Meanwhile, ahead of the Grandcypher, the Grandzweiss, the flagship vessel of the Fourth Airship Squad of the Crew of Enforcers, sailed through the skies.
Inside the command room of the airship, two women stood in there.
"Hahhh..." Lecia sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping.
"What's the matter, Lecia? You can't let the other enforcers see you sighing like that," Monika said from behind her, crossing her arms.
"Captain Monika! I'm terribly sorry!" Lecia exclaimed, startled as she turned to face Monika, not expecting her presence.
"Seriously... How many times have I told you to quit calling me that? The captain of the Fourth Airship Squad—the squadron that patrols the entirety of the Phantagrande Skydom—that's you now," Monika replied with a shake of her head.
"R-right!" Lecia stammered, recalling that she was no longer Monika's vice-captain but had taken over as leader.
"So, what were you thinking about that made you sigh so deeply? Is it about... that?" Monika asked, sitting down in one of the chairs.
"Yes... We made a terrible mistake capturing the Black Knight without conducting a proper investigation," Lecia admitted, her voice tinged with regret.
"We should have investigated the case thoroughly, questioned everyone involved, even my father, but instead, we blindly followed orders. And now, we've discovered it was all a mistake..."
Monika remained silent, allowing Lecia to speak her thoughts.
"It's barely been any time since I became captain, and I've already made such a grave mistake. What if I'm not cut out for this role?" Lecia asked, her voice trembling.
"Lecia... Mistakes happen, whether you want them to or not. As captain, your job is to learn from them and ensure they aren't repeated. Even when I was your captain, I made mistakes too. Don't you remember?" Monika said, offering her a reassuring smile.
Hearing this, Lecia paused and remembered. It was true; Monika had also made errors during her time as captain.
"Your notebook..." Lecia murmured softly, as if recalling something.
"That's right. Whenever I made a mistake, I'd write it down in my notebook to ensure I wouldn't repeat it. As a captain, your decisions determine whether your crew comes back alive or not. You need to stay calm and focused," Monika explained, her tone firm yet kind.
Lecia stayed quiet for a moment, absorbing Monika's words, before finally nodding with determination.
"Yeah... You're right, Monika. Thank you. I'll make sure not to repeat this mistake again," she said confidently.
"Hmm, that's more like it. Good job, Lecia," Monika said with a proud nod.
Changing the subject, Monika asked, "So, what do you think about the crew we encountered earlier?"
"You mean Djeeta's crew? They're very interesting, especially their captain. She has a certain optimistic quality," Lecia replied, thinking back to their interaction.
"And not to mention, the eyes of someone who can get things done," she added with a thoughtful tone.
"But it seems like everyone in that crew heavily depends on that man," Monika remarked, recalling Rei.
Hearing that, Lecia's thoughts drifted to Rei as well—the man with silver hair, sky-blue eyes, and a presence that stood out even in the vast skies of the Sky Realm.
"Yeah, his name is Rei, right? When we met them in town we tried to tell them about black knight, but they said they could only answer after Rei returned."
"Their captain seems to rely on him a lot, even though she's the leader," Lecia observed.
"Well, he probably has excellent decision-making skills or something, which explains why their crew depends on him so much. We'll get to know them better when they visit," Monika said, leaning back in her chair.
The two continued their conversation for quite some time, their bond as captain and former captain evident in their discussions.
Eventually, the ships reached their destination—Amalthea Island.
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An island used as headquarters for the Crew of Enforcers' Fourth Fleet, which oversees the Phantagrande Skydom.
[IMAGE]
The entire island belongs to the Fourth Fleet, and almost all of its inhabitants are members of the Crew of Enforcers or are related to the crew and its activities.
The area is becoming well-known for second chances, as there are many stories of people who found work here after being captured by the Crew of Enforcers and choosing to turn their lives around.
"Huh, this place is really unique, with how the town is built so high on the mountain," Rei said, looking down from the Grandcypher at the town on Amalthea Island.
Amalthea's town was perched at an impressive height, even higher than the other mountains on the island.
[IMAGE]
"Yeah, this town is really high up," Djeeta agreed, gazing at the scenery.
"From what I've heard, they purposely built their town this high because, as one of the safest places in the Sky Realm, being on higher ground gives them an advantage—monsters can't easily infiltrate the town," Katalina explained.
"That's amazing! So the people living there don't have to worry about random monsters sneaking in," Lyria said, her voice filled with amazement.
The Grandcypher finally landed on Amalthea Island, following closely behind the Grandzweiss.
Thanks to Lecia and Monika, they didn't need to land in the town first. Instead, they were permitted to land directly at the Enforcers' headquarters.
"Wow, seeing your headquarters up close like this, it's really huge. How many people live here, anyway?" Vyrn asked, walking beside Monika and Lecia.
"There are a lot of people living here, and even more stationed outside the island," Lecia answered proudly.
As they walked toward the room where Tzaka awaited, Djeeta and the others continued asking questions about the Enforcers, while Rei spoke quietly with Orchid.
Only Djeeta, Lyria, Orchid, Rei, Vyrn, Katalina, Io, and Eugen had come along. The rest of the crew stayed aboard the Grandcypher, having no particular reason to follow. Especially Halluel and Malluel, who were still sound asleep after their activities with Rei.
"You look tense, Orchid. I remember a year ago you asked me to find her," Rei teased as Orchid walked beside him, her gaze fixed straight ahead and her body visibly stiff.
"...I just don't know what I'm going to do when I meet her," Orchid replied softly.
"From the moment we first met, she's always treated me like a doll—giving orders and nothing else. I mean, sometimes she was kind to me, but I'm pretty sure it's only because I'm using her friend's body," she added, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Then you should tell her that when you meet her," Rei said, reaching out to gently caress her long white hair.
"Tell her that you're Orchid, not a doll. That you're not her tool. Tell her that you'll return this body to Orchis and be reborn as someone new."
"...Yeah. I'll tell her all of that," Orchid nodded, her resolve firming. Then, after a pause, she added, "Also... have you finished making my body yet?"
"Not yet. I'm still working on the structure and core, but it won't take long—probably a few more days."
"I see... Can I make a request for my body?"
"A request? Sure. Do you want to be taller?" Rei asked with a teasing grin.
"No, my current height is fine. I want to grow normally. But... can you make it look like this body?"
"Huh? You don't want to change it?" Rei asked, surprised.
"Yes. I've grown used to this body. And besides..." Orchid smiled faintly, "You're always saying how much you like my long white hair."
Rei blinked, caught off guard by her response, but before he could say anything, Orchid added, "But I can't be too similar to Orchis, so... can you make my eyes blue? Like yours and Lyria's?"
"Sure. That's not a problem at all," Rei replied warmly.
With that, the two of them continued walking hand in hand toward Tzaka's room.
And so, they arrived in front of a room after walking past many people who greeted Monika and Lecia along the way.
Before they could knock, Io suddenly slammed the door open. "TEACHER, I'M HERE!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Io!?" Tzaka, who was sitting and drinking, looked surprised to see Io burst in so suddenly.
Io ran toward him and tackled him into a hug. "Is your wound all healed, Teacher? Last time we met, you were still stuck in bed recovering!"
"Haha, of course. My body heals quickly, so that kind of wound just needed a little rest," Tzaka replied, hugging her back warmly.
While embracing Io, Tzaka glanced at the others entering the room, his eyes landing on Rei.
"You're Rei, right? Too bad you were unconscious when you left the island, so we couldn't really talk," Tzaka said, addressing Rei.
"Haha, yeah. That fight with Colossus was too much for me. If I didn't have Io's help, I'm not sure I could've beaten him," Rei admitted with a small laugh.
After a moment, Io, now satisfied, let go of Tzaka and stepped back.
"I'll check the office to see if the letter has arrived yet," Monika said to the group. "Lecia, you can stay here to hear what happened in Valtz Duchy. I'll handle the rest."
With that, Monika left the room, heading back to her office.
"So, Io, did you enjoy your journey?" Tzaka asked his student with a kind smile.
"Yes! Even though we fought primal beasts, people, and monsters, traveling with everyone has been so much fun. I can also feel my magic getting stronger!" Io replied excitedly.
"I see. Then my decision to let you go with them was the right one. Magic isn't just about practicing spells; it requires real experience and appreciation," Tzaka said proudly.
"By the way, can I ask what exactly happened in Valtz Duchy? I'm sure the Empire's report is a lie, so I'd like to know the truth," Lecia asked.
Hearing this, Tzaka looked toward Rei, as much of what happened was resolved thanks to him—and his secret.
"It's fine. I don't mind anymore if people know my secret," Rei said calmly.
Djeeta and the others grew tense at those words, knowing that Rei's secret was far from ordinary.
He was an Astral imbued with Archangel powers, possessing the abilities of multiple primal beasts.
"I see. Then I'll explain my side of the story first, and you can handle the rest," Tzaka said, nodding at Rei.
Lecia, confused but curious about this "secret," listened carefully as Tzaka began recounting the events. He explained how Freesia manipulated him into kidnapping Orchid and Lyria, and how he had been corrupted by Dark Essence.
Afterward, Djeeta shared her side of the story, including Rei's abilities and the appearance of his wings.
"Wha!? You mean you fought a primal beast one-on-one?!" Lecia exclaimed, her expression comically shocked.
"No, that's not the important part. You have wings?!"
"Yes, I have wings. And no, I'm not a primal beast," Rei answered with a small sigh.
"Then… what race are you?" Lecia asked, confused.
"Well, all I can say is I'm not a primal beast. Even if I told you my race, you wouldn't believe it," Rei replied vaguely.
Just as he said that, the door opened again, and Monika walked in holding an opened letter.
"Try me, then. You haven't even said it yet, and you're already assuming we won't believe you," Monika said, walking toward them.
"Monika, did you get the letter?" Lecia asked.
"Yes, it's from the Erste Empire. But honestly, I'm more interested in your conversation here. You're not a primal beast or a human? Then what are you? I don't know of any race that looks so human besides primal beasts," Monika said, looking directly at Rei.
Hearing this, Rei glanced toward Djeeta and the others, as if waiting for their input.
"It's your choice, Rei. If you want to tell them, it's fine by me," Djeeta said with a reassuring smile.
"Me too," Lyria chimed in, smiling as well.
The rest of the group nodded in agreement, showing their support.
"I see," Rei said, turning back toward Lecia, Monika, and Tzaka. "I'm an Astral."
".....what?"