"…mm…mhhh…"
Where am… I?
I scratched my eyes as I yawned, then opened them. A chair? Or I guess it's closer to a sofa… Mio must've made it, huh?
In front of me, there seemed to be the table from earlier, so I guess I was tossed in a corner to rest? I looked at one of the windows and it was still dark outside, so I doubt it's been too long since I… passed out? Wait, why am I even here again anyway? I got up, stretching my arms as I walked towards the table.
"It appears that she has awakened, boss."
"Don't make it seem like she's gotten a power up or something…"
"My apologies."
Though that's just the way she talks…
I did see what Mio meant though to be fair. I couldn't actually blame her tho, since it was pretty obvious from their introduction that both her and her dad are just naturally formal people in their speech I guess.
"Yo, Sleepy head. Had nice dreams?"
"I don't even think I've been out long enough to dream honestly."
I sat down next to her, still a little sleepy but overall somehow used to the presence of the other folks already. You sure integrate fast when you're the one at power, huh?
"Are you sure about that though? It's been like 4 hours already since I neutralized you, you know?"
"Don't make it seem like I'm a wild beast or something… wait, 4 hours?!"
"I don't really think I could call you anything other than a wild beast though? Or what, did you forget what happened?"
"Forget? What are you talking about-...…"
I could feel my cheeks reddening instantly, or maybe my whole face for that matter as I froze there. How could I actually forget?! I used my flames, put on a freak show then almost killed Sylara… I still can't remember anything past Mio blocking my attack though, but anything before that is plenty to call me a beast!
"Ah-I-… I-I-i…."
"Calm nyaown Maia, it's nyanlright!"
"I-I….uhm…"
Now everyone thinks I'm a freak that enjoys killing…. They all think I'm a psychopathic beast….
"That's right Maia, Mio already explained to us why you were like that."
"That is correct. It is none of our intention to judge you or your actions. We are aware that you weren't yourself."
"I agree with my father. It is for certain that no one here views you as any different than before the fight."
They're trying to console me… but deep down they must be scared that I'll delete them if they don't act nice….
"Both me and my mother were actually pretty excited when we saw those flames personally though."
"Couldn't agree more. We have so many useless purchases done in the rage of a hunch, that we sometimes run low on storage space… we asked Mio until now to dispose of them, but if you can just burn them out of existence that would help even my poor tasteless daughter."
"Oi, bloodies. Don't try to patronize Maia's flames. Why did you think I prohibited her from using them to begin with? They're not garbage disposal tools, just stop buying things irresponsibly."
"Well… it was a bit shocking to me and father when she evaporated all the water on the planet though… since you know, we're amphibians and all…"
"Me too nyan! I was soooo shocked, but it was fun! Nyanmagine all the fish we could catch if the water disappeared right now Nyan!"
"Pawgirl, even for you that's a little… don't say that in front of 2 amphibians…"
"Ah! You're right boss! I'm nyansorry you two! I promise to nyannot grill your friends!"
"That's not the issue-… forget it…"
Am I going to be forced to resign from my position because they all hate me now? Am I going to disappoint Cael and come back so soon even though I was so confident that I'd be Mio's Lieutenant?? Honestly, whatever they were saying was just entering one ear and instantly left through the other so I wasn't actually paying attention, but shortly after I was forced to in a not so pleasant way.
"…argh! That hurt! What the hell is your problem, Mio!"
She had elbowed me straight into my ribs, and in case you couldn't tell, it actually hurt. Like, a lot. This alone hurt more than that small mana blast Cael ran into me in our little fight a while ago…
"How long do you intend on being depressed for? Seriously, they've been only talking about how they don't think you're a freak for the past minute…"
Wait, what?
I turned around to face them, and they all gave me an affirmative look, confirming what Mio just said. I do kinda feel bad that I didn't hear it, but I am also definitely glad that it happened. Did I overreact maybe?
But still, I think there is one person I have to apologize to.
She was sitting at the other end of the table, right across from me and Mio with Mivana. Whether I paid attention or not, even if she did say something while I wasn't listening; I think I owe her one. Which is why I opened my mouth intending on apologizing.
"Sylara, I'm so-"
But before I could, something entered my mouth. I glanced behind me, and there was a vine that was holding it, and also brought it to me without me even realizing. Instinctively, I bit down on whatever it was since I doubt she was trying to poison me, and it did feel pretty soft.
…this is…?!
A strawberry. But not just a regular one. Juicy like no other strawberry I've ever had in my life. That one bite on its tip almost flooded my mouth. Perfectly balanced sweet and sourness. I honestly can't even describe this properly, it was that weird. This strawberry was a perfect balance between its 2 possible signature flavors.
When I looked forward again, she was looking away, but from the way her bears were as red as the strawberry I was munching on, alongside the side of her cheeks I could tell that at least she wasn't mad? I think? Mivana was the one to confirm my theory though.
"This is her way of apologizing, Maia. Mom isn't mad, don't worry."
So this is an apology token…
Well, I couldn't really deny it since I did love strawberries, so this was more than fine with me.
"Still, I do want to also say that I'm sorry."
"…there, you heard her."
Still silent and without turning around, she nodded to at least acknowledge my words.
"Me and Mom will have a Looong chat about this later, since she was the one who instigated the fight to begin with…"
She paused her sentence, and we could all see how Sylara's face paled up instantly when Mivana said they'd have a chat. Was she actually the boss of the household maybe?
"…But for the time being, let's all just put this behind and relax. Afterall, tomorrow is a big day for Maia. Well, it's well past midnight so I guess it's today, but you got the point."
"I see. I guess you're right haha. Let's just leave this whole thing behind us and enjoy our time then."
And so we all collectively agreed on not mentioning anything about the fight for the time being at least. Honestly, I personally wouldn't have minded talking about it as embarrassing as the end was, but it is also true that there technically wasn't much to say to begin about it I guess. Though I would've been interested in hearing why she randomly switched fighting style.
I was actually really surprised you know? Imagine thinking your opponent that you just sent to the moon has given up since they haven't moved, so you take your time to hit them and make sure you don't accidentally end them… but then they randomly charge at you from broken shards of the moon and hit you in the stomach, like what?
I can't say it was an unpleasant surprise though, since it did pump me up. But even then, it would've been nice to at least hear her out, but that can wait I guess. From the looks of it, she also intends on being on friendly terms which I share the same intentions about so I should get some chance to do it one day.
So from that point on, the conversation topic just drifted to mostly unserious and casual topics like what we like to do in our free time, and just generally getting to know each other.
I was actually pretty surprised when it was pretty obvious that most of these people knew almost nothing about each other, considering only Orielle had joined relatively recently, putting me aside. But I guess it makes sense in the end, it's not like they're all best buddies or have any obligation to actually be on the best terms. Honestly, I kinda just think neither one of them thought about it, or had the opportunity to actually try to bond with the other captains more than anything.
We were all getting along fairly well at the moment, with the exception of a certain someone that only interfered in the conversation when the topic was something that interested her. Well, I can't say I'm surprised about it, but I am also a tiny little bit worried you know? She's not just my best friend after all. Although technically not yet officially, since she is Cael's fated person that makes her my little sister.
For the record, this isn't a recent thought either don't worry. I've always thought about her as my little sister ever since she and Cael first met and were clearly into each other, but recently I've been thinking about it more often. Especially considering what it meant for all of us to be in a cycle together…
I can't help it, you know? She's stronger, smarter, better looking and even has more authority than me… But she's still my little sister in the end. I don't think that she's going to end up as a total loner just because she doesn't actively participate in our conversation or anything though, and this was definitely just me dramatically straying from the course of events but still.
But fortunately enough the conversation topic had coincidentally switched to something which I knew would spark her interest soon enough. What that may be, you ask? Well, the first thing that would come to mind to you is probably food. Specifically spicy food, since so far that's what she's shown the absolute most interest in besides my sweet little brother. That would in fact be wrong though.
"Say, that reminded me. I never really cared about it that much, probably because I've seen it outside of this kingdom and never interacted with an Ashford before, but your bloodline is known for having some pretty long lasting beauty traits, isn't it?"
Sylara asked curiously. The ice had been broken like half an hour ago among us already, especially since we decided to avoid the fight topic for now. To me this was nothing but a golden chance.
"Ah, you mean our hair and eye colors?"
"Yeah, that is indeed it. However, clearly looking at you as an example, it appears that those traits are not all of which consists of ya'll well known beauty?"
"Well, I don't have the hair after all. If I close my eyes you wouldn't think I'm one."
Then, Evelyne and Rosalie joined in, both of them being coincidentally extremely attractive objectively I'd say, so this was definitely bound to get their attention.
"Even without the most visible one you're still an extremely beautiful girl though."
"I agree with mother, Maia is definitely still clearly out of the ordinary when it comes to her beauty regardless of her hair color. The eyes definitely help, but as she said they're not always visible."
Mivana then joined and drew out the last conclusion
"I personally have heard that they're generally just above average when it comes to their overall features. Incidentally, doesn't Maia prove it? I'd say that maybe the hair and eye color are treated more like a token of authenticity within their kingdom rather than a beauty trait?"
"Ho hoo… so what you're saying my dear daughter is that we've misunderstood the "rumors "?"
"I wouldn't say it's a total misunderstanding since those features do highlight their features, but whenever someone says that the Ashford bloodline is known for their beauty, they're probably referring to their overall appeal, not just those standard 2 features. Not to mention, we have 2 individuals here outside of Maia with those traits, but their family isn't known to be beautiful because of them or anything. No offense."
Mivana sure is passionate about this stuff, huh?
I didn't expect her to actually be knowledgeable about beauty, but I guess I was clearly wrong. Khalar and Zahra did both have similar traits to ours, although not identical tonalities but I wasn't really going to nitpick about it. Now that I think about it, have I even mentioned Zahra's appearance during her introduction? I think I actually may've forgotten…
I'm sorry Zahra!
She had the same hair colors as her dad, both mixed but hers was the total opposite ratio than his. Her eyes were also actually closer to mine in color, but her general look was definitely outstanding. Her hair was around the length of her shoulders, which she kept untied with just a tiara to keep her bangs up.
Moving on though, Sylara who seemed to have caught on to a similar idea to mine then said something that I had to contain myself from smiling upon hearing.
Mio wasn't sitting next to me at the moment, she was looking out of the window next to us, just staring at the sky.
"That reminded me, doesn't Mio often talk about how handsome Maia's little brother is? Of course, assuming she's talking about how he'll look when he grows up."
She hadn't turned around yet or joined us, but I could tell that she had flinched a little when she heard what Sylara said. I decided to assist her, and continued.
"That's definitely something that she'd do. I don't doubt it, but I can't say that it's just her being obsessed with him, you know? Cael is definitely going to become a handsome man after all."
"Hmm… how are we sure you're not just saying it because he's your brother though? I can also go on all day about how I think Mivana is the cutest girl in the world, but there will definitely be people who disagree with it."
Poor Mivana, I saw a look of "mom, quit embarrassing me!" In her eyes, but unfortunately I couldn't focus on her right now.
"That Mivana herself said it though? Our bloodline is naturally beautiful. Unlike me also, his hair is slowly changing color, and in a few years he'll have a full head of the signature white or silver ish whatever you wanna call it hair."
It should only be a matter of time now…
"Is that so? Even if we do go your way, a man's face isn't all that makes him attractive, you know?"
"Obviously, I am aware of that. But don't worry, Cael is also going to be pretty tall. Not to mention, he's already training his body so he's bound to become somewhat muscular, and not be a stick man. But unfortunately, I can't seem to remember specifically how he looked or how tall he was… it's been a while after all."
The others were silent, clearly having caught up on us trying to do something. Neither me or Sylara said anything afterward though, since we were both betting on a single thing. And of course, I had no doubts about it but still, our bet resulted in victory.
"187 centimeters tall."
"Hmmmm, did you hear something, Sylara?"
"My, oh my, I wonder what you may be talking about, Maia…"
We were both smirking while looking at each other, covering our mouths while speaking kinda like some weird aristocrats, but regardless, from the way her shoulders were shaking, it seemed like she reached her breaking point. Mio didn't actually have any interest in beauty, which was pretty ironic coming from the most beautiful person in the room, but regardless she wasn't going to let any doubts about Cael's appearance slide.
"I see, I see! What a shame, truly a shame this is, Sylara! Just when I thought we had received an answer!"
"Oh but I totally understand your sorrow, Maia! If only there was someone who could answer our questions and satisfy our curiosity!"
"I'm sorry, I really am! This is all because I am such a terrible sister…! To have forgotten the way my own little brother looks and how tall he is… maybe, I truly am overestimating his beauty?!"
Of course, that's a lie.
I remember his height pretty well, regardless of how long it's been. Unlike Mio, I don't actually have every single one of my memories simply because my brain would probably be overwhelmed, so when she unsealed them she kinda just left me with the grand image of how things went. Outside of that however, she kept all of the important things, and made sure that there wouldn't actually be anything I needed to know left out. That basically meant that there was simply no way I'd forget anything from our first life. Which includes not just Cael's height but general appearance, which is still vivid in my head.
Mio was clearly getting annoyed by now, and I'm sure that she could tell from our very obvious sarcastic tone that we were just trying to Provoke her. Moreover, I'm also sure that she was mostly getting annoyed simply because she knew she'd fold and would give in.
"Perhaps, Maia! Oh, but what a tragic tale this is! A hopeless older sister unable to remember her own baby brother's height! Perhaps he really isn't that tall or attractive!"
Earlier, Sylara had made a few more strawberries for me and I had them all on a plate in front of me. I picked one up intentionally at this point, and knew that I wasn't going to actually get to eat it unfortunately or not. Either way, just before it entered my mouth, the strawberry had in fact been snatched away from my hand. She sighed as she turned around towards us.
"Seriously… your acting is just as bad as the Blondies duo."
The two of them looked a little stung by it, but deep down they probably knew she didn't mean it in a bad way. Regardless, Mio continued.
"Even though you know for a fact how tall he is, you're making me step in… do you want me to look even more obsessed than usual or something?"
She then munched on the strawberry while looking at us.
"Well, I had to get my dear little sister involved in the conversation somehow didn't I? What would I ever do if you became a loner with no friends?!"
"The same way you always say Cael isn't mine yet, I'm not your little sister yet either, you annoying gorilla."
"Ergh… did you have to copy his nickname?"
However, she ignored it. Finishing the strawberry, she then tossed out the stem which pretty much just f vanished out of existence while in the middle of the air before snapping her fingers with her signature style. Aka, only using her thumb and middle finger for the snap.
Afterwards, to the left side of the table a life sized single hologram appeared. The hologram was picturing Cael's appearance as a young adult, likely anywhere between 17-19 years of age if I remember correctly. Seeing that, all the males were just looking at him with a pretty casual expression while the females seemed a little more interested, but since half of them were clearly married and mothers it was probably the "wow, that's one handsome kiddo" type of interest.
"Standing at 187 centimeters in height, broad shoulders and a slim or what some call it "slutty" waist, there he is."
He's just as I remember…
It was nostalgic, but not entirely in a pleasant way. After all, what older sister is pleased by seeing her baby brother grown up? However, it also was an indisputable fact that he was definitely extremely handsome. Mio then continued.
"His hair should fully change color by the time he's 16 maybe? Around that time more or less, and in contrast with his red eyes it just further enhances his overall appeal."
Sylara let out a calculating humming sound while having a few fingers on her chin as if examining him, which was a little weird to see for me at least, but not enough to make me uncomfortable. It was more like "why are you examining my sweet little brother's body that hard??" Type of thing more than anything, but I get the curiosity at least anyway.
"I see… of course, I didn't doubt your description whenever you said it, but looking at it myself it is definitely not an option even if I wanted to deny it. He's one handsome young man."
"Of course he is. He's my handsome young man after all."
This may be one the only times when I'll justify her smug smile while talking about him…
She wasn't wrong after all. In this room, only 2 men were taller than him too, making Cael the 3rd tallest, albeit this was a hologram but regardless. Zalhrik and Khalar were the only ones that were taller. Mio was pretty much the 3rd tallest woman in the room for the record, Sylara being the tallest and Mivana second, but even they were shorter than him.
The rest of our time was spent just chatting about this for around another half an hour, then a while later we had to finally start preparing everything we needed for the live transmission later today. It was fun while it lasted to just spend my time with Cael and the others at the village, but it's about time I stepped up and started doing my own work towards making this a better land. It's not really a necessity within our plan, but creating a safe environment for Cael is a priority in the end, but even if it wasn't I would've taken this position regardless.
Although I know there's things only she can do, I intend on fully supporting Mio. She's been through arguably even more than Cael after all, but I'm not really interested in comparing their suffering either. Making it short, it's about time I step up and do my best in supporting this kingdom, continent, and my family.
After all, I'm not just the Lieutenant of the Sentinel's Commander from today. I'm still the Eldest child of the Ashford family, and their Older Sister. So it's my duty from now on to try my hardest to make their lives ever so slightly easier.