Dawn of Vengeance — Chapter 59

MUST BE NICE BEING A LAFI.

WITH A BODY TEMPERATURE THIS HIGH, YOU'D NEVER CATCH A COLD.

...THAT ISN'T...

ENTIRELY TRUE.

YOUNG LAFIS LACK SUFFICIENT PLUMAGE ON THEIR WINGS,

SO THEY CATCH COLDS QUITE EASILY.

EVEN ADULTS LOSE A LOT OF FEATHERS WHEN THEIR HEALTH DECLINES, AND...

AS THEY AGE, THEIR FEATHERS DON'T GROW BACK AS EASILY, SO THEY TEND TO WEAR THICK FLEECE CLOTHING.

RIGHT. THEY DID.

THOSE LITTLE LAFI KIDS WITH THEIR TINY WINGS...

THEY WERE SO CUTE. JUST LIKE LITTLE CHICKS.

EVEN MOTHER WAS WON OVER BY HOW ADORABLE THEY WERE, AND ENDED UP SETTLING IN POMNOS.

SHE WAS SO BUSY TAKING CARE OF ORPHANED LAFIS THAT SHE COULDN’T EVEN MAKE IT TO MY CORONATION.

...I WONDER IF MOTHER...

...IS DOING WELL.

ONCE I WRING ALEX'S NECK...

I'LL JUST DUMP THE THRONE ON WALTER AND...

MAYBE I SHOULD GO BACK TO POMNOS, TOO.

THOSE BREATHTAKING SNOWY PEAKS...

...AND THAT WEIRD-TASTING MUSHROOM TEA. I MISS IT ALL.

YOUR MAJESTY.

HM?

YOUR HAND.

PLEASE.

THE WARMEST SPOT

GASP! SORRY.

IT WAS SO WARM, I DID IT WITHOUT THINKING...

ARE YOU MAD?

I AM FINE.

THE SUN IS SETTING, SO LET US MAKE OUR WAY BACK TO THE INNER PALACE.

He.. definitely seems mad..

I said I'm sorry!

PARNASSUS 8TH SQUAD LAFI OUTPOST

OH, COMMANDER.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE OFF DUTY TODAY. YOU'RE BACK EARLY.

PLANS CHANGED.

GO INSIDE AND GET SOME REST, NAPARI.

REST?

IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRAIN, I'LL SPOT YOU.

AARGH! DAMN IT!

WH-

WHAT'S WRONG, COMMANDER?!

IT'S NOTHING...

NOTHING AT ALL...

IS SOMETHING BOTHERING YOU?

LATELY, YOU'VE SEEMED STRANGELY DRAINED, AND YOU KEEP SPACING OUT.

THE WHOLE SQUAD IS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU.

WAS IT... THAT OBVIOUS.

WELL, IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. IT'S ABOUT A FRIEND OF MINE.

TH-THIS FRIEND HAS A BOSS WHO'S HUMAN.

AND APPARENTLY, HE COULDN'T STAND HER AT FIRST. SHE WAS LAZY AND COMPLETELY LACKED ANY SENSE OF CAUTION.

IT'S PRETTY COMMON FOR DIFFERENT RACES TO CLASH. SO THEN WHAT?

BUT AFTER SPENDING SO MUCH TIME TOGETHER...

...HE STARTED GETTING ATTACHED TO HER.

THEY DO SAY THERE'S A THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE!

SO, DID THEY START DATING?!

WHILE HE WAS ALREADY AGONIZING OVER IT, SHE SUDDENLY GOT WAY TOO COMFORTABLE AROUND ME...

I MEAN! SHE MUST HAVE STARTED FEELING COMFORTABLE AROUND MY FRIEND.

SHE'D LEAN ON HIM, JOKE AROUND, AND EVEN ACT ALL SPOILED...

THE LADY IS QUITE FORWARD! SO, DID THEY START DATING?!

NO, JUST LET ME FINISH.

IT JUST SO HAPPENS THEY’RE STUCK TOGETHER EVERY DAY FOR WORK...

...AND SHE STARTED CATCHING HIS EYE EVEN MORE–

Wow,

THEY LITERALLY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DATE SO DID THEY DATE?!

WHY DO YOU KEEP PARROTING ‘DID THEY DATE’ OVER AND OVER?

DOES THE LADY EVEN KNOW YOUR FRIEND LIKES HER?

YOUR MA, NO, THE WOMAN DOESN’T KNOW. MY FRIEND DIDN’T MAKE IT OBVIOUS.

BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER THESE FEELINGS EVEN MEAN ANYTHING. THEY’RE DIFFERENT SPECIES.

I...

...AM ALSO INTERESTED IN A HUMAN FEMALE OFFICER IN OUR BATTALION.

WHAT?!

THAT’S JUST HOW IT IS.

BUT, YOU’RE DIFFERENT SPECIES! YOU WOULDN’T EVEN BE ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN...

BECAUSE EVEN IF WE CAN’T HAVE CHILDREN, THERE ARE ENDLESS WAYS TO SHOW LOVE.

WHEN YOU TRULY CARE FOR SOMEONE, WHAT DOES RACE MATTER?

BUT SOCIETY WON'T EXACTLY LOOK KINDLY ON IT, WILL THEY?

MAN, THIS FRIEND OF YOURS...

IF HE LIKES HER, HE LIKES HER. WHY IS HE OVERTHINKING IT SO MUCH?

IT'S SO PETTY.

...I SUPPOSE HE IS.

IF YOU LIKE HER... YOU JUST LIKE HER.

THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY MATTERS, ISN'T IT.

TURNS OUT YOU'RE A PRETTY INCREDIBLE LAFI.

I'M ROOTING FOR YOU.

I'LL BE ROOTING FOR YOU, COMM—I MEAN, FOR YOUR FRIEND, TOO!

YEAH. I'M IN LOVE WITH THE SOVEREIGN.

SO MUCH.

Let me know if you make any progress!

MEMORIES ARE QUITE CRUEL.

THEY COIL THEMSELVES AROUND YOUR MIND HOWEVER THEY PLEASE...

...ONLY TO STRIKE WITHOUT WARNING.

THAT SON OF A BITCH...

WHY ON EARTH DID HE DO THAT BACK THEN...?

IN CELEBRATION OF THE CROWN PRINCESS'S UPCOMING BIRTHDAY, I HEREBY BESTOW A SPECIAL GIFT.

TH... THANK YOU,

YOUR IMPERIAL MAJESTY.

THE EMPEROR WAS A NOTORIOUS LECHER WHO SIMPLY COULD NOT RESIST A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.

THOUGH I NEVER EXPECTED HIS ATTENTION TO EXTEND EVEN TO ME.

HURRY... I HAVE TO GET TO MY ROOM AND HIDE THIS.

ANYONE SEEING THIS WOULD MISTAKE YOU FOR THE EMPRESS, NOT THE CROWN PRINCESS.

A-ALEX.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK...

UGH!