Chapter 449: 16 Year Old Inglis and the Highland on Distance Sea (58)

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“Yes, you’re right… Though it’s frustrating how little we can actually do,” Liselotte replied.

They couldn’t make requests for rescue from the Duke’s Party or contact Charalia on their own. For days now, Mais and the remaining Highlanders had been trying to restore communication functions at the Central Research Facility, leaving them all in a waiting game.

At least the Star Princess unit was intact, but abandoning the remaining Highlanders to escape alone was not an option. Besides, they were stranded in the middle of the vast sea—Illuminus had become an isolated island with no way to reach Charalia with a single flygear.

Recently, their primary roles had been to defend the Highlanders from magic stone beasts and gather fish from the surrounding sea for everyone’s food supply. The Highlanders seemed to possess powers similar to Artifacts without the need of one, but their gentle nature made them fearful of combat. They were grateful to Leone, Liselotte, and Rafinha for taking up the role of protectors, deeply appreciative of their presence.

The city’s defense had once relied on Vilma, the head knight, and her mecha dragons. When Vilma departed with Dr. Vilkin, she left the mechs behind, but with their emergency control systems broken, they were now nothing more than statues outside the Central Research Facility.

“Let’s make sure we eat enough, especially for Rafinha’s share! We’ll be busy fishing again tomorrow, so we need to keep up our strength!” Leone said as she picked up a freshly grilled fish skewer.

Realistically, there was little else they could do.

“Yes, you’re right. We have to do what we can,” Liselotte agreed, smiling as she took another fish skewer.

Together, they kept on eating, determined to make the best of what they had.

“But still, whenever we’re on an expedition, our meals always end up being so repetitive.”

Like Rafinha, they were both getting tired of having fish three times a day. During the previous expedition to Alucard in the north, it had been dragon meat for every meal, and even then, they had quickly grown tired of it. After all that meat, now it was all fish.

“Well, I suppose fish every day is less likely to make us gain weight… probably.”

During the Alucard expedition, with nothing but meat, both Leone and Liselotte ended up gaining a bit of weight. They’d noticed only when their clothes started feeling tight—a discovery that had left them both shrieking in dismay.

It was baffling how Inglis and Rafinha could eat far more than them, meal after meal, and not gain an ounce. They couldn’t help but feel it was unfair.

“So… are we still alright this time around?” Liselotte asked, a bit anxiously.

“I-I wonder? Our clothes are different this time.”

They’d arrived in their Academy uniforms but had changed into ceremonial robes for their stay in Illuminus. Loose and unrestrictive, these garments wouldn’t show any extra weight gain.

“…”

Suddenly, they both felt a pang of unease. To be certain, they’d have to—

“…Leone, would you kindly turn away?”

“Then, Lieselotte, you face the other way?”

They each turned away from the other, gently slipping off the upper part of their ceremonial robes. Underneath were their undergarments, the same as usual. They carefully checked to see if they felt any tighter than usual or if there was any unfamiliar fullness around the edges.

“How is it, Leone?”

“So far, so good… I think. Phew…”

“Same here. What a relief.”

Just as they both let out a sigh of relief—

“Leone! Lieselotte!” Rafinha rushed back into the room, startling them so much that they ended up clutching each other, which only made the situation worse.

“Ah! O-, ooh… oho~ ohoho~! I see, so that’s how it is. Yup, that makes sense. They say closeness is a beautiful thing, after all… mmm-hmm…” Rafinha looked thoroughly convinced, nodding to herself as if she had unlocked some deep wisdom.

“Sorry to interrupt! I’ll let you two get back to it!”

“ “That’s not it!!” ”

“Pshaw, no need to hide it~!”

Rafinha said, waving her hand dismissively.

The way she did it felt oddly like an older relative, almost aunt-like. It was good to see her perked up after her earlier gloom, though.

“That’s not it!”

“We were just confirming something!”

“Yup, your love for each other, right?”

“ “NOOOO!!!!” ”

Leone and Lieselotte shouted in unison, putting all their strength into their denial.

“We were just making sure we hadn’t gained weight from eating too much!”

“Really? That’s it? I was kind of getting excited, though.”

Rafinha said, sounding a bit disappointed.

“It was just a misunderstanding! But… you do look a bit more cheerful than earlier, so that’s good, I guess—”

Rafinha’s eyes sparkled, clearly amused. In a way, this little misunderstanding wasn’t entirely a bad thing if it brought her spirits up.

“Huh? I didn’t look okay?”

“Um… well, yes… you were eating much less than usual.”

“Oh, I just got a little tired of fish. I’ll eat plenty again tomorrow.”

“We thought maybe you were holding back your tears when alone, so we wouldn’t worry…”

“Oh… well, I was a bit shocked when Glis went down, and I cried, yeah. But I’m fine now! Crying doesn’t change anything, right? Sorry for worrying you.”

Rafinha gave them a slightly embarrassed smile.

“So, were you really just out for a stroll?”

“Oh, uh… with a diving practice on the side?”

“ “D-Diving!?” ”

Leone and Lieselotte exclaimed together.

“You’re not planning to dive down and search for the Sarcophagus of Greyfriar on your own, are you?”

“That seems a bit… dangerous, doesn’t it?”

“That’s why I figured I’d practice in secret, so you wouldn’t worry!”

“ “…” ”

Well, it’s true that it sounds reckless. Leone and Lieselotte couldn’t help but try to dissuade her.

“But, think about it. If it’s Glis, once she sets her mind to do something… wouldn’t you believe she could do anything?”

“Yes, I think she might.”

“Indeed, if it were Miss Inglis… it would seem plausible simply because it’s her.”

“Right? And just before Glis went down, she told me that, since we’d been together since we were born, maybe her power had transferred to me. Like how Mr. Dragon’s strength is embedded in Glis and the Artifacts.”

“Is that even possible? I don’t really understand, but…”

“Well, considering that the dragon’s power is real and functions that way, it can’t be ruled out entirely.”

“That’s why if I learn to master it, maybe I’ll be able to dive! So, I’m practicing! It’s much better than sitting around crying, right?”

She flashed a mischievous grin.

Watching her speak with that smile, Leone and Lieselotte felt their spirits lift as if her cheer was contagious.

Rafinha was strong. Though she was likely in more pain than anyone, she held onto her belief that Inglis was alive and had already started acting on what she could do.

The reason Rafinha could stay by Inglis’ side with such calmness, without ever feeling inferior or losing herself, was because of her inner strength. That resilience, that radiance of hers, drew everyone’s admiration.

Leone and Lieselotte felt, deep down, that they wanted to follow Rafinha’s example. Despite appearances, Rafinha might actually possess the qualities of a leader—someone who could stand above others and guide them forward.

They wanted to support that smile, and at the same time, they drew strength from it. It was a feeling that inspired them both.

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