"Thanks for the work." Cecil spoke in front of his subordinate blacksmiths. "Tomorrow we will continue again."
"Yes, ma'am!" The people saluted.
"Dismissed." After saying that, Cecil just left.
Her legs moved fast. She wanted to get out of that place as soon as possible.
Outside the base, she walked towards the nearest trees, then sat behind one of them.
As usual, she had tears in her eyes. She can't stand it doing everything alone like this.
"Excuse me." Sheila's arrival surprised the blacksmith. "I hope I'm not bothering you."
"It's okay." Cecil wiped his tears. "I'm just taking a break."
"I got a report that you never came to dinner." Sheila said. "Because I'm the only woman here besides you. They asked me to check on you."
Cecil forced a smile on her face. "I just don't have an appetite."
"Okay."
They fell into an uncomfortable silence, unsure of how to break it. They hadn't known each other long, after all.
"I wouldn't pretend if I knew how you feel." Cecil sighed, then sat down under one of the trees. "So, I'm just going to tell you something."
"Alright…." Cecil raised his eyebrows.
"What I said to Sir Ashbourne was bullshit. I became a soldier, not because I love this country." Sheila chuckled. "It's just…. My mother works as…. You know, a woman who entertains men. I don't aspire to be like that."
Cecil was unsure how to react. So she chose to just keep quiet.
Sheila continued. "But I lack any other skills. Since childhood, I only played with friends. When I was a teenager, my mother urged me to do work like her. She said that I was just a freeloader."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Cecil grimaced. "It's lucky you came here."
Sheila hugged her knees. "I had no other choice. If I ran away with no skills, I would end up working like my mother. Honestly, from the start I didn't enjoy being here. Holding a spear isn't my passion, but it's better than being a prostitute."
"What's keeping you in the military?"
"Someone." Sheila smiled. "I'm not good at putting words together. The point is, I liked him while we were training. But they assigned us to different divisions after we graduated from training.
Cecil asked, "You stayed because you were sure you would meet him again?"
"That's how it is. If I run away, I will go to prison and never see him." Sheila leaned her back against the tree, looking at the darkening sky. "It took a while, but now I'm back on the same team as him."
"I'm grateful too." Cecil smiled too. "I see... Staying because of someone, huh?"
"Remember him every day. It worked for me. Maybe it will work for you, too."
"I hope so," Cecil started thinking about Lance. "Hey, is the guy you like Nathaniel Hawke?"
Sheila didn't answer, but from her red face, Cecil knew that what her guess was true.
"You're probably wondering why I like such a weak guy." Sheila chuckled. "Well, I admire his determination to get better. He is very different from me. I'm so lazy at everything."
Cecil widened her smile. "Good luck. You have my support."
***
As soon as he entered Eve's room, Lance heard a melodious humming from Ashe. The elf sat beside the witch, who was still lying in her bed.
"Oh, Lance." Ashe gave the engineer a sleepy smile. "The healer said that the calming sounds would help Eve rest."
Eve looked at Lance with dark bags in her eyes. "Hi, Lance."
Lance sat in another chair near the bed. He looked at Ashe for a moment, then turned to Eve. "I already know your secret and I want to discuss it with you. Hope you don't mind."
"Should I go?" Ashe asked.
"It's okay." Eve patted the female elf's arm. "You are already part of us. You also have the right to know."
"I know this from my mom." Lance closed his eyes. "That you are a homunculus, Eve."
Eve looked up at the ceiling, while Ashe widened her eyes.
"I should have died a year ago, when I was eighteen." Eve took a deep breath. "My father gave me various ways to prolong my life, even if only a little. But my body is at its limit, Lance."
Ashe's body shook. Her sleepy expression disappeared. "Homunculus… That forbidden magic…. Sorry, it's not my place to say that it's wrong... I was just shocked to hear this."
Lance looked at Eve's face. The witch looked paler. "Why? Why do you still want to make that powered armor with me…."
'Even though you have little time left.' Lance couldn't say that last sentence.
"I don't know." Eve answered with her usual blank expression. "Maybe I wished a life with greater purpose. I wanted to leave a memorable legacy. With that, people will always remember me."
Ashe shed tears.
Meanwhile, Lance rose to his feet. His gaze became sharper at the witch. "You are one of the most important members of this team. I will not let you die that and abandon your responsibilities. We still have a long way to go, Eve."
"No, Lance." Eve massaged her forehead. "Please, accept this reality. There's nothing you can do. Even my father, who is the greatest wizard, couldn't help me."
"I have my own ways, Eve." Lance's tone became colder. "I guarantee you will stay alive. So don't die before I carry out my plan."
Lance didn't wait for an answer. He left the room just like that. The engineer could hear the witch's sobs.
He meant it. He would not let his most important member gone.
"Your words are amazing, Lance." Ruth, who was outside, muttered. "But we can't beat fate."
Lance glanced at his mother. "Were you here all along? Did you hear everything, Mom?"
Ruth shrugged. "Maybe."
"You want to say something about that?"
"Of course." The mother took a deep breath. "I just want to say, whatever you do, be careful, Lance. This is quite a dangerous thing. Homunculus is forbidden magic. Supposedly, the government executed the practitioners and destroyed the homunculus. Sir Arthur dared to do it because he had a high position."
Lance smirked. "Just wait and see what I will do."