Chapter Text
It should have been me, Langris thought. It. Should. Have. Been. Me.
On the day of the Magic Knights Entrance Exam, he’d completely blown his chances of getting into a good squad. At first, Langris was glad to make an example of such a weak commoner.
But when Finral—who was already in Golden Dusk, mind you—stopped his brother from slicing his opponent, he was awarded the position of vice captain. Vice Captain, and he was sixteen.
Only weeks had passed since Golden Dusk formed, and they already carved a reputation as the perfect Magic Knights squad. The heroes protecting everyone in need.
It should have been me, Langris said to himself. It. Should. Have. Been. Me.
Of all the squads that could choose him to join them, it was the other new one. The Black Stallions.
Langris had known from the start that he would dislike them: a brooding, ever-scowling foreigner woman and a strange, ever-smiling man he’d heard was from the disgraced House Faust. They were like the moon and sun—but that meant Langris had no place in such a sky.
Now he made his way to whatever filthy headquarters they had built for themselves.
“I like your ruthlessness,” the captain said, “but you have far too much.” She only wore the color black, a large cloak and pants, as if blending in with the forest shadows. Weird. A peculiar scabbard, probably of her country’s origin, hung from her waist. “I am Yami Ichika.”
Langris didn’t look at her. “You already know me. The prodigy mage of House Vaude.” He sniffed. “Well, here we are, I suppose.”
They reached the base. A large clearing in the forest made a yard for the most… interesting building Langris had ever seen.
The place was composed of several brick houses, stacked haphazardly in the form of a sort of castle. Each house sprung from the side like the spines of a caterpillar, standing high above the rest of the forest.
“Welcome to the Black Stallion headquarters,” the vice captain said. He smiled so much, yet his voice was as cold as steel. He wore a tunic under a white fur mantle, the hood over his head. “I’m sure it’ll be a pleasure to work with you, Vaude.” He put forth a hand.
“Thanks.” Deciding it was polite, Langris shook it. “And you must be…?”
“The vice captain, Morgen Faust.”
The rumors were right. On the chance that he, as his family did, used Forbidden Magic… Well, Langris had a job to do as a Magic Knight now.
Yami came forward and pushed the two front doors open. She stepped aside. “Come in.”
There was no elegant foyer or entrance room. Rather, it opened straight to the main living space of the headquarters. Square and ringed by a balcony above, one space in the corner held leather sofas; the other end a single table and chairs. A bar was installed at the very end, tall stools in a row before a counter and rack of bottles.
None of the furniture or the few decorations were quality at all. However, if it did mean Langris could spend more time training outside, then he’d take it.
“The rooms are in the hallway ahead,” explained Yami. “Men’s hall should be in the west today.
“I nearly forgot—the floor plan may change from day to day. You watch out for that.”
Change? “Excuse me?” Langris said.
Morgen walked to the bar. “You’ll see soon enough.”
Was this place magical? Whatever. Langris wouldn’t care if it didn’t concern him.
He planned to go off on missions and only come here once in a while. He was better than whatever this squad was supposed to be.
He stepped into the hallway, finding wherever the living quarters were.
Quickly it seemed this base was more like a labyrinth than a castle. If the floor plan ‘changed’ often, how organized was this place, really? How great was the squad, if at all? Langris wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, since the squad was only so new. Nonetheless, it irked him.
The men’s hall consisted of rows of doors, about a total of eight, each leading to an empty bedroom. A sign marked the stairway at the very end of the hall as the vice captain’s room. He must have a whole suite to himself. Since the captain was a woman, hers would be in the women’s hall.
Langris took the next closest door to the stairway. Ascending the ranks, as strange as this squad was, would be his goal—and he’d do it easily.
BOOM.
That sudden sound, as if an explosion, rocked the base. It seemed to come from the living quarters. Was someone attacking? As much as he didn’t want to, Langris had to check.
He managed to watch from the balcony as a group of bandits invaded, having crashed through the front door. Twenty men in total. They wore simple wool clothing, kerchiefs over their mouths to conceal their identities.
“I bet we’ll get a fortune from this place!” one yelled.
“You won’t.” Yami stood from the sofa and pulled out her blade, summoning a sort of Dark Magic—knocking five of them aside.
Morgen sent a beam of Light Magic that blinded another six and blasted a hole through a window. “Leave,” he said quietly.
Do something! Langris said to himself. He brought down his own Spatial Magic and carved out where the last several bandits stood. They, and the wall behind them, disappeared.
House Vaude had stables more secure than this one. Fitting for the squad named Black Stallion.
Yami looked up to Langris from below. Just where she should be. “Good work.” Yet it felt more like she talked objectively, not as a compliment.
“You did your part too,” he replied, flatly.
Light Restraining Magic tied its way around the few bandits left. “I’ll take these to the capital,” Morgen said. “I’ll see you.”
♣
“When will you have this place repaired?” Langris asked.
Annoyingly, Yami asked that he eat dinner with her in the base’s dining hall.
“You'll see eventually.” Yami crossed her arms. “I’ve heard. Your brother is the first vice-captain of Golden Dusk.”
He didn’t want to be reminded of Finral. But they looked similar enough, and one brother in Golden Dusk, the other in Black Stallion… One could easily spot the differences.
“I am still the heir to my family,” Langris said. “They would be quite surprised by this turn of events, to say the least.”
“They’re already calling us ‘the worst squad,’” said Yami. She exhaled sharply, pouring from a bottle into her glass. “A pair of idiots who founded this squad as an excuse to go canoodling.”
Langris must admit to himself: he thought the same. “And you two aren’t?”
She took a sip of wine. Her face turned pink as she drank. “No shit. He’s like the older brother I never had.” This woman said vulgarities as plainly as one would say the sky was blue.
The older brother I never had.
That didn’t apply to Langris. At home, Finral always tried to include him in his childish games. He would be kind, understanding whenever his younger brother refused.
Next time, if you want, Finral said with a soft smile. Then he disappeared into the portal of his lame Spatial Magic, not the offensive type House Vaude specialized in.
Growing up, the two were always apart. After all, Langris was the model of a perfect Spatial-Magic mage to come out of House Vaude. Finral’s overly kind and soft personality practically erased any talent in combat for him.
Langris was the better one. And yet, he felt as though he needed something more—a better squad than this or Golden Dusk. His magic stronger than it was now, so he’d defeat the bandits by himself, no help needed. A higher rank, so once he was captain, he’d put the old Black Stallions to shame.
Yami pulled something out of her cloak. A tool of Communication Magic, one that each of the captains in the Magic Knights owned.
She was met by a projection of William Vangeance, the captain of the Golden Dusk, who was easily recognizable by his strange mask. He appeared to be walking in the shadows.
“What is it?” asked Yami.
“Golden Dusk has a group assigned to a dungeon not far from your base,” Vangeance replied. “I asked that they contact me with a report, and I still have yet to receive one. It’s been five days. I must ask for backup from you, if you’re available.”
Yami Ichika put down her glass. “Me and Vaude are here right now. We’re coming.” She stood and gripped her scabbard, turning to Langris. “We have a mission.”
As of current, Golden Dusk only three had members aside from Vangeance. That must mean…
“Looks to be that your brother is in danger,” Yami said.