24 Chapter 024

*tok* *tok* *tok*

Interrupting Leon's absentminded reverie, a faint knock sounded on his door, followed by a delicate, feminine voice informing, "Lord Leon, Sir Mordred, and the others have just arrived. They're waiting for you in the courtyard."

"One moment...!" shouted Leon, teleporting over to his mechanized body and possessing it before approaching the entrance to his room, opening it to find Miu standing outside in a Maid outfit.

"Were you not told that I gave everyone the rest of the day and tomorrow off...?" asked Leon.

Lowering her gaze and adopting a notably melancholic smile, Miu replied, "I was...but I feel anxious when I'm not working or training..."

"Mmm...well, I'm not going to chase you off if you 'want' to work..." said Leon. "Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

Regaining a glimmer of her usual vigor, Miu raised her gaze and offered a vibrant smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she replied, "I won't. And thank you for always treating me with consideration, Lord Leon. I...I really appreciate it..."

"Don't mention it, kiddo," mused Leon, extending his mechanical hand to gently ruffle Miu's hair before slipping past her and taking large strides as he departed, followed by the blue-eyed girl's gaze.

Though everyone in Purgatoria had died to arrive there, Miu's story was, by and large, one of the more tragic ones. She had lost her memories of the event, but Leon learned through Hayato that she had been kidnapped and brainwashed by someone called the Demon God Fist. The titular hero of the series she originated from, History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi, had arrived to liberate her, but he ended up being overwhelmed and killed by Miu's hand. After that, she had a mental breakdown and briefly regressed to the mental state of a child, leaving her ill-equipped to face the enemies that came after. After that, everything went downhill 'very' quickly...

Stepping out of the manor and into the courtyard, Leon found Mordred smiling and laughing as she conversed with a petite, maroon-haired girl with distinctive, green, cat-like eyes. Anyone who was acquainted with the series Miu and Hayato were from would recognize the girl as Kisara Nanjo, a spicy and somewhat temperamental tomboy with a deep love for all things feline.

Standing with Mordred and Kisara were two other girls, the first being Presea, accompanied by the now full-sized Poring, while the second was yet another petite, albeit big-breasted tomboy with short brown hair and brown eyes. More accurately, she was 'former' Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi, the person summoned by Itami as a result of Leon's policy that summons he personally called were able to perform one of their own so they would have at least one person they were acquainted with to talk and interact with.

"Holy cow! Is that you, Leon!? I see Winry finally got that hunk of junk operational...!" shouted an inordinately short youth with gold eyes and gold-blonde hair fashioned into a long, braided ponytail. Next to him was a much taller individual with similar features, but his hair was shorter, his shoulders broader, and his build a lot more 'fleshed out,' allowing him to wear bulky armor. As for their identities, who else could they be but the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric?

Appearing behind and punching the top of Ed's head, Mordred shouted, "Watch what you say, you brat! That's our Lord's body until he acquires a new one on the Tenth Floor...!"

"You god-damned gorilla woman! What were you trying to do, split my head open!?" exclaimed Ed, holding the sides of his head as a visible red bump formed where Mordred had struck him.

"Looks like someone needs to be taught another lesson," said Mordred, a menacing grin developing across her face as she proceeded to crack her knuckles.

"That's enough," stated Leon, his voice calm and steady. In response, Mordred instantly stood down, treating Ed like air as she turned to Leon, thumped the simple yet effective breastplate Wil had forged for her, and said, "Today's haul is 2,398 crystal fragments, three pieces of equipment, 300 pelts, and various miscellaneous items."

"Excellent work," said Leon. "I'll perform a proper inventory now. The rest of you should make your way to the dining hall. I have it on good authority that tonight's dinner will be especially delicious."

"Understood!" Mordred exclaimed in affirmation. Then, turning to the rest of her motley crew, she made a sweeping gesture with her right hand, holding it out to her side as she shouted, "You heard our Lord! Return to your respective quarters and get yourselves cleaned up! Afterward, make your way to the dining hall! You have twenty minutes...!"

"Yes, ma'am...!" replied the group members, simultaneously placing their right fists over their chests. They weren't yet Knights, but as members of the 'Frontier Expedition Squad,' they functioned similarly to a military unit, Mordred being their highest-ranking member.

"One moment," said Leon, stopping Ed and Al to inform them he had given Winry time off and that she was 'waiting' for them. As a result, they were exempted from the after-expedition feast. Unless, of course, they wanted to bring Winry with them.

Not wanting to keep their shared crush waiting, Ed and Al took off for the home they shared with their mother, a small cottage a few kilometers from the estate. Everyone else headed for the Roman-style bathhouse at the rear of the estate, a facility typically reserved for female usage. Leon was the singular exception to this rule, but as there were 'landmines' like Presea, Petra, and Beatrice living in the estate, he generally avoided it like the plague...

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Though he couldn't consume food, Leon enjoyed sitting at the dining table with everyone else, hearing about their day and watching as they writhed about, exhaled throaty moans, and descended into brief, euphoric trances while eating Erina's borderline god-like food. Her desserts were especially popular, compelling even Mordred to behave a little feminine, cupping her cheek with her hand and beaming with satisfaction.

Waiting until everyone was nearly finished eating, Leon interrupted their giggling and unintentionally sensual noises to state, "Now that we have a reserve of more than 30,000 fragments, I was thinking we should invest a few into upgrading people's potentials. Any suggestions?"

As the question was directed at her, Mordred nibbled on the end of her dessert spoon, humming as she passed her gaze over Shino and Kisara. Presea was already an orange-tier summon, so they would need at least a hundred thousand fragments to increase her grade. That left only the two tomboys as candidates for promotion. Unless, of course, she considered members of their staff...

Instead of making a decision, Mordred returned her gaze to Leon, asking, "Is this the reason you gave most of our staff the day off...?"

"That's one of the reasons," Leon admitted. "Another is that I don't want the people working in the estate to become detached from the rest of our community."

"Mmm...I might not personally agree with that sentiment, but if it's your will, let it be done," said Mordred, punctuating her statement with a nod. Then, rising to her feet, she surprised Kisara and Shino by stating, "Kisara, Shino, attend me."

"Can't we at least finish our desserts...?" asked Kisara.

"Just bring them with you," said Mordred, grabbing her own and taking the initiative to leave the room. Kisara exhaled a tired sigh in response, but as Mordred was their leader, she grabbed her dessert and followed after her, prompting Shino to shrug and do the same.

"Should I start cleaning...?" asked the nearby Miu, appearing out of her hiding place as Kisara departed. The latter had outwardly forgiven her for what occurred back in their world, but there was still considerable tension and awkwardness between them as Miu hadn't forgiven herself. She knew the person who was truly at fault was the Demon God Fist, but that didn't change the fact that her 'weakness' got most of the people she cared for killed. The fact she had effectively learned about what happened second-hand only made her feel guiltier...

"Go ahead," replied Leon, offering an affirming nod before he and Presea watched Miu carefully bus the empty plates and tableware in silence. She wore a smile the entire time, but even a blind person could see she wasn't truly happy.

"I know I've said this before, but this isn't the life you lived or the world you came from..." said Leon, causing Miu to startle slightly.

Adopting a faint but unfortunately invisible smile, Leon added, "There's no sense in punishing yourself for actions you had no control over. This place is effectively the afterlife, so it's okay to rest and let things go, Miu. That way, when you reunite with your friends, the masters of Ryozanpaku, and even your parents, you can help them acclimate, move on, and be happy themselves..."

Exhaling a prolonged, deflated sigh, Miu allowed her mask to slip away, replaced by deep melancholy as she replied, "I know, Leon...my Grandpa told me the same thing, but even if everyone can be happy in this world, it doesn't change that I murdered someone and got many others killed..."

"When you 'do' finally summon Kenichi, do you really think he's going to care that you killed him?" asked Leon. "I'd wager my future body one of the first things he does is apologize for 'his' weakness..."

"..."

As she could imagine Kenichi behaving and doing exactly as Leon said, Miu found herself at a loss for words. Kenichi might not be talented, but he was one of the kindest and most compassionate people she had ever known. That being the case, Miu was somewhat afraid of summoning him as, in her heart, she didn't think she deserved his forgiveness...much less his devotion...

Seeing Miu resume clearing and cleaning the table, Leon exhaled a faint sigh of his own. This wasn't the first time he had tried speaking to her in such a manner, but just as Beatrice had closed her heart to everyone but Subaru, Miu had become a prisoner of her own thoughts and insecurities. Her situation, and the situations of others, made Leon feel like he was in a setting similar to Angel Beats, so even if it took months or even years, he was determined to help Miu forgive herself and move on. Not because he wanted a positive performance review once he reached the Tower's peak but because it was the right thing to do. Good and kind-hearted people, and especially victims like Miu, deserved absolution...

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After thanking Erina and her staff for the meal and escorting Presea to her room, Leon trudged over to his own, feeling spent but also considering an evening foray into the Tower. Unless he 'requested' her, Mordred typically slept in her own room ever since they started increasing their numbers, so his evenings were usually spent patrolling the manor, lying atop the roof to stargaze, or watching the Assign menu's map to see what others were up to when they were supposed to be sleeping...

Opening the door to his room, Leon was planning to discard his body in the corner before lying down for a bit, but his mechanical body froze in place when he saw what awaited him within. There was Modred, wearing her thin red top and thong-like panties, but she wasn't alone. Rather, she was making out with Kisara atop his bed, the latter wearing an identical set of innerwear, one of several that came in the parcel Leon picked up from the Kita-Gojo Boutique earlier that day...

Hearing the door open, Mordred sat up and on top of Kisara, gazing back at Leon over her shoulder with a cheeky grin as she remarked, "You were late, so we got started on our own."

Recovering from his initial shock, Leon did his best to appear calm as he approached a bit closer and asked, "Is Mordred taking advantage of her position to bully you, Kisara...?"

"What kind of question is that...?" asked Kisara, rising to a seated position, linking her arms around Mordred's body and kissing her shoulder before practically purring, "We're just having a bit of fun...the real question is, are you just going to stand there and watch, or are you going to join us?"

"Hmmm..."

Though he had no interest in harems, Leon was still a man. Seeing two feisty tomboys 'engaging in a bit of fun' was a temptation beyond mortal means to resist. He had many, many questions, but as those could come later, he raised his mechanical right hand, rotating it a full 360 degrees as he jokingly replied, "I suppose I could lend you a hand or two..."

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