Clone Girls

The silence within the room weighed heavily upon Ticia as Bernie de Provin made a grave expression as he read the report she just handed over to him. Just by looking at his expression, she could tell he was thinking seriously on the subject.

The day after she came back, Ticia contacted the ambassador of her own initiative while her daughters were still attending classes. The man was delighted to see her take the initiative, but Ticia went straight to the goal and gave him the report.

“...Thank you for providing those pieces of information.” The Phillian ambassador said after a while, bowing a little.

“It was nothing much, I just believed it would be of use to you.” Ticia nodded slightly with a smile. This was something Rika made sure Ticia would do during the negotiations.

“Indeed, this will be of utmost value to her majesty.” Bernie nodded, still with a serious look. “Now then, I believe you want something from us?”

He went straight to the point and asked Ticia what she wanted in exchange. This was within Ticia’s expectations, so she smiled back.

“Yes, I want us to cooperate on some matters, or ally ourselves, if possible” She said.

“Alliance, is it?” Bernie frowned. “Clone Mother, I do believe I told you in the past that we wanted to ally ourselves with you in the first place.”

Ticia froze on the spot. She did not know what to say back. True, the empire did approach her first for an alliance, but they never called again after the party, so Ticia thought they gave up, or that something else came up.

“...You did mention that.” She ended up saying while trying to maintain a neutral expression.

But then, does that mean they agree to become our allies? And why do they want to become my allies in the first place?

“This will not be considered as a favor. Please ask for something else, her majesty would have great pleasure in granting any of your wishes.” Bernie continued with a small smile, but there was some clear intent that he would not let go of Ticia before she requested something else.

“Any, huh?” Ticia took a moment to think. That… was actually pretty good for her. She had many things she wanted to ask the ambassador… Where was the princess he had first mentioned? Or how they knew her oath was just a lie? There were also other things she could try to ask for, like materials, ressources, weapons, or information… 

She needed to make a choice that would benefit her the most, and Ticia had an idea in mind.

Let’s make it a fair trade of intel.

“Then, could I ask her majesty for some information?” She asked with a hint of expectation.

“But of course, it would be our pleasure to be of help to your personal goals. What do you wish to know exactly?” Bernie replied, smiling. He seemed to have already caught on what Ticia would ask.

“I would like some intel on clone installations within your territory, and whether I could inspect those myself or get any material coming from those.” Ticia asked.

Like this, I can cover more ground in a smaller amount of time.

She knew that there were clone installations within the Techno-Empire of Phillio thanks to A-4’s map and Rebot-ia’s data. In fact, there was a system near the Borkian frontier that had a higher amount than others…

“That’s two things, Clone Mother.” Bernie chuckled, and Ticia froze when he said that. She really was a rookie when it came to politics and negociations. The ambassador smiled though. 

“Very well, I shall relay your request to her majesty. Please give me some time.”

“Thank you.” Ticia bowed slightly, delighted.

I think this went pretty well. Maybe too well, in fact… I hope the empress says yes and no traps are waiting for me… Ah, maybe I could ask for something more, like the name of the princess who went to the academy. That would actually be normal to know that since we’re allies now, right?

As she was reflecting on the result of this meeting, Bernie called out to her.

“Ah, yes, regarding the alliance proposal, may I consider this meeting as you agreeing to it?”

Right, I guess we are allies for now, but still, let’s take some precautions…

“...You can. Though I would like you to make a formal request to our faction, just like you said you’d  do at the party.” Ticia replied with a small business smile. She wanted to shield herself behind her ‘faction’ in case something unexpected happened. Bernie also understood what she meant and nodded with a smile of his own.

“... 'Your faction’ huh?” The ambassador frowned a bit, before nodding “I understand, you have your own circumstances. We will respect that. Your ‘faction leader’ has already contacted us multiple times already after we made first contact with them anyway.”

“...What?” That last part made Ticia’s smile crisp. The smirk on Bernie's face told her he knew more about her own ‘faction’ than she or Rika did…

That person who’s been the leader of the faction from the shadow and we never met? The person who claimed to be neutral and only has the future of the confederation in mind? This sounds fishy…

Ticia did not care about what would happen to the Borkian Confederation, but if she wanted to create her ‘home’, she needed to stay aware of what was happening around her to prevent major danger from reaching her daughters… She had some doubts about this neutral faction from the beginning, and so did Rika. There was no doubt they were using Rika’s popularity to gain influence. The problem Ticia asked herself was whether once that person revealed itself, they would let her and Rika alone…

“He approached us of his own accord  for a military alliance, even though we just floated the idea of a political alliance at the time... He even went as far as promising he’d concede some territories at the frontier to us for that. Unfortunately for him, her majesty wants confirmation from you in person, not someone you’re pretending to follow.” Bernie explained, releasing a small sigh as Ticia had more and more questions in her mind.

“Then why is she asking for an alliance with me?” She asked the one who itched her the most. The way Bernie phrased it, the empress was not just searching for a political alliance, but a full blown one… Just why was the Phillian empress so adamant in forging an alliance with her?

“I do not know.” Bernie shook his head while smiling wryly. “I am but a mere loyal subject of her majesty. Only her majesty has the answer to your question.” 

“...” Ticia had nothing more to say to that. As she bid farewell to the Phillian ambassador, she had more questions than answers, but at least she had secured an alliance for now…

In the midst of all that, Ticia completely forgot about the so-called sibling her majesty had sent to the academy, and that she had not met yet…

 

***

 

The ECGs, all in uniforms, were standing at attention within the refectory, where the tables and chairs had been tidied up to the side. They were expressionless, but you could sense an air of rising tension and excitement from them.

The reason for that was simple: It was time for four of their sisters to receive a name. None of them would miss such a thing, not even the Null CGs, who, except for Licia, were all at the first rank, discussing with one another excitedly.

“What is happening?” Meiko asked to nobody in particular as she observed the clones around her. Before she knew it, Ticinia and Vinia brought her here, and she was now stuck at the first rank.

“It’s the naming ceremony!” Vinia said excitedly, though her explanation did not help Meiko much. Noticing that, Ticinia clarified.

“Miss Meiko, we’re clones. Unlike regular humans, we don’t have names from birth, so we consider the act of granting a name as something big!”

“Is that so?” Meiko tilted her head, still having a hard time understanding, but she understood that this was something cultural, and did not pry further.

The reason why she reigned in her curiosity was also to avoid angering Rika though. After her daughter and Ticia agreed on helping her out, it was decided that Meiko, who had nowhere to stay, would be living here. Rika was not so happy about this decision, but Ticinia and Vinia sided with Meiko, and Ticia was not opposed, so she reluctantly agreed.

Meiko herself only understood the outline of the situation. Rika was not in control of the clones, but rather, the Clone Mother, Ticia, was, and Rika, who seemed on really good terms with Ticia, decided to help. What their plan was apart from that, Meiko did not know, but one thing was certain. They had the same enemy: The Doesson

“Attention everyone! The ceremony will begin in a minute!” A voice Meiko did not know suddenly declared, and the chatter of the Null CGs suddenly stopped, their faces changing to serious ones.

Not soon after, Ticia, wearing her uniform, entered the room, followed by Licia and Rika who also wore their uniforms.

““Glory to our Mother!”” The ECGs suddenly shouted in unison while saluting, startling Meiko.

The group stopped right in front of the gathered ECGs, with Ticia at the center. She looked over the room, before speaking up with a dignified look.

“My daughters, today is a special day for four of your sisters.” She then took a pause to see the reaction of the ECGs, they were listening to her attentively. A small wry smile then appeared on her face. “I'll be honest with you all, I am not used to this, and I think you all know that since you’re my first daughters, but I’ll try my best. I know this is a very important moment for you all, and that’s why I’ve asked Licia to help me in the planning of today’s event.” She added, sending a soft look towards Licia, who was standing straight to her right. Licia smiled back, and began to speak up with a dignified attitude similar to her mother.

“Sisters, I, Null CG 01 Licia, as the first daughter of our mother, shall lead this ceremony. I shall first explain how the ceremony is going to proceed.”

Licia paused, verifying everyone was paying attention to what she was saying, before continuing.

“The exploits and reasons for the name bestowal of the selected sisters shall be mentioned after they enter, so that they can receive their merited acclamation and that every clone can aspire to follow in their sister’s path. Once that is done, I will call the concerned sisters one by one to present themselves in front of Mother, they will discuss for a bit, before finally granting them a name.”

Every clone in the room nodded at Licia’s words. Although there were some changes here and there, this was in accordance with their implanted knowledge about naming ceremonies. As for Meiko, Rika and Ticia, they could not help but think of this event as a medal bestowal.

“Then, let’s not make them wait further. Sisters who shall receive a name, enter the room!” Licia ordered.

Everybody present turned towards the entrance and waited with excitement in their eyes for the selected clones to appear.

““...””

Nobody came out however…

“...Weird, I thought I told them to come out when I called them…” Licia mumbled in confusion.

“They’re just shy.” Ticia commented to her daughter’s mumble with a warm smile, but Licia shook her head.

“No, they are just as serious as me about this event. I can understand they’d feel a bit pressured, but they’re ECGs, whatever they feel about the situation, they’d show up without question.”

What Licia said made sense. The ECGs were not ones to refute orders coming from those above them. The fact that they did not show up immediately was proof that something happened. Still, Ticia was not worried. Rebot-ia would tell her if something serious happened, and since it was not the case, it just meant that the ECGs had just a small problem that she did not need to be concerned about. In fact, she somehow felt happier knowing that her daughters were making small errors like that, as it was proof of their progress at being ‘humans’.

“Rebot-ia, is something wrong?” Licia asked as she could not wait further. This was a very serious ceremony. She too felt pressure as her first official event she presided over, and she needed everyone to be on time.

“Ah, it’s nothing much, really.” The AI immediately replied, with a hint of laughter in her voice. “ECG-099 just got into a small incident.”

““Ah…”” Ticia, Licia and Rika immediately had faces of understanding. Of course ECG-099 had to be clumsy even in moments like that…

“Shall I go see them?” Rika asked with a wry smile on her face.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, they’ve finished ‘cleaning up the mess’ and are coming.” Rebot-ia commented still on the border of laughter, and not soon after, the ECGs appeared, led by ECG-001.

““Pft-!?”” Ticia and Rika nearly burst out laughing when they saw the state they were in. ECG-001 looked extremely tired, her military coat unbuttoned and full of brown stains. She tried to fix her appearance as she walked with a tinge of red on her cheeks.

ECG-023 had a serious look on her face, like usual, but her uniform also had brown stains here and there, making people wonder what she spilled on her clothes.

ECG-046 also looked tired, but out of the bunch, she seemed to be the one in the better state. She was missing her military coat, though.

And finally, there was ECG-099. Unlike her sisters, she seemed in perfect condition, with  expecting eyes locking straight at Ticia. The only problem was her hair, which was still messy with brown stains...

“...What the hell?” Nicia let out unconsciously as she stared at the comical bunch.

“Nicia, wording.” Ria chided from the side.

“Sorry, but…” Nicia was extremely confused by the situation. “I went to check on them just before, and helped them prepare. They were doing just fine, so how did they end up in such a state? Don’t tell me…”

As Nicia was theorizing on what exactly happened, the group of ECGs reached Ticia.

“What happened to you all?” Licia asked with a bit of intimidation in her tone. This was a ceremony for them, and yet they showed up in this state!? Licia needed a clear explanation.

“My deepest apologies, Mother, Prime sister, General.” ECG-001 bowed, her face now completely red as she finished to fix herself up. “Something happened as we tried to take some coffee to calm ourselves, as Prime sister Nicia advised.”

“Ah, I think I know what happened…” Nicia sighed and facepalmed once she heard those words. Licia also sighed.

“Let me guess, the coffee spilled out when 099 tried to serve herself?”

“...Yes.” ECG-001 nodded in extreme embarrassment, and that was when Ticia finally burst out laughing.

“I-it’s not our fault!” ECG-001 immediately tried to defend them, blushing to a new level. “The coffee machine suddenly turned on and spilled coffee everywhere!”

“Sister 023 had to kick the machine to stop the flow of coffee, but because of that…” ECG-046 added with a bit of regret in her eyes.

“Mother, the coffee machine is broken.” ECG-099 reported with a sad look to Ticia, who could not stop laughing.

“Agh, geez!” Licia also could not hold it anymore as embarassment grew and was on the verge of tears as the ceremony took a weird, unexpected turn. “Why do strange things always happen when you’re around, 099?!”

“My question exactly.” Nicia added, being the first victim ever of ECG-099’s strange condition.

“It’s fine, Licia. That’s just how she is.” Ticia patted her favorite daughter’s head as she managed to get her laughter under control. This clumsiness, combined with her aloof attitude towards everything was what Ticia and Vinia liked about ECG-099 in the first place. “Shall we continue?”

Licia nodded slowly at her words, before rackling her throat as the ECGs stood in line next to her.

“Ahem. I shall now declare the exploits of my sisters. We will begin with ECG-001.”

As she said that, ECG-001 straightened herself and saluted.

“Selected from before birth to become the leader of the ECGs, she has proven herself by always showing the exemple to her sisters and accompanying them on the battlefield with excellent discipline. She did not hesitate to advise Mother while off duty or in the field, something that Mother appreciates. As such, our benevolent Mother wants to solidify 001’s position as a high ranked officer and advisor!”

““Glory to sister 001, the finest of us all!”” The ECGs replied in unison. ECG-001 saluted again as acknowledgement of her sisters’ words.

“Next on the list is ECG-023.” Licia continued, ECG-023 imitated her sister.

“Despite her handicap, 023 has become one of the strongest clones out of the ECGs. Her cool altitude as well as reliability outside and during battle has made her one of the most popular between her sisters. Her eagerness to always be at the front has been noticed by Mother, who wishes not only to reward her with a name, but also to affect her as her personal bodyguard!”

““Glory to sister 023, the most fearsome of us all!”” The ECGs replied. The ECGs 21 to 30 also clapped their hands, acclaiming her louder.

“Then we have ECG-046.” Licia passed to the next one, who followed the example of her sisters. 

“Sister 046 has been one of the most reliable clones. She decided to stay behind and act as my personal bodyguard when she could have earned more merits by following Mother. From the shadows, she and the other ECGs appointed as bodyguards made sure to protect their sisters and coordinate with the other ECGs on guard duty! For those well led duties, I, Null-CG 01 Licia, with the support of our general, Rika, requested for her to receive a name, which was accepted by Mother. 046 shall receive more authority and officially be appointed as my sole bodyguard!”

““Glory to sister 046, the shield of our eldest sister!”” The ECGs acclaimed again, and some even applauded. This was because as the eldest daughter, and Ticia’s favorite, Licia benefited from a huge amount of authority. The fact that she always made sure to take care of her sisters also raised her overall popularity within the ECGs, who idolized the Null CGs.

“Lastly, we have ECG-099.” Licia said with a softer look, even she had become quite fond of this clumsy sister…

“So eager was she to meet Mother that she woke up way ahead of the planned time! Our sister is a bit… accidental, but she does manage to do her job with excellent end results! Whether she is lucky or unlucky, none of us know, but one thing is certain, we all love her for what she is, and that’s all that matters to Mother. As such, 099 shall be affected as Mother’s bodyguard as per her decision!”

““Glory to sister 099, our dearest clumsy sister!”” The ECGs received the news happily. They were delighted to see ECG-099 getting some recognition. Although they were envious of all the love directed at her by their mother, ECG-099 stayed, in the end, one of the sisters they wanted to help because of her clumsiness.

“We can now progress to the next step.” Licia declared once things calmed down. “I will call our sisters in the order Mother chose beforehand, and they shall have a small time discussing with her before she gives them a name!”

Licia then turned towards the four ECGs. “ECG-099, step forward!”

“Yes!” ECG-099 saluted, and immediately went over to Ticia. “Mother, I have come to receive my name.”

“099, you really…” Ticia could not help but smile wryly at her daughter’s words. The expectation was clear on ECG-099’s rather unexpressive face. Ticia had chosen her as the first ECG to receive a name because of her fondness for the girl, but perhaps she was spoiling her a bit too much… Still Ticia wanted to talk a little more with her.

“Do you have some expectations about your name?” She asked.

“Anything is fine as long as Mother chooses it.” ECG-099 immediately replied.

“Anything huh?” Ticia smirked. “You really are fine with anything?”

“Yes.” ECG-099 replied again, which made Ticia sigh, before smiling wryly.

“Just look at the state you brought your sisters in…” She patted the girl’s head. “What a spoiled clumsy girl you are… Jinxy.”

ECG-099’s eyes opened wide.

“Jinxy…” She muttered, absentminded.

“Yes, this is your name from now on, my daughter.” Ticia hugged her. “Do you accept it?”

“Yes!” ECG-099, no, Jinxy, immediately hugged back with strong force, which made Ticia chuckle as everyone else looked at the scene with warm smiles.

“Good for you, Jinxy!” Vinia shouted for the side, delighted for her sister. Jinxy acknowledged her sister’s words with a nod, before ending the hug with Ticia and taking place next to Rika.

“Next to receive her name shall be ECG-023.” Licia announced, and ECG-023 approached Ticia, and saluted.

“Do I have to make you pay for the coffee machine?” Ticia said jockingly.

“I do not have any money, Mother.” ECG-023 replied.

“True, you don’t. Perhaps I should give you all some pocket money in the future...” Ticia replied with a smile.

“Whatever Mother decides, we shall follow suit.” ECG-023 replied, saluting. Her words echoed the feelings of her sisters.

“Is that so?” Ticia was happy, but a teasing smile appeared on her face. “But I believe you’d do the same for Nicia, right?” She whispered in her daughter’s ear.

“!?!” ECG-023 was surprised beyond shock, she looked at her mother with a questioning look. How did she know she held Nicia in such high value?

“Fufu, I’m your mother after all. I know everything about you!” Ticia boasted, but she was lying a bit. She only knew of her daughter’s fanatical obsession for Nicia because she watched a video Rebot-ia showed of her talking about it with her sisters.

She could understand some points in such admiration. Nicia had done so much for ECG-023 after all… Though she’d get jealous if Nicia surpassed her…

Ticia then combed ECG-023’s hair with her fingers.

“How about I style your hair in a similar way to Nicia?”

“!!! Yes! I’d be delighted!” ECG-023 immediately accepted, and Ticia chucked as she began to do her daughter’s hair in front of everyone. She even called Nicia to help her, which made ECG-023 tremble in delight, and the two of them worked on making one braid on each side of ECG-023’s head, in a somewhat similar yet different style from Nicia.

“There, all done.” She said once she finished fixing her daughter’s hair. “Shalll I give you a name now?” She added with a smirk.

“Yes.” ECG-023 straightened herself, and Nicia, who was still right next to them watched the scene.

“Then, from now on, your name is Fana.” Ticia declared.

“...Fana?” ECG-023 took some time to take in the name. She wasn’t dumb, her mother was clearly playing around with her, taking the first syllabuses of the word fanatical… Ticia was about to stop her joke, when Nicia suddenly spoke out.

“Fana huh? Thet sounds like a great name!” She smiled innocently towards ECG-023, who was shaken to her core.

“Yes! My name shall be Fana from now on!” She decalred. Ticia stared at her in pure surprise, she did not expect her joke to end up becoming the clone girl’s name… This would be a lesson to take the naming ceremony more seriously from now on… 

“...Oh well, I’m glad you’re happy, Fana.” She smiled wryly. Fana sauted one last time before joining Jinxy. As for Nicia, she came back to her place in a good mood.

“ECG-046, it’s now your turn!” Licia called out. ECG-046 saluted, and Licia followed her this time.

“This heaband suits you. You’re pretty, 046.” Ticia immediately complimented with a smile.

“Thank you, Mother.” ECG-046 replied while blushing slightly.

“Seeing your get up, you must have given you coat to Jinxy, am I right?” Ticia asked with a smirk.

“Indeed, Jinxy’s coat was too dirty and wet to be presentable in front of you, Mother.” ECG-046 replied.

“You care a lot about your sisters, I like that.” Ticia said with a smile.

“Mom, don’t steal her from me. I’m the one who found her qualities first.” Licia pouted.

“Fufu, I’m not going to. She’s your subordinate from now on, Licia.” Ticia replied while patting her daughter’s head, which had an immediate effect on Licia. She then looked at ECG-046 again.

“I think I know a name that will suit you well. So I hope you’ll like it.”

“I will gladly receive any name, Mother.” ECG-046 straightened herself while Licia looked at the interaction with expectant eyes.

“Then, from now on, you will be known as Breesse.” Ticia declared.

“I shall accept the name, I am known as Breesse from now on.” ECG-046, no, Breesse, declared.

“Breesse, you’re my first subordinate!” Licia said happily from the side, and Breesse nodded. Although, nothing much would change since Breesse already obeyed any orders she received from Licia, so long as they did not go againt their mother’s or Rika’s orders.
As Breesse took place next to her sisters, Licia called the final one, ECG-001.

“I’ve made you wait, 001.” Ticia said with a smile.

“Not at all, I am happy for my sisters.” ECG-001 replied while saluting, still looking serious. Ticia was having none of that though.

“Really? Then why were you fidgetting all this time?” She whispered with a teasing smile.

“M-Mother… Please stop bullying me…” ECG-001’s face redened again, clearly ambarassed.

“No way~.” Ticia replied, enjoying the moment.

“Mother!” ECG-001 was on the verge of tears as her face reddened to a new shade of red. that’s when Ticia decided she had gone far enough.

She enjoyed seeing her always so serious and reliable daughter becoming embarassed and panicking like this each time. She thanked Nathalia in her mind. Though she disliked the fact that she made one of her daughter drink too much, she discovered this secret side of ECG-001 as a result, and now she could not help but tease her at every occasion she had.

“That aside, what rank do you think you have right now?” Ticia asked seriously.

“...I believe I am still under the Prime sisters.” ECG-001 replied after calming herself.

“Yeah, that’s about right, but I’m not satisfied about that.” Ticia replied. “You are one of the clones who has authority over your fellow sisters, you also have knowledge and experience to lead them. The Null CGs do not have that yet, they’re still kids who have yet to mature. I just cannot feel safe knowing you could suddenly make a mistake because of them.”

“...” ECG-001 was seriouly listening to what Ticia was saying, and so were the Null CGs. Although it hurt them a bit, they also understood Ticia’s point and that it was for the good of all of them.

“Until they reach their maturity, follow orders only from me and Rika, understood?” Ticia said sternly.

“I understand, Mother, but I would still like to make an exception for Prime sisters Licia and Ria.” ECG-001 replied.

“Oh? Why?” Ticia frowned.

“I believe both of them are mature enough to make decision with rationality, and are worthy of their authority.” ECG-001 declared, both Licia and Ria looked at her with mixed look of surprise and happiness from the trust they received.

“Okay, I get your point.” Ticia nodded. “But I cannot feel safe even with that. That’s why, even if they give you an order, consider it before following it.”

“Understood.” ECG-001 saluted, and Ticia was satisfied. Although this did not include the Null codes, she believed her daughters had matured enough to understand the gravity of using such codes willy nilly.

“Then, let’s dress you up now, my daughter.” She then said with a smile.

“...Sorry?” Was all ECG-001 could utter before her mother began to arrange her hair. She made two smal braids behind heach ears that went over her shoulders by a tiny bit. She then took out an accessory.

“And the final touch, let’s make you the official princess of the ECGs!” She declared with a huge teasing smile, on the verge of laughter.

“M-Mother!?” ECG-001 was obviously shaken up. But she still accepted what her mother as doing while blushing in silence, a small smile on her face hidden from the rest of the ECGs…

The accessory Ticia put on her daughter’s head was a mix between a headband and a tiara entirely made out of aureum. It was an item that was presented to her by A-4 from the time at CI3, the AI sayd it would serve as proof of Ticia’s rank. Of course, Ticia, embarassed, never wore it and left it to the side, but somehow, this item was one of the few things the clone girls took with them when they left CI3 to come help her…

Since she had no intention of wearing it whatsoever, she decided she might as well give the aureum made accessory to one of her daughters, and ECG-001 just happened to fit the image Ticia had in mind.

“As expected, it’s the perfect accessoy for you.” Ticia commented with a delighted smile. ECG-001, still blushing, nodded weakly. She too was happy.

“Now, for you name, I think I’ve got the perfect one.” Ticia said, becoming serious.

“...Please don’t call me Princess or something like that…” ECG-001 mumbled to herself, but Ticia froze when she heard that.

“...I have no plan to go that far, 001.” She said while holding back a laugh. The idea was funny, but Ticia knew that would be too much.

“You said you wanted to be below Licia and Ria when it came dow to authority, right?” She asked, and ECG-001 nodded.

“Then, if we were to assimilate it to metals, that would make Licia golden, Ria as silver, and you as bronze, no?”

“Yes?” ECG-001 had a hard time following her mother’s train of thought, but what her mother said made sence to her.

“That’s why, your name shall be Bronz, 001.” Ticia said with a smile.

“Bronz…” ECG-001 pondered on the name, before nodding . “I agree, it fits me.” She then faced her sisters with a resolute look. “I am ECG-001 Bronz, leader of the ECGs.”

““Glory to our leader, sister Bronz!”” The ECGs saluted her with respect, and with that, the ceremony came to an end.

The clone girls broke up into small groups, either talking to their newly named sisters, or just discussing about the ceremony between them, asking themselves who would be next and what they could do to show their worth. Seeing that, Ticia could not help but smile. Her daughters were growing up.

“Good job.” Rika said from the side with a smile on her own.

“Thanks!” Ticia smiled back. 

The only reson Rika had been next to Ticia during the naming ceremony was because Ticia wanted to make sure she was included in the event in a place of power, and also wanted to make every clone girls understand that Rika would still hold authority over them, even after they leave the academy.

“You had a hard time choosing their names, didn’t you?” Rika asked.

“Yeah, but I think I’m happy with the end result.” Ticia commented with a warm look directed towards her daughters. She could not see them have other names now…

“Well, there were some unexpected events, but it all went well in the end.” Rika also looked over the clones. “Seeing how the others are reacting to it, I guess you’ll have to name the others soon.”

“Ugh, that’s going to be hard…” Ticia grunted, which made Rika direct a teasing smile towards her.

“What’s this? Are you faltering as their mother?”

“No way.” Ticia immediately denied. “I’m proud of all my girls, if they need names, I’ll gladly give them one.”

Rika did not say more, the two of them simply watched with warm looks in their eyes over the clone girls who were happily chatting with one another, they were so lost in the moment that they did not notice Meiko looking at them in wonder…