The time had finally come to return to the Kingdom.
Amidst the preparations, their primary concern was, of course, Ray.
"Now then, regarding the boy's situation—what should we do?"
The members of the Special Selection Unit, Astral, had gathered together to determine his fate. Now that their return to the Kingdom was imminent, the time for a decision had arrived.
"It is already settled. Placing him in an orphanage or finding a family to adopt him would be the most logical course of action," Flor answered flatly. Although she felt some affection for Ray, she believed a rational judgment was necessary. In her mind, there was no room for debate.
The plan had been decided from the very beginning, yet the meeting had devolved into a dispute. The reason was a single person.
"Nooooo! Ray-chan has to stay with us!" Carol cried, throwing a tantrum. Since the day they met, she had been the one primarily responsible for his care. Perhaps her maternal instincts had taken over, as she stubbornly refused to let him go.
Naturally, Flor voiced her opposition.
"Caroline. You know that's impossible, don't you?"
"It isn't! I have money! I can support Ray-chan myself!"
"That may be true, but we have missions to carry out."
"Then I'll just leave him with my family while we're away! Ray-chan is staying with me!!"
"Sigh..." Flor shrugged, letting out a heavy sigh.
Deruku and Howard voiced their thoughts as well.
"Well, it's not like I don't get where Carol's coming from," Deruku muttered.
"...Yeah. But as things stand, there's not much else we can do," Howard added.
Both men sided with Flor. It was the only rational choice. In fact, the very idea of someone within the unit taking him in was highly irregular.
"Garnet. And Ainsworth. What do you two think?"
In response to Major Henrick’s question, Abby was the first to speak.
"I agree with the Major. I believe we should place him in an orphanage or arrange for an adoption."
"That's the standard procedure. And what about you, Ainsworth?"
Throughout the conversation, Lydia had remained deep in thought. She understood the reality of the situation. The idea of someone taking the boy in was, by all accounts, absurd. As Carol suggested, they could likely manage the physical act of caring for him.
However, the concern was that he might become a burden.
Furthermore, Astral was a newly established unit. If they made a habit of this, there would be no end to it.
"..."
Lydia recalled her encounter with Ray. She couldn't help but feel it was fate. She had perceived faint signs of life from him that no one else could detect.
She sensed there was something special about the boy. And Ray, in turn, had grown remarkably attached to her.
It was clear that an unspoken bond existed between them.
"I—"
Logic eventually won out, and Lydia prepared to give the same answer as Abby. But then, Ray caught her eye.
He was staring intently at her from the shadow of the doorway. He had spent most of his time asleep recently, but she knew he had regained the strength to walk.
He must have wandered here alone while no one was watching.
"Ray..."
Lydia walked slowly toward him. Ray met her gaze, his eyes fixed on her.
The other members watched in silence. The atmosphere was so heavy that none of them dared to interfere.
"Ray. What do you want to do?"
She knelt so they were at eye level before asking the question. A long silence followed.
"You were listening, weren't you? You have the choice of going to an orphanage or being adopted by someone else."
"...Ah."
A tiny sound escaped his lips. Then, he reached out and tightly gripped Lydia's sleeve.
"...Want to stay together."
It was the first time he had voiced his own desires. Until now, he had simply existed in a daze, but now he was finally showing his own will.
For Lydia, that was reason enough.
"Major. I will take responsibility for him."
"Ainsworth. Do you truly understand what that entails?"
Henrick's sharp gaze pierced her, but her resolve didn't waver.
"I have my family, and my sister is available to help. Between us, I will look after him."
"...And you believe he is worth the effort?"
Henrick had already realized it himself.
The child named Ray was no ordinary boy. The entire unit was aware that a strange Prima Materia dwelled within his body.
"He is. And because of that, I believe I must be the one to guide him properly."
She spoke with an intensity she rarely showed.
Her gaze didn't waver for a second. She had already made up her mind that if Ray asked, she would step up. Now that he had shown his will, she felt compelled to honor it.
While she usually preferred logic over gut feelings, this was different. Her intuition was telling her—telling her she was the one who had to lead Ray down the right path.
"Very well. As long as it doesn't interfere with your duties, I will permit you to take him in."
The moment the words were spoken, Carol burst into loud, wailing sobs.
She rushed over to the still Ray and pulled him into a crushing hug.
"Waaaaaahhh! Thank goodness! Ray-chan, we're going to be together forever!!"
Carol wept, tears and snot flowing freely. To her, Ray had become like her own child—or at the very least, a cherished younger relative.
Regardless of the label, she was simply relieved that they wouldn't be separated.
"Ray."
Ignoring Carol's sobbing, Lydia spoke to the boy again.
"From now on, you're with me—no, you're with all of us."
"...Together?"
"Yeah."
"Mm..."
When Ray gave a small, gentle smile, every soldier in the room felt a pang in their heart. This was a boy who had been the sole survivor of a horrific battlefield.
They had thought it would take a long time for him to open up. Some feared he might never smile again.
But he had. And that fact made everyone present happier than words could say.
"Alright! That settles it! Starting today, I am your Master!"
"...Master?"
"That's right! And Ray, you are my Disciple! From this day forward, I'll teach you everything I know!"
"...Mm. Okay, Master."
He gave a small, solemn nod.
And so, the master-disciple relationship between Lydia and Ray began.