Navida is a kingdom known for its grand man-made structure that seemingly fuses with nature, its dense forests that encapsute the heart of the Nation, and its Aetheric life forms, both splendid and dangerous. A squadron of five, all adorned in dark blue metallic armor and wearing armaments, makes its way through that maze of trees and leaves. Several minutes pass in silence as the squadron traverses, carefully avoiding unnecessary encounters with wildlife. The one in front stops, raising one hand to stop his comrades, "We're here." He says, hiding behind a tree and signaling the others to do the same. He then takes a pair of binocurs and peeks at the target: a pack of five horse-sized, grey-furred wild Hounds munching on some crystals. "They're bigger than what the report indicated..." He adds, drawing the one-handed sword on his left hip, "Ronni, Kalleus, we'll take them head-on. Mark and Can, go around and don't let them escape." After giving his orders, the captain inserts a blue cell in his sword's pummel.

  Ronni pulls his revolver from its holster, loading five ABCs1Aetheric Bullet Cells in the cylinder. He then turns his gaze to Kalleus, who has yet to load his spear. "Not loading your spear, Kal?" He inquires in a low tone, almost whispering.

  "I already did," Kalleus replies, eyeing the Hounds as they feast on the Aether crystals. Suddenly, one of the Hounds' ears perk up. It looks in their direction, sniffing the air. "...! Did it find us!?"

  "Quiet, you two." The captain says calmly, looking at the Hound as he tightens the grip on his sword. Fortunately, it returns to its feast rapidly.

  "...Phew..." The two breathe in relief. The captain does not rex, however.

  "Captain, we're in position." The communication device impnted in his helm rings in his ears, carrying Mark's voice.

  "Alright, load your arms. We'll jump in on my signal." The captain answers, tapping on the side of his helm. "Activate the AMS2Aetheric Muscle Support in 3... 2... 1!"

  Ronni, Kallus, and the captain tap on a bck button on their chest. It first turns blue as lines fsh across their body, making their muscles grow visibly under their armor, and then the buttons shift to red. "LET'S GO!" The captain shouts as he rushes out, stabbing one Hound in the neck, painting his bde dark red as he crashes into the dirt. With a strong twist, the head begins separating from the body, as the Hound squeals, trying to push the assaint away vainly. The captain twists his sword before finally cleaving the Hound's head off, turning it into a fountain. Following the captain is Kallus, who jumps and aims at another Hound before falling like a meteor, impaling his target in the head, and spttering its skull and brain matter on the surroundings.

  The remaining Hounds decide to unch their assault after two died in a fsh, one tries to jump at the captain, who has his back turned to the rest. The beast's jaws, unhinged, are ready to take the man's head, but at st second... "[Ghost Walk]," A revolver's barrel enters its mouth, and with a resounding BANG that shakes the tree nearby, Ronni blows the Hound's head into chunks of flesh, bones, and teeth while the bullet sends the body back. "...I need two showers." Ronni comments, cleaning himself of the beast's remains with a handkerchief.

  Mark approaches the two, with a Hound hanging on his spear like a pig ready to be roasted. "Stop whining, Ronni. You ain't a dy or something!"

  Ronni rolls his eyes and scoffs, "You know Aetheric Beast blood doesn't come off that easily, and I'll have you know that I have a date today!" He spins as he speaks, smoothly returning to its holster.

  "Speaking of date..." Kalleus appears next, holding a paper dripping with blood and glowing light blue. "Where's Can?"

  "Here," Can walks out of a bush, holding a paper bag simir to Kalleus's. The beast's blood has painted his curvy great sword red and armor. "The damn thing tried to run off."

  "Bro, you gotta stop splitting these beasts into two..." Ronni shakes as he examines his comrade. "And stop flexing your muscles too!" He adds, remarking the AMS switch on Can's chest is still bck, meaning he hasn't turned it on.

  "Alright boys, collect the remaining beasts' hearts." The captain orders, pulling out a small knife coursing with Aether.

  Another while of uneventful walking ter, the squad arrives back at their home, Narishka, the heart kingdom of nature. "Seeing these massive white walls never gets old," Kalleus comments as he sees the fifty-meter wall surrounding Narishka. The other members nod as they pass through the wooden gate, leading directly to their HQ, where many other knights like them walk around. The five of them head into a building made of bck stones without windows.

  "By the way," the captain starts, pushing his palm against the rectangle-shaped identification device. The lights turn on by themselves as the metallic door turns into a blue oval-shaped portal. "Who's turn is it to bring our weapon to maintenance?"

  "It's Can's," Ronni replies almost instantly as if diverting any responsibility from himself.

  "..." Having caught onto something, the captain stares intensely at Ronni, who unbuckles his revolver and leaves it on a table in the middle of the white room. "...What have you done to Bruno this time, Ronni?"

  Ronni freezes up, his hand shakes as he avoids answering his captain's stare. "...Ronni, you better answer. Less you want me to drag your ass there, of course." The captain adds as he cracks his knuckles.

  "I... uh... may or may not be in debt with the smith..." Ronni says in a low tone like a child admitting a blunder to his father.

  "Again!? I thought you cleared your tab!" The captain raises his voice in surprise and anger.

  "I did! But..."

  "But what?" The captain inquires further, crossing his arm. Kalleus and Mark look at the scene without speaking a single word, they know better than Ronni.

  "There's been an incident and... long story, my gun's cylinder had some problem and the bullets exploded in his workshop."

  Silence befalls the room. Everyone looks at Ronni with shock written under their helmets. The captain brushes off his shock and asks, "How much do you owe?"

  Ronni gulps, the number remains stuck in his throat, but for his sake, he forces them out. "Four hundred Gold and fifty Silver..." The instant Ronni finished, the captain jumped over the table with his fist corked back, ready to beat the everliving hell out of his subordinate. Kalleus and Mark react quickly, grabbing the captain in mid-air as Can pulls Ronni aside.

  "LET ME DOWN, I'M GOING TO BEAT HIM TO DEATH!" The captain screams, thrashing around as the two men struggle to keep in check,

  ***

  Almost an hour ter,

  The captain passes one hand into short silver hair, then rubs his face with both hands before looking directly at Ronni's face, whose dark skin seems pale at that moment. "...Can you pay for the repair?"

  "I only have half of the required sum..." Ronni replies, gulping in fear. Kalleus cringes as Mark palms his face.

  "...Boys, how much do you have on you right now?"

  "I have fifty Gold," Kalleus replies, checking his locker.

  "Hmm... I can give seventy-five Silver, the rest has already gone to the pharmacy." Mark says, "What about you, Can?"

  Can, who already took off his armor, sits on a bench with a notebook, mumbling as he writes down. "...It'll be tight, but I can manage the other half with my own funds." He decres, closing the notebook.

  "Really? Being a Royal Guard sure pays a lot." Mark says,

  "Are you sure you want to do that?" The captain asks, turning his golden eyes to the brown-haired man. "You have a date as well, don't you?"

  "It'll be rough, but I can manage," Can replies lightheartedly, scratching the back of his head. "Besides, Ronni owes me two months and a half worth of money. It'll serve ter."

  Can exits Bruno's workshop, having successfully delivered everyone's gear, and paid off Ronni's debt. "...Aaah, goddamnit Ronni." Can sighs as he checks his remaining funds, inserting his right hand into a bck leather glove with a blue gem on it, a holographic screen appears before him. "Fuck... barely a hundred Gold left... How am I supposed to survive another month now...?"

  "Well well, looks like someone is in a difficult situation," A golden-haired woman, wearing dark blue and pink armor, says.

  "Oh, hello Cire!" Can greets her enthusiastically, hiding his glove. "I didn't see you arrive!"

  Cire Roseneinder, the princess of Navida, is known for her beauty second only to her mother. Her long blond locks, pink pupils, soft face, and voluptuous body earn her many compliments and proposals, many of which she refuses. Even though her father agreed on one, it would not stop her from interacting with the one her heart truly desires. The princess grabs Can's arm, "No need to hide it from me, you know. How about you tell me what happened?"