While Rean Schwarzer would never really consider himself a morning person - at least when compared to someone like Gaius - he had enough self discipline to usually rouse himself from bed at the proper hour with minimal fuss. A skill that had served him well over the years.
Unfortunately, however, that skill was not one that his beloved possessed. Despite her harsh background the young woman truly was the most catlike individual he knew. And he knew an actual magical cat.
Which was why he was in this current situation standing over the other end of his bed staring down at the miserable lump of blankets and bracer. "C'mon, Fie. It's time to get up."
"Don't wanna!"
"It's not that bad." He gently assured. Getting no response from the stubborn girl he began poking the spot on the blankets where he knew her head was, eliciting a miserable moan in response. "It'll be alright."
"Nooooooo..." Normally Fie would have accepted the harsh reality of daily life by this point and gotten up, but today she was being understandably stubborn. Normally Rean would have been somewhat concerned by this point – especially given the events of the past month – but he knew exactly why she was being such a pain this day.
It had been two weeks since their secret got out. True to word, this was the day that Fie was moved from active duty and into reserve status by Sara and their friends.
It had been a rather hectic two weeks. With the news made public it seemed like every friend and acquaintance they knew wanted to offer their congratulations. That was a bit annoying, but something they could deal with. The problem came from all the people that thought that they could curry favor with the famous hero by acting like they were long-time friends. There were many instances where Rean had to restrain Fie from attacking some sycophant who stopped them in the streets claiming to be a family friend of his. He didn't even attempt to hold her back when one weaselly
little noble lied and claimed that she was a good friend of Fie's parents in an attempt to gain her friendship.
But as always, eventually the news that the Ashen Chevalier and his Sylphid were expecting a child died down and the constant headaches passed. That was good, as Fie was determined to make the most of the last few days she had as an active bracer. She had been so determined to slay every monster in Erebonia (and to drag him along each time) that Sara and Schera had actually gone on vacation to Liberl for the week, with today being their first day back in the Empire. He had been worried that his lover was pushing herself, but decided to leave her be as he had his suspicions of just how miserable she would be feeling once it was over.
And given the status of the pathetic lump in his bed it was clear that those suspicions had been right on the mira.
"You gotta get up, Fie." He sighed as yet again there was no response. He decided to try a new approach. "Well, I guess you can sleep in if you want, but I did promise Altina that I would meet her in two hours, so I guess this is goodbye..."
That one hit the mark as the blankets lowered enough to reveal an angry glare and the beautiful woman it belonged to. "...You're a real jerk, you know that?"
He knew that normally such a threat wouldn't garner such a reaction, but Altina wasn't as fortunate as he had been to skip directly to senior bracer status. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was the most qualified junior to join the guild since Fie and would no doubt get promoted before long, but as it was she would have to go through all the trials of a junior and get approval from all the major Erebonian branches. And Rean had offered to go with her to the first of those locations.
A task that would take him away from Fie for a week or two. While logically speaking he knew that at only three months pregnant Fie was still perfectly capable of taking care of herself, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the idea, which was why he had only offered to accompany his favorite former student to the first location to help her adjust to her new work environment, as Fie had for him. He still intended to accompany her throughout her journey afterwards, but those would merely be day trips where he would return to his home at night.
As underhanded as it was, the threat of him leaving her was enough to rouse his partner from her lethargy, and together the two finally began their daily ritual as they prepared for the events ahead. Before long they were out the door, on the train, and in the capital.
The guild already had three occupants in it by the time they arrived, none of which were a surprise to the duo. Toval, who was usually the one responsible for administering the tests and filling out the paperwork for potential recruits was a given. As was the person who had just taken the test and dealt with all the paperwork, the newest bracer in the Erebonian Empire, Altina Orion. The third – and least impressive by far – was Sara, as she continued to always be around whenever something interesting was happening.
Naturally, it was her who first greeted the duo, obnoxious smile already in place."Woah. Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
"...Shut up, Sara." Even though it had been a near unanimous decision among their friends, Fie had made it abundantly clear that she held Sara wholly responsible for her current change in position, either because the older bracer was the one to officially stamp the order, or because bickering like siblings was just how the two dealt with each other on a daily basis. Probably both, if Rean had to guess.
Ignoring the two glaring women, the hero approached the other two occupants of the building. Altina looked much the same as always, but the one obvious difference in her appearance was the junior bracer emblem that she had affixed to her hat. "I take it all went well?"
"Yup. No real surprise, but she handled everything about as well as humanly possible. Just got a few more papers to sign and she's all yours."
"...I am not an object to be passed around at will." The junior bracer in question complained in her usual flat tone. Despite that, she gave a brief and tiny smile towards Rean. "I am looking forward to working alongside you again, Rean."
Once again he couldn't resist the old habit to pat the homunculus on the head, causing her smile to grow even more. "Same here. We're gonna have a lot of fun together."
"Aww, look at that. Your former partner seems to be cozying up to his new partner awfully fast. How does it feel to be replaced so quickly?"
Despite her own obvious annoyance with the situation Fie had clearly been expecting such a taunt as her retort was already on her tongue. "You should already know the answer to that considering I dumped you even quicker once Rean became a bracer, remember?"
As always, the assorted collection of bracers effortlessly ignoring the whining of their most senior member. "So have you decided which branch you want to go to first?" Toval asked the newest junior.
Although Rean had been fortunate enough to skip over the beginner rank he understood the requirements for promotion well enough. Altina would need to spend some time at each of the major branch locations and even some of the smaller towns, earning the approval of each of the receptionists on her journey. Only once she did that would they give her the title of Senior Bracer. The order itself was up to the bracer in question and not even he knew their first destination.
"I want to go to Bareahard." She answered at last.
Rean was not the only one who couldn't keep a smile off his face at hearing that. Despite all her protests to the contrary, it was blatantly obvious to everyone that Altina truly cared about her sister. In a way it was similar to the one Fie shared with Sara, although without the constant back and forth skirmishing as Millium wasn't exactly one for verbal sparring.
"Bareahard it is." Although it was her decision to make he still voiced his approval to the idea. Hopefully Jusis didn't follow through on his threat about throwing him in prison the next time he stepped foot into his city. It had taken Sara nearly a week and a ridiculous amount of booze before she forgave him for abandoning them to Aurelia and Altina had all but demanded that he treat her to every pancake they find on their journey. His wallet could only afford so many more apologies!
With the decision made the two got ready to leave on their journey. He gave a respectful farewell to Toval and a somewhat less respectful one to Sara, before locking eyes with the one that mattered most. Sure back when he was an Instructor they had often been apart for days or even weeks at a time, but ever since they began living and working together they had never been apart for more than a day at a time, barring that one unfortunate incident in the summer. "It'll only be for a few days." He reassured. "I'll be back before you know it."
"I know that." She scoffed, but he could see the lingering sadness in her eyes. "...Just hurry up, alright? Gonna be boring without you."
"Of course. I promise." He brushed her hair back and leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. He wanted to keep that moment going, but after a few seconds Sara began catcalling. Reluctantly he pulled away and did his best to ignore the amused elders and unimpressed Altina as he smiled reassuringly at Fie.
Slowly he turned away from his lover and to his current partner. "Alright, let's go." The two exited the building and began their long journey. Speaking of which... "Did you want to do this the traditional bracer way of walking to our destination or-"
"Claiomh Solais!"
He sweatdropped. That answered that. He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Not the traditional way." That didn't bother him. He lived with Fie, after all. "But you should put that away before we make a scene. How about we take a train instead?"
"Acceptable." He couldn't help but smile at her. As much as he would miss Fie, he would not miss the chaos that she brought with her. He was looking forward to a nice relaxing time with Altina.
As soon as the love of her life was out of eyesight Fie felt all her energy leave her body, causing her head to impact the table she was sitting at with a pitiful groan.
"Aww, look at that. Her man hasn't even been gone for a full minute and she's already given up on life. How adorable~"
"...Shut up, Sara." She mumbled through the table as not even the teasing of her sister could get her to lift her head up. It was only the sound of the obnoxious woman reaching for her ARCUS with clear intention of snapping a picture to further ruin her already battered reputation that she reluctantly turned her head to glare in that direction.
She sighed as Sara seemed wholly unaffected by her gaze. She would need to work on that at some point lest more people start becoming immune to her look. "Don't be sad, Fie. I'm sure Rean will have a good time gallivanting around Erebonia with a pretty girl while you're stuck in here handling paperwork."
The pregnant woman let out a yawn. Did Sara actually think she could make her jealous like that? Sure if it were Alisa or Laura or Emma she might be a little concerned. Hell, even his own sister still occasionally gave her lover a longing glance. But Altina?
That being said, Fie could have done without the reminder that her future would be filled with paperwork and other boring jobs like that.
"Actually, speaking of paperwork..." Damnit, Toval! "Have you considered what you plan on doing? Given how short-staffed we are with receptionists you could probably pick any job you wanted. Filing mission requests, communicating with HQ, working at our subordinate branches..."
She winced at each of those suggestions. Handling mission requests was like ninety percent paperwork. HQ was filled with boring old people who really did not like her as they were all boring traditionalists. As for going to the other branches, what possible reason could compel her to travel across the country to hang out away from home-
Wait...
She lifted her head as an idea came to mind.
Sara giggled, clearly having realized what was going through her mind. "Really, Fie? Are you that desperate?"
"Of course not!" She hotly replied, despite the fact that everyone clearly knew better. "But I heard that Franky has been running the Bareahard branch by himself for a few months now. I know he's been asking for a vacation to go back home."
"Uh huh. How utterly selfless and noble of you." Sara did not seem convinced in the slightest.
Time for a different approach. "I won't destroy your six hidden stashes of booze."
This caused the blonde man to perk up. "Six? I only know of four. Where are the others?"
"I discovered two hidden compartments built into the foundation of this building." She answered proudly.
"Ah. That makes sense. We really dropped the ball when we put Sara in charge of reconstruction efforts after the jaeger attacks..."
"Jerks." Sara replied, but the grin never left her face. "You still seem pretty desperate to me. I wonder what everyone will think when I tell them..."
Fine. If she wanted to play hardball than it was time for Fie to offer up her ace. "I'll send you a picture of the face Rean will make when he walks through that door and finds me sitting there." Throw Rean under the bus instead! And it wasn't like he didn't deserve it after those rude comments he made a couple weeks back. "You just know his reaction will be amazing."
"Alright, you've got yourself a deal. My lips are sealed."
"Ooh, can you send that to me too?" She grinned and nodded at Toval. "Heh. Awesome. I'll even call ahead for you if you want to hurry to the airport. Next flight to Bareahard should be pretty soon."
She nodded in appreciation. "Thanks, Toval." She rose from her seat and made her way to the door.
"Hey, morons?" She paused and looked back at the older woman's voice. Obviously Sara wasn't referring to her with that. It was probably Toval and his imaginary friend. Either that or the North Ambrian was drunk and seeing doubles. "Four? Six? I have nine stashes. Do better next time." The older woman smiled obnoxiously and held two fingers up in a victory pose.
Rean smiled softly as he followed his tiny partner off the train and once again took in the sights of Bareahard. It truly was a beautiful city. Jusis was doing a great job in running the place.
And best of all, he didn't have to listen to Fie's constant complaints about how the place was filled with 'pompous noble windbags', even if he privately agreed with her assessment.
As the duo made their way through the city he noticed that Altina was gazing in the direction of the Noble District, or more specifically, the Albarea mansion. "C'mon Altina. We need to report you in first. We don't even know it Millium is here today." Despite the criticism he couldn't keep the grin off his face.
Especially as Altina couldn't help but flush slightly once she realized she had been caught. "I know that..." She defended herself weakly. But as always she was quick to reign in her emotions. "And Rean? It is Millium. I am certain that she has been abusing her connections to the Intelligence Division and already knows that we are here."
He couldn't help but laugh sheepishly. That was definitely something that Millium would do.
They did their best to ignore the gazes of others as they approached the branch office. It would be no small stretch to say that Rean's standing among the nobility had taken a massive hit as news that he had given up his noble heritage. He could understand and accept their anger even if he never once regret the decision he had made. That being said, the odd comment he overheard about how his common-born lover was a bad influence did bug him quite a bit.
In fairness, it was somewhat true. Fie truly was a terrible influence on him. But that didn't change the fact that she was the best thing to ever happen to him.
He couldn't help but worry about her. Sure she was the most capable person he knew, but at the same time she got easily bored. And a bored Fie was a dangerous Fie. The others did promise that they would check in on her from time to time so hopefully she didn't just spend her days sleeping away like when they were students. He let out a worried sigh as he pushed open the door to the Bareahard Bracer Guild. Knowing her she would-
"Welcome to the Bracer Guild!" He froze. That was not Franky's voice. In fact, that was not the voice of any receptionist he knew. But there was no possible way... "Are the two of you here to place a request?" It totally was! Beside him Altina let out a mournful sigh as he looked up at the speaker.
Somehow the woman who had been occupying his thoughts was standing right in front of them, with the widest most mirthful grin possible on her face and her orbment in hand. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words refused to come. That only made Fie prove him wrong as her grin grew even wider. She was totally recording him! "F-Fie!?"
"...What are you doing here?"
"C'mon, Altina. I know you're new to the bracer business, but surely you know that guild buildings usually have a receptionist. That would be me, in case it wasn't obvious."
"What? Why? H-How?" He paused as he realized he wasn't making any sense. Taking a few seconds and a deep breath he allowed himself to clear his mind to focus on the situation at hand. Soon enough the answer presented itself. "...Did you seriously transfer yourself down here? Really, Fie?"
Altina narrowed her eyes at him. "You say that, but you are smiling."
He actually had to raise a hand up to confirm that yes indeed his mouth was curling upward, rendering any attempt at being stern with his love a losing battle, not that he ever thought he had a real shot at it. "Haha, I guess I am. Still...Really, Fie?" He repeated at last. "Did you fly an airship down here just to beat us to the punch?"
"...I told you we should have taken Claiomh Solais."
The surprisingly receptionist shrugged. "I thought it would be funny. And I was right. It really was. The others are gonna love it too. The two of you couldn't have been any more different in your reactions."
Should he feel glad that Altina was there to share in his humiliation, or regret that his dear friend was about to suffer because of him? Whatever. Best to let Fie have her fun. That being said... "Alright, fine. Just as long as you remember that we're here for Altina."
Of course such a warning was enough to earn him a fierce glare and scowl from the veteran bracer. "Who do you take me for? Sara? I know that!" She pointed to the request board. "I've been organizing the available requests and have found some good beginner tasks for her to handle. We both know how good of a fighter she is so I made sure to emphasis requests that focus on other tasks that bracers do."
Rean raised his arms in mock surrender. "Sorry. Didn't mean to underestimate you like that." And he meant it too. Sure she might protest and complain about the situation a lot, but at the end of the day he knew nobody more professional and dedicated than Fie. She might put her own unique spin on things, but she would get the job done.
He really could do with less complaints and protests, however.
"Good." She nodded her head decisively, accepting her victory with grace. "That being said, I wasn't sure if the two of you wanted to handle something today or not, given how late it is. There are a couple nearby monster exterminations if you want one or you can just relax a bit and start tomorrow."
She made a valid point. Although it was still light out that wouldn't hold true for long. But this wasn't his decision to make. "What do you think? Normally I would suggest we hold off and search for accommodations, but I doubt that will be an issue here."
Altina tilted her head in thought. "...We will start tomorrow. I'm hungry."
The two Old Class VII members shared an amused glance. "Think you can wait like half an hour?" Fie asked. "I just need to file a couple reports and am waiting on one last bracer to report in before I can close up for the night."
"Of course." This time Rean chose to overstep his authority and answer for Altina. Fortunately the girl didn't seem to be bothered by his decision.
It actually ended up being closer to a full hour by the time Fie was finished, but that ended up not being an issue as Rean took the initiative to explain the mission request process to an attentive Altina. Considering the similarities it shared to what Special Operations had done during their field studies he knew the younger girl would have no problems with any of it. Eventually that final bracer showed up and the two subtly eavesdropped as she reported in her mission completion so Altina had a better idea what was expected of her.
Shortly after she exited the three remaining occupants left together with Fie shutting off the lights and locking the door behind her. "So where to next?" She asked Altina.
There was nobody alive who knew Altina better than he did, and since she wasn't looking at him he turned to Fie and mouthed the word 'pancake'. "I would like pancakes." His victorious grin was enough for his lover to snort in amusement. That reaction was enough for the rabbit to narrow her eyes in suspicion and look between the two.
"I am sure that can be arranged." He answered, quickly schooling his face under her suspicious gaze. "But you might have to wait a few minutes. While we were waiting I messaged Millium to let her know that we would be free..."
Altina leveled him a flat unimpressed glare. Fie meanwhile let out a giggle before perking up. "Don't think we're gonna need to wait that long."
It took a second, but he quickly understood what she was getting at. There was a presence approaching the guild at a rapid speed. He couldn't help but let out his own laugh as Altina sensed it last, paling rapidly in realization.
"Tiiiiiiiiiilllllyyyyyyyyyyyy!"
An excited blue missile slammed into the little white-haired girl at full force, threatening to send both to the cold Bareahard ground. Fortunately for them both Rean and Fie had the foresight to position themselves to catch the two girls before anything bad could occur. Once he was sure that Altina had regained her footing he released her from his grip, earning a tiny grateful nod from the young bracer. Fie, having done the same for Millium, didn't get that much as the excitable girl didn't even seem to notice her in her delight at seeing her sister. "Tilly! It's been so long!"
"...Two weeks is not a long time."
"It was for me! But look at you now! A bracer! And you get to go around fighting the baddies with Rean! That's so cool!"
"Haha. It's good to see you again, Millium." He couldn't help but give the white rabbit a pat on the head as a greeting. A big mistake, in hindsight, given who the rest of their party consisted of. Hurriedly he pulled his hand back after hearing growls in unison.
If nothing else Fie's jealous noises were finally enough for Millium to notice her presence. "Fie! What are you doing here? My contacts only told me that Tilly and Rean were coming." Altina shot him a smug look.
"I'm just that good."
"Oh this is so awesome! Jusis is gonna be so happy to see you!"
"What in Aidios's name is she doing here?" Jusis pinched the bridge of his nose as if warding off a sudden headache as he beheld the group that Millium led to the Albarea Estate.
Fie blinked in shock. "Wow. Rude." That was the kind of reaction she expected from someone like Sara or Crow. "Happy to see you too."
"It is not that I am unhappy to see you, it is simply the fact that your presence tends to bring out the worst in Rean. I have no desire to be abandoned to a terrible fate by my so-called friend again."
Ah, so that was what it was all about. Not a surprise, really. Reactions to Rean's stunt had been... mixed. It had taken many assurances, bribes, and even headpats before most of the others finally forgave the two bracers, but it seemed that some lingering resentment still remained. "Fine. Whatever. I can see when I'm not wanted. Just be prepared to read an article in the story about how the new Duke Albarea threw a pregnant woman onto the streets in the middle of winter." Considering she now owned one of their reporters it certainly wouldn't be hard to do.
Jusis rolled his eyes, clearly not at all intimidated by her threats. "I speak in jest, obviously. Your presence, surprising as it is, is not unwelcome. That being said, the two of you will not be sharing a guest room this time. My maids had some less than pleasant things to say about your previous stay."
Ah. That. "Yeah, that one was my bad. Sorry."
"If you truly were sorry you would not be grinning like our former instructor." Ouch. That was a low blow.
"I know! You can sleep in my room with Tilly and me!"
Fie nodded in agreement to Millium's idea. Sure the two homunculi weren't Rean, but she could see herself having fun alongside them. And even if Millium didn't let her get her precious beauty sleep she could probably get away with taking naps during her new boring job.
"Haha. I guess that leaves me sleeping by myself." She did feel a little bad for Rean, but he would have been prepared for that eventuality before her surprise arrival, so not much had actually changed. His expression did shift as his gaze turned to their final member. "Is everything alright, Altina? You've been nearly silent since we got here?"
True enough. The girl had given a short greeting and that was it. Instead she seemed rather miffed by something based on the pout she was wearing. "...I was promised pancakes."
Jusis shot a flat look at the three bracers. "Seriously? I do not mean to brag, but some of the finest chefs in all of Erebonia are in my employ. Are you sure you do not wish for something a little more intricate?" Altina's unwavering stare was her only answer. Jusis sighed. "Fine." He clapped his hands once and a butler approached. "Arnauld, could you please inform the chefs that... pancakes are to be served alongside dinner. And let them know that I am sorry for this coming on such short notice."
"At once, Lord Jusis."
Fie couldn't help but share an amused look with Rean as Altina nodded once to signify her victory, Millium began chattering excitedly about something mundane, and Jusis looked as if he were questioning his path in life. If nothing else the next week would certainly prove to be interesting for the group.
Later that evening Rean found himself sitting in a ridiculously comfortable chair with a non-alcoholic drink in hand as he conversed with his friend. After dinner Millium had wasted little time in dragging the two other girls off to her own room. He would let them have their fun, but hopefully they didn't stay up all night.
"...So that's the situation?"
"Indeed." Jusis confirmed. "Naturally it is not nearly as bad as it was during your first visit here, but it is becoming tense. Even I am limited in what I can do to contain it."
Rean let out a sigh. He wasn't at all surprised to find out that the trend of nobles doing their best to reassert control over the country had been continuing, as much as he wished otherwise. For all of his many faults, his biological father had done a good job of modernizing Erebonia, but with him out of the picture the foundations he had lain were now slowly eroding.
He doubted they would get far as most Erebonians seemed content with the status quo, especially as the nation was slowly recovering from the war and the costly reparations it had to pay after. And with Jusis, Musse, Patrick, and Angelica either running or assisting in the leadership of the Four Great Houses he trusted that the situation would be resolved eventually. Still...
"Well, I'm here for the next week or so, so if there's anything you need help with just forward a request to the guild."
The Duke arched an eyebrow. "I thought bracers were supposed to remain apolitical?"
"Sure." The Divine Blade agreed with a careless shrug. "But I'm sure there are some things that you can present as a danger to the citizenry. As long as the local receptionist approves – Which is Fie, by the way – I see no reason why I shouldn't accept the request."
Jusis barked out a short laugh. "I stand corrected. I thought Fie's influence was a bad thing, but it seems to also have some unexpected benefits. I did not think you would so willingly skirt the rules like that."
"It was either that or I offer to help you as a friend, but I have a funny feeling that you would rather do it this way." Jusis was the first person to call him out on his bad habit of selflessness, if he recalled correctly. In this same city, too! "At least this way you would be forced to pay us for our work."
The Albarea's grin widened. "Just so. And mira certainly is no issue. Very well, I am sure that I can find a few trivial tasks for our favorite hero and Erebonia's most overqualified junior bracer to handle."
"I'm looking forward to it." He just managed to stifle a yawn that threatened to burst forth. "I guess that's a sign that I should get some rest." He rose from his seat. "Good night, Jusis."
"Good night, Rean."