Unmei Force Solitary Legends: Eternal Embers
Chapter 4: Escort in Leanbluff Forest
Inside the Class G-7 homerooms...
"Alright class, I have your spring semester aptitude tests here." Brixham stated, holding a stack of papers, which he immediately straightened up with a few taps on the table, before he then distributed the papers on the table. "I'll start with the notable achievements. Zeri, you have a 98 percent. Impressive as ever. Mischlitt and Isara, you both have achieved a perfect score on the test, although I would have to give extra mentions to Isara, who actually pointed out a error in one of the questions."
"I merely wanted to make sure that this kind of mistake won't trip up other people." Isara answered back calmly.
"Right then, onwards, we have another person who managed to obtain a score over 90 percent." Brixham stated. "Karin, your score is 92. I hope that you'll work harder to keep achieving results like these."
"I will try my best, Mr Brixham." Corrin answered back, receiving her paper.
"And finally, since you're class chair, it is mandatory that your score is to be announced as well." Brixham stated, before he then looked down on Avan's paper. "Hmm..."
"Break it to me easy, Brixy. How'd I do?" Avan asked Brixham.
"I'm actually surprised that you managed to learn a bit. Surprisingly, you're not one of the lowest scores in this class." Brixham stated. "But your score is mediocre at best."
"Whew, you had me worried for a second there." Avan sighed in relief, before he then received his paper, seeing that the mark on it was 63. "Huh, I guess I passed?"
"It would not be a good impression for the class, to be led by a mediocre student, even if your leadership skills have been dazzling." Brixham stated. "I've noticed that you have had several study sessions with Isara and Zeri. If you wish to do better, I suggest you take notes from them."
"I'm surprised that you even passed the test." Zeri stated.
"Hey, I don't need any wise-cracks from you! At least Isara did way better than you." Avan retorted.
"And why do you think that is?" Zeri answered back, before muttering under his breath. "Moron..."
Elma waited for her to receive her paper, as she managed to get a solid A grade at 85 marks, which made her feel a fair bit happy, considering that she did well in the exam, although she didn't do well enough to be praised for her achievement. Isara noticed her slightly disappointed expression, before giving Elma a few comforting pats on the back.
"Don't worry, Elma... You are already doing well enough." Isara answered back with a smile. "I'm sure that the next set of exams will be more easier, once you get used to the curriculum here."
"I'm sure that I can do it..." Elma stated, before she then smiled again, back at Isara. "Thank you for cheering me up, Isara."
"No worries, it's just what friends do for each other." Isara smiled back. "You helped me several times in all those skirmishes and drills. It's only fair you're repaid for your help."
Elma nodded, as Corrin looked at her paper, as she was proud of her achievement, before the class bell rang, and everyone went to their classes.
Inside the drill grounds...
Today was the day for the lancers of Class G-7 to be trained in the drill grounds, as they were put through a obstacle course, being forced to carry their heavy lances, as they crawled through mud, climbed sloped walls, and even walked along narrow wooden bars across a pit of sand, with the various obstacles in their path being quite difficult to traverse with the lance being fastened to their backs.
Marisa watched their performance, as she kept an eye out for anyone who had fallen off-course, and ordering them to get back on the course, while keeping an eye out on how far everyone was, at each period of time. Eventually, there was someone who had completed the obstacle course, as it was Noel, whose beret fell off mid-way through the course, revealing her black hair, muddied by the brown mud stuck all over her body.
"Hah... hah... I'm here, instructor..." Noel huffed in exhaustion.
"Good job, Noel, you're the first out." Marisa answered back. "Go to the nearby showers to clean yourself off. It would be difficult to get the mud off it if it dried up."
Noel wordlessly thanked Marisa, before she then dropped her lance on the ground, before staggering towards the showers located on the edge of the drill grounds, as she took her normal outfit in with her to change back into.
Rene was the next to arrive, as she looked quite excited in completing the course, and she didn't seem to mind being caked in mud.
"Woo hoo! I completed the course, and it was a fun one!" Rene exclaimed. "Think that we'll do this again?"
"If you like it, then I'll be happy to let you run through this course in your free time." Marisa stated. "However, that'll have to wait for a while. Now get yourself washed, Noel's already went to do so."
Rene complied, as she lowered her lance next to Noel's, before then running to the showers.
And the one that came next was Coleen herself, who looked a lot more tired than the other two lancers, as she was using her lance as a makeshift walking pole to support herself against, panting and wheezing hard.
"I-I've made it..." Coleen panted. "Goodness me... I never thought that going through the typical obstacle course with this lance on my back is more difficult than expected..."
"It's alright, Coleen." Marisa assured Coleen. "It's over now. You're done for the day. Take a shower, and while you're at it, go and get some rest, you deserve it."
Coleen smiled weakly back, before she then dropped her lance, and slowly stumbled towards the showers. The last to arrive was Reiner, who didn't look as tired, although he was quite disappointed at himself, being the last one to complete the obstacle course.
"I'm here, coach..." Reiner remarked with a disappointed expression. "I'm sorry that it took me so long to complete this obstacle course. Guess I haven't been training hard enough to be able to complete this course without taking this long."
"It's alright, you managed to clear it regardless." Marisa comforted Reiner. "You still passed, and that's what matters."
Reiner didn't say anything, as he immediately hit the showers to clean himself off. When he left, Marisa immediately turned to leave, as she left the course there, for any other lancers from other classes to use for their own exercises.
Inside the courtyard...
Marisa decided to check up on Noel, considering that she found herself being a little attached to the cheerful girl, as she heard from some of her friends, that she would be around the courtyard at this time of the day. She then noticed a soccer ball shooting towards her direction, as she quickly rose up and braced herself, before she then caught the flying ball with her two hands, as it spun in her hands for a bit, burning them slightly from the friction.
As she lowered the ball, she noticed that Avan was rushing over, as he was waving at her.
"Hey, sorry about that, instructor, it was just an accident!" Avan shouted back. "Mind if you give the ball back, that was Raymond shooting the ball right through the goal net, and across the campus!"
"He shot through the campus...!?" Marisa exclaimed, before she then quickly handed the ball back. "Here, take it, but seriously, tell Raymond to ease up on his strength, or he'll break something!"
"Just what I intend to do. See ya." Avan answered back, before he then disappeared with the ball, as quickly as he came.
"I apologise for taking up your time like this. Thank you for coming." Brixham's voice could be faintly heard in the distance, as Marisa turned in the direction of the conversation, before then slowly walking over to the scene of the conversation.
"No problem at all. So, what can I do for you?" Noel asked, as she was with Brixham, while Marisa decided to keep her distance, in order to avoid being seen, but still hear the conversation.
"The academy had received contact from your father." Brixham answered back with a grim tone, as Noel was shocked to hear that, letting out a shocked 'What!?'. "He mentioned that you have been missing, and that he has been searching for you. He'll be coming by campus within the next few weeks to collect you. I informed him that the academy won't excuse you without your consent. But surely you realise the sway your father holds in the political sphere... It would be unwise to cross him."
"I... I don't want to leave. I like it here." Noel answered back with a sad expression. "And I can't possibly leave instructor Mari, before I finished training with her..."
"Very well, I shall try as well as I'm able to keep you here." Brixham stated. "However, there are no promises that I can hold him back for long."
"...I understand. Thank you for your help, Mr Brixham." Noel thanked Brixham with a sad smile, before Brixham left her alone.
Soon, Marisa approached her, as she looked fairly worried, hearing the entire situation. "Hey, Noel. You don't look so well." She asked her student. "Is something the matter?"
"Hm?" Noel muttered, before she then turned to face Marisa. "Oh, hi, Mari... You... You heard all that, didn't you? I suppose that you must be real concerned about me."
"I expected to see you happy with your school life, not agonising over something like you are now." Marisa answered back. "I know it was rude for me to eavesdrop on the conversation, but I didn't have the heart to disturb the both of you while you were talking. This matter that you talked about Brixham with... It's truly serious... right?"
"Have you ever heard of the Willoch Cartel, instructor?" Noel asked.
"Can't say I have." Marisa shook her head, unsure about what entity Noel was talking about.
"They're one of the most successful enterprises that have many companies under their control." Noel answered back. "I..."
"I get it, I suppose that it makes sense that your name is connected to the head of the organisation." Marisa stated. "I suppose that you were more of a tomboy than a girl with a noble status, so I didn't see the connection until you showed it to me."
"Yeah, unfortunately, my father is the kind that doesn't fancy my dream. He's all 'There's no call for you to risk your neck in combat! Your job is to marry a boy from a good family and carry on the cartel!'" Noel remarked.
"Yesh, what a bad parent. Nobody would use their own daughter as a tool for political marriage." Marisa scowled with disgust about Noel's father.
"Totally unfair, right? He hadn't even asked me WHY I did all of this. It really made me mad, so I up and left under his nose. Ha ha, can you believe that? It was quite easy getting scouted when I used my father's clout to get the academy recruiters to notice me." Noel stated.
"Well, if Brixham is going to help you out, so am I. I'll make sure that your father sees reason, one way or another." Marisa assured Noel.
"I want to stay... But my dad's the sort of guy who always gets his way by any means. Regardless of how it ends, I should at least be ready for a fight." Noel responded back with a dejected expression.
"Heh, I'd like to see him try." Marisa smirked with a cocky tone. "If he thinks he can trump one of the main lancers of Squad 7 that easily, he's got another thing coming, and my friends will help out as well. They all know that people deserve the right to choose their future."
"Really... Yeah, that's right. I suppose that I might be worrying over nothing..." Noel chuckled, before she then frowned. "But still..."
"Take some time to think about it, I think that you might need a break for a few days." Marisa told Noel, before she then left Noel alone.
Inside the class's R&D building...
Richard decided to take a visit inside the R&D building to see how Lavinia was proceeding with the refitting and reinforcing of the class's equipment and weaponry. Considering how the rebels were also developing their own equipment, it was only fair for the class to meet them in a arms race of some sort, with better armour and weaponry. So far, Richard was pleased that Lavinia was doing quite well, despite only having a handful of people under her command to work with.
He then looked around, before he then noticed Marion turning around a corner, as that piqued Richard's interest, as he walked over, following after her silently, without alerting the black-haired noble girl about his presence at all. However, as he followed her, he noticed that she was heading towards a certain section of the building, where his group's personal weapons were stored.
When she went inside the arsenal where the weapons were stored, Richard hid behind one of the metal pillars, as he peeked around the corner to observe Marion, who walked over to the Victoire, before a smile appeared on her lips, as she slowly and carefully lifted the weapon from the rack, holding it in both of her arms.
"I've finally found you... Yes, you're the one..." Marion muttered, before a blissful expression appeared on her face. "Mm. Just lovely... Feeling the almighty weapon of the legendary stormtrooper in my hands... A fully automatic weapon, built with such magnificent design and so many components slotted perfectly together in harmony... Not to mention that the entire weapon is as tall as my torso... Heh heh... This is truly the king of all machine-guns right here and there... I feel like I'm in heaven holding these royal armaments..."
Richard decided that enough was enough, as he moved back, before then making his way towards Marion, making his steps sound particularly loud on purpose, as Marion heard them, causing her to panic, as she quickly placed the weapon back on the rack, and adjusting it carefully, so that it didn't look like it had been tampered.
"Who's there...?" Marion asked, before Richard came into view. "Oh, instructor... What brings you here?"
"I am merely checking upon the status of my own weapon, the Victoire." Richard answered back. "But the question I'll ask you is, what are you doing here? This section of the arsenal is restricted to students typically. Have you got any reason for being here?"
"No, I was just... Er..." Marion tried to explain, as her expression was flustered, and she was fidgeting slightly. "Ms. Lane asked me to come and..."
"And what?" Richard asked again, this time firmly. "I have heard no word from Lavinia that she would be performing any maintenance on our weapons. And there is no other reason that would involve the Victoire otherwise. Marion Siegbahn, are you purposely lying about something? If you intend to steal the Victoire for yourself, just merely because I have forbidden its use for students, then the punishment for it will be severe if I catch you. I suggest you come clean about your actions, because make no mistake, no matter what you can try, I'll hunt you down if you attempt it."
"I... I wouldn't dare...!" Marion exclaimed, before she then looked around frantically. "I'm afraid I really must be going now. Good day, instructor!"
She then hurriedly left the building, while Richard only chuckled to himself. "Gap moe indeed." Richard stated to himself.
Soon, he walked back, before he then made his way towards Lavinia, who was with Isara, as they were doing regular maintenance on the tank, with Isara volunteering to help out Lavinia, as the Darcsen girl was a tank operator like she was before.
"Hello there, Lavinia." Richard answered back. "How is the Granoro doing so far?"
"She's doing pretty fine, thanks to our combined efforts." Lavinia asked back. "Been fitting a better cannon turret onto her, as well as adding extra armour plating on it. We've also been planning on fitting an auxiliary motor onto the turret itself, for better turning speed."
"Well, it might not be as good as old Edelweiss, but we can get there eventually." Richard answered back. "By the way, you should really make a gunner's nest on there. It'll make using the gatling turrets on it much more effective. Edelweiss had one, and I used to be the one manning it, before the job was handed to Aisha."
"We can see about that." Isara answered back. "This kind of tank is surprisingly modular, down to the body itself. We could even make this a heavy tank, with the right materials and fundings."
"Speaking of which... Marion mentioned that you told her to do something inside our personal armory." Richard told Lavinia. "Did you really tell her anything?"
"She was in here, and right there...?" Lavinia answered back. "Well, I guess that she's going to be kept an eye on, when she gets in here. To answer you, no, I didn't. She must have went by us when we were working on the Granoro. Speaking of which, she does occasionally come in here, but she doesn't have any specific errands in mind when she comes here."
"Well, I guess that she might have some interest in the stuff here. It's not a problem, so long as she doesn't do anything... rash." Richard answered back, before turning to leave. "I guess that I'll leave you two to finish your work on the tank."
Inside the courtyards near the gym...
Gus heard from Lotte that she found the location of the fifth wonder of Lanseal, as he came over as soon as he could, as Lotte was waiting for him by the gym entrance.
"Here we are: site of the fifth Lanseal Wonder! The Gym... of Horrors!" Lotte remarked.
"So what's the story behind this one, Lotte?" Gus asked curiously.
"Report after report came in of a floating figure in a empty gym." Lotte explained, gesturing at the gym. "In fact, recent reports state that there was not one, but in fact, two of them appearing in here!"
"I see, so you believe that it's ghosts...? I won't deny the possibility, but don't ghosts usually appear in the night, since the day would make it too easy for them to be spotted?" Gus asked back. "It's just after classes. Four o'clock. Are you sure this is the right time to be investigating?"
"Dude. are you crazy!? Ghosts and stuffed peppers are my biggest nemeses!" Lotte exclaimed, before her expression changed into one of fear. "If I came here at night, I'd be too busy freaking out and screaming my head off to report, dude!"
"I understand what you're doing." Gus answered back. "No need to worry, you have my support."
"Excellent, let's go in!" Lotte stated, before she then slowly creaked the gym doors open. "Quietly, now! Quiet.."
The gym was eerily silent, and there was very little light inside of it, too dim for any of them to see much inside the large building, as Gus shut the door behind them. Right there above them, was a fairly human-like figure, which was moving about with the sound of ropes rustling about, while there was another individual who was moving along the air as well, this time accompanied by the sound of flesh rubbing against wood.
"Woah... So the rumours were true..." Gus remarked, not too afraid of the sight. "Lotte, this is your chance to... Lotte?"
"F-Floating...! Two of them...!" Lotte stuttered, as her expression was pale in fright, raising a shaky finger at the one highest above them, with the rustling noises. "There's really two of them floating here!"
Lotte was frantically trying to hid behind Gus, as she shrunk behind his back, trembling gently. Gus decided to take the chance to make his way to the lights switch of the gym, before he then flicked them on. Right when the lights were turned on, they found Calvaro on the climbing ropes, dressed in gym gear, while Richard was on handle-bars, also dressed in the same way. The two instructors turned their attention to Gus and Lotte, before Calvaro then dropped down.
"What gives? I thought that you cadets had all cleared out?" Calvaro remarked, looking at Lottle, before then turning to Gus. "And what are you doing here with her?"
"Well, I was just simply helping her-" Gus was about to explain, before Lotte rushed out from behind him
"S-Sir!? What's the drill sergeant and our stormtrooper instructor doing in the gym?" Lotte asked frantically.
"What, are you blind? We're training." Calvaro answered back.
"Training?" Gus asked back, before Richard dropped down and met them.
"Well, turns out that Calvaro decided that he wanted to get some physical conditioning of his own here." Richard explained further. "About why I'm here as well... Well, I was the first one to actually catch wind of all of this. Calvaro told me that he wanted a quiet place to train, away from all of the students. The gym after school-hours is the most ideal place for that kind of situation, so he decided to sneak in himself. I didn't blow the whistle on him, because there's no need. Besides, he offered for me to join, and that's why I'm here as well."
"So, that's why there were two figures in recent rumours..." Gus answered back, before looking at the handle-bars and climbing rope. "And that's what made you two look like you were floating mid-air, because it was too dark to see the things you were clinging onto."
"Now get out, we're not done training!" Calvaro shouted. "Now that you know what's happening, don't bother us again!"
Richard then escorted Gus and Lotte out, before shutting the gym doors to continue training.
"Ha... What a let down. The drill sergeant's scary enough, but that's not really news here." Lotte sighed in disappointment.
"So that's five out of seven rumours that have been debunked. I guess that the Lanseal Wonders are not going to be headline news at this rate." Gus stated.
"W-well the other two must be sure to be real!" Lotte exclaimed. "It's just going to take a bit more prepping before the investigation, that's all. We'll tackle that one another day, dude. Meanwhile, I've got film to develop back at the dorms. I got other news to use. Later, chief!"
Lotte then made her way back to the dorms, while Gus decided to go back to taking a break from teaching.
With Elma...
Elma was wandering around the school hallways, as she was feeling a fair bit happy, considering that she managed to be able to get a chance to talk with Magari briefly. Although the reclusive Darcsen girl left after a few words, Elma felt hope that she would able to get a chance to speak with her fully.
However, her good mood was ruined, when she saw that Sofia was trying to lure Avan into trying to become infatuated with her, as she dropped her eraser on the ground, as Avan turned around to see what the noise was about.
"Nn? What's that?" Avan asked back.
"Oops, butterfingers! I dropped my eraser." Sofia told Avan with a sickly sweet tone and smile. "Would you be a doll and get it?"
Before Avan could get the chance to do that, Elma rushed into action, as she quickly picked up Sofia's eraser, much to the latter's shock.
"Here's your eraser, Sofia." Elma told Sofia gently.
"Thank you very much, Elma." Sofia answered back, snatching the eraser from Elma's hand, with a tight expression, as if she was trying her best not to snap in front of Avan, her tone slightly shaky. "I'll be just making my way to my next classes."
Sofia then walked away, although her steps were slightly heavy and shaky. Avan was confused about what made Sofia so agitated, while Elma didn't say a word, and decided to move along to her classes.
A few periods later, Elma caught Sofia trying to seduce Avan again, as she was holding a hand to her chest, and moaning in mock pain. Avan noticed her cries of pain, as he rushed over to her.
"What's wrong!? Are you okay, Sofia?" Avan asked with concern in his voice.
"M-My chest... It hurts. Avan, would you massage it for me?" Sofia asked softly, before she then slowly pushed herself onto Avan.
"Chest pains!? That sounds serious. Hold on one sec!" Avan exclaimed, as he backed away to avoid being wedged by Sofia.
"Wait, let me help! I've been studying medical applications!" Elma shouted, rushing over. "I can help with Sofia's chest pain!"
"Elma! You've come just at the right time! You can help Sofia! You're both female engineers, so there's nothing wrong with you fixing Sofia's chest pains." Avan exclaimed in relief. "I'll go get Brixy, just in case something serious happened to you! Hang tight just a bit more, Sofia!"
Avan then ran off, much to Sofia's irritation, before she then took a deep breath, before she then turned to Elma with livid eyes.
"Do you know what you have just done, girl...?" Sofia remarked with a seething tone, emphasising the last word strongly.
"I know what I've done." Elma answered back just as strongly. "Stop it with Avan. Trying to lure Avan using seductive methods... How could someone like you do that? Why would go that far to capture his heart, only to break it?"
"Because all I care about is showing that this boy Avan, he's no different to any other male, regardless of how he acts." Sofia responded back. "All men are the same, they lure women's hearts around, and play with their emotions, throwing them away when they're not what they initially wanted."
"Then you're acting just the same as any of them!" Elma responded back, before she was then seized by Sofia by the collar.
"So what if I am!? Is there anything wrong about me returning the same 'kindness' that they offered all of us!?" Sofia shouted back with a furious tone. "It's only fair that they get to experience what it's like to have their own hearts shattered for once. I'm sick and tired of you girls taking their lies and deceptions as if its truth, and letting yourselves end up with broken hearts from your own gullible mindsets! And even more, I hate you the most, acting like a pure saintess, protecting men as if they've done nothing wrong at all!"
"Because nothing gets better if people keep on hurting each other!" Elma yelled back, her eyes filled with fury. "If you keep on doing this, you'll end up all alone with no-one to care for you! Is that what you really want, Sofia!? To be hated for the rest of your life by spiting every man you come across!? Not all men are like what you have said. Yes, there are some people who are bad like that, even worse, but most of them wouldn't have this kind of mindset!"
"You annoying little..." Sofia snarled back, before she then forcefully dropped Elma on the ground, as Elma slowly got up, as Sofia turned away, with angry tears leaking from her eyes. "FINE! Keep on believing in that naive fantasy of yours! You're only hurting yourself by deluding yourself like that. I'm not wrong... All men are scum... Not even Rain... Not even Gus... They're no different in the inside... None of them are..."
Elma watched as Sofia stomped away, as she felt some sympathy for the bitter girl, although she didn't say anything, and knew that Sofia was wrong about Gus and Richard.
Inside the drill grounds...
Corrin and Alexis were on the small sparring ring in the drill grounds, as they took their positions, with shields and dulled blades at the ready.
"I suppose that this is the 5th time we have sparred against each other..." Corrin told Alexis. "Are you truly confident that you'll be able to do better this time, Alexis?"
"I have learned about the way you fight, Karin." Alexis answered back, before she then readied her blade and shield. "I won't make it easy for you to claim victory this time."
"In that case... Let us begin." Corrin answered back, answering with a combat stance of her own.
Alexis made the first move, as she swung the blade around the front, in order to bypass the shield. However, Corrin quickly shifted the shield to block the blow, as the blade bounced off. In retaliation, Corrin thrust her blade forward, as Alexis was knocked back slightly, even while using the shield to block the blow.
"You should learn to stabilise your position." Corrin answered back. "If you can't even keep full balance, then your opponent can exploit your weakness.. like this!"
Corrin then smashed her blade forward again, as Alexis was unbalanced even further. Alexis tried to hit Corrin with her blade, although Corrin used her own blade to parry it, flicking it away to stagger the silver-haired girl, before she then did an overhead strike that finally knocked Alexis down on the ground, although she was left uninjured.
"I see... compared to you... It seems that I am the amateur here." Alexis remarked. "Focusing on my weaknesses before I can exploit yours... I suppose that I should keep on following your advice."
"Don't be so down. You've learned a lot through these few spars." Corrin stated. "Perhaps one day, you'll be able to give me a good fight."
"I hope that day will soon come. A serious fight from you is something I'd be honoured to receive." Alexis answered back, before Corrin reached a hand out to pull her back up to her feet.
"Speaking of which... Don't you find it a bit vexing, being mistaken as a boy, with this kind of androgynous appearance, Alexis?" Corrin asked back. "I know that it can be easily told that you're a girl from someone with a good eye on details... But Avan seems to consider you a man."
"Perhaps, but my appearance doesn't matter on the battlefield." Alexis answered back. "Men and women are all equal on it, so the saying goes from a book. I do however, take offence, in the fact that people are being judged by their gender. It simply... doesn't please me."
"You are quite right. To be fair, I was mistaken as a boy in my early years, considering my hot-blooded nature." Corrin answered back. "It was worth a good laugh at those times. But I suppose that your situation wasn't as humourous then."
Alexis was silent, before she shook her head. "Not quite." She answered back, before she then placed her weapons back on the weapons rack. "I'd like some time alone."
"Go ahead, but don't be afraid to call for some help, if you need it." Corrin told Alexis, before she then left, as the young heiress merely sighed to herself. "She's fairly like me in a way, the way that we're devoted to getting stronger and better, I'll give her that."
In the campus store...
Richard, Zeri, Avan, Cosette, Gus and Sanae were in the campus store, as they were reading over the latest newspapers together.
"Is that today's paper, Zeri? Anything interesting in the news?" Avan asked Zeri.
"'The revolution will not stop until the Archduchess abdicates the throne.'. That's their only stated demand." Zeri answered back.
"They call it a revolution, like it's a lofty thing, but civilians are dying!" Cosette exclaimed in outrage.
"Well, it's a good thing that Polar Star has been doing its job." Gus answered back, reading another issue of the paper. "So far, rebel presence has been severely restricted in the regions where they have been operating inside of. That's a good thing we can take from these dark times."
Richard read through his paper, before he then suddenly creased it from his fingers, in a sign of frustration. Sanae noticed this, as he turned to Richard.
"Something wrong, Rain?" Sanae asked.
"This is nonsense." Richard spoke heatedly, before he then flipped the paper around to see the headline that he was reading, 'More Citizens Side with Rebels'. "Zaka went through the trouble of enlisting inside of the Gallian Army to prove the others wrong, Isara almost died for this war... and I personally took down the enemy commander to end the war with the Empire... all so that the civilians here could spit venom and turn their backs on us."
"Well, combining both pieces of information..." Sanae explained. "It was either die or serve for the civilians pressured by the rebels. And of course the civilians would choose the latter, especially those who despise Darcsens."
"Yes, that's true, but hear this, 'deteriorating economy' as a reason. Yeah, why do you think that's a thing, Gallia?" Richard asked sarcastically, before he then slammed the paper back into its crate. "Gallia really needs to get itself together. This civil war shouldn't be this serious at this point."
"It's a shame that the Gallian Army have their hands tied on this." Zeri stated. "The only thing they can do is border defence against deserters and fanatic Imperial squads..."
"So, what's the Militia doing? Why don't they help?" Avan asked, before Richard, Gus and Sanae turned to him.
"Trust us, we would be glad to put an end to all of this, if we had Squad 7 and the rest of the Third Regiment to help us out." Sanae answered back. "However, royal law prohibits that as well. It's been stated that drafting troops to fight in a civil war is illegal."
"Well, I guess that we really need to pull our weight. Even Polar Star is only one company." Avan stated.
"Right. The folks living here in the south are depending on us!" Cosette answered back cheerfully.
"Excuse me if I never asked this before..." Sanae stated. "What's your reason being here? You wanted to become a doctor, right?"
"Right, my dad was one, and I've dreamed of it since I was little. I was planning to go to medical school, but, um..." Cosette replied back, before her expression turned sullen. "The fighting spread to Yuell- that's my home- and my mom and dad both..."
"There's no need to force yourself, Cosette. We understand." Gus stated, before he sighed deeply. "Damn... Even in these days, there are still people who go through the same thing we have."
"I heard that Lanseal grads get tuition at graduate school waived. That, and I couldn't stand the thought of losing anyone to the war." Cosette answered back. "I wanted to do my part to end it, however small. That's why I enlisted."
"Woah, with that kind of mindset, you'll make a brilliant doctor!" Avan remarked with approval.
"I hope so! Thanks, Avan!" Cosette thanked Avan with a smile.
"And you said you had some goal that brought you here too. Right, Zeri?" Avan asked Zeri.
"...Yes, it's something I need to do." Zeri remarked, before eyeing Richard for a moment. "I'm here at Lanseal to make sure it happens. You could say that I'm following in someone's footsteps. Or to be more precise, the footsteps of a few people."
"And who could they be?" Avan asked back, before Zeri pointed at Richard. "Oh right, I can see the relation between you two, and the drive."
"Your brother was a cadet here, right, Avan?" Zeri asked back.
"Yeah. I'm here to be put on the same special mission as he was on." Avan answered back. "At least... that's what I was going to do. I'm still going to try and be just as good as he was. But I ain't going to get there, until I make sure that all of you make it through all of this. If I can't manage you guys as a class, then I don't think I'm ready yet. My brother might be dead, but I'll make sure that I'll carry on his legacy myself!"
"That's quite the brother complex you're nursing." Zeri sighed.
"Well, I gotta have someone to look up to, right?" Avan answered back.
"Alright, let's get out of here. We've read enough about what's here." Richard told the students, before gently pushing them towards the store exit. "Besides, you still have classes. So get moving, until you guys want to be late."
Inside the classroom...
"Avan! Professor Brixham said he wanted to meet him at the faculty office." Cosette told Avan, who was loafing about, since there was no class on at the moment.
"Me?" Avan asked back, pointing at himself.
"What did you do this time?" Zeri sighed deeply.
"Nothing! And what do you mean by 'this time'? I've been doing pretty fine, you know!" Avan retorted back.
"Oh, he said he wanted you to come too, Zeri." Cosette added, much to Zeri's shock.
"What!?" Zeri exclaimed, before swivelling his head towards Avan, who shrugged.
"Search me. I guess we'll know when we get there." Avan told Zeri, before the two of them left the room.
Inside the faculty office...
Brixham and Richard were standing over a table, as they were discussing something, gesturing over a map of a small area in Southern Gallia. They soon heard the sound of the door being knocked on.
"Knock knock, teach." Avan's voice rang through it, as Richard walked over to open it, as he and Zeri entered the room.
"Hello, Avan, Zeri. Thank you for coming. You have new orders." Brixham greeted the both of them. "A Gallian government dignitary is visiting the south. We've received a request for a escort squad."
"We'll be guarding a VIP?" Zeri answered back.
"Yes, and unfortunately, we don't have any knowledge about them, considering that the identity of the VIP is kept under wraps..." Richard answered back. "This makes me feel a little bit suspicious about who the person might be. But our objective doesn't change the slightest. Class G has been chosen to take on the role."
"Sir, do you think we'll be sufficient? Class G has been performing exceptionally over the few weeks, but even so... I fear this mission might be above us." Zeri argued back clearly.
"Perhaps so, if your luck is bad, you might lose a few people out there. But such is war. It's hardly out of place for-" Brixham was about to say, before he was smacked on the back by Richard.
"Enough, Brixham, they understand the stakes of the mission." Richard sternly told Brixham, before turning to Avan and Zeri. "Either way, you would be right to take caution. The path of the escort goes through the Leanbluff Forest. You would have be very careful that you aren't taken by surprise in the maze of trees, lest you find a bullet through your head, before you even notice the shooter. So be careful out there. Remember that your lives will be thrown in vain, if you don't complete this mission, so make sure you succeed at any cost, although I do hope that no-one has to die. To ensure that, we'll be joining you, so that the odds are more to our favour."
"Either way, there is nothing else of mention about the mission." Brixham stated. "Now, if there are no other issues, prepare to sortie in a day or two."
"Okay, we're on it! Class G's going to see this through, I promise!" Avan shouted, before he then left the room.
Zeri was about to follow him, before he then heard Richard say 'Wait, Zeri.', causing him to turn around to face his instructor.
"I have something that I would like to tell you." Richard answered back, before he then bent down over Zeri's ear. "Listen carefully, because this will be quite important for you."
He then whispered something into Zeri's ear, as the young Darcsen was completely shocked silent by the end of it. Zeri then let his emotions subside for a moment, before he then gently nodded in dismissal towards Richard, before leaving the room.
"What did you tell him?" Brixham asked Richard.
"Something fairly important." Richard answered back. "I'll tell you this, Zeri's got a good head on his shoulder, and blunt he may be... He is a good commander, as proven by his results with Remi."
On the day of the mission, at the briefing room...
"A government dignitary has arrived at Lanseal." Brixham stated. "Class G will escort them via armoured vehicle to their destination. A Gallian Army tank will be joining you. You are to work in concert with it."
"Just one...?" Marisa remarked. "Psh... It better be a good one, because I know for one how easily these tanks blow up."
"Don't jinx it, Mari. Just... please don't." Sanae warned Marisa.
"Well, with that tank. It should be smooth sailing from here, right?" Avan remarked.
"That's the sort of hubris that kills a squad. Keep your guard up." Brixham warned Avan. "Lanseal's bell has tolled. Squad G-7, MOVE OUT!"
In the Leanbluff forest...
"Argh!" A rebel cried, as he was shot through the heart, by one of Reisen's bullets, as he fell to the ground lifeless.
Reisen then lowered her rifle, as she signalled for the rest of the group to advance, as the entire class, as well as the Gallian tank and the APC containing the VIP. They slowly made their way through the forest.
"That should be all of them, for the time being, right?" Avan remarked.
"So it seems. And yet... I feel a fair bit uneasy." Gus answered back, with a disturbed expression.
"You're not the only one feeling like that, Gus." Reisen responded back. "This does not seem right, the rebels wouldn't leave such a weak force to block the path of the escort. I expect that they have another force laying in wait, so we should take caution, even out of battle."
Richard was silent, as he tightened his grip on the Victoire, scanning around for any hidden enemies.
The group then made their way to a clearing, where it seemed to look fairly safe for the time being.
"Here's a clearing. Now then, I suppose that we can use this space to take a rest-" Richard was about to say, before they could hear the sound of distant footsteps rumbling through the area, which cut Richard short.
"L-Look over there!" Sanae exclaimed, as she pointed in the distance, as there were several figures marching up on top of the clearing.
Gus immediately put his binoculars on, as he got a closer look on the enemy, as it was a line-up of enemy soldiers clad in heavy full body armour, bearing the rebel colours of red and brown, as their head was covered by a helmet with a white mask that looked a bit like a gas-mask, They also had red wiring connected around their arms and chest, with the source of the wiring coming from the large back-pack like generator, which had two lance-like protrusions on top of it. They all wielded a hexagonal layered shield with the golden emblem of the rebels with one hand, and in the other was a large rectangular weapon which seemed eerily familiar to that of the artificial Valkyrian lance that Maxmilian had once, although it was slightly different. The only one different from them, was a man decked in dark-grey armour, with a much smaller back-pack generator, and larger lance protrusions that were attached on his shoulders, and there were red stripes along the arms, and the sides of his chest-plate, and his face-mask, which had slitted eye-holes, and large red horns on the sides of his helmet. The weapon he wielded, was much larger than the ones his subordinates had, and there was a ragnite heat-sink at the end of it, glowing azure blue, and a large shield that had a cross-like formation of metal bars, with a large metallic core on the centre of the shield.
As soon as he saw all of that, Gus immediately felt a sense of dread creep up on him, as he became deathly silent. Reisen also checked through the enemy forces, peering through the scope, as she saw the same thing, although she didn't react much, just lowering her rifle. Richard noticed the dread-filled expression on Gus's face, as he quickly snatched the binoculars from Gus, who was still frozen in fear, before Richard then got a closer look, as he was taken by surprise as well.
"No way... What... What the hell is this...!?" Richard exclaimed. "This can't possibly be...!"
"Instructor... What's wrong?" Francas asked back. "Is there something that you have seen that has caught you by surprise?"
"Rain... What's wrong?" Sanae asked, before Richard then shoved the binoculars to her, as she then saw it. "...Oh no... No no no..."
"What's wrong, guys?" Avan asked Richard and his group. "What are those guys over there?"
"Avan... Get that escort APC out of the area... NOW!" Richard roared.
"Instructor Rain... What's wrong-" Cosette was about to say, before the leader of the armoured troops immediately stepped forward.
He then lowered his lance, before he then aimed at the group with his artificial lance, as the lance-like protrusions began to gather energy, as a familiar blue aura began to surround him, and the weapon quickly powered up, before it then fired off a massive beam of blue energy that shot towards the group.
"Everyone take COVER!" Sanae bellowed as loud as she can, as the students and instructors quickly got out of the way of the blast. The Gallian tank was not so lucky, however, as it was pierced through by the beam, before it then exploded in a shower of blue light and smoke. The class watched in horror and dread, seeing that there was nothing left of the tank, except for a few molten components and some pieces of melted armour.
"No way. What was that?" Avan remarked.
"This light... No, it can't be... It CANNOT...!" Isara exclaimed, as she was the most horrified of all of the students, recognising the azure glow and the destructive beam.
"Avan! The army tank has been completely destroyed by that beam... If a human target was struck by the same beam, there'd be nothing left of them." Zeri noted.
"Then we'll have to-" Avan exclaimed, before he then grabbed by Richard, by the hair, before being whirled around to face a very serious Richard. "Instructor..."
"Change of plans. I order you all in Squad G-7 to immediately retreat out of the forest, with the escort target with you." Richard told him. "Don't even bother trying to face that force yourself, you hear me!? Now's not the time to be playing hero here, Avan! This is a serious threat, a very serious one!"
"What are those things... Rain?" Zeri asked Richard.
"Not now. I'll tell you when we return." Richard answered back. "For now, all you need to know, is that you're no match for them as they are now. Especially their leader. If they're the things standing in your way, then find a way to take them down, but minimise combat with these enemy units."
"Then what about you, sir?" Alexis asked back.
"We'll hold them off." Richard answered back. "You guys don't worry about us. We'll disengage, as soon as your retreat is secured."
"A-are you crazy!?" Morris exclaimed in utter fear. "They just tore a tank apart with a single shot, and you want to...!"
"That's not your choice to make. Right now, my orders are absolute. All of you must survive." Richard answered back. "I will not let any of you die fighting against these... abominations...! Now go! The enemy is going to-"
Suddenly, the enemy leader prepared to fire another beam, this time at Richard, who noticed the attack, before he then shoved away all the students near him, before then pulling out his golden shield, as the beam met the shield, forcing Richard back, as he used both hands to hold the shield steady, with the beam dispersing across the entire width of the shield, although it pushed him back with great force, as his teeth was grit, and his feet were dug so deeply into the ground, that he left skid-marks on the earth while being forced back. When the beam died down, Richard flicked the shield back, while panting.
"Did you just..." Joachim remarked. "Holy..."
"Now you see why we're the only ones who can handle this. I won't ask again, all of you..." Richard told them, before snapping his head towards Class G-7. "GET MOVING, NOW!"
"You heard the man! We're going to get through this together!" Avan exclaimed. "Everyone, prepare for combat. I'll get the teams ready to face the enemy, the rest of you just try and stay away from the fighting!"
"Understood." Helmut answered back, before he then readied his rifle, before Class G-7, moved into action, away from the fighting.
"Rain... are you sure we stand a chance against them...?" Sanae asked Richard.
"You know we have no choice." Richard answered back, before turning to Reisen and Marisa. "Remi, Mari... There is a supply vehicle in this area. Find it, destroy it, and those artificial Valkyria will be weaker. It's the same case as Maximilian before."
"I got it, just hang tight, all of you." Marisa answered back, before they split off from the group.
Richard then slowly placed the Victoire on his back, drawing off Divine Judge, before he then readied his blade, before then activating his golden form.
"Alright then, you look like that you're after me." Richard answered back, before he then charged the enemy, as Gus provided support fire, firing off shots with the Coup to stagger the enemy with the armour-piercing rounds. "Then COME AND GET ME!"
Escape Team: Avan, Zeri, Cosette, Isara, Karin, Elma, Marion, Noel
Within the forest...
The group of eight immediately made it to the next area, with the escort APC behind them, as they looked around for the enemy. They noticed that there was rebels in the area, even some of the armoured units that they encountered earlier.
"Tch, there's one of them here...!" Zeri remarked. "We need to find a way to get past them...!"
"Karin or I can keep him distracted." Isara suggested. "Although I'm not sure if our shields are durable enough to handle the laser fire from them, it's better than sending someone unprotected into its range."
"Are you nuts...!?" Avan exclaimed. "What if they fire that same beam from before? You heard Zeri, that thing will wipe you clean off the map!"
"I'll be able to tell. Just trust me, Avan. I can handle this." Isara responded back calmly.
"Isara... Alright, I'll believe in you." Avan answered back, before he then noticed that there was a side-path on their right. "Huh? There's a way through here?"
As Isara and Corrin advanced, the six of them made their way through the path, before they found a rebel vehicle, which seemed to be armed with the same generator that the armoured units had, and the same lance-like antennas on top of it.
"That thing... It seems to look a bit like those things that the armoured guys had..." Avan remarked. "Could it be...?"
"Noel, I think that I have a theory about the enemy units, related to this vehicle. Try and destroy it first." Zeri advised Noel.
"Will do, Zeri!" Noel responded back, before she then fired a shot right into the radiator of the vehicle, causing it to explode spectacularly.
Meanwhile, with Isara and Corrin, they were weathering the assault from the enemy armoured unit, who was firing laser blasts at them, with a azure aura surrounding him, as the two armoured techs were having trouble defending against the blasts, as the attack seemed to be too powerful for their shields to block.
However, suddenly the azure aura disappeared, accompanied by the same sound of a vehicle exploding, as the energy blasts became much more weaker, and the aura disappeared from the enemy trooper.
"What... What happened?" Isara stated. "Did something happen over where Avan and the others were...?"
"It's just as I thought." Zeri remarked. "When I studied about the final battle aboard the Marmota, Maximilian used energy generators to power himself up to a artificial Valkyria state. The same case is present here, except these generators have been fitted onto supply vehicles, allowing the transfer of energy to multiple enemy units... And the way that they fight... there's no mistaking it. Those are artificial Valkyria, much akin to Maximilian, and they've been mass-produced."
"You serious...!?" Avan exclaimed. "That means that... Oh jeez, no wonder Rain told us to scram immediately, those things are really darn powerful!"
"Only if the supply vehicle is present." Zeri deduced. "Without it, their capabilities are severely limited, to the point they are only slightly more powerful than a elite rebel soldier. So the strategy is clear to counter them... Find the supply vehicle that is linked to them, destroy it, and then initiate a all-out attack to annihilate them before they can retaliate."
"Man, do I feel glad that I have a guy like you here, Zeri!" Avan remarked with excitement. "Still, that APC is still waiting for us to clear the way ahead. We need to get back into the fray, and help it move along!"
"Marion, Noel. Come with me. We'll move ahead, and clear the enemy on the other side of the path. You three go back and support Karin and Isara." Zeri instructed the rest of the team. "We'll meet up at the middle of the path."
"Got it, Zeri. Don't get yourself shot, okay?" Avan told Zeri.
"Same to you." Zeri responded back, before the two teams split off once again.
Avan, Elma and Cosette came back, to find that Isara and Corrin managed to make some progress on their advance, as they were weathering blasts from the enemy artificial valkyria, although they were still handling themselves, managing to take out several rebels in their path.
"Isara, Karin! We're here to help!" Elma shouted, as Avan took aim at the head of the artificial valkyria, before landing every single shot on it, as the last one broke through the head armour, killing the heavy unit, as he fell from the cliff-side with a resounding thud.
Elma and Cosette each took one of the group, as they treated the laser burns that the two armoured techs had received, using some ragna-aid and burn cream, before the five of them made their way forward.
With the other three, they located the other artificial valkyria, as Zeri and Marion coordinated an attack on him, their rain of bullets dispatching him quite quickly, while Noel took the chance to capture the enemy camp, securing a path to the next area, hopefully the last one between them and safety.
The escort APC followed after Avan's group slowly, as they cleared out the rebels in the path, before joining back up with Zeri's group, who was guarding the camp. As soon as they arrived, the two groups merged into a full squad again, before they made their way to the next area.
As soon as the group made it to the next area, they noticed that there was an entire squad of artificial valkyria, that was blocking their path forward, and they all spotted the group and the APC.
"No...!" Isara exclaimed with despair, as the group immediately prepared for battle.
"Well, I guess that this is a real tight situation here..." Avan muttered to himself. "Alright, our backs are on the wall... Only way out here is to fight-"
Suddenly, several of the artificial valkyrias were downed with the sound of distant sniper fire, while more were taken out by a chain of small explosions. This surprised the class, as they turned to find that Reisen and Marisa arrived at the area, wielding their own weapons, from left and right of the artificial valkyria squad.
"Hey, thought you might need some help, kids!" Marisa grinned brightly. "Don't worry, we're done with the other side. Now all that's left is to take care of the enemy here!"
"What a relief..." Isara answered back. "Even if they're powerful... Mari and Remi are still stronger than them, with those weapons and the expertise with them."
"Get moving, we'll cover your retreat." Remi ordered the students.
"You heard her, this may be our only chance to safely retreat from battle." Zeri stated. "Let's move!"
The class made their way to the retreat point, before they saw Richard rushing into the area, pursuing after the horned leader of the artificial valkyria, as Richard seemed to look like that he was fairly injured, with blood leaking from a wound on the top of his head, and his battle suit shredded slightly from the fighting, while the enemy leader, although still bearing the blue aura, was also equally damaged, with parts of his armour cut to pieces, and one of the antenna of his back-pack generator sliced to pieces.
"Get back here, you fucking coward... I'm not done with you yet..." Richard cursed at the enemy leader, with vengeful eyes. "Did I not make myself clear, your opponent here is me, bastard, ME! You won't get your chance to carry your mission out, and you most certainly won't get a chance to lay a finger on our students! So stop running, as if you're afraid of me, and face me like a real man, you walking hunk of scrap metal!"
The enemy leader was silent, before he then turned back to Richard, and fired a few lance blasts. However, those were blocked by Richard, who charged forward roaring, as he smashed his blade across the enemy leader, as the aura dispersed most of the attack's force, but what remained of it, was enough to knock back the enemy leader. Richard then quickly made a flurry of attacks on him, knocking him further and further back, all while the enemy leader let out a long hissing sound.
"Woah... So this is the same power that took down Maximilian..." Noel remarked. "That's the true power of the Darcsen warrior... The only one in this generation..."
"And this guy is taking the instructor's furious blows like they're simply minor wounds..." Avan remarked. "Are those artificial valkyria even human...!?"
"Perhaps not this one. But that's not important right now. We need to get moving now!" Zeri urgently told Avan.
"Wait, look over there!" Elma shouted, as she pointed towards a faraway place in the group's sight, as they saw that there was a azure light in the distance.
Avan immediately took out his binoculars, as he found that the azure light was a girl with long flowing blue hair that was glowing, as the strands were floating mid-air, as if being suspended by a unknown force, and she also had red eyes, and a pair of vertical black and red horns on top of her head. She also wore a black breast-plate with golden vertical lines, and a golden crest on the centre of her chest, and red strips that reached down to her bare belly, and floated down to her legs like a segmented cape, and her skirt was made of intersecting black strips of cloth, with golden linings, and black leggings that had black knee-guards and were connected to large sharp black boots. Her armanents included a Valkyrian lance that seemed to be in a whip-like form, with the end of it sporting the drill-like point of the lance, and her shield had a extra chestnut-shaped section on top of the centre of the shield.
She seemed to be attacking a group of artificial valkyria, as she was laughing along the way down, while blocking the energy blasts with her shield, and leaping into the air, dodging and blocking even more blasts without getting a single scratch on her, before she then crashed down where Richard and the enemy leader was, as Richard backed away, just as the enemy leader faced her, and used his shield to block her lance, as she swung it down on him.
"Hey, this is my-" Richard was about to snarl, before he then noticed the attacker, as his expression turned into one of shock. "...fight?"
"You're different... what are you?" The girl stated with a surprised tone, only to get no response back.
She then laughed, before she then leapt back, withdrawing her whip-like Valkyrian lance, before landing on the ground. She then took aim at the artifical valkyria squad, as well as the enemy leader and Richard, before she then whipped her lance across the ground, as it created a massive wave of blue energy that surged towards them. The artificial valkyria were immediately taken out by the blast, while Richard and the enemy leader immediately shielded themselves with their own shields, as the blast met their shields, and exploded spectacularly.
"Rain!" Isara exclaimed in horror, before the smoke cleared away, revealing that Richard was even more injured than before, even after guarding the blast, and the enemy leader was no better, as there was visible damage on his armour.
Suddenly, the enemy leader turned away, as he moved to retreat. Richard was about to pursue after him, before his eyes caught onto a familiar figure in the distance, as he stopped where he was, glaring at the figure with eyes filled with seething rage.
Soon, the Valkyria girl heard something from the communicator in her ear, before she then smiled brightly. "Coming, mama!" She remarked cheerfully, before going after the figure, as the two of them disappeared in the forest.
"...Thought it was a good chance to eradicate me while testing your new toy out... Bitch..." Richard snarled to himself.
"The rebels are running! So is that strange girl!" Cosette exclaimed.
"She completely outclassed the artificial valkyria... What was she?" Zeri remarked. "And she attacked Rain along with the rebels... What is her affiliation...?"
Suddenly, another escort group appeared, as it seemed to be the royal guard, with the tank and the soldiers present, as Richard and his group made his way towards them and the group.
"We've confirmed the rebel force's retreat. Our destination is just ahead. You all did well. We'll take it from here." The leader of the new escort team stated. "Sorry that we put you guys through all of this."
"Yes sir! Don't worry about it, we're all okay. Just be careful out there!" Cosette responded back.
Suddenly the top of the APC vehicle opened, as a certain figure appeared out of it, revealing herself, to be Cordelia herself, much to the surprise of the escort team.
"Hold on a moment." She stated, before walking over to Avan and his group.
"Your Highness! You mustn't leave the vehicle!" The leader of the escort shouted with worry.
"I cannot do that. Not before I thank the brave souls who fought to keep me safe." Cordelia answered back,before turning to Richard's group, as the only ones shocked were Gus and Marisa. "And you as well... I'm glad that you have come to lend the students your aid... If it wasn't for your help... Who knows what might have happened."
"Archduchess... I suppose that I had a hunch you were the one being escorted. The fact that you kept your travels in secret, and that this reminded me of something in the past... I had a good feeling it was you." Richard answered back.
"Indeed, it was much like back then, except it was far easier. I heard the fighting outside, intense as it was..." Cordelia answered back.
"Wait, that's Archduchess Cordelia!? THAT Cordelia!? The head honcho of Gallia!?" Avan exclaimed with utter shock.
"Avan! Watch your mouth, you're in the presence of royalty!" Zeri scolded Avan.
"Please, be at ease. I want to thank all of you." Cordelia told the group.
"Archduchess, why you have come down to the south? You know how dangerous the situation is down here..." Isara asked Cordelia.
"Dear Isara... I have come here to provide morale aid for the people here. Recently, I heard that a village in this region was levelled by a rebel attack. As Gallia's ruler, I must know the extent of the damage myself if I am to properly aid them. And I must show that I care for my subjects, by personally giving them relief and aid in their times of distress." Cordelia responded back.
"But surely that needn't bring you into harm's way here on the front lines?" Zeri asked back.
"The changes I can affect are small. But I can stack them one atop the next, to make a much larger change to stem the prejudice and hatred that poisons Gallia." Cordelia responded back, nodding her head gently.
"I don't know one thing about running a country, but I'm sure folks'll see how much you care about the people hit by the war." Avan answered back with a grin.
"Thank you. I can only pray that you are correct." Cordelia smiled back. "And I do hope that we won't be so unfortunate to be struck by such a attack next time I travel to here. And there is one more thing. I have brought these to share with the villagers. If you like to have some, it would please me to share them. It is the least I can do for risking your lives for my sake."
She then pulled out a basket filled with cinnamon rolls, as Sanae's eyes lit up on seeing it
"Hm? What's this?" Avan asked Cordelia.
"Cinnamon rolls. They're a favourite of mine." Cordelia answered back, before looking over to Richard. "And a memoir for how Rain and I met for the first time."
"Indeed, it takes me back to the time where we saved Cordelia from being kidnapped as a political hostage by the Federation." Richard answered back with a smile. "I remember that moment when you liked the cinnamon rolls that Alicia made so much, that you ordered the royal chefs to make them. It's quite nice to see them come back again, as a sign of our past."
"Well, I must be off. Take care, everyone. And I hope that you'll end the war quickly." Cordelia answered back, before she entered the APC, as it drove along with the other escort team.
"Even the Archduchess is doing all she can." Zeri remarked with a smile.
"We've got to work extra hard not to let her down!" Cosette answered back cheerfully.
"Still... who was that girl...? She tore through the enemy like they were made of paper... And that she also attacking Ri- Rain..." Corrin stated. "I recall that her appearance is akin to that of a valkyria as stated in the history books... So this is what is said to be equivalent to Rain himself when he uses that form of his...?"
"I've heard the fairy tales about them, but I didn't think they were THAT strong." Avan remarked. "Man... Well, we got through the mission in one piece. Let's head back home!"
The group then made their way back, although one of them was having a few deep thoughts about what might be happening.
'Welkin... Alicia... I hope that you'll be able to handle these artificial valkyria... We still need the help of Squad 7, if we're going to stop the worst from coming to pass...' Richard thought to himself.