Both of them stayed there together, enjoying the serene moment as they watched the horizon.
After Orchid stopped crying, she remained seated on Rei's lap, her gaze fixed on the horizon. But this time, she wasn't silent. She was humming softly, swaying her legs happily, clearly in a much better mood.
Rei continued to gently pat her head from behind, the atmosphere between them comfortable and peaceful.
It felt like nothing could disturb this moment—until Rei suddenly sensed multiple presences boarding the Grandcypher.
"Rei! You're back!" Lyria's cheerful voice broke the quiet, accompanied by the sound of running footsteps approaching them.
Rei turned to face her. "What's wrong, Lyria?"
Following behind her was a larger group: Djeeta, Katalina, Sandalphon, Halluel, Malluel, and several others. Rackam was noticeably absent, likely still tinkering with the Grandcypher's engine.
However, Rei's attention was quickly drawn to two unfamiliar faces.
One was a girl with long brown hair, blue eyes, and a uniform that exposed her shoulders and midriff, a sword resting at her side.
[IMAGE]
The other was a much shorter girl with blonde twin tails, yellow eyes, and a similar uniform. Despite her petite stature, her curvaceous figure, especially her really big chest, made her stand out.
[IMAGE]
"Is this the person everyone's been waiting for?" the taller girl asked, her eyes locking onto Rei.
"Yeah. Rei, this is Monika and Lecia," Djeeta explained. "They're from the Crew of Enforcers, and they said they wanted to tell us something important."
"We ran into them while shopping," Katalina added. "We told them to wait so you could hear it too."
"I see." Rei turned back to Orchid. "Sorry, Orchid. Looks like we need to stop for now."
"Hmm," she replied with a small nod. Though her expression betrayed her reluctance, she got up and stepped aside.
Rei noticed her disappointment and gently patted her head again. "Don't worry. If you ever want to watch the horizon together again, just ask me."
Orchid's lips curled into a faint smile. She nodded, her mood visibly lifting at his reassurance.
With that, Rei stood and approached the group. His expression turned serious as he immediately addressed the new arrivals.
"Is this about Black Knight?"
Lecia's eyes widened slightly as she examined him. "Hmm, your appearance is… unique. I've never seen someone with features like yours before."
"Lecia, focus," Monika said, nudging her companion gently but firmly.
Lecia cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "Ah, yes. We've come to ask for the Danchou crew's help with interrogating the Black Knight, also known as Apollonia."
"S-So… she's in your custody?" Eugen asked, his tone a mix of surprise and concern.
"Yes," Monika confirmed. "Her questioning is scheduled to take place at our base on Amalthea Island."
"We respectfully request that you accompany us," Lecia added, her tone formal.
The group exchanged glances, clearly suspicious of why Monika and Lecia would need their help with something as significant as interrogating the Black Knight. After all, as members of the Crew of Enforcers, wasn't it their job to safeguard the Phantagrande Skydom? Why involve outsiders they'd never met before?
Katalina decided to voice what everyone was thinking. "Why us? I mean, this is the first time you've met us, right?"
"That's a fair question," Lecia admitted with a small nod. "We know your crew has been involved with the Black Knight in the past, so we thought your prior experience might be useful during the interrogation."
"And we're not relying on you alone," Monika added. "We've also brought Tzaka the Great, the Archduke of the Valtz Duchy, to assist."
Io's eyes widened in surprise. "Teacher!? He's there too?"
"Yes, you're Io right ? We also need his account of what happened in the Valtz Duchy," Lecia confirmed.
The conversation continued, with most of the group engaged in discussing logistics and plans. However, Eugen stood silently to the side, his expression clouded with worry.
Rei noticed this and wasn't surprised—after all, he knew the truth. Apollonia wasn't just a knight or a foe to Eugen; she was his daughter. It was a family matter Rei had no intention of interfering in.
Interrupting the discussion, Rei addressed Monika and Lecia. "Excuse me. Monika and Lecia, may I ask a question?"
"Of course," Lecia said, turning to him.
"Is the reason you captured Apollonia related to the Erste Empire?"
"Eh… yes," Lecia replied, her expression puzzled. "They informed us she was involved in some unjust and evil deeds, so they instructed us to capture her and separate her from the little girl she had kidnapped."
Monika remained silent, observing the conversation with a sharp gaze.
"Did they mention the name of this little girl?" Rei asked.
Lecia furrowed her brow, trying to recall. "I… don't think they ever tell her name…"
"Tools," Monika interjected, her voice steady and serious.
"That… sounds familiar," Lyria said, her tone uncertain but concerned.
"They referred to her as 'Tools,'" Monika repeated, her expression grave.
"That definitely sounds familiar." Lyria said again.
Realization began to dawn on Lecia's face. "Wait… don't tell me…"
Rei turned to Orchid, who was still sitting quietly where he had left her. "Orchid, come here, please."
"Hm?" She looked up and quickly made her way to him.
When she reached him, Rei gently grabbed her shoulders and positioned her in front of him. "Is this the girl you were told about?"
Monika and Lecia staring at Orchid closely, their gazes moving from her head to her toes.
"Wait! That's her!" Lecia exclaimed in shock. "She looks so different from just two weeks ago! I didn't recognize her at all!"
"What exactly happened here?" Monika asked, her expression looks really confused but her tone is serious.
Rei sighed. "If you're here, it means the Erste Empire hasn't given your group any updated orders yet."
Katalina's eyes widened as understanding dawned. "I see… It's starting to make sense now."
"Wait, what are you all talking about?" Djeeta asked, clearly confused.
Rosetta chimed in. "It sounds like the Erste Empire hasn't had time to send the Enforcers a new order after everything that happened when they captured the Black Knight."
Rei nodded and began explaining. He recounted how the Imperial Prime Minister Freesia had manipulated the Empire, issuing false orders to capture the Black Knight and separate her with Orchid, using everyone as pawns in her schemes. She had worked behind the scenes to further her goals, framing Apollonia as a villain and kidnapping Orchid.
Through Rei's efforts, Freesia's plans were exposed, and the Erste Empire realized the truth. In the end, they surrendered and ceased their pursuit of Lyria and Orchid. However, the chaos had left the Empire too preoccupied to formally update the Enforcers or release the Black Knight.
Monika muttered under her breath, "That's… a lot to happen in just two weeks."
Rei nodded solemnly. "Apollonia still deserve to be captured for her actions, but for now we should go to her, especially since there's someone who wants to see her." he said while gently patted Orchid's hair.
"So, our next destination is Amalthea Island?" Vyrn asked, tilting his head.
"Looks like it," Rei replied.
Djeeta grinned. "Alright! Our next destination is set—let's go see the Black Knight!"
------
And so, the journey to Amalthea Island began. It was going to take them two days to get there since they weren't in any rush.
After dinner, Rei decided to visit Halluel and Malluel to check on how they were adjusting to life on the Grandcypher.
When he arrived at their room and was about to knock, the door suddenly swung open. Standing in front of him was Malluel, smiling brightly.
"Welcome, Rei!" Malluel greeted cheerfully.
"Huh, Malluel? I didn't even get the chance to knock."
"Fufufu, it's fine! Come in," she said, grabbing his hand, which was still in the air, and pulling him into the room.
Inside, Rei saw Halluel sitting on the bed, looking at him with a welcoming smile. "Welcome to our room~," she said, waving lightly.
Malluel guided him to the bed, making him sit down between the two of them. Malluel sat to his right, while Halluel settled in on his left.
"So, what can we do for you, Rei?" Halluel asked first.
"Do you need something from us?" Malluel added.
"Or do you want us to do something for you?" Both of them leaned in close, whispering into his ears at the same time.
The closeness made Rei shudder slightly; their warm breath tickled his ears, sending an involuntary chill down his spine.
"I'm just here to ask if both of you are comfortable here, and how you've been doing since joining the Grandcypher," Rei explained, trying to stay composed.
"Ehh, only that? I thought today would finally be my moment," Malluel said, pretending to sound disappointed.
"I know, right? I was hoping to see female Rei again," Halluel added, mimicking her twin.
Rei let out a small laugh. "Haha, well, I just thought you two might need more time to get used to living on the Grandcypher after coming to this timeline with me."
"You don't need to worry about us," Halluel reassured him with a smile. "Every day has been fun! Rosetta and the others have been so kind, and this morning, we even went into town for some shopping."
"Yeah! Especially mealtime~. Your cooking is so delicious, I can't get over it," Malluel added enthusiastically.
"I see. I'm glad to hear you're both enjoying yourselves," Rei said, smiling warmly as he reached out to gently caress their hair, focusing on the small wings near their heads.
"Rerrrr~," the two of them purred softly, their faces lighting up with bliss as Rei's fingers stroked their wings.
Rei found himself enjoying the feel of their wings, marveling at how soft and smooth they were. However, in his fascination, he didn't realize he was getting carried away. Archangel wings were incredibly sensitive, and he'd unknowingly wandered into dangerous territory.
"Hahhh..." Halluel and Malluel's breaths suddenly grew heavier, and their faces turned a faint shade of red.
Realizing what had just happened, Rei froze, his hand hovering mid-air as he pieced together the situation.
"Sorry about that!" Rei quickly pulled his hands back, realizing he might have gone too far.
But it seemed his apology came too late. Both Halluel and Malluel were still breathing heavily, their bodies trembling slightly. Before he could say or do anything more, Malluel suddenly lunged at him.
"Uaah!?" Rei exclaimed as Malluel pushed him down, making him fall back onto their bed. Now, Malluel was straddling him, her weight pinning him in place.
The proximity was intense—Rei could feel Malluel's warm breath brushing against his face. Looking up, he saw her gazing down at him, her eyes filled with a fiery desire that sent a shiver down his spine.
Meanwhile, Halluel shifted, lying down beside him. She leaned in closer, her blue gaze locking onto his face before inching toward his left ear. Without warning, she bit it gently, sending an electric jolt through Rei.
At the same time, Malluel leaned down, her face coming ever closer until her lips pressed firmly against his in a bold kiss.
Rei felt Malluel's tongue pressing against his own, the kiss quickly deepening as she took a more aggressive approach, trying to dominate the exchange. Her movements were bold and unrelenting, leaving him little room to think.
Meanwhile, Halluel continued to tease his ear, her soft bites turning into gentle licks, leaving a warm, tingling sensation on the spot she had just nibbled. Her heavy breaths near his ear only heightened the intensity of the moment, making Rei's senses swirl.
Seeing no way out of the situation—and admittedly not entirely resisting it—Rei sighed internally. "Oh well..." he muttered under his breath, waving a hand to create a barrier around the room. The protective magic ensured no one would be able to enter, hear, or sense what was happening inside.
With the room completely sealed off, Rei surrendered himself to the moment. The three of them spent the night together in their own little world, savoring each other's presence until the Grandcypher continued its steady journey toward Amalthea Island.