"Ngh..." Once again Rean found himself waking up in a different location. At least this time he found himself in a warm bed and not a mountain top. "Where am I... now...?"
The sound of deep breathing drew his blurry eyes to the other occupant of the room. "Celine?" The cat was sleeping on his desk. Wait. His desk? "This looks just like my room..."
As a matter of fact, looking around he discovered indeed that it was his bedroom in Ymir. Wanting to make sure he wasn't merely dreaming, he forced himself to shaky feet and went over to the window. Cracking it open he confirmed that he was in fact back at his hometown. And that it was cold. Very cold. This time recollection of the most recent events came a lot easier than it had on top of that mountain. Hopefully this meant he hadn't been sleeping for another month.
"Why'd it get so cold all of a sudden...?" Celine yawned out as she woke up. Rean did feel kinda guilty about that one. The cat stretched like only a cat could before turning sharp eyes on him. "Oh, you finally woke up?"
"Yeah, just a second ago. How about you? Feeling better after a cat nap?" He couldn't help but grin to himself. That was a good pun.
So why did Celine look so annoyed by it? "Hmph. I guess." Still, credit where credit was due, the cat chose not to claw his eyes out for it. "I slept more than I meant to, actually."
"You're awake!" Came a female cry from the door of his room.
He already knew who it was from earlier events, but even so, it was still such a relief to him to see his sister there with him. "Elise!" He wasn't sure what else to say to her. "Umm... Good morning. Actually, it's probably closer to noon now, isn't it?" Aidios bless Elise and her ability to ignore her big brother's awkwardness as she rushed towards him and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. "Elise...?
"Oh, I'm so happy that you're awake! You don't know how scared I was! There was all that chaos in the capital, and then we lost all contact with you. We had no idea where you were..." Another painful reminder of how much his actions affected those around him. He could only imagine how terrifying it would have been to lost contact with Elise for an entire month only to find her half-dead on top of a mountain had their positions been reversed. I'm just so... so... relieved..."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for worrying you so much, Elise."
She pulled away from him and shook her head emphatically, but it was impossible to hide the lingering traces of tears. "No... No you don't need to apologize. I knew that somewhere out there, you were all right... and that you'd come back safe. Welcome home, Rean."
"It's good to be back... And thanks."
The sound of giggling drew the two siblings from the moment. "I see the two of you are just as adorable as ever."
Right. When he had encountered Elise in the mountains she wasn't alone. Sure enough, standing in the doorway was Princess Alfin and Toval. "P-Pardon...?" Elise questioned in obvious embarrassment.
"Good morning, Rean. And to you as well, Elise."
While the princess still had a teasing grin on her face, the bracer of the group looked far more relaxed. "Hey there. Just swingin' by to see how you're holding up." The two entered the room. "You've been fast asleep since we brought you back here yesterday."
Rean wanted to sigh. Yet another day lost to sleep. At least this time was actually sleep and not whatever it was that month on the mountain had been. His body felt a lot better now. "I don't have any serious injuries, at least. But I doubt I'd be able to say that if you hadn't come when you did. Thanks, Toval."
"I suppose I owe you my thanks, too. That art of yours didn't come a moment too soon." It appeared that Celine could show gratitude after all.
Toval waved it off as if saving their lives had been no big deal at all. "Haha. You're both very welcome. I just didn't want to give these two young ladies anything to cry about." Elise too looked grateful for the older man's heroism.
"I see you're finally up." Yet another voice interjected. But given where they were it wasn't a surprise. This time it was his parents entering the room, with Lord Teo Schwarzer being the one to have spoken.
"Dad! Mom!" Not a surprise, but still a sight that the swordsman was grateful for. Being safe and reunited with his entire family...
His mother smiled gently at the group. "Hello, Rean. It's wonderful to see you back home."
"I imagine you have plenty of questions running through your mind, but first and foremost is getting you something to eat. We can discuss what to do from here on out after that."
A part of Rean wanted to argue with that, as he was absolutely starving for information on what had happened in the Empire and especially Trista. But the mention of food made him realize that he was starving for a whole lot more. It had been an entire month since he had last eaten anything. How was he even still alive? So as much as he wanted to know more, mom's cooking came first.
The meal presented to him might have been really tasty. He, however, would never know as tasting the food would require slowing down enough to pay attention and he was too busy making up for lost time. He probably felt a little embarrassed at eating like an animal in front of his family and the princess, but it wasn't enough to stop him and they seemed quite amused by his actions.
Eventually he was satiated and the true meeting could begin. "It's been a month now since that so-called Noble Alliance occupied Heimdallr. " His father began solely for his sake. "At present, they have effectively all of the nation's major cities under their control. The Imperial Army tried what they could to stop their advances, but the majority of their forces have already been defeated."
"I had a feeling that would be the case." Despite the grimness of the situation, it was the most logical outcome after everything Rean had experienced back at Trista. Still, if there was one surprise in all of this... "If nothing else, at least you two are safe." Elise and the princess being in Ymir was not something he would have ever guessed.
It was the princess who answered his silent question. "We were at St. Astraia when the capital was occupied, so we were caught up in the chaos, too. It was only thanks to Toval appearing and rescuing us that we're sitting here now."
Not only did he save his life, but he was also responsible for rescuing his sister and Alfin? It sounded like Rean really owed a lot to the Erebonian bracer. "What were you doing there, Toval?"
"I got an urgent request to escort Her Highness and Miss Elise to safety. As soon as I got that, I booked it there as fast as I could." The older man smirked, clearly anticipating what Rean wanted to ask next. "I'd never turn down a personal request from Prince Olivert, you know."
"Prince Olivert asked you?" Well, that explains it.
Another person that Rean owed a lot to. He was about to ask about the whereabouts of the prince when Elise spoke up. "He kindly escorted us out of the capital, successfully evading the Noble Alliance's attempts to pursue us... and roughly ten days later, we were able to reach Ymir."
"I'm just so glad that you made it here safely..." Rean couldn't help but agree with his mom. That could not have been an easy journey for the two girls.
"Unfortunately," The baron cut in, drawing all eyes to himself. "it appears His Majesty the Emperor and Crown Prince Cedric fell into the alliance's hands. The official story is that both of them have been taken into protective custody, so they're both rumored to be safe. However, Prince Olivert's whereabouts currently remain unknown."
Although his question had been answered, his curiosity regarding the prince's fate was not yet sated. "There's not even a confirmation that he's safe somewhere? That's... more than a little worrying."
"You needn't be so concerned. I'm sure he's perfectly well. He made it through the chaos in Liberl last year unharmed, as you know. He's always been a resilient one." Alfin's easy smile displayed her confidence in that statement, but it slowly gave way to a worried frown as she thought about the rest of her family. "As for Cedric, father, and mother, I'd like to believe they're all right, too..."
It was clear that Alfin was struggling with her concern for her loved ones, just as Rean was. "I'm... I'm sure they are, Your Highness." Elise comforted her best friend as best she could.
"I'm worried about the Imperial family as much as anyone, but if you don't mind me interjecting..." Toval looked directly at the young swordsman. "Rean, I imagine you're probably most concerned about what happened to Trista and Thors. Luckily for you, we've managed to get some info on that front."
He felt his heart begin to race. Finally, the most important matter (at least in his opinion)." Raising to his feet he slammed his hands onto the table. "Please, tell me everything you know! What's happening over at the academy?! Is everyone all right!?" He yelled in a rush, desperate to know more.
"I don't think this will come as much of a shock to you, but..." The bracer trailed off, and Rean braced himself for what he knew was coming next. "...both Trista and Thors Military Academy are completely under the Noble Alliance forces' control now. They were both taken over not long after the war began."
"...No..." Was that it? Were all of his Classmates being held captive by the nobles? Or worse? They would not have given up so easily. Could Crow have actually... He slumped back into his chair as a feeling of despair washed over him. Everyone looked at him with concern. "No matter how much I thought about it, I didn't want to believe it was true... What about the students and our instructors?"
The bracer gave a helpless shrug. "Honestly, I wish there was more I could tell you. There're rumors that they resisted being occupied as long as they could, but not much more than that."
"Try not to let concern get the best of you." His dad spoke up. It's too early to presume the worst has happened."
"Yeah." Toval continued. "I'm with Lord Schwarzer here. On the contrary, some rumors would even suggest the opposite."
Rean looked up. "What rumors?" He asked hopefully.
"Word has it that a number of students and staff are unaccounted for. And the Noble Alliance is still trying to find them."
"Then that means..." Elise spoke up for him, the implications obvious for all.
But he felt compelled to ask it regardless. "Have some of them managed to escape?!"
"Well, rumors are rumors." Toval did his best to temper his expectations, but even still Rean couldn't help but feel a swell of hope inside him. "Still, your classmates and Sara have more than gotten their feet wet at this point. I can't see them being taken down easily. The odds seem pretty good if you ask me. What say you?"
If the choice was between believing that his classmates were still out there or that they had been captured... "Ha... What else can I say?"
"I would have to agree." Rean blinked. He had honestly forgotten that Celine was there as she spent most of the time napping peacefully in front of the fireplace.
"Celine...?"
The cat ignored Alfin as she turned her gaze onto him. "I couldn't tell you where she is right now... but Emma's still alive. That's guaranteed."
"You can tell?"
"I'm her familiar, so we've got a link of some kind between us. If anything were to happen to her, trust me – I'd know about it. All I know is that she's alive, though. Nothing else." That was enough for him. If Emma was alive than he was certain that others were as well. A more capable group of students he had yet to meet.
The blond-bracer nodded his head towards the cat. "Anyway, there's no point assuming the worst when there's every chance that it hasn't happened. So try keeping the faith, all right?" He grinned at the younger male. "Think of it this way: they're probably just as worried about you as you are for them. And yet here you are, safe and sound."
Rean contemplated his words. He hadn't even considered how worried the others must have been for his sake. And yet everything somehow worked out for him. "You've... got a point, actually."
"...Safe and sound you may very well be, but you're hardly in peak condition." His father probably sensed his desire to immediately begin searching the country for his friends and was quick to put a lid on that idea. "Take this chance to stay home for a time and recover your strength."
"And while you're here, why not go pay everyone a visit?" Lucia added helpfully. "The whole village has been eagerly awaiting your recovery."
"That's true. I think they'd all be delighted to see you. And, umm... if you'd like, I'd be happy to accompany you."
Rean pondered on their words. It was true that it had been a while since he visited the townsfolk, as Class VII's stay in Ymir a couple months prior hadn't really afforded him much of a chance to catch up with anyone outside of the resort. Still, while he was recovering, he wasn't an invalid. "Thanks for the concern, Elise, but I'll be fine on my own. Honest." He turned back to the owner original of the original question. "That sounds like a good idea, Mom. I think I'll do just that."
It surprised him just how much relief he felt at seeing his hometown looking the same as ever. The only real change between his previous visit and now was that a natural snowfall now blanketed the ground. It made all of the recent trouble feel so far away, even if only for a brief instant.
The people were much the same, too, even if the war was having an effect on them. Lio and Camilla were running the goods store, but were struggling to maintain a healthy supply network with everything going on. Luke had started working at the cable car station, but trips were extremely limited as the Noble Alliance controlled all the territory at the foot of the mountain.
The tavern was just the same, too. Kiki was still as sharp-tongued and Moritz as drunk as ever. The owner, Gerald, was still the kind man who took care of Rean and his sister when they were kids. He even offered the swordsman a free meal of pancakes, which he shared with the only other occupant of the bar, Toval.
Speaking of Toval, Rean found himself impressed with the easy-going bracer. Despite his laid-back attitude, it was clear that the older man had a good head on his shoulders, although that was probably to be expected if one were to make it as a bracer in Erebonia. Although his information was limited, the man shared what little he knew of events outside of Ymir. It seemed the guild was doing what they could to help the people, but with their numbers so limited and the chaos in Erebonia they weren't accomplishing all that much, especially with many jaeger corps now finding employment with the war. Still, they were trying.
More interesting to Rean himself, however, was the news that Toval wasn't actually the one to originally find him in the mountains. He claimed that two days prior a mysterious person called him and informed him of exactly where Rean could be found. It made little sense, but as there was little that could be done with that information for now Rean contented himself with putting it on the back of his mind for the moment.
Biding the bracer farewell for now, Rean found himself back outside of the tavern when he noticed his sister and Celine at the foot bath. From what he could see, it seemed that Elise was thanking an obviously uncomfortable Celine for saving his life. The warm milk sitting in front of the cat was extra testament to that fact.
Rean wasn't quite sure where Elise had gotten the idea that Celine had saved his life, and given just how awkward Celine was looking he didn't think it was her suggestion. Still, he could see why someone would make that assumption and was willing to leave it be, until an off-hand comment from Celine triggered an old memory.
...Didn't Elise say that she had been following a strange cat when she entered the Old Schoolhouse all those months ago? That same incident that ended with her unconscious on the ground with a giant armored monster standing over her? And wouldn't Celine qualify as a strange cat?
Said strange cat saw the look he was sending her and suddenly looked a lot more nervous. "Don't give me that look!" She whispered so his sister wouldn't hear. "I wouldn't have led her in there if I didn't think it was safe, you know! I was desperate. You just had such a halfhearted reaction to that door, so I started getting impatient, and..."
With his suspicion confirmed Rean glared down at the little creature. "I can't believe you! She could've-"
"She wasn't in any danger, h-honestly!" The nervous cat stammered. "The guardian in there was designed not to attack people unrelated to the trial. It didn't touch her even when she was right in front of it, right? That's proof enough!" Rean still wasn't convinced and she seemed to notice that. "...I'm sorry, okay? I never should've done it to begin with. Emma's lectured me over and over about it, too..."
"Umm..." Elise looked between Rean and the cat with a confused expression on her face. It made sense, as while the two had been whispering, the conversation did get heated and he was not surprised that she had at least heard something.
Rean let out a sigh. For the sake of not getting Elise involved in the conversation he decided to leave it be. And Celine did seem genuinely apologetic for her actions. He supposed he could forgive her... this time. Leaving the obviously uncomfortable cat to his sister's attention was suitable punishment in his opinion.
Next Rean decided to stop in at the church, but was distracted as he saw a pair of fresh tracks in the snow heading out of the village. He knew his father had been out hunting recently, but he would always use their family horse, Arthur. These tracks were that of a human. Curious, Rean decided to follow them into the valley.
He didn't need to go far before he received a most curious answer. It was a woman happily fishing away without a care in the world. What surprised him the most, however, was that he recognized this woman. Wasn't she the strange noblewoman that Class VII had helped during their field studies a couple times?
Come to find out, she was. Annabelle was her name and she informed Rean that she had traveled to Ymir after the Civil War began. More interestingly, she admitted that she had been traveling with Kenneth before getting separated. Concerning, but at least it confirmed to Rean that many Thors students were indeed on the run. Seeing that he was a friend of the Lakelord family member, Annabelle kindly offered Rean her spare fishing rod. Handy since his old one was back in the dorm and he had no idea if he would ever see it again.
With that out of the way he continued back to his original destination of the church. Father Bernard had always been a font of wisdom for him when he was a troubled youngster and Sister Lisa had been like a kind older sister, so letting them both know he was fine was a high priority.
What he wasn't expecting, was to find Princess Alfin there deep in prayer. She didn't notice his approach until he was practically on top of her. Once she did she turned to him with her usual kind smile on her face, but Rean wasn't fooled.
He had been so focused on his worries about Class VII that he had barely stopped to think about how the situation was affecting others around him. Alfin might have been the worst off with her entire family either in captivity or missing. And yet there she was trying to put on a brave front to the world around her.
Time for his tried and true strategy. It was probably all kinds of illegal to be head-patting the princess of the nation, but it seemed to convey his feelings well enough to the girl. "I realize I'm the last person who has any right to say this, but there's no need to force yourself to bottle everything up and put on a brave face. I know how worried I am about my classmates, so I can only imagine how you must feel..."
"I..." The princess tried to keep up appearances, but at the end of the day she was a fifteen year old girl that was scared out of her mind. He wasn't surprised when she started crying. He was, however, surprised when she buried her head in his chest as the tears began to fall. Awkwardly he returned the gesture and held her while she let it all out.
After a few long seconds the princess pulled away from him. "I-I'm fine now..." She took a moment to wipe away any stray tears before looking up at him with a teasing smirk. "Now I see why you're so popular with other girls. If only I had met you sooner. Ah well..."
Rean sweatdropped nervously. How was he supposed to respond to that? Alfin seemed to find amusement in his struggle and took pity on the boy and instead declared him to be her new older brother. The two continued chatting about Ymir and other miscellaneous topics for a few minutes longer before Rean excused himself to continue touring the town.
Although it had only been a couple months since his last visit, he thought it would be remiss to not at least check in on the people at The Phoenix Wings. Mr. Baggins, the manager, was quite pleased to see him again, as were Maple and Purple. Sadly, with the war going on, business at the resort had completely dried up, but his father and the rest of the townsfolk had taken it upon themselves to make sure the place stayed afloat. The head chef, Werner, even took the time to show him how to make onigiris. Elise used to make them for him when he was training and he loved them then, so Rean was quite happy to be able to do so for himself now.
All in all it was great to see the village was the same as ever. The war was an issue, but the people of Ymir were resilient folks and Rean had no doubt that they would continue to hang on despite it all. Still, as nice as it was see everyone again, he couldn't help but feel as if he no longer fully belonged. Ymir was his hometown, but it was no longer truly his home. That was at Thors with Class VII.
Returning the the Schwarzer mansion, Rean was soon assaulted by something that smelled very very good. As much as he loved his earlier meal, he had had a suspicion that his mom would want to do something a little more elaborate for dinner and that suspicion appeared to be confirmed. Making his way into the kitchen he discovered that she was putting the final touches on a very tasty smelling pheasant stew.
Listening to her, he felt guilty that his actions had caused so much worry for so many people, but resolved to do better. As hard as it was for him to accept, people truly did care about him. In return he had to be the best that he possibly could, as a son, a brother, or as a classmate.
Father was in his office and from him Rean got a more involved look at the situation in the Empire as a whole. All the cities and most of the heartland were firmly under the Noble Alliance's control, but the Imperial Army, while scattered, was still resisting stubbornly where possible. Ymir, being on Erebonia's fringes, had been able to avoid the eyes of the great houses. Still, with Princess Alfin with them there was always the chance of something happening...
The baron also informed Rean that Viscount Arseid was missing. That was concerning. While Rean had firsthand experience at just how powerful the swordmaster truly was, he still couldn't help but worry. He was, after all, the father of the girl he was dating.
He still had a little time to kill and briefly considered a trip to the hot springs now that they were open, but decided against it. Although the chance to relax did sound good, he still had a lot he wanted to take care of. And he had the feeling that taking a bath right now would feel lonely, especially after the remarkable event that occurred the last time he spent at that hot spring.
Instead he decided to once again seek out Celine. His hostility on the mountain towards the feline was inexcusable and she deserved an apology, at the very least. He found the cat in her original place with Elise.
Come to find out Celine had had the same idea. She admitted that she still struggled to understand humans and their emotions, but understood enough to know that she had come across as rather tactless. It was actually rather entertaining to see her struggling like he had been. The humor of the situation was enough to raise his morale.
...And that was when Ymir was rocked by a familiar roar.
A few minutes later Rean found himself back in front of the Schwarzer estate with his family, Celine, Toval, and the princess there. There the young swordsman and the magical cat proceeded to explain what they knew about the magic knight they had encountered. Celine appeared quite convinced that it was headed straight for Ymir and that was due to Rean's status as the Ashen Awakener.
"Well, that makes it easy." The solution was obvious. "If it's after me, then I should be the one to go out and stop it."
Unsurprisingly the others looked concerned. "But you'd be putting yourself in danger..."
Elise wasn't wrong, but Rean was undeterred. "I'll be fine." He was the only one with experience in fighting that machine, after all. "And I won't let it get anywhere near the village. In a way, I have to. If I can't do this, what hope do I have of getting Class VII back together again?"
His dad gave him a critical look before nodding his head. "Well, sounds like your mind's made up. And you appear to have recovered enough in my eyes..." That was certainly true. While Rean still didn't think he was back to his peak form, the day of rest had done wonders for his body. "All right, then. I have no objections."
"We'll have all of the villagers ready to evacuate as a precaution. Take care, Rean!" He had expected his mom to object, but she too seemed prepared to place her faith in him.
"Let me come with." While the swordsman wouldn't say he had been relying on Toval's offer of assistance, getting it was a huge weight off his mind. "I doubt I could compare to Sara, but I ain't too shabby in a fight."
The bracer's confidence was infectious and Rean couldn't help but grin in return. "Really? Thank you... I'd feel a lot better having you around, honestly. Okay. So, Toval, Celine? You guys almost ready to head ou-"
"Actually, if you don't mind, Rean..." No. Elise wasn't going to say what he thought she was about to say, was she? "...I would like to come with you."
She would! "You...would?"
"Elise...?"
"This is not an opponent to be taken lightly. A fact I'm sure you're well aware of." Good. With Alfin and Celine there to shoot down her crazy idea she would surely relent...
Sadly, the youngest Schwarzer did not seem too keen on doing what Rean wanted. "I fully understand the dangers this will entail. Combat etiquette is imperative to calling oneself a noble, and I am familiar with the sword style of the Schwarzer family. You've trained me yourself, Rean."
"W-Well, that's true, but..." Curse younger Rean for helping his sister learn how to fence properly! Desperately he turned his pleading eyes towards his parents hoping they would be able to dissuade her.
Unfortunately they didn't appear to get his message. "You're certain that this is what you want to do, Elise?"
"Yes, I am." Her resolve didn't waver at all and Rean had a sinking suspicion that he was about to lose this fight. "My brother has chosen his path, and as his sister, I feel I have a duty to support him. No, not only as his sister – as a daughter of House Schwarzer. I have every intention of doing whatever is within my power."
The lady of the house giggled. "My, how you've grown."
"Indeed. As your father, I couldn't be more proud. Take her with you, Rean." That command signaled an end to any lingering arguments he had remaining. "I have plenty of faith in her abilities as a swordsman, but I also think she would keep you from doing anything too rash."
Elise had a victorious smirk on her face as she giggled happily. Rean couldn't remember the last time he felt so defeated. "D-Dad, come on...!"
"I don't think you've got anything to worry about. She's stronger than you're giving her credit for." Toval reassured. "Like your dad said, she knows her way around a sword, and she's pretty good at using her ARCUS, too. She saved me and Her Highness from more than a few tough spots on our way here, even."
Alfin too seemed to find amusement in his mental breakdown. "That she did. And I'm sure she'll be capable of even more with her beloved brother at her side." She teased happily.
"But still..." He paused as something Toval said filtered through his brain. "Hold on. Since when has Elise had an ARCUS?" Those were supposedly state of the art orbment units that were still brand new! Half of the reason Class VII was formed in the first place was to test those out!"
"Oh. Left that fun detail out when catching you up, didn't I? Prince Olivert gave me a couple of spares, actually. And I had a hunch these two would have a knack for them with a bit of practice, so I showed 'em the ropes on the way here."
Rean gaped. Alfin had one too? Just how much foresight did the prince have, anyways? This was all too much information for him to handle.
"I know you're against her coming with us, but we really don't have much time here." The feline pointed out. "And it's pretty clear that nothing you say is going to change her mind, so I think it's time you gave up and we got going."
Everyone was looking at him with grins on their face, just waiting for his inevitable capitulation. He let out a miserable groan. "Fine! You can come, too, Elise. But don't even think of doing anything that will put you further in harm's way than you need to be! Promise, okay?" He was already planning on keeping an eye on her the entire time. For her sake, of course.
His sister looked elated. "I promise!"
"All right. Let's get ready, then." Toval's final statement caused a flurry of activity as the two parents and princess left to begin prepping the evacuation, while the bracer, the two younger Schwarzers, and the one cat began making their way towards the valley.
With his strength mostly returned to him and three companions fighting at his side Rean was quite confident that he could put up a much better struggle against that fearsome magic knight. But Rean still wasn't sure if it would be enough. Still... He glanced down at Celine as the cat padded along next to him. Her, Toval and Elise weren't the only allies he had in the Eisengard Mountains, were they?