Taskmasters
So, I just saw some key visuals for Cold Steel 4 and… let me put it this way, if you were to find someone capable of speaking every language known to humanity they would still be UNABLE to put into words the hype I'm feeling at this very moment.
Please XSeed don't take too long translating those masterpieces!
Anyway…
.
Fuji92: Well, yeah I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait and see, I hope I don't disappoint with how I'm going to deal with the Nord arc.
Glad you liked that bit about Fie jumping on Rean's horse; about the frown… I'll leave it up to interpretation hahaha.
You're welcome for the update and thank you for the review, until next time.
Guest: Glad to hear you're enjoying it and I will do my best to keep up.
I've actually already seen that when another reviewer left me a link in one of the earlier chapters, it's a nice image although I feel like they look too much like they do in Cold Steel I/II age-wise for what I can only assume happens some years later… or maybe Rean and Fie are more proactive than we give them credit for haha.
KnightSpark: …I'm confused, why does Fie and Laura been in that chapter makes your omake idea useless? Also, didn't I say the groups in the last chapter with Fie and Laura been in the Nord Group?
Apex85: Yep, he does indeed; I feel like save for certain parts of the games, like this trip to Nord, he could have been switched by any of the other members and wouldn't have made much of a difference.
True, Elise does deserve to know.
It's not that it doesn't bother me, I understand where you're coming from and I do agree that Class VII is too forgiving of the fact Crow pretty much pulled the trigger that started the war, both figuratively and literally.
I just, personally, can't hate him because his reason wasn't to gain power or something like that; he just wanted revenge on the man he considers responsible for the death of his grandfather, I can understand that; I don't agree with the way he went about doing it but I can understand it.
Plus, I'm convinced he genuinely enjoyed his time at Thors and really considered Towa, Angelica and George his friends (the others at Class VII as well but those three in particular) otherwise he wouldn't have put so much effort during both school festivals.
But then again, that's just my way of thinking.
About the omake you mentioned, I just don't see much happening in that situation, sure they're sharing a room but everyone has their own bed and the place is split between Rean's and the girls' side.
Although yes, Angelica is certainly going to have a field day with that hehehe.
Glad you liked that idea added.
As always, thank you for the review, until next time.
Elia950: I hope you reach here soon then, glad you're enjoying it I hope you continue to do so.
…
Disclaimer: -I appear inside a train station-
Train station worker: The Cold Steel 3 train will still be a while before departing, please be patient everyone.
Me: Of course… I'll be patient… –my eyebrow starts twitching while I force a smile- Anyone wants to join the wait with me? That way I won't start a spree of shouts explaining very colorfully what waiting does to me? Haha…ha.
Also, I don't own Trails of Cold Steel, enjoy!
'That was… I'm thinking to myself so at least I'll say it how it was; it was a disaster with capital D'. Rean thought as everyone rode back towards the nomadic settlement.
The fight against the monster had gone sideways halfway when Fie and Laura's combat link broke out of nowhere.
It was strange since they fought a good number of monsters before and Fie and Laura both were at the front of the fights with a combat link enabled and there wasn't any issue.
'Then again, those monsters didn't last much to begin with, the one lieutenant general Vander asked us to deal with was leagues above them'.
The giant fish-like monster proved a greater challenge than the cannon fodder in the surrounding plains, though luckily Rean and Gaius were able to relieve Fie and Laura in time after their combat link broke and made it focus on them.
It eventually fell after Fie and Laura re-joined the fight, this time making a combat link with one of the others in the Group.
They all stood silent afterwards until Gaius said that they needed to report to the lieutenant general, they all got their injuries treated, nothing that some first aid and healing artes wouldn't fix fortunately, and got on their horses to go back to Zender Gate.
After making the report they rode back to Gaius' settlement; no one talked about what happened for the moment especially since Fie and Laura looked to be the most upset about the incident.
'It's not like they hate each other or want the situation to stay like this, the conversation I had with them before we came to Nord and before we fought the monster tells me that much but… what can I do?'
…
'Is there even something I can do?'
Not too long after they arrived at the settlement they went to deliver the herb to Amr and then to give Kilte the wine from Zats.
"I think that was the last of our requests for the morning, right?" Alisa asked.
"Yeah, that was it". Rean confirmed, marking the requests on the papers for the field study.
"We should go talk to my dad, he said he would give us the afternoon requests and it's almost time to eat". Gaius suggested.
"Sounds like a plan". The swordsman supported.
The group began the walk to the Worzel tent.
Rean, Gaius and Alisa were at the front while Fie and Laura walked behind them, pointedly keeping some distance from each other.
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Alisa asked in a whisper so they wouldn't hear.
"I don't know". Rean answered with a sigh. "But at this point, I'm honestly not sure what to do or say to make things better".
"Maybe we should stay out of it altogether, trying to intervene may end up causing more harm". The lancer gave his opinion.
"But… do you think they'll be able to patch things up on their own?" Neither of them had an answer for the archer's question.
After arriving at the tent, Lacan told them that they should eat before talking about the afternoon tasks, something that everyone agreed to.
One very fulfilling meal later...
"Ahh… that really hit the spot". Rean said with a blissful experience and patting his stomach.
"I still want to eat more… but my stomach is protesting". Alisa said next with the same expression. "That naan flatbread you made was really delicious; it tasted so fresh, too".
"I baked it on a kind of collapsible stove". Fatma said happily. "I'm glad you liked it, I doubt you see bread like that much in the Empire".
"It was really fulfilling". Laura joined the conversation. "The tea Sheeda made as well, it was an excellent way to finish the meal"
"Yeah, must've been practicing quite a bit while I've been away". Gaius praised as well.
"Th-thank you…" Sheeda answered a bit flustered.
"Sheeda got praised by the cool girl!" Lily said with a giggle making Sheeda blush and half-yell at her.
"Haha; it looks like you were able to recover your strength; hopefully, you're about ready to start thinking about the afternoon's tasks".
"O-oh, yes! Of course," Rean answered to Gaius' father. "Shall we get started on the clearing up first, then?"
"Oh, you don't need to worry yourselves with that". Fatma assured them.
"Please, it's the least we can do in exchange for the hospitality you've shown us". Laura interjected.
Fie nodded in agreement, pointedly not looking in Laura's direction.
After the table was clear with Fatma and Lily putting away the plates while Thoma and Sheeda went out for something Lacan gave them a new envelope with their tasks for the afternoon.
The only obligatory one was finding a cameraman that had left for the northern highlands alone by the Ivan, the Elder of the settlement; he asked that they first go talk to him at his home however.
Then there was finding some missing sheep that escaped after the fence in front of the pasture was damaged, the one asking is named Watari.
And the last one was from a woman called Jedah asking if they could hold a lesson for the children of the settlement.
"There are only a few, but they all seem pretty challenging". Alisa commented.
"And tedious". Fie added.
"This afternoon, I'd like you to turn your attention towards the northern highlands". Gaius' father spoke. "You may need to travel to the south as well, though, which will give you a lot of ground to cover; I left some fresh horses near the northern exit and passed all the things your horses were carrying to them, so just head out that way when you're ready to leave".
After a quick conversation about what they should do first they agreed on going to visit the Elder since he asked they go to him before leaving, they would also talk to the other two clients to see what were the specifics of their requests.
With another 'take care' from Lacan Group B left the Worzel home to see about the tasks.
"So, which one first?" Alisa asked.
"We will have to move around a lot, it would be for the best if we take care of the lesson Jedah asked for first". Gaius suggested.
"I agree". Rean answered. "Fie, Laura, what do you two think?"
"…that seems fine". The swordswoman answered.
"Sure". The former Jaeger said next.
However, it felt like right now they would have agreed to anything the others said and just follow along.
With a frown Rean sighed before asking Gaius where Jedah might be.
…
'How did it end up like this?' The Eight Leaves practitioner wondered as he stood in front of the kids of Gaius' settlement; Gaius' two sisters and a boy he hadn't met before with dark purplish hair, the kid introduced himself as Cotan and looked around the same age as Lily.
After finding Jedah and talking with her they agreed to hold the class; she wanted them to teach the kids about Erebonia since a traveling priest holds Sunday school they're fine in regular studies but it was a chance for them to learn about life outside the settlement.
Of course, they accepted but then came the issue of who would hold the class.
Jedah wanted for it to be similar to Sunday School so it would be better if there was only one person to teach it.
Rean had asked who should teach it only for the other four members of Group B to almost immediately nominate him.
He had wanted to argue out of nervousness but was quickly shot down by the others' argument; Gaius was out from the start since the point was to learn from someone that came from outside the settlement.
The lancer then told him how him been a special case among the social standing of Erebonia would be a good choice.
Laura was quick to support that point, adding on the fact that he tends to be unbiased about any subject and tries to understand what happened before reaching a conclusion as proven on their first field study together.
Before Rean could refute that, Alisa chimed in about how he is almost always at the center of the class.
To put the proverbial last nail in his coffin Fie reminded him that, out of the currently present members of Class VII, he got the highest score on the midterms effectively shutting down any possible counter-argument he could make.
Hearing all of that there was no way he could say no so he accepted to be the teacher; he only warned them that he isn't sure he can do a good job but that only got chuckles from the rest of Group B that stayed at the sidelines along with Jedah to watch the class.
'Well, let's give this a shot'. He thought.
"If that's everyone, let's begin the lesson, shall we?" The swordsman asked taking a seat in the grass and signaling the kids to do the same.
"I'm so excited!" Cotan murmured, although loud enough for the others to hear.
"Glad to hear it". Rean answered. "I guess I should introduce myself first, I'm Rean Schwarzer and I came here with my friends from Thors Military Academy". Of course, that was obvious given the uniform and the fact he arrived with Gaius but he felt it was a good way to introduce himself.
"School's for studying and stuff, right?" Cotan asked. "What do you study there?"
"A lot of things really; basic subjects like history and math of course, but being a military academy, we also learn the art of combat". The last part seemed to grab Cotan's attention.
"That's the same stuff Lacan and everyone else uses to fight monsters, isn't it?" He asked excitedly. "That's so cool!"
"I see you've got a boyish side to you after all". Sheeda quipped with a grin.
"Yeah, despite being a little scaredy cat!" Lily joined her sister.
"I-I am not…" Cotan countered with a pout.
"Hey, now, there's no need for teasing". Rean interrupted their banter while holding back a chuckle.
"Hey, hey!" Lily called out to gain the swordsman's attention.
"Yes, Lily?"
"How far is that academy from here?" The youngest Worzel asked.
"Hmm… you mean in terms of distance?" Rean asked back. "I'm afraid I'm not sure, it's really far, though".
"You came here on something called a train, didn't you?" Sheeda asked this time to which the teen nodded. "Could you tell us how long that trip took?"
"Oh, that's actually easier to answer, it was around eight hours if you don't count the transfer times".
"That's pretty far…" Sheeda trailed off.
"Daddy told me that trains are fast, too, so it still took that long even then?" Cotan wondered.
"It must be super far away, then". Lily thought out loud.
"It is; though the fact that we still made it here in a day is pretty amazing". The teacher commented.
"Yeah, it'd have taken a lot longer by horse". Sheeda added.
"Umm, can I ask something too?" Cotan said with a raised hand.
"Of course,". Rean assured him.
"R-right… what's the biggest place in Erebonia, then?"
"That would be Heimdallr, which is our capital city". The teacher answered to his question.
"Heimdallr…" The purplish haired boy repeated the name before his mouth curved into a smile. "That's a cool name!"
"Yeah! It sounds so strong!" Lily supported.
"Haha, that's a unique way to judge it". Rean said happily.
"Umm, how many people live there?" Cotan asked again.
"Hmm… give or take eight hundred thousand people". The Ymir noble answered after a moment of thinking.
"Eight hundred… thousand?" Cotan repeated a bit confused.
"Is that a lot?" Lily asked.
Sheeda gave a nervous laugh before speaking up.
"Seems like they can't comprehend a number that big just yet… then again, I can't imagine that many people in one place, either".
"You're not the only one". Rean assured her. "Of course, you'd never see that many people all at once… any more questions?"
…
"He seems to be handling this task quite well". Laura thought out loud with a small smile at the scene.
"A lot of it is common knowledge, though". Alisa commented, not to undermine Rean's job just pointing out a fact.
"It's still a bit impressive how he can answer all their questions". Fie joined the conversation, knowing that she wouldn't be able to answer some of the questions the kids asked; to her delight, and thanks in no small part to Emma, she could actually answer most of them, not that it showed in her expression.
"Well, I'm just glad to see them learning something". Gaius added happily.
"He's not a bad teacher". Jedah said with a giggle.
…
About half an hour later of Rean answering every question that popped on his students' minds it was about time for the lesson to conclude.
"Well, it's almost time for us to finish up for the day". Rean informed the kids. "Any last minute questions?"
"Hmm… I think I've asked everything".
"I can't think of anything else either…"
"You two really did ask a lot". Sheeda said to Lily and Cotan's answers.
"Oh, yeah!" Gaius's youngest sister suddenly exclaimed.
"Seems like she's not all out just yet". The swordsman said with a chuckle.
"You talked about them before, but what are nobles?"
"Well, you see…" Rean trailed off for a moment to gather his thoughts. "There's been this class system in place within Erebonia for a long time now…"
"What's a class system?" Lily asked again.
"…Hmm… please give me a minute…" Rean answered with a frown.
He knows what nobles are, of course, but finding a way to answer that would be understood by these three was a bit more difficult.
The class system is common knowledge in Erebonia so in there even kids their age know what it is, at least on a fundamental level, but to explain to people that don't have a class system to begin with what nobles are is obviously more difficult.
'How can I answer in a way they can understand?'
Apparently sensing Rean's distress Sheeda decided to give him a hand.
"Umm… can I ask as well now that it's been brought up?"
Rean's gaze shot towards her before he nodded.
"I'm not sure if either of them will really understand if you try to explain normally, so could you give us your own thoughts on nobles instead? That might make things easier to understand".
"…that makes giving an answer, easier too". The swordsman murmured with a small grin. 'I'll have to thank you later, Sheeda'.
Unbeknownst to Rean, his classmates were now paying more attention, wondering how he will answer this particular question.
'My thoughts on nobles, huh?' He didn't really need to think too much on it.
"To me nobles are the ones that fulfill their duty to help others". Rean said with a fond smile, his answer earning a few raised eyebrows from everyone present. "This is just my own point of view… and sadly it's not one shared by many people… but I believe that nobles are the ones that try to accomplish that as best as they can; of course this isn't something exclusive to nobles, everyone can help other people and I believe that to be a wonderful thing, but those that have more power have a responsibility to use it in favor of those who don't and to then pass that power to their heirs that will then use it for others before passing it to their heirs and so on; I believe those kind of people to be 'nobles'". He took a moment for his words to sink in before smiling bashfully and scratching the back of his head. "Sorry if I'm not explaining it too well but that's how I feel".
"I see…" Sheeda answered simply as the three kids stared at Rean.
The swordsman got a bit embarrassed as he scratched his head a bit more.
"S-sorry for giving such a long answer, I ended up rambling…"
"No, it's okay… I learned a lot from what you've told us". Sheeda said with a wide smile.
"I didn't really get it, but you sounded really cool!" Lily exclaimed with a giggle.
"Yeah!" Cotan agreed.
Those words only served to embarrass him further but he couldn't help the smile that forced itself on his face.
'I guess it's all good then'. Rean thought in relief. 'If only that was how nobles actually act'.
Of course he is aware that's not how most nobles are but, at the same time, he did not lie, for him that's what a noble really is; he saw it in the way his parents behave and is convinced that, although they aren't the norm, they can't be the only exception; for Rean Schwarzer a noble is what his father is and the ones he saw in Bareahard for example aren't one, even if they have a title they aren't nobles to his eyes.
It goes without saying that this view isn't popular among most other nobles and his opinion of whether they are nobles or not carries little to no weight.
Something Rean is painfully aware of.
"Well, this should be enough for today". Jedah spoke up. "Make sure to thank him now, everyone".
"Thank you very much". The three kids said at the same time.
"You're welcome". Their teacher answered.
Lily and Cotan quickly went away after saying goodbye saying something about what they can play now while Sheeda looked them go with a giggle at how active they are.
"Thanks for the help Sheeda". Rean said after approaching her.
"Eh? W-what do you mean?" Gaius' sister asked.
"It helped that you asked for my opinion on nobles; I was having trouble finding a way to explain the class system to you guys".
"O-oh, it's fine, I just thought that they would understand it better that way". She answered bashfully.
"Even so, thanks".
"…you're welcome, and thanks again for the lesson, you're a good teacher". With that she excused herself and walked away.
"Good work". Alisa said as Group B approached him. "Who would have thought you would be so good at teaching".
"Haha, you think?" Rean answered.
"Indeed, you managed to answer everything and it seemed like they were able to understand the basics at least". Laura voiced her thoughts.
"And I don't think the kids were the only ones that learned something new with that answer to the final question". Gaius added making Rean avert his gaze in embarrassment.
"Maybe you could give Sara a run for her money as an Instructor". Fie chimed in.
"I don't know, I don't see myself been able to think something like how 'there is something that you can only gain now so long as you're together with your friends and classmates'". He replied trying to imitate Sara's voice that earned a smirk from Fie and confused looks from Gaius, Laura and Alisa. "Oh, right you guys weren't there that time; hehe, we have something to tell you in our way to finding that cameraman".
"Thank you for the help, good luck with the rest of your tasks". Jedah said.
Group B thanked her and excused themselves; next stop, finding that cameraman and in the way, some sheep.
They first went to talk with Elder Ivan at his tent to know about the specifics; he explained that a cameraman for the Imperial Chronicle called Norton wanted to take pictures of something the norther region of the highlands, the plan was to have Class VII escort him this afternoon but he grew impatient and ended up going on his own.
Ivan said that, most likely, he was talking about the statue of the 'Guardian'; everyone but Gaius were curious about that and the Elder further explained that it is one of the most symbolic ancient relics in Nord with a legend that say the statue represents a Guardian that sealed an evil djinn away; having gotten all the information they needed they said goodbye to the Elder and left his tent.
Next, they talked with Watari; long story short the fence that was keeping the sheep in place broke and five sheep managed to escape, according to the shepherd there were five in total and based on the footprints three went north and two went south; Watari also mentioned that he would go himself but he needs to fix the fence first lest more sheep escape so he had to ask for help.
Of course, Group B accepted the request and bid him farewell before walking away.
"I say we should go to the northern region first, find that cameraman and look for the sheep while we're at it, after doubling back we go to the south and find the rest". Rean said as they went to get the horses Lacan prepared for them.
"Yeah, I agree". Alisa answered.
"Sounds like a plan". Gaius supported before the three looked towards Fie and Laura.
"I'm fine with that plan". Laura answered while Fie nodded her agreement.
They all got on the horses and moved to the north exit of the settlement.
…
The entrance to the northern region of the highlands was the same yet different than the south, for starters there was no trace of any military facility and the plains were a lot more open, not to mention the several large mountains they could see in the distance.
"The wind here feels so nice". Alisa commented.
"Feels a bit different than in the other region" Rean added.
"That's due to all the sheer cliffs around here". The only local of the group explained. "It gives the wind in this area a unique feel; the winds take many forms and bestow countless blessings on the people of Nord".
"I see". The black-haired swordsman nodded in understanding before taking out his camera and snapping a picture. "The view is just as nice as in the southwest". He snapped another picture and moved his camera around. "Anyway, we should..." He trailed off as he looked at something in the distance, putting down his camera to see.
"Something wrong?" Fie asked, noticing his sudden pause.
"…s-sorry, it's nothing really". He pointed towards one of the mountains. "I'm not the only one who sees a… giant… buried in that mountain over there, right?"
The others moved their gazes in the direction Rean pointed to see what he was talking about, everyone but Gaius was left speechless like the swordsman moments ago.
"What is that?" Laura asked in awe at the sight.
"I-I have no idea… some kind of statue maybe?" Alisa answered uncertainly. "Maybe it's related to the stone circle in the southern reaches of the highlands?"
Everyone looked towards Gaius expectantly, hoping for him to give some insight.
"Honestly, we don't know all that much about it ourselves". The lancer answered. "It's an ancient statue said to be the 'Guardian' of the Nord Highlands"
"A guardian, huh?" Rean repeated. "I guess it does give that kind of impression".
"It already looks enormous from all the way here… I wonder how it looks up close?" The blond archer thought aloud.
"I believe there is a good chance for the photographer to have gone in that direction". Laura chimed in.
"If nothing else, it's a good place to start, let's go". Rean said as everyone made their horse move.
"By the way, if you head northeast of the statue, you'll find an ancient quarry and to the northwest is the scenic Lake Lacrima". Gaius called out. "It's always helpful to get the lay of the land, so there's no harm in visiting both of those sites too".
"Makes sense, but let's check the statue first". The Swordsman said back. "Oh, and about that thing I mentioned back in the settlement…"
The three that didn't know about that particular story couldn't help but laugh like their classmates did at the time.
…
Like in the southwest the group was able to avoid monsters thanks to the horses allowing them to look around the highlands, at least until…
"What is that?" Alisa asked seeing a monster flying in the distance.
"We call them hippogriffs". Gaius provided, looking at the giant bird like monster. "They tend to be violent and territorial and attack using mostly their legs but be careful of the beak as well".
"I guess they won't let us pass?" Rean asked, already guessing the answer.
"It would be a first". The lancer answered.
"Guess we'll have to fight it then". Fie commented with a shrug.
"It looks strong, better to be careful". The archer added.
"They're strong but don't worry, hippogriffs are but bigger swallows". Like many times before in this field study everyone turned to Gaius.
"Bigger swallows?" Laura asked, confused.
"It's a Nord saying, I don't know where it came from, though". Accepting that answer with a shrug everyone got ready for the fight.
…
The fight was harder than the ones they've had till now in Nord, minus the monster they were asked to defeat by the army, but nothing they couldn't handle and soon enough they were up the cliff they needed to go around in order to reach the giant.
If it already looked big from all the way in the entrance of the settlement it was enormous from up close, a small lake separated it from the rest of the land so one couldn't go closer without swimming and even then, there didn't seem to be any place to stand on.
But as impressed they were by it there was something that took priority at the moment.
"Oh, hello; what brings you all out here?" A man with a camera short gray hair and a beard and mustache of the same color, wearing a gray t-shirt below a brown vest and brown pants asked. "Come to get a good look at the statue, too?"
"Are you Norton, by any chance?" Rean asked back.
"Yeah, that's me". Norton confirmed. "Have we met before? Do you have some business with me?"
"Guess it was a good idea to start here". Alisa thought happily.
"Indeed, we should bring him up to speed". Gaius followed.
Group B explained about their field study and how finding him was one of the tasks they were asked to do.
"It sounds like I've caused some unnecessary worry for the people of the settlement". The photographer said apologetically. "We should get back right away… or rather, I'd like to, but I still haven't finished taking all the photographs I need, would you mind waiting a bit longer while I finish up?"
The students simultaneously sweat dropped at that.
"…Well, I can't really fault you for being fascinated". Rean admitted; one hand in his camera pocket. "It really is impressive; I doubt there's anything like this anywhere else on the continent".
Norton grinned.
"Aaaactually, it might surprise you to know that there is! This isn't the only such statue I'm aware of; there's a similar statue on Bryonia Island, way out to the west".
"Wait, Bryonia Island?" Alisa asked. "Isn't that where Group A was sent?"
"Huh, I had no idea there were more of these around". Gaius admitted.
"No one knows any more about the statue on Bryonia Island than they do about this one but I'm currently taking pictures of ruins and ancient sites like this, taking photographs of this area was the reason I came to the Nord Highlands in the first place". Norton elaborated.
"Gaius, you said that the people of Nord refer to this statue as a 'Guardian', right?" Laura asked.
"Yeah, the old legends say that this statue was here long before our ancestors came from the east and that they settled in this land only with its permission". The lancer elaborated on what he said before.
"Heh, I wonder if it will come back to life or something". Rean thought out lou-
BA-DUMP
When his heart suddenly seemed to be about to burst and his vision faded.
'What?!' But the feeling was gone as soon as it came. 'Wh-what was that?'
"Hmm, are you okay Rean?" Fie asked, drawing everyone's attention the Eight Leaves practitioner that currently had a hand over his chest.
"…yeah, I'm fine, nothing to worry about". He answered after making sure that feeling wasn't coming back.
"Anyway, I've come all the way out here so would you mind waiting until I'm done photographing the site? I promise I'll head back to the settlement with you as soon as I'm done". Norton said.
Gaius looked around for a bit before looking back at Norton.
"Well, it doesn't seem like the wildlife has much of an interest in this area, he should be safe here on his own even if we head out somewhere else for a while".
"Agreed". Rean supported after doing the same as his friend.
"Plus, we still need to find those sheep". Alisa added.
"I guess we'll see you later".
"Okay, thanks". The photographer answered Rean. "I'm sticking to this general area so it won't be hard to find me again, go on and take your time".
"We'll be on our way then, be careful". Laura said.
Group B got back on their horses and went to look for the sheep.
Finding them turned out to be surprisingly easy, a white spot in an otherwise green scenery was hard to miss after all, the only bothersome part was that they had to maintain a slow pace while Gaius guided the sheep they find to follow them, once they got the three from this area they stopped at the settlement to deliver them, and to tell the Elder about Norton, before going to the southern region to look for the last two.
In the southern region of the highlands.
"What's that?" Laura asked making the group stop.
"Something wrong Laura?" Gaius asked.
"There is someone over there". She answered pointing at a group of five horses, with the one in the front been the only one with a rider, moving towards them.
The person seemed to notice them as well and got just a bit faster.
"Oh". Gaius let out a sound as he smiled.
"Gaius?" Alisa asked.
"Do you know that person?" Laura asked next.
"Yeah". The lancer confirmed with a nod as the other rider stopped next to Group B.
"Gaius, is that you?" He asked with a grin.
"Long time no see Lander". He said back as he gets down from his horse; Lander does the same and they meet in the middle shaking hands before hugging each other.
"Friend of yours I guess?" Rean asked the obvious.
"Yep, name is Lander, Gaius and I go way back". He introduced himself; he shares the same traits as most people from Nord, tanned skin, brown hair, which he keeps short, a tattoo similar to Gaius' on his right arm and was wearing the same outfit Gaius wore when he went to wake up Rean and the others with the exception of the coat been green, plus a spear hanged in his back. "And you guys are Class VII, right?"
"They are". Gaius confirmed.
"I'm Rean, nice to meet you".
"Fie".
"My name is Laura, a pleasure to make your acquaintance".
"I'm Alisa".
"Nice to meet you all". Lander answered before turning to the other Nord. "Sorry I wasn't there to greet you back, I was going to stop by after delivering the horses".
"Don't worry about it; we arrived late in the afternoon yesterday anyway". Gaius assured him.
"It took that long to get back?" Lander asked in surprise, earning a nod from Group B. "Well whatever, it's good to see you…say, are you guys free right now?"
"We're actually in the middle of looking for some missing sheep". Rean answered.
"How many?" The green wearing local asked.
"Two". Alisa said next.
"Oh, then I think you're in luck". Landon gestured to the back of his group of horses.
The students leaned a bit to look and saw two sheep behind them.
"I found those while making my way here, I thought they may have escaped so I was going to bring them to your settlement". He explained looking at Gaius for the final part.
"That's helpful, you have our thanks". Laura thanked him.
"Don't mention it, but does that mean you have time now?"
"Why do you ask?" Fie chimed in.
"I was going to grab a bite at Zender Gate before making my way back; since you're here I thought we could go together, my treat". Landon answered.
"Hmm… what do you think Gaius?" Rean asked his classmate.
"As long as we make sure the sheep don't run away there shouldn't be any trouble, I have some rope on my horse we can use to tie them near the ramp of the base, but I understand if you want to take them back right now". He answered.
"...I could go for a bite to eat". The swordsman said after a few moments.
"We ate like an hour ago". Alisa said with a giggle.
"I know; I was just using that as a poor excuse so Gaius and Landon can catch up". The black-haired teen answered with a grin. "Also, it wasn't a lie; I don't think my stomach can handle a full meal but I can eat a sandwich or something like that; any objections?"
"None from me". The archer answered.
"I'm sure we can use that time to rest for a while". Laura supported.
"I'm in; I could use another break from riding a horse". Fie said last.
"Hehe, you weren't lying about them in your letters". Landon commented with a laugh, Gaius simply grinned and shrugged. "Alright, let's go".
Shortly after.
The group was sitting at one the tables of the cafeteria in Zenders Gate; Sharl, the daughter of the chef, a girl around Thoma's age with blue eyes, blond hair reaching a bit past her neck, wearing a maid outfit with a white skirt reaching to her knees and a pink shirt with the sleeves rolled up and an acquaintance of Gaius brought their food after saying hi to the tall lancer.
Soon enough everyone was eating and talking, Landon asking about what those field studies are like.
"Something like that happened, are you serious?!"
"I'm afraid so". Laura answered calmly to Landon's outburst.
They had just finished telling them about their second field study and, in hindsight, it may have been better if they left the part about that noble accusing Gaius of stealing out.
"…but you didn't go to jail or anything, right?"
"No, we were able to clear out the misunderstanding". Gaius answered.
"Although it took several calls and a lot of time wasted". Alisa added, not hiding her annoyance at the whole event.
"I'm just glad we had enough time to finish all the requests afterwards". The lancer said with a shrug.
"Hey Landon, I have to ask". Rean spoke gaining the attention of the aforementioned. "Has Gaius always been this calm? Not to complain but you seem way too accepting of what happened". He turned to his classmate in the last part.
"Oh yeah, he has made some impulsive decisions but he's always been a calm person overall". Landon confirmed. "Then again, I'm not surprised he turned out like that".
"What do you mean?" The other local asked.
"Gaius, have you met your parents? If you're raised by them and turn out anything but how you are then there is something wrong with you". He answered with a chuckle.
"They do give that impression". Laura agreed.
"How are your parents then, are they like Gaius'?" Alisa asked.
"Hmm, pretty much yeah, I would say my dad has a bit more of a temper than his and my mom is way scarier than Gaius' mom but they're good people".
"Scarier?" Rean asked, tilting his head a bit.
"Don't ask". Gaius said with a small shudder.
"Seriously, don't". Landon added with the same shudder. "What about your parents Alisa, what are they like?"
Everyone at the table but him flinched at the question.
"W-well…"
"I can take a hint, forget I asked". He quickly said after raising a hand. "So, what are the not present members of Class VII like?"
...
After finishing their small meal, the group was about to go back to their jobs, Group B with their requests and Landon going back to his settlement, but Sharl came up to them, more like Gaius, and asked what Thoma's favorite color is.
"I think he's told me before, but I just can't remember… sorry". He answered after thinking for a few seconds.
"O-oh…"
"Hey, you're the girl Thoma likes to visit, aren't you?" Alisa suddenly asked. "Are you planning on giving him something?"
"I…" Sharl trailed off before blushing a bit and nodding.
"Thought so". The archer said while giggling happily. "What exactly did you have in mind?"
"W-well…" Once again, the girl trailed off, blushing a bit more. "…I was actually thinking about making him a scarf".
"That sounds nice". Landon commented with a nod. "So, you want to make it of his favorite color, right?"
"U-umm… could you keep this a secret from him? I want it to be a surprise, so please-!"
"Of course, don't worry". Gaius assured her.
"We won't tell him, you have our word". Laura joined.
"Although we can't just guess what his favorite color is". Fie said in perfect deadpan.
"I don't think me or Gaius can ask him, it would be a bit suspicious". Landon thought aloud.
"Agreed, it's not something we usually talk about". He confirmed.
"Well, if that's the case, why don't we ask him?" Rean suggested. "Even if he finds it weird, at most he'll think is something people from Erebonia talk about".
"Yeah! That should work". Alisa supported.
"Let's go ask him, then, shall we?" The blue haired swordswoman finished.
"Thank you so much!" Sharl said happily before they left.
As everyone rode towards Gaius' settlement with the two sheep in tow.
"Hey, guys, I just thought of something". Landon called out.
"What is it?" Laura asked.
"Do you have to come back to this part of the highlands? I mean, other than to tell Sharl what Thoma's favorite color is".
"No, after delivering the sheep we need to go to the northern part of highlands". Alisa answered him. "Why?"
"I was thinking, I need to come back here to get to my settlement so if you want I can make a stop at the base while you keep doing your tasks".
"Oh, that would be helpful, are you sure you don't mind?" Rean asked.
"It's no problem, like I said I need to come back here".
"Thanks". Gaius thanked him.
"My pleasure".
After Alisa managed to get Thoma's favorite color by asking about how their clothes are made, with the fibers from the sheep and the colors from plants, ores and soils, they let him get back to work.
…
"I should have known green would be his color". Gaius said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, me too". Landon said next. "Well, I should get going, like I said I'll stop by Zender and tell Sharl about the color".
"Thanks, that's a great help". Rean answered.
"Don't mention it, good luck with the rest of your tasks".
Group B saw him off at the gate of the settlement before going back to the northern region and see if Norton was finished.
Turns out that he wasn't, apparently, he wants to be as thorough as possible so he still needs a bit more time.
"Should we wait till he's done?" Laura asked.
"I guess…" Alisa trailed off.
"I should be over in about an hour; I'll go back with you guys then". The photographer said. "Please, feel free to go do other stuff in the meantime".
"Are you certain you'll be okay?" The blue haired girl asked once again.
"Sure, monsters don't even approach this area for some reason, I'll be okay".
"It's true that nothing has happened so far". Fie mentioned. "And there aren't any monsters nearby, there weren't any the last time either".
"I kind of want to see more of the highlands, to be honest". Rean chimed in.
"Then you should go see the lake". Norton suggested. "It's to the northwest, you can't miss it".
"You mentioned something about that, didn't you Gaius?" Alisa asked.
"Yes, it's called Lake Lacrima". He answered.
"Sounds good to me". The black-haired teen said. "We'll be back in an hour, please don't go back on your own".
"I won't, go enjoy the lake, I'll see you later".
With that, Group B left towards the lake, with Gaius leading the way.
After following a natural path formed by the rock formations of the highlands they arrived to their destination.
The place was mostly water with some small mountains covering it at the sides, a waterfall coming from somewhere providing the water and a rather large cabin looking at the lake, a set of ladders leading to its door.
There were also several fences, a shed near the cabin and a pier leading to the lake showing that someone's living in this place.
"Wow". Rean didn't say anything else before taking out his camera and snapping a picture.
"It's beautiful". Alisa said, taking in the scene.
"Indeed, you can see the sunlight glimmering in the water". Laura added.
"This is Lake Lacrima, a hermit came to live here some years ago and has been living in that cabin over there". Gaius explained.
"Hey Gaius". The Eight Leaves practitioner called out. "Are there fish in this lake?"
"There are, feel free to go fishing".
The swordsman grinned before going to one of the fences to leave his horse, getting his fishing equipment from it and going to the pier.
"He really likes to fish". Fie murmured, having gotten down from the horse.
"Seems that way". Alisa said, hearing her. "I think I'm going to see what's around here".
"Would you mind if I accompany you". Laura asked.
"Not at all".
Both the swordswoman and archer left their horses and went to explore.
"I'll go see if he's home and say hi". Gaius said next. "What about you Fie?"
"…I dunno, maybe I'll take a nap". The silver haired girl answered with a shrug.
"All right, I'll see you later then". With that Gaius left his horse and went towards the cabin.
…
"Hmm, it's a shame I didn't bring my swimsuit". Laura commented as she and Alisa walked along the edge of the lake.
"Yeah, this really seems like a place you'd want to swim in". The archer said with a nod.
"Oh, I wasn't aware you liked swimming as well".
"It's not exactly my first choice if I have free time but with a lake like this, if I had a swimsuit it would be a waste not to swim". Alisa said back. "What about you, you joined the swimming club right?"
"I did and I really enjoy swimming, it's a great training".
"Hehe, seems like most of what you do relates to training somehow". The blond archer said with a giggle.
"…I guess you're right". The swordswoman admitted with a smile. "What about you Alisa, what do you do to pass the time?"
"Oh, well…"
…
"Hello". Gaius knocked in the door to the cabin but didn't get any answer. 'He must not be home, probably gone fishing'. He turned around to look at the pier, he noticed Rean had casted a line, and searched for a boat he knows the hermit uses when he goes fishing.
'He isn't here'. The lancer concluded after a minute. 'A shame, they would have probably liked to meet him'.
He started to make his way down the stairs while wondering what to do.
…
After casting the line Rean sat down on the pier and hummed to himself while waiting.
Around five minutes after that.
"Any luck?" The black-haired teen turned his head to see Fie approaching his spot on the pier.
"Not so far". He answered with a shrug. "But patience is an important part of fishing".
"…seems tedious". She commented in perfect deadpan.
"Hmm, it can get boring at times but that boredom disappears when a fish takes the bait". The swordsman answered.
"If you say so…" The former jaeger shrugged.
"So, what brings you here? I honestly half-expected you to go find a spot to take a nap". Rean admitted after turning towards the lake again. "Or did you come to ask that I keep an eye on you while you sleep like in Trista?"
"Neither". Fie shook her head. "I'm bored but I don't feel like napping so I came to talk… am I bothering you?"
"No, I like talking with you, plus I don't believe in the whole 'keep quiet or you'll scare the fish' thing, it's probably true if you start screaming your lungs out but not if you're just talking". The Eight Leaves practitioner answered. "Feel free to sit down; what did you want to talk about?"
The silver haired girl accepted the offer and sat at his right side; she opened her mouth to answer his question but closed it after a moment.
"Hmm, I don't know".
"Well, is there anything you want to ask me?" Rean suggested.
"Something I want to ask…" Fie frowned for a few moments before thinking of something. "Oh yeah, you have a sister?"
"Yeah, her name is Elise". He nodded.
"You never mentioned her". The gun sword user mentioned.
"You never asked". Rean shrugged. "I wasn't keeping her a secret or anything- oh, one second". The buoy had just sunk and the teen was quickly reeling it in. "Come on, come on…" In the middle of it he had gotten up to his feet, more out of reflex than anything.
A few moments later he had gotten the fish out of the water and was holding the hook to keep it steady.
"Nice". He quickly placed him in a bucket full of water he had prepared beforehand, let his rod on the ground and took a small book from his pocket. "Let's see… no, no, no, no, yes!"
A bit curious Fie got up and tried to look at the book, she saw several pictures of different fish with accompanying names, the one Rean had just captured under the name of 'Rainbow trout'.
The swordsman made a 'check' mark next to the name before putting the book away, grabbing the bucket with the fish and throwing it back into the water.
"Sorry about that, what was I saying?" Rean apologized as he casted another line into the water and sat down again.
"Something about not keeping your sister a secret". Fie reminded him as she also sat back down.
"Right, so yeah she just never came up, we don't talk that much either if you think about it". The silver haired girl turned to him about to ask something but refrained.
"…you're right, I usually just ask you to keep an eye on me while I nap… at your insistence"
"Hehe, it's better than you sleeping in public places alone".
"Does it bother you?"
"Hmm, what does?" Rean once again turned to look at Fie but she kept looking towards the lake.
"You probably have other things to do aside from keeping an eye on me". The silver haired girl answered.
"It would be a bit hypocritical of me if I said 'no' after telling you repeatedly to at least ask someone to keep an eye on you, don't you think?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Just answer the question, does it bother you?"
"Not really, no". The swordsman answered without missing a beat. "It's actually relaxing, plus I have a time to catch up on my reading… were you worried that you were bothering me?"
Fie stayed quite for several moments while Rean waited patiently for an answer.
Eventually she made a small nod to answer.
The swordsman smiled a bit before taking one hand off his fishing rod and patting her head.
"Eh?"
"Don't worry, it doesn't bother me". He said, not noticing her eyes widening at the sudden action. "If it ever does, I'll tell you right away".
With that he took back his hand and moved it back to the rod.
"…alright". The former jaeger eventually answered in a low voice.
"Hmm… hey Fie".
…
"So, I understand that Ferris is giving you some trouble". Laura summarized.
After talking while going around the lake Alisa mentioned the lacrosse team and with it how one of the members was been bothersome to her.
"Yeah". Alisa answers with a tired sigh. "I don't mind competing but literally everything ends up as a contest with her, during the last practice we had before coming here she said that she'll wake up before me on the day we have to leave for the Nord Highlands".
"Hmm, I don't recall seeing her".
"I didn't see her either but she'll probably question me about what time I woke up when we go back". The archer said, letting out another sigh.
"My apologies Alisa, I'm afraid I don't know how to help your situation". The blue haired swordswoman apologized.
"Oh, don't worry, it's not your fault, I'll just… I don't know what I'll do but I'll think of something". The archer assured her. "Oh, it seems we already made a full round".
During their idle chatter they had ended up making it all the way back to the area of the cabin.
"Time does fly by sometimes, doesn't it?" Laura commented.
"Yeah, I guess… hmm?"
"Something wrong?"
"Eh, oh n-no". Alisa stammered a bit and Laura followed her gaze to see what caught her attention.
At the pier Rean and Fie were standing, the former jaeger holding a fishing rod while Rean said something and made what the two girls can only assume is a demonstration of how to cast a line.
"They seem to be enjoying themselves". The swordswoman commented. "I can't help but feel a bit jealous".
"E-eh, jealous? Of Fie?" Laura shook her head.
"Of Rean".
"Rean?" The archer repeated while looking between Laura and the other two.
"He seems to readily accept anyone regardless of their past… while I can't get past my own prejudice". The Arseid elaborated.
"Oh, that's what you meant".
"Hm? What did you think I mean?" She asked curiously.
"O-oh, don't worry it's not important". Alisa said quickly before coughing into her hand. "S-so, that means you want to make peace with Fie?" She asked curiously.
And definitely not because she wanted to change the subject from her thoughts of Laura feeling jealous of Rean for spending time with Fie and what that implied, that was totally not the reason.
"-sigh- At the very least, I don't believe the way things are now is acceptable".
"Then why not just talk to her?"
"…a part of me fears that I'll say something that will make matters worse but…"
"But…?" Alisa repeated after her friend trailed off.
"…I don't know". She sighed again.
…
"Good job". Rean congratulated after Fie casted the line.
"So now we wait?"
"Pretty much". He nodded before taking a seat once again, Fie following suit.
"How long?"
"I don't know, this part is more up to the fish than the fisher".
The two stayed in comfortable silence while waiting for something to happen, Rean began to hum again after a minute.
"What are you humming?"
"Nothing really, just humming for the heck of it". The swordsman answered. "Want to join me?"
"…sure". Fie shrugged and when Rean began to hum again she listened for a few seconds before humming along.
They stayed like that for a few minutes when suddenly something bit.
"Alright, now you need to reel it in, if you find too much resistance then let go for a second and then start again". The black-haired teen instructed.
Fie did as told, letting go a few times before starting again and eventually got the fish out of the water.
"Great job Fie". The swordsman congratulated again as she held the fish in the same way she saw Rean do it before.
"Thanks". She answered with a smile.
"Oh, wait a second". Rean quickly took out his camera. "Do you mind?"
Fie shrugged in a 'go ahead' fashion.
Now with her permission Rean pointed the camera to her and the fish and snapped a picture.
"Nice catch". A new voice said.
"Hey Gaius". Rean greeted.
"Hi". Fie said next.
"Hi you two, I didn't know you could fish Fie".
"I just followed his instructions". The former jaeger said with a shrug.
"Maybe but you did all the manual work on your own". The Eight Leaves practitioner rebutted.
"Why not call it a team effort?" Gaius suggested.
Rean and Fie looked at each other before nodding.
"Sounds good to me". The swordsman answered while Fie nodded again in agreement before a thought passed through her head.
"Then shouldn't both of us appear in that picture?" She asked making Rean look at her before tilting his head with a frown as if he was thinking.
"I can take the picture if you want". The lancer offered.
"…sure, why not?" Rean said giving Gaius his camera before moving back towards Fie.
"Alright, smile". They did as they were told right before Gaius pressed the button. "There you go".
"Thanks". They both said as the lancer gave Rean his camera back.
"So what have you been up to?" The black-haired teen asked.
After an hour passed everyone went back to Norton.
True to his word he had finished his work and went back to the settlement with them if a bit reluctantly.
"Thanks a million for escorting me back here; I really appreciate it". Norton said as they approached the entrance to the settlement from Gaius' horse. "And for waiting for me to finish with the statue"
"I'm just glad you made it back safe and sound". Gaius answered.
"We should go tell the elder". Rean mentioned.
"Hmm? Something's happening there". Fie said, looking around Rean and towards the settlement.
"That's…!" Gaius trailed off before quickly moving, the others following him shortly after.
They quickly left their horses before approaching a crashed orbal car; it had a cargo area on the back where a few wood logs were stashed and some dirt covering it.
Not to mention it was crashed against one of the fences and the hood was open.
"Amr! Are you hurt?" Gaius quickly asked upon spotting his settlement's doctor.
"Gaius… I'm all right, sorry for worrying you". He assured him.
"What happened here?" Rean asked next.
"I was on my way back from gathering herbs in the mountain forest to the north when all of a sudden, I just lost control of the vehicle". Amr explained.
"Were there any injured?" Fie asked.
"Just me, I got a few bruises but nothing serious, fortunately". The doctor answered. "I'm relieved that I didn't end up hurting anyone".
"I'm glad your injuries were light, Amr; thanks be to the winds and the Goddess". The lancer said with relief.
"Still, I can't help but wonder how one could lose control of a vehicle in a place like this". Laura thought out loud. "Were you distracted by something?"
"No, of course not". Amr answered. "This car is extremely important to all of us here; I wouldn't dream of driving it carelessly; I'm not sure what caused it, when I was nearing the settlement the steering wheel started to feel oddly stiff; fortunately, the breaks were still functional, otherwise I dread to think what might have happened".
"Hmm, I see…" Alisa trailed off before moving towards the open hood.
She coughed a bit at the smoke coming out before looking around it.
"Do you think you can work out what went wrong?" Rean asked her.
"Probably, you might say it runs in the family". The archer answered.
"Of course,". Laura said with a chuckle.
"Considering whom she is, it's not surprising". Fie commented.
"That's not as true as it used to be". The blond girl spoke as she started to move her hands inside the engine to see what's wrong. "They have some professional engineers at the Reinford Company now who can't even perform basic maintenance work".
"Really? Standards in higher education must be slipping". The son of Baron Schwarzer answered.
"When you compare it to the Zeiss Central Factory in Liberl, the Reinford Group is getting far too big for its own good". The heir to the Reinford Group continued. "All those giant, vertically-structured divisions, each with their own sub-divisions…"
"It seems their success brought along some issues". Laura commented.
"Do you know what the problem is?" Fie asked.
"I think so". Alisa answered before turning towards the group. "It looks like there was a contact failure in the quartz circuits near the engine, that's probably why you suddenly had difficulties steering even though it was fine just before".
"I-I see…" Amr trailed off, not understanding what she meant other than 'this was malfunctioning so you lost control'.
"Do you think you can repair it?" Gaius asked her.
"…I doubt it". She admitted. "I can diagnose, but I'm no technician; I think we'll need to call in a professional to fix it, guess we're going back to Zender Gate one more time".
"Haha… I'm impressed". A calm voice said.
"I can see that Thors Military Academy has more to be proud of than just its famous founder". An elderly man's voice was heard next.
"Elder Ivan, Dad". Gaius said, surprised that he didn't hear them approach.
"I'm sorry it took us so long to get here". The Elder apologized. "I'm relieved to see that Norton made it back safely, thank you for your assistance".
"It was no trouble". Rean assured him.
"It sounds like you've been able to work out the cause of the problem here?" Lacan asked.
"That was all thanks to Alisa". His son answered.
"I-it was nothing, really". Said girl looked away a bit embarrassed.
"Hmm… while I'm glad we've gotten this squared away, we still have something of a problem". Ivan said with a frown.
"What do you mean?" Laura asked.
"This is the settlement's only vehicle, having it out of commission is going to make things pretty inconvenient around here". Lacan explained. "The sooner we can get it fixed, the better"
"I see… guess we have one more trip to Zender Gate left then". Rean said.
"Hmm, do you mean you will go look for a mechanic?" Gaius' father asked.
"Yes". The swordsman answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You are aware this isn't part of your field study, right?"
"I'm afraid we are in disagreement on that". Laura answered.
"You've treated us to such great food, and shown us such hospitality; I want to do what I can to help". Alisa said next. "But… actually repairing the truck is a bit above my skill level, though".
"We would like to help nonetheless, one more trip to the base won't kill us". Fie chimed in.
"…thanks, everyone". Gaius thanked them with a smile.
"If you insist, we'd be more than grateful for any assistance you can provide". Lacan said while chuckling happily. "If you could bring someone who could do the repairs, that would be great".
"That sounds like the best option". Rean agreed. "Let's go ask at Zender Gate if they can spare a mechanic, shame we didn't know about this before Landon went back to talk to Sharl".
"Thoma mentioned he came by, what does he need to tell Sharl?" Gaius' father asked curiously.
"Secret". Fie answered with a grin.
"Hehe, sorry dad we were asked to keep that a secret". Gaius said next.
"I won't ask then, however, I have someone else in mind; someone far keener than an army technician for things of this sort".
"Who?" Alisa asked the older man.
"An elderly man from the Empire, he settled near Lake Lacrima a few years ago; I'm sure he could have the truck fixed for us if we ask him".
"True, the hermit could probably have this fixed in no time at all". Gaius agreed.
"We were there just before picking up Norton and he wasn't there, though". Rean mentioned.
"He had probably gone fishing and when he does he rarely stays away the entire day, by the time we go back he'll probably be back in his cabin". The tallest member of Class VII assured.
"If you say so". The swordsman shrugged, trusting his friend's word.
No one noticed the frown in Alisa's face at hearing about an old man from the Empire who's more reliable than an army technician.
"So, you wish for us to call this man here, then?" Laura asked.
"If you'd be so kind; although there's no hurry, if you have other things you need to do, by all means, do those first". Lacan answered. "Just treat this as if it was another part of your field study, we'll clean up the accident in the meantime".
They all nodded in agreement and after a short conversation to make sure there was nothing left to do they got on their horses and began to make their way back to Lake Lacrima.
And done!
This took too long, my apologies for the long overdue update.
By the way, I think I'll start to answer reviews by PM.
Considering how… let's say 'inconsistent' my updates tend to be, it seems better to do that than have you wait for the answer.
Let me know if you prefer that I answer them in the chapters, though.
Also, the OC that appeared here is mostly to help with the writing, I couldn't think of a reason for Class VII to go back to Zender Gate and talk to Sharl to get her request other than 'let's go talk to everyone because they may have a quest for us, let's follow game logic!'
Also, also, I sometimes may lie to you in order to confuse you and surprise you with a plot twist.
Also, also, also, the idea of the interaction between Rean and Fie in the lake was suggested by Knowledgeseeker66
Anyway, now to an omake that I've been DYING to do, I hope you enjoy it.
OMAKE TIME!
After the fight with the monster lieutenant general Vander asked them to slay.
"Rean, I wish to be removed from the front lines and adopt a more supportive role; after my poor performance I believe that to be appropriate course of action". Laura stated.
"What?! If anyone should do that, it should be me". Fie rebutted.
"You both make a good point". Rean answered.
"Then-"
"But, I refuse". The swordsman interrupted before adopting a gravity defying pose with knees bend, leaning towards his left side, his right hand covering most of his face and the left one closed except for the index finger pointing at the two girls. "One of the things that I, Rean Schwarzer, love the most is saying 'no' to the people that think are absolutely right".
A gust of wind passed them as everyone stood silent.
"Wha…?" Fie, Laura and Alisa all asked.
"Don't bother". Gaius stopped them before they could ask anything. "When he gets like that trying to convince him of the contrary is useless".
"Why-"
"Useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless!" Gaius repeated several times in a loud voice while also adopting a gravity defying pose.
"What is going on?!" Alisa almost yelled.
"What do you mean?"
"They- what are you guys doing here?!" Laura asked, seeing how the rest of Class VII seemed to appear out of thin air.
"Oh, I brought us here". Machias said nonchalantly.
"How?" Fie wondered.
"I just used KING CRIMSON!" Now the vice president of the class did the same as Rean and Gaius.
"Ah, watch out!" Alisa warned when she saw a monster approach Machias and…
Suddenly stop as if something was pushing it in place.
"Let's kill da ho, biiiiitch". Elliot said, keeping the palms of his hands together while the fingers pointed to the monster and he balanced on one leg and for some reason his hair was standing on end.
"Pathetic". Jusis said as he approached the monster. "You will now… BITE THE DUST". He closed his left hand and had it pointing down while his right arm from the elbow up pointed upwards with his index finger pointing to the sky.
"I…I don't…"
In their shock, Fie and Laura failed to notice the monster approaching them from behind and when it jumped.
"ORA". Emma suddenly appeared and started to kick it. "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA". Repeatedly.
"…Alisa, do you know what's-"
"THE WORLD, STOP TIME WRYYYYY". The blond archer suddenly screamed to the sky while bending backwards.
"What is going on?!" Fie and Laura asked in genuine panic.
…too much?
Sal: Just a bit.
I hope you enjoyed, until next time.