After such sweet and flowery start, Gabrielle kept taking Auros to her favorite spots.

One was a small library, which was manned by an old beetle insectoid man, who greeted them warmly the moment they entered. He truly looked like a balanced mix of an old man and a beetle, with his ‘beard’ being actually part of his exoskeleton, one that showed his age with all the small layers it had.

“While the Royal Academy’s library is quite expansive, this place has some fairly rare medicine tomes that helped me with my studies back then, so I used to come here fairly often. And the fact that there are no crowds here was something I really appreciated.”

“Hooh? And here I thought that you thrived in crowds, my lovely clearing. After all, you handled yourself more than well in the ball, so much so that the crowd immediately made way for you the moment you spoke up.”

“Huhu~, it is as you say, Auros. I do not dislike crowds, on the contrary, I very much enjoy being in that sort of situation. But back then it was more of a matter of me being able to focus more easily here than there.”

“I see.”

So said Auros as she and Gabrielle walked around such library’s halls, the unique scent of well-preserved, yet old books bringing nostalgia not only to the latter...

“This place…it reminds me of my Father’s office.”

…but also, the former.

“Oh my, this is the first time since we met that you mention any of your parents. Do you want to talk about him?”

“Hmph, there is not much to say…”

Preferring to talk about Gabrielle or herself, Auros was about to change the subject, but she found herself pausing for a moment as she turned to her date and saw the genuine interest that filled her expression, an interest to know more about her as a person. As such, she gave up on changing the subject and–letting herself be taken by the nostalgia–went with the following:

“...but his study was like this place, with many, many shelves filled with old books and him seated in the deepest part of it, working or just...immersed in those old pages just for the fun of it.”

As she said that, she could clearly see the figure of her father at the end of the hall she and Gabrielle were walking in, looking for the next book he was going to throw himself into. And there, right beside him, was a small Auros, looking up at their father like any other kid would, with an innocent love in their eyes and a desire to have fun with such parent in their heart.

“If he was there that is…”

Or at least that was the case for a time, but just as the figure at the end of the hall, such thing faded away and gave way to…the complicated feelings the years might pile up on someone.

“…what was the first story I ever read in my life that pulled me in and did not let go until I finished it was in that study. You could say that it was the first time I went into another world…or as much as a book would let you. Heh, now that I remember, he would sometimes find me reading that one and he would take the book off my hands before reading the rest of the chapter to me while trying his best to do the voices of all the characters.”

Surprised that she spoke of that certain memory without thinking, Auros could not help but raise her eyebrows and show a complex expression on her face, as such seemingly innocent memory served as a reminder of both presence and absence. But then…

“My, that sounds a lot like what you do with Ilya and Celesia. Although, you go a step further and even try to act out the scenes. To a varying degree of success, if I may, uhuhu~.”

…that complex expression slowly disappeared with what Gabrielle said and the memories such words brought forth, even if those were recent, that happiness was more than real, and it held more weight in her heart than those other feelings. Thus, she smiled and nodded before replying.

“Yes...but enough about him. Today is about you and me. That said…I promise I shall tell you more about him and the rest of my family when the time is right, Gabby.”

“Very well, then I shall hold you to that, Auros. After all, it stands to reason that I would be quite interested in the people who shall become my in-laws, ohohoho!”

“Huhu, I love that sureness of yours. Now...what was that about my ‘varying degrees of success’? It is almost like someone is questioning my acting skills without showing hers first.”

“My, my, is that a challenge? Because, if it is, then I have no other choice but to accept.”

“It is, so you better be prepared for the next story night.”

“Oh, I will. Now, let us keep moving. There are more spots I want to take you before we tackle our second objective.”

And just as how he greeted them, the old beetle insectoid man warmly said goodbye to them when they left, wishing them a good day.

The next spot Gabrielle took Auros to was a magically floating bridge, which hovered over one of the many waterways that were in the capital. At first glance, and contrary to what the excited Auros would think, the bridge was as normal as the other magically floating bridges that were all around the capital. It had no special characteristics to speak of or anything else that would make it unique in the eyes of those who lived in the Capital.

Yet, such bridge still held enough significance to Gabrielle that made it just that, unique.

“Erevain, Kris, and I would always cross this bridge when we were on our way back to the academy’s dorms after training with the Queen.”

Memories of such times appeared in Gabrielle’s mind as she began walking up the bridge’s steps and towards its railings, her beautiful dress and gorgeous hair swaying softly with the wind, further enchanting Auros, who followed close behind her.

“We would normally lean here to catch our breath, or we would sit on those steps and wait until the pain went away. My, there was even that one time when Kris was so tired that she fell asleep and fell over, ohohohoho! Even Erevain could not hold it in and laughed through the pain with me.”

“Huhuhu…I wish I could have seen that. And what happened to Kris after that?”

While Auros wanted to ask just what kind of training Erevain’s mother put them through, she already had a not so vague idea thanks to Kris’ own crazy training style, and as such, she went with the other question that was on her mind.

“She woke up right when we were about to help her out, but she then realized that her sword was missing, and if it was not for the passing merfolk who helped us look, it would have been lost to the current.”

“I see, then that was quite a fortunate moment for her.”

So said Auros, hoping that her going internally crazy over the confirmed existence of merfolk ‘waifus’ was not showing on her face. A certain maid pun was even mentioned in her mind, but there is no need for it to be mentioned outside of such…never silent place.

At any rate, as they locked arms once again, they both decided to enjoy the view that the bridge provided for a bit, with the clear waters below giving Auros her first peek at the many aquatic races living in Arte and their day to day lives in the Kyrie Kingdom’s Capital.

Merfolk.

Fishfolk.

Scyllas.

Jellyfish-kin.

Nymphs.

Aquatic demons.

And more.

They all went on with their lives just like those on dry land did, but of course, those who noticed the couple on the bridge could not help themselves and either waved or said hello to them in their various voices, thanking them, and even inviting them to their businesses in the special district where most of the aquatic races lived. Others, like a couple of fun-loving mermaids and a...bountiful scylla, did not stop there and even tried to ask out the couple, but they suddenly felt a chill run through their bodies, which stopped them in their tracks, and made them wonder if the water had suddenly turned colder.

Strangely enough, Gabrielle’s hold on Auros’ arm had become stronger at the same time that happened, surprising Auros, who also felt a certain chill, but since Gabrielle’s smile did not change at all, there was no way those two events are related.

Indeed, such thing was just not possible.

Either way, bridges are meant to be crossed and that is what they both did not long after that, resuming their tour.

Thus, their merry walk took them to the outskirts of the Royal Academy’s training facilities. A place that truly looked the part, with whites and golds in every awe-inspiring building. And of course, it had not only various fields teeming with students, but also various arenas and everything else needed for the growth of the next generation.

Despite this, instead of looking around like Auros, Gabrielle’s eyes immediately fell on one specific building, one that may not be the biggest, but could be said to be one of, if not the most important.

That building was...the Great Arena, otherwise known as…

“...Theresius Arena. My, my, it is good to see that the place where Erevain, Kris, and I always had our sparring matches still stands. I thought for sure that that foolish king had demolished it since it was named in honor of the one person he betrayed the most, the Queen. But I suppose I was wrong. What should we do? Do you want to go in, Auros?”

“I certainly do but…”

“Oh me, oh my, yes, I see your point very well. Then, shall we make our escape while we still can, my dear Auros?”

Following Auros subtly pointing at a group of incoming students that had locked in on them—a group that kept growing by the second—Gabrielle said that before flashing a playful smile.

“Huhu...you took the words right out of my mouth, my lovely Gabby.”

A playful smile which Auros responded in kind.

And so, while Gabrielle did hold a certain desire to enter such nostalgic place, and Auros certainly shared such desire—coupled with an overall wish to see part of a real ‘isekai’ academy from the inside—both decided against going in and even getting any closer, for it would certainly turn into a major fuss that would take more time than what they wanted to spend there.

After all, they wanted to keep enjoying their date rather than letting it turn into an official event, like being roped into giving a surprise lesson in combat or magic.

Or as Auros put it in her mind, a...mini-academy arc.

Thus, they left going into the Great Arena for another time and promptly ran away while giggling with each other, barely giving any time to the still growing group of excited students trying to reach them.

However, their giggles diminished as their little carefree or maybe...careless run took them to a certain place without noticing.

“…!”

“‘Traitors get dead, get forgotten...’? Wait...is this…?”

Perhaps...it was simply fate, as such place was the one place in the Kingdom that still gave Gabrielle mixed feelings, even after the five years that had already gone by.

“…yes.”

Even after she and her sisters accomplished what they could not back then.

It was a place that was not only abandoned and in disrepair but was glaringly damaged and vandalized by a certain group of bullheaded someones.

Indeed, it had been purposefully left in that state as a clear message from a certain mad bull to all who saw it.

One certainly approved by a traitorous king of nothing.

“...this is…”

A place that had felt more like home than her dorm in the academy, just as her flashing memories of the place reminded her, and yet not her, nor any other of the Maid-Knights tried to visit it even once in all their stay in the Capital.

“...the headquarters of the Swords of Dawn. Home…"

As Gabrielle’s smile disappeared at the look of it, Auros immediately did what she needed to do, what she could do, and that was putting her right arm over her partner’s shoulder, pulling her into an embrace from the side, and making use of her own height to kiss her on the head before asking the question that Gabrielle needed to be asked.

"Do you want to go inside?”

“…yes. I know that Luca and the rest made sure to grab whatever was truly of value for us back when they took the provisions for our escape. And I know that anything else is most likely long gone by now…courtesy of that order of phonies. Yet…I…I need to see.”

“Say no more. Let’s go.”

And, having received such answer, Auros stopped embracing Gabrielle, took a step forward, turned around and held out her hand towards her date, who nodded, smiled, and grabbed hold of it as she too took a step forward before they began walking towards the ruined gate of her former home.

Of course, not wanting to be interrupted by anyone, including the guards, Auros deployed one of the spells she had created recently to hide their presence from any prying eyes and that spell was the [Shroud of Emptiness].

Thanks to its effect, no one would be able to see them opening said ruined gate nor moving the broken doors to the actual building. Indeed, at most people would see nothing but an empty space and think the wind was the one responsible for those things.

““…””

*tighten*

Neither of them said anything as they went past the burned garden, the destroyed fountain, or the door’s threshold and there was no need to, as Gabrielle tightening her grip on Auros’ hand said more than enough.

“I still remember that day when Erevain brought Kris and me here for the first time…”

But such silence was already fated to be broken, for Gabrielle could not let it continue to be her only response to what she was seeing, and so, as both her and Auros stopped in the entrance hall, she decided to confront the sad scene before her with her joyous memories of the place.

Thus, the dilapidated entrance hall became what it was five years ago in the eyes of her heart, the first view into a place that was beautifully designed and yet was still proper for a Knights’ Order.

The cracked walls wave way to unblemished ones.

The two broken arching sets of stairs that led to the different wings of the headquarters were replaced by ones polished and with their vibrant carpet in the middle.

The destroyed banner of her former Order was once again hanging proudly on the wall.

And so on, and so forth.

But most importantly, there she was with Kris beside her, Erevain before her, and Erica beside Erevain.

“…she told us that she was going to establish a new Knights’ Order, an Order where the duty and the desire to help others was one and the same, and that she wanted us to join her and Erica in going through the trials to do so.”

As she said that, she remembered how she felt back then, she was surprised, skeptical, and even doubtful, but not of Erevain’s words, oh no, rather she wondered if that was what she wanted to do.

“My…she really took me by surprise with such a speech, but she was not done. She then told us that there was no one else she would want by her side than us three when she did so. And…”

Gabrielle’s words about that memory were charged with such a clarity that Auros felt almost as if she was there, watching everything through Gabrielle’s eyes.

“…of course, Kris being who she is, rose up to the challenge without a second thought and stepped forward immediately. Meanwhile I…did not. For a moment I let what weighted on my heart to stop me from stepping forward, from moving forward, but a voice deep within me at the time reminded me that I could not permit that to happen or else I would never be able to move on. And that is true, as I would have never forgiven myself if I had let some bothersome doubts prevent me from saving lives, from joining them. So…I said yes.”

With that, Gabrielle, who was still tightly holding Auros’ hand, began moving again, guiding her beloved through the place that had been her home and more of her memories.

“Why, one could say that that was when the Swords of Dawn were born…but there cannot be a Knights’ Order without Knights, right? So, after many trials, we founded the Order, and it did not take long for this place to go from empty to full.”

Memories of the good days, of the bad days, and the days that just were mundane, for those too are worth remembering.

Memories of the first day of the Order.

Memories of Maevis and Lucy running off to the barracks off to both get first pick on what would be their rooms from then on and to save a spot for those who would be their roommates, them being Gail and Mika respectively. All while, Kara ran after them, trying to remind them that such behavior was improper for a knight.

Memories of those nights when yet another battle between Jules and Louise was fought for the fate of the food in kitchen.

Memories of her going to the garden to pick up Kris, who–after a night of drinking–decided to sleep under one of its trees.

Memories of her seeing Roxxy toiling away in her smithy with a smile on her face and plenty of work to do.

Memories of Max taking care of the Order’s mounts and her own summons.

Memories of herself and Erevain joining a lone Evangeline drinking wine at the furthest table in the dining hall and drinking with her despite her protests, for they both knew that that day was a special day for her in a way.

Memories of the many sparring matches she had with Erevain, Kris, and the rest of her sisters in the training grounds…and the clean-up after that.

Memories of the day when Princess Euphemia had almost the whole Order looking for her in a game of hide and seek that had taken too long, only to discover that she had coerced Luca into helping her by threatening her with making her wear cute girl clothes and then take a stroll through the main plaza, all through her ‘secret princess powers’.

Memories of their meetings in the meeting hall, of those nights reading away in the library, of mementos of missions they used to hang on a very special wall, of embarrassing and funny moments that took place there.

And so much more, to the point that when they noticed, Gabrielle’s tour through both the base and memory lane had taken back outside. But this time they found themselves behind the main building and before what could be described as the remains of an unfinished building.

One that had been left to the elements for far too long and was now far into the process of being reclaimed by nature.

Climbing plants coiled around what would have been the main pillars of the structure and many types of weeds and other flora covered so much of the would-be floor that it was barely recognizable as one.

And in the face of this, of what this specific structure meant, and what was going to be, Gabrielle’s smile faded away once again as she turned her free hand into a fist and squeezed hard.

Frustration. Anger. Grief. Sadness.

All those emotions and more began swirling inside her.

“…”

But before they could drown her heart completely, Auros–who had obviously noticed everything–immediately pulled her into another embrace, a full embrace, taking Gabrielle by surprise for a moment, which made her eyes go wide before she accepted such comfort completely and buried herself in her beloved’s warmth.

“…Erevain had plans to expand the Order. Big plans. My, she wanted to bolster our numbers to a point where we would be able to have at least two teams in each major city of the Kingdom posted permanently. And this building was supposed to be the first step of that plan. Can you imagine, Auros? All the people we could have helped at a faster rate?”

Auros, who kept tightly embracing the speaking Gabrielle, simply nodded in response to that.

“But just like what remained in our base, those plans, those dreams, were destroyed that day when we were betrayed…when we were forced to escape…”

“Gabrielle…”

“My, but that does not matter anymore because just as we, as I have gotten new dreams and people to live for, I also a have a new place to call home.”

So she said as she too tightened her embrace and looked up at Auros with glassy eyes and a warm smile.

"Indeed.…no matter what happened, what they did to this place and to the dreams tied to it, no one can take the joyous memories you have of it. Nor will they be able to do this to your new home or dreams. I, we will not let anyone do that to our home. Let alone force us out of it. Right, Gabby?”

“Uhuhu…why, but of course. And poor fools those who try to.”

“Well said.”

“Thank you, Auros.”

“Anytime, Gabby.”

With that, they moved on.

 

To be continued….(cue illustration of Gabrielle standing in front of the ruined headquarters with all her memories painting the sky)