Several days had passed since the slaughter. Ticia and Rika had been extremely busy during that time. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Rika was extremely busy? Ticia only served as a bodyguard all this time.

But seeing Rika’s level of fatigue, Ticia felt secretly relieved that she did not have to be in her place while encouraging her friend.

When Rika was not doing classes, or doing reports, she and Ticia were meeting with people in order to achieve their goal. This in itself did not cause much trouble, as the recent events had made people even more curious about Rika and the clones. What was the problem was having a discussion with them…

They could not rely on Ticinia’s ability for those events since Ticinia herself was busy with her own stuff related to the academy. As such, they had to rely on their own intuition when facing those people.

Still, they had made some big progress, and that was partly thanks to Meiko and Berdo.

While not directly involved himself, Berdo had made sure they were in contact with some of his most trusted acquaintances. Whenever Ticia and Rika needed help, they could call upon those on a moment's notice. Even though most of them were old, they were already on their side and had a lot of connections that proved useful in gathering forces from military circles. This allowed Rika to be put at the center of a relatively important military force, which consisted of 26 divisions, 17 brigades, and a dozen or so smaller units. Additionally, there was also Nathalia and her clique who provided a small space force. She had stated that more personnel of the Borkian Navy would rally around Rika if they dealt a blow to the Commerce Guards, something that Rika and Ticia were not so keen on doing but kept in mind.

Meiko’s revenge plans also went well. With the help of Rebot-ia, she managed to contact retired employees from Doesson Industries, who had been, in fact, integrated when the Eiko family’s business had been taken over. Despite having retired, those people still held immense influence in the company through various means and could not be removed by the Doessons easily.

Those people, while surprised at first to learn that she was alive, immediately sided with Meiko. She was the rightful owner of the Eiko business in their minds. As such, work was already on the way to slowly undermine the Doesson family’s influence and take over the industry from the inside…

As part of their alliance, or rather because she felt that it would be right for her daughter to get some shares, Meiko had offered Rika half of the rights of ownership, which Rika reluctantly agreed to take. It wasn’t out of love for her mother, she had begrudgingly ranted to Ticia, but rather because it would prove immensely useful for providing funds as well as gaining some weight in the industrial sector. In this way, their political influence would grow stronger.

Aside from those, they also benefited from Rika’s immense popularity as well as their newly found 'guarantor'...

The Academy’s backing had been the decisive factor for many people, who now requested to enter Rika’s faction. Their profile was rather varied, from disgruntled bureaucrats and young officers, to small businessmen as well as people closely affiliated to the academy.

…Even the police department had joined in, to their surprise…

Sparing the teacher had been a wise choice, it seemed. When they delivered them to the police, they had a long meeting with the head of the department. After a back and forth concerning the relation both parties had with the academy, as well as some nagging concerning the death of the policemen on site (upon which Rika had to apologize for), the head of the department decided it would be best for them to work together in the future.

This gathering of people was extremely varied, and there were some disagreements between them. However, one thing united them. They all wanted to change the current system of the Borkian Confederation, one way or another.

In light of recent events, Rika was seen as the perfect leading figure, especially due to her neutral stance with politics.

The faction had managed to gather enough power to be considered a minor force in the political landscape of the Borkian Confederation, despite lacking any politicians in high places or senators on their side. Naturally, such progress did not go unnoticed...

Their opponents were currently busy however. As a result of the slaughter, the Twill faction received criticism for letting this happen. The fieldmarshal and others did what they could to maintain a stable frontline in this upheaval. Other, more aggressive elements had also been silenced by the actions of Lidia and Nia, giving some respite to Ticia and Rika.

No one was oblivious to what the goals of this growing new faction were and while Rika herself claimed them to be neutral, the politicians and the public started to call them the 'Reformist faction'. The name was then adopted by the members of the faction before Rika could even protest it.

Reforming the Borkian Confederation wasn’t part of Ticia and Rika’s goals, but they did acknowledge that this could actually help them in the long term, so they embraced the idea while keeping a certain amount of distance from fully acknowledging this goal.

Not everyone was happy with the current set of events though. Rowla had contacted Rika, asking what this was all about. It took some convincing, but Rowla also agreed that extending the faction was a good thing, but she reminded them that they should inform her before moving, as the ‘leader’ had been extremely concerned by what was happening.

Rika had acknowledged and reassured she would do so, but for today’s meeting, she would not. Today’s meeting was with a very controversial party after all…

*Ding*

The elevator played a note, signaling the arrival to the chosen floor. Rika, Ticia, Licia and their escorting ECGs entered the new room.

It was a lounge with an immense window, displaying a view over the skyscrapers of Borkian City Center. The furnitures were rather simple compared to the spacey room though, with only a set of armchairs facing each other as they surrounded a small table.

A man and a young woman, both with blue hair, were discussing together. They spotted the group and stopped what they were doing.

“Brigadier-General Rika?” The man asked, before going over to them with a smile on his face while raising his hand for a handshake. “A pleasure to meet you again.”

“The pleasure is mine, Sir Mayers.” Rika shook the presented hand, offering a small smile.

“I still have not thanked you enough for saving my daughter. Once again, thank you.” He added, bowing slightly. Rika just answered that it was fine.

“Instructor.” Evelyn saluted.

“At ease. We’re not at the academy right now, miss Mayers.” Rika answered, smiling a little. 

“Uhm, right.” Evelyn nodded, smiling wryly, before looking towards the clones. “Greetings, Clone Mother, Licia.” She said with a smile.

Ticia only gave her an acknowledging nod, keeping her face void of emotions as she was playing the role of Rika’s bodyguard. The ECGs did the same when Evelyn greeted them. 

Licia smiled and waved cutely with her hand, before mirroring her mother’s expression. They were not here for amusement, after all…

They went over to the armchairs. Henry and Evelyn sat next to each other, while only Rika and Licia took a seat. Ticia, Fana, Jinxy and Breesse stood straight behind them, arms behind their backs.

“Where are your bodyguards?” Rika asked, seeing that nobody guarded them.

“There’s been some… reshuffle in our personal guards.” Henry admitted. “Besides, this is also a token of our goodwill.”

“I see, then I believe we can cut straight to the point?” Rika asked, a serious look on her face.

“Indeed.” Henry replied, mirroring Rika’s expression while Evelyn tensed up.

Today’s meeting was about the possibility of an alliance between them, or rather, if the Pellians would secretly join Rika’s faction.

It had to be done in secret. The very argument of negotiating with the Pellians could destroy their faction, so Rika and Ticia took very cautious measures while entering talks with Henry Mayers.

They had agreed upon this date, at the residence of the Mayers in Borkian Prime City, under the pretext of ‘orientation counseling’ backed by the academy and while that was part of the meeting, it was not everything.

Proof of that was how serious Henry currently was. He wore a suit with the coat of arms of the Pellian State. Evelyn also wore the Pellian military uniform instead of her regular one. Such things would normally have been looked down upon, if not more, but right now, they were making a point. They were negotiating not as Borkian citizens, but as Pellians.

“I understand that you want to ally with us, but why though? What would it bring you?” Henry asked straightforwardly.

“I believe the Pellians would be a strong asset for our faction, and would help achieve our goals.” Rika answered.

“Which are?” Henry asked. “Apologies, but the goals of your factions are not clear. All we know comes from rumors, which are not always reliable.”

“Our goal huh?” Rika huffed, glancing towards Ticia for a quick moment before nodding. “Indeed, we haven’t told anybody what our goals are. They’re quite simple really, our side has just grown tired of the current fractured state of the Borkian Confederation and just wishes for some changes…”

“I see… So you want to reinforce the central authority?” Henry asked, but Rika shook her head.

“Not necessarily, no. Our goal is primarily to get rid of the factional system.”

This was the main focal point that everyone, including the ‘secret leader’, agreed upon, so Rika was not lying. Henry nodded at those words, neither happy nor unhappy.

“Did you contact us simply because my daughter is one of your students, Brigadier-General?” He asked, but Rika shook her head.

“No, that would be hypocrisy on my part. The reason I contacted you is because you are the husband of the late general Lise Mayers.”

General Lise Mayers. At those words, Henry’s eyebrows slightly twitched, while Evelyn was surprised.

“Of course, I am not forgetting your own contribution, former prime minister Henry Mayers.” Rika added with a smile.

“...It seems like you know us well.” Henry smiled, and Rika nodded.

“It is only natural to know the people you want to ally with. You two were the proponents for peace between our nations after all. Besides, I hold some admiration for your late wife, sir.”

The Mayers couple: It was a powerful pair that even Borkians knew about during the Pellian-Borkian war. Henry was the Prime minister at the time, while Lise was at the head of the military. If not for them, perhaps the Pellian-Borkian war would have been shorter…

While Henry led a unity government, rallying the Pellians behind him to lead the nation, Lise was the one who devised the defense of the Pellia system, which proved extremely successful. As such, she was praised as a great strategist and general on both sides and the Borkians still studied her tactics, while Pellians idolized her for her heroic defense as well as her tragic end…

The couple knew that the war could not last forever, and since the Pellians had failed to gather help from other nations, they would not be able to win the war. Still, the situation was at their advantage, as Lise managed to inflict severe casualties on the Borkians. So they decided to hold peace talks with their enemies, Lise leading the delegation.

That was when tragedy struck, as once the peace talks had begun, a bomb detonated, killing Lise and the peace delegations. Both sides then blamed each other and the war resumed, but since Lise was dead, the Pellian defense crumbled easily, sealing the Pellian Independent System’s fate.

At that time, Henry had to resign due to pressure from radicalized groups and could only watch as his nation fell. Needless to say that the sudden death of his wife also left a deep wound in his heart, as well as for Evelyn, who was but a child at the time… To this day though, Henry remained a strong figure within Pellian circles, as he still pursued the ideals of him and his wife, which was to reconcile both sides while keeping a sense of independence for the Pellians. 

“So, if by any chance, we, the Pellians, asked for our independence in exchange for our aid, would your faction agree?” Henry asked, a mysterious gleam passing through his eyes. This in itself was a simple question, yet one both parties knew was practically impossible to achieve…

“I cannot give you a definite answer to this question.” Rika answered honestly. “Know however, that if it is what you wish for, you have my heartfelt support.”

Henry stared at Rika in the eyes, evaluating the seriousness of her words, Rika continued.

“While I cannot promise straightforward independence, I can at the very least push for increased autonomy for the Pellian system within the Borkian Confederation.”

“...Autonomy is also acceptable, for now at least.” Henry conceded. “But I still do not have any proof you would do that for us.”

“I suppose writing an agreement would not suffice?” Rika said, to which Henry nodded.

“Even with that, I would not be able to gather support from my followers. I need another proof.” He insisted.

A small silence fell between the two sides. Rika had an ace up her sleeve to try to convince the former Pellian prime minister further, but needed the agreement of Ticia to proceed. She quickly glanced her way and Ticia nodded, giving her consent. Rika then sighed.

“Very well. We have another proposal to make then.” She began, her look sharpening. “How about we lease you some clones in the near future? If you need any proof, you can take Licia and some adult clones with you when you need to convince them.”

““...What?””

This time, the father-daughter duo had the same reaction of bewilderment.

“You’d be willing to do that?” Evelyn let out, before putting her hand on her mouth.

“Yes, I am willing to go this far.” Rika answered.

The implications behind this were rather heavy. By lending some clones to the Pellians, Rika would give them an official military force within the Borkian military that was loyal to them, not the state. Giving such troops to them would certainly have heavy repercussions.

“With all due respect, Brigadier-General, there simply aren’t enough troops.”  Henry pointed out, doubts filling his mind.

“Who told you there won’t be enough by the time we will act?” Rika added with a smirk, implications very clear on her face that Henry caught on.

“You- Don’t tell me…”

“That’s right, we know how to make clones.” Rika admitted, and the atmosphere changed.

What Rika was mentioning between the lines was the possibility of an uprising against the current government…

“...How many people know of this?” Henry asked, an extremely serious expression on his face.

“Only you for now, and I don’t plan on letting other people know for the time being.” Rika said back. “All we lack right now are the production facilities, which are only a matter of time…”

Henry took a pensive pose, if what Rika said was true, then in the coming years Rika would rise up against the Borkian Confederation. He asked himself why she did not try to go for the upcoming elections, but perhaps the Borkians Confederation was already too corrupted for this to happen…

This piece of information was a big deal, and he could now see two obvious options he could take. One: accept Rika’s offer and hope her words were true. If so, this would guarantee the independence of the Pellian state, if Rika herself did not betray them later that is... Two: he could just report Rika’s words to the current Borkian authorities, hoping to get some autonomy for the Pellian system in exchange…

The choice was quickly made. The second choice was not a viable option, as there were more chances the Borkians would ignore his claims as a Pellian, and he would lose the favor of Rika.

Other than that, it would also solve his problem as a father with deep affection for his daughter… With this alliance, he would not have to arrange another political marriage for Evelyn in order to get a powerful ally, which was something he was even more reluctant to do, after what nearly happened to Evelyn…

“...Alright, granted what you just said is true, then I agree to align myself with your interests, Brigadier-General.” He said with a grave tone. Whatever happened, it was as good as a step into the unknown. Henry truly hoped this was the right path…

“Thank you for your trust, we will make sure to uphold our part of the deal then.” Rika smiled back, relieved on the inside that he accepted. There were two other people who also felt relieved by this. One was Evelyn, and the other was Licia.

Both were happy this alliance could see the light of day, as it meant they could continue to talk with each other after the academy days were finished, and neither wanted to fight the other. Licia herself had been brought to try to convince the Mayers through sentiments as a last resort, though that had proved unnecessary. Licia and Evelyn smiled at each other, something that the other people in the room noticed too.

“Seeing my daughter’s smile, it seems like I’ve made the right choice this time.” Henry could not help but say, a tender expression on his face as he looked at his daughter.

“F-father…” Evelyn grew red from embarrassment at the comment, but kept smiling.

“I promise, you will not regret your choice Sir Mayers.” Rika reiterated in a serious tone.

“I hope so.” He added. “There are still some things I want to clarify, if it’s alright with you?”

Rika smiled.

“Of course, we are now allies, after all.”

 

***

 

“Phew…” Rika let out a sigh, evacuating her stress as she entered the car lended by the academy. This was a trip that was supposed to be an ‘orientation counseling’ with the parents after all. 

It was already night by the time they left the building. Henry had been quite thorough with his questions, which Rika answered as best as she could….

“That sure was tiring, right Rika?” Ticia said as she took place right next to Rika. Rika gave her an accusatory look.

“What are you talking about, Miss bodyguard? All you had to do was stand behind me.”

“Which is tiring in itself, right girls?” Ticia said with a smile, looking towards the ECGs. None of them supported her however and the judging gaze coming from Rika only grew in intensity. Ticia decided to change the subject.

“Ahem. Well, it went well.”

“It did.” Rika confirmed. “Though we better uphold on our part. Are you sure you’re fine with that, Ticia?”

“Yes, I need more daughters to ensure the security of my family.” Ticia answered seriously, as weird as her statement sounded.

“Then we better hurry and find the corresponding material.” Rika said, a serious expression on her face. “Aren’t there any clone installations in the Borkian system?”

“There are. Three, actually.” Ticia answered. “But it’s a lost cause, they’re red dots on the map, and I believe they would already have been searched, being in the center of the Confederation and all.”

Rika could only nod at what she said. True, there was a high chance the Borkians would have already discovered the clone installations and looted everything in them.

“Still, it doesn’t hurt to try to search for them too.” She added. Now that they had the support of the academy, they could now move out more easily. Ticia could only nod in return.

“Then, I guess that’s it for today?” She said.

“Actually, we still have one stop.” Rika chimed in.

“Eh? Really? I thought it was everything for today?” Ticia seemed bewildered.

“Well, it was, but I received some good news from a friend I contacted some time ago, we need to meet her right now.” Rika said with a serious tone.

“Is that so?” Ticia looked pensive. Who was this friend Rika was talking about? Her curiosity grew. “Well, off we go then.”

 

***

 

“I said that, but why the hell are we in a bar right now!?” Ticia exclaimed, unable to understand why they were now in an empty bar.

“Well, that’s the location she set off, I can’t do anything about that.” Rika Shrugged.

“I can understand that, but I would’ve liked to know about it sooner so that we could leave Licia behind before going!” Ticia exclaimed, but Licia herself pouted at her words.

“Mom… I thought you said I could participate in the meetings from now on.”

“Ugh, well yes, but uhm, not at this kind of place, Licia?” Ticia seemed in difficulty, trying to find a correct answer.

“Why?” Licia asked innocently.

“T-that, uhm, it’s for adults only.”

“Since when did bars become adults only places?” Rika frowned, only to be shushed away by Ticia.

“She didn’t need to know that!” Ticia sighed, as Licia had clearly heard the comment. “I hope this bar sells other things than alcohol then…”

Just as she said that, a person entered from the other side. She was a young woman dressed in stylish civilian clothes who had blonde hair arranged in twintails and pink eyes.

“Hi Rika. Glad you could make it.” She said with a smile.

“Riley, everything is finished on your side?” Rika asked as she smiled back.

“Kind of, I’ll speak with you about that.” Riley said mysteriously, before glancing at the clones next to Rika. “I see you’ve brought some company?”

“Yes, we just left an important meeting.” Rika answered, before glancing towards Ticia, who had reflexively acted as a bodyguard. “But I would still have brought Ticia with me.”

“Ticia?” Riley tilted her head. “Ah, you mean this clone, right? I don’t believe I met her before?”

“Yeah, you haven’t. She wasn’t present for the wargame. She’s the Clone Mother, and you can recognise her from the other adult clones thanks to the black ends of her hair, just like for the kids.”

“Ah, I see.” Riley nodded in acknowledgement, before smiling to Ticia. “Glad to make your acquaintance, Clone Mother.”

“...” Ticia stayed silent, making Rika sigh.

“You can stop the act, Ticia. Riley’s not into ‘work mode’ right now, nothing of what we talk about here will come out of this room.”

“...Is that so?” Ticia asked warily, but seeing the insistence on Rika’s face, she relaxed. “Then I guess it is fine…”

“Oh? She has more personality than I thought? Just like the small ones!” Riley said, intrigued by Ticia. “Are all clones like her?”

“No, my daughters aren’t all like me yet, unfortunately.” Ticia said with a sigh.

“That so? What a shame.” Riley said, a bit disappointed before continuing. “Well, let’s sit down first and continue our conversation. I didn’t reserve this whole place just for drinks after all.”

They did as Riley said, and once everyone sat, Rika faced Riley.

“So, have you decided?” She asked straightforwardly, a serious expression on her face.

“I did. I accept your offer, Rika.” Riley answered with a serious expression too.

“Good, welcome aboard then.” Rika smiled.

“Wait a bit, there are some things that I must tell you first, Rika.” Riley continued to stare at Rika seriously. “Your recent actions have caught the interest of my family.”

“...Is that true?” This revelation made both Rika and Ticia tense up, as the subject became extremely serious.

“Yes.” Riley nodded. “After my termination from the military, the family was about to throw me out when they learned of the guarantee you just got from the academy, and immediately prompted me to get on your side.”

“What do they want?” Rika asked straightforwardly.

“They’re doing as usual, Rika. They’re placing a part of their interest on you in case you win.” Riley answered.

Officially, she was not part of the Weima family anymore, but internally, they had asked her to enter Rika’s faction. This was the way the Weima family usually worked. They divided their family members into various factions in order to survive no matter what happened. It was a bit of a screwed up tactic since it meant the loss of the members on the losing side, but it assured the continuity of the family in the long run…

This was known by others of course, but they did not say anything since having a member of the Weima family on your side always meant a part of their capital would be invested into the faction.

The very fact that Riley bluntly said it, however, was proof that she was not keen on the idea, and was on Rika’s side entirely, which made her go up in Ticia’s esteem.

“Well, though they sent me, they also underestimated you, seeing as they only sent me with my personal savings.” Riley ranted.

“Thanks for telling me Riley, seems like I’ll really have to be prudent in the future…” Rika’s gaze sharpened for a few seconds, before softening as she smiled at her friend. “I just so happen to lack a major within the ranks of my brigade, so this is perfect.”

“Starting up the same rank as before? You’re generous, Rika.” Riley commented. She was expecting she would have to rise up through the ranks, as was usual, but Rika valued her work and decided to put her as one of her majors, in the place of the now deceased Felgoron.

“Well, this title is only for show right now.” Rika added. “I know you don’t really like the military, so I have another post for you to fill in the meantime.”

“Oh? What is it?”  Riley asked, eyes filled with curiosity.

“I would like for you to become the personal drill instructor for the clones.” Rika stated out.

“Wait, Rika?! You didn’t tell me about this!?” Ticia got up as she exclaimed.

“I thought about it on the spot.” Rika answered. “But think about it, Ticia. We’re growing more and more busy. We can’t keep on like this. We need someone to take some charges off from us.”

“...True.” Ticia admitted as she sat back at her place, now deep in thoughts. As much as the academy training was good for the clones, some of them asked for more. Licia and Willia were particularly insistent on the matter. The former was because she wanted to learn as much as possible from them to keep herself at the top, while the latter… well, she just liked to exercise…

Meiko could keep an eye on the girls too, but could not provide any help when it came to training, hence Rika's decision.

As they were becoming more busy, they lacked more time with the Null CGs. Once, Vinia unintentionally let out a complaint, which made Ticia sad… She needed to balance her current schedule...

“Training, is it?” Riley was interested. “Which domain, exactly?”

“All of them.” Rika said decisively.

“All of them?”

“Yes. Hand to hand combat, shooting lessons, routine exercises… whatever you find the clones lacking in or excelling at. I want you to keep the clones in their best state.”

“That’s asking me to be a drilling sergeant, Rika.” Riley rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, except you’re a major instead.” Rika answered with a smile.

“Pft.” Riley could not help but let out a small laugh at this joke.  “Okay, fine, I can do that. Does this mean I have to train the Clone Mother too?” She asked, glancing towards Ticia.

“No, though I might ask you to be my sparring partner from time to time.” Ticia added with a fearless smile. “I might not hold back, depending on what my daughters report back to me.”

“Uwah… Scary…” Riley grimaced, feeling the sudden oppressing aura Ticia was hiding behind her smile. “That’s a caring mother if I ever know one, I guess.”

“Jokes aside, we expect you to report the progress of the little ones. They’ll be the ones you’ll have to focus on.” Rika continued.

“Ah, yes, the twelve clone kids that got me out of my job in the first place huh? Sure, I can do that.” Riley smiled fearlessly, making Licia twitch for a brief moment.

“... Please take care of me.” Licia bowed earnestly, the fire to learn whatever lesson Riley had for her burned in her eyes, which made Riley smile.

“I like that girl’s temper.”

“She’s my pride.” Ticia boasted, which only got Rika to sigh, while Riley giggled as Licia blushed.

“Since it has already been decided that you will keep watch on them, I might as well ask you something else.” Ticia's expression changed to a serious one.

“Sure. What is it?” Riley also listened attentively.

Ticia then put her hands over Licia’s ears, making sure she would not hear what she was about to say next. Her daughter was about to protest, but decided against it, as it meant it also concerned her personally.

“You seem to be rather ‘feminine’...” She said.

“What? I am a girl though?” Riley said, not understanding.

“I meant your demeanor.” Ticia corrected. “My girls will soon come around that age, and while some of them act like girls, some… do not. I’d hope you could give them some common sense on how to interact and keep their distance with the boys.”

“I see, etiquette lesson, is it?”

“Yes, I’m not quite the example myself and all the girls have experienced  so far is military life, the adults included. I don’t want them to be taken advantage of because of their naïvety and lack of common sense.”

This was a concern Ticia had ever since the party that celebrated their victory in the battle over the Ionians at Brelia 7, where Licia had been quite blunt. She wanted the best education for her girls and while she did not mind the girls acting like boys, she was well aware of their future potential in terms of beauty. She wanted them to learn more on the common sense, in hope it would make them less sensible to fall into traps set by men.

Her most serious concern was Willia, who seemed extremely close with boys right now. It was fine since she was still a kid, but she needed to learn about shame and distances very soon, else Ticia could see a myriad of problems popping up.

She would have done so herself if she could, but knew she and Rika were not the best placed to do so since the girls simply did not understand what they were talking about. Riley on the other hand seemed like a fine lady. She would be able to take care of the problem for her.

“Well, that’s but a small thing to achieve, so that’s fine.” Riley answered.

“In that case, you’re hired.” Ticia smiled back, finally removing her hands off Licia’s ears. The girl was curious about the conversation, but kept quiet.

“Then, should we get a drink now?” Riley said, sounding merry.

“Sure.” Rika answered.

“Wait, Rika. Licia is here.” Ticia stressed out, glancing towards Licia. She did not want to drink in her presence!

“...One drink should be fine…” Rika said. Before Ticia knew it, a serving of drinks was put on their table by a robot. Ticia gulped.

“...Well… one drink wouldn’t hurt, right?” She whispered to herself as she saw Riley and Rika already drinking the beer from their glasses. She then saw a small hand grabbing one of the glasses on the table.

““...”” Ticia’s gaze met Licia’s, who immediately did puppy eyes. It was needless to say that she was very intrigued by the beverage and so were the ECGs, who, learning from Licia, also made puppy eyes.

…There was no way Ticia could refuse at this point.

“...Fine. But no more than three sips, alright?” She conceded, to the delight of the clones, before going herself for her own drink. She had steeled her heart and would not allow them to take more than that though.

…Needless to say that she did not include herself in the equation, as Ticia did not end with just one drink. By the end of the night, she, Rika and Riley were completely drunk while the other clones fell asleep after their drink.

In the end, they got scolded by Meiko and Nicia when they came back. The clones would brag about their interesting experience to their sisters, though…