Dream

This is a memory from a black-haired, black-eyed man.

Eight years ago.

Back when "Cross·Asteros" still went by his original name, "Joseph·Slater."

The sky was cloudless in the evening, and the setting sun shone brightly on the rippling lake, but unfortunately, no one seemed to be in the mood to appreciate the beauty.

Beside the lake, a girl was sobbing, as if she had just experienced a heartbreaking cry. But the long silence and unrelenting sobs suggested that the crying was far from over.

"How long do you plan to cry? The dead won't come back. If you continue like this, you'll only become more and more decadent."

The blond boy next to the girl broke the stalemate with a statement that wasn't very comforting, but all he got in response was the girl's renewed wailing...

On the outskirts of the Grantiya Empire, there was a special place that could be reached by passing through a dense forest. There was a clear small lake there. Next to the lake was a makeshift wooden house made of branches, which, though crude, was probably a "masterpiece" for two children of only ten or so years old like Kate and Slater... This was the "secret base" that Kate and Slater had discovered and renovated, and they had planned to show their childhood friend Leo the big surprise after it was finished. But they didn't expect the sorrow to come before the surprise, and it was so heavy.

Everything was so sudden.

"I know you're in pain right now, but your life isn't over yet. You have to pull yourself together and stand up! Otherwise, your..."

This handsome blond boy was named "Kate·Lo Edadis" and had a calm attitude and sharp thinking that were beyond his age, as well as an overly mature mentality that was beyond his age. In contrast, he was extremely poor at expressing himself in words, and comforting others was a mess, so despite his warm heart, he put on a layer of indifferent "mask."

"Sniff... But..."

The girl wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and continued to sob.

This blue-haired girl sitting on a rock was named Leo, a friend of Kate's since childhood. Unlike Kate, who was an orphan from the beginning, and Slater, who was found by the lake, she once had a father who loved her very much. It's just that her father's memories can only stay in the past, and all the bits and pieces of her father have become the past. Her father passed away a few days ago.

That day, Leo and her father encountered a "disaster beast" while they were out, and Leo's father sacrificed his life to save hers.

This sudden blow completely shattered Leo, who was not particularly strong to begin with. "Since we can't change the past, we can still have a future! Let's seek revenge! For your father, and to prevent others from suffering the same tragedy! Actually, Kate and I have wanted to tell you for a while... Let's form a knightly order!"

Slater's eyes were filled with determination. This was the ideal he had once abandoned, and it was also the wish he had regained because of Leo and Kate.

Slater firmly held Leo's hand and looked at her with conviction. Unlike Kate, who was calm and rational and good at weighing the pros and cons, Slater always held on to "friendship" and was the strong bond that connected the three of them.

Since they were saved by the two of them, Slater had been working hard in this regard. He had unique black hair and black eyes, as well as an unusually strong physique. "So, this will be our base!" Slater helped Leo up, gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes with his fingertips, hugged her petite body, and stroked her head. He whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, we are also your family, and Kate and I will never leave you, no matter what happens!"

"Okay." Leo blinked her tearful eyes and nodded slightly. "Then Kate is the captain, because she is the strongest among us! Captain, what should we call our knightly order?"

Kate also hugged Leo and Slater, and the warmth of their bodies gave Leo a little comfort. "Captain" Kate looked at Slater, then at Leo, and said, "It's pointless to ask Slater, what do you think Leo?" "It's up to you..." Hope shone in her eyes now, and the panic, despair, and confusion that had previously filled them had quietly disappeared.

The girl did not answer, which was not surprising since Kate usually made all the decisions and took action regarding anything Slater and Leo did. He smiled bitterly, shook his head, looked at the reflection of the sunlight on the lake through the trees, and said slowly, "Kagerou... Let's call ourselves the Kagerou Knightly Order."

"Okay!" Although they did not understand what "Kagerou" meant, they felt that it sounded impressive, so Slater agreed, and Leo nodded in agreement. The three of them looked at each other, and Kate suddenly laughed and said, "Then our first task is to make a delicious dinner for Leo!"

"Then you should step aside and let us cook! Your food is inedible!"

Slater smiled. "Go to hell."

Kate casually tapped Slater on the head, and Leo, who was sitting nearby, finally showed a smile.

Laughter and chatter came from the lakeside, mixed with the taste of happiness in the air.

The memory ended there...

"Hmm... Did I fall asleep by accident?"

Cross woke up from his slumber, pushing away the pile of books that had gathered next to his face. It seemed that he had fallen asleep while reading them yesterday.

Glancing at the pocket watch next to him, it was not even five o'clock yet. It might be early, but getting up early had its benefits - perhaps because of the dream he had, he felt a desire to do some morning exercises. Ever since being called the "Seven Heroes", he hadn't done any exercise, and he didn't even know how much of his once proud Knight's Swordsmanship he still remembered.

Just as he was about to get up, he realized that something was pressing on him. Looking down, he saw a petite girl with pale silver hair.

"Eve..."

The black-haired man smiled. It had been so long since he had slept in a bed that he almost forgot that Eve would snuggle up to him when she slept.

As an artificial being, Eve didn't need to eat. Her life was sustained by the mana supplied to her by her master. When Cross was asleep, the flow of mana would also decrease, so Eve would snuggle up to him to maintain her mana levels.

"Speaking of which, you have a really bad sleeping posture."

He had been sitting down all along and hadn't noticed, but today, he saw that Eve had a sleep posture that was as funny as it was annoying, just like her original self, Leo.

Her nightgown was no longer on her body, but was tangled up in a mess on her legs. Her naked body was fully exposed, and the blanket that had been covering them to prevent them from catching a cold was nowhere to be seen, probably kicked away by her in her sleep.

At this moment, the girl was clinging tightly to Cross's chest like a little octopus, making it difficult for Cross to move... Her right hand was inside Cross's shirt, and her other hand was inside his pants.

It was truly an unsightly sleeping posture.

"Although it was made based on Leo, I didn't expect it to be so realistic."

Cross first loosened his collar and gently pulled Eve's right hand out of it. Then he untangled the girl's nightgown that had bound their legs together, put it back on her, and lifted her up.

Normally, any slight movement would wake Eve up, but the girl was still sleeping soundly with traces of drool at the corner of her mouth, probably having sweet dreams.

Although it was unknown if androids dreamt or not.

However, compared to this non-essential issue, there was a very troubling problem now: Eve's slightly curled long hair was tangled and messy. Cross wouldn't usually bother with it, but he couldn't ignore it with Clarissa around, who was strict with everything.

"Forget it, it's still early."

He held the petite girl in his arms, enjoying her soft body while tidying her hair... Cross couldn't help but sigh, it had been a long time since he had such a leisurely morning.

After yesterday's discussion, Cross's tasks in the church were set, which mostly belonged to trivial matters, leaving all the troublesome tasks to Clarissa.

There was nothing particularly urgent to do today, and Harlan had not assigned any tasks either.

"Okay."

After fixing Eve's hair, Cross lightly pinched her cheek to wake her up, and carried the still sleepy girl off the bed.

"Let's go add some missing 'props' today and take a walk in the city."

He looked at the random nightgown on Eve's body.

"Well, we also need to buy some clothes."

But first, let's do some morning exercises that he had not done in a long time.