"Um, Severa?"

"...Don't waste your breath."

"Severa, I…"

"Save it!" The red-haired girl snapped at her. "We were supposed to pass together, or did you forget that?"

"You know I'd never forget those things."

"Then how do you explain going ahead and leaving us behind to fail?!"

"Th-That's because-!"

"Hey, there you are, Severa!" Cynthia came in running from outside. Immediately, her excitement faded away to worry. "Oh, sorry. Was I interrupting something?"

Severa and Morgan exchanged uneasy glances with each other before the former broke eye contact.

"...No," the red-haired girl said. "Did you need something?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a walk around town! The merchant with the hair accessories is back."

Severa looked excited for a split second before her scowl returned. "Fine, if I HAVE to. Any place is better than here, anyways."

She made her way to the exit before adding, "Don't bother coming. The last thing you want to do is make that woman wait."

Even though her head was facing outside, Morgan knew it was meant for her. She started feeling guilty inside, even though she only did as she was asked.

"Hey, don't go looking like a pegasus on us!" Cynthia said. "Severa will come around eventually. I'll make sure of that."

Morgan sighed. "She's not coming back next year, isn't she?"

"Doubt it." Cynthia nodded her head sullenly. "I mean, did you see how everyone was talking about her behind her back? No one would want to go back after that!"

"What about you? You don't need to force yourself to smile."

"Eh, I'll manage. And hey! I got to save my best friend's life! A victory for justice is a victory for me!" Cynthia pumped her fist and snorted through her nostrils. "I may have lost the battle, but I haven't lost the war! I still have time to make a heroic comeback, just you wait!"

Morgan laughed. "Don't change, Cynthia."

"Well, I should probably get going. Wouldn't want to keep Severa waiting. I'll see you later, won't I?"

"Yeah…" Morgan muttered. "Hey, Cynthia?"

Cynthia was on her way out the door before she stopped and turned around. "Uh-huh?"

"I, er… I just wanted to say-"

Morgan stopped herself. There were a lot of things she COULD say, but the more she thought about it, the more unsure she was. Should she say thank you? I'm sorry? I'll do my best for you and Severa? The seconds ticked by and not a single word came out of her mouth.

Eventually, she gave up and shook her head. "See you next year?"

Cynthia paused for a second before enthusiastically nodding her head. "Yeah! See you next year."

The princess went out the door, leaving Morgan feeling more lonely than ever.

'So much for the new Whitewings…'

Morgan gradually opened her eyes. She was lying in a bed, staring up at a gray ceiling.

"Did that...really happen?" Morgan touched her face, noticing that her cheeks were moist with the traces of tears. "Ow, my body hurts like crazy…"

After wiping her face, Morgan slowly sat up to get a better look at her surroundings. She was most certainly not in the Vesta guild branch; the room was far too well-kept and tidy, and there was only one other bed. If she had to hazard a guess…

"Mmm…"

It was at that moment that Morgan saw that there was someone resting their head by her bedside. A head of long blonde hair paired with an angelic youthful face.

"Your Highness…" Morgan sighed as she stroked the hair out of Alfin's sleeping face. "What did I tell you about sleeping in that position?"

"Uuu…" The princess sat upwards and yawned. "Sorry, Fauna. It won't happen again…"

Morgan snickered. "If I were Fauna, I'd do more than give you a good scolding."

"Hmm?" Alfin blinked her eyes repeatedly as she studied Morgan's face. "Morgan? You're...awake?"

"Yep! And it looks like you're still asleep."

Princess Alfin looked like she was on the verge of shedding tears. "I'm...I'm not still dreaming, am I?"

Grinning mischievously to herself, Morgan leaned in and pinched the princess on the cheek.

"Bwah!"

"There. That convinced you yet?"

"Morgan…" Alfin rubbed her cheek briefly before lunging forward for a big hug. "Morgan!"

"Wh-Whoa!" Morgan exclaimed. "Hey, hey! Calm down! Ow!"

"S-Sorry!" Alfin hurriedly returned to her seat to recompose herself. "I couldn't help myself! But you're awake now. That's such a relief!"

"Ahaha… Must've passed out after we made it out of there." Morgan rubbed the back of her head as she looked around the room once more. "This is one of the guest rooms at the Vander headquarters, right? Was I brought here after that?"

"Yes, that's right. Instructor Sara and Captain Claire drove you here."

Morgan took note of an analog clock that was hanging on the wall. "Five o'clock…" she read. Her head then turned to the window. "But it's the middle of summer. Why's it dark out?"

"That's the thing, Morgan…" Princess Alfin had a look of concern on her face. "It's five o'clock in the morning. Specifically, the morning of the 27th."

"27th…!" Morgan widened her eyes. "You mean I was out for…"

"...The rest of yesterday, yes," the princess confirmed. "Myself, Elise, and your classmates… We were all worried sick about you!"

"Forget about that! What are YOU doing here?" Morgan asked. "Aren't your parents worried?"

"Oh, I already asked them yesterday if I could spend the night here. Once I told them about your condition, they were more than willing to accommodate! Elise even offered to watch over you while I went to go ask them. She's sleeping in the other guest room, by the way."

Morgan scrunched her eyebrows. "Alfin, this isn't a game. Those terrorists, they could still be out-Ow!"

As Morgan winced in pain, Princess Alfin immediately went to go retrieve a salve of healing balm that was sitting atop the dresser. "You could take a few lessons in exercising caution yourself! Lift up your shirt. Let me apply some healing balm."

Morgan noted the irony of the situation in her head. It wasn't every day that a former servant was going to be treated by her former master. Regardless, she was in no condition to refuse. "As you wish…"

While first aid was being applied to her, Morgan listened to Alfin's recounting of what happened afterwards. While she, the princess, and Elise were escorted to the Vander School headquarters, the rest of Class VII assisted the RMP in searching for the remaining terrorists in the city. Their search came up empty, however, and the students were allowed to retire early for the day. The first day of the festival came to a close with more questions than answers, but one thing was certain: the Imperial Liberation Front, sworn enemies of the Blood and Iron Chancellor, had succeeded in their mission to start their campaign with a bang.

As for the rest of the city, while there were no immediate casualties, there were still some injuries among the populace. Among the injured was Governor Regnitz, who had tried to defend Alfin and Elise from being kidnapped and ended up with a bullet to the shoulder for his troubles. Fortunately, the wound wasn't too serious, and he was able to assist in quelling the unrest later on. Various key locations like the Heimdallr Cathedral and Mater Park sustained heavy damage as a result of the terrorist attacks, and most of the capita's water fountains had to be shut down in order to fix the plumbing. Aside from those, the rest of Heimdallr was mostly unaffected on a physical level.

"There. That should do it."

Morgan lowered her shirt. "You know you don't have to go to these lengths for me…"

"I'm not sorry," the princess fired back. "Even if it was only for a little while, Morgan, you lived with us like you were a part of our family. You're important to me, Cedric, Olivert, Fauna…" Her hands started trembling. "That's why… When you passed out yesterday…"

"Alfin…" Morgan's voice lowered to a whisper. "We talked about this, didn't we? Anything can happen. You can't worry about things that are outside of your control."

"But that's not an excuse to jump headfirst without thinking of the consequences!"

"Desperate times called for desperate measures!" Morgan argued. "You and Elise were in danger; what else was I supposed to do?"

"You don't understand…" Alfin clutched the sides of her nightgown. "That way of thinking is the whole reason that I-!"

The princess stopped herself abruptly and covered her mouth.

"Alfin?"

"I spoke too much…"

Morgan stared intently at Alfin, who was doing her best not to meet her gaze. "What were you about to say?"

An uncomfortable silence passed over the two girls for a few seconds before Alfin eventually relented. "Tell me, Morgan: are you upset?" she asked.

"Upset?" Morgan tilted her head. "By what?"

"...When Fauna told you that you were going to be let go," Alfin responded with a low voice. "Even though you had proved your loyalty… Didn't you think that was a little odd?"

"Odd?" Morgan crossed her arms as she thought back to that time. "Well, the terms of my contract said that I'd be allowed to stay until I was stable, so the timing didn't really surprise me…"

Alfin looked confused for a brief moment, almost as if she hadn't expected this response. Then, a realization soon dawned on her. "I see…" she muttered to herself. "Does that mean Fauna didn't tell you…?"

Now it was Morgan's turn to act confused. "Huh?"

The princess finally locked eyes with Morgan. "Morgan, do you remember the Assault on the Imperial Guilds?"

Morgan nodded her head.

"Do you remember what we were doing at the time?"

"How could I not?" Morgan stared at her hands. "After all, that was when…"

She closed her eyes. 'It was when I first used Ignis in this world.'

That day, the princess had been asked to make a surprise appearance during the opening ceremony of a new charter school in a nearby imperial city. At the suggestion of the authorities, she and Morgan arrived the night before so she could enter the city without the paparazzi knowing. Additionally, the princess took things one step further by dressing up in simple traveling clothes and tying up her hair so she could remain inconspicuous. Morgan, meanwhile, continued to wear her maid uniform.

But the following morning, right as Morgan was escorting the princess to the school, a massive explosion rocked the city. A squadron of jaegers made themselves known, hell-bent on causing as much panic as they could and cutting off all means of communication and transportation to and from the city. The path to the school was blockaded by burning wreckage, so Morgan and Alfin had to seek shelter elsewhere.

"Your Highness! This way!"

Morgan led Alfin through the chaotic streets, hoping to steer clear from the jaegers. Imperial soldiers that were stationed around the city were engaged with the jaegers.

"Just a little further to the guild house…!"

But when she and Alfin turned the corner, they found themselves face-to-face with a trio of men with guns setting fire to the building.

"No! The Lapappa Branch is-!"

The princess covered her mouth, but it was too late. The jaegers caught wind of their presence.

"Well, well, well!" The leader sneered at the two girls. "Look at what we've got here! A couple of children who've lost their way!"

One of his lackeys pointed at Morgan. "Hey, look at what that girl's wearin'!"

The jaeger next to him gave him a scrutinizing look. "Dude, you're into that sorta thing?"

"N-No! I'm just sayin' if she's a maid, then the other girl's gotta be loaded as hell!"

Alfin shrunk back slightly, trying to cover her face behind Morgan's frame.

"Now that you mention it…" the other lackey said. "Doesn't she look a bit familiar?"

"That golden hair…" The leader started whooping with delight. "Oohoohoo! I think we've hit the jackpot, boys!"

Morgan grit her teeth. While their eyes weren't visible under their helmets, it was clear that the jaegers weren't thinking of anything good.

"Morgan…"

"Stay behind me."

"I-I'm scared."

'So am I…' Morgan admitted in her head, but she dared not say it out loud. She had to be strong for the princess's sake.

She reached her hand into her dress and touched the surface of her combat orbment. It was given to her prior to leaving on this trip to use in case of emergencies, and this most certainly counted as an emergency. Morgan was given a basic tutorial on how to use an orbment, but could she do it in this situation?

"So we take the blondie hostage. What about the maid?"

"Do whatever you want with her, I guess."

Morgan pulled out her orbment, ready to begin preparing an art at any moment.

The jaegers simply laughed at her. Obviously, they didn't feel threatened at the slightest.

"Morgan…" Alfin whispered from behind her. "Don't."

"I know…" Morgan knew that it was pointless to resist. She and Alfin were cornered against three adult men wielding firearms. They could just as easily shoot at her before she could even cast one orbal art.

But even still…

"I made a promise…" Morgan said. Her voice was the steadiest it had ever been, the words were smoothly flowing out of her mouth. "I'll protect you. Even if...even if it costs me my life!"

At that moment, something stirred within her. A wave of urgency and...familiarity? Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Morgan followed that feeling, venturing deep into the slumbering parts of her soul. She peered into the cold, dark abyss, hoping to find an answer.

The abyss answered back with a welling of warmth and power.

"Wh-What the hell?!"

"Is she on fire or something?!"

Morgan looked down. Violet-colored flames were emanating from her entire body. Any normal person would start panicking, but Morgan strangely felt...comfortable. The energy that was welling up from inside her was warm yet empowering. It was like the feeling of reuniting with an old friend after being separated for so long.

Alfin's hands were covering her mouth. "Mor...gan?"

"Who cares if she's on fire? Get her!"

His two lackeys started moving closer to Morgan and Alfin. With her orbment in her left hand, Morgan instinctively raised her right hand towards the jaeger on her right. She muttered the first word that came to mind. "...Elfire."

Morgan felt part of her energy leave her body, manifesting itself as a ball of fire that flew forward and destroyed his weapon.

"Ow! Hot, hot, hot!" The jaeger started blowing on his hand.

The second lackey aimed his firearm at Morgan. "Why you little-!"

Another fireball shut him up before he could finish his sentence. The jaeger started screaming as he frantically took off his clothes to prevent himself from burning.

"Tch! Think you're so tough?!" The leader wasted no time in firing his weapon. Alfin screamed.

Morgan waved her hand while pointing her orbment at the ground. The flames erupted into a wall of fire that melted the bullets as they passed through. The leader continued to open fire, but none of his attacks hit their target.

"H-How are you doing that?"

"I…I don't know!" Morgan was too concentrated on trying to maintain the fire wall to think of HOW she was doing it in the first place. "Your Highness! Go back the way we came!"

"No! I can't leave without you!"

"But I can't...hold on…"

The violet flames that had been burning so brightly were almost diminished. Morgan was beginning to feel faint as she used up the last of her power.

"Damn, I'm all outta ammo…" the jaeger leader cursed to himself. "But it looks like you're outta fuel yourself."

Morgan fell to her knees, her energy completely spent. The wall of fire was reduced to small embers now.

"Not on my watch!"

Before the jaeger leader could react, a gust of compressed air came from his right and sent him flying face-first into a nearby building.

"Whew! That was a close one."

Alfin and Morgan looked at the face of their savior. He was a tall blonde-haired man wearing a green shirt and a white overcoat. In his left hand was a combat orbment.

"Glad I was able to find you, Your Highness. Don't worry; I'm a bracer!"

"...And after that, that bracer brought us to safety." Morgan's eyes opened. "But what does this have to do with…?"

"To tell the truth…" Alfin began. "After we returned safely to the palace, Father and Mother were convinced that you could be my attendant for real. Ultimately, the decision to let you go was up to me. And in the end…"

Alfin's voice drifted off. She looked to the side. "I'm sorry."

Morgan was taken aback. A flurry of emotions welled up within her, but she wasn't sure how to identify all of them. Only one question popped into her mind, which eventually made its way out her mouth: "Why…?"

"Please don't misunderstand me; I was happy when you said that you would protect me. In that moment, it felt like everything was going to be alright. But then you said that you would lay down your life for me, and…" Alfin hugged her arms close to her body, with both hands touching the opposite elbow. "I realized then that becoming my attendant would consign you to a life of endangerment. Once I thought that, I became frightened concerning what that meant moving forward. In the end, my decision came down to my own selfishness; I was content with letting you go, if it meant that you were safe and living the normal life you always wanted. Even if…"

Her body began to shiver. "If that meant…that we had to be separated…"

Morgan moved to embrace the younger girl. The suddenness of the gesture caused the latter to yelp softly.

"Wh-What are you…"

"Doing something I should have done a long time ago," Morgan answered. "You've been holding this in for a long time, haven't you? Go ahead and let it all out. I'm not going anywhere."

"Uu…uuu…"

The princess sank her face into Morgan's chest and wept quietly. Morgan remained firm in her hug, calmly and silently stroking her former master's hair.

After a few minutes of staying in that position, Alfin nudged Morgan's shoulder slightly, signaling that she was finished crying.

"Do you feel better?"

"A little bit." Alfin wiped her cheeks. "I'm sorry for making you put up with my selfishness."

"Alfin…" Morgan muttered softly. "If anything, I should be thanking you."

"What?"

"Do you really think that I would be angry over something like that? Sure, I was confused at first, but if not for your decision, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to search for myself. And even back then, when you asked your parents if they could look after a girl you found in a meadow one day…" Morgan pointed a finger at Alfin's chest. "I'm in a better place now than I was in the past, and that selfishness played a part in that. So please, give yourself a little credit."

"Morgan…" The princess began twiddling her thumbs. "You know… The day before you appeared, I had a fight with my brother. It was a minor squabble in hindsight, but after that, I wanted someone that I could talk to. Not just anyone, though; I wanted another girl around my age. Being a princess, there weren't many people who were readily available, and I didn't have someone by my side the same way that Olivert and Cedric had Mueller and Kurt."

She clasped her hands together in a praying motion. "So I prayed to the Goddess. I asked her to send me someone who I could share my secrets with. And then the following day, you appeared before us! I didn't want to believe that it was just a coincidence. That's why I refused to let that chance slip through my fingers. And that's also why…"

Alfin looked up. "I would like to ask that you please be careful moving forward. I know it would be difficult, given that you're a military student, but there are so many people who'd hate to see you get hurt, myself included. Think of this not as a request from Princess Alfin Reise Arnor...but as a favor from your friend."

Hearing those words filled Morgan with a sense of warmth and pride. Her hands drifted down from Alfin's to cover the princess's hands. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll do whatever it takes to come back safely. And also…" Morgan took a deep breath. "Whenever you're in need, I'll do whatever I can to be by your side. I'm not saying this as your former servant or even as your friend…"

She smiled gently. "Isn't that what an older sister is for?"

The princess's cheeks turned bright red. "Wh-Who told you about that?!" she stammered uncharacteristically. "Oooh, it was Elise, wasn't it?"

"I was a bit surprised myself. I mean, you were the one who was taking care of ME when I first woke up. Why the sudden change?"

"Well, it didn't take long for the roles to reverse, did they? Besides, you're still older than me by a notable margin…" The princess grinned mischievously. "Despite your appearance suggesting otherwise~"

Morgan had a feeling that Alfin added that last part to regain some semblance of control over the conversation. It was a habit of the princess's that she had come to recognize, but for the sake of lifting the mood, she decided to play along just this once.

"Aw, you just HAD to go there, didn't you…" Morgan puffed out her cheeks.

Alfin giggled in response, much to Morgan's relief. "Your appearance really hasn't changed at all since we first met. Even your scar is still just as visible now as it was then. I thought for sure you'd at least get a little taller."

"Yeah, I'm NOT looking forward to the day you and Cedric get taller than me…" Morgan said. "I guess I'd better make the most of what time I have now. What do you say? Want your big sister to spoil you while she's still, you know, bigger?"

Morgan goofily stretched out her arms for a hug, which elicited another small giggle from the princess.

"Teehee! That is certainly a tempting offer. I wouldn't want you to overexert yourself, but…" Alfin laced her fingers together. "Can I ask for one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"Could you...show me your flames?"

Morgan was briefly taken aback by the request. Of all the things she was expecting Alfin to ask of her, that was definitely not on the list. But eventually, she nodded her head. "As you wish."

Exhaling deeply, Morgan let her power simmer into existence. Due to Ignis being inherently magical in nature, the flames that appeared all over her body and under the bedsheets where her legs were didn't cause the bed to start immolating. Normally, the sight of someone spontaneously lighting themselves on fire would be surprising or perhaps even frightening, but none of that was on the princess's face. Instead, her eyes were filled with wonder and awe.

"Amazing…" Alfin reached out both her hands, her fingers closely mingling with the violet embers. "It looks like I should burn myself when I get close, but it doesn't hurt. It's warm like a hearth, but there's no smoke."

Morgan smiled and held out her own hands. "That's magic for you."

Alfin took Morgan's hands without hesitating, interlocking their fingers together. The flames of Ignis continued to dance at their fingertips.

"This is the power that protected me…" Alfin muttered softly. Her tone conveyed feelings of safety and contentment, feelings that Morgan shared.

Maybe things ended painfully in the past, but maybe that didn't matter. Because here, in this moment, Morgan was content with what she had in the present.

The following morning, it was time for Class VII to leave the capital behind and make their way back to Trista. But before that, they all had one last duty to perform: escort Princess Alfin and Elise, both of whom had elected to stay overnight at the Vander School headquarters, back to Valflame Palace. When they arrived at the reception hall, Olivert and Fauna were there to meet them.

"Welcome back, my lady," Fauna greeted with a bow. "It brings me great relief to see you and Morgan in high spirits."

"You can tell, huh?" Morgan exchanged a knowing glance with the princess, who responded with a radiant smile.

"I really don't know how to begin thanking all of you," Olivert said to Class VII. "You've done so much for our family that I doubt we'll ever be able to repay you."

Perhaps it was because she was used to being in the presence of royalty, but Morgan was one of the few students in Class VII who didn't start fumbling over themselves in an attempt to downplay their efforts out of modesty. Seeing her classmates' reactions amused her greatly. "Pssst, guys? All you had to say was 'You're welcome.'"

Fie snorted. "Easy for you to say, Morgan."

"It is!" Morgan fired back. "Which is why it should be easy for you, too!"

Olivert chuckled to himself. "I'm glad to see that you're back up on your feet as well, Morgan. When the Vanders gave us the rundown of what happened, we were all worried for you."

"Believe me, I'm trying to fix that…" Morgan responded. "But all's well that ends well, right?"

"Oh, thank goodness! I didn't miss you."

From behind Olivert and Fauna, Crown Prince Cedric and Governor Regnitz emerged from further inside the palace.

"Welcome back, Alfin!" said Cedric. "And you as well, Elise."

Alfin smiled mischievously. "I'm glad you made it, Cedric. I knew you wouldn't pass up a chance to say goodbye to Morgan~"

"A-Alfin, come ooon…" Cedric's elation to seeing his sister again quickly turned to annoyance. Not helping matters was how deliberate she sounded. "For one moment in your life, can you stop with the teasing?"

"I'm afraId need to take his side on this one…" Elise spoke up. "You need to remember your place, Your Highness."

The princess pouted at both her friend and her twin brother. "So stingy…"

The exchange between the royals caused the others in Class VII to loosen up and laugh. Prince Cedric also took the opportunity to introduce himself properly to the members of Group B.

"Hey, Dad?" Machias said. "How're you feeling? Are your injuries all right now?"

"Yes. Nothing too serious, fortunately." The governor gingerly rubbed his right shoulder. "While no one could've foreseen how it ended, you did manage to complete this month's field study. On behalf of the board of directors, I'd like to congratulate you for your exemplary work. We three directors may have very different positions on many issues, including how Class VII should be run, but for my part, I'd like you to enjoy student life however you choose. I think the other directors would agree with me on at least that much.

"In that regard…" Governor Regnitz smiled at the Thors chairman of the board. "You have nothing to worry about, Prince Olivert."

"If you say so…" Olivert's eyes wandered to where the governor and the crown prince had entered the reception hall, almost as if he was anticipating some extra company. "I've always found you a trustworthy man, of course. But…"

As if on cue, a deep voice echoed from that direction. "Ah, I see that everyone's here."

The students of Class VII collectively gulped as a new face slowly made its way towards the small crowd. Morgan had to fight the instinctive urge to bow upon seeing him.

"Chancellor Osborne!" Crown Prince Cedric said excitedly.

The chancellor bowed at the waist. "Prince Olivert, Princess Alfin, and Crown Prince Cedric. I'm overjoyed to see you all safe and well. Clearly, the Goddess has bestowed Her blessings upon us."

The three royal siblings likewise responded with their own words of thanks.

"I'd also like to reassure Prince Olivert that we're starting a nationwide hunt for members of the Imperial Liberation Front," Osborne continued. "An investigation into the backgrounds of its members is also underway, so you needn't worry."

"...Nothing gets past you, does it?" Olivert said, not at all surprised by the outcome. "I suppose that means you have the security detail for next month's trade conference well in hand?"

"Of course. I'll see to it that everything is taken care of."

At long last, the chancellor directed his attention to the members of Class VII. "Ah, but where are my manners? Please, excuse me for not introducing myself. I am Giliath Osborne, representative of the Erebonian government. Though, I imagine those of you who read the papers may know me better as the 'Blood and Iron Chancellor.'"

'Truly, his reputation precedes him,' Morgan remarked in her head. The other Sevens were likewise overwhelmed by the chancellor's presence.

Osborne then locked eyes with one specific individual in the small crowd. "It's been quite some time, young bracer. I'm glad to see your new career path is working out for you."

Instructor Sara, up to this point, had remained silent and stoic throughout the entire encounter. But when the chancellor directly addressed, she forced herself to smile. "Thank you, Chancellor. I wouldn't be where I am today if not for you. I really owe you for all you've done for me."

Considering the grudge their instructor had against the chancellor, the students wondered how much of her response was forced and how much was genuine.

Osborne chuckled in response. "Haha… General Vandyck was my superior back when I was in the army. As such, I'm planning on granting you a bit of additional assistance. I should have it ready for you in a few weeks' time."

That comment aroused some confusion out of the instructor and her students. Before any of them could ask further, the Blood and Iron Chancellor began to speak once more. "I have great expectations for you all. Nurture the bonds you share, and train up bodies and wills of steel, for I have no doubt you'll need them in the turbulent times to come."

This wasn't the first time Morgan had heard words of wisdom straight from the chancellor's mouth. The last part admittedly sounded a bit cryptic, but the rest of the advice he imparted was sound, so no one said anything.

In the corner of Morgan's eye, she caught a glimpse of Rean wincing and clutching his chest.

'Rean?'

It had been almost a month since she took up residence in Valflame Palace. Morgan had gotten into the rhythm of waking Alfin up, accompanying her to her morning meals, and then seeing her out as she was escorted to school. After that, she would report to Fauna, who would then give Morgan a list of tasks to do depending on what day it was. For today, her main task was tending to the plants in Esmelas Garden, Valflame Palace's very own indoor garden.

True to the spirit of all things pertaining to the Imperial family, Esmelas Garden was massive; in fact, the garden was more akin to a large reception hall for serving large parties with the plants acting as decorations. The garden even featured a set of six waterfalls cascading down the front wall. Any first-time visitor would have trouble processing the sheer amount of space the garden took up.

Unlike most palace servants, Morgan wasn't particularly daunted by the prospect of tending to such a large garden; rather, she was bugged by some of the smaller things that came with the job...quite literally.

"Please stop…" she said in a monotone voice. "I'm...working."

She directed her voice not to any one particular person, but to the small swarm of butterflies that had begun to gather around her. For whatever reason, Morgan was a magnet for the butterflies in the garden. Wherever she went, she was followed by a small trail of the flying insects, and when she stopped at a certain location to water the flowers and check for weeds, they would begin perching on top of her. Due to this, she frequently had to move in a specific way so that she didn't end up accidentally killing one of them.

Suddenly, the butterflies that were surrounding her began to retreat, almost as if they were anticipating danger.

"Now this is a most unusual sight," a deep voice chuckled from behind her.

Morgan stood up and bowed, just as she was instructed. The newcomer's attire suggested that he was of considerable social standing, and the way he carried himself denoted a sense of pride and authority that no normal person could muster on their own. Though Morgan hadn't had the pleasure of meeting him face-to-face before, she already knew who he was. She felt herself buckling under the weight of the Blood and Iron Chancellor's scrutinizing gaze.

"P-Pardon me, Your Excellency…" Morgan managed to say. "I-If I had known you were coming, I would have cleaned sooner…"

The chancellor chuckled once more. "You needn't worry. I simply needed some air. Carry on as you were."

Morgan bowed her head again and returned to her work. Chancellor Osborne moved to another area of the garden so as to not impose on her. Once he reached a certain distance away, the butterflies began to reconvene around Morgan. Was the chancellor's presence causing them to act this way? The thought lingered for a moment in Morgan's mind before she went back to work.

A few minutes later, Morgan stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow. Just a few spots left…

The butterflies dispersed again, which could only mean one thing. Sure enough, Morgan heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to her.

"If you may forgive me for prying…" the chancellor said. "I don't believe we have met before. Perhaps my memory is getting the better of me."

"I am...still new," Morgan managed to respond. "I first arrived at...the beginning of the month."

"Ah, I see…" The Blood and Iron Chancellor stroked his beard. "So you must be the fabled new attendant of the princess."

"Y-Yes…" Morgan stammered. "But only when...she is in the palace."

"Hmm…" The chancellor's eyes focused on her face. "Yes, I suppose people will take note of your appearance. If only there was a way to cover that wound…"

For all this time, Morgan had managed to maintain her focus, but Chancellor Osborne's piercing gaze proved too much to handle, forcing her to look away. Suddenly, she start empathizing with the butterflies. What she wouldn't give to spontaneously sprout wings on her back and flutter away with them. There was always safety in a crowd, after all.

The chancellor immediately took note of this and softened his expression. "Ah, my apologies. It wasn't my intention to stare. Fear not; I have no reason to question His Majesty's decisions."

"Y-You are t-t-too kind…"

"You needn't act so tensely. Hmm, what is a good point of conversation…" Osborne began to think for a moment. "The butterflies seem attracted to you. Why might that be?"

"Umm…" Morgan looked to where the butterflies had flown off. She counted a total of thirteen of them, and each one possessed their own unique wing color. "I'm not sure why myself. They just keep...following me."

"Do you like butterflies, young lady?"

As she pondered the question, one of the butterflies strayed from the swarm and flew closer to where Morgan was standing. She instinctively reached out a finger for the insect to perch onto.

"I…" Morgan studied the colors of the butterfly's wings. It was predominantly black, with some gradient white on the lower half. "I don't...dislike them."

"Butterflies are fascinating creatures. They represent many things, depending on whom you ask. Some view them symbols of change; others associate them with the cycle of life and death." The chancellor's gaze shifted between her and the butterfly. "What sort of butterfly are you, I wonder?"

Morgan tilted her head, confused by his question. "I am...human."

The chancellor laughed. Even when he was laughing, his voice commanded such gravitas. "Hahaha! I suppose you aren't wrong. My apologies for springing this philosophical discussion while you're in the middle of work. Now then, I think I have taken a long enough break. We each should return to our duties."

"Do you...need an escort?"

"Not this time I'm afraid. I do appreciate the offer, though." Chancellor Osborne turned around but didn't start walking away immediately. "Black is the color of mystique and the unknown. Don't be afraid to peer into the abyss, for it is there that you will find the answers that you seek."

He left upon saying those cryptic words, leaving Morgan with more questions than answers.

It wouldn't be until much later that she would take his advice.

Morgan stood alone in the training hall, her eyes closed shut. In her mind, she replayed the fight against C. Even when she pulled out every trick she had, the masked man in black had an answer for each of her attacks. Fatigue may have been a factor in clouding her judgment, but she tried not to think about that. After all, there were a few instances where it seemed like she had the upper hand, and those were when she used techniques that were unfamiliar to him.

Considering that she and her classmates had encountered the Imperial Liberation Front during their past two field studies, it was entirely within the realm of possibility that they could run into them again in the future. And when that time came, they would probably have to take on the ILF's leaders in direct combat. Throughout their entire bout, Morgan had the sinking feeling that C was playing with her the whole time, like a cat who preferred toying around with a mouse as opposed to eating it. If her assessment of him was true, that would spell bad news for Class VII if he ever decided to get serious. The same went for Scarlet, Gideon, and the muscular man that they called V. They were dangerous, and Morgan needed to find a way to match up to that.

That was when she recalled Aurier and Matteus's lessons. True, she had no formal training, but that didn't necessarily mean that she couldn't learn in her own way. The Heimdallr field study had renewed her with a sense of confidence that she never knew she had before, and now she was ready to take the next step.

"Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Rean opened the door to the training hall and immediately elicited a look of surprise. "Huh? Morgan, you're…"

His surprise was understandable, considering that Morgan looked like she was ready for a fight even though they had just gotten back. There was something else that was notable: Morgan was not holding her axe.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Oh, well…" Rean rubbed the back of his head. "It's just, you know… You mentioned you were afraid of swords."

"And I still stand by that. Well, for the most part, anyway." Morgan looked at her own reflection in the blade. "'Train up bodies and wills of steel.' That was what the chancellor said, right? I thought I'd try it out for myself, see where it gets me. If there's one thing I know, it's that he gives really good advice."

"You don't need to force yourself."

"I could say the same about you." She pointed at Rean. "I saw that you were holding your chest earlier. I know I'm not one to talk, but are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"...You noticed, huh?" Rean patted his chest. Now that she was in front of him, Morgan could recognize that he was touching the spot where his scar was. "Honestly, I don't really know myself. I just felt a sharp pain all of a sudden when Chancellor Osborne spoke, and then it went away just as quickly. It didn't happen at all yesterday, so I don't THINK I pulled a muscle…"

"Well, only one way to find out, right?" Morgan raised her index finger and recited, "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can tell a lot about a person by how they swing their sword."

Rean blinked for a second, appearing surprised that she was using words that he had previously said to her. After a few seconds, he put his left hand on the handle of his sword. "So that's why you called me out here. You wanted to see if I was feeling okay."

"Yes and no…" Morgan admitted. "Let's face it: we were both acting dodgy around each other up until the last day. If it weren't for the groups being divided by gender, I'm almost certain that Sara would have put us in the same group. So, seeing as we finally have some time to ourselves…" She pointed her sword at him. "I was hoping we could use this opportunity to...get reacquainted with each other."

Rean's face had remained impassive throughout Morgan's little speech, but once she had finished, she detected a familiar spark light up in his eyes. One that screamed "friendly competition."

"You're starting to talk like C," Rean snarked as he unsheathed his tachi. "Are you going to steal one of my techniques, too?"

"That depends…" Morgan assumed her old battle stance. "Are you feeling in a teaching mood, Instructor Schwarzer?"

"Instructor Schwarzer…" the swordsman mused. "That's got a nice ring to it. Okay then, Miss Daraen. Ready to get schooled?"

Morgan grinned. "Anytime, anywhere, anyone!"

'From this point on, I'm going to start learning as much as I can. I'll keep on improving, and then someday...'

She and Rean clashed swords, metal clanging against metal.

'Once I find that masked man again...I'm going to give him hell.'

CHAPTER 4 END

Author's note: And with that, the Heimdallr arc has come to a close! Thank you all for being patient with this. It's hard to believe that as of this writing on February 16, 2021, it's been THREE years since I started writing this story. Looking back on where I started, I have definitely come a long way in terms of finding a writing style that suits me while also balancing out the amount of content in each chapter with the pacing of the story. Even though the level of progress hasn't been as quick as I would have hoped, I still consider this a personal milestone.

Now in regards to the immediate future: I am currently writing a couple of short stories for the next intermission chapter. After that, updates will begin to get more infrequent as I may or may not get a job in the coming months. If I don't, then great! More time to work on the story. But if do somehow get it, well, then that's still great for me but maybe not for you guys. Either way, learn to expect the unexpected.

With all that said, I hope you all enjoyed the journey thus far. Feel free to give this story a follow if you haven't already, leave a review, share it with your friends, all that good stuff, because now's as good of a time to get caught up on everything that's happened so far. Until next time everyone! Peace! (○ﾟε＾○)v