Last Gun Alchemist

”You seemed to have been enjoying yourself watching me fight for my life, while you allowed Diane to sleep on your shoulder like it was nothing to you... Huh, Ezra?”

Vera said lightly while folding her arms and narrowing her dull black eyes at Ezra.

The two were still standing in the airport area, not far from the Ashenlocke Private Royal Steam Dirigible. Around them, servants continued moving luggage toward the massive airship, while members of different Noble Houses made their final preparations before departure.

Some students were already inside their respective Dirigibles, while others remained outside to speak with their friends and family members before leaving the Royal Academy behind for the holidays.

Ezra glanced at Vera.

”Her maid pleaded with me to assist her, and I did.”

He replied simply, since he did not see what was so special about the situation.

Diane had been sleepy, and her maid had asked him to take care of her lady, but Diane immediately rested on Ezra’s shoulder. He didn’t react, and that was all there was to it.

Ezra had no reason to make the matter more complicated than it needed to be.

”Plus, you were supposed to be focused on fighting, but you still had time to watch me.”

He added, not surprised that Vera would bring up something like this.

Vera’s eyes narrowed a little further.

”Humph, don’t act plain with me.”

She spoke sharply, though her expression remained much the same.

”I haven’t even done something like that, and that Sleeping Flower beat me to it.”

She looked hurt as she spoke, but Ezra could tell that she was exaggerating her expression on purpose. Her arms remained folded, and there was no real change in her eyes to suggest that she was as upset as she wanted him to believe.

”I have only gotten to hold your hands, but now My Dancer’s shoulder has been tainted.”

Vera placed a hand on her chest, as though she had just received terrible news.

”Do you know how I felt? Or how I feel right now, Ezra?”

She continued speaking in her usual casual tone, giving him little time to respond.

”Do you know the pain of seeing your man sitting on a different seat, giving his first time to another Lady, Dancer?”

Her face remained straight.

”Do you know how broken my heart felt after I dedicated my victory as an angry Girlfriend, taking revenge for her Player... Player?”

Vera tilted her head slightly to the right.

”Tell me, do you know, Ezra Ashenlocke?”

She blinked once, her expression still as plain as ever.

Ezra looked at her for a moment.

He could tell that Vera was enjoying herself, and there was little point in trying to argue with her about something she had already decided to turn into a joke.

”We should be going now. Everybody is already boarding the Dirigible.”

He said, completely ignoring everything Vera had just said.

Vera’s expression did not change.

”I’m not going anywhere until you answer me.”

She leaned closer to Ezra’s face, her voice remaining flat as she looked directly into his eyes.

Ezra glanced around the airport.

There were already a number of people staring at them.

Some had been passing by when Vera began talking, while others had stopped near the luggage area after recognizing the two Ashenlocke children.

A few servants continued working, though their eyes occasionally wandered toward the pair whenever they heard another part of Vera’s conversation.

Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly.

He was beginning to ask himself why he didn’t leave the moment Lucy left.

”What do you want? Don’t tell me it’s the same sleep-on-shoulder thing you want, Lady of Ash.”

He asked directly.

”Obviously, I want to experience the Ezra Shoulder Pillow Service.”

Vera replied with a straight face.

Her dull black eyes remained fixed on him, and not even the slightest smile appeared on her face as she said it.

Ezra looked at her for a moment longer.

”I see.”

He replied plainly.

Then he turned around and began walking toward the Dirigible, no longer bothering himself with Vera’s antics.

Vera watched his back as he left.

She remained where she was for a brief moment before turning calmly and following him.

A faint smile appeared on her face as she slipped her hands behind her back and walked at an unhurried pace.

”You shouldn’t leave your Lady.”

She said, following Ezra from behind.

”I don’t remember having a Lady, though.”

Ezra replied without turning around.

”Ehnnnnn...”

Vera reacted with amusement.

She did not seem bothered by his answer. Instead, she continued walking beside him, keeping her hands behind her back as the two made their way toward the Ashenlocke Private Royal Steam Dirigible.

They continued talking as they walked.

Their conversation was not particularly loud, but the awkward atmosphere surrounding them was enough to make some of the people nearby react. Those who heard what they were saying exchanged glances, while a few servants pretended to focus on their work.

Even some of the people who had not heard their conversation ended up feeling the same awkwardness when they noticed the expressions of those around them.

Ezra continued walking with his usual plain expression, while Vera remained beside him, looking as though she had no intention of letting the matter end so easily.

For the people who had witnessed their conversation, it was another strange encounter involving the two Ashenlockes.

After a few more hours had passed, the luggage belonging to the Ashenlocke family had been packed neatly inside their Private Royal Steam Dirigible.

The servants and airport staff had worked together to ensure that everything was placed where it belonged. The luggage had been arranged in the storage sections, while the vehicles belonging to the family were moved into the garage built inside the lower floor of the massive Dirigible.

The airport staff assisted with the final preparations, checking that the loading process was complete before the departure.

By then, the Ashenlocke family members and the Servants of Ash had all boarded.

The massive doors of the Dirigible began closing slowly, shutting out the noise of the airport as the airship prepared to leave.

Outside, the Royal Academy staff who had completed their duties stepped away from the boarding area. Some watched the Dirigible while others returned to their assigned work, with several smaller airships already moving through the sky in the distance.

Then the Ashenlocke Private Royal Steam Dirigible began to rise.

The wind blew hurriedly across the airport grounds, pushing loose snow away from the ground beneath the massive airship.

The snow moved along the surface before scattering into the air, while the Dirigible continued climbing above the buildings.

It rose higher and higher.

The airport gradually became smaller beneath them, and the people standing on the ground were soon difficult to distinguish from one another.

As the Dirigible continued ascending, the view through its windows changed. The Royal Academy districts spread out beneath the airship, allowing the passengers to see the different sections of the Academy from above.

Buildings that had seemed large while standing beside them now looked much smaller. Roads crossed between the districts, and the paths the students had travelled during their time at the Academy became easier to see from the air.

Ezra did not spend much time watching the view.

He immediately went to the room assigned to him, while Lucy joined the servants of Ash who were responsible for taking care of the Dirigible.

The servants had different duties to attend to. Some were responsible for keeping watch of the luggage and cleaning of rooms, while others handled the needs of the Ash passengers and the airship itself. Lucy had her own tasks to complete, so she left her Master to settle into his private suite.

The journey back to Metallica would not be completed in a single day, especially since some time had already passed before the Ashenlocke family began their return journey to the Estate.

There was no need for everyone to remain gathered in one place.

The observation room was the busiest area of the Dirigible, with many of the young Alchemists sitting together and discussing their time at the Royal Academy. Some spoke about the Combat Festival, while others had already begun talking about what they planned to do during the holidays.

A few watched the clouds outside the windows, following their movement as the Dirigible passed through the sky.

The adults of Ash were gathered mostly in the dining room, where many of them relaxed and spoke among themselves. After the long period of activity surrounding the Combat Festival, they finally had time to sit down without worrying about the next event.

Ezra, however, chose to remain in his private suite instead of joining the others.

He lay on his bed, looking back on the things that had happened since he began his academic life at the Royal Academy.

Six months had almost passed.

During that time, he had learnt many things, encountered people he had never expected to meet, and gained new goals that had been added to the plans he already had.

Some of those goals had become clearer as he learnt more about the world of Alchemy. Others had appeared because of the people he had met and the things he had witnessed during the Combat Festival.

There had also been unexpected events that forced him to reconsider some of his earlier plans.

Ezra thought about everything for a while.

Six months might not have seemed like a long time to some people, but he had already experienced a lot since entering the Academy. There was still much he needed to learn, and the goals he had set for himself were far from complete.

Yet, it was only the beginning.

He still had a long way to go.

And there were many new things he would learn along the way.

But for now...

Ezra closed his eyes, deciding to use the journey to rest his body.

He had spent enough time thinking about his plans for the moment. There would be other opportunities to return to them, and he did not need to keep his mind occupied throughout the entire journey.

For now, he will rest.

***

At the Evergrey Private Noble Steam Dirigible...

Inside the observation room, many members of the Evergrey family had gathered.

The Elders and High-Board members sat alongside some of the family’s top children from the Second and Third Years. The Count and Countess were also present, with everyone seated in an arranged circular formation.

At the center of the seating arrangement stood the First-Year children of Evergrey.

The room was quiet, though low voices could be heard as the Elders and High-Board members spoke among themselves. Every now and then, one of them would look toward the First-Years standing in the middle, while another would make a remark that prompted a quiet response from someone seated nearby.

The young students remained where they were.

Grace Evergrey stood among them, her hands resting against her grey-and-black casual gown.

Her fingers tightened around the fabric as her expression grew more troubled.

The other Evergrey children standing beside her felt the same way, especially Grant Evergrey, her older brother, and Arelo Greyson.

The three of them were among the major names of the Count House of Evergrey who had been expected to shine during the First-Year ranking.

They had entered the Royal Academy with expectations placed upon them, and their family had hoped to see their names among the highest positions.

But the final results had not turned out as they had hoped.

Not many of the Evergrey children had even made it into the Top Twenty.

Only Grace had managed to enter the Top Twenty, and even then, it was because of her accumulated academic points.

Her fingers tightened further around her gown.

She did not raise her head to look at the Elders, but she could feel their attention resting on the group. The quiet discussion taking place around the room only made the situation more uncomfortable, especially when some of the adults glanced toward the First-Years while speaking.

Grant Evergrey remained beside his younger sister, his expression equally tense.

Arelo Greyson also stood among them, sharing the same unpleasant feeling.

They had all hoped to achieve better results.

Now, with the ranking list already released and the First Semester over, there was no way to change what had happened during the Combat Festival.

They could only face the results they had received.

And for the three of them, standing in the center of the Evergrey family’s observation room while the Elders and High-Board members discussed their performance was not an easy thing to endure.