Chapter 45: Building Ties

School doesn't immediately let out for spring break right after the End of Term Gala– there are still loose ends for the faculty to tie up and assignments to hand out. Students need to send letters informing their parents that they are going home, last minute work submitted and graded, and plans made for the immediate future.

Olivia writes home to Freycross, with assurances of her safety as well as various souvenirs bought with her own money that she earned through dungeon diving as well as gifts contributed by her friends– ranging from new clothes to tasty snack foods to various helpful knick-knacks that she might need for her every day chores. Leon outright hands her small pouch of gold coins, no questions asked. She blushes cutely and quietly takes it.

Daniel, Raymond, and the rest of his men all promise to come visit when they can though Leon reminds them that they have responsibilities to their own households before him. They would meet again in three weeks anyway– better spend that time with their families or doing their duties as heirs.

Chris in particular comes up to Leon with a particular request.

"You want to bring Sybil with you?" the reincarnate blinks.

"It wouldn't be too long. A few days at least, a week at most." the Arclight heir nods. "No harm will befall her in that time, I swear upon my name and position as heir of House Arclight."

"Easy Chris; no need to get all pompous about it." Leon chuckles, patting his shoulder. "I'm not against it– you can bring my mechanic with you as long as you bring her back. But I'll have to ask why you want to bring her with you in the first place."

The swordsman looks away, his face conflicted.

"...after the farce that was Julius' duel, I have decided to bring the matter of my relationship with Sybil to my betrothed." Chris admits. "I do not want to suffer through another mess like that. Selfish though it may be, I would very much like to part with my fiance amicably and not cause another upset that would put the Kingdom's future in danger."

Leon watches him with the sort of sharpness and depth that Leos Klein once had, before cracking a smile and reaching out to squeeze his shoulder.

"Now that's the kind of thinking I expect out of a Founding Heir." Leon says, proud. "You've got my permission to bring Sybil with you– on two conditions."

"Name them." Chris nods.

"First and foremost, she stays safe." Leon says. "And second, she takes my Armor to continue with her repair efforts."

"Hah. Her chase with the wrench still on your mind?" Chris smirks.

"I gave her three hits on the head with that thing and she still wasn't satisfied. Fucking hell, she was a terror." Leon shudders. "Hopefully you'll have better luck in reining her in."

"Leave it to me." Chris nods, then looks him over. "Are you going somewhere, Leon? You look too well-dressed for after-school hours."

"Oh, don't mind me. I have a meeting-cum-dinner with Duke Redgrave and Minister Atlee." Leon shrugs. "Hopefully it won't be anything significant."

=X=X=X=X=X=

King's Haven is an upclass restaurant in the Holfortan capital, famed for being a hangout den for the previous King of Holfort in between his duties. Now its notoriety is known throughout the kingdom, and such is its popularity that only high-ranked nobles make up its clientele– with reservations needing to be made weeks ahead of time if one were to dine in.

Luckily, Vincent Rafa Redgrave is good friends with the establishment's owner and he was more than happy to accommodate him.

He, Bernard, and Lord Bartford sit at a private table now with a clear view of the stage and the performers on it. A waitress comes and takes their orders, the meal having been paid for ahead of time.

The Duke and Earl both smile approvingly at Leon as he attempts to cover the bill, looking flustered when the waitress tells him that it's already been paid for. Considerate on top of his various other attributes too– how fitting. Vincent knows Angelica would like him very much; even as allies she had expressed fondness for the boy that surpassed even Mylene's son. Though, considering the situation at the time, that thing was no high bar to clear.

"I really should learn to expect this by now." the young man sighs. "First it was with Gilbert, and now with his and Clarice's fathers. Pardon my language my lords, but you have a knack for making people feel inadequate."

"We wouldn't be in our positions today if we couldn't, my boy." Bernard chuckles. "Makes it hard to cow our opposition, hm?"

"You make men quiet down and look away with mere looks. I'm jealous." the young man laughs. Vincent laughs with him.

"It will come to you in time, Bartford. Already I see you figuring out the basics– now all you need is time and experience." the Redgrave head smiles. "Although, given your time in the military, both would be vastly shortened."

"One can only hope." he sighs. "Well then, allow me to express my gratitude for being treated to a meal in such an establishment. My lords do humble this lowly viscount with your generosity and kindness."

"You are most welcome, young man." Bernard nods, and Vincent mimics the gesture. "But alas, this is not entirely an altruistic endeavor."

"I figured as much." Leon sighs. Vincent trades looks with the Atlee head. "I don't suppose it has something to do with my 'punishment', does it?"

"I'm afraid so." Vincent nods. "The matter concerns your informal exile to your territory for the duration of the summer break. While many in the court believe you to be an honorable young man, equally as many want assurance that you won't just hop on a ship and sail off on some merry adventure as many of your peers would most likely do."

"We were among those that believed in your maturity and honor, young man– youthful hot-bloodedness aside, you have proven yourself more than capable of following orders." Bernard continues. "But it would assure many in the court to place minders with you; to make sure you follow through with the royal order."

"What faith the court has in me, the boy who was enlisted against his will and contributed significantly in following orders to conquer two separate Kingdoms." the young man drawls, voice flat and utterly insincere. "Their worries are very well founded and logical, I can scarcely find a fault in their reasoning. Truly, the members of the court are wise."

Vincent laughs, all too familiar with the stupidity that the court could show just as tired of their nonsense as Bartford is. Beside him, Bernard also laughs– though a little more restrained thanthe Redgrave head, the humor in his voice is no less genuine. They commiserate with the young man in a way only like-minded souls and kindred spirits could, having gone through similar experiences themselves.

"Yes, well," Bernard coughs, reaching into his coat and offering Bartford an envelope with a royal seal. "It is the court's decision all the same. We expect you to comply with it."

He takes the letter, checks the authenticity of its seal, and opens the seal to read the letter within. He nods.

"Alright, it looks legitimate." he confirms. "Will I be introduced to my minders soon, then?"

"Oh, you already have." Vincent nods.

"Lord Redgrave has graciously volunteered his daughter to be your minder." Bernard smiles. "I believe he has told her this already and you have accepted her request to visit your residence."

"...I see why you are deserving of your rank, Lord Redgrave." Leon nods. "Rest assured, your daughter will be in good hands just as I will be in hers."

"Good. I expect as much from a young man as accomplished as you, Lord Bartford." the older man says. "And… I suppose this may sound selfish, but recent events have taken their toll on her even though she does not outwardly show it. Some time away from politics and the stiffness of nobility would do her well, I think."

"A father wanting the best for his daughter is nothing selfish. In my time serving in the Royal Army, plenty of fathers have gushed about wanting the world for their children– it would be silly to expect anything different simply because they are ranked higher in society." Bartford levels him an understanding look. "You are a good father, Lord Redgrave."

Vincent nods, not needing to verbalize his thanks.

"And as a fellow father, I would like to thank you again for looking after my daughter, Lord Bartford." Bernard nods. "She takes after me a little too much for my liking, to the point where I feared she would self-destruct to cope with the pain of what's happened between her and the Marmoria boy. Your efforts have done much to assure me of her well-being."

"It was no trouble at all, Lord Atlee." the young man nods.

"Please, Bernard's fine." the Atlee head nods.

"And Vincent for me." Vincent smiles. "I shan't be outdone in showing my thanks for what you did for Angelica."

"Then it is only right that both of you call me Leon, then." the young man smiles. "On the topic of daughters, Lord Bernard, Clarice isn't going to…?"

"I have given orders to her followers to prevent her from tagging along with you, but she has her mothers' flightiness– no doubt she is already plotting to come with you and act as a minder in her own capacity." the balding man sighs, and Vincent can't help but pat his back. "I love her dearly and respect her choices, but I still worry. So I would like to humbly request that you continue to look after her, Leon."

"You needn't have asked, Lord Bernard– I'll keep her out of trouble." Leon nods at Vincent. "The same with Angelica."

"Thank you, son." Vincent sighs. "Your efforts are wasted on border patrol and pirate hunting– what else would the court have Mylene send you out on?"

"I am to be sent out to crush sky pirates, then?" Leon blinks.

"Hopefully. Word in the court is that a royal vessel hauling important cargo from the Lura holdings disappeared not too long ago. Many suspect it to be the work of sky pirates." Vincent grunts. "Given your skills and experience though, I doubt they would trouble you much."

=X=X=X=X=X=

Hustler One stares at the strawberry blonde standing in front of her, luggage at her feet and arms crossed. She wears a defiant look, but the bead of sweat rolling down her face gives away her true thoughts. The A.I sighs and wonders once more why it had agreed to work with its old archenemy.

"Might I ask what you're doing on my ship, Lady Atlee?" Hustler One sighs.

"I wanna surprise your master when he comes aboard and tagalong with him, Angie, and Livia." the blonde says, straight and to the point. "I'll pay you a pretty Dia to keep your mouth shut and for lodgings."

"Have you spoken to your father about this?" the A.I asks, already feeling the digital equivalent of a headache coming. It wasn't even programmed to feel pain, but interacting with New Humans has seemingly given it this power. It hates it. "While I am more than willing to mess with my employer and lord on occasion, I don't want to deal with possible repercussions of effectively smuggling out an Earl's daughter."

"Ah, good point. Well, I can tell you that my dad is pretty okay with a lot of what I do as long as it doesn't hurt me, other people, and doesn't embarrass him too much." the young woman says, rather flippantly. "I already asked him, and he said yes."

Hustler One stares at her.

"...okay, so it might've been vague about it and didn't mention how I'd be handling it." the Atlee heiress admits, pouting. "But he didn't say no, either."

"That's not a–" Hustler One facepalms, rubbing its gynoid-self's face. "Let me rephrase the question; does your father know about you not going back to the Atlee earldom for the next few weeks?'

"Ahh. Well, I let slip that I wouldn't be coming home and that I'd be spending the break with friends. I just didn't say that a male friend would be among them." Clarice grins. "He knows I'm smart enough with my money to keep myself covered for a while, moreso if I budget what I got and go dungeoneering in between; I'm sure he'll not say anything."

"He better not. I've been running a tight ship here, I don't want an Earl to level a complaint just because his daughter was being particularly venturesome." Hustler One grumps.

This annoyance had Leon's handiwork all over it, even if he didn't do this intentionally. Stupid human and his dumb charm managing to seduce so many pretty women with great figures and blonde hair when Hustler One itself was right here and–

Hustler sighs. Damn it, there was that stupid glitch again. It seriously has to run a more thorough scan to find and fix it.

"So…?" the girl in front of her ventures. "Is that a yes or no?"

The A.I turns back to the Atlee heiress. She tries to look disinterested with her arms crossed and head tilted back and away, but the anxiousness in her eyes and the tenseness of her stance betray her true feelings. Something petty wells up in Hustler One's system, the A.I quickly identifying it as 'jealousy'. Odd, how could that be the emotion for this situation…?

Bah, more reason to do another deep scan.

"I will let you onboard. But on one condition." the gynoid says. "I want you to mess and annoy Leon throughout the flight from the capital to his holdings. You don't have to piss him off, just make him want to strangle himself."

"Hah! I like you!" Clarise laughs, holding out a hand that Hustler One takes. "Deal!"

=X=X=X=X=X=

"I despise your existence, you rusty overcompensating calculator."

//Oh come off it. You were pleasantly surprised too, don't lie."// the A.I laughs through their comms link. //Besides, you can't say this isn't a fun activity. You even have a pretty girl hanging off your arm– isn't that a fantasy for many hot-blooded young men?"//

"It would be more palatable if she isn't trying so hard to make me want to drag her into an empty janitor's closet and teach her how to play tonsil hockey, ranks be damned."

Leon plays chaperone to the three girls while Hustler in Lana Nielsen shows them around the interior of the Little Buzzard. Angelica hangs on to the gynoid's words with an almost child-like eagerness, gawking with glimmering red eyes and asking so many questions. Olivia trails after her, curious.

Clarice had latched onto Leon's arm and held on tight like a barnacle. It would've been less annoying if she hadn't started poking his scar.

"I noticed you didn't mention anything about Floatstones being present in this vessel." the ducal daughter says. "I understand that our ancestors were so much more advanced than us, but how could they have flown something made entirely of metal without magic?"

"My crew and I are still figuring that out, but our best guesses point towards some manner device that inverts the pull of gravity to an extent or powerful engines pointed downwards to both keep it aloft and propel it." Hustler explains. "Naturally, the power source is exceedingly powerful– moreso than anything this era's humanity can make. We have fallen far from the heights of the past."

"Then we'll just have to climb back up again." Olivia chirps. "We can do it as long as we keep working hard."

"D'aww, isn't she just the cutest?" Clarice giggles, watching as Angelica laughs and their guide quirk a wry smile at her. "Her optimism and cheer just makes me wanna pull her in and hug her."

"I'm certainly not stopping you." Leon shrugs with his free shoulder. "In fact, go right ahead."

"And let go of this strong arm? No chance." she purrs, her hands feeling the captive limb through his blazer. "Mmm, you're quite built aren't you? Much better than a lot of the other boys at the Academy."

"Infantry combat was harsh– the lack of mass-produced guns forced us to run through gunfire to engage enemy positions in melee. Primitive and horribly inefficient." Leon sighs. "Lost too many good men in engagements that shouldn't have happened if the army had the resources and capacity to mass-produce and field guns."

"Yeah, daddy's had that issue brought up to him by generals multiple times; the funds and materials are there but there's just no place to set up the factories and everything needed to run them." Clarice frowns. "Nobody wants to willingly contribute their land, and if they are then there's the issue of politics. The crown could just up and seize the land for it, but, well…"

"It'd ruffle too many feathers, moreso now after Julius' fuck up." Leon grunts. "And no-one in the Kingdom is willing to surrender their land, not without hefty reparations that'd cut into the funds for those factories."

"Bah, if it's not one thing it's another." Leon grumbles. "Let's move away from that though, we're out of school and finally given a chance to be proper teenagers again."

"Yeah, free as a bird; at least until the break ends." Clarice grins. "So, what'll we be doing?"

"Well, I can't go anywhere for the break so I'll be stuck on my island overseeing things." Leon says. "You three are free to do whatever."

"Can we throw a party at your place?" Clarice asks, excited. "With booze and food and hot guys?"

"...whatever within reason." Leon corrects.

"Pooh. Fine, mister 'stickler for rules'." the strawberry blonde pouts, then smirks. "But then, you've got three really pretty girls at your place for a few weeks so I guess some rules are in order~"

"Remember your dear father, Clarice." Leon tells her, voice pointed. "I might be an Earl when I graduate, but that's still a few years away. Do you really think you can chance it with an 'unproven' noble like me?"

"You're a war hero– I say that's proof enough." Clarice pulls herself closer and stands up on her tiptoes to whisper in Leon's ear. "More than enough for me."

Leon turns to her, beholding the determined look and the certainty in her gaze. Memories of his past life come to the forefront of his thoughts– of other, similar expressions worn by people who believed in him and his goals. Who thought his dreams were worth fighting and dying for, who followed him all the way to the end even as he took over Phobos.

Strung. Boyle. Remille. The rest of the Frighteners, and the others who sided with him during his attempted 'revolution' on Mars.

"You could be making a mistake." he tries, one more time. "Things could play out vastly differently than your expectations."

"...you're right. I could be making a mistake. It could play out differently than what I expected." Clarice nods, but her hold on him tightens. "But I think it would be worth it."

Notes: Things are getting spicy in Leon's love life! Will he be as incongruent as OG Leon? Or will he charge right ahead and take them for himself? Will there be a lemon next chapter?..... FIND OUT ON THE CHAPTER OF MOB!

Let's try to reach 3k stones for next week. We are making really good progress going up the rankings, and let's not stop until we get to top 3 or even possibly….. the mythical top 1? Nah, that's too much right?... But is it though?….. Well whatever, it depends on you guys!