Thorns in the Cockpit
The moment the partner swapping cockpit sealed shut, the cramped, airtight space held only the man and woman about to couple—the two pilots. They were so close that a slight stretch of the hand would brush against each other's bodies. Naturally, in such confines, they couldn't help but become aware of one another's scent, even without trying.
In that sense, if Karen's scent evoked the calm hush of a library, Seres's carried a warm, soft aroma that seemed to ease tension. It was intriguing. For some reason, the women of this world each possessed a unique body odor. It was as if they instinctively exuded hormones designed to seduce men.
...Definitely a different kind of pleasure from Karen. It had been a while since he'd coupled with a woman who wasn't her. Unlike other male pilots, Netoru wasn't the type to turn down coupling with multiple women. Honestly, he rather enjoyed it. Even if it was with some sly vixen of a woman. There was a certain thrill in handling them.
The issue was how to deal with this one.
"Netoru, you've been getting close to Karen lately."
Seres spoke from the pilot's seat, striking a pose that accentuated her sensual figure—something Karen could never pull off. Her plump thighs, perfectly fleshed yet firm, twitched enticingly, as if teasing a man. As she aligned her abdomen against the cockpit and initiated the connection, mana flowed faintly along her curves.
Netoru leisurely admired her back view before replying.
"She's my coupling partner. Of course we'd get close."
"...Just because she's your coupling partner?"
"Yeah. Isn't that how it usually is?"
Facing forward, he couldn't see Seres's face. He had no idea what expression she wore, but the air felt oddly displeased, like she'd heard an unsatisfactory answer.
...Ah.
Maybe it was because she was a former Yeogisa? Though Seres came from the knight order, she wasn't the noble, honorable type people typically imagined. That image was reserved for men alone. To knights, female pilots were mere tools—living instruments to shine on the battlefield and elevate their glory. Human-shaped broodmares, trained as if born for the knights' pleasure.
Thus, women selected as knights' coupling partners underwent rigorous education from childhood, drilled to obey male pilots without question. It bordered on brainwashing.
Yeogisa tendencies generally fell into two categories: absolute obedience from their indoctrination, or rebellion as a backlash. The latter, of course, was exceedingly rare.
So which was Seres? No need to ponder long. She was clearly the latter—a woman harboring thorns beneath her softness.
But that alone didn't explain her assignment to the 393rd Unit. What mattered to knights was how exceptional their coupling partner was. So there must have been some major fallout within the order.
Exiled from the knight order... what the hell did she do?
Seres's value was far too high to be discarded in a place like the 393rd over something trivial. Compared to pilots like the current unit members, who entered the program late and received rushed training, a woman educated from childhood for this singular purpose was inherently superior. A Yeogisa was, in essence, a broodmare born and bred differently.
Any ordinary commander would covet such an asset, regardless of whatever "reason" got her booted from the knights.
Maybe she inflicted serious harm on her coupling partner? Knights held noble rank. Unlike Yeogisa, who were scouted for talent and raised from youth, knights were aristocracy through and through. Frangia nobles were notoriously ruthless, after all.
In any case, causing enough trouble to get exiled likely fueled Seres's dislike for Netoru. He had a notorious reputation with coupling partners, after all. Though the details differed, his rough handling mirrored the knights' in its own way. So if she resented them, it was natural she'd feel the same toward him.
Connection complete, Seres let out a soft breath. Snapped from his reverie by the sound, Netoru asked quietly,
"Seres. Why'd you end up in the 393rd? Must've been some big screw-up to get kicked from the knight order."
"..."
Seres didn't twitch or speak, merely turning her head slowly in the cockpit. In that eerie silence, she stared at him intently before replying coldly.
"I don't see any reason to tell you."
Her tone drew a clear line, but Netoru pressed on undeterred.
"Did you kill your coupling partner or something? Got the boot after the nobles served you gruel?"
"...Enough pointless talk. Focus on the coupling. I'm ready."
She whipped her head away brusquely, dodging the question outright. Was that really it? Netoru smirked and reached out. Magic circles materialized on Seres's hips, and the standby controls floated up from the cockpit, adhering to them in midair.
Gripping them now would start the coupling.
But he wasn't ready yet. He wanted to shake her up more—ask things only possible in this moment.
Truth be told, his first meeting with Seres had been disastrous. More like he'd fallen for her little scheme. Still, it freed them from adolescent pretense; no need to hide thoughts or feelings like shy kids.
Seizing the chance, Netoru dragged out one of his own dark secrets.
"Seres. Why'd you refuse coupling back then?"
"...Hah. I told you clearly at the time."
Her voice chilled like venom spat at a persistent suitor.
"I have no intention of coupling with someone like you."
"Even though I'd be a huge boost to the unit's strength?"
"...What arrogance. You think you're worth me abandoning my existing partner?"
"Dunno. I don't see it as bragging. At least I'm confident I can handle you better than that immature brat Takuya. Honestly, isn't it obvious I'm a far superior coupling partner?"
Netoru let out a mocking chuckle. In that instant, the air around them froze solid.
Seres turned back, her face colder than ever. Her soft eyes sharpened to razor edges, violet irises blazing with clear hostility.
"..."
"...Takuya is my precious coupling partner. So watch your mouth."
Her voice tightened like skin over ice.
"Precious coupling partner, huh..."
For some reason, he couldn't stop laughing. Just how "precious" was he that she'd refuse coupling? It made Karen look like a fool.
In a normal situation, switching partners wasn't easy. But if it held strategic value, why not? That's why Netoru had eyed Seres first upon arriving at the 393rd. Better than some inexperienced 17-year-old boy with an underdeveloped mana nerve system.
A veteran of countless battlefields like Netoru was far more suitable. Handling a Yeogisa required top-tier skill; an incompetent gripping the controls would only backfire.
Yet she'd refused.
Why? The more he thought, the more absurd it seemed, so he laid his honest thoughts bare.
"Cut the crap, Seres. Takuya's not 'precious'—he's just an 'easy' kid to handle."
"...You. What did you just say?"
A crack fissured her icy facade. She'd probably never heard anyone pierce her facade so directly. To the unit, she was the warm, gentle woman. No one would suspect otherwise.
"Sure, better than letting knights grab the controls like old times. Physically and mentally satisfying, yeah. What could a 17-year-old punk do?"
His mocking smile faded. What spilled from Netoru's lips now bordered on contempt.
The woman before him wasn't some kindly soul matching her soft exterior. Cowardly, in a way. Scheming, in another. Craven, even.
"So you dumped me on Karen? Couldn't bear losing that comfort, didn't want to go back to those ragged days in the knight order?"
Harsh on Karen, but truthfully, she was Netoru's second choice. Dyeing an immature pilot in his colors was fun, sure—but in life-or-death combat, such pleasures took a backseat.
What he needed was a mature woman. One who could fully accommodate his prowess.
Netoru gripped Seres's controls. She flinched visibly, a faint tremor running down her spine—pitifully vulnerable.
"Just admit it. You're a selfish woman. Pretend to care for the kids all you want—inside, you're ugly as sin."
"..."
Seres stayed silent. But in that moment, Netoru felt immense pressure. Through the connected mana path from the controls, a torrent of mana drained from him. So voraciously it unconsciously tensed his body.
"...Impressive. No wonder Takuya couldn't handle it."
Seres's body wasn't tuned for teenage boys. It was honed to the extremes for elite knights. Naturally, her mana demands were extraordinary. High base output meant proportionally massive consumption—poor fuel efficiency, in simple terms.
A kid's meager mana reserves wouldn't last.
Lips parting slightly, Seres murmured low.
"...On your first day, you asked me something. Which knight order I was from."
"Yeah."
"I dodged it then, but I'll tell you now. I belonged to the Saint Mishar Knight Order."
That was surprising. The Saint Mishar Knights—Frangia's royal blade, the kingdom's pinnacle force, even if the revolution had hollowed out the monarchy.
Seres's life must have been chained to them from birth. Direct under the crown, no less. A place where the untalented were discarded without mercy, and Yeogisa pledged purity and loyalty to the throne.
How she retained this rebellious streak after such upbringing was a mystery.
"Even so... think you can handle it?"
Warning? Threat? Netoru chuckled silently and squeezed the controls hard.
As if to say, try me.