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>>4077463

I took a glance around the lounge, accessing the damage the fight had caused. The plate of teatime snacks on the counter was completely squandered, soaked in hot tea and fragments of the teacup Margaret dropped when she was attacked. The splash of hot tea and broken pieces of porcelain that were once a teacup radiated from the counter and to the surrounding floor. Aside from that, there were no significant damages done on the other furniture.

Confirming that the storm had passed, I shifted my attention to Lynn, still lying motionless on the floor. Despite her sudden animosity towards Margaret, I had to make sure she had survived the encounter. She was the Gallian envoy, after all.

“Stop!” I was halted in my steps following the warning from Margaret, who juxtaposed herself in between the downed envoy and myself.
“It’s not safe to get too close, Subaru.”
Margaret’s expression hardened as she stared down her assailant, yet her voice remained gentle and soft-spoken, filled with worry for my safety.
She was right- after all, Lynn was full of surprises. There was all the reason to believe she may just spring back up and continue assaulting anyone in front of her.

“Margaret-san, it’s likely fine. She is one of our Gallian allies.”
“Gallian allies?”
The tone of her reply shifted to one of confusion, with what had transpired mere minutes ago.
“I’ll explain later, but first I need to check on her-” I replied when an idea popped into my mind. Since Margaret was the only one capable of subduing Lynn, wouldn’t it be wiser for her to check instead?

“Margaret-san, could you please help me check if she’s still...breathing? I’ll call for a medic.”
With the worst-case scenario in my mind, I nearly choked on my discomfort trying to complete the sentence. Margaret, on the contrary, did not seem to mind and set off to inspect the unconscious Darcsen.

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>>4077489
Approaching the intercom installed on the wall, I dialed directly to the sickbay.
“Yeah?”
The call was immediately picked up by a voice that I could only describe as ‘half bored and half annoyed.’

”This is Acting Captain Kurokawa, requesting medical assistance in the Officer’s Lounge. We need stretcher-bearers for one of the injured and a doctor present.”
“Do I have to?”
“...Excuse me?”
My brows furrowed into a discontent scowl. That was certainly not the appropriate attitude the medical staff should behave, let alone amongst a crew handpicked by Captain Suwabe.
After a brief second of silence, a long sigh echoed through the intercom.
“Fine, I’ll go.”
The call was terminated as the other side broke off from transmission. By then, a flood of worry had clouded my mind.

...That was the ship medic? The voice from the other side did not sound remotely professional. While I had quite a few questions on our medical staff, there were more serious issues to attend to.

With help on the way, I turned my head once again to check on Lynn and Margaret.
The Valkyria had flipped Lynn on her side, placing her in a recovery position. To prevent Lynn from springing back up and starting another rampage, Margaret knelt right beside Lynn, her right knee crossed over Lynn’s waist and her right hand on Lynn’s shoulder to lock her body in place. This way, she would be immobilized even if she did wake up anytime soon.

Margaret was not the only person at the scene. Akane was standing next to the Valkyria and examining the downed Gallian, with Amile closely behind peeking cautiously over her shoulder.

The two had taken refuge behind one of the armchair sets as soon as the ruckus broke out, and likely stayed there until just a moment ago.

“Akasaka-san, Shinjou-san, are the two of you wounded?”
I inquired as I rejoined the group, instantly grabbing the two newcomers’ attention.
“No, but who is this ghastly barbarian?” Akane spoke first, her arms crossed while eyeing Lynn in disgust. “Captain, where did we pick up this uncultured…”
“This is Lieutenant Lynn, an envoy from our Gallian allies.” I interrupted her by clarifying Lynn’s origins and purpose to the rest of the group.

“But why would she attack us?” Margaret turned to look at me in utter disbelief as Akane scoffed dismissively.
“What can you expect from savages? I guess that shows how much these Gallians value us as allies.”

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>>4077500
“S-she needs help...” Amile chimed in anxiously, concerned over the girl she was having amicable moments with a few moments before the sudden hostility. However, Akane staunchly kept the princess behind by blocking her with a hand.
“You wouldn’t want to get too close.”
“N-no, it’s fine. I-I can perform first aid.” Amile gently lowered Akane’s arm and got past the tanker, causing the latter to shake her head in disapproval.

Amile knelt beside Lynn and laid two fingers at the side of her neck, presumably to check her pulse. A smile of relief soon washed over her face, which was a sentiment I shared. The princess then moved on to the other parts of Lynn’s body, checking from torso to limbs for fractures and other injuries.
Yet halfway through the checkup, Lynn’s body erupted into a violent spasm, twitching and turning like a fish hooked out of water. Margaret immediately clenched her legs and pressed Lynn harder onto the ground as while Akane and I instinctively took a step away.

“Please stop!”
Amile turned and commanded the Valkyria. Her tone remained polite, yet her voice firm and resolute- packing the regal aura of authority that stunned even Margaret.
“That was just her reflexes at work. She’s still unconscious, and… very scared.”
Margaret nodded with eyes staring wide and loosened her grasp. Amile took this moment to gently place her right hand on Lynn’s cheek then whispered into her ear as if soothing a startled animal.

The effect was immediately apparent- the spasm slowly dwindled stopped, and finally, the Gallian returned to a more relaxed, subdued posture. Curiously, droplets of tears began gathering at the corner of Lynn’s eyes, even while she was completely unconscious.
Was she… crying?

An abrupt bang at the entrance of the lounge caught all of our attention, and the four of us instinctively looked up to see three individuals wearing medical armbands arriving at the scene.
“Ugh, what’s the hassle.”
The lady donning a white coat commented uninterestedly as she arrived after the two male stretcher-bearers in military uniform. Her unkempt, pinkish hair puffed out jaggedly like an overgrown mistletoe shrub, and the bags under her eyes gave the impression of a severe insomniac. Alarmingly, she was also the only individual among the three who wore a doctor’s identification card.

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>>4077511
“Doctor… Kiyama Amagi.” I approached and greeted her with a salute, first glancing at the name on her ID card, then back to her sleep-deprived face.
It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots and recognize her as the person I had spoken to through the intercoms. Questionable as she may appear, she was the only qualified medical professional on board at the moment. I could only hope her skills to be more competent than her attitude.

I gave the doctor a brief rundown of what had happened in the lounge.
“... and our Valkyria managed to subdue her, which leads to now.”
As I finished my briefing, I noticed the expression on her face turning from disinterest to utter annoyance.

“Why was I summoned then? I can’t cure death.”
Death? I was puzzled by what she was referring to until I noticed her pointing at Lynn on the ground, still pinned by Margaret.
“No, she’s not dead, a crewmate just checked-”
“You said she had a fistfight with a Valkyria,” She crossed her arms before her chest and eyed me as if she was talking with an imbecile. “Then you’re telling me she’s not dead. Make up your mind.”
Understanding that there would be no further progress by talking to her, I decided to take a step back and let her see for herself.
“Maybe you should check on her yourself, doctor.”

With an exasperated sigh, Kiyama walked towards the Gallian. With Amile standing up to make way, the doctor took her place by Lynn and checked the girl’s pulse herself.

A few seconds of silence ensued, followed by a long, her long, defeated sigh.

“You and you, get this one to sickbay” The doctor addressed the two stretcher-bearers she brought along, with an audible mumble. She then pointed a finger at me and Margaret.
“You two, come along.”
I watched in disbelief as the doctor stormed out of the room without an ounce of care as if our wellbeing was none of her business. Why did she sigh anyway? Shouldn’t she be glad that the patient was alive?
As I shook my head in disapproval, I noticed Margaret pulling herself off the ground with a grunt, while the medical staff loaded Lynn onto the stretcher. On the further end, Akane and Amile watched silently as Lynn was carried out of the room.
It would be wise for Margaret and myself to follow, as the doctor had ordered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take the VIP back to her station,” Akane assured us while sparing a glance at the princess, before giving Margaret a tap on the left shoulder.
“Remember, don’t get too comfortable in bed together.”
“?”
Margaret tilted her head sideways, completely oblivious to the implications expressed by her tease.
“No, we won't.”
I grabbed the Valkyria’s arm and tugged her out of the lounge, away from Akane’s terrible influence, with Margaret still waving amicably at the snickering trickster.
“Take care, Akasaka-san!”

>>4077522
Soon we caught up on the trail of Kiyama’s medical team, as we descended into a part of the Yamato that was foreign to the both of us.

>Ask Margaret about her wounds
>Inquire about the doctor, is she part of the crew appointed by her brother?
>Ask about her impression of Lynn
>Write in

>>4077524
>Ask about her impression of Lynn
Probably should also ask what her family was doing during EWII.

>>4077524
>Ask Margaret about her wounds
>Ask about her impression of Lynn

Akane is worst girl.

>>4077524
>Ask about her impression of Lynn

>>4077524
>Inquire about the doctor, is she part of the crew appointed by her brother?
>Ask about her impression of Lynn
>>4077637
Her attitude is more of a result of Darcsens in Zipang being taught to loathe their own kind, or at least those who didn't adopt a surname.

>>4080358
Nah, she's been plenty worst before as well. This is just another stone in the pile that should've fallen and crushed her to death long ago.

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“Margaret-san?”
“Yes, Subaru-kun?”
“What is your impression of the Gallian officer?”
I asked, looking at the Darcsen girl being lifted on the stretcher a few steps ahead of us.

“Hm… She’s quite a formidable fighter. Possibly one of the best I’ve ever faced.” She responded, speaking like a talent scout describing a rare find. “Her strikes were precise, aimed for the vitals, and delivered with remarkable speed and strength.”
That was high praise coming from a Valkyria trained specifically for combat, however...
“Didn’t you manage to counter her attacks and subdue her without much issue?”

“That’s because Sister Vione taught me well!” Margaret’s eyes glimmered with excitement at the mention of her dear family. “She often emphasizes on the importance of exploiting openings in the opponent’s offense while defending the vitals. Honestly, the encounter earlier quite resembled the intensity of our sparring sessions!”

While I have an equal amount of questions on Margaret’s older sister, I decided to focus on the topic at hand. If the fight was, as Margaret had described, of the same level as combat between two Valkyrurs, could Lynn possibly be…?

“Do you think she might be a Valkyrur, like you and your sister?”
I asked after a moment’s contemplation. Should that be the case, it would certainly explain her monstrous strength...
“I’m certain that she’s not.” Margaret rejected that idea with hardened confidence. “While she demonstrated a similar level of strength, she did not utilize our kind of power despite her intent to kill. If her powers were dormant before, it would have awakened by the time I placed her in a chokehold.”

Margaret’s analysis was on point, but at the same time opened up more questions.

“Do you have an idea of what she might be then?”
She returned with a small shrug as she shook her head.
“Sorry, Subaru-kun, but I have no idea.”

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>>4086983
A few more minutes down the corridor of the lower level brought us to our destination- the Yamato’s sickbay. It was, surprisingly, located quite close in relative position to the boiler room, which may seem questionable at first- until I remembered that the core and its surrounding area were the most fortified portion of this ship. In essence, this made the sector directly under it the ideal spot to safeguard and tend to the wounded.

“Stay here.” Dr. Kiyama turned around and ordered us upon passing the sliding entrance and into the brightly lit room, pointing at the hospital bunks fixed to the floor some distance to our right. The two of us did as asked, with me occupying the nearest bunk and Margaret the one next to me.
As I sat on the bunk, I glanced around the super battleship’s medical facility with mild curiosity.

Looking left and right, I noted that the room was much wider than it was deep- more specifically, it appeared to be one large station created by conjoining several smaller ones.
The sickbay was separated into three sectors- the left-wing, the right-wing, and the center wing. The left and right wings were occupied by rows upon rows of hospital bunks, extending to the far end of each sector. I also noticed a few sets of packed folding screens lying against the wall, likely used to provide privacy to the patients should the bunks be occupied.

The center wing, connecting the entrance with the two other wings, had a moderately sized atrium left empty for the purpose of ferrying in patients. It was furthermore equipped with a single doctor’s desk alongside a series of tall, metallic cabinets labeled with various types of medical supplies along the walls.

A single sliding door sat alone at the back end of the center wing, directly opposite to the entrance. The sliding door was equipped with an intercom to its right, a small sensor on its left, and a small light with a label on top. From the setup, I reasonably assumed it to be the operation room for more sophisticated medical procedures. Coincidentally, I caught a glimpse of the stretcher-bearers carrying Lynn and the doctor, who swiped her ID on the sensor which caused the doors to slide open.

Unfortunately, the angle from which I stood forbade me to take a better look at what was inside that room.

“Take this one to the pod”
Dr. Kiyama ordered her assistants while pointing at Lynn. As soon as the two men carried the Gallian into the room and shut the door, the doctor turned her attention to her other patients- Margaret and myself.

“I’ll deal with you lot first.”

Putting on a small break here, the next part will be up by tomorrow.

>>4087020
I can't wait to find out what injuries Lynn inflicted upon Subaru's dumb ass.

>>4087059
Probably not that big of a deal considering the decent rolls we had last thread.
Though one thing could be certain here and that's this part of the ship is definitely Denisov Territory.

>>4087316
I won't settle for less than a cracked sternum!

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Dr.Kiyama grabbed a folding chair and set it up between our beds. Once seated, she begrudgingly turned to my direction, intending to start with my injury.

“What’s your problem?”
The doctor inquired, looking so disinterested as if she was about to fall asleep.
“I was hit at the chest, about here.”
I pointed to the center of my sternum, right where the cue rod had struck earlier.

“Does it hurt when you breathe?”
“Yes, but not severe to the point of disrupting normal movement.”
Dr. Kiyama nodded… or rather, bobbed her head slightly as if she was about to doze off. She raised her right-hand palm and flashed a wave as if telling me to come closer.
“Shirt.”
I did as the doctor gestured, removing my uniform and closed in for her to examine the extent of the damage inflicted.
A pinkish-red, ring-shaped bruise has formed at the site of impact, with the swelling of the skin spreading as far as to the border between my sternum and ribs. Kiyama gently placed two fingers onto the center of the bruise, tapped softly a few times around the area, then pressed. HARD.

My body instantly jerked back in reflex to the sudden, spiking pain caused by the hard press on the reddened, delicate injury. The doctor simply stared at me with that same uninterested expression, before giving her diagnosis with a yawn.
“You’re fine, just a small crack. It’ll heal by itself within two weeks.”
I took a deep breath to regain my composure, then began putting back my clothes. Though the wound thankfully was less serious than I had expected, a part of me was dissatisfied by how callous this woman acted towards her patient. It was as if she hadn’t to send us away as soon as possible.

“And you?”
Having finished with me, Kiyama went to address Margaret, who sat upright with both her hands on her lap.
“I was hit over here,” She replied in earnest, hovering a hand over her right torso. “Should I…”
“Yeah, take it off.” The doctor interrupted impatiently.
Margaret nodded and began undressing without hesitation...with me sitting right across.

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>>4089366
With our time together in the past, the occurrence was no longer a curious sight for me- until I noticed an anomaly halfway through her action. In the past, Margaret has always worn some sort of undergarment beneath her clothing, and if she was not she would cover herself up one way or another.
This time, however, there was no strap of clothing as she removed her jacket, and as soon as the southern hemispheres of her bare bosom came into view, I had realized that she was not wearing anything underneath.

“W-wait!” I stopped Margaret right before she could fully remove the last bit of clothing covering her remaining modesty. “Doctor, isn’t there something you should consider?”
“Subaru-kun, are you alright? You’re glowing red!”

Dr. Kiyama paused for a second and shook her head in resignation, accompanied by a long, irritated sigh.
“You tots these days…”
She then stood up, grabbed one of the folding screens, then unfolded the item next to Margaret’s bed, completely shielding Margaret and herself from my vision.
I heard a few grunts from Margaret’s following a similar string of Dr. Kiyama’s cold, uninterested medical questions.
“Cracked 6th, 7th and 8th ribs.” She murmured her diagnosis, before getting out of her seat and heading to the rows of cabinets in the center wing.

The doctor returned shortly after and, kicking the folding screen aside, tossed one small can of sprayed medical ragnaid and a small reusable ice pack each onto our bunks.

“Ice the wounds and apply ragnaid to lessen the pain. Take deep breaths if you don’t want pneumonia”

As she finished off her final remarks, the doctor shuffled away to the center wing without a sendoff. I watched Dr. Kiyama with a raised eyebrow as her silhouette vanished into the operation room behind the medical cabinets.

Just how was she selected as a member of this crew?

“Subaru-kun….”
My attention was brought back to Margaret as she called for me, having already redressed herself.
“Um...” She exhaled with a wry smile. “I guess we’ll have to postpone our drink tonight…?”

>Let’s do that another time, you need more rest than anyone else
>We can talk about that later, how were your injuries?
>Why? We could just do it here
>Write in.

>>4089376
>Sadly, I have to think of a way to handle this shitstorm, so I'll have to be sober for more than I'd like.

>>4089376
>Let’s do that another time, you need more rest than anyone else

>>4089376
>Let’s do that another time, you need more rest than anyone else

>>4089376
>Let’s do that another time, you need more rest than anyone else
>We can talk about that later, how were your injuries?
Better this way considering she might be back powering the ship soon.

>>4089376
>Let’s do that another time, you need more rest than anyone else
>We can talk about that later, how were your injuries?

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“Don’t worry, we can do that any other time.” I picked up the ice pack and pressed it onto my wound. “Right now, you need to rest.”
With the unrelenting Khaganate war machine hot on our tail, there was no way of telling when we would be forced to fight another battle. Hence, it would be the best of all our interests to have Margaret in her best shape- and for now, her highest priority should be focusing on healing her wounds.
Speaking of wounds...

“Margaret- san, I want to ask you something.” I started as I watched Margaret applying the ice pack to her injuries as I did earlier. “I thought Valkyrurs were invulnerable to physical damage?”

“Hm? That’s definitely not the case, Subaru-kun!” My inquiry incited Margaret to an innocent, girlish giggle, much to my surprise. “Where did you hear that from?”

“It’s more of an… Impression I have, on Valkyrurs. Is that not accurate?”

Being no expert on Valkyrian research, most of my understanding of the race had come from stories of the Second Europan War, which were little more than hearsay.
Not that I have any first-hand sources on the topic before meeting Margaret.

Margaret gave me an ‘Oh, you’ smile, then started to explain in more detail.
“We may be slightly more physically capable, but we’re no different from anyone else when we’re not manifesting our powers.”
She shut her eyes tightly and fell silent, appearing as if she was trying to recall a minute detail from a distant memory. Some seconds later, she relaxed, then let out a disappointed sigh.

“Akane-chan was right, I guess I did overwork myself powering the ship.” Margaret reflected on her own mistake, then quickly settled back into her usual self. “No worries, once my power has recovered enough, I’ll heal up much quicker!”

I listened closely to the revelation, with equal amounts of surprise and concern.
She was definitely not ‘no different from anyone else’, especially with how she managed to trump Lynn in personal combat right after the exhausting task of powering the Yamato’s core.
On the other hand, she had just made clear that when she had exhausted her power, she would be as vulnerable to all sorts of trauma as any other human.
Should Margaret ever face any danger in that state…

“I’ll make sure to lock the doors to the boiler room from now on.” I grimaced at the thought of anyone causing Margaret harm in her most vulnerable state. “Increase security with more locks, and…”
However, I quickly noticed that Margaret was starting to snicker.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not at all, Subaru-kun.” She held her right hand over her mouth to contain her chuckle. “You sounded quite like Brother Konstantin, all of a sudden!”
While I’m certain she meant that as a compliment, I still had no idea how to assess that statement.

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“And you, Subaru-kun?” Her tone shifted to one of concern as she inquired. “How are your injuries?”
“Much less serious than I had imagined, thankfully.” I replied with a reassuring smile.
“Are you sure? Here, let me see…” Unconvinced, Margaret attempted to stand up for a closer examination, only to stop halfway while holding a hand over her right ribcage. While her expressions remained largely unchanged, her reflexive actions had unknowingly given away the severity of her wounds compared to mine.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Please, sit down.” I stood up in her stead and clasped her by the shoulders. “You need more rest than I do.”
Margaret acknowledged my concerns with a gentle nod, then sat back down without protest. As she settled down and I prepared to do the same, I felt a light tug on my wrist. When I looked down, Margaret greeted me with an amicable smile as she laid a soft pat on the bed to her right, inviting me to join.
What reason have I to turn down her offer?

As I took a seat next to her, I noticed her staring at my chest again, around the part I was hit earlier.
“Subaru-kun?”
“Yes?”
Margaret stared at me with her longing, crimson eyes. While I have gotten quite familiar with being in such proximity with her, I could feel a significant difference in her attitude. In contrast to her usual cheery and outgoing self, she was acting strangely timid all of the sudden.
“I want to apologize.”
“What for?”
“For… getting you hurt.”
She muttered with her head hanging low, her voice soft and ridden with guilt.

”No, it’s not your fault. Intervening was my own decision.”
I shook my head in disagreement. While I may have had my ass handed to me earlier, it was definitely of my own fault. More importantly, it did assist Margaret in subduing Lynn.

”Y-you didn’t need to throw yourself in harm’s way...”
“But I can’t let her hurt you, can I?”
The half-hearted words rolled right off my tongue before my brain could process them. I bit my lower lip, unable to fathom what possessed me to make a statement as shamelessly bold as that. I turned away from her as the embarrassment hit me like a speeding truck and blood began rushing into my head.

As my mind raced for a way to contain the urge to curl up in cringe, I felt a light, warm yet familiar touch on my left cheek. I instinctively gazed towards my left, and at the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Margaret’s face right next to mine, her lips planting softly on my cheek.

At the moment’s notice, Margaret scurried away to make some space between the two of us, then buried her face in her hands, concealing her visage from my view. Somehow I felt a strange… deja vu to these circumstances.

I sat dumbfounded at the spot as I gently felt the spot her lips had just touched. This level of intimacy was not unfamiliar coming from the Valkyrur, yet her level of reaction was most definitely out of the ordinary.

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At the moment’s notice, Margaret scurried away to make some space between the two of us, then buried her face in her hands, concealing her visage from my view. Somehow I felt a strange… deja vu to these circumstances.

I sat dumbfounded at the spot as I gently felt the spot her lips had just touched. This level of intimacy was not unfamiliar coming from the Valkyrur, yet her level of reaction was most definitely out of the ordinary.

”Margaret-san?”
The Valkyria gave no response, and instead maintained her retracted position.
”Margaret-san, Are you feeling alright?”
She instantly snapped her head back, cheeks flaring red to a degree I’ve never seen before.
“Y-yes! Absolutely!”
Margaret proclaimed with a raised voice, then quickly shrunk back like a mimosa leaf. Her gaze wandered aimlessly to anywhere but my direction, and her hands grasped tightly to the soft bed fabric below.

>Touch her forehead
>Place a hand on top of hers
>Return the peck

>>4102880
I was all for seducing Margaret and using her as a weapon in our quest for revenge, but after this I can't play with her feelings like that.
>Touch her forehead

>>4102880
>>4102885
>seducing Margaret and using her as a weapon in our quest for revenge
Then don't. Be a worthy man, save her from that Habsburgian nightmare of a 'family' and give her a proper one.

Feel her forehead, make her think that we're checking for fever, then return the kiss when she's not expecting.

>>4103174
Nah, if we're not using Margaret then Yanagi is the only girl for me.

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>>4103179
Yanagi's interactions always felt more like an older cousin while Margaret gives off the vibes of an awkward but naturally budding relationship, not to mention the heavy background she carries. Then again that's just me and I'm a sucker for those 'freeing the caged bird' stories.

>>4102880
>Place a hand on top of hers
Well I'm going for the lewdest option
On a more serious note, this looks like the least offensive choice by far. Both girls are top tier but I don't want a re-run of the previous threads where we left Yanagi feeling dejected

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>>4102880
Supporting >>4103174
This is perfect beyond measure.
>>4103179
>>4103235
>>4103256
Nah, this is what Valkyria Chronicles is supposed to be. The main series always missed the point. What we want to do is to FUCK Selvaria. We want to fuck an Untermensch right into her Aryan pussy, having some filthy halfbreed Valkyrias as potential waifus barely makes up for it.

Not picking Margaret as the love interest is criminal. ESPECIALLY since we're at least part Darcsen.

>>4102880
>Place a hand on top of hers
I prefer Yanagi more but let's not be a complete moron here

>>4102880
>Place a hand on top of hers
>>4103235
But that's the point right? Yanagi and Subaru (even Satoru) have been through not just their childhood but also fought the war tooth and nail together. Naturally they would resonate with each other more and I believe anons should also take account on this when we inevitably confront Satoru over what he did

>>4102880
>Return the peck

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I raised my left hand and softly cupped her right hand, still grasped tightly onto the bedsheet. With her face still flushing a slight shade of pink, Margaret gaze returned to my direction for a split second, her deep, crimson eyes staring wide as if caught by my surprise act of skinship.

Noticing her glance, I decided to respond with a friendly smile. Margaret flushed a slightly deeper shade of pink, then quickly turned away.
Slowly, the unnatural anxiety that plagued her earlier had begun to fade away, little by little. I felt her grip on the bed sheet soften, as she slowly became more at ease.

As Margaret let go of the bedsheet, I felt she was about to move her hand. Naturally, I lifted my hand for her to retract freely. Yet instead of retracting her hand, Margaret flipped her hand over, then immediately held onto my hand, interlocking my fingers with hers.
Despite having experienced far more intimate moments together, I have never felt as anxious around Margaret as I had before. I felt my nerves tighten, my heart beating like a high-powered motor engine thrust to full gear. It was as if Margaret had not just expelled her unnatural anxiety, but also transferred it all onto me at once.

With our hands locked in place, Margaret shuffled her body closer, eliminating whatever space remained between us. Her shoulder gently nudged against my body, as if inviting me to do the same. With my mind still in panic mode, my body acted in its stead, returning her nudge with my own. Soon, we found ourselves sitting shoulder to shoulder, leaning into one another.

Silence engulfed the sickbay as the two of us sat together like this. I felt the awkwardness that had taken over my mind dissipating, replaced by a calming wave of harmony.
Neither of us turned to look directly at one other, yet I feel more connected to her than ever before.
In the midst of this moment, I decided to sew my mouth shut, fearing that any untimely word could squander this beautiful tranquility...

I wish we could stay like this forever.

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>>4114363
“Oi.”
The sudden intrusion of an alien voice broke the delicate silence while almost giving me a heart attack.
“D-Dr. Kiyama?”
I immediately raised my head to greet the doctor, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. By the bewildered look on Margaret’s face, neither did she notice the doctor approaching earlier.

“Where’d you find that thing?”
Unfazed by the bewilderment from the two of us, Dr. Kiyama inquired flatly with the same poker face.
“What do you mean?”
“That Darcsen-looking runt you brought here.”

Showing zero interest over the intimacy between Margaret and myself, the doctor instead tossed me a completely different topic.
I blinked twice before my mind had caught up with the topic at hand and realized who she was talking about.

“Lynn? What about her?”
The Doctor groaned, visibly annoyed by the lack of information she observed in my response.
“See for yourself.”
She pointed at the operation room on the end of the center wing and, with a wave of her hand, gestured that I follow.
“I’ll go too!”
Margaret voiced her attempt to volunteer, only for Dr. Kiyama to reject the offer with a firm head shake.

“No, you stay here.”
“But…”
“No. Don’t make another mess.” The Doctor scoffed at her suggestion, then raised her index finger right at Margaret. “And let go of that.”
The doctor’s notice quickly brought our attention to where she was pointing at... our still interlocked fingers.

Our hands broke contact at once, both of us recoiling backward as we hurriedly tried to make some space for one another. I felt a gush of blood rushing into my face again as the embarrassment of having my privacy revealed before a stranger hit. Margaret, similarly, turned to the side, in a less than successful attempt to try to hide her own embarrassment.

The doctor, on the other hand, remained consistently unfazed and uninterested.

“D-don’t worry, Subaru-kun! I’ll be just fine!” Margaret said after a few seconds of silence, her tone much louder and less collected than usual. Despite facing away, I could easily notice the bright flush of pink on her cheek.
Honestly, I’m certain that I did not look any different.

“S-see you later, Margaret-san.”
Barely able to squeeze out the words with the butterflies in my stomach, I bid the Valkyria farewell, before joining the progressively less patient doctor.

>>4114371
A short stroll brought us before the operation room at the back of the center wing- and with a swipe of her ID card, the metallic sliding door slowly opened automatically.

Behind the sliding door was another spacious, rectangular room, separated to three sectors- two on my right and one to my left. To my immediate right was a sanitation station, equipped with a rack filled with operation gowns, latex gloves, medical caps, disinfectant, and other supplies. The station branching out the far end of the right was obstructed by a wall. However, the label on the entrance probably spelled out the words “operating table:”

The sector to my immediate left, took up over half of this room, housing heavy medical machinery like X-ray stations, ragnaid injection device, and a couple of other sophisticated machinery I could not identify. Lynn, still on her stretcher, was placed on top of a mover and positioned right next to one of the large tubular machinery on the far end of this room.

“Here”
Dr. Kiyama brought me closer to the patient, which I examined with a close eye. It started first with curiosity, then quickly morphed into abject, gaping shock.
The medical team had removed Lynn’s uniform, with only military issue olive undergarments covering her body. However, it was the uncovered portions that elicited my shock.

Her body was covered from neck to legs by healed stitches and scars, alongside what appeared to be tattoos of blue Gallian letters beside each prominent scar. Several small but noticeable bumps ran unnaturally through her limbs, right under the skin. The horrendous state of her body looked less like a normal human, and more like something straight out of sci-fi horror.

“W-what happened to her?”
My mouth ran dry as I failed to come up with any appropriate words to describe the Darcsen girl lying serenely on the stretcher.

“Physical augmentations… probably.” The doctor commented flatly, staring at Lynn’s body. It was hard to tell if those words were meant for me or herself.
“Thorough examination is required to be sure.”

>Do as you see fit, doctor
>Sure, but only non-intrusive tests
>We need her consent for that. Right now, focus on her recovery.

>>4114378
>We need her consent for that. Right now, focus on her recovery.
I guess we got ourselves a V2

>>4114378
>Sure, but only non-intrusive tests

>>4114378
>Sure, but only non-intrusive tests
>>4114444
It'll be a bit weird for a Darcsen to fight for the GRA though.

>>4114378
>We need her consent for that. Right now, focus on her recovery.

>>4114378
>We need her consent for that. Right now, focus on her recovery.
>>4114363
>I decided to sew my mouth shut, fearing that any untimely word could squander this beautiful tranquility...
Small steps, but we're slowly getting out of the 'shoujo manga protagonist' mold

>>4114378
>We need her consent for that. Right now, focus on her recovery.

The hand-holding was unexpectedly heartwarming

>>4115634
If we were a shoujo manga protagonist, we would be insanely cool.
We're a shounen protagonist.

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“We’ll ask for her consent to do a complete checkup once she regained consciousness,” I responded, having sufficiently recovered from the initial shock. "For now, her recovery should be our utmost priority. How is she doing?”
Despite the out-of-the-blue revelation that called Lynn’s origins into question, she was nonetheless an envoy sent by our allies. Hence, it would be inappropriate to treat her any way other than how we would treat one of our own.

Dr. Kiyama walked over to Lynn’s mover and directed it to face the opening of one of the metallic cylinders lined up against the wall. Measuring two meters in length, these eccentric medical apparatus took the shape of a small, horizontal boiler. With the hatch at the end facing our direction, the arrangement of these hatches greatly reminded me of those seen in a morgue.

“Vitals are stable. She’ll be fine by tomorrow.” The doctor gave me a cold, uninterested response before finally shoving Lynn, along with the stretcher carrying her, into the cylindrical pod.

I stood by and watched as the doctor sealed the hatch, then moved to operate the control panel next to the pod. With the flip of a switch, the metallic cylinder began making a low rumbling noise, as a dim blue glow began appearing from the crevices of the machine, not dissimilar to when the Yamato was running on high power. Doctor Kiyama kicked the mover once propping Lynn’s stretcher aside, then flashed me a glare with her irritated, uncaring eyes, as if asking “Why are you still here?”

Taking the cue, I took my leave from the operating room, allowing the doctor to continue her work in solitude. Despite the questionable way the doctor behaved throughout our encounter, it was Lynn’s… modifications that fully bogged my mind. What exactly happened to her in the past to warrant such heavy physical augmentations?
Perhaps she was caught in some life-threatening accidents in the past? That certainly was possible, as her country had gone through two wars back to back. However, I’ve never heard of extensive surgeries meant for recovery involving burying tubes under the skin; furthermore, such could not explain why she went berserk all of a sudden upon seeing Margaret.
Perhaps there’s some more ominous explanation to what had happened to her body...

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>>4123770

“W-will she be fine?”
Margaret questioned nervously as I rejoined her after leaving the operation room.
Despite acting only in self-defense and definitely holding back, Margaret’s tender face was filled with concern, worried she might have left any permanent damage on the Gallian officer.

“Don’t worry, Doctor Kiyama said she’ll recover within a day,” I replied and sat by her side, comforting her with a light pat on her shoulder. “The doctor said her vitals are normal, but something is wrong with her body. I’m not sure how to describe it…”

“What do you mean?”
“Physical augmentations were what Dr. Kiyama called them.” I recalled the horrors on Lynn’s body to a now somewhat curious Margaret “Her body was covered in scars from healed stitch wounds. Then there are these unnatural bumps under her skin, running lengthwise along with her limbs...”

“Hm, that sounds like subdermal circulatory implants.”
I stared at her with wide eyes, surprised by the fact that Margaret may just happen to have the knowledge to unravel Lynn’s mystery.

“You know about this?”
“I overheard brother Konstantin talking about something similar in the past,” She replied with a nod, then continued to explain in detail. “The purpose of the implants were to supply concentrated ragnid directly to organs and skeletal muscles to accelerate regeneration.”

The mention of her brother reminded me that Margaret did belong to the Denisov lineage, pioneers in science within the Empire. If anyone would know about these physical augmentations, it would be her family.

“What else do you know?”

“There are firms within my country that do extensive research on the subject” She explained with growing unease. “My family is a major player in the Empire’s medical institutions, but Brother Konstantin refuses to invest in this field of study.”
“Why?”
“He called them 'A futile attempt to replicate what nature had bestowed solely upon our people.’“ Margaret answered with a frown while pointing at her crimson eye. “He deemed performing such augmentations ineffectual and exceedingly cruel.”

That arrogant attitude sounded right down his alley, yet if such a procedure even crossed Konstantin’s moral standards, I daren't imagine what hell Lynn has been through.

>Ask her to elaborate further, what sort of experiments did those entail?
>But Lynn is from Gallia, why would she be affiliated in the Empire’s research?
>Save the topic when Lynn is awake, she likely knows more about it than anyone else.

>>4123777
>Ask her to elaborate further, what sort of experiments did those entail?

>>4123777
>Ask her to elaborate further, what sort of experiments did those entail?

>>4123777
>Ask her to elaborate further, what sort of experiments did those entail?
It's unlikely to turn out as an Imp model though.
Also, considering how the test subjects are treated, it's no wonder Margaret's brother would be against funding them. He likely hates the Valkyria research facilities with a burning passion.

>>4123885
And yet he sends his sister on one of the most dangerous mission possible.