Last Gun Alchemist

Ezra quietly looked at Fatima.

His calm gaze then shifted toward the holographic screen, where Bale and Keith were projected.

Seeing the three of them together...

Talking so naturally...

Looking comfortable around one another...

Most people would immediately begin making all sorts of assumptions.

Whether those assumptions were true or false wouldn’t matter.

Rumors rarely waited for facts.

Because of that...

Ezra understood why Fatima wanted to explain their relationship before any misunderstanding could take root.

Even so...

She also had to place a great deal of trust in the person standing before her.

After all...

This wasn’t the kind of information someone casually revealed to another person.

"...Ahhh."

Ezra let out a quiet sigh.

His expression remained as blank as ever.

Vera has already dragged me into enough troublesome matters today.

I guess listening to one more probably won’t make much of a difference.

The thought crossed his mind with quiet resignation.

Ironically...

Although he had just thought something that sounded almost humorous...

Nothing on his face suggested he found the situation funny, with how his expression remained completely calm.

"So..."

He slowly walked a few steps closer until he stood within comfortable speaking distance.

His eyes moved toward the holographic projection.

"What’s the relationship between you..."

He pointed toward Bale and Keith.

"...and those two?"

The question was simple and direct.

Before Fatima could answer...

"Let me explain!"

Keith suddenly raised his hand with unusual enthusiasm.

His lazy expression disappeared for a brief second, making him look strangely energetic.

Unfortunately...

The opportunity lasted less than a heartbeat.

Bale immediately lunged toward him.

"You keep your mouth shut!"

Without hesitation, he clamped one hand firmly over Keith’s mouth.

"Mmph!"

Keith struggled beneath Bale’s grip, glaring at him in protest.

Fatima watched the two boys for a moment.

Then...

She slowly shook her head.

"You boys are hopeless."

There wasn’t any real anger in her voice.

Only helpless amusement.

Turning back toward Ezra...

She didn’t hesitate any longer.

"Me and Bale..."

She spoke calmly.

"...are lovers."

The words left her mouth so naturally that she didn’t even pause to soften the impact.

She simply told the truth.

Directly.

Silence immediately settled over the garden.

Even the light breeze brushing through the nearby flowerbeds suddenly felt more noticeable.

Bale froze.

Keith froze.

For a brief moment...

Neither of them moved.

Ezra quietly stared at the holographic screen.

Then...

"Seriously?"

The word slipped out before he could stop himself.

It wasn’t loud.

Nor did it carry much emotion.

It simply reflected his genuine surprise.

"F-Fatima!"

Bale cried out.

His face instantly turned bright red.

Without thinking...

He grabbed the nearby blanket lying on the bed.

In one swift motion, he wrapped it tightly around himself until only part of his face remained visible.

He completely avoided looking toward Ezra.

"Damn..."

Keith lazily smiled.

"Straight to the punchline."

Fatima looked at him without changing her expression.

"Isn’t he someone Bale trusts?"

She answered matter-of-factly.

"I don’t think there’s any reason to drag the explanation out."

Keith slowly pointed toward the tightly wrapped blanket.

"Well... He clearly thinks otherwise."

From beneath the blanket...

A tiny, embarrassed voice quietly escaped.

"...Why...Why..."

Bale sounded as though he wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

Ezra calmly watched the scene unfold.

His gaze shifted back toward Fatima.

"What about Keith?"

He asked.

His expression remained exactly the same.

Even after hearing something that would have shocked or excited most people...

His face barely changed.

Fatima blinked.

"...Ara."

She looked at Ezra with mild surprise.

"No reaction?"

Keith also raised an eyebrow.

"I’m surprised too."

He comfortably rolled onto his side again before resting his head on his palm.

Ezra quietly shook his head.

"No. I’m actually surprised."

He answered honestly.

"I thought the three of you might simply be close friends."

His eyes briefly shifted toward Bale.

"But lovers..."

He paused naturally.

"That’s on another level."

Besides...

Doesn’t this mean Bale already has a lover before Veda...

...and Ver...

The moment Vera’s name appeared in his thoughts...

He remembered everything she had done to him earlier.

The academy-wide announcement.

The crowd of girls.

The endless chase.

The memory alone made him feel slightly annoyed all over again.

Even so...

None of those thoughts appeared on his face.

His calm expression never changed.

It was as though nothing could disturb the still surface of the lake called Ezra Ashenlocke.

"Ezra..."

Keith suddenly spoke.

He lazily stretched his arms.

"...Yawn."

He covered his mouth before finishing the yawn.

After rubbing one sleepy eye, he continued speaking as though nothing had happened.

"As for me..."

A proud smile slowly appeared across his face.

"I’m dating her younger sister."

Keith pointed toward Fatima with his index finger.

The smile on his face became even wider.

Hearing that...

Ezra blinked.

For perhaps the first time since arriving...

Genuine surprise finally appeared in his eyes.

He quietly looked at Keith.

Then toward Fatima.

Then back at Bale.

"...Both boys from Ash."

He slowly muttered to himself.

"Both close friends. And both are secretly dating the daughters of Duke Drakes."

He thoughtfully rested the side of his closed fist against his lips.

His eyes drifted toward the winding stone pathway nearby while he organized everything inside his mind.

"...Not just members of the Mainline. Not a Highline. Not even a Lowline."

He slowly looked back at the three of them.

"But the Duke’s daughters themselves."

His words carried no disbelief.

Only quiet analysis.

After a brief silence...

Ezra finally asked the question occupying his thoughts.

"And why...the secrecy?"

He asked the question as plainly as ever.

Fatima remained silent for several seconds.

The gentle breeze drifting through the flower garden lightly swayed her short brown hair as she lowered her eyes in thought.

"...Should I tell him?"

She looked toward the holographic screen, where Keith was comfortably lying on the bed while Bale remained hidden beneath the blanket he had wrapped around himself moments ago.

Bale stayed quiet for a moment.

Then, with a small sigh, he slowly lowered the blanket until only the lower half of his body remained covered, revealing his still-flushed face.

"Well...We’ve already come this far."

He scratched the side of his cheek awkwardly before looking toward Ezra through the holographic screen.

"Besides...Ezra is good at keeping secrets."

His voice carried complete confidence.

It wasn’t blind trust.

It was a trust built from spending time together and quiet observation.

Fatima hesitated.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the Zphone 14.

"But...This is a pretty big secret."

A trace of worry appeared on her face.

She wasn’t afraid of Ezra.

She was simply aware of how much trouble this information could cause if it ever reached the wrong people.

Before anyone else could respond...

Ezra calmly spoke.

"That must mean...The Ashenlocke Family and the Drakes Family aren’t on good terms."

His voice remained as flat as always.

"Which also means..."

He shifted his gaze toward Fatima.

"Your Duke Family is the one secretly supporting Count House Evergrey in its attempt to rival House Ashenlocke."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Fatima’s eyes widened.

Bale blinked in astonishment.

Even Keith, who usually looked half-asleep, raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise.

"...How did you..."

Fatima stopped halfway through her sentence.

She stared at Ezra as though she were looking at someone completely unfamiliar.

Her thoughts became a mess.

How...?

I only told him that Bale and I are together, and that was only a moment ago.

How did he reach that conclusion already?

"You only found out about our relationship...just now."

Her voice was filled with disbelief.

Ezra nodded slightly.

"I don’t see any reason why a Mainline member of one Duke Family would need to hide a romantic relationship with someone from another Duke Family."

His tone remained calm and steady.

"There have been many cases in the past where children from Duke Families ended up together. Sometimes... The families even arrange those relationships themselves."

His gaze drifted toward the stone pathway for a brief moment as he organized his thoughts.

"So...If your relationship has to remain hidden...There must be a reason."

He looked back at Fatima.

"The first thing that came to mind...was the quiet conflict House Ashenlocke is currently having with another Duke Family."

He paused briefly.

Then another thought connected itself almost immediately.

"And now that I think about it..."

His eyes settled on the Drakes family crest embroidered neatly on Fatima’s uniform.

"The Drakes Family was the one that benefited the most after a portion of the mining rights were taken away from House Ashenlocke."

He calmly pointed toward her.

"So...The answer naturally becomes clear."

Fatima remained speechless.

"...That’s..."

Her lips parted slightly.

"...exactly right."

She slowly nodded.

There wasn’t even the slightest mistake in Ezra’s deduction.

Not one.

Bale and Keith exchanged glances before quietly laughing.

Neither of them laughed because the situation was funny.

They were simply amused by Fatima’s stunned expression.

Seeing someone leave her completely speechless...

Wasn’t something that happened very often.

Ezra gave a small nod before asking another question.

"So...Does your sister know about this?"

This time...

He looked directly at Bale.

The smile on Bale’s face gradually became awkward.

"...She figured it out."

He rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.

"On the very same day we officially started dating."

Keith lazily raised one hand from the bed.

"Lady Vera found out about mine later."

He shrugged.

"But...It wasn’t long after I entered the relationship."

A helpless sigh escaped him.

"It didn’t stay secret for very long."

Bale nodded before speaking again.

"For now... Big Brother Veda doesn’t know anything about my relationship with Fatima."

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head again.

Fatima continued where he left off.

"From my side..."

She looked toward Ezra.

"Only my stepbrother, Starke, knows about my relationship... and my little sister’s as well."

Her voice remained calm throughout.

She wasn’t trying to hide anything anymore.

After deciding to explain...

She intended to explain everything honestly.

"I see..."

Ezra quietly nodded.

"Thank you... For trusting me with something so personal."

His voice remained polite.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of mockery or curiosity.

He simply accepted the information.

With Vera already knowing about all of this...

I don’t have to worry too much about those girls trying to use Bale or Keith to get to the family.

Ezra quietly reached that conclusion.

One less troublesome possibility.

That alone was enough.

He turned around.

"I’ll be taking my leave now."

His eyes briefly moved toward the holographic screen.

"Take care of yourselves...Bale. Keith."

He lazily raised one hand in farewell before calmly walking away along the winding stone path.

The afternoon breeze gently stirred the flowers around him as his figure gradually became more distant.

"Bye, Ezra."

Bale smiled and waved back.

"See you next time."

Keith also lifted one hand.

His wave was as lazy as ever.

The holographic call gradually became quiet again.

Fatima continued watching Ezra’s retreating figure until he disappeared beyond the rows of flowering bushes.

"...Is he really that emotionless?"

She asked softly.

Bale followed her gaze.

A thoughtful expression slowly appeared on his face.

"I honestly don’t know."

He sighed quietly.

"Sometimes... I wonder if it’s because of everything he went through during the Trial of Steel, changed him into the person he is now."

There was genuine concern in his voice.

He smiled helplessly.

"I also wonder... what kind of person Ezra was before any of that happened."

Fatima remained silent.

"...Hmm."

She slowly turned her head toward Bale, thoughtfully considering his words.

"I’m saying this because..."

Fatima continued after a brief pause.

She folded her other arm loosely while looking toward the direction Ezra had disappeared.

"Ezra has the kind of face that a lot of girls in this academy are going to fall for."

Her voice was calm, but there was honesty behind every word.

"And I’m certain he will be approached by many of them."

She let out a small sigh.

"But after seeing the kind of personality he has..."

A helpless smile appeared on her face.

"...he’s going to break a lot of hearts."

"For some reason... knowing that kind of annoys me."

She wasn’t angry at Ezra.

If anything...

She simply felt sorry for the girls who would gather the courage to confess to someone who probably wouldn’t even realize their feelings.

"Hahaha..."

Bale chuckled softly.

The laughter wasn’t loud.

It was the kind that naturally escaped after imagining the future Fatima had described.

"I think Ezra is simply too focused on things other than love."

He smiled faintly while resting comfortably against the headboard.

"He’s always looked like someone chasing a goal that’s far ahead of everyone else. Almost as though... nothing else matters until he reaches it."

Keith lazily waved one hand in the air.

"You two worry too much about things that don’t concern either of you."

His voice remained as relaxed as always.

"Did you forget?"

He casually snapped his fingers while staring aimlessly at the ceiling of Bale’s room.

"Lady Vera and Ezra are already close."

His words made Bale pause.

"...That’s true."

Bale looked toward Keith with genuine surprise.

For once...

The lazy boy had actually said something surprisingly reasonable.

He blinked twice before speaking.

"You feeling alright, Keith?"

His tone was completely serious.

Keith slowly turned his head and looked at Bale from the corner of one eye.

A look that clearly said he couldn’t be bothered.

Without replying immediately...

He simply closed his eyes.

Fatima smiled helplessly.

"Vera..."

She quietly shook her head.

"She’s an entirely different kind of person."

There was no need for further explanation.

Anyone who knew Vera understood exactly what she meant.

Fatima then turned around and began walking away from the quiet flower garden.

The evening breeze gently lifted the ends of her short brown hair as she left.

Bale looked at her face with a warm smile.

"Yeah...I also hope my older brother and sisters find the right people for themselves while they’re here at the academy."

His smile became slightly brighter.

"I can’t wait until next year... when I finally enroll myself."

There was obvious excitement in his voice.

For someone who had spent so much time hearing stories about the Royal Academy...

He had long begun looking forward to becoming a student himself.

By the time Fatima disappeared beyond the winding stone path...

Ezra had already left the flower garden.

The sounds of students talking echoed softly around the academy as the evening sun slowly descended toward the horizon.

Long shadows stretched across the stone walkways while groups of students gradually made their way back toward the dormitories.

As he walked...

Ezra removed his Starlix 11 from his space bag.

The screen immediately lit up.

Several unread notifications appeared one after another.

Most of them came from Lucy.

Judging from the number of messages...

She had clearly been worried after hearing what happened earlier.

However...

Another name immediately caught Ezra’s attention.

"...Cyrus?"

His finger tapped the notification.

The chat window opened.

’Hey... it’s Cyrus.’

Flame_00

Another message appeared directly beneath it.

’Your maid gave me your contact, if you don’t mind.’

Flame_00

Ezra quietly stared at the conversation for a moment.

Then his eyes naturally drifted lower, landing on another familiar name.

Jewel_of_Ash.

"...Tsk."

He clicked his tongue quietly.

The memory of Vera’s announcement returned once again.

Along with hundreds of girls chasing him around the academy.

After thinking for several seconds...

He finally accepted reality.

His fingers began moving across the screen.

’I give up... I will be your dance partner.’

Ezra_Ashenlocke

Ezra looked at the message after finishing it.

He read it once.

Then a second time.

Only after making sure there was nothing else to add did he finally press Send.

Not even five seconds passed.

Three small dots immediately appeared on the screen.

Vera was already typing.

The reply arrived almost instantly.

’Yeh.’

Jewel_of_Ash

Ezra looked at the single word.

A moment later...

Another message appeared before he even had time to put the device away.

’Do you need me to help you learn how to dance?’

Jewel_of_Ash

His eyes quietly moved across the sentence.

Without much hesitation...

He typed his answer.

’I’ll take care of that myself.’

Ezra_Ashenlocke

The reply was sent almost immediately.

Once again...

Vera answered without making him wait.

’I can always count on you, Inventor.’

Jewel_of_Ash

Ezra silently read the message.

A faint breath escaped his nose.

He switched off the Starlix 11, slipped it back into his space bag, and continued walking through the academy grounds.

The sky had already begun changing colors.

The warm orange glow of the setting sun painted the academy buildings in soft light while students steadily left the courtyards and gardens.

The academy was gradually becoming quieter.

Although...

There were still several girls wandering around, hoping to catch one last glimpse of Ezra before the day ended.

Fortunately for him...

Their numbers had already decreased considerably.

Closing time for the academy grounds was approaching.

One after another...

The remaining girls reluctantly gave up their search and began making their way back to their residence.

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