Endless Silver Machine

She first walked along the square stone path to the depths of the indoor courtyard with a view.

The sound of clogs hitting the hard stone is a sound that has never been heard above the green grass and under the fallen cherry blossoms in "that world".

The humid air condenses on the dome and high branches into droplets of water, which fall on the open paper umbrella and play a different tone than the one under your feet.

She stared at her feet with a trace of curiosity, hearing a pleasant sound that she had never heard before in her ears, and her steps became brisk unknowingly, as if she was stepping on a grid.

Until I walked into the depths of the indoor garden and heard the sound of someone talking.

She gently pushed aside the huge branches and leaves with her hands and looked in the direction where the voice came from.

Those girls are all people I have seen before, and I know their names and identities, but I have never met them.

She had no intention of showing up in front of those people. The view ends here, just turn back.

What he didn't expect was that someone actually noticed him, and he was obviously not the holder of the magic outfit.

Even if they are discovered, it doesn't matter. From a physical point of view, they can be classified as the same sex as them.

Although the other party had obviously noticed the movement here, she seemed to have no intention of coming here, so she calmly walked back along the original road holding a paper umbrella.

Why is she here now? It's because someone carelessly left her out before going out.

After staying quietly in the room, this was the first time that she suddenly had the idea of ​​going out alone. What she saw through the man's sight was the scenery of the indoor courtyard, but she did not find him here.

Maybe there are places with the same view elsewhere, but this time I found the wrong place.

The wooden door I passed when I pushed it open lost the hard touch of ashlar stone under my feet, and was replaced by a soft feeling like grass, and the crisp knocking sound was also absorbed by the carpet.

She had other things on her mind when she came here. Now that her original purpose had not been achieved, she began to care about the room that separated the open-air bath from the outside world.

The open-air bath on the left side of the room is lush dark green, and the promenade on the right side is flawless white. The color of this room is a light pea green that mixes these two colors. It is a color that makes people unconscious when they are in it. A relaxing color.

She moved slightly and looked around the room, and finally her eyes fell on the furniture that looked like cabinets.

It was the only prominent piece of furniture in the room. She walked closer and found that there were five rattan baskets placed in five grids side by side, with folded clothes inside.

She knew that these were the clothes of the five girls in the open-air bath, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy about them.

But when her eyes swept across the rattan basket on the far side, she was attracted by something.

He reached out and took out the piece on the top, and unfolded the triangular pink and white fabric in front of his eyes expressionlessly.

She still had an impression of this underwear and knew whose underwear it belonged to.

At this moment, the second person pushed the door open and walked into the room.

…………

Thanks to reflexes honed through daily experiences, Aika ducked into the thick bushes before being spotted by the newcomers.

Covered by the huge fan-like branches and leaves, the other party didn't seem to notice that there was anyone here in the first place.

Aika held her breath, and the surroundings were unexpectedly silent. The new person who came in was humming a song, and it was vaguely possible to tell from his voice that he was not of the same sex.

The ominous premonition struck. Until now, if it was an empty, unfamiliar place, it would most likely be a "forbidden place" that Aika would never take the initiative to enter once she knew where it was.

Aika tried her best to stay calm. This is not the first time I have entered a place like this. I have seen many scenes above this. It is not worth making a fuss about.

The only thing I want to complain about is "Since it's a women's bathroom, why doesn't it even have the most basic signs?"

Judging from the footsteps, there is only one person on the other side, and he has not noticed that he is hiding nearby. This is an opportunity.

As long as she steps into the bathtub and enjoys the bath comfortably, she can then find an opportunity to sneak out.

Aika eliminated all distracting thoughts in her mind, closed her eyes and waited for the opportunity to come.

As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly, and this girl is not the only one who enjoys bathing during this time.

"Ruby, don't run like that in the bathroom, the floor here is slippery!"

"It's okay, sister. It's like the deck here, and the ship will shake even more."

"But you can't compare like this..."

Just by listening to the voices, he knew that the two people who came in later were Teacher Letika and Ruby, who had separated not long ago.

Why are the two of them here? Shouldn't I be with Lan Ming and the others?

"Carolelle, long time no see."

"Haha, Your Highness Ruby has grown up."

Aika was startled. I feel like I've heard this voice somewhere before, but I just can't remember it for a while.

"Sister, let me introduce you. This is Caroliel, who served as the commander of Tusi Kong Yukong Team after you left, but she went out to practice not long after taking office."

"Ah ha ha……"

Only then did Aika realize that Ruby was actually a cheerful and lively child at home. When interacting with her on the boat, I always felt a little unnaturally reserved, which was probably a sign of fear of strangers.

Teacher Letika chuckled slightly awkwardly. Does it have something to do with the girl who came in first?

Although she was a little curious, it was not enough to drive Aika to peek into their situation.

"Your Highness Ruby, now I want to tell you a secret. Can you promise that I will not tell it to anyone else?"

"Well, it's a secret, right? I know it, and I will never, never tell it."

"Carol...Carolelle, it doesn't matter if you don't have to tell Ruby specifically."

"Only Your Highness Ruby knows nothing. You have a lot of things to worry about when you say it, right? So I want only Your Highness Ruby to know. And she is a child who will definitely abide by her promise, right, Ruby Your Highness?"

"Well, Ruby will definitely abide by her agreement with Caroliel."

"Right, Teacher Letika?"

Sure enough, I was impressed by this voice.

"It turns out that you and Ruby had such a close relationship before I knew it. When I first met you, you told me that you just accidentally got the qualification to be exempted from the recommended test. At that time, I felt a little strange, even if the Protoss No matter how casual you are, you will never give the exemption quota to ordinary people."

"That's actually the case. We don't have much of a relationship with the Sky Guards now. I only fought for the position of captain so that I can recommend you to enter Shimozuki Academy without taking the exam. In fact, I never thought that I would meet you at Shimozuki Academy. , and they’re still in the same class.”

Ruby couldn't understand the conversation between the two people from the middle. After all, it was a world she had no contact with at all.

"Did sister and Carole meet in Shimozuki Academy?"

"It's more than just acquaintance, Ruby-sama. When I was training at Frost Moon Academy, Lady Letika was my instructor, and I was instructor Letika's student."

"In other words, Caroliel is practicing under her sister?"

"Yes, you can understand it this way. But this is a secret between the three of us. We must not let others know. Especially the distinguished guests who came here with you."

"Carolelle, are you going to never meet them again? You and Aika are very good friends, right? Is it really okay not to let him know?"

"There shouldn't be much difference between knowing or not knowing. Even if we know, we should still be friends. In this case..." Carolie hesitated, and finally added, "What if it really happens?" If I encounter him, I will still confess honestly. But, I still don’t know how to face him like this."

Even without seeing it with her own eyes, Aika was already fully aware of the relationship between the three of them.

It no longer mattered why Teacher Letika and Ruby were not with other girls.

——There must be a mistake somewhere, how could he be here...

After hearing these words, Aika could no longer hide herself honestly.

Even if it was just a glimpse, Aika wanted to confirm with his own eyes that the person talking to the mentor sister Letika was him.

Carol, after the name was shortened, it coincided with the name of a bad friend around me.

And he actually appeared here chatting casually with mentor and sister Letika. Could it be that...

Aika could no longer suppress his curiosity, and his desire for knowledge prompted him to reach out.

Just when Aika leaned forward to peek into the "forbidden place" behind the branches and leaves, a silver-white wrist wheel suddenly appeared on his wrist.

The Eye of Fiery Eye that was originally placed in Aika's room, her wrist-wheel outer shell suddenly appeared next to Aika for some unknown reason, leaving behind the special magic power fluctuations when the magic activates its inherent magic.

In addition, there was a piece of loose pink-white cloth floating on the back of his hand.

--Oops!

Aika secretly cried out in her heart. Hitomi activated the magic for some unknown reason. There was no reason why the magic power fluctuations could not be sensed by Master Letika and Ruby who were both magic equipment holders at such a close distance.

Sure enough, the thin water vapor just now was quickly replaced by another thick mist.

In the blink of an eye, the courtyard like a tropical jungle was shrouded in thick fog. Even the moonlight from the dome could not penetrate the thick fog.

Ruby's magic outfit - the ability of "Mirror of Mist". Within the scope of her ability, everything is blurred, and only Aika, the uninvited guest, becomes a target that can be attacked.

A new wave of magic power appeared in front of Aika's sight, which was obscured. Aika vaguely remembered that this was the ability of Teacher Letika.

"Hitomi, run away!"

Without thinking, he grabbed the fabric at hand and stuffed it into the belt of his yukata, and ran away.

Just after leaving the hiding place, the next moment, a cage made of light pillars fell from the sky.

Teachers Aika and Letika had teamed up to confront Wei Xi's clone, and they had some understanding of the attack methods of the magic costume she inherited from Principal Felice - "King Hua Aurora".

"Sister, that person escaped!"

"Carolelle, catch him right here. There is no way he can leave here."

"knew."

Aika knew from the beginning that he could not leave the bathhouse through the door, because even the door must have been blurred, so he used the lush plants as cover to run deeper into the open-air bathhouse.

The effect of the magic equipment will not affect the holder, so Ruby can see her figure clearly and cannot rush out of the plants rashly.

The essence of the ability of "Kinghua Aurora" is the mutated light magic of the gods, with added heat energy that will carbonize the skin as long as it is touched.

The light beam evaporated the moisture in the air in an instant, and aimed at Aika without any deviation.

Aika used the Fiery Eyes to amplify the magic power fluctuations unique to the magic suit in his mind, and barely sensed the trajectory of instructor Letika's attack. He tried his best to avoid using the "mechanical alchemy" ability to offset it and expose his identity.

Teacher Letika was obviously showing mercy. Since he could know his location from Ruby, he could kill himself directly by using the skill he used to defeat the fourth-level monsters while exploring the ruins.

But I guess Teacher Letika wouldn’t use that kind of ability on people.

"After all, why should I run away! It's ridiculous to die just to spy! Besides, I had no intention of staying here in the first place!"

Hitomi, who was responsible for Aika's current situation, remained silent at the critical moment.

No matter how you go back, you must question the purpose of her sudden appearance. The top priority now should be escaping from the open-air bathing place from the hands of the three people who turned into evil spirits.

The open-air bath is just around the corner.

"I will hide in the water later, Hitomi, please don't make a sound."

While sailing on the sea, Aika guessed that the ability of the "Mirror of Mist" would not work on water, so now he could only take a gamble.

The channel that injects milky white liquid into the open-air bath is connected to the outside world. If you are lucky, you can get out of this predicament.

"By the way, there's Carlo..."

Aika is still not sure that Carole is Carol. If it was indeed Carlo, Aika would not have no way to escape from his hands.

"I caught you."

Just as he thought about Carlo who was missing, he heard an announcement close to his ears.

Although Carlo was nowhere to be seen, he didn't know when he walked around in front of him.

It’s not surprising that he would catch him faster than the Fortress-like instructor Letika. Aika has been with him many times as a partner or opponent in practical classes at Shimozuki Academy.

If he were allowed to use magic here, it would be impossible to escape smoothly without counterattack.

Thick fog obscured the view. Aika felt Carlo approaching her and whispered in a voice that only he could hear.

"Whether you are Carol or Carlo, I will treat you as my best friend for life."

Sure enough, as Aika thought, Carlo's sudden words slowed down Carlo's movements. Aika did not let go of the loophole that he had been aiming for from the beginning.

He instinctively used his left hand to catch Carlo's left-handed jab. This is the starting position of physical arts that Carlo often uses in practical skills classes. The jab with the added magic is as sharp as a sword.

After feeling the feeling of catching the punch, Aika immediately pulled his body towards her. Carlo's body had the inertia of forward motion, so it was easy.

At the same time, Aika swept his left leg, destroying Carlo's posture, and they both fell towards the open-air bath.

The moment he fell into the water, Aika hugged Carlo's waist with his right hand. After falling into the water, the sounds from the outside world instantly became dull.

The water in the open-air bath was not deep, and with Aika on his back, Carlo's posture was as if he had knocked Aika down in the water.

At such a close distance, the two finally saw each other's faces clearly.

The short braid that Carlo had tied up in Frost Moon Academy was now loosened and spreading like petals on the water.

The bath towel that was originally wrapped around the chest also slipped to the lower abdomen in the commotion just now, and the unconstrained fruit pressed against Aika's chest, clearly confirming Carlo's true gender to him.

"What are you doing here, Aika! And what do you mean by what you just said!"

The "noble young master" who has always been calm and unhurried would be a little anxious in this situation, but no matter who it is, he will show the same reaction as him in this situation.

"Don't talk so much now, Carol... Carol, I will explain it to you when I have time. Now, help me escape from Teacher Letika and Ruby."

"Don't call me that name casually..."

No matter how strong the feelings were just now, they are now washed away by the gentle bath water. Both of them communicated quickly in their ears at a volume that only each other could hear.

"Besides, you still have to explain a lot, I still have a lot to explain!"

"I will also listen to your explanation seriously! Anyway, do you know what the situation is now? If we don't leave, neither of us will have a chance to explain!"

In their anxiety, both of them seemed to have forgotten their identities that had just been revealed, and they began to argue quietly like brothers in distress.

"Carolelle, are you caught?"

While soaking in the water, I heard Teacher Letika’s voice coming from far away.

"...How are you going to escape from here?"

"The ditch over there should be usable. In short, just help me hold down Teacher Letika and Ruby."

Carlo frowned, seeming to be fighting fiercely in his heart as to whether he could let Aika go.

"...You close your eyes first."

Aika closed her eyes obediently, and now it was impossible not to listen to Carlo's words.

The soft feeling pressing against his body disappeared, and Carlo left Aika's body while he closed his eyes.

"Half a minute at most, and then you have to give me a good explanation."

After hearing Carlo's answer, Aika opened her eyes.

Carlo had put on the towel again and stood up. Aika, who had only seen her in short braids and a boy's uniform, had not yet equated her with the familiar Carlo.

But the appearance and voice look more and more like him if he knew it was Carlo himself. This is probably some kind of psychological effect.

"Thank you. You can let me explain it as many times as you like after this."

Aika promised Carlo so, and then quickly dived underwater again and approached the water-filled channel.

Carlo should be able to easily help him buy enough time. At this time, Aika only has a bad friend to rely on.

Although the situation in front of him was so critical, Carlo's true appearance that had just been imprinted on his retina lingered in his mind for a long time.

"Her name... is Carol, so there shouldn't be anything wrong with calling her Carol..."

Aika's mood at this moment cannot be described with a single word or sentence. Words like mixed flavors seem pale and feeble.

In short, we should still be ordinary friends after this, right? That should be it, right? At most, the only thing you can do is to stop being overly intimate when you get along.

Furthermore, the way you speak may need to be paid attention to. I wonder if the casual tone just now will be the last time.

Having said that, why are you so sure that the relationship won't change subtly in the future? Obviously there are still so many issues that need to calm down and think clearly! Or is it that he is the only one who is so entangled, and Carlo doesn't care about this kind of thing at all?

It took about half a minute longer than the agreed time, and Aika successfully found a way out of the open-air bath with the above worries.

…………