Iron blooded idiot

Orga pov:

Biscuit, Eugene and Mikazuki were ready. However, he needed to get two more people and he knew exactly where they were. He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway as he took in the scene before him. The air in the dorm was thick with sweat and the raucous cheers of the gathered boys.

 Another underground match, just like usual. It was a way for the boys to blow off steam, and as long as no one got seriously hurt, he didn't see a reason to stop them. Besides, it kept them sharp.

He took a glance around the room. The Ring, as it was called, was just a cleared-out space where the bunk beds had been shoved aside, forming a crude arena. Around it, a rowdy crowd of CGS boys jeered and cheered, their voices echoing against the steel walls.

It seemed Akihiro wanted his revenge from the last match since he was facing Andre again. Akihiro had Slick on the back foot, his powerful strikes making the unofficial leader's right-hand man struggle to keep up.

 A solid blow landed against Slick's guard, forcing him to stumble, but he wasn't here to enjoy the match. His eyes scanned past the ring toward the gambling table shoved into the far corner of the room.

Sure enough, there he was.

Seated with an easy smirk, his short hair a bit unkempt, was the mastermind behind these little games—Darius. If there was any guy in CGS who could get a bunch of restless child soldiers to burn off steam while making himself a little extra on the side, it was him. He leaned back, watching the fight while casually shuffling a deck of cards in one hand, a few spare rations and trinkets stacked in front of him from whatever bets had already gone down.

"Darius." he called, stepping forward.

Darius didn't look up immediately, finishing his tally before finally meeting Orga's gaze. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Yo, Orga. Here to place a bet?" he asked lazily, tapping his pen against the table.

Orga snorted. "Nah. Maruba wants us to be ready for the 'princess' coming in. Need you and Andre to suit up."

Darius leaned back slightly, glancing toward the ring where Andre was dodging another swing from Akihiro. He hummed in thought, then gave a small nod.

"Alright. Andre!" he called out, making the older boy glance his way. "Wrap it up, boss needs us."

Andre, sweating and slightly bruised, clicked his tongue in annoyance but nodded. He dodged another punch from Akihiro and raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright, you win this one," he huffed, stepping back. Akihiro raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. The crowd groaned and cheered at the result, while Darius was already collecting the final tallies.

Pocketing a few slips of paper, he stood, stretched, and looked around before calling out. "Cody, where the fuck are you!"

A small boy with green hair came through the crowd with a duffle bag and clipboard. " Yeah boss?"

" Andre and I need to go see the bigger boss. Handle shit for me will you."

Cody nodded, saluting before taking Darius's seat. Nodding at the boy, Darius followed him out, Andre jogging to catch up.

" Can't wait to head to earth. There's surely money to be made there." Darius said with a grin.

 " And babes to be laid there." Andre added, wrapping an arm around Darius with his own grin, Darius pushing him away instantly. 

" Damn, you smell like ass. You need a shower first. Even I won't be able to help you if you anger the big boss cause you made a bad impression on what has to be our most influential customer."

Orga listened to the back-and-forth between the two with mild amusement, though he didn't slow his pace. " I don't care what you have planned, but it better not get in the way of the mission."

The two gave exaggerated salutes, sly grins on. " We would never. Scouts honour." Darius said, Andre nodding.

He shook his head but urged them to move forward. When they walked past him, he couldn't help but stare at the neck of the money-loving boy. Darius had somehow wriggled his way into Maruba's good graces, something most of the orphans in CGS couldn't even dream of. It still nagged at Orga sometimes—how did he manage to get by without an implant? 

Every kid here had one, even Andre.

Orga had his suspicions about why Maruba kept him around. Maybe it was because Darius could read and write, which was more than could be said for most of the grunts here. Maybe it was because he was good with numbers, keeping track of money, supplies, and debts like a natural. Or maybe it was because he was just as damn shrewd as Maruba himself, unafraid to speak his mind even to the old bastard.

Whatever it was, it was working.

The guy got away with way more than most of them could. He wasn't forced into the same backbreaking labour, didn't get thrown into the worst jobs, and, most importantly, ate better than the rest of them. That alone was enough to make others jealous. But instead of hoarding it all, he shared the extra food with Andre and occasionally those who had done the most to help him in that week.

He didn't trust the boy. Anyone who managed to be liked by Maruba was someone to be wary of, even if the boy had done nothing overtly wrong.

It was just a gut feeling though.

Kudelia Aina Bernstein pov:

Kudelia Aina Bernstein had been prepared for hostility, indifference, or even silent judgment from the soldiers of CGS. After all, she was an outsider, a noble girl stepping into a world of child soldiers, and she knew how deep the divide between them must be. She had expected this would take time.

Mikazuki Augus, the first of her escorts, was exactly as she had imagined. Silent and unreadable, walking ahead of her and the other boy without a second glance. She wanted to reach out, to ask him about himself, but the cold aura he radiated made it clear—he wasn't interested. She still tried but it was clear that it was going to take time.

Then, unexpectedly, the other boy who had been told to accompany them spoke. "Sorry about him. He's a bit socially inept."

She turned toward him, surprised by his casual tone. Crimson eyes met hers—sharp yet playful, a stark contrast to Mikazuki's detached ones.

"Oh, where are my manners? I am Darius Kingston. Nice to meet you."

His introduction was smooth and practised. There was confidence in the way he extended his hand, not as a soldier greeting a client, but as an equal—no, more than that. As someone who expected to be noticed.

She smiled, relieved by the warmth in his approach, and placed her hand in his without hesitation. "It's a pleasure to—"

Before she could finish, he lifted her hand gently, pressing a kiss against her knuckles.

Her breath hitched.

Kudelia felt her face heat up immediately. That was… unexpected. She had met many noblemen back home who adhered to such gestures, but coming from a CGS worker—one of the very people she had come to support—it caught her completely off guard. His confidence was effortless, the gesture so natural that she couldn't even tell if he was doing it to mock her or if it was simply his way of introducing himself.

"I shall be a part of your trip to Earth," he informed her, his voice smooth, his expression unreadable. "If you ever find yourself needing someone to talk to, I'd be more than happy to do so."

Kudelia hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. She wasn't accustomed to being approached so directly, let alone flirted with so casually. Was this his way of easing tensions, or was he genuinely interested in befriending her?

Before she could gather her thoughts into a response, Darius looked forward to Mikazuki, his grin still present.

"Or if you plan on befriending others around or on the journey, I know everyone around here."

That statement pulled Kudelia out of her flustered state. Right—she wasn't here for pleasantries or lighthearted flirtations. She was here on a mission. These boys, no matter how they presented themselves, were child soldiers forced into this life, and she wanted to help them.

Regaining her composure, she smiled politely at Darius, though her mind was still reeling.

"Thank you, Darius. That is very kind of you," she said, her voice carrying warmth but also a hint of formality. She didn't want to let her guard down so easily, but she also didn't want to be rude.

The rest of the walk was filled with light conversation. The crimson-eyed boy was rather easy to talk to. She found herself smiling more than she thought at the end of the tour. 

Perhaps this journey wouldn't be as isolating as she had feared.