After lunch, the hall was suffused with the lingering warmth of potato soup and a lazy, peaceful stillness.
Vera lounged contentedly on the sofa by the window, eyes half-closed, basking in the golden sunlight pouring through the glass. She looked utterly at ease, lazy and comfortable.
Aurelia, on the other hand, had rolled up her sleeves and was clearing the table, washing the dishes. The crisp, rhythmic clinking of porcelain added a domestic melody to the tranquil air.
【Finally… safe for now.】
Aurelia placed the washed plates to dry, letting out a long breath in relief.
The fatigue from wrestling with that thing inside her mind had faded somewhat, soothed away by the warmth of the water and the mechanical repetition of familiar chores.
She deliberately avoided looking at the box on the table in the middle of the hall, as if it were just some ordinary, unremarkable ornament.
***
“Lia~” Vera’s lazy voice drifted over, satisfied and languid from a good meal. “Stop working for a bit and come rest. The Sun is so lovely right now, it’d be a shame not to soak it up.”
“I’ll be right there, Vera. Let me just finish up.” Aurelia replied, picking up her pace a little.
She put the clean dishes away, wiped down the stove, then grabbed a cloth and started cleaning the already spotless cupboards.
She needed these tangible little chores to fill her time, to steady her mind, so she wouldn’t drift off into pointless worries or leave herself vulnerable for that damn “Guest” to sneak in again.
『…Fearing power, content with mediocrity. How pathetic.』
『Shut up! You old fossil, napping in the Sun is the meaning of life! Only savages go around fighting all the time!』
While retorting inwardly, Aurelia scrubbed the cupboard door even harder.
Vera watched her bustling about and smiled. This little girl was so diligent it was almost heartbreaking—though perhaps a little too quiet sometimes.
Compared to the noisy, sweaty men in the team, Lia was like a clear spring, softening and brightening the entire Base.
Yet, there was always a faint veil of detachment, something shadowy and beyond her years, lingering over her.
“Little Angel, stop for a bit and listen to me, listen~” Vera shifted to a more comfortable position, flopping over in a way that showed little concern for her image, and began chatting.
“You know, it’s only since you arrived that this Base has really felt like a home.” Vera smiled warmly as she spoke.
“Take Iris, for example. She used to polish off half a slab of jerky after training. Now, she keeps an eye out for your cookies—afraid if she’s late, someone else will snatch them all up.”
Hearing this, Aurelia turned around, a soft and cute smile appearing on her face. “Iris is actually a really nice person.”
She seemed to remember something and added, all while not pausing her work.
“The last time I tried making mille-feuille, I failed several times and was pretty discouraged… She passed by the kitchen, didn’t say anything, but later, she gave me a jar of her treasured Honey.”
She paused, a touch of genuine emotion in her voice. “It was then that I realized… the people here really are different from outside.”
“Yeah, Iris might seem a bit headstrong sometimes, but she’s truly kind at heart. That’s all thanks to you, Lia.”
Vera seemed to grow impatient with the weight on her chest and sat up, watching Aurelia get back to her chores.
“Looking at how well you manage things here, and how everyone likes you so much, I really am happy.” Vera’s tone softened even more.
“And you? Don’t you think it’s warmer here, a lot better than wandering on your own?”
There was no probing in her words, only genuine care—hoping this shy, seemingly fragile teammate would finally open her heart.
【Ah… Vera, if you were suddenly thrown into a place where you knew no one, with people trying to trick you or force you to act in gal-game CGs, you’d probably blow your top, too.】
On the surface, Aurelia only paused her wiping for a heartbeat.
She took a deep breath, turned around, wringing her hands in her apron, lowering her head so that a few strands of black hair half-covered her face. Her voice grew softer.
“…Yeah. It’s very warm here. After all, I was always alone before… with no family, no ties…”
It was half-true, half-false, but it best explained her early reserve. She didn’t elaborate on what “before” meant, and the omission made it sound more authentic.
『No family, no ties, no fate, no heart; therefore, invincible.』
The voice in her mind came out of nowhere, shattering the mood Aurelia had just let herself settle into.
『Oh, give it a rest! Where did you even learn that nonsense? Invincible? You mean brainless! And by the way, butting in on people’s feelings is really annoying, you know!』
Aurelia was jolted by the cold, venomous words, her cleaning motion freezing in place.
That fossil’s voice instantly destroyed the warmth kindled by Vera’s gentle memories, leaving her simmering with anger she had nowhere to vent.
Vera’s sharp eyes caught this fleeting lapse.
She saw the way the black-haired girl’s fingers tightened on her apron, the long lashes trembling as if a chill had swept through her.
“Lia?” Vera’s voice softened further, tinged with concern. “What’s on your mind?”
Aurelia snapped back to herself, aware of her slip.
She quickly lowered her gaze, hiding that flash of cold panic in her eyes.
When she looked up again, her face wore that familiar shy and grateful gentleness, though her eyes seemed a little redder than before.
“N-nothing,” she said, shaking her head, her voice muffled.
“It’s just… Vera, you’ve all been so good to me. Before… I never imagined I could stay in a place like this.”
She deftly attributed that fleeting stiffness to “being moved by kindness,” almost choking up.
It fit her persona—introverted, easily embarrassed, treasuring the present—and was a reasonable explanation for the momentary awkwardness.
But deep down, that cold whisper coiled like a snake, leaving her with an instinctive fear and resistance to the word “home.”
If having meant possibly losing, if bonds became weaknesses, then… she’d do anything to keep those weaknesses from growing.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes and tightly restrained demeanor, Vera’s doubts dissolved, replaced by deeper sympathy.
【This child… must have had a tough life before, to be so touched by a little kindness, and so uneasy about it.】
“Don’t be silly.” Vera reached out, this time not ruffling her hair but gently patting her thin shoulder, comforting her.
“From now on, this is your home, and we’re your family. Don’t even think about not belonging—just settle in.”
Just then, Vera’s eyes swept over the center table in the hall, her brows drawing together slightly.
That old-fashioned box still sat there, but… was its position just a fraction off from where she remembered putting it?
Was she mistaken, or… was there something truly uncanny about it, something dangerous sealed inside?
She wanted to comfort Lia a bit more, maybe share stories about the others to draw her closer.
But the box’s oddity made her wariness flare up again. Its origins were unknown, its seal strange, and leaving it in a busy hall seemed unwise.
Especially with Lia seeming unsettled—better to deal with this unstable factor first.
“Oh, right.” Vera stood up, her tone returning to normal, but her eyes more serious. “Lia, wait here for me, I’ll be right back.”
Vera picked up the box and hurried up to her room on the second floor, planning to lock it away in a chest reinforced with basic magical seals. Just as she disappeared around the corner of the stairs—
“Creak—”
The Base’s main door was pushed open.
Laurence stepped inside, bringing with him a hint of cool outdoor air and a trace of dust.
His red hair was damp with sweat, falling haphazardly over his brow, adding a bit of casual disarray to his otherwise strikingly proper features.
His golden eyes scanned the empty hall before settling on Aurelia, who was standing in the kitchen doorway, staring absently toward the stairs.
“Lia?” His deep, steady voice sounded, revealing little emotion. “Where’s Vera?”
Aurelia flinched at his voice and turned hurriedly.
Seeing Laurence, she quickly put on her usual shy, respectful smile—though deep down, there was still a trace of unsettled panic.
“Captain, you’re back.” She spoke softly, fingers unconsciously tugging at the edge of her apron.
“Vera just went upstairs to put something away.” She didn’t say what, hoping Vera would explain herself.
Laurence’s gaze lingered on Aurelia’s face for a moment, his sharp golden eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to grasp something unspoken in the air.
He was about to say something when footsteps sounded at the top of the stairs.
Vera descended quickly, a relaxed expression on her face. “Captain, you’re just in time. I just put the box aw—”
She broke off, suddenly noticing Laurence’s face looked off.
“Captain?” Vera’s voice held concern. “Why do you look so pale? Were you hurt in training?”
Laurence waved a hand, trying to indicate he was fine, but suddenly staggered, grabbing the table for support.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing grew heavy.
“It’s nothing,” he said, voice low and betraying a hint of weakness. “Just got dizzy all of a sudden.”
***
【Captain… why is he suddenly like this? Did that old fossil leave something in me just now, and he sensed it? Tsk… that’d be bad news…】
She saw Laurence’s always-upright posture now hunched, the steadfast figure showing a rare trace of fragility.
【Or is it… the box? Is it the Disaster Source’s aura?】