| ARC V | Chapter 5: Blooming Steel 1/2

 With the soft, sweet scent of flowers in the air, Amethely and Luna found themselves at the nearby flower shop where all kinds of vivid and beautifully region-unique flora were being sold. While Luna wasn't as excited as Amethely, she curiously looked around either way; all this was new to her since she usually didn't pay much attention to these sorts of things.

 There was a delicate flower with a silver stem and white petals. Its crystalline structure and patterns gently fractured light off them. The scent was ticklish and gentle, a little sweet, juicy, and slightly acidic.

 "Monochrome Flakes?" Luna read their name under her breath. Right beside her, Amethely—her eyes sparked with excitement, filled with an eager look of wanting to explain. Luna chuckled softly. "Can you tell me about them, Ame?" she inquired. About the flowers themselves—she wasn't too interested, but seeing Amethely look excited relaxed her harsh heart. 

 "Hmm~" Amethely hummed playfully with a finger placed on her lips, nibbling them lightly while deep in thought.

*Ba-dump* Luna's heart fluttered. 

 (…Was she always…this…sexy—I mean alluring? Was that how she seduced Al? Wait… I've only noticed her being like this after she and Al got together…d-d-don't tell me…)

 Luna could feel her temperature rise, and her face was getting hotter the more she thought about it—she couldn't believe her best friend—the boy she liked had already gotten that far with her idol. Of course, Amethely noticed her strange reaction—she leaned closer with a slightly confused head tilt.

 "Luna? Your face is slightly flushed. Are you okay?" Amethely asked in a soft, worried voice.

 "I-I'm fine… Anyways, do you recall anything about the flowers? We can otherwise ask the clerk…"

 "Oh… I'm sorry I was deep in thought… it's just that I wondered if they were grown with the help of mana or if they grew naturally at the top of the Charwood mountains…"

 "They grow on top of mountains?"

 But before Amethely could answer, a gentle, soothing voice rang from behind them. "Correct, dear customers. Especially these flowers, they were hand-picked by my husband."

 Both Luna and Amethely turned around and were greeted by a mature-looking clerk. Her hair was braided neatly, and she walked up to them with a tidy and bright smile.

 "They usually grow in cold climates and high elevation—such as the tops of the Charwood mountains. But the Charwood valleys are also known for having Frost Scale Petals that grow on the side, and since the Chrilesh birds like to treat themselves with both flowers, they sometimes grow along one another," she continued.

 "Ooh! I didn't know that," Amethely replied curiously as she noted it down.

 "Ehehe~, I'm glad I could help," the mature clerk replied.

 With elegance, the clerk turned to Luna, and with a perfect posture that radiated her extroversion, she plucked one of the flower heads—placing it gently behind Luna's ear.

 "W-Wooah! It's super cute on you, Luna!" Amethely excitedly clapped her hands together.

 Even the clerk's eyes twinkled. "Wow… this was better than I anticipated…" she let out a surprised voice, breaking away from her earlier elegance.

 Luna wasn't the shy type—usually. However, her face was bright red. Her eyes darted between the clerk and Amethely—she wondered why she felt timid and vulnerable—she didn't know what to say or how to reply—it was different for some reason. Thus, she grabbed Amethely's sleeve and hid behind her back just to peek out somewhat shyly.

 (U-Uhh…! It's not too girly, is it?!)

 "T-Thank you… how much does it cost?" she fumbled. 

 "Ehehe~" the clerk softly giggled with warm eyes. "Concern yourself not, dear customer; I was the one to pluck it—think of it as a sample, okay?" she replied gently.

 "T-Then I'll buy some…?"

 (Huh!? Why was that a question?!) Both Amethely and the clerk exclaimed due to cuteness overload in their minds.

 …

  …..

 …

 After their visit to the flower shop, both of them walked through the busy lunchtime of the streets—heading to the next destination. After all, the flower shop was Amethely's suggestion, and it was Luna's turn to pick the location. However…

 "Huh?"

 At a large store filled with rows and rows of barrels of magi-steel—with clean, sophisticated patterns on their barrels and seemingly comfortable handles, Luna closely inspected the guns behind the glass windows. Be it pistols, shotguns or rifles. Compared to the usual catalytic guns, these ones used physical bullets.

 Despite Luna's still and calm expression—while she didn't express herself more than she usually did, there was a slight glint in her eyes as she read the descriptions of the firearms. Some of them caught Amethely's interest—but it was mainly due to the magi-tech inside them.

 "Owner, could I try this one?"

 Suddenly, Luna called the store owner, who was just around the corner, watching them with intrigue as they didn't seem like his usual customers. As if he'd been waiting for those words, the owner promptly made his way toward them.

 "Ohh! Which one, young lass?" he grinned playfully.

 "This one." Luna pointed at the silver and black handgun. The barrel—was inscribed with wavy patterns, like a stormy sea, and on the handle—a crescent moon. I'd like to try this one," she calmly added.

 The owner seemed a little conflicted. Not only was the pistol a limited edition, but… in his mind. Luna was a wealthy blond-haired young lady with a somewhat petite frame—he wasn't sure if she could handle the recoil from the intense decompressed vapours. He didn't exactly want her to get injured trying the gun, but then again—since it was policy, he'd have to ask for her licence anyhow.

 "Well then, young lass, how about we try another one more… appropriate…" he answered with a somewhat troubled expression.

 "I like this one," Luna plainly replied.

 "….."

 In silence, Amethely watched. Both Luna and the owner were clearly not on the same page—Luna was expressionless, while the store owner looked to be in deep thought.

 After a long.

 Awkward.

 Silence…

 "Well… in that case, can you show me your permit?"

 "….."

 Luna just realised. She'd been working under her uncle for about two years now, but not once did she think about things such as licences…

 "I don't have one," she flatly replied.

*Deep sigh*

 "Unfortunately, young lass, I cannot let you buy or try any of the firearms unless you have a special permit. Unlike their magi-catalyst counterparts, these firearms don't require the user's mana input and use physical bullets. I assumed you had a licence or want one coming in here, but… I, please, ask you to leave if that isn't your intent."

 "….."

 Luna, the imperial princess—albeit in disguise—couldn't suddenly reveal her identity; she didn't want to exert her authority despite being able to do so. It would be extremely rude of her—even more so because she is the imperial princess. She had to be exemplary to the citizens, after all.

  Amethely was in disguise herself; her hair was silver grey and black—she wanted to try back hair too—and since Luna's hair was a mix of both, and she found her cute, she was curious how she'd look if it were her.

 "…How do we get a permit?" she suddenly asked the owner amidst the awkwardness of it all.

 The store owner chuckled at first but soon realised that Amethely was being serious. "These aren't toys, young lass. These are dangerous backup weapons used in labyrinth diving…" But when he saw the serious expression on Luna's face, he sighed. "Well… since you aren't one of our students—there's going to be an exam to gain a permit to practise with these, and there are people doing the test for that permit today…and one of them couldn't make it… You could take the written exam in their place, and if you pass the safety test during the practical portion, you can later take the real test and get your license today."

 "—I'll take it; how much is the examination fee?"

 "Hmm… since it was a cancellation, and we've already told one of the instructors… the price could be slightly higher… of course, you could always take it another day—I doubt the instructor would want to come in now that he'd gotten a paid day off…"

 "I do not mind," Luna said.

 The owner raised his brow. "Hmm, what's your name, young lass?" he queried.

 (Well… they're going to find out who I am either way when I touch the identification tablet…) Luna sighed inwardly.

 "Luna Ilifel," Luna reluctantly said.

 "….."

 "Apologies for the abruptness… due to my naivete, this situation occurred. But… I got overly thrilled and…wanted this Tidalsplitter—a one-of-a-kind! The limited edition Tides and Moon!" Luna lively expressed with shiny eyes—her blue eyes turned silver as her blond hair returned to their usual mix of black and silver.

 (No wonder I thought I'd seen her somewhere! I heard that The Imperial Princess was in Velen Lon, but to think she'd come here incognito…!?)

 Wordlessly, the store owner stiffened—frozen in place as he became dazed. "I-I-Imperial Princess Luna!?" he suddenly came to. "M-My deepest apologies… !"

 "Do not apologise… it was my mistake to come here in disguise. Again, I apologise for the abruptness…"

 "Even if Princess says so…"

 "There is no need to apologise… You were only doing your job—even if you were a little harsh, it was for the safety of the customer, right?"

 "…that is… correct."

 "Then there's no need to apologise, is there?" Luna faintly smiled.

 (S-She's so modest!?) The owner cried in surprise in his mind.

 "When is the exam?"

 "This afternoon… therefore, soon. But princess, you're the commander of the illustrious Wyvern Squad, are you not? You needn't take the exam…" the owner nervously replied.

 "Even so, rules are rules, no?"

 "….."

 (S-Should I reveal my identity too…?)

 Feeling awkward about the situation, Amethely also slowly revealed her identity—the owner glanced her way briefly before solidifying into a statue again.

 …

  …..

 …

 It was now afternoon, and all the participants had arrived. The store was also a school—usually, they didn't have many students since this was a niche but also useless when it came to spell casting. Unlike the typical catalytic firearms—these were not catalysts to enhance spell casting. The makers had one goal in mind—eject the physical projectile out of the barrel—powerful enough to shatter a beast's armour without using one's own mana—and, of course, they were perfect for almost traceless murder for those unguarded. It was difficult to track them back to an individual since they don't require mana from the user.

 Meanwhile, as Amethely waited for Luna to finish the written part, she recognised some familiar faces—Golth and Olivia. Due to her shy nature, even though she knew of them, they were still strangers; she was glad to be in disguise…

 "Oh? Isn't that the kind Lady Saint?" Olivia suddenly said, blowing her cover. 

 (E-Eep!? H-How did she know!?)

 "M-My? Lady Saint? D-Do you mean Saint Amethely…? I-I'm not her…" Amethely stiffly replied.

 Olivia tilted her head, looking flustered as though she'd guess wrong—but wasn't. Golth, while initially confused, recognised Amethely's voice.

 "Lady Saint… you still have the same voice regardless of your appearance…" Golth softly chuckled.

*Whimpers sadly*

 "I-I see…I was found out…" Amethely awkwardly giggled while her eyes met Olivia's.

 On the other hand, Olivia seemed relieved that her keen instincts didn't fail her—she didn't want YB to leave her for being useless, after all…

 "I-I'm glad I wasn't wrong," Olivia shyly said.

 (…These two are so awkward…wait, was Saint Amethely always this awkward and shy?) Golth pondered.

 "If I may ask, what brings you here, Lady Saint?" Golth curiously asked.

 "Well…" Amethely wasn't sure if she should tell them Luna was taking an exam just to buy a limited-edition firearm. "My friend…is taking the exam… but why are you and Miss Olivia here, Mister Golth?"

 "Ah… Just call me Golth, isn't that right, Olivia?"

 Olivia nodded. "Y-Yeah… I'm not good with formalities and stuff…" she shyly added.

 "I see… then you can call me Ame too—"

 "No can do, Lady Saint."

 "I-Is that so…"

 Golth cleared his throat. "Anyhow, the reason Olivia and I are here is because of YB. That boy is an absolute menace with these magi-steels—I've never seen someone that skilled with them," Golth said as he shuddered.

 "Wow! That boy is that amazing with these things?" Amethely asked curiously.

 Olivia frantically nodded her head—her boyfriend(fake) was being praised after all! And with an awkward dry laugh, Golth recalled how this all happened.

 "Well… he didn't know how to use a typical catalytic-magi-steel. I thought it was a lost cause since he said he was good with firearms—until one of my coworkers lent him one that didn't fire mana bullets… which led us here…"

 "O-Oh…"

 "You'll see what I mean during the practical exam…"

 "I see, I look forward to…"

 But as Amethely was about to finish her sentence, two individuals left the examination room along with the instructors right behind them—it was Luna and YB. 

 "Y-YB, why so fast?! Wait! How did it go!?" Olivia ran up to him with a curious yet anxious expression as she fidgeted with her hands.

 "It was easy," he flatly said.

 The instructors looked troubled by his remarks but couldn't say anything as he got a perfect score in a very short time—the exam had just started, and they couldn't blame him for acting a little arrogant.

 "How did it go, Luna?" Amethely anxiously asked—despite knowing Luna was probably going to pass with ease.

 "I just wrote down what I remembered," she replied somewhat elusively.

 But the instructor behind her giggled. "You're quite the shy type, aren't you? Go on, tell your friend you got a perfect score!" she excitedly cheered.

 "Wow! Luna, that's amazing!" Amethely hugged her.

 "A-Ame…" Luna gasped

 (…Princess Luna was the friend taking the exam!? The commander of the Wyvern Squad was taking an exam for this sort of thing!? Isn't she overqualified already!?) Golth would internally rumble.

 As they moved to the target range, both Luna and YB fired the bullets rhythmically—orchestrated by mechanical clicks and echoing shells. The others watched in astonishment as they both fired—reloaded at almost the same pace while accurately hitting the centre of the targets, popping up randomly.

 But in the end, YB had the highest accuracy of 98%, with all targets hit. Luna was a little behind and had an accuracy of 95% with all targets hit.

 "Not bad," YB suddenly called out to her somewhat condescendingly.

 Olivia and Golth turned pale at his remark—it appeared like he was the only one unaware of Luna's status as an Imperial Princess—as for the instructors; they knew but played along.

 "Thank you. You're talented yourself," Luna calmly replied.

 YB rolled his eyes—and then Olivia came up to him. "Y-YB! That's super rude!" She shook him lightly, with her cheeks puffed angrily.

 "I-Idiot! That's dangerous. Get away from me!" he bashfully exclaimed, trying to get Olivia off him.

 "You already put it in safe mode, though?" Golth awkwardly but teasingly grinned.

*Tsk* YB clicked his tongue.

 "Fine… I'm sorry…" he apologised to Luna. "You're…the best I've seen—excluding me, of course," he added with a frown on his face.

 Other than Golth and Olivia, the others realised that YB wasn't the honest type—even though he meant it as a compliment, it came across as mean—but… it was somehow endearing, for whatever reason, they thought.

 "Thank you," Luna giggled.

 The two instructors who'd been observing them cleared their throats. "Well…" one of them said. "You two clearly are overqualified to be students here… how about taking the real exam?"

 "Yeah, that's why I'm here," YB bluntly said.

 Both Golth and Olivia were almost drenched in cold sweat due to his behaviour but couldn't do anything about it since—they couldn't fix his sarcastic attitude.

 But in contrast, Luna said, "Yes, I'd like to," calmly, which brought tears to the instructor's eyes—compared to YB's harsh, brash remarks, Luna was like a goddess who knew how to behave despite her overwhelming talents.