Bonus Short Story

The Valkyries

Among the Knights of Shurule, there was one regiment of paladins composed entirely of women. Strong, proud, and beautiful, this team was known as the Valkyries, and their leader, Lumina, was the strongest and proudest of them all. However, as the youngest to ever be given the honor of captaining, she wasn’t without her worries.

“Deployed again, and only us,” she mumbled to herself. “Maybe we went a little too far during our joint training.”

Paladins and templars, each divided into four regiments, made up the Knights of Shurule. Templars were people from various jobs and classes who had sworn their loyalty to the Church, totaling about two hundred individuals. Comparatively, there were just fifty or so paladins, as only those who possessed the paladin class itself or had hopes of becoming one made up their ranks. At the bottom of the hierarchy, the Valkyries were the smallest paladin regiment, made up of eleven women, including Lumina.

All of the regiments from each knight division participated together in joint exercises, one of which was currently taking up space in Lumina’s head. The nature of those exercises was never the same twice in a row and this one had been a battle royale. Naturally, everyone’s attention had been focused on eliminating the smallest regiment first—the Valkyries—expecting little resistance.

On the contrary, the ladies had swept through the battlefield and demolished the competition. They had won without a single casualty and the knights’ pride was hurt, so deployments and expedition duties were being dumped on the women without end.

“So petty. If only they were as modest as Luciel...”

“That’s asking a little much,” Lucy interjected, overhearing her.

“Quite. The boy takes our beatings yet somehow still treats us as women,” Elizabeth added.

“I didn’t realize you were listening.”

“It’s kind of hard not to when we’re all eating at the same table,” Marluka said. “But you seem tired. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, okay?”

“If you need a little Luciel spice in your life, want me to go grab him for you?” Gannet offered with a smirk.

Lumina tilted her head. “Luciel? Why? He’s currently in the labyrinth, so I doubt you’ll find him.”

“Er, forget it.” Gannet silently paid her respects to him.

“She’s being dim, right?” Queena whispered to Myla. “I don’t think she notices, but she totally needs some Luciel.”

“Yes,” the other replied, “Lady Lumina tends to be unaware of her own feelings.”

“I’ll get to work.”

“For Lady Lumina.”

“What if we set them up? That could be fun,” Kathy joined in.

“I’m not sure I like pairing her up with a guy like that, but if it’ll help...” Ripnear said.

“She needs this right now.”

“Well, I can’t deny that.”

Saran suddenly interrupted and blurted out, “Huh? You don’t got eyes for him, Lady Lumina? Sure coulda fooled me with how much you two look at each other.”

“Oh, I know, right? I think they’ve been like that ever since people started calling him ‘Saint Weirdo’ or something,” Beatrice added without a hint of shame. “You gonna eat that, Saran? Gimme.”

“It’s all yours.”

The girls’ secret conversation went up in smoke. Everyone’s eyes focused on Lumina, expressions blank and expectant. She was dumbfounded for a moment, but soon a slight smile spread across her face.

“Is that how we looked? I see. Yes, it’s true that seeing Luciel’s growth makes me happy, but I feel the same way about all of you. Oh, now I’m remembering his unfinished training. If only there were time for me to instruct him before our mission.”

She sighed. Although the others felt there was probably a difference between her feelings for them versus her feelings for a man, they had never experienced romance themselves, so they could say nothing in return.

Sensing a drop in Lumina’s spirits, Elizabeth wracked her brain and hatched an idea. “Why not write him a letter?”

“A letter?”

“Yes, that way you can tell him what needs to be said and teach him what he needs to know. I imagine he would write you a reply as well.”

“A sound idea, but how would I deliver it to him?”

“It might get nabbed if you’re not careful,” Saran said.

“True.” Elizabeth paused for a moment. “Do you two share any acquaintances you could entrust with it?”

“I believe I know someone. Thank you, Elizabeth.”

“My pleasure.”

“Now, what to write?”

As Lumina’s thoughts turned, her beaming smile spread throughout the Valkyries until everyone shared it.