Story Reader / Event Story / Summer Memoir / Story
Evening Breeze of Constellia
>Splash—splash—
Warm waves wash over your feet, taking away the fine sand beneath you with every retreat.
The soft sand slips away with the water, tickling you ever so gently.
A sudden splash of water hits your legs, sending droplets and a bit of sand onto your clothes. It quickly dries under the warm sunlight, leaving behind a light trail of sand.
It is only the middle of the day, but you cannot help but yawn, surrounded by such rare comfort.
Are you feeling tired, Commandant?
Liv and Lucia stand beside you as the waves also wash over their ankles, leaving dark imprints on the sand.
I'm glad WGAA invited us.
I think Dark Aries and the Engineering Force were on board the transport craft after us, too. They must have accepted Ayla's invitation as well.
He seemed to have found a suitable spot for diving on this beach, so he went ahead to prepare.
You ran into Lee during your stroll in the city earlier. He was among a pile of plushies, mechanical tools, and claw machines.
A mechanoid mentioned that these claw machines were malfunctioning and asked me to repair them.
The claws were too loose to pick up anything for the first 20 tries. That doesn't meet the advertisement at all, and the mechanoids were confused about why that was happening.
It's more or less calibrated. I'm just testing it now.
It's just out of interest.
...Besides, I'm not used to having so much free time.
Gazing out the window at the clear sky and the vast ocean ahead, you recall Ayla mentioning another beach in Constellia, separate from the festival venue, ideal for diving.
Go diving... with you?
...
...I didn't say that.
The mechanoid who asked me to fix the claw machines mentioned a shop in Constellia that sells swimming equipment.
I can go ask around.
Don't get ahead of yourself.
He expressionlessly picks up a giant plushie and hands it to you.
It turns out Lee has already started preparing for your impromptu idea...
I recall Lee muttering about "safety stops" and "regulators" when he left...
Ahem...
Oh! Forget what I said...
Anyway! Do you want to go sightseeing in the city first, Commandant? Or maybe you can visit the art gallery by the beach?
You should take the time to relax on this vacation!
Ayla gave me a travel guide on Constellia that she wrote herself... Here it is.
I've sent it to you, Commandant. There are quite a few tourist spots that you can check out!
And Dark Aries is on vacation here as well. They haven't shown up yet, so maybe you can go look for them?
Liv and Lucia awkwardly try to hide something from you, but they both cannot stop smiling.
Huh?!
Commandant...
Sure!
We'll have everything ready by the time you get back, Commandant.
We'll be here for the time being, Commandant.
As the sand beneath your feet begins to dry, you find yourself standing quite far outside the beach where Liv and Lucia are waving goodbye.
You can tell it right away without much thinking—they are definitely planning for some kind of surprise. Like always, they are terrible liars.
But since it is a plan they have hatched, you figure your best option is to gladly accept whatever is to come.
After confirming the location on your terminal, you head to where Dark Aries is. Simon is nowhere to be seen, and you find the remaining three members of Dark Aries arguing by the beach.
What does it have to do with me? If you weren't on bad terms with Simon, would he have looked at me while bringing up the Chief out of nowhere?
And I lost rock-paper-scissors! You were the one who won the coating for the beach talent show! I'm only involved because you managed to piss him off so much he passed out!
You're exaggerating. Besides, look... You also noticed how he wanted to watch our training but insisted on hiding behind the monitors and pretending to be our coach instead.
That was only because of what happened last time. I've had enough. Simon's whole spiel of "unity and camaraderie" is going to include me when there are fewer than two targets.
And I! Don't! Want! To participate in any talent show on any beach!
But you're our captain.
Send me back to the Purifying Force, please.
There's no going back now, Captain Palma.
I don't need your reminder!
Palma looks particularly angry, enraged by either recent events or a long-harbored grudge.
But...
Noan! You didn't do it on purpose when you came up with your spur-of-the-moment idea that time, did you?
Which time?
Wait, that's...
That time when you said you'd bring your homemade chicken wings to apologize to Simon!
I did apologize.
Guys...
If it weren't for your "spur-of-the-moment" idea to use the chicken wings to their fullest before cooking them, Simon wouldn't have thought you had no intention of—
The Gray Raven Commandant has been standing behind us all this time!
The air goes stale. Palma turns around, annoyed, while Noan opens his mouth as if trying to say something before ultimately staying silent.
It's been a while, Commandant.
Greetings, Gray Raven Commandant...
Not at all. You have my gratitude.
Uh... I just...
He just practiced surgery on the chicken wings and didn't clean them properly after doing a terrible job stitching them up.
You seem to hear Noan let out a very muted "tsk," but you look up to see his usual expression.
You also think he did it on purpose, don't you?
Of course I didn't. Believe me—I just wanted to try something new.
You said the same thing when you went to WGAA.
Ugh, I can't stand it anymore. Can't you two become defectors or something so I can hunt you down?
No. The people from WGAA we met that time were quite happy, actually.
Simon is the third commandant of Dark Aries, taking command after its second restructuring.
—Some say the name "Dark Aries" is like a curse.
Aries, the ram, signifies sacrifice. You have heard rumors about the squad's tumultuous past.
However, it is clear that they are different from the Dark Aries of the past after you have spent some time with them.
That is why they should not be cooped up in a sheep pen.
Once this squad is deployed to the battlefield, those who fight alongside them will know this to be true.
When that happens, Commander Nikola and President Hassen will describe the new Dark Aries like this—
Commandant Simon. Diligent shepherd, ailing man.
Various mishaps in the past have lost him many "sheep." Vigilant as he may be, he would still choose to believe the "sheep" by his side.
Captain Palma. The weary panther, silent and cold-blooded.
Self-loathing huntress of the night, she hunts other night creatures indiscriminately. Her only weakness... is how she will burn if she comes to light.
Lillian, a weasel raised by poachers in sheep's clothing. She looks just like a frightened lamb on the surface.
Always alert, she dreams of a day when she can finally let her guard down and become a real sheep, living comfortably in the sheep pen.
Noan, a wolf in sheepdog's clothing.
Gentle but crafty, he looks as diligent as a shepherd so long as he decides to remain modest.
The Dark Aries now are less like sheep and more like the predators that hunt them. No one but Simon belongs in a sheep pen.
Chief, it's been a while. You're looking much better than before.
Simon has returned while you were pondering.
I appreciate your concern... but there's nothing to worry about.
Should we continue with the... t-team training?
Of course. We didn't hit our target yesterday. We can't stop now even if we're on vacation.
Wasn't that enough? You—
Remember why Bianca kicked you out of the Purifying Force.
Palma unwillingly quiets down.
...We're doing this to avoid repeating the same mistake.
She turns away, stepping back into line.
I'm sorry, but we might need another hour before we can join everyone.
Simon smiles wrily as if to let you know that he was embarrassed you had to witness that, and he was just acting tough.
He nods before heading toward the shore with the three members of Dark Aries.
Who says shepherds can only tame docile sheep meant for slaughter? Their journey together may be fraught with hardships, but no one is going to leave this time...
Ah! Something urgent just came up! I have to leave for five minutes!
Lillian
...Right?
You open the "Constellia Travel Guide" Liv sent you on your terminal, and you are surprised to find that the first sentence is not the expected "Welcome to Constellia!". Instead, it says...
What an Ayla-style "guide" this is...
