finral's self control to calm down.

"My name is Letoile Becquerel." She introduced. "These are my colleagues, Hamon Caseus and David Swallow."

Hamon added, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Welcome to the Golden Dawn." David followed.

"It's nice to meet you all." Finral returned. "Finral Vaude, at your service."

There it was again.

Finral saw them pause, like they were mildly surprised, before resuming their usual attitude towards him. Finral wasn't perfect, but even he could tell something was up with the way they treated him. Not unkind, but certainly not as friendly compared to the Black Bulls. Oh well. Finral wasn't here to make new friends, so he ignored it, hoping it was just a coincidence.

So, instead of diving into something he couldn't understand, Finral focused on Letoile instead.

She was very nice and informative, and pretty. He had been avoiding making his move, and it was starting to get to him. He told Langris he would behave, but surely asking someone out wouldn't be considered ruining anything, right?

Unable to help it, Finral decided to try his chance.

"Do you want to have tea with me sometime?"

"Are you hungry?" Letoile asked. "We can head to the dining area so you can see how things function."

Finral did not expect that reaction.

It wasn't an outright rejection, but it wasn't an answer either. At least it wasn't disgust, that much he was grateful for. He turned his gaze to David, who simply shrugged it off. It didn't look like he understood his question, either. Hamon was probably the most oblivious of all, neither commenting or reacting to his question at all, and instead focused on munching a piece of pastry.

"Oh well," Finral conceded. "Maybe next time."

"Ah, while we get some food," David said as he gestured for them to start walking. "Is it alright if we ask you a few questions?"

"David." Letoile warned.

"It's nothing serious." He followed up. "We just really want to get to know you. You see, Langris is quite popular among the nobles, especially here at the Golden Dawn. He ranks faster than anyone and the captain deeply respects him. We even think he's due for a promotion soon, with all the missions he's accomplished."

Hearing about Langris' achievements warmed Finral's heart.

But it was still a huge reminder not to mess up.

"Please ignore him." Letoile advised. "While it's true that Langris has caught the captain's attention and has been gaining merits far more than others, I don't think it's our right to pry into other people's lives. Especially not guests who have just arrived and are trying to acclimate to their surrounding."

"Prying is an ugly word." Hamon hummed. "Curiosity is more like it."

"You're not helping, Hamon."

"But he is." David grinned. "We're not in the wrong to wonder what they're like as siblings."

If this didn't prove that they had an agenda, nothing would. "It doesn't really bother me that you're asking." Finral awkwardly scratched his chin as he followed them to the dining area. "But I don't think my brother would appreciate it if I started talking about his life. I'm fine with talking about mine." Although it wouldn't really be an improvement, and Langris would find some way to be angry at him.

"Don't worry. We'll ask something simple."

"By simple," Letoile reworded. "He meant utterly engrossing."

David ignored her. "What's your brother like growing up?"

Finral was wary of this conversation, because even if it was simple to answer, it was loaded with things he's not supposed to share. "To be honest, I don't think anything has changed." Langris had always been amazing. He was smart and strong, and always so confident in everything he did. There was no difference from the him of today.

Langris was still scary.

"Really?" David gasped. "No difference at all?"

"David." Letoile shook her head. "They don't owe you any personal details. You're not his friend. You're just another member of his squad that's curious about his home life. Langris is a very private person and if there's anyone he's going to willingly share his life to, it's the captain."

Finral was sweating a little.

Letoile wasn't wrong.

It never crossed his mind that these three were any of his brother's friends. Not that he had anything against his brother and his capabilities to make friends, sometimes Langris was sweet and cheerful, but not everyone could handle his more... abrasive side. His sarcastic, often belligerent nature, would be off putting to some people. Maybe Langris got along well with Letoile, because it was obvious that she was mature and logical, but the other two didn't seem as well off without her around.

Thankfully, with Letoile lecturing them, Finral didn't have to say anything.

"She's right." He followed up. "There's really not much to talk about."

"How can that be true?" David still couldn't believe it. "We just thought that there might be some similarities. You already look somewhat alike, surely there's some commonality there. You also have Spatial Magic, right?"

"I do." Finral nodded.

David looked mildly frustrated by Finral's answers, but Finral didn't want to elaborate.

He didn't want to embarrass Langris and his entire family, if he told them that he didn't have any attack spells in his grimoire. He really hoped David would stop at that, but he didn't take the hint even with Letoile's constant warnings. His attention deviates when they passed through a different hallway. It looked like it was commonly used by many of the Golden Dawn members. Some of them were in groups and seldom did he see people who walked alone. Everyone of them was eyeing him; many were clearly curious, but he could tell others were unhappy about the trade.

All Finral could hope for was peace for these three days.

He ignored their gazes, instead focusing on his three new companions.

"We already established that they're not alike." Letoile argued with David. "I told you, not all siblings must be similar. Of course there are certain traits born out of family tradition and childhood experiences, but you can't count that as a-"

"Come on," David rolled his eyes. "That's not a fun argument to make."

"If it were Langris walking with us," Hamon shared. "This conversation wouldn't be happening at all."

Everyone agreed.

"Excuse me?" Finral raised his hands in quiet surrender. "L-lets just get to know each other and leave Langris out of it."

oOo

Thankfully, Finral didn't have to worry for too long. They finally reached the dining hall. Compared to his tour with the captain, there were a lot more people having their meal at this hour. Some of them look like they just finished a mission, while others seem to be getting a head start on the day and needed to eat before leaving. It didn't seem all that different from the way the Bulls operated, they also ate whenever they wanted to. The only change Finral was willing to talk about was the location itself.

"I still can't believe you eat here every day." Finral chuckled, eyes darting towards the ceilings and the decorations. "It's so much different from our base."

"Really?" David grinned. "What's your base like?"

"Smaller than this."

"And?"

"Less crowded, and more homey."

"Well, you're not at the Black Bull's base anymore." David put an arm around his shoulder. "You should savor this while you can. Embrace the Golden Dawn robe! Come on, we'll bring you to the buffet table. We have everything you could possibly want." He hesitated for a bit when he saw Letoile looking at him. "Maybe not everything, but enough to satisfy everyone."

"Ohoho," Hamon chuckled. "I'm famished."

Hamon went ahead and left them so he could get a plate or two.

"Is there anything you like?" Letoile asked as she guided Finral to the first buffer table. "While David exaggerated about us having everything, we do have a variety of food that will fit anyone's palate. It changes daily, but the more popular dishes tend to stay. Due to popular demand, we now have extra funds to keep some things on the menu. Some of us give out monthly contributions for the meals."

"Yeah," David chuckled. "Hamon contributes to keep the cheese fondue and melons available."

"Really?" Finral was surprised by that. "That's actually very clever."

"You think so?"

"I do."

Finral loved Charmy's cooking. She can cook anything from almost everything. She also took care of the team if they were sick and would nurse them back to health with her meals. She was a wonderful and valuable member of their team. But there were some things that Finral missed having and it would be nice to have them on the menu without having to wonder what they'll have next.

Then again, not everyone would pay up to fund that idea.

It would be pointless since Charmy cooked whatever she wanted. They also had some of their meals in restaurants and it was easy to get take out. Yami would also cook for them on occasion. So it wasn't like Finral didn't have any means to get food, so he really shouldn't be complaining.

"Any favorites?" David asked, looking extremely eager to get an answer. "I do enjoy some wine."

Finral wondered if he'd get along with Vanessa.

"I'm not really picky with food."

"Is that so?"

"So long as it looks edible," Finral answered as he picked up a plate. "And it isn't poisonous, moldy, or old, then it shouldn't bother me. I doubt there's anything like that here." Finral happily picked out a few dishes to fill up his plate, but not too much that it looked like he wasn't being fed. "Are you two going to eat?" Because he could already see Hamon waving at them from a table he reserved.

"I already had my meal." Letoile excused. "You go ahead."

"I think I'll join you." David got his own plate and started filling it much less than Finral's. "So..." With a glint in his eyes, he pointed out. "If you're not too picky, why don't we go over to the dessert table. Look! There's fruit cakes, pudding, pastries... and freshly served cherry tarts. That's pretty popular."

Finral tensed a little.

David really wouldn't relent on this.

He was aware of Langris' favorite dessert, but it didn't mean Finral was interested in the same thing. "No, thank you. It's still a little early, so this would do." Finral stepped away from them and started walking towards Hamon, who was the most approachable of the three. He heard David grunt behind him, followed by Letoile lecturing him about subtlety.

She must've elbowed him as a warning.

Finral continued towards Hamon.

"Three days." He told himself. "Just last for three days."

When they got seated, David was a little less inquisitive. it didn't take long for them to engage him in another conversation, but thankfully it was Hamon's turn to pick a topic this time. He talked about the beauty of the Golden Dawn's architecture and how the captain added a few of his personal touches to make the place function better than a typical base. Finral soon learned about how things functioned between the members and the staff assigned to each building, making his stay a little less terrifying.

It was really efficient.

Halfway through the meal, five Golden Dawn members approached their table. Each of them with varying sizes and personalities, but it was clear that some of their attention was on Finral. He was the amusing oddity at the Golden Dawn, so he could forgive their curiosity. Finral tried his best to ignore it, but it's difficult when the stoic, taller man stopped right in front of their table.

Finral had to crane his neck to look at him.

"C-can I help you?"

"Shiren!" David greeted. "You already have another mission? Didn't you just finish the last one?"

"Oho," Hamon added. "Let's finish our game soon."

"Mm." Shiren nodded, before turning to Finral again. Finral wasn't sure what was wrong. Did he accidentally make an enemy out of him? He didn't even recognize him from the crowd. He reminded him of Gauche for some reason. Just the quiet stare, not exactly a glare, but it held a lot of deep thinking that Finral tended to avoid. It made him a little nervous.

One of them stepped forward.

"My name is Juliette." She introduced herself. "This is our leader, Shiren Tium and my teammates-" She introduced the rest of them. "You must be Finral Vaude. Captain Vangeance said you would assist us with some of the reports. We would've started sooner, but something came up in the south west at Rameu town, and we were told to give our assistance. But we'll be back shortly and then we can start."

"Ah," Letoile realized. "Shiren is very versatile, so there are times where he assists the captain in various assignments, including missions to errands, and even reports." It was a very wise calculation on the captain's part in choosing the best people to help their new guest. "You'll be in good hands."

If that was the case, they might not be all that different from each other.

"Thank you." Finral answered. "I look forward to working with you."

Shiren bowed his head and the others followed.

Before they could leave, Finral raised a hand.

"Wait!" He dabbed his lips with a table napkin and stood up. "You said you were headed to Rameu. That's the town famous for its musical talents, right? The one with the commemorative statue of the sound mage?"

"Y-yes." Juliette nodded. "You're not cleared for combat though-"

"Right," Finral waved her off. "I'm not planning to join you. I'll stay here until you're done and we can do the reports together." Not that he was excited or anything. "But I can save you some time flying there. I have a spatial marker right at the commemorative statue, so you'll be able to get there sooner to help. And I can't just ignore a lady and let them travel such a far distance without offering..."

Finral didn't have any other ulterior motives, at least, nothing bad anyway.

He just wanted to make sure he was on good terms with these people.

"A spatial marker?" David repeated. "You can portal there?"

"That's right."

Shiren didn't betray his thoughts with his expression, but he did hum and nod to indicate that he found the idea worth accepting. Juliette clued in on this and bowed. "Yes! Thank you. That would be very helpful." And faster. Even the rest of her teammates were dumbfounded. They whispered something, but Finral couldn't catch it quick enough.

His grimoire flew out of his bag and filtered through several pages before stopping.

"To Rameu." He said, opening a portal to the side.

He could hear a couple gasps and the entire dining area went quiet. Finral felt a little embarrassed that he had to bring this much attention to himself and at such a public area, but how else was he supposed to help them. Shiren's team thanked him again and entered the portal. It eventually closed once they were gone and Finral's grimoire flew back into his bag.

The ambience in the room resumed, and Finral was highly aware that the whispers were about him.

Finral sat back down and finished his meal.

"You should stay with us permanently." David grinned, leaning towards him while pointing a fork in his direction. "There are far too few spatial mages in Clover who can work like you do. Some of them work in the postal service, but that's just delivering small items to certain locations. They can never get too far without any help. Your family specializes in offensive and defensive uses for it which is great for combat. There's also Cob, who works for the Wizard King and he can portal people around and in great numbers-"

"What's your point, David?" Letoile sighed.

"I'm just saying, we need more spatial mages. Langris is a great mage that specializes in offensive tactics. He can take down an enemy in great speeds, which is why he can have more missions in a day and still finish before dinner. But he always uses a broom to fly to a location. He never uses portals. Either he doesn't have that ability or he doesn't want to."

Hamon chuckled. "If he had it, why would he hide it?"

"We can ask his older brother."

All three of them looked at Finral.

"It's been a while since my brother and I last got together." Finral excused, downplaying everything he knew. "So I don't know if he developed any new spells lately. But it's not exactly a perk to have this skill. After a while, it does take a toll one me since it eats up a lot of mana. I guess they were just lucky that I had a marker in Rameu. Otherwise, I wouldn't have offered at all."

"Excuse me?"

It was another group of knights who came forward.

This time, instead of a variety, they were all women and Finral couldn't help but stare a little. They were very pretty and from the way they presented themselves, they were very distinguished individuals likely from good noble houses. "Can we help you?" This time, it was Letoile who spoke up, looking mildly irritated as she pushed her glasses up.

The new group seemed hesitant to say anything, but one of them stepped up and shamelessly stared at Finral before innocently asking, "Are you the other Vaude?"

"Tilin," The other girl warned. "Quiet."

"Sorry," Another girl added. "She's very blunt."

"It's alright." Finral was used to people being blunt. "How can I help you?"

"Are you in any way related to Langris Vaude?"

"He's my little brother."

Some of the girls from the group squealed, giggling to each other and whispering things Finral couldn't understand. Maybe the thought of Langris being his little brother made him cuter in their eyes? Finral couldn't make sense of their reaction. He was confused, but smiled anyway. Hopefully this was a good thing and not a 'you embarrassed me' kind of thing.

"So you really are his older brother."

"We thought you might be a distant cousin."

"Or we heard your name wrong."

"How did you get into the Black Bulls?"

"You must be very tough."

"We saw you port the others, can you-"

Finral was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. They must've seen that he was approachable from earlier and couldn't control the impulse to come over to satisfy their curiosity. Finral wasn't complaining. To be the center of attention by all the pretty ladies was nice, but even he had his limits. His fingers were twitching hard as he tried to act as normal as possible.

Thankfully, he didn't have to struggle for too long.

"Alright!" David whined. "Shoo! You're hogging his time with us!"

The group whined.

"He'll be here for three days, you can pester him when he's free. Now shoo!" David fanned them away. "We're having a nice meal over here. Go bother him later. Later! Go get your meal or start your missions."

The group eventually left, with promises to see Finral later.

Finral wasn't sure what to do with that information.

"Please ignore them." Letoile coughed, trying to send them back to their earlier mood. "Langris' popularity has risen these past few months and we can't seem to deter some of the more eager individuals who want to get to know him better. That includes anything and everything about his life, including you."

"He has a growing fanbase." Hamon chuckled. "Can you blame him though?"

"He has a fanbase?" Finral blinked. "Langris?"

"He does." Letoile nodded. "But isn't that normal for high achieving mages? Among the captains, the top four are Nozel Silva, Fuegoleon Vermillion, Charlotte Roselei, and Captain Vangeance all in that order. If I remember correctly, and this is from the rumors, it seems Langris has gotten his own fame along with the Purple Orca's vice captain, Xerx Lugner."

"Don't forget Kirsch Vermillion." Hamon added.

"Him as well."

"Ah," Finral was aware of the latest trends, but this was news to him. "I didn't realize it went that deep."

"Eh," David shrugged. "It comes and goes, but you handled it better than most."

"I'm not that bothered." Finral admitted. "Overwhelmed by the attention and surprised, yes. But everyone's being really nice, and I like that." Even if they had reason to be nice to him, Finral wasn't going to turn them away. It was awkward and forced, like he was an extension of his little brother, but it was nothing new to him. "It's nice that my brother is getting recognized for the things he's done. He definitely deserves it."

"You're really nothing like your brother."

Finral turned red.

"It's true! You're nothing alike."

"My brother isn't that bad." He defended. "He comes off sarcastic sometimes, but he's really good."

"We're not saying he is." Letoile corrected for David. "David has his biases and he loves listening to gossip, but we know Langris deserves his popularity. The captain trusts him and by extension, so do we. What David meant to explain by saying you two are nothing alike is the way you've been acting since we met. If Langris was caught in that commotion earlier, he would've politely excused himself instead of subjecting himself to their questions. And the way you talk about people is different..."

"But you're more alike than you think." Hamon joined in. "Not just by looks."

All three of them agreed.

Finral was dumbfounded by that.

"You'll be Mr. Popular for the next three days." David snickered as he nudged Finral. "So don't let it get to your head. Look over there, people are already lining up to meet you. You're going to be dealing with this for a while. But don't worry, the three of us are here to make sure you're comfortable. But we can't always be there to assist. When Shiren and the others return, you'll be dealing with paperwork. I'm not sure about tomorrow, but since they saw you portal Shiren and the others, they might make their requests to the captain."

"Which means you have a long three days ahead of you." Hamon laughed.

Finral should've minded his own business.

Chapter Text

The moment Langris left the room, Vanessa's voice echoed from the second floor.

"Captain," She slurred. "Why did you do that?"

Yami looked up from his newspaper and saw Vanessa leaning over the railing of the stone balustrade. She was in her underwear, dangling a half-empty bottle of wine. Her face is a little flushed and her eyes unfocused. Her movements were also sluggish, making Yami believe she was still intoxicated.

"Careful." He warned. "Don't want you falling off."

Vanessa pouted. "I won't."

"You might."

"No, I won't."

"Go back to sleep, Vanessa."

"But what about Finral?"

Yami raised an eyebrow. "What about him? He's not here."

"You promised."

"Promised what?"

"Captain." She puffed her cheeks, clearly unhappy with Yami. "You know what I mean."

"It's just a list." He excused. "Not like it's gonna kill him."

"But what makes you think he'll do it?"

"A trade's a trade." Yami went back to reading. "The kid wanted a job. Was I supposed to say no?"

Vanessa couldn't believe her ears. She wasn't as uptight as Finral when it came to keeping some things in order, but even through her alcohol filled brain, she knew when to worry. It would've been fine if the temporary replacement was someone they didn't know, but given that it was Finral's little brother, she wanted to be a little more considerate.

"Captain," She frowned. "Didn't you promise Finral to behave?"

"So did you." Yami snorted. "Not like that's gonna hold up."

Vanessa sighed and left the second floor. She joined her captain in the living and took the empty cough. She lay down and hugged the bottle close to her chest. If Yami had to guess, the pressure to keep Langris comfortable was getting to her and she couldn't keep up with the formality. She probably took on the responsibility because she cared about Finral and wanted to see things work out for him and his brother.

If it were anyone else, she wouldn't have bothered.

"Yami," Vanessa whined. "I think you gave him too much work."

"No, I didn't."

"You did." She argued. "I saw the way Langris looked before he left. It's that same look Finral has when you give him errands. And you wrote a lot."

"I don't expect him to finish it all in one day." Yami set aside the newspaper and got himself a fresh cigarette to smoke. "Kid just needs to do one thing right. It's not like I'm expecting him to be perfect. Even if he doesn't do anything on the list, he already fulfilled the contract of the trade. Kid also fits right in. That's what matters."

"That's confusing."

"Only because you're drunk."

"I'm perfectly sober." She huffed. "I still think it's a lot of work for a little boy."

"You're free to help the kid if you want."

"You just want me to work."

"Wouldn't hurt." Yami shrugged. "Don't have to. That's an option, too."

Vanessa stayed silent for a moment. Yami thought she fell asleep. He was content to leave the conversation as it was, but then he heard her. Her voice was soft and quiet, worried even. Yami looked up and saw her staring at the ceiling.

"Do you think Finral's okay?"

Of course she would ask.

"He'll be fine." Yami assured. "He's probably loving it there."

"Are you sure?"

"Vangeance knows what he's doing. He's not going to run Finral ragged. He also knows I wouldn't do the same to Langris. If I did anything bad to his star pupil, I'm gonna get written up for harassment. Sure, I gave the kid chores that nobles hate, but it ain't my fault he didn't want to take the easy road. Offered him a break and he blew it. Then again, I can't imagine the kid wanting to go on dates like his older brother."

"...I don't see it either." Vanessa agreed.

 "Yeah," Yami laughed. "Kid's too much of a workaholic."

oOo

Langris stared at the piece of paper like it was the most offensive thing in the world.

These were clearly house chores, designed to keep him occupied so he wouldn't complain about the lack of duties assigned to the Black Bulls. Langris was capable of so much more. Captain Vangeance must've at least given Captain Yami a rundown of his capabilities when they agreed to the exchange. He was able to go on missions with minimal supervision and he could finish it to near perfection.

This was a mockery of his skill and talents.

"I'll show him."

Determined to prove himself, Langris followed directions and made his way to the storage room.

He was surprised to find an entire storage dedicated to feeding these beasts. The meat was carefully arranged by date from when they were bought or hunted, and neatly placed on shelves. They sat on pans specifically made for preserving food by infusing mana into it. Langris walked up to a nearby shelf and saw the date for today. All he had to do was bring it to the beasts and feed them equally.

It should be easy.

Langris waved his hand and applied some mana to the pans, allowing it to float to follow after him.

He stepped out of the storage room and walked further down the hall. It didn't take long for him to find where they're being kept. The stench was overpowering. It assaulted his senses with an earthy musk, as if their bedding or nest was left to fester. He could also smell the sharp odor of the leftover food lingering in the corners of the cage. Mix all the scents together and it made for a dizzying haze around the cage.

Couldn't Yami have given them a cage outside, where the air could circulate better?

Three pair of eyes locked onto Langris from the darkness.

"Is this even legal?" He thought. "Doesn't this cost a fortune to keep?"

Langris had a ton of questions.

How could the Black Bulls afford to take care of these magical beasts? Were they permitted to care for them? Did the Wizard King know about it? Surely there was an explanation as to where their funds were going. It didn't seem like it was being used for maintenance, not when the condition of the entire base was questionable in Langris' eyes. Hopefully, Yami wasn't over spending their budget on these beasts. He knew meat was expensive and the cost to keep these creatures comfortable had to be affecting their costs.

"Why couldn't he just send them away?"

At least the cage could hold them.

Langris shouldn't be surprised.

The only captain capable of doing this was none other than the most destructive captain in the Clover Kingdom. The only other person who closely followed was Captain Jack from the Green Mantis, but even Langris knew that was a stretch. He would rather cut them up than take care of them.

"Alright," Langris announced. "It's time to eat."

The beasts growled in excitement.

He moved a little closer and saw three different magical beasts rattling the cage. He couldn't make out what they were due to the poor lighting, a complaint he had since day one. But from some of the features he could see, they were most likely forest creatures from the Forsaken Realm or near the borders closer to the neutral territories. One looked like a giant red wolf, the other was some type of bear with rock-like horns and claws, but the last one baffled Langris; he wasn't sure what that one was.

"Calm down." He told them. "There's plenty to go around."

He evenly distributed the meat, letting it float at the same time towards their side of the cage so they could eat together.

It should've been easy.

He could've crossed this off his list immediately, but luck wasn't on his side.

Two of the three beast fought over a single piece of meat, leaving Langris no time to intervene. Meanwhile, the third beast took advantage of their distraction and devoured the rest, leaving nothing behind. Langris' jaw dropped and it seemed to have shocked the other two beasts as well.

"Are you serious?!" He yelled. "How could you-?"

Langris took a deep breath.

He was getting mad over magical creatures acting like animals.

The beasts were agitated over the unequal feeding, making Langris' eye twitch in annoyance. That was in no way his fault. If anything, he would give some of the blame to Yami for the vague instructions. He never gave Langris any rundown of the beasts temperament. Sure, they were wild magical beasts, but someone who owned and took care of them would know what they were like and give out warnings to avoid any mishaps.

Yami gave him none.

Langris was a Magic Knight trained for combat to protect the Clover Kingdom. This wasn't supposed to be his job. He wasn't anyone's pet sitter and what made Yami think the beasts would listen to him? Langris was a stranger. The beasts wouldn't listen to him. Frustrated, Langris stood there for a moment and tried to figure out a solution to his new problem.

The beasts, however, weren't calming down.

"Quiet!" He ordered. "It's your fault you didn't get to eat. That was evenly distributed, and you two messed it up. This other one is just greedy! So you can complain all you want, or eat each other for all I care, I'm not getting you another piece."

In the end, Langris went back to the storage room.

He just couldn't leave the job unfinished. It was embarrassing enough that he had to admit he failed, it was worse when he passed by Yami on the way back. It was the look in Yami's eyes. It was that unspoken understanding that irritated Langris. He didn't make any comment. He probably knew this was going to happen. Langris decided to ignore it. This wasn't a reflection of his capabilities. Magical beasts were untamed creatures of odd origins, and Yami's instructions were unclear.

He wasn't at fault.

Eventually, the beasts were all fed.

"Finally." He sighed. "It's over."

Hopefully Yami wouldn't mind missing a few pieces from his organized storage room. If Yami demanded he replace the ones he took, then he would deal with it when reprimanded. For now, he set off to do the next task, which was just as ridiculous as the first.

Maybe he should see what's in the kitchen first.

oOo

Charmy was cooking a huge meal with her sheep cooks.

That made Langris hesitant to enter the kitchen. It was clouded by mana, making Langris rethink even coming here, but it smelled good. So he stayed by the door, looking completely out of place in a sea of white. The sheep carried all sorts of items, from ingredients to plates that were empty and full. No one was left without any tasks. It was so efficient that Langris was surprised.

He didn't expect a single mage could function as an entire cooking staff.

It was something else.

Charmy stood on a stool, happily barking orders like a tyrant.

Langris had no doubt she was in charge and it looked like she was enjoying the power she had. He couldn't believe she was old enough to even have a grimoire. If he didn't witness it for himself, he would think she was a child playing in the kitchen with someone else's magic.

"La?" Charmy finally noticed him. "Are you hungry?"

"I was just looking around."

"Don't be silly! You look hungry."

"Maybe a little."

Back at the Golden Dawn, Langris could go to the dining area and eat whenever he wanted. They had staff ready to serve the buffet tables since knights were always between missions. Even if he wanted to eat late at night, he could. The meals were less compared to day servings, but it wasn't any less appetizing. 

Here at the Black Bulls, Langris was confused. He wasn't sure when they would eat and if it was limited to specific times. Charmy was the only one cooking. Sure, she had her sheep cooks to assist, but that was still just one mage compared to the staff at the Golden Dawn.

"Is this for the entire team?" Langris wondered. "Isn't it too many?"

"No food is ever too much!" Charmy placed a hand on her hip and waved the spatula around with her other hand. "Which reminds me, food should be ready soon. I didn't know what you liked, so I looked up recipes from Tota. That's where you and Finral are from, right?"

"That's right."

"Then you're going to love this!"

Charmy didn't have to overdo it. Langris was perfectly fine with yesterday's amount. He didn't need more. Maybe he was being a little rude, but he needed to confront her. She was being nice and accommodating, but it was too much. Langris' stomach wouldn't be able to handle eating all that, and he wasn't about to bend over just because someone was being nice to him out of curtesy.

"I don't need a lot."

"Nonsense." Charmy dismissed. "Growing boys should eat plenty!"

"Growing boy?"

"You don't need to finish everything, silly." Charmy laughed. "Nothing will go to waste. I'll make sure of it. So just eat your fill and let Charmy handle the rest, okay?"

Langris was grateful that she went out of her way to make him comfortable, but Langris didn't need that type of courtesy. He didn't need to be placated just because he was related to Finral. But he didn't want to argue. Charmy was being kind to him for some reason and it was best to just let things be. It was futile to argue with a Black Bull when they already set their mind to it.

Besides, it wasn't like he could undo everything Charmy already made.

"Is there anything you need help with?" Langris offered.

"Actually," Charmy perked up. "There is."

She hopped off the stool and three sheep cooks followed her. All three held a tray: one had a bowl of soup and cutlery, the other had a plate of fruit, and the last one had an empty glass and a pitcher of water. She stood in front of Langris and craned her neck to meet his gaze. She raised her spatula and pointed at him.

"I want you to deliver these to Henry!"

Langris stared at Charmy as if he was hard at hearing. At any given time, he would've made a sarcastic comment about her behavior— and maybe how small she was— and ignored her orders. But since he was in a different squad and he didn't know who outranked who, he kept silent. If he remembered correctly, Henry was the bedridden member that had a strange condition.

"Is that alright?" Charmy wondered. "Captain said you wouldn't mind."

So Yami was the reason for this. He wanted to make sure Langris did what he was tasked to do. Frankly, it was a little irritating to be monitored like this. Langris wasn't going to bail on his tasks just because majority of them were ridiculous. He would confront Yami than run away from his duties without a fight.

"Just this?" He asked.

"Yes." Charmy nodded. "Take one tray and the other two will follow you."

"Is there anything else I should know about?"

"You don't have to do much. Henry can eat by himself, you just have to be patient and assist him when he needs it." 

That sounded easy enough.

"When you're done, come back and we can eat together. I'll have a table ready for you by then."

Charmy ordered her sheep cook to give Langris one of the trays. It was the bowl of soup. Before Langris could say anything, Charmy was already back at her station, manning it like she was a Magic Knight Captain. It was mildly amusing. The sheep cooks continued their hard work and Langris could see the kitchen become steamier. It was his signal to leave. But before he stepped out, he needed vital information.

"I don't know how to get there." He told her. "The base keeps changing."

"Oh." Charmy blinked. "The sheep will lead the way."

"And what about Henry?"

"La? What about him?"

"He drains mana."

Charmy looked confused. "We know that."

"During my tour, Lady Vanessa said I shouldn't get too close.

"Oh, that." Charmy laughed. "Don't worry, silly. You have plenty of mana, so you should be okay. You won't be in there for long anyway. Besides, I'll make sure you're perfectly filled by the time you're done. Just be sure to bring back the plates and trays for the next meal."

It was still somewhere around breakfast, why was she thinking about lunch?

"You'll be fine. Have fun with Henry!"

That wasn't the right word Langris would use to describe his situation. He turned to look at the sheep cooks and they blinked at him. "Let's go." Langris left the kitchen and the sheep cooks followed him. When they reached the second floor, Langris let the sheep cooks lead the way. But instead of bringing him to Henry, they ended up getting lost. It took Langris a few minutes to get out of a dead end enough to reach the familiar door.

He balanced the tray in one hand and knocked.

"Come... in."

He opened the door and saw Henry lying on the bed. "Excuse me." Langris politely said before entering. "I have your breakfast." The moment he stepped inside, he felt a strong pull slowly draining his mana. It wasn't painful and it wasn't too much, but it was very noticeable. It made Langris wonder what kind of condition Henry had. He had never heard of such a thing.

Henry saw the food and tried to sit up. Langris, though wary, didn't hesitate to assist. He felt his mana drain faster the closer he got, but he ignored it for now. He adjusted the pillows so Henry could lean back comfortably. He wasn't anyone's caregiver, but he knew basic etiquette. He wouldn't be rude to someone who couldn't help their condition.

"...Thank you."

Langris shrugged. "It's nothing."

The sheep cook handed the other sheep its tray before retrieving something from under the bed— a bed tray. The sheep placed it on Henry's lap and took back its own tray. The two turned toward Langris and stretched out their trays to offer it to him. Langris took the fruit plate first and gave it to Henry. He followed it up with the bowl of soup before picking up the glass and filling it with water from the pitcher.

"It's... you again."

"Langris." He introduced. "Let me know if there's anything else you need."

Finished with their duties, the sheep took heir trays and walked out the door.

Henry took his time eating. His movements were slow and lethargic, clearly fighting to gain some strength in his muscles. It wasn't Langris' place to judge, but he was curious why Henry had this condition. It couldn't have been genetic, otherwise, Langris would've heard something familiar. The closest he could think of was the Captain of the Blue Rose, but it wasn't as obtrusive as this.

Langris pulled up a chair by the side of the bed and sat down.

"So," Henry started. "How's... your stay?"

"My stay?" Langris didn't expect any small talk from Henry, but he might as well indulge him. "It's fine. It's a lot less active compared to what I'm used to, but it's still a squad." Much to his surprise. "The captain gave me a small list to finish before my hours are up. Other than that, there's really not much to talk about."

"That's... great news."

"Is it?"

"The captain... gave you an errand." He chuckled. "That means... he trusts you."

"If that's what constitutes as trust, I question this squad's future."

Henry laughed at Langris' comment. "Everyone gets missions. But you're new... so if you got one immediately... that means, the captain trusts you... to help with things... like this."

Langris didn't fully understand it, but if he tried to interpret it, it seemed to mean that Yami trusted him enough to do these tasks. It was surprising, but Langris had nothing to say about it. He didn't want to be presumptuous and think Yami suddenly liked him.

"You look... like you have... questions."

"Maybe." Langris shrugged.

"Ask... away."

"I don't think you're in any condition to have a long conversation." He pointed out. "It would be best to focus your energy on eating."

Langris didn't want to stay here for too long. He wasn't here to make friends. The steady drain of mana was also starting to irritate him. He also didn't want to be the reason Henry overexerts himself. It was already worrisome to be in the same room as him and his complex condition. He didn't need any more added stress to this squad trade. Besides, he already had Lady Finesse to worry about. He didn't need another.

"It's... fine." Henry insisted. "...just ask."

It seemed like all the Bulls were stubborn.

"I won't ask personal questions." Langris conceded. "But I am curious. When we were first introduced, Lady Vanessa asked if you had any rooms available for me. How come you know and they don't?" Henry was bedridden, and it didn't make sense for him to be far more aware than the others. "I was never told this either, but why does the base change layouts?"

"Oh, that." Henry looked amused. "I... own... the house."

"You own the base?"

"Yes." He chuckled. "I don't mind... everyone being in it. It's so much... better."

Langris couldn't believe his ears.

Did Captain Yami manipulate this man into giving them their house in exchange for a robe? Even if Yami was destructive, he didn't seem that scummy. If that were true, that was a violation of this person's trust and it's also frankly a tragedy. No way that was true. He was just speculating. Henry didn't look like he was lying, but then again some victims were usually unaware of any wrongdoing.

"So you just gave Captain Yami the key to your house?"

"He... found me."

Langris tried to piece the story together as Henry ate. His explanation was slow and slightly vague, but Langris was patient. He learned that Henry was ready to die when Yami found him. He told him that he could have the house after he passed away. Yami refused and apparently gave him a new deal. He offered him a robe and a spot in his squad, with the agreement that he stay alive and remain in the base with them.

"That's nice of him." Langris muttered.

"It is." Henry praised. "He's great."

It made Langris wonder how old Henry was. He was probably closer to Yami's age if that was the case, because if he added the math, this man was probably one of the oldest members of the squad. It was really interesting to think about. Maybe the Wizard King and Marx knew about it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed this.

"But that still doesn't explain why the base keeps moving."

"Oh... that."

"Did the captain add that for intruders?"

"That's... my fault." Henry grinned. "My magic... moves rooms... when I sleep."

Langris listened to the short explanation and was given permission to look at Henry's grimoire. Recombination Magic was certainly unique. The concept made him qualified to be a Knight if it weren't for his condition. If he didn't have his issues, he could certainly make it as a Magic Knight. Being able to move rooms in a certain space would be a menace to deal with.

"I'm... done." Henry announced. "Thank you... for helping."

"It's nothing."

Langris moved to take the plates away.

It was unfinished, but certainly more eaten than Langris predicted. Now he could cross this off his list. He piled all the used items in one tray and kept Henry seated so he could digest his meal properly. Langris picked everything up and was ready to head out without another word, but he Henry tugged at his sleeve.

"Before... you go." Henry pointed. "Could you open... the window?"

"Yes, of course."

Langris set the tray down and walked to the window. He unlatched it and pulled it up, allowing the wind to filter through. It was cold, and breezy, but otherwise nice and fresh. But that made Langris worried. He thought about Lady Finesse and her frail condition. If anything, wouldn't Henry be the same way?

"Are you sure you won't be too-?"

Cold?

A small flock of birds flew in and went straight for Henry's hair to nest. He rushed towards him, ready to get rid of them when Henry raised a hand to stop him.

"It's... okay." Henry assured. "They're friends."

Langris made a face.

Who would allow birds on their hair to nest?

"So long as you're comfortable." Langris mumbled. "But I don't think that's sanitary." Especially not with Henry's rather frail condition. But the birds looked at home in Henry's hair and Henry wasn't bothered, so it wasn't Langris' business to gatekeep what he did with his time. He picked up the tray again and decided it was finally time to leave.

"Excuse me." He announced.

"Have fun!" Henry waved. "Thanks... again!"

The moment Langris left the room, his mana stopped depleting.

It was a huge relief that he had to pause in the middle of the hall to take a deep breath. He took his time and retraced his steps. He had memorized the path back. Thankfully, it didn't change. If Henry's explanation was correct, the base only moved when he was asleep. And since Langris witnessed Henry wide awake, then it should be a while before the base changed locations again.

"What a troublesome team." He thought.

Langris went back to the kitchen and returned the trays to Charmy.

oOo

Charmy stayed true to her word, and gave him a table full of Tota's best dishes.

Langris sat down and Charmy joined him on the opposite side. She told him to dig in and that they didn't need to wait for the others. Langris didn't have to be told twice. He filled his plate with familiar dishes and avoided some of the things he didn't like. Charmy didn't seem to mind. She filled her plate like her life depended on it. Of course, Langris' plate was incomplete without a cherry tart or two.

"Is Henry happy?" Charmy asked.

"He is." Langris nodded. "I left him with his pet birds."

Charmy nodded, making Langris think that was definitely normal behavior. They didn't speak much during the meal. Charmy kept encouraging him to eat, but other than that, it was peaceful. Halfway through it, Finral appeared through the door. Knowing full well that wasn't Langris' real brother, Langris ignored him. But Grey, true to his mimicry of his brother, greeted him.

"Good morning, Charmy, Langris." Grey greeted. "How are you?

Langris kept silent.

"We're good." Charmy announced. "Take a seat, Grey."

"There's so much food."

"It's recipes from Tota, Langris and Finral's home." She grinned. "Have breakfast with us and see what it tastes like."

"Thank you."

"Here, Grey. Let me help!"

Charmy took a plate and started filling it. Langris watched in silence. Grey, who kept pretending to be Finral, acted exactly like his brother would. Grey tried to stop Charmy from filling the plate with things they didn't like, but just like his brother, Grey's voice didn't carry much weight and they were now stuck with a meal Charmy prepared. They looked mildly shocked, but they were grateful and began to eat.

There were no signs of the others.

Eventually, the meal ended and Langris wandered away.

Actually, Charmy shooed him away.

She wanted to prepare for the next meal and already had her sheep running around to take over the kitchen again. Grey also wandered off somewhere. They actually listened when Langris said he wanted space. Langris made his way to the living room to find Yami to update him on his list, but was shocked to find Vanessa half-naked, sprawled over the couch in only her underwear.

Langris' face turned red and he looked away immediately.

What was wrong with this base?!

Couldn't they act like regular people?

Since Yami wasn't around and Langris didn't want to stay anywhere near Vanessa, he decided to go back to his room. Maybe a warm bath would help clear his head. He made sure the bath was empty. Screw the piece of paper Yami gave him about needing to bathe with someone from the tea. He didn't need the company. He already did two of the most reasonable jobs on the list, the rest was excusable.

Langris gathered fresh clothes from his room and prepared the bath in the communal area.

Despite the tacky decor of the bull on the wall, where the water was coming from, and the plain brick walls, Langris had to admit that the bathroom did its job. Once the large tub was full, Langris took off his clothes and set it aside for laundry when he got back. With a towel ready and folded, he placed it along side his fresh clothes for easy access and sunk into the water.

Langris closed his eyes and relaxed.

He preferred the more soothing, fancy decor of the Golden Dawn compared to this rustic, industrial design, but he could let go of it just for a moment of relaxation. Yami didn't seem to care about what Langris did with his own time so Langris took advantage of it. This was merely a respite from the more mentally challenging chores- yes, chores; he refused to call them missions.

A few minutes passed and suddenly, the water rippled.

Blue eyes shot open and Langris turned with the intent to attack. He may have been relaxed, but no way was his guard completely down. Thankfully, he was quick in his actions and stopped before he hurt someone. Sitting in the corner of the large communal bath, was Gordon. He looked like a ghost, waiting for his prey. He was pale, with dark circles around his eyes, and he had a sickening strange grin.

Langris felt chills run up his spine.

"What?" He asked, dumbfounded. "What are you doing here?"

Gordon started to whisper.

Langris still couldn't hear him.

"Couldn't you see the bath was occupied?" He argued. "Why didn't you knock or at least say something?"

Embarrassed, Langris tried to make himself small and kept his distance. He had never bathed with anyone before. It was also different sharing a swimming pool or being in the ocean. This was awkward and strange and Langris had never felt more vulnerable in his life.

It made his skin crawl.

"Did the captain put you up to this?"

It was certainly on the list.

Langris tried to get answers from Gordon, but all he got was incoherent muttering. It was getting him nowhere. He wanted to tell Gordon to leave, but as an older member of the team, Gordon had more rights to this base than he did. It wouldn't be fair to get angry over something so simplistic.

So Langris took a deep breath and pretended Gordon wasn’t there.

But the mood shifted.

The warmth and comfort from before were gone, replaced by an awkward tension. Langris wanted to leave, but embarrassment held him in place. He had grown up in a conservative household, so exposing himself made him feel uncomfortable. So he remained in the water, acting as if Gordon’s presence didn’t bother him.

Gordon, at least, kept his distance.

He didn’t move closer, but he continued muttering, as if they were having a conversation only he could understand.

Eventually, after finishing whatever tale he was telling, Gordon stood and left. Langris averted his gaze, waiting until the sound of his footsteps faded. The water finally stilled, and he was alone at last. That took way longer than he expected. His hands and feet were pruning, and he was lightheaded.

It was Gordon's fault.

He took too long.

Langris stood up and got out.

He took the towel and meticulously dried himself before putting on fresh clothes. He drained the water and grimaced. It was so inconvenient to have this much water. Couldn't they have a separate tub that was smaller for someone who wanted to relax? Why did it have to be communal? Then again, he shouldn't complain. This wasn't his squad anyway. How did his brother endure this though? He grew up with him in the same household, so why were they so different?

Ugh. What a headache.

Langris finished up and walked out of the door.

But the moment he stepped out, he was faced with three different pathways, completely different from what he was used to.

"You've got to be kidding me!" He hissed. "It changed again."

Henry must've fallen asleep.

How come Langris hadn’t noticed anything changing around the base? It couldn’t have been that subtle... right? Or was he already losing his edge after being here for so long? He shook his head. No, he had just managed to relax—no point in freaking out over this now.

"You got this."

Langris could find his room again.

He wasn't sure how long it took, but he eventually found his way back. He realized that he had once again lost a great amount of time and it was now way past noon. He wasn't even hungry anymore. He just wanted to rest a little. His patience was wearing thin and he wasn't sure how long he could stand everyone in this base. They were getting on his nerves and there wasn't even a lot of them.

The worst part was when he ran into Vanessa on his way back.

She had gotten up from her short nap to get back to her room and they nearly collided in the hallway. Langris managed to dodge her and came up with a quick excuse not to assist. Langris would've helped her if she still weren't half-naked in her underwear and drunk. If this was her usual behavior in the base, then someone else would help her.

After that, he ran into Grey, who still wouldn't shut up about acting like his older brother.

Langris managed to escape them too.

He didn't see Gordon again, but he was sure someone was lurking in the corner whispering something. It was either that, or Langris was getting paranoid. Yami was still nowhere to be seen. So in Langris' conclusion, the only ones who were somewhat sane were probably Henry and Charmy. They were the highlight of this squad.

But overall, this was a nightmare.

Langris reminded himself there was still a lot to do, so he pushed himself up and got to work. He was reluctant to even step out of the door. He didn't know what awaited him on the other side and who would come bothering him next. But he still had a list to finish and he wasn't going to be stopped.

"One more day." He thought. "Just one more day and I'm gone!" 

Chapter Text

Finral realized his newfound popularity was unsettling.

After his little stunt yesterday, where he assisted the knights to their destination, word quickly spread throughout the entirety of the Golden Dawn. Finral had to pretend he never heard a thing, and walked among them as if he was oblivious to the stares. Langris' popularity had boosted his own, and he was riding the coattails of his brother's rising success. But because he had interfered and showed them his capabilities as a knight, they were now more eager to know him than when he first arrived.

"I really should've minded my own business."

Too late now.

When David said he would be popular for the next three days, he severely underestimated him.

Granted, it was only the second day, but people really were lining up to meet him. And despite David, Letoile, and Hamon's assurance that they would make his stay more comfortable, he wasn't so lucky when they were called out so early in the morning for a mission. That left Finral alone for majority of the morning. Thankfully, he wasn't completely lost without them. He already knew the layout of the base from his earlier tour, so he could navigate it with ease.

All that's left was keeping his image.

Finral was noble by birthright, so he knew how to blend in.

He kept his back straight, walked an even pace, and gave an air that he belonged there. He tried to balance the look of being distant yet approachable. It was difficult, but he kept his and his brother's reputation intact, and forced himself to conform to their standards.

Finral started his day greeting people with smiles and small, polite conversations.

Sometimes he was lucky enough to meet people in the hall that were just as shy and awkward as him. They didn't hound him with questions or cornered him into answering. They were nice, greeted him a good morning, and moved on with their day. After all, not everyone had the luxury to linger. Some of them pushed his boundaries a little more, asking questions that were far too personal. Thankfully they respected which answers he gave and which answers he kept to himself.

Unfortunately, there were some moments where he wasn't so lucky.

Just before he could round the corner towards the dining hall, a small group stopped him.

"By any chance, are you Finral Vaude?"

They sounded hurried and serious, the kind of people who didn't take 'no' for an answer. Of course, Finral gave them the benefit of doubt. He hoped they were just a curious group who happened to pass by and wanted to greet him a good morning before they went on their merry way to some mission somewhere. But there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him they weren't here to say hello.

"I am." Finral answered. "I was just-"

"Are you busy? You don't look like you are."

"He must be." Another added. "The captain wouldn't just let him roam around without any work."

"Was he actually given any?"

"It's an exchange, so there should be."

"I saw him working on the reports yesterday. He was with Juliette."

"The Rameu mission. The reward must be great."

"High merits and pay— I'm sure of it."

With how the hallway was designed and their close proximity, there was no way Finral couldn't hear all of that. Their voices echoed right into his ear. He couldn't tell if it was deliberate, but they didn't seem to care that he was within earshot of their conversation. He didn't have the heart to interrupt them either, knowing the backlash would be great if they didn't take it well.

Langris told him to behave, so he wouldn't start something that was completely avoidable.

"So you're not busy..."

Finral looked like he was caught beneath a spotlight.

"I was just about to get some breakfast at the dining hall before starting the tasks Captain Vangeance assigned for day."

That wasn't a lie.

He was hungry and needed breakfast before he could start any work. The only reason he couldn't get to the dining hall fast enough was because he had to stop and greet people along the way. He wasn't going to slack off and embarrass his brother for no reason, and neither would he jeopardize Yami's trust by being uncivilized during this exchange. He was chosen for a reason and he would do his best until the days were up.

So Finral played nice, which wasn't hard to do.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"There is."

"I see." They were not giving him enough information to work with. "If it's not a lot, I have some time."

"Is that so? If you insist, then we accept."

Ah, they turned it around and made it look like he was the one who offered rather than them making a formal request. To the outside eyes, this transaction between them looked almost inconvenient, like Finral was trying too hard to impress and they were merely tolerating his offer for the sake of fake camaraderie. They were probably testing him to see just how far they could push his patience.

Finral really should have better boundaries, but he was too much of a coward to have any.

"Where are you headed?"

"To the Forsaken Realm."

"That far?"

"Would that be a problem?"

Finral was in a losing situation. If he refused to help, he would be considered rude and by extension that would just solidify his family's haughty legacy. If he said yes and remained a pushover, he would be taken advantage of and that would be nearly as worst as the first. Langris would never forgive him. But even if he wanted to walk away, he couldn't. He was far too nice. He didn't want trouble. If only he was as strong as his little brother, he could tell them off.

"No." Finral gave in. "It won't be a problem."

He was a coward.

"Great." They smiled. "Are you aware of the border gate northwest of Nean and Hecairo?"

"The one past the reservoir?"

"Yes, that one. We were called in for fortify the area. Is there a way you can send us there to minimize our travel time? Anything close would be sufficient. We don't have a formal request from the captain to seek your skillsets, but-"

"It's alright." Finral waved them off. "I did offer."

They were pleased to hear it.

"I don't have a spatial marker past the reservoir, but I do have one at the reservoir itself. That should cut your travel time by a significant amount." The Black Bull's hideout was hidden around that area, but Finral kept his mouth shut. They didn't need to know that information. "I can send you there now."

"Great. We're ready."

Finral ignored the fact that they were already prepared when they ambushed and manipulated him into helping. Instead, he focused on his grimoire and spatial marker to open a portal towards their destination. They said their thanks and walked towards it. Before it closed behind them, Finral could've sworn he heard them talking.

Something about how the rumors were true.

That got Finral worried.

If the rumors were just about him helping others from yesterday's incident, that would be fine. But if they were creating false narratives to play into their games, and he really hoped that was just his overactive imagination, then Finral would be in big trouble. He tried not to let it get to him, but Finral's mind was reeling when the portal winked out of existence.

He should really stop offering his services.

That last thing he needed was unwanted attention.

oOo

Finral went to the dining hall with a heavy heart.

A generous breakfast buffet was laid out on the long dining tables at the side. All of which were neatly arranged from warm breads, fruits, and drinks, to steaming platters of main courses and side dishes.

They were enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Finral grabbed a plate and filled it with his favorites before taking an entire table for himself. He chose a more secluded area, far away from others diners. He sat facing away from the doors. It was a clear sign that he wasn't in the mood to entertain people. He didn't like it, but it was the only solution to give himself a moment of peace.

He ate his meal in silence.

Sadly, Finral couldn't even enjoy his meal.

The events from earlier worried him far too much.

Granted, he didn't even do anything alarming or scandalous, but he knew nobles liked to talk and they exaggerate without evidence. Hopefully being in the captain's care was enough to deter even the most horrific of nobles out there. So instead of focusing on catastrophizing every single thing that happened yesterday and tomorrow, Finral decided to focus on the good things about this exchange.

For starters, he was getting a little more experience in working in a larger squad compared to the Black Bulls.

They were a lot more organized and efficient.

For filing reports, they had conference areas where he could stay for long periods of time without being bothered. He stayed there yesterday when he assisted Shiren's team with their papers. The report submission was equally enjoyable. Instead of directly transporting to the capital to submit the papers there in person, the Golden Dawn had another processing area where members could just submit their papers so the assigned member managing that counter could compile all the submissions together.

The noble inside of him was screaming with joy.

Back at the Black Bulls, he wrote wherever he could. If Yami or the others filed anything, Finral would run their errands or accompany Yami to do them. He was already known for in the capital for submitting their reports whenever their squad accomplished anything.

But here, the system itself was heaven.

Apart from that, the Golden Dawn base itself was efficient in every way possible.

It was basically designed for it.

Captain Vangeance had really thought of everything.

They had recreational rooms to relieve boredom. A lounge to gather resting groups that want to mingle. They had a chapel for those who wish to pray or worship. A garden for self reflection or just enjoy the scenery. Their storage supply was equipped with all the food and herbal supplies necessary. Their training grounds were close together, with the healing wards just a hallway away.

Their filing systems and conference areas, including strategy rooms and observation towers were down the hall from each other. Their dormitories were efficient, equipped with everything necessary to ensure everyone's needs are well met. The pathways were accessible for large groups.

There was even a hall of heroes to commemorate fallen team members, despite how rare that was.

Finral was sure that there were other places he wasn't introduced to. For example, there was likely a secret passage he didn't know about. Perhaps a holding cell, or something more underground. More storage perhaps. They must also have a treasury or a vault and a commemorative trophy room.

This place had everything he could dream of.

Finral loved it.

But despite that, something was missing.

He couldn't put a finger on it, but so far he had no complaints other than his own personal issues. Enough day dreaming now- He ate quickly, fearing that if he didn't start his work soon, someone was going to ask him for favors again. He didn't mind it at all, but he didn't want a repeat of whatever it was that happened earlier. Hopefully David, Letoile, and Hamon would be back later to accompany him and help shield him from people who couldn't take a hint.

It was that, or Finral might have to grow a backbone.

oOo

David grinned. "Did you hear?"

"Don't start." Letoile huffed as she filled her plate for lunch. "You know those rumors aren't accurate."

"I know they're not, but I have good sources."

"Says who?"

"Says me." He finished plating his lunch and waited for the other two before they found their seats. "We left him for just one morning and it seems his popularity has skyrocketed. He actually helped another group get to their destination in time to fortify the area."

Hamon chuckled. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Oh, it's great." David smiled. "But he's slowly turning into his brother."

Letoile frowned. "How so?"

"Do you see him in the dining hall?"

"He's likely still working." She sighed and started eating. "The outpour of attention must've delayed him."

"But I'm sensing a pattern."

"Enlighten us, David."

"I will." He leaned forward, looking smug. "Ever since he was introduced, he became the topic of everyone's conversation. His last name is famously legendary. His brother is a rising star and everyone can see that the captain has eyes for his growing success. His first major event happened from assisting Shiren's team. People thought he was generous and quite capable. All good things. Then, it happens again just this morning."

"What's your point?"

"He's grandstanding!"

"You're grasping at straws, David."

"Where's the lie?" He ticked things off with his fingers. "He's not at the dining hall because he's working. He's offering assistance to those in need. He's Langris' older brother, who so happens to have similar traits to him. The Vaude family is well known for their discipline and their work ethics. It's not laughably overblown that he's grandstanding- maybe for merits. Soon, he'll start making it difficult for people to approach him for favors, and seek compensation in return. If people push him far enough, don't be surprised if he shows us his true colors."

Letoile sighed. "What an awful way to think about a teammate."

"I'm being real."

"No. What you are is feeding the rumors. He's here for the exchange, and any amount of good behavior is reasonable. That means assisting when he can, if he can. If he did the opposite, people would gossip about how rude he is. And no, that doesn't mean he's arrogant. It only means that he knows when his boundaries are being crossed."

"You're not fun, Letoile."

"He's not obligated to entertain everyone's curiosity." She added after taking a bite of her meal. "He has a right to turn people down if he wants to. If he helped everyone here, he wouldn't have time for any of the actual work he was assigned with."

David pouted. "I really thought I was onto something."

"Leave him alone. He's overwhelmed."

"So he's using work as an excuse to ditch us instead of explaining himself?"

"I would."

"Hamon." David turned to him. "Help me out here."

"Need I remind you?" Hamon smiled as he took a knife and filled his bread. "During our last conversation, you pointed out that Finral was nothing like his brother. Letoile reinforced that by saying it's because of the way he talks and for letting people exploit his goodwill. But we all agreed in the end that they are mostly alike. So you can't complain now that you're realizing how true that might be."

"Hamon understands." Letoile smiled. "You can't just switch sides, David."

"I'm not." He defended himself. "I was just pointing it out."

"Regardless, you're blowing things out of proportion. We've met him. We've spoken to him. Finral helped two teams in the span of two days, at irregular intervals. He doesn't have much to gain by giving his assistance. Extra merits aren't unheard of, either. We're all in it for the rewards. He was being polite. That's exactly what Captain Vangeance wants to see for the squad trade."

"And," Hamon added. "We're tasked to assist when we can."

"That means stopping more rumors from spreading." Letoile nodded. "Good or bad. We need to make him comfortable."

"Alright!" David scowled. "You two win. Tell me how we can help."

She shrugged. "Leave him alone."

"That's not very helpful."

"David." She sighed, planning to say this once. "In case you forgot, allow me to remind you that he is high noble. He has connections to House Kira and Clover. He's Langris' older brother. House Vaude has different disciplinary rules that uphold high standards. They are a military family. He may not have ended up in the Golden Dawn, but he's tough enough to survive lasting in the Black Bulls. Give him some credit."

"I don't like this conversation."

"Good. Because like it or not, we're just here to look after him and nothing else."

"How can we do that if he's hiding away?" David stabbed his food with a fork. "I don't see you panicking over the idea of Captain Vangeance asking us how he is."

"Because I'm not worried. He's at the base with a list to follow. It should be easy to follow his footsteps. For now, just let him finish his work and give him a break. We can find him later and see how he's doing."

"I agree." Hamon chuckled. "If I was that popular, I would want some time for myself, too."

Letoile smirked. "David would enjoy the attention."

He bristled at the comment. "You have so little faith in me."

"I do."

"Alright. It's your call." 

oOo

Finral did not grow a backbone.

For majority of the morning, he hid himself away in the library, thinking the quiet would deter anyone from seeking his assistance. It worked for an hour and he was able to sort majority of the documents he was tasked to organize. But his peace was eventually disrupted when one group found him. After that, word spread quickly and more followed. They apologized for bothering him, but with their missions so urgent, Finral couldn't say no.

He helped each and every one of them.

Despite what people thought, Finral was a very capable mage.

He had the mana and skill for it, proving he was worthy of being a knight. He didn't tire as easily as he pretended to be. Here, Finral could show them that he prided himself in his agility and accuracy; two things that he could cling to that weren't compared to his brother.

But part of Finral wished he could have just a moment for himself.

People gathered around him.

Some stayed and took the empty seats to ask him questions, prying about his and his brother's personal lives. Some were more respectful, keeping distance but a careful watch on him. Finral was sure they were gossiping. Others weren't as shy and asked to be transported just like the first few groups who had already asked. A variety of people, rude and kind alike, bombarded his entire morning and Finral drowned in the attention.

"Are you as powerful as your little brother?"

"What's it like to be a Black Bull?"

"Are you being overworked?"

"Captain Vangeance should have you permanently transferred to the Golden Dawn."

"How many merits have you collected?"

"You should rank higher."

"Are the rumors about the Black Bulls' Captain true?"

"Two spatial mages here would be great."

"You don't act like Vaude."

"Do you have a fiancé?"

That last one almost choked him.

Eventually, Finral managed to escape with the excuse of submitting the sorted documents and moved onto the next task. The curious group dispersed, but it was clear that his popularity only worsened with time. Their eyes were on him watching his every move, waiting for him to either say something wrong or step out of line. Thankfully Finral had more composure than people gave him credit for.

Sometime after lunch, David, Letoile, and Hamon finally caught up with him.

"So," David smiled. "How was your day?"

"Uneventful." Finral answered.

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

He refused to tell them how his morning went, and only assured them he was fine.

Finral didn't want to add to the gossip by complaining about the people gossiping about him. That was just a recipe for disaster. Of course the three didn't believe him, but they didn't push it either. They stayed with him for a while, enough to get him lunch in peace. But just an hour later, the Golden Dawn members were called in to the gathering hall for an urgent announcement.

Finral went with them.

The captain stood at the very top of the stairs, waiting for the last people to filter in.

Finral remembered standing on top of those very steps. He found it intimidating before, but now that he was on the opposite end, he realized that he preferred to be on top. The glimmer of light from the giant stained glass window of the Golden Dawn insignia silhouetted the captain's form, almost hiding him from view. But from the bottom of the stairs, everyone's movements were visible.

It made him feel awkward.

When the last of the members finally gathered, the captain made his announcement.

He broadcasted new missions and assigned members together. One by one they were given details and sent on their way. The captain praised those who did well on their previous missions, and announced the merits they were given.

Finral tuned it out.

He was tired, not physically, but mentally.

Today was exhausting in a way that made him miss the Black Bulls. Being famous and not having boundaries might not be all that it was cut out to be. His back hurt from standing too straight, his mouth was sore from smiling too much, and he felt like he was going to bite his tongue every time he tried to figure out his next words.

"Finral?" A voice called.

He felt like he had exhausted all of his excuses, too. He could only muster enough charm for one evening. He wasn't sure if he could keep this up for the whole three days without the threat of screwing up, but he feared for his life too much to give up so easily. He might as well dig deep from all that training he had growing up. Maybe he needed to revisit all of the noble events he had attended throughout the years.

That might help.

"Finral?" 

Before he could dive deeper into his thoughts, he was elbowed by David, making him look up. He noticed all eyes were on him and the entire gathering hall was quiet. Finral felt his face flush and realized that Captain Vangeance was the one calling his name. He had a smile on his face, which made Finral all the more wary.

"C-captain Vangeance?"

"From my understanding," Vangeance started. "Several of our squad members have come to you personally for assistance."

Finral felt embarrassed.

Of course the captain would know. If rumors spread that quickly in the Golden Dawn, it was impossible for the captain not to hear it. Finral straightened his back to a point where he looked like he was about to snap in half. "Yes, I did assist in a few." There were a few whispers behind his back, agreeing with his claim.

Instead of chastising him like Finral expected, the captain actually looked pleased to hear it.

"I think that deserves some praise."

The captain clapped and the others followed.

Finral felt even more embarrassed.

"Plenty are aware that you're here for the squad trade and that I've given you some tasks to finish. But despite that, you've indulged in their requests and offered your assistance, speeding up missions for even better efficiency. Some credit given is necessary. Since yesterday, I've received plenty of requests to take you with them on missions. The squad trade was designed to test if other squad members are capable of working together, and it seems to be flourishing rather well."

"I'm... I'm pleased to hear that."

"If you're not opposed to it, I would like to give you more higher priority missions." He smiled. "You're not cleared for combat and I wouldn't risk your safety during the trade, but I'd like for you to be there as support. Would you be willing?"

"Yes, Captain." Finral still couldn't say no. "I'm willing."

"Good, allow me to share with you the details."

It was fairly easy and not really worth thinking too deeply about. Finral was assigned to a team with two Senior Magic Knights, and two other Intermediate Knights. The mission was to travel to the Common Realm, let the knights apprehend the criminals causing havoc in a small town, transport them to prison, and return back to do the report.

While the captain explained, Finral could hear more whispers behind his back.

"He should be here permanently."

"I want to work with him."

"Me, too."

"How strong is he?"

Finral paid no attention to it. But in reality, he was sweating. Before he could panic even further, Vangeance's voice echoed through the gathering hall. "Allow me to remind you that any formal requests must still run through the proper channels. If you wish to work with a certain individual and include them in your missions, no matter how small their contribution may be, I hope you process them properly or simply ask me or your fellow Senior Knights if you can't reach me."

The Golden Dawn members saluted.

"Give credit where credit is due." Letoile nodded. "That's the captain for you."

"Very well said." Hamon agreed.

"See," David teased. "The captain's looking out for you, too."

Finral—and apparently everyone else— understood that the remark was meant to stop groups from roping him into their missions. If they wanted his assistance, they’d have to ask properly. For that, Finral was grateful; it should mean fewer people bothering him for the rest of the afternoon and hopefully tomorrow.

"Everyone's dismissed."

"Well," Hamon started. "We'll see you later."

David patted him on the back. "Good luck with your mission."

"Your team is that way." Letoile pointed, trying to be helpful. "Don't worry, they're more mission oriented than the others. They won't ask you to do anything unnecessary and it's clear that Captain Vangeance arranged it to be that way. We'll wait for your return. If you can't find us, it means we were called away. But we'll try and assist if we can."

"Thank you." Finral nodded.

He watched the three walk away, leaving Finral to move towards the new group he was assigned to.

oOo

Finral barely felt the hours pass by before the day was already over.

His mission went without a problem. Letoile was right when she said this group was mission oriented. They repeated the mission details, Finral opened a portal to their destination, and he waited out the fight like they agreed on. The criminals were apprehended and Finral transported them to the prison while the others cleaned up.

It was straightforward that Finral felt like he had dreamed it.

When they returned to the Golden Dawn, Finral was called in to meet the captain.

"I heard the mission went well."

"It did." Finral answered. "It was very textbook."

"I'm pleased to hear it." Vangeance chuckled. "No injuries, I hope."

"None. I only supported like I was asked."

"You would forgive me for worrying." He smiled. "I didn't wish to assign you on those missions, but you proved you were more than capable for it. The requests for your assistance certainly factored in my decision for the scheduled changes to your workload. Yami was right to recommend you. You are very efficient."

Finral flushed at the compliment.

"You deserve recognition for your achievements, Finral."

"Ah, no need."

"Please." Vangeance insisted. "You've done a lot for my squad since you arrived. It wasn’t your duty to answer every request, but you did so out of kindness. It's certainly more than what Langris would allow, and that's certainly where you two differ. But allow me to say that you're every bit as remarkable as your brother."

"Thank you, Captain Vangeance."

"Take the rest of the evening off. You deserve it."

"But," Finral was hesitant. "What about the list you gave me?"

"I've already delegated that work to someone else." He waved it off. "You've already done twice the work I've assigned you. There's no need for more."

"If the captain is sure-"

"I'm positive." Vangeance nodded. "You prevented the worst outcomes by offering your assistance. Time is always a factor in achieving success. Having knights arrive early is always a benefit. That deserves proper recognition and merit. So please, take the rest of the evening off. Tomorrow, I'll see what I can do to make your stay more comfortable."

"Thank you."

"But before you go."

"Yes?"

"No one will ask you for any assistance tonight, so you can rest easy. But all the same, I do recommend ordering food to your room for the night."

"Thank you." He nodded. "I think I will."

The trip back to his room was quiet. No one bothered him like he was promised. Perhaps it was the late hour and people were still busy doing missions, or perhaps they actually listened to the captain's warning and distanced themselves for now. Either way, Finral was grateful for the silence.

The moment he entered his room, he threw his boots off and collapsed on the bed, feeling utterly drained.

"Finally, a moment's rest."

For his body, yes.

For his mind, No.

He kept thinking about the list he had spent the whole day working on.

Or tried to was more like it.

Majority of his work should've been allotted to sorting documents and filing reports. He managed to submit more than half of what he was assigned, but he had missed the rest of the tasks when his mission order had changed. He was supposed to restock medical supplies and help sort magical herbs for the healing wards. Afterwards, he was supposed to organize letter correspondence from the knights that lived here to send to their loved ones back home.

They were simple tasks, and Finral couldn't even finish them.

He just had to offer help elsewhere.

Finral rubbed his face and stared at the ceiling. "I should've minded my own business." But his personality just wouldn't let him. What came easy for others was a huge hurdle for him. He wasn't the type of guy who ignored people in need and dismissed them because they were an inconvenience. He had far too much heart and little push back and people took advantage of that.

But Finral was fully aware of it.

On the bright side, his meddling did come with merits.

Captain Vangeance complimented him and it's likely his evaluation would be great after the days were up. He just needed to last until tomorrow. After all, he survived living in House Vaude for the majority of his childhood, so this should be easy.

But... something was off.

He remembered his earlier thoughts at the dining hall.

Something was missing.

It finally dawned on him what that was.

Finral couldn't put a finger on it at first, but the more he reflected on today, the more it became clearer. His tasks weren't different from when Yami used him for errands. He was used to the workload being far more hectic and spontaneous than Captain Vangeance's extremely organized system. What bothered him, and what exhausted him so much, wasn't the work itself—but the detachment he felt behind it.

It was lonely.

They made an effort to try and make him feel at home, to feel comfortable and the center of attention, but Finral knew it wasn't real. All his interactions from yesterday and today were born out of curiosity, like he was a spectacle to be observed and a duty to fulfill. Every connection he tried to make was work related. From his introduction, to the trio assigned to make his stay comfortable, to the people greeting him, asking him all sorts of questions, and the missions.

No one.

Not a single one, actually went beyond that.

It was so different from how he was introduced to the Black Bulls.

Yes, he was kind of a senior to some of them, not all, but the way they interacted with each other felt more genuine than whatever today was. Everyone here was holding him at arms length, maybe even farther. He knew close to nothing about anyone, yet they want to get to know him better. It wasn't an equal exchange. The gossiping went too far, to a point where Finral had to pretend it was nothing.

He had always known that about nobles, but this made him realize how much he despised this kind of environment.

Finral felt... lonely.

And he wondered if Langris felt the same way or if he preferred it this way.

The thought made his stomach churn and he had to turn sideways to curl up on the bed. He missed his friends, he missed Vanessa, he missed Yami, and he missed being a Black Bull. He thought about what they were doing tonight. Were they all gathered on the couch, laughing and telling stories? Was Langris included and laughing along with them? Maybe not. But it was a nice image to think about.

Maybe Vanessa was drunk and Grey was messing around while Charmy passed them their meals.

Yami might be yelling, too.

Finral closed his eyes, feeling more exhausted than he had ever been.

"One more day." He thought. "Just one more day and I'll be back."

Chapter Text

Langris hit a dead end.

It took him fifteen minutes to realize he was wandering around a floor with no exit. He should've known better by now. If the base acted like a dungeon, he should've treated it like one. He could've escaped through the window of his room and spared himself the misery of wandering around in circles, but he just had to be dignified.

A fool's mistake.

Dignity didn't exist in a place like this.

With his patience slipping, and the mounting pressure of his performance weighing heavily on his mind, Langris couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get out. With no solution in mind, Langris made the easiest choice and resorted to violence.

Mana flared around his hand, the air crackling with intensity.

He wasn't too worried.

The base was semi-owned by a captain who was nicknamed the Lord of Destruction. With his reputation and the noisy rabble under his wing, a little destruction in his wake shouldn't matter. The base was old and renovation was inevitable.

Langris slashed downward, carving his own exit.

It didn't take long for him to reach the ground.

A mass of spatial magic tore through the ceiling and a large gaping hole appeared. Debris from the edges of the hole crashed over the living room. Langris landed in the middle of it, and brushed off the dirt as the dust settled. It looked like he had invaded the base instead of trying to escape it.

When he turned, he found Yami sitting on the couch looking over his newspaper.

Langris was mildly embarrassed.

"I'll pay for it." He offered.

Yami shrugged and pointed to the ceiling, where it regenerated and the scattered debris slowly disappeared.

"Was gonna say no need. But I'm fine taking your money."

Langris wasn't sure if Yami was being sarcastic or wanted actual compensation. He was the vengeful type, wasn't he? Maybe he was offended by Langris' lack of remorse. If Yami wanted, this could badly reflect on Langris' record. Even if Yami was known for his destructive tendencies, Langris shouldn't have resorted to violence. But with the base repairing itself, it should've been fine.

Maybe he misunderstood.

Normally, Langris had impeccable tolerance for banter and idiocy. He would have already spoken up if he wasn't up against a captain who was widely known for his rough personality and troublesome nature.

Before he could offer a strained apology, Yami spoke up first.

"Relax, kid. I ain't mad."

"Excuse me?"

"Not the type to kiss and tell." Yami assured. "You really think you're the first person to break anything?"

Langris shrugged. "Likely not."

"Then you're fine."

Usually, a captain wouldn't let someone get away with destroying part of their base, but Yami seemed to be in a good mood. Langris knew he should let it go, but guilt pooled inside of him. He had no excuse for his behavior and it certainly wasn't befitting a knight of his caliber. He didn't want to ask for punishment, either. He wasn't going to grovel to be disciplined, not especially to a low class captain.

So he should take advantage of this.

"If you say so."

Langris turned to walk away, but was hit square in the face with something soft and plump.

The smell was sweet and fragrant, but reeked of alcohol.

"My, aren't you courageous?" Vanessa cooed. "You're only on your third day, but already so naughty. Look, you even made a mess of the base and didn't even apologize for it. What do you have to say for yourself, little boy?"

Langris peeled his face away in shame.

"Ah, I'm not done with you." She tugged him back. "You should be grateful the captain doesn't mind."

Langris' face burned red from embarrassment.

He was a highly respected nobleman, disciplined by the harshest of teachers and raised by a fierce, strong-willed woman. He was not a lecher! He would never do something so immoral. He was taught to respect women. His mother would never allow anything less. But nothing prepared him for the advances of a woman determined to keep him in her clutches, and be so uncaring of her own well-being and reputation.

Langris felt himself die of shame.

He could forgive himself for planting between two soft mounds by accident, but he couldn't forgive himself for being inattentive.

"Don't run away!" Vanessa slurred. "I know you're not as shy as Finral."

"Please don't touch me!"

"Don't be embarrassed. This is natural—"

"No it's not!"

"Stop pulling away."

"You stop first!" Langris hissed. "You're not even dressed properly!"

Vanessa smirked. "If I was will you stay?"

"No! Let go!"

Langris struggled to break free. He never realized how difficult it would be to pull away from a drunk. He had never been in a position where he had to know how. He didn't want to hurt her, so he tugged gently, but it only excited her more. He managed to turn away, but Vanessa pressed herself harder against him. Langris could feel the soft weight of her breasts against his back, sending shivers down his spine.

"The captain doesn't kiss and tell," Vanessa whispered. "But I do."

"Are you crazy?!"

"About you, maybe?"

"Enough," Langris growled. "This is highly inappropriate!"

Despite being extremely embarrassed, his glare was sharp and dangerous. He wasn't sure how far Vanessa intended to push him. No one ever got close enough to cross that line, but she was getting there. Langris did not want to lose control and end up killing her.

"Vanessa." Yami finally interrupted. "Let him go."

"But we're having so much fun."

"Look again."

"Yami—"

"It's not worth it, Vanessa."

"You're too easy on him." She pouted and let go. "But let's play again after your chores, okay?"

"No, thank you." Langris distanced himself from her and dusted the imaginary weight off of him. He felt violated, like a part of his innocence had disappeared. His parents would kill him if they found out he let himself be touched so inappropriately. He would make sure this stayed between them. If it broke out that he allowed this, this story would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"So sensitive." Vanessa complained as she made her way to the couch.

She draped herself over the couch and gave Langris a teasing grin all while she bit her lip and twirled a strand of her hair. Her entire posture screamed inviting. She grabbed a half-empty wine bottle and took a swig straight from the neck, letting the wine trickle down her chest.

Langris couldn't even look at her long enough to glare.

It was so improper!

He turned to Yami, baffled that the captain wasn't scolding her or writing her up for harassment. They should be lucky that Langris had no intention of complaining. He continued to dust himself off, hoping the heat from his face would die down with it.

"So," Yami started. "How's your list going?"

List? Oh, that list.

"Halfway there." Langris answered, still looking a little frazzled. "I'm not expecting to be timed, am I?"

"Do you want to be?"

"No."

"Then you're not." Yami huffed. "Don't even have to finish the whole thing. Just make your last day count."

How was he supposed to do that when he couldn't even get a head start?

"If you'll excuse me—"

Before Langris could exit the living room, he ran into Grey at the doorway. He figured it out the moment he was faced with an exact copy of Vanessa, who was supposed to be drunk and half-naked on the couch. Blood drained from his face when Grey opened their arms and spread their legs to block the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Grey asked.

"What is wrong with you?" Langris covered his eyes and backed away. "Put some clothes on!"

"It's too hot in here."

"Then go somewhere else!"

Grey wasn't relenting and continued to block the doorway. The real Vanessa was laughing and egging them on. Both of them cooed and called, beckoning him to come closer. But Langris was too smart for that.

He turned away, only to collide with a tall figure dressed in black.

Langris looked up and realized it was Gordon.

The man bared his teeth and whispered excitedly. Langris couldn't hear a single word of it. How did he even get past Grey from the doorway? Unless— was he in the living room the whole time? How did Langris not notice? Why was he so inattentive today? Everything was slipping past his senses. He was normally always so guarded.

He took a step back and saw Gordon holding a doll.

"...for you." Gordon whispered.

The doll had large stitches all over its body. Its oversized head had buttons for eyes, and the red hair looked so unnatural that Langris wasn't sure where it came from. Gordon even dressed it with a matching robe. Langris heard all sorts of strange things about magical families in the Clover Kingdom. A doll can be used as a medium by some mages, so the very thought of having one presented before him made his skin crawl.

Gordon offered him the doll.

"I'm not interested." Langris refused. "Don't give it to me."

He backed away from Gordon and found himself inching closer to Yami.

Langris could always make his own exit to escape, but he didn't want to test Yami's patience this time around. So the only other exit available was the front door. Nothing blocked it. If he went outside, he could always slip back in through the backdoor.

It was a reasonable plan.

But before he could slip away, an army of sheep flooded the living room. They passed through Grey's legs, holding trays of nearly identical dishes above their heads. They positioned themselves right at the front door and formed a line. Fate was out to get Langris. How were these series of misfortunes even a coincidence anymore?

Charmy followed after them with a jolly hop to her steps.

"Breakfast should be ready soon." She informed. "But try this first."

Vanessa asked, "What's all this for, Charmy?"

"For our guest."

"Ah, for the little boy." Grey joined in. "That's really thoughtful."

"It's his last day today." Charmy explained. "We should make it memorable. Come on. You guys can have some. Don't be shy! I can always make more."

Grey moved away from the doorway, pretending to drunkenly stumble toward the sheep cooks to take a piece. Charmy had to nudge Gordon so he could participate properly. Feeling left out, Vanessa got up to take a piece for herself. And Charmy, clearly proud of her work, began to explain the ingredients as if she had a real audience— even though it was obvious no one was listening.

Langris grimaced and glanced towards Yami.

Yami continued to stare at him and Langris wasn't sure why. 

It was only after Yami cocked his head and raised an eyebrow that Langris realized this was his only opportunity to escape. The rest of the Black Bulls were distracted. Langris gave a subtle nod as he quietly slipped away.

"La?" Charmy turned her head to look. "Where's Langris?"

"Ah," Vanessa pouted. "He got away."

Grey copied her. "...without a goodbye, too."

"You scared him off." Yami sighed as he folded his newspaper. "I told the rest of you to behave, but apparently that was too much to ask. Not that I expected anything different. But the kid isn't used to this much happening in the morning. He's probably still worrying about that damn list, too."

Vanessa scolded, "That's because you made the list too long."

"He asked for it."

"Sometimes I want to look productive, too."

"That's because you're drunk most of the time."

"That's not fair."

"I know it's not." Yami chuckled. "Doesn't mean it's not true."

A burst of smoke filtered through the room as Grey changed back into Finral's form. He looked genuinely upset. "We just wanted to make him feel welcome. How are we supposed to know what he likes and doesn't like?"

"That should be easy." He shrugged. "What do nobles like?"

"Finral's a noble." Charmy pointed out. "But his needs aren't the same."

"Exactly." Vanessa agreed as she attached herself to Grey. "He's so much nicer."

"Ah!" Grey mimicked. "Please let go!"

Another wave of chaos erupted in the living room. Grey, mimicking Finral's panicked ramblings, pushed against Vanessa's drunken antics. Gordon mused over the new Langris doll from his corner while Charmy went back to her cooking but not before deciding to wake Henry up to join the rest of the team. If Gauche were here, Yami was sure there would be more noise than he could stomach.

"Tch," Yami grimaced. "Brat owes me for ditching."

oOo

Langris spent the rest of the morning successfully evading the Black Bulls.

The base was too suffocating and the inhabitants too unreasonable for him to stay. Yami had given him permission to run, so an hour to himself shouldn't be an issue. He took a broom and flew off, landing in a nearby town to have breakfast in solitude. He savored the peace, enjoying its lack of interruptions. 

His whole morning felt surreal— from the moment he woke up to the second he stepped out of the base.

How could Finral endure that much chaos?

No wonder he wasn't improving.

The Bulls had nothing but their agendas in mind. Vanessa was a drunk woman with little to no self control. Grey had no personal identity and treated everything like a joke. Gordon was unsettling, and Langris couldn't describe him as anything less. Charmy was obsessed with food. She was a great cook, but she shouldn't be a Magic Knight if that was all she could do. He didn't know the criminal knight, but he had a record that spoke for itself.

Yami assisted in his escape, but a captain should do more.

With the kind of individuals his brother was hanging out with, it was no wonder why he remained a failure.

His environment screamed downward spiral.

For a moment, Langris felt sorry for Finral. To be subjected day in and day out with  this mess of a squad must be grueling. If Langris felt like he was beginning to lose some of his own sanity and intelligence, then his brother must've already suffered greatly since he was recruited.

But it did make him wonder.

Would Captain Vangeance see any potential from his brother?

If he did, would he recruit him?

No. Langris grimaced.

He didn't want Finral as a teammate. It would be too awkward. It wasn't going to happen anyway. Captain Vangeance knew he had a strained relationship with his brother. Besides, Yami wouldn't permit the transfer, either. It would be unfair. This was just a temporary exchange with no real consequences other than seeing if the teamwork was possible.

Maybe for Finral's end it might, but Langris was achieving nothing here.

He should just forget it.

Langris went back an hour later to finish his chores.

He stood alone in the middle of the living room. Thank goodness the base was quiet. Maybe they finally had something to do other than hang around. Langris looked up at the ceiling and saw no visible damage from his spell. He would have to bring this up to Captain Vangeance at their next meeting and see if they could have similar repairing spells for the training grounds.

For now, Langris focused on his list.

• Feed the beasts
• Delivery food and stay with Henry
• Join a team member during baths
• Visit Vanessa's room
• Clean the base
• Enjoy the playroom
• Spend time with Gordon
• Cook with Charmy

He crossed out everything he had already done.

Some of them spoke for itself, while the others were technicalities that Langris took advantage of. For example, Yami's mission to join a team member during baths was already fulfilled when Gordon violated his privacy and joined him without his knowledge or permission.

For the rest, Langris knew he had to choose his battles.

• Visit Vanessa's room

So he crossed out another one.

The woman was a drunk, completely incapable of keeping her hands to herself— and she was also in her underwear. Going to her room would just endanger his reputation. He didn't want Vanessa to rope him into something even more inappropriate.

Yami would just have to understand that it was indecent and Langris would never risk endangering his good name for a silly mission.

So his next chore would be to clean the base.

That was unfair.

How would he clean an entire base? This base might not compare to the other Magic Knight squads, but it was still large enough that it couldn't be cleaned by a single person. He wasn't going to waste an entire day trying, either. This place was hopelessly unsalvageable. The walls reeked of neglect, the floorboards creaked, and no matter how much anyone redecorated, it wouldn't change its sorry atmosphere. 

With a weary sigh, he folded the list and slipped it into his pocket.

He would have to ask Yami for specifics.

When he reached the doorway, he caught a small scrap of paper pinned to the wall beside the doorframe. He paused to stare and leaned in out of curiosity. His brow tightened when the messy writing came into focus.

You owe me for ditching.

Laundry room is that way.

Langris was visibly disgusted by the note.

He was a fool for believing, even for a second, that Yami was an honorable man with any sense of morals. He thought the Lord of Destruction cared enough to grant a subordinate a moment of peace. It was the least a leader could do if a member was being constantly harassed.

But no, Yami wasn't the type to hand out favors without payment.

Langris should've known better.

In a burst of anger, he tore the paper from the wall and voided it. He followed directions only to find another note waiting at the corner, mocking him with a hastily scribbled arrow. He found more of them scattered along the path— pinned to pillars, taped to walls, even tossed carelessly on the floor like some childish prank.

One by one, he ripped them down, each scrap destroyed in his growing irritation.

The trail led him to a dead end.

The last note clung to the door, marked with a drawing of a laundry basket.

Langris rolled his eyes and destroyed that last piece. The captain of the Black Bulls had a sense of humor— who could've known? Langris opened the door and was greeted with a mountain of laundry, each stuffed in baskets with their names on it. Nothing was organized. Cloaks and shirts were tangled in a shapeless mess, socks and trousers were twisted together, and some of them were overflowing.

His jaw tightened as he pressed his lips together.

If Yami thought he could get him to do their laundry, he was sorely mistaken.

Langris was not a servant!

But he couldn't give up, either. Giving up meant losing. Giving up meant being compared to Finral. And giving up meant that Yami could write whatever he wanted on the evaluation. So Langris took a reluctant step forward. The room was cramped, and even with the window propped open, it couldn't erase the sour dampness lingering in the air. Maybe it was just his imagination, but everything looked disgusting.

Of course Yami would make his last day miserable.

He walked to Finral's basket first.

Aside from his name, it had some recognizable noble attire and casual outfits Langris had seen him wear. He picked up the one on top and a folded note fell on the floor. Langris tossed the piece of clothing back and picked up the paper. He unfolded it and froze.

It was Yami's stupid handwriting.

You think I'd let you do the laundry?

Relax. Go clean the library.

Yami guided him to the laundry room, making him think he would have to wash their dirty clothes, only to trick him into something else. Captain Vangeance would never! He stomped away and went upstairs. Yami must've known he already knew where the library was thanks to Vanessa, because he didn't find any more notes in the walls or doors.

The library was a much better workplace than the laundry room.

It was still cramped and dim, with shelves caked in dust and old books that haven't been touched in years. But he would rather clean this than a bunch of dirty laundry baskets. Langris walked further in and saw a bucket full of water and a rag by the open window.

Yami must've left it, knowing Langris would arrive.

"The merits better be worth it."

He sighed, picked up the rag, and went to work.

oOo

By the time Langris finished cleaning the library, it was long past lunchtime.

Fearful that he might run into the rest of the Bulls somewhere downstairs, Langris decided to go up another floor towards the playroom. He just needed to get the rest of the list done before he could retire for the day.

There wasn't anything interesting in the room other than the torture devices on display.

It wasn't even captivating enough to keep Langris' attention, but it was certainly peaceful enough for Langris to stay.

He occupied an armrest by the dark corner and sat down. It was oddly comfortable. But maybe that was his exhaustion talking. He prided himself in having good stamina, but cleaning was far below his pay grade. He had never been asked to clean anything before. He had servants for that. As a knight, Langris never needed to do lower-end jobs because his magic was so strong and his noble status was too high.

But Yami cared for none of that.

Langris’ hands ached from cleaning every shelf and polishing the grimy windows. He didn't bother with the old tomes with cracked spines and yellow pages, those were too delicate to touch. He only bothered cleaning the books that might've been useful. That way, Yami wouldn't claim that Langris didn't do a good job of it. He left the dirty bucket water and rag in the library.

He did his work, that should've been enough.

So he crossed them out.

• Clean the base
• Enjoy the playroom

It was time for a well needed break.

He curled up slightly, leaning to the side over the armrest. The silence lulled him to sleep and his body accepted it without complaint. He didn't dream, only slept enough to recover some of his exhaustion. He had about an hour and a half of rest before someone was nudging him awake. He rubbed his eyes and looked down to see a small child peeking from armrest, looking very concerned.

"You shouldn't sleep here." Charmy scolded. "It's not good for you."

Langris frowned. "I didn't realize."

"It's alright. You've had a rough day."

"How long have I—?"

"It's late in the afternoon." Charmy supplied and started tugging his sleeve. "Come with me. Captain said you've been working too hard. You even missed lunch. Missing a meal isn't good for you. You must be hungry, right?"

His stomach growled. "Maybe a little."

"Good." She tugged even harder. "I already have lunch ready for you."

Langris allowed himself to be dragged out of the playroom.

Charmy eventually let go and started walking ahead of him. There was a small prance to her step as she explained the meal he missed. He would've refused, but Charmy was the least problematic of the Black Bulls. And his last task was to cook with her, so he was just hitting the last bird for all the merit rewards until he could go back to the Golden Dawn.

They eventually reached the dining hall.

"Here." Charmy pushed him to an empty seat. "You eat first."

The sheep cooks arrived with trays of delicacies for his picking. They attended to his every need. They set up his plate and utensils, added placemats and table cloths. They offered him a glass of wine, as well as other beverage options. Main courses and side dishes were placed in front of him, making it easy for him to reach. Basically there was nothing that they didn't bring him.

"See," Charmy smiled. "You missed a lot at lunch."

"I did." Langris noticed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Charmy looked very proud when Langris started picking his favorites. She sent the sheep cooks to get herself a plate and she ate across from Langris at the table. They shared their meal in silence. It was oddly relaxing, and much better than whatever his morning was. It was only after the end of the meal that Charmy decided to speak up.

"Is it true?"

"What's true?"

"Captain said you'll help me cook."

"It's on his list." Langris nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Do you even know how?"

"Yes." He wasn't a chef, but if he was alone, he could certainly survive and feed himself. "We had tutors for the basics of cooking and baking."

"That's great." Charmy praised. "You and Finral really are alike."

Langris tensed at that.

"We'll do some baking." She got up and gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen. "You like cherry, right? Why don't we do a chocolate cherry cake."

"For what occasion?"

"For you, silly." She giggled. "This is your last day. You might as well enjoy something tasty."

"Couldn't you just buy one and call it a day?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

Langris never claimed to understand them, and he probably never will. So he opted to just follow Charmy and listen to her instructions. He was given an apron and the baking started. Surprisingly, no one interrupted them. Langris thought he would have an equally unpleasant time, but it was actually oddly relaxing. It felt like a daycare with Charmy right next to him, but she was good to him.

Compared to the last couple of days, this might be one of the highlights.

"Now we just have to wait for it to bake." Charmy looked pleased. "I can take care of the rest."

"Are you sure you don't need more help?"

"I'm good." She nudged him away. "You go clean up. I'll get you a slice later."

Langris did as he was told.

• Cook with Charmy

He finally crossed out the last one on the list and looked proud of himself.

Langris was exhausted, but it was worth it.

He just needed to find Yami and be smug about it. He hated being compared to Finral. His brother was lazy and didn't do much work, but Langris could finish his tasks just fine. It was humiliating, but at least he made this trade successful.

Captain Vangeance would be proud of him.

Langris went to the living room to deliver the list to Yami.

But he never realized how quick his peace would be shattered when the rest of the Black Bulls invaded his personal space. Once again, they found him as their source of entertainment. He wasn't even past the doorway yet when they began tugging him into the living room talking about some sort of last day celebration.

"Langris!" Vanessa cooed. "Come spend your last day with us."

"That's right." Grey, in Finral's form, agreed. "We have everything ready for tonight's party."

"Let's... celebrate." Henry joined in.

"Congrats on making it this far." Vanessa laughed. "We knew you could do it."

Vanessa was a little more sober, but she was still in her underwear. At last she had the decency to put on her robes this time, but it did nothing to hide anything other than her shoulders. Gordon still had that offending replica doll in his hands, offering it once more even if he said he didn't want it. Grey was in Finral's form this time, wearing a party hat and holding a noise maker in hand. Henry's room had apparently moved downstairs through an opening in the wall, and he was draining everyone's mana.

And Yami...

Yami was on the couch, still reading the same newspaper from this morning.

All the relaxation with Charmy flew out the window.

It was replaced by his irritated exhaustion.

He finally snapped.

"I had enough of you all!" Langris yelled at the top of his lungs, making them back away from him. "I've tolerated you all for the sake of this stupid squad trade and I've had it!"

"Come on, Langris." Vanessa tried to calm him down. "It's just a bit of fun."

"It's always a game to you!" He rounded on her first. "You're an old woman! Have some self respect! I don't care what you do on your spare time, but keep me out of it! Don't touch me and put proper clothes on! You should be glad I'm not writing you up for your improper behavior against me! And you—" 

He turned to Gordon.

"Don't think I can't hear you muttering. That's all I can hear! Speak louder! No one in this base understands you! I already told you I don't want the doll, either. Are you deaf, too? Why can't you understand that?"

Grey stepped up, using Finral's form to appease him. "Langris, that's enough. You're scaring everyone—"

"I've had enough of you copying everything and everyone." Langris narrowed his eyes at Grey. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop it? You're not funny! And you're certainly not fooling anyone! Go copy a stool if it'll keep you from bothering anyone."

He turned to Henry, but paused.

"You... you have an excuse."

"What's with all the noise?" Charmy popped out from the doorway. "I could hear it all the way from the kitchen."

"You!" Langris turned to her and pointed with shaky fingers. "You're fine, but you're a waste as a Magic Knight! You can kill better as a chef than if you were on duty!"

Langris was seething with frustration.

This place was getting to him— it had to be some kind of fumes in the air. He wasn't used to this place and its people. Everyone was too friendly, too close, too personal, and too suffocating. Too kind. Langris was used to distance, to extreme effort before receiving rewards, he was used to being pushed away in favor of nicer people, and so good at hiding how he felt and protecting his reputation.

But here, no one cared for it.

It was driving him mad.

All their flaws were on display, but none of it mattered. All they cared about was having a good time and just... living. But Langris couldn't afford to feel that way. He was burdened with too much to even give it any thought.

Now, Langris felt exposed.

His true nature was showing.

The scared, lonely, overburdened son was on display, full of repressed anger and frustration. He hid behind a cheerful persona, protecting himself with sarcastic remarks and barking targeted attacks first, before they did the same. He hated it. He hated everyone here. He hated how easy it was for them to be that way, to be themselves, to be failures and still accept each another.

He hated that he was here.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted to hide.

He wanted the familiar distant comfort he was used to.

Not this. Whatever this was.

"I'm done." Langris strained to keep his voice steady as he walked over to Yami to hand him the paper. "I did your so-called missions. I expect our deal to be upheld. If you would excuse me, I'd like to spend the remainder of my time here in my room. Alone and without any disturbances."

Tomorrow morning, he could finally go back to the Golden Dawn.

Without another word, Langris walked out.

oOo

Yami stared at the paper in silence.

The kid didn't have to do all of this, but he did a damn good job of it anyway. Yami would've praised him, if it wasn't for that outburst. It was deserved though. He knew Langris was already overwhelmed and uncomfortable. He could sense it all over his Ki. But he thought Charmy would've worked it out of his system.

Apparently Langris was hiding more than he let on.

Kid wasn't that different from Finral after all.

"Guess I underestimated him." He tossed the paper aside and lit a cigarette. "...still an ass though."

But he fit right in.

"Will Langris be okay?" Charmy asked.

"We overdid it." Yami blew out a puff of smoke. "Just stay out of his way for the rest of the night."

"But what about dinner?"

"You can leave it as his door for later."

Langris didn't realize it, but he fit right in with the Bulls. If his head wasn't so far up his ass or if he wasn't so stuck in his own reality, he would've made a great addition to the team. Yami believed in each and every one of his people. If Vangeance hadn't taken Langris, Yami probably would... and maybe knock some sense into him sooner. Yami knew Langris was hiding behind his overconfidence to hide his insecurities.

It was just too obvious.

Vanessa pouted. "You said he'd get used to us, Captain."

"Yeah," Yami shrugged. "But I didn't say to traumatize him. That's on you."

"What's traumatizing about what we did?"

"If you don't know, I'm not telling."

"He's so... unhappy." Henry pointed out. "Should we... apologize?"

Charmy raised her hand. "Can I give him more cherry tarts to make it all better?"

"Just leave him alone." Yami advised them. "He'll calm down eventually. Finral should be back tomorrow and we can pretend none of this ever happened."

"But Captain," Vanessa frowned. "You really think Langris won't say anything to Captain Vangeance?"

"You that worried he'll write you up for harassment?"

"No. He's the one that called me old."

"Don't worry about it."

"But—"

"If he wants to keep his dignity, he'll shut up."

With that said, Yami decided he had enough chaos for one night and snuffed out his cigarette. He got up, dusted himself, and went straight for the door. He overdid it with the chores, but Langris pulled through and did what he was told to do. Kid even cleaned the library to the point where it knocked him asleep in the playroom.

That made Yami respect him more.

"Yami," Grey, still in Finral's form, asked. "Where are you going?"

"Paperwork." He excused. "A promise is a promise."

Langris snapping at everyone wasn't any different from Gauche yelling at the others or Grey making fun of people. The kid fit right in. So technically, the trade worked perfectly. If Langris would just relax a little, he would know there was nothing to worry about.

Yami snickered.

"What Vangeance won't know won't hurt him."

Too bad he would never know that he had a menacing kid in his hands.

Langris had a lot of potential as a Magic Knight. He had the mana for it and a strong-willed character to handle anything thrown at him. Yami could see it. Kid would reach the top if he kept up his efforts. All he needed to do was keep that temper in check and lose the high noble attitude.

But eh...

That was Vangeance's problem now.