Chapter VII: Act XIV

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An Appointment with Kokomi
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Teppei's eyes brightened when he took notice of Aether and Paimon.

(Y/n)'s group had already disappeared not too long ago since they had decided to head off first, so that group was already at the shrine on Watatsumi Island.

"Aha, Aether, there you are, good to see you. Your appointment with Sangonomiya is fast approaching. We should get going. Are you ready? We'll start by heading to the camp on Watatsumi Island, and then we'll meet Her Excellency together from there. If you start to feel seasick at any point during the trip, let me know straight away. That said, you've spent time with the Crux Fleet in the past, so I think you'll probably be fine... Ready... and away we go!" Teppei doted on as if he was Aether's parent.

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Teppei grinned brightly as he stopped in front of a small wooden building.

"Here we are. The training grounds for Watatsumi Island's troops. Right now, the resistance is predominantly made up of local soldiers from Watatsumi Island. Some of them are fighting with the Shogun's Army in Tatarasuna, and some of them are stationed here on the island to keep the locals safe," Teppei explained.

"Did you use to train here, too?" Paimon asked, tilting her head a little.

Teppei nodded his head with a proud look on his face. "Yep! Unfortunately, I had to join the fight in Tatarasuna before I'd had the chance to impress the instructors. So they had me start off by helping out in the logistics division..." He answered.

Teppei then turned toward the building. "I'll be staying here for now. If you need me for anything, just come here," he states before looking back at the two figures in front of him. "If I'm not around, just write a note and stick it on the wall. As soon as I see it, I'll come find you..."

The male took notice of the time by looking up at the sky. "...Shoot, it's nearly time for the appointment with Her Excellency. I'll have to show you around Watatsumi Island some other time. For now, let's get ourselves over to Sangonomiya!" Teppei declared.

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"Food supplies are the absolute top priority. We cannot afford any losses. With the conflict between us and the Shogun's Army getting more intense by the day, we must prioritize the stability of the rearguard. Take heart. We have a fresh batch of supplies in hand, and I'm working on expanding the army. I appreciate that the lack of manpower has been hard on all of you. But things are going to get better," Kokomi said as she looked up at the samurai before her.

"We're expanding the army? Oh, that's great. Whoever this mystery support is, they're doing us a great service... Huh? Teppei? What are you doing on Watatsumi?" The samurai asked, turning his attention to the trio that walked up to him and Kokomi.

"Might I ask, who..." The samurai trailed off.

Teppei laughed. "Haha, VIP guests of Her Excellency, that's who. I'm acting under orders to escort them both here," he beamed.

"Oh really? Wait, so are you the new recruit that everyone's been talking about? Strength of twenty men splits an arrow in twain from a hundred paces, skin as hard as diamond... That's you?" The samurai asked in disbelief.

Aether groaned lightly as rubbed at his aching temples after hearing another rumor about himself.

"Seriously, what is going on with these rumors!" Paimon exclaimed.

Teppei looked away as he nervously rubbed at the back of his neck.

The samurai gave a relieved smile. "You've come a long way. I'm sure you must be here on pressing business, so I won't disturb you any further. Feel free to visit me if you have any time to spare. Your Excellency, I'll take my leave," he states before heading off.

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