Maelstrom of Cold Steel

by MercenaryGrax

Arriving in a new world with no memory of how he got there, Naruto is taken in by Rutger, the Jaeger King, & given a place to belong. Eventually he winds up in Class VII with his closest friend. With all the chaos in the country of Erebonia & the social divide & massive corruption throughout the country, Naruto will certainly have his work cut out for him in this new world.

12. Chapter 12

ANNOUNCEMENT! - Okay, before I get on with the usual author's notes, I wanted to make something clear here. I've been asked by so many people by now if Naruto will get a Divine Knight of his own. I've been given so many different ideas for how he could get one or why he needs one. Well, I decided a while ago on what I'll do, so here's the answer:

Naruto will NOT be getting a Divine Knight! Period! I don't want to take away from the other Awakeners, as they each have their own parts to play in the series and in this story. Besides that, Naruto is so powerful in this story that he can fight a Divine Knight to a stalemate if need be. Hell, if need be, he could probably even defeat them. And, considering how powerful McBurn is and how it takes the entirety of Class VII to fight and defeat McBurn when he transforms into his Overlord McBurn fight, wellll, Naruto can fight McBurn on even footing and even defeat him. By himself! He won't need to summon a Divine Knight to defeat McBurn. If that doesn't tell you just how powerful Naruto is in this story, then I'm not sure what will. Besides that, Naruto has a transformation of his own that he won't be revealing for quiiiiiiite a while yet. You'll understand when I finally get to that point.

Now, on with the notes!

A/N - Okay, this is another REALLY long chapter. It came out to 98 pages 30,270 words! Again, it took forever to finish writing the damn thing. And I don't think I can write another chapter for a little while. My left arm is hurting BAD right now, so I'm going to take a short break until the pain goes away. In the meantime, I'm just going to relax and read and play games or something. Nothing too stressful, just some simple RPGs like CS4 or something.

Anyways, you should know that this ENTIRE CHAPTER only covers day 1 of the Bareahard field study! That's it. It's all day 1. So trust me when I say that you are in for a looooong read.

I can't remember if there was anything else I wanted to say up here, sooo...read on and hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 12 – Bareahard Field Study – Day 1

After heading downstairs into the main lobby of the hotel, Naruto couldn't help but sigh to himself as some of the hotel staff called out to him. First, he turned to the maid, Tamia, and listened as she nervously said, "U-Umm…" Glancing at Jusis and then at Naruto, she bowed and nervously stated, "It's a great honor to be in the presence of not only Lord Jusis, but Prince Naruto, as well. P-Please, if you need anything at all, be sure to let me know! I promise I'll do whatever you ask of me. Erm, that came out wrong. Oh dear."

Jusis sighed and shook his head. "There's no need to be so formal. Please, treat us as you would any other guest at this hotel."

Before Tamia could protest, Naruto smiled at the maid and placed a hand upon her shoulder, smirking slightly at her blush. "Please, don't worry about it. For the duration of our stay here, we are to be treated as any other student of Thors Military Academy. There is no need to be so nervous in our presence, I assure you."

"M-My apologies. I, um…I happen to be used to serving nobles at this point, but I was told to ensure that I not do anything to cause you trouble. I really didn't want to cause offense to either of you!" Tamia exclaimed, bowing to them both once again.

Anko giggled a bit and whispered to the others, "Ahh, this is what it's like from the other end. Naruto and I are so used to nobles mistreating we commoners that it's really unusual to see Naruto being treated like this. Poor guy probably doesn't know how to react to all of this high society treatment he's getting."

Jusis sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure whether to be relieved that their focus is more on Naruto, or if I should feel pity for him. As he has made more than aware, he is not used to this kind of life."

The maid got their attention again as she looked between Jusis and Naruto. "D-Do you really want me to treat you as I would any other guest? Would that really be okay? It is this hotel's policy to give members of the nobility preferential treatment. And none of us ever expected that an actual prince would patronize our establishment."

Naruto chuckled nervously before saying, "It's fine, I swear. Please, treat us as you would your normal guests." Smirking at her, he said, "Normally I'd probably tease you a bit for being so nervous around us, but it's fine. Have a good day."

As they turned to approach the general manager and the receptionist, Rean chuckled a bit and said, "I wonder if this is any indication as to what our time will be like here in the city. It will be hard to get anything done if this keeps up."

"Tell me about it." Naruto said before letting out a groan. Then, as they approached the manager, he put on a smile and asked, "Yes? What did you need of me?"

"Please accept my apologies for what happened earlier. We plan on holding a small banquet to make up for it, so please…" the man started to say, only to sweat nervously when Jusis interrupted him.

"As I have told you countless times, treat us just like your other guests." the blonde noble stated, sounding rather agitated.

"B-But, it is our policy to…" the manager tried to say, only to be interrupted again.

"Must I repeat myself? We would prefer not to receive such preferential treatment." Jusis said.

Looking at Naruto at this point, Richelieu asked, "And what of you, Prince Naruto? Are you truly all right with your accommodations? As I said before, should Lord Albarea hear of this…"

Naruto smiled reassuringly at the man and said, "I understand your concerns. I apologize if this causes you any kind of grief, but I do hope he will understand our position in this matter. While we are here, we are simply students of Thors Military Academy and nothing more. Nobility and royalty aside, it is our humble request that we be treated as regular patrons. Please."

"U-Understood…" Richelieu said, sounding somewhat dejected. "We will do our best to treat you as you would like, but do forgive us if we are a little over the top sometimes. We are rather nervous, after all. Not only is Lord Jusis staying here, but a prince is, as well. This has never happened before!"

Emma whispered to her classmates and asked, "Jusis' family really is influential, aren't they? And I didn't realize Naruto's influence had spread so far already. Word really does travel fast in the Empire, doesn't it?"

Rean nodded and whispered back, "Perhaps a bit too much in this case. Not only is this causing Jusis some grief, but Naruto seems to have it even worse, if that's even possible. Then again, I hope that this can work in our favor, should we need the help."

Machias scowled for a moment and shook his head. "You can tell that they like to flaunt it about. Jusis' family, I mean. Naruto, on the other hand, really does seem to be having a hard time. He never asked for this kind of treatment, did he?"

Anko nodded and said, "Naruto never had much growing up. All of this is really unusual to him. He's never been treated like this before, but his lessons on how to treat members of nobility and how to act respectful and kind really do seem to be paying off. He's kind of a natural at this at this point."

"So I can tell." Machias said. "It's definitely a new experience to see him acting in such a way. It's even more bizarre to hear him talking like this. He definitely sounds like a prince right now."

Emma giggled a bit before saying, "That's because he is a prince, Machias. He has to know the proper etiquette and mannerisms required of someone in his position. I think he's doing really well."

Machias looked a bit humbled by that, but didn't say anything. Instead, they listened as Richelieu said, "We do wish to be of service to both of you, Lord Jusis and Prince Naruto. You deserve the finest treatment available, but I will heed your request. I promise that we shall do as you would like. Again, if we offend you in any way, I do apologize in advance. I hope you have a wonderful stay and have a fantastic time in Bareahard during your time here. Please, have a good day."

"Of course. You have a good day as well. We will see you upon our return later this evening." Naruto said before turning and leading the way out of the hotel.

Once outside, Naruto facepalmed and let out a groan of agony. "Somebody remind me to whack Elliot or prank him or something for all of this when we get back to Trista. I understand that he's kind of new to all of this, too, but for crying out loud. This is getting beyond ridiculous now."

Emma giggled nervously and pleaded, "Please don't be too hard on him, Naruto. He didn't mean to cause you such problems."

"Oh, I know he didn't. And I know I said I wasn't mad at him at the time, but I still feel like whacking him in the head or something. Maybe a good prank would help. I dunno." Shrugging, he looked around at the district they were in and said, "Might as well talk to the locals and check things out. If I'm right, that building over there is the Sorciere restaurant, correct?"

Jusis nodded and said, "It is. I have been there a number of times before. Perhaps we can enjoy dinner there tonight, if we have the luxury of time to do so."

"Sounds good to me. All right, let's see what the locals have to say. Then we can see what that bath salts request is all about." Naruto said.

As they approached the fountain in the middle of the plaza, Anko looked at the statue quizzically for a moment and asked, "Who's this a statue of exactly?"

Emma looked it over before saying, "It seems to be a statue of St. Veronica."

"Oh? You know of her?" Jusis asked.

"Yet another thing I suppose I need to learn about this world. And here I thought I was doing a good job of keeping up with my studies. I guess I've still got a lot to learn." Anko said with a shrug.

Emma smiled at Jusis and shook her head. "I've heard some tales about her, but I'm afraid it's mostly rumors and legends. Nothing more than that. Besides, we really should be on our way."

"Of course." Jusis said.

After chatting with a few of the locals in the immediate area, they approached a man walking along the street leading between the Noble District, Artisans' Street, and the Station Street. When he spotted them, his eyes widened a bit and he said, "O-Oh, if it isn't Lord Jusis…" Thinking on it for a time, he asked, "My, how many months has it been since I last had the pleasure of meeting you? Today happens to be a most splendid day, too, with the warmth of the early summer sun shining down from above…"

Jusis simply said, "Greetings. It has indeed been a while."

Anko chuckled quietly before whispering to the others, "He sounds pretty bored already."

Machias grumbled a bit before saying, "He just seems as arrogant as always to me."

"I really wasn't aware that you had returned, Lord Jusis. You seem to be in good health, too. Please take this opportunity to rest as much as you can." the baron said.

Emma whispered to the others, "I think he's under the impression that he's come back on vacation."

Rean nodded and said, "Well, that doesn't seem to be too uncommon for upper-class students."

Anko giggled a bit and said, "At least it's Jusis this time and not Naruto. The conversation could likely take far longer in that case."

Jusis sighed and looked into the baron's eyes. "It has been nice chatting with you, Baron Henzel, but we really must be going. We have things that require our immediate attention. Have a good day." And with that, he turned and began walking off, his classmates doing the same. "What a headache." He mumbled afterwards.

Before he could go too far, however, Naruto noticed some steps leading downwards nearby. Curious, he turned and began walking down them without a word. The first thing he noticed was a red treasure chest behind a fence or gate of some kind. Then he smiled as he spotted fish swimming in the nearby river. When the others joined him a moment later, he grinned at Rean and said, "Let's get some fishing in. I did promise Kenneth I'd tell him what the fish were like here. Could be fun!"

Rean chuckled a bit and nodded in agreement. So, while the others watched on, some in amusement, others in irritation, the duo relaxed for a time with one of their favorite pastimes.

Once they were finished, they ascended the stairs once more and made their way towards the grand cathedral. They figured they would head to the Sorciere restaurant afterwards and talk with the noble that had made the request. Once inside the building, Naruto would have whistled in appreciation at the sheer size of the cathedral, but knew it wouldn't be appreciated much. So, instead, he decided to approach the tourists directly in front of them. While the man seemed quite appreciative of the architecture and the stained glass windows, the man's wife smiled at them and said, "Many cardinals have come from this cathedral, haven't they? It truly is fitting to regard it as one of Erebonia's centers of faith. Just being here fills me with awe."

Naruto nodded and said, "That's what I've heard. It really is an impressive place. You two have a fine day, Madam."

Entering the nearby room, they spotted a Sister walking around, obviously busying herself with something. When they approached her, she looked at them and said, "The remains of St. Veronica are stored here at this cathedral. It's said that, long ago, her parents brought forth a miracle that saved this city from a time of great tragedy. We may be powerless, but we should all strive to be like her. Please, offer your prayers to her."

Naruto smiled at the woman and said, "We will, dear Sister. Thank you for your time."

After leaving the room, Group A walked down the aisle lined with pews on both sides and marveled at the sheer beauty of the cathedral. They opted not to speak with anyone else. Instead, Naruto said a quick prayer to Aidios and St. Veronica before they left the cathedral.

Approaching the restaurant at this point, they didn't go inside just yet. Instead, they approached the two nobles sitting at one of the round tables outside. One of them, their client, had a large dog at his side, simply watching them as they neared its master. "Excuse me, could we talk to you for a minute?" Rean questioned politely.

Their client, Hasan, asked, "Ah, might those uniforms be from Thors Military Academy? I assume that you must be the students Lord Rufus mentioned, then?"

The man's friend, Udiro, asked, "What's this all about?"

Hasan decided to explain. "Lord Rufus asked me to give some work to some students who came along here for some manner of field study, you see. Well, in truth, he asked my father first, but he's as busy as he ever was. So the request was passed on to his heir—in other words, me."

"Oho! That sounds rather interesting." Udiro said enthusiastically.

"Doesn't it? Now, take a guess at what I came up with." The client asked his friend.

"Oh, you're such a tease. Might I have some time to think about it?"

Naruto sighed and facepalmed. "While I am sure you would love to continue this thrilling conversation of yours, I'm afraid we simply do not have the time for you to whittle away our time in such a manner. Might we ask what your request was about specifically? We will help however we can."

Hasan scowled and asked, "You dare interrupt our conversation?"

Udiro frowned as he looked Naruto over with a cautious gaze. "Wait, Hasan. Blonde, spiky hair. Whisker marks on his cheeks. Blue eyes. Red uniform. Oh…oh dear. Might you be the rumored Prince Naruto we have heard so much about?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at them for a moment before giving them a pleasant smile. "It would seem you know of me, then. As I said, I'm afraid we are on something of a time limit and would like to hear the details of your request. Afterwards, we can work towards completing it and getting you what you'd like. Now, do be good and tell us, would you?"

Hasan sweated nervously and said, "S-S-Sorry, Prince Naruto! I-I was not aware you were among the students Lord Rufus told us about! Y-Yes, I'll tell you right now. Umm…"

Udiro shot his friend a fierce glare and said harshly, "You fool! What if you had angered him and brought his wrath down upon us?! You should have just been polite from the start and told them what you need."

"Oh hush, Udiro! Let's see here, give me a moment to gather my thoughts." Hasan said before looking at Class VII once again.

As Hasan tripped over himself, Anko leaned closer to her friends and whispered, "I think I could get used to this. If this is the kind of effect he has on people as a prince, I'm looking forward to seeing what else his influence can do."

Machias chuckled a bit and said, "It does seem to come in handy at times, doesn't it?"

"Indeed." Jusis said. "Let's listen to what he has to say, though. It wouldn't do for us to miss any important details."

Coughing to compose himself, Hasan finally decided to begin with his explanation. "Do forgive me. You see…I'd, umm…I'd like to request that you procure some pink salt for us."

Jusis frowned and said, "I see. That's a rather difficult request."

Upon hearing his voice, Hasan and Udiro gulped once more before the former asked, "L-Lord Jusis?"

"Indeed." Stepping up beside Naruto, he folded his arms across his chest and glared at Hasan and his friend. He didn't need to say a word as Hasan began to trip over his words again.

Sighing softly, Naruto said, "Calm yourself, Hasan. Just tell us the details."

Hasan frowned and shook his head, "I-I can change the request if you'd like?"

Jusis shook his head and said, "That won't be necessary. A request is a request."

Rean looked at Jusis and asked, "Is it that hard to find?"

Jusis shook his head and said, "That's not the issue. We need to make our way through the canyon to the east to find it, much like we need to do for that monster. It's closer to Aurochs Fort than it is to the city, so it won't be an easy journey."

"Oh, I see." Emma said.

Anko giggled a bit and said, "You know, if Fie was here, she'd probably ask why they're putting salt in the bath. Still, I'm a little curious as well. I remember the bath salts back in the Elemental Nations, but I can't help but wonder if these work the same."

Jusis shrugged and said, "Putting salt in bath water warms the body. I don't really care for it, but it seems to have some positive health effects."

Anko nodded in understanding and said, "So, a similar principle, but different at the same time. Interesting. Still, I bet nobles and people like Naruto can afford stuff like that."

Hasan chuckled nervously at this point as he looked between Jusis and Naruto. If Lord Rufus finds out about how I disrespected his brother and the prince of Thors…oh, this cannot end well for me.

"Well, either way, we know exactly where we need to go now." Rean said.

Machias nodded and said, "Yeah. Let's get the request from Artisans' Street settled before making our way over there, though."

"Agreed." Naruto said before smiling at the duo of nobles. "We'll be sure to include the full details of this request in our reports. Do have a nice day, gentlemen. We'll be back with the salt later today, I assure you." And with that, they entered the restaurant, leaving two very nervous nobles outside.

Staring at his friend, Hasan said, "What have I done, Udiro?"

Udiro shook his head and said, "We had best hope Lord Rufus does not hear of our behavior towards the two of them. Let us pray that they will be forgiving."

Hasan hung his head and nodded once. "This cannot end well for us."

Inside Sorciere

Rean chuckled a bit as he looked at his friend. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I just want to make them sweat a bit. Those are the kinds of nobles I tend not to get along with. Arrogant blowhards. But, enough about them. Let's do what we need to do and then explore the city some more."

"Agreed." Jusis said.

Looking around, Anko wanted to whistle in appreciation, but she didn't want to be rude. "This is a pretty big restaurant. Fancy, too."

Emma laughed nervously for a moment and said, "I feel like we're a little out of place here."

Jusis shook his head and said, "And yet this pales in comparison to the restaurants dedicated to nobles. I used to come here frequently before I started attending the academy."

Rean nodded in understanding and said, "It must be good if you're a regular."

"It must be a gathering place for haughty nobles too, then." Machias grumped.

"Hmph. Feel free to wait outside for us, if you wish." Jusis retorted. "I'll have to give my regards to the owner as well."

Naruto and Rean both took notice of the small smile that graced Jusis' face. Wonder what that's about. Naruto thought.

Was that a slight smile I saw there? Rean wondered to himself.

Approaching a waiter, a man named Bryce, they listened as he greeted Jusis. "Greetings and welcome, Lord Jusis. We just received some fresh ingredients this morning. Might you be interested in trying out our seasonal menu?"

"Perhaps later, Bryce. I'm afraid we are busy at the moment." Jusis replied.

"Very well. Do take care, Lord Jusis." Bryce said before returning to work.

Approaching a blonde man drinking a mug of beer by himself, they listened as he spoke to them. "Last month's Grand Market over at Celdic ended up being more stressful than anyone could have expected. Fortunately, they managed to catch the culprits. Everything went more or less back to normal after that. Anyway, I need to focus on making sure my next transaction goes well." Sighing softly to himself, Merchant Baroc said, "These tax increases sure are making it hard to deal in jewelry, though. I have plans to make a new transaction today, so I'll have to gather some info first."

Naruto frowned and said, "I remember seeing that trouble firsthand last month. I'm glad the culprits were caught, but there's still the tax increases to worry about, I agree. For what it's worth, I hope you are able to conduct some good business regardless and make a profit. Good luck."

"Thank you." Baroc said before getting a good look at Naruto. Eyes widening a bit, he asked, "You're Prince Naruto, aren't you?"

Naruto blinked and asked, "Does everyone know about me now or something? I thought that was just an exaggeration."

Baroc chuckled and said, "As I'm sure you are already well aware, word spreads fast regarding topics of interest such as that. Don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone. Take care, Prince Naruto. Your friends as well."

"Thank you." Rean said before they walked off. Looking at his friend, Rean said, "I can see why the royal family learned about you so quickly now. And why they'd want to meet you. I'm sure some of the rumors have been overblown a bit by now. There's no telling what people are saying about you now."

Naruto groaned and said, "You've got a point. Hopefully the Emperor and his family can help put such silly rumors to rest. I'm just a regular guy trying to live a normal life. That's all."

Jusis chuckled and shook his head. "You are most certainly NOT regular, Naruto. You're simply going to have to get used to this change in your life sooner or later. There is no avoiding it anymore."

Naruto grumbled a bit and said, "A man can dream, can't he?" All Jusis did was chuckle in response.

Approaching one of the chefs standing at the counter, a man by the name of Calmin, they listened to his greeting. "Welcome to Sorciere. Allow me t—" Eyes widening, he exclaimed, "Oh, it's Lord Jusis! I didn't even notice it was you because of your school uniform."

"I see you haven't changed much." Jusis said in response.

"But of course. I'm still going at it with my cooking studies, too, so please feel free to give some of my dishes a try!" Calmin said with a bright smile on his face. Then, looking towards his mentor off to the side, he said, "It's been five years since Hammond took me under his wing, and I think he's close to accepting me as a full-fledged chef. He's brutally strict, though! I guess that's to be expected from the man known as the Sauce Magician."

"Sauce Magician?" Anko asked. "Interesting title. Sounds like Hammond's food is definitely worth a try."

Approaching the owner, Hammond, they listened as he said, "Hello, Lord Jusis. It's been a while."

Jusis nodded and said, "One of my assignments at the academy has led me to return here briefly. So, I saw it fit to show my face here."

"Things seem to be going well for you there. I'm glad. I assume you must all be Lord Jusis' classmates, then. I'm pleased to see that you've been able to make so many friends at the academy. And you even have the prince with you, as well, I see." Hammond said with a warm smile on his face.

Jusis sighed and shook his head. "They're only classmates, not friends."

Anko whispered to the others, "Wow, charming fellow, isn't he? I wonder how they know each other. They seem pretty close."

Rean nodded and said, "Yeah. I don't think you'd get this close to someone just by frequenting their restaurant, though."

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hammond, and I'm the owner and head chef of this restaurant. I intend on continuing to deliver the highest quality of food, so I hope you'll be able to stop by. When I first opened Sorciere, it was with the desire to provide the highest quality of food to all of our customers. We even have less expensive meals that the working class can afford, so please feel free to order away." Hammond said.

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Thank you, Hammond. And despite what Jusis might say, he has been a pleasant friend to have. I have appreciated his company the few times we've had the opportunity to really talk with one another."

While Jusis blushed in embarrassment, Hammond chuckled a bit and said, "I'm glad to hear that, Prince Naruto. I do hope you two continue to get along. Make sure you lot come back later for a proper meal, all right?"

"Of course. Thank you." Naruto said, bowing his head respectfully to the owner. Afterwards, he glanced up towards the floor above them when he heard a couple of nobles discussing Theresia and Emily. Deciding not to bother them, he led the way outside and to the Noble District.

As they began to walk further into the district, Emma glanced around and said, "This seems to be the city's noble quarter."

"No wonder most of these houses look so overblown and excessive." Machias grumped yet again.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Machias, please remember to be careful about what you say here. Nobody's saying you need to suddenly like or respect nobles, but it would be wise to keep such opinions to yourself while we're here. Especially in this particular district."

Machias slowly nodded as he realized what he had just done. "R-Right. Sorry."

Ignoring the first of the houses open to them, they waved at an old woman and her kitten before approaching the guardhouse. As they neared it, Rean asked, "I assume this is Bareahard's guardhouse?"

"Indeed, it is." Jusis confirmed.

Anko smirked and said, "I see. So this must be where your family's personal army hangs out then, huh?"

Emma looked at her friend worriedly and said, "Th-There's no need to be so blunt, Anko…"

Jusis shook his head and said, "She's not wrong. My family is responsible for the army's upkeep and operations, after all, and it's quite leveraged for our benefit."

It was at this point that the soldiers stationed outside spotted them. "Lord Jusis!" one of them exclaimed.

"Welcome back!" the other said.

"Here we go again…" Machias grumbled out.

"Careful, Machias." Anko said before they approached the soldiers.

"It's an honor to be able to see you again." The first soldier said.

"Is there something that we can help you with?" the other asked.

Jusis shook his head. "Not as such. However, I did happen to hear about your activities in Celdic. Might you care to explain the army's questionable actions of late?"

"W-Well…" the first soldier started nervously.

"W-We weren't aware of such things…" the second said, equally as nervous.

Rean looked at Jusis and said, "Jusis…"

Jusis sighed and shook his head once again. "Fine. However, be sure not to forget what your duty as soldiers is, understood?"

"U-Understood!" the first soldier exclaimed.

The second was about to say something, but took notice of Naruto. "Umm, forgive us, but might you be the prince we were informed of?"

Naruto let out an inaudible sigh before nodding his head. "I am. I admit, I was displeased with the provincial army's actions in Celdic, but it is not my place to lecture you. For now, we must be off. Unless you had some business with me?"

The soldiers shook their heads before the second one said, "N-Nothing like that, Prince Naruto. We simply wanted to wish you an enjoyable stay in Bareahard. Please, all of you take care!"

Naruto nodded before he and Jusis turned around and faced their friends. Seeing the looks on their faces, Emma quietly said, "Jusis… Naruto…"

"I guess that was about what happened during Group A's last field study?" Rean asked, just to make sure.

Jusis nodded and said, "Indeed. Not that I expect this to have any effect whatsoever. I doubt even the prince would have much influence here." Sighing softly, he said, "Let us return to the task at hand."

"Sounds good to me." Anko said.

Machias scoffed and said, "We don't need you ordering us around." Afterwards, he turned and led the way away from the guardhouse.

Shaking his head, Naruto led the way to their left towards another large house. Approaching the butler standing outside, tending to the orbal car, they watched as he turned to them and exclaimed, "Oh, my! If it isn't Lord Jusis! I wasn't aware that you had returned home! I'm pleased to see you again after so long."

"Likewise. This does tend to be the time of year when Baron Hancock comes here, now that I think about it." Jusis said.

"Indeed. It's tradition for us to leave Lord Hancock's territory and stay in this villa at this time of year." Persimmon said. "Lord Hancock will need to report on the running of his territory to His Grace, too, so I expect we will be visiting soon."

"There's not much use in telling me that, as you can see. Go ahead and inform our butlers instead." Jusis replied.

"Ah, yes. My apologies. You have returned as part of your academic studies, I believe? I wish you well." The butler said.

Emma whispered to her friends, "Despite seeing it so often already, it's still somewhat fascinating to me, seeing a textbook upper-class conversation taking place right before my eyes."

Machias grumbled a bit and said, "Just hearing them talk makes me nauseous."

"Well, then, I should get to taking all this luggage in. I'm amazed at how much they bring with them each year, to be perfectly honest. You would think we were staying forever." The butler said with a chuckle following after.

Naruto frowned slightly and asked, "Do you need some help with that? We may be busy, but I wouldn't mind giving you some assistance if you need me to."

Persimmon looked at the whiskered teen and shook his head. "It's okay. Thank you very much for the offer, but this is my job. I'm more than happy to be of assistance to them."

"All right. Take care." Naruto said before he led the way inside of the villa.

The first thing they saw upon entering the building was two children playing together in the entrance hall. Chuckling a bit, he led the way into the next room, which happened to be the kitchen and dining room. Walking up to the woman, they listened as she said, "Today is such a busy day. We have to go and greet the duke, we need to visit the cathedral to pray… Oh, yes. We also need to hold our traditional dinner party, too. Persimmon, have you brought the luggage in yet? Please hurry if not!" Then, smiling at the teens before her, she had a thought. "Oh, you have a recipe book, do you not? Here, let me share one of my favorite recipes with you. I'm sure you'll make good use of it."

Rean thanked her as she taught them the recipe for Savory Herb Tea. Afterwards, they proceeded to leave the room and head upstairs, where a little girl named Suzanne spotted them. "Oh, my! Lord Jusis! It's been quite a while! I haven't seen you since last year's dinner party, I believe."

"That sounds correct. I'm pleased to see nothing much has changed here." Jusis replied.

Suzanne giggled before saying, "Thank you. I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing, however. Certain members of our family could stand to change a little…"

It was at this point that they heard Catel, the little boy downstairs, 'Raaawr' at his sister. Chuckling at this, Naruto thought, Kids will be kids. So long as they're having a good time.

Suzanne turned around and glared down at her siblings. "Catel, Heine! Be quiet! I can't speak with Lord Jusis if you're so loud!" When all her younger siblings did was laugh, she sweatdropped before turning around and bowing to Jusis. "I'm terribly sorry about all of this, Lord Jusis. I do hope you will invite us next time you have a dinner party at the mansion."

Jusis offered a small smile and said, "I'll do just that."

When Suzanne began to scold her siblings again, Anko chuckled before saying, "Cute kids." Leaning against her hubby-to-be, she whispered to him, "I bet you can't wait to have kids of our own, can you, Naruto?" Naruto blushed and tried to stammer out a response, only for Anko to begin giggling at his reaction. "You are too easy sometimes, Naruto. Come on, let's get going."

Entering the room at the top of the stairs, they approached Baron Hancock, who smiled at Jusis and said, "Oh! Good day, Lord Jusis. It's been around a year since we last met, hasn't it?"

"Good day to you, Baron Hancock. I hear things are going well for you and your land." Jusis greeted politely.

Hancock chuckled a bit and said, "We did happen upon some fine material at our mines, though that may have just been due to Aidios' whims." Calming down a bit, he looked into Jusis' eyes and said, "I heard of your enrollment into Thors. That academy is a fine environment for cultivating both body and mind. I do hope you'll make the most of your time there."

"That was my intention." Jusis said.

When they went to bid goodbye to the baron, Hancock turned to Naruto and said, "And you must be Prince Naruto, correct? I have heard much about you, though whether the rumors can be believed or not is always hard to tell. As you are no doubt aware by now, I am Baron Hancock. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Naruto smiled at the man and said, "The pleasure is all mine, I assure you. I would love to stay and chat a while, but I'm afraid we have much to do over the weekend and simply do not have the time to do so. Perhaps we may speak again at a later time?"

"Of course. Take care, and may Aidios watch over you always." The baron said before watching as they left the room and ventured back downstairs. So that is the rumored prince. He's nicer than I had imagined.

Outside

As they began to head up the path towards a rather large gate, Jusis began to panic. "Wait, this leads to…"

"Huh? What's wrong?" Rean asked curiously.

"…Never mind." Jusis said somewhat dejectedly.

Placing a hand on Rean's shoulder to stop him, Naruto shook his head and said, "Come on, Rean. Let's get going. If Jusis doesn't want to go any further, then we shouldn't make him. We have more important things to take care of anyways. Okay?"

Rean frowned in confusion, but nodded his head and began to lead the party back towards the Central Plaza.

Looking at Naruto, Jusis nodded to him and said, "Thank you, Naruto. I'm sure you are aware, but…"

Naruto nodded in response and said, "The home of your father. I figured. Don't worry. They might have questions for you later, but for now, let's make our way to Artisans' Street. Don't want to get left behind now." And with a smile, he began to follow after the rest of Group A.

You're a good man, Naruto Uzumaki. Jusis thought to himself before hurrying to catch up to his friends.

Artisans' Street

Upon arriving at Artisans' Street about ten minutes later, Anko looked around and said, "Well, this street sure seems different from the others."

Jusis nodded and said, "This is Artisans' Street, where craftsmen and merchants ply their trades."

"Kinda figured." Anko said, nodding her head. "Aren't we supposed to meet that Bruc guy in one of these stores?"

"Yep. We'll save Turner's Jewelers for last. Let's check out the other shops and see what we can find. Aaaand I promised to buy souvenirs for people, sooo…might as well get to browsing." Naruto said with a nervous chuckle at the end.

Machias sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "If you really must."

Jusis did the same and said, "Just don't take too long, Naruto."

Entering Davos' Factory first, they glanced around before approaching the man behind the counter. "Well, if it isn't Lord Jusis. What're you doing here?"

"Hmph. That's quite the greeting. My brother made mention of the fact that you would be in charge of our ARCUS. Is that correct?" Jusis questioned.

"It is. I'd appreciate it if he didn't expect an old guy like me to get used to all this new technology, though. But seeing as it's Lord Rufus we're talking about, I'm willing to look past the inconvenience." Old Man Davos said.

"Regardless, at least allow me to offer my apologies." Jusis said apologetically.

"Hurry up and tell me your business, then. I've got plenty of other things to be doing." The old man said somewhat grumpily. Then, looking at Jusis again, he said, "I'm surprised you came back now of all times."

"And why is that? Has something occurred while I was gone?" Jusis questioned.

"It certainly has. After you left town and Lord Rufus began being more tied up with his duties, that huge tax increase came rolling in. We poor artisans are all suffering thanks to the duke's little bullying spree." Davos explained.

"So that's what he's been up to…" Jusis said.

Emma blinked and whispered, "H-He certainly was blunt about that…"

Rean shrugged and said, "Seems like that's the way things go here. Duke Albarea's even less popular than I thought."

"You see? This is how the whims of the nobility affect the common people. I hope you're all paying close attention." Machias said somewhat haughtily.

Anko sighed and shook her head. "You do realize that not all nobles are like that, right? Yes, a lot of them are scumbags, but people like Naruto and Laura certainly aren't."

"I-I know that! It's just…!" Machias tried to say, only to sigh when he couldn't really put up any kind of argument. Dammit.

Seeing as Davos didn't have anything in stock that would help them in any way, and they didn't exactly have the sepith to spare to open more slots in their ARCUS orbments or even to make some new quartz, they decided to leave the store and make their way down the street a little further. After speaking with a little boy who was doing some cleaning outside of a small inn, they entered the Alouette Inn and had a look around. "Well, this is certainly a nice place." Naruto said.

After chatting with the owner and the man sitting at a nearby table, they decided that they'd have to return later to try the espresso that had been recommended to them. Heck, they might even serve a pretty good meal!

Bidding the two of them goodbye, they proceeded across the street and entered Valenty Tailoring. Deciding they could talk with the saleswoman in a moment, they ascended the stairs where a little girl named Turi quickly greeted Jusis. "Lord Jusis! It's, uh, been a while!"

"Are you helping with the store today as well? How admirable of you." Jusis said.

Turi giggled a bit and said, "Thanks! Oh, yeah! You're a customer, so you can't come up here! You gotta find some good clothes downstairs!"

Jusis sweatdropped, but nodded in understanding. "I'll do just that, then."

Turi smiled brightly and exclaimed, "Thank you for your pay-truh-nige!" And then, she went back to work.

It was at this point that the owner, Gazel, turned and greeted them. "Well, who do we have here? Welcome back, Lord Jusis. Sorry for not comin' out to greet you. I've been working like mad just to keep this place going after our taxes got doubled recently. It's hard to make money when it's all being sucked away by taxes, you know? Just how does the duke expect us to live like this?" Sighing, he said, "You work and you work, but all the money just gets sucked up by taxes! Seriously here, how does the duke expect us to live like this?"

While Jusis couldn't even think of a response, Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "The short answer? He doesn't. The man isn't thinking about how such things affect his people. The very people he's supposed to be looking after and protecting. The people that help make the Kreuzen province what it is. Sorry, Jusis, but Duke Albarea is a selfish, horrible person that doesn't care about his people. That has been made painfully clear a number of times by now. Especially during last month's field study and what we have heard here thus far."

Jusis shook his head and said, "Don't apologize, Naruto. You're exactly right. It's shameful to admit, but this is just the kind of man he is. If I had the power to do something, I would."

Gazel frowned sadly and shook his head. "My apologies. I did not mean to trouble you and your friends, Lord Jusis. Pay my grumblings no mind. Why don't you go downstairs and purchase whatever you'd like? We have plenty of fine goods available. Some might even make for nice souvenirs!"

Jusis smiled at the man and said, "We'll do just that. Have a good day, Gazel." And with that, he led the party back downstairs and to the saleswoman at the counter.

When she saw Jusis, Letra exclaimed, "Oh, my! If it isn't Lord Jusis! Please, feel free to ask if you need something custom made! We're proud to say that we tailored some of Lord Rufus' indoor clothing. Take your time now!"

Jusis was originally going to decline Letra's generous offer, but then he looked at Naruto and smirked to himself. "I'm fine, Letra. Thank you for the offer. But I'm sure Prince Naruto here would definitely like to hire your services."

"Wait, what?!" Naruto shouted as he looked at Jusis. Seeing the younger man's smirk, Naruto cursed under his breath and muttered, "Oh, you bastard."

"Wait, you're Prince Naruto?! Oh goodness! Please, take all the time you need! Browse our wares if you'd like, and please, if you'd like anything custom made just for you, we'll do it gladly! Just tell us what you need." Letra said with a bright smile on her face.

Naruto sweatdropped as he looked at the saleswoman. "Umm…thank you." Sighing softly, he almost slumped over comically. Instead, he thought over the offer and asked to see a few sheets of paper and a pencil. Taking the time to carefully sketch his plans for each of the outfits he had in mind, he showed them to Letra and asked, "Would it be possible to make clothes like these? A few are for me, while others are for some people very dear to me. I figured it would be nice to surprise them with a treat such as these."

Looking over the specifics jotted down along the sides of the designs, as well as notes on materials and whatever else the prince had thought up, Letra soon smiled and said, "We can get started on these in just a bit. We need to gather a few of the materials, and then we'll get right to work. It might take us some time, however. I assume you're only here for a few days?" Seeing Naruto nod in confirmation, she then handed him another sheet of paper and said, "Please write down your information here so we know where to deliver them to. You currently go to Thors Military Academy, don't you?"

Naruto nodded again and jotted down all the necessary information. "Yes. I'm currently in Room 206 in the Class VII dormitory. It's really close to the station, so it should be no trouble to find."

"Wonderful! In total, your order will come out to, let's see here…" Letra said as she started to do the math. Showing the price to Naruto, she giggled a bit when the others took a look at the price. "Umm, Prince Naruto? Can you afford this?"

Naruto nodded and said, "200,000 mira isn't a problem, Letra. Thank you." Unsealing a large bag from within one of his pockets, he took a look at the lettering on the outside before nodding his head. Depositing it on the counter, he smiled at her and said, "That's a little over 250,000 mira. With the remaining 50,000, would you mind if I purchased some of your other fine clothes? I'm sure my loved ones will more than appreciate such splendid outfits to wear."

"O-Of course, Prince! If you're being this generous, I'm even willing to throw in a little extra, just for you." Letra exclaimed joyfully.

Naruto chuckled a bit and thanked the woman before he began to select a number of outfits and bringing them over to the counter. "These should be enough, right?"

"Oh, that's plenty! In fact, since you're spending so much, I think we'll go ahead and custom design two more outfits for free, just for you. I'm sure you'll love them!" Letra exclaimed.

Chuckling a bit more, the prince nodded and asked, "Do you need to get my measurements? Or are you fine going by the information I have already provided you?"

Letra blushed a bit at the idea of taking Naruto's 'measurements', but quickly shook it off. "Th-This is fine! I'll trust you, Prince Naruto. You all have a good day, and do enjoy your stay here in Bareahard. Please, if you ever return to this city in the future, stop by our store again. We'd be more than happy to serve you!"

Thanking the woman, he bade her goodbye before turning and leaving the store with his classmates. Once outside, he looked at the expressions on their faces and asked, "What?"

Machias' eyes were wide and he shouted, "Y-You just spent 250,000 mira like it was chump change! Just how…?!"

Naruto quirked a brow and said, "I'm a best-selling author, remember? My books are famous throughout all of Zemuria by now. Not just in the Empire of Erebonia. My books continue to sell like crazy every month. You wouldn't believe just how much money I have by now. Aaaand, I'm still working on more novels. So once those get published, that'll bring in even more money."

As their friend shrugged, Machias slumped over and said, "Like he needs any more money at this point. Holy crap."

Emma giggled to herself and looked at Naruto somewhat shyly. "Alisa did mention that to me before. And believe it or not, Dorothee is also a huge fan of your books. Actually, most of the students at school are. I, um…when we return to the dorm, do you think you could sign my copies as well? They're absolute genius!"

Anko giggled as well and said, "He probably will. He's already signed the rest of our copies. Well, the girls of Class VII, anyway. Not sure why the boys haven't asked him yet."

Rean chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm starting to think that I really need to give these books a read. If they're so popular, I'm curious to know just what they're like. I'll have to ask for some recommendations later. Right now, we should probably get to the jewelers and see about that request."

Jusis sighed and shook his head in amusement. "I'm in agreement. Let's be on our way." I swear, Naruto will never be normal. Are we ever meant to understand him?

After walking back up the street and entering the jewelers, they spotted a customer chatting with the salesman behind the counter, who they assumed was their client: Bruc. Approaching them, Naruto prepared to greet the two of them, only for the customer, a Tourist named Bengt, to begin speaking to Bruc. "So what you're saying is, any minute now…"

"Indeed. We shouldn't have long to wait." Bruc replied.

"Oh, it looks like he's with a customer right now." Rean said.

"What should we do? Should we return later?" Emma asked.

Hearing the chatter, Bruc muttered, "Hmm…?" Both men turned to look at the members of Class VII. "Judging by the uniform, you're… Ah, and I see Lord Jusis is with you, too! Welcome to our store. Have you come regarding the field study request?"

"We have. But I'd ask that you please refrain from giving us any special treatment on my account. If our timing is inconvenient for you, we're quite amenable to returning at a later hour." Jusis said.

Bruc shook his head and smiled at them. "No, no. It's the opposite, in fact! We were just discussing you, as it happens."

"All right, then." Jusis said with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

"Wait… You were 'discussing us'? Does that mean…?" Rean questioned unsurely.

"Of course. If you'd allow me to explain…" Gesturing towards the customer, he said, "This is Bengt, a tourist currently staying here in Bareahard. He's the one responsible for the request that brought you here."

"S-See, I…I'm going to be getting married in the near future. And I came here to inquire about having a wedding ring made. The artisans of Bareahard are renowned far and wide for their skill with gem processing, so it seemed the ideal choice." Bengt explained.

"Hmm. So you've made what I presume to be a substantial journey in search of the perfect ring." Jusis said.

Emma giggled a bit and said, "It is a wonderfully romantic thing to do, isn't it?"

"There's no denying the quality of the jewels one can procure here, but…" Machias started.

Anko nodded and said, "…they certainly don't come cheap. That had to hurt the wallet a bit."

"That's exactly right. Unfortunately. Buying one of the local gemstones on my income isn't…very plausible. And a septium ring, especially, is out of the question. I quickly realized how impulsive I'd been, and had almost given up…but then I consulted with Bruc here on whether or not I had any chance of finding a good deal, and he gave me a really good idea." Bengt explained.

"Oh?" Rean wondered aloud.

"That's right. A precious stone might be out of his budget, but there are stones just as beautiful that are a whole lot cheaper. 'Semi-precious stones,' if you will. The name's pretty self-explanatory. I suggested we make a ring for him using one. Specifically, a gem known as 'Dryad's Tear.'" Bruc explained.

"Hmm…I'm not familiar with that one." Jusis said.

"I think I may have heard of it, actually." Emma said. "It's made from a very particular tree sap that hardens like stone after being exposed to air for a long time. And it has a translucent shine to it that people say is easily the equal of septium."

"That's the one! I'm surprised you know so much about it." Bruc said enthusiastically.

"Guess you're an expert on jewels as well, huh?" Rean asked amusedly.

Anko giggled a bit and said, "That's Emma for you."

Emma giggled embarrassedly for a moment before saying, "It's just a personal interest of mine."

Naruto raised a brow as he looked at her. I'm sure it is. There's quite a bit more to you than one would expect, Miss Emma Millstein.

"So does that mean the reason you called us here is…?" Machias questioned.

"Exactly. I'd like you to go collect one of these Dryad's Tears for my client. Fortunately for you, many of the trees that the tears can be harvested from grow on the North Kreuzen Highway. But even though it only qualifies as semi-precious, it's still a pretty rare gem. So finding one might not be an easy task." Bruc explained.

"Well…then I suppose we'll just have to buckle down and look!" Rean exclaimed.

"It may not be quite the challenge our dear friend here has made it out to be, you know!" a man's voice said from behind them.

"Huh?" Rean asked as they all turned around to face a man that hadn't been in the store with them when they first walked in.

As the man flicked his hair back and offered them a small grin, Naruto's eyes narrowed and he thought, This man was watching us back in Celdic. I'm sure of it. Just who is he?

"The innocent wood nymph's tear that you seek…" the man chuckled a bit before asking, "How would you respond if I were to say that I saw one with my own eyes mere moments ago?"

"Wh-Who's this guy…?" Machias asked his classmates.

Rean shook his head before looking at Jusis. "Do you know him, Jusis?"

"I can't say I recall ever meeting him before, no." Jusis responded.

Before the man could say anything, Naruto folded his arms across his chest and said, "I've seen you before. Don't know who you are, and I don't really care. Still, if you're willing to offer us some advice, we'll take it."

The blue-haired man chuckled a bit and said, "My, you are an interesting one, Prince Naruto Uzumaki. Still, it was terribly impolite of me not to introduce myself before speaking! My name is Baron Bleublanc. It's a true pleasure to make your acquaintance. From paintings, sculptures, and the finest of arts to the most delicately detailed crafts…I am a connoisseur and lover of beauty, craftsmanship, and artistry in all their many splendid forms."

It was at this point that Naruto realized who this man truly was. Taking a step forward, Naruto leaned in and whispered to the man, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Phantom Thief B."

Bleublanc looked into Naruto's eyes and chuckled for a moment. "Ah, so the prince is a shrewd one as well. Please, don't ruin the surprise, dear prince. I would merely like to offer some assistance this time around. I truly mean you no ill will. Today, at least."

Naruto chuckled a bit and stepped back with his friends. "Of course not. Oh well. Pleasure to meet you, Baron Bleublanc."

Rean and the others looked a bit puzzled. Anko was staring between her love and this strange man curiously, however. She had heard what Naruto had said and noticed the way he and Bleublanc looked at one another and how they spoke. Still, she had no idea who this 'Phantom Thief B' guy was. Still, if he made Naruto uncomfortable for some reason, she'd trust his instincts.

Whispering to the others, Rean said, "He seems a little…off-puttingly eccentric. How does Naruto know a guy like this?" All the others could do was shrug in response.

"Enough about myself, however! I hear you're seeking a Dryad's Tear?" Bleublanc asked.

"Y-Yes, that's right…" Machias said.

"Umm… You say you saw one 'moments ago'? Are you certain?" Emma asked, just to be sure.

Bleublanc shot a quick look at Naruto before returning his gaze to Emma. "My dear lady, I would never dream of lying about matters of beauty! I beheld the light which you seek on the northern highway, of that I am most certain. And yet I must confess that my knowledge of the area is not so great that I would be able to share its exact location. Though perhaps that's the way it should be. After all, a brilliant light has true meaning only when one grasps it with his own two hands."

"Y-You don't say…" Machias said, sounding a little offput by Bleublanc's manner of speech and his mannerisms.

Anko sighed and shook her head. "This guy's kind of annoying, isn't he? The way he talks, the things he says, I kinda wanna punch him."

Jusis nodded and whispered back, "I'd have to agree."

Emma giggled nervously before trying to placate her friends. "Now, now! Let's hear him out."

"Umm… Well, we're certainly appreciative for the information…" Rean said somewhat unsurely. "May I ask why you're telling us all of this, though?"

Bleublanc chuckled a bit and said, "Perhaps it's the spirit of inquisitiveness that drives you to seek a beauty mere mira cannot buy. It moves me so, and being the generous man that I am, I deigned to extend an olive branch. Is that…sufficient enough reason for you?"

"S-Sure…?" Rean said unsurely.

"Guess we'll know soon enough if he's telling the truth or not." Anko said with a shrug. "Then again, what do you think, Naruto?"

Naruto smirked a bit, never once taking his eyes off of the supposed baron. "Oh, I'm sure he's telling the truth. After all, he's a kind and considerate man. Aren't you, Baron Bleublanc?"

The man chuckled good-naturedly and said, "But of course, dear prince. I'm afraid I simply must be on my way for now, though. I do hope to see you again." Looking directly into Naruto's eyes at this point, he said, "Especially you, Prince Naruto. Ta-ta for now." And with that, he turned and left the building.

Anko narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend and asked, "Okay, what the hell was that about?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'll explain later. Right now, we should finish our talk with Mr. Bruc and Mr. Bengt. Then, once we're outside again, I'll explain. I promise."

"You'd better." Anko said before they turned to face Bruc again.

"Well, we'll be leaving now. Hopefully you'll see us back soon enough with the Dryad's Tear in tow." Machias said to Bruc.

"Good luck." Bruc said with a smile on his face.

"I appreciate it!" Bengt said. Then, after a moment of thought, he spoke again. "I had extremely low hopes of finding anything, but it seems like I was right to come to Bareahard after all. And now, we can be together forever… Heheh. I can't wait to see the look on my fiancé's face!"

Naruto smiled at the man, but shook his head and said, "There's a saying that comes to mind here, Mr. Bengt. Don't count your chickens before they've hatched. There's no guarantee that we'll be able to find a Dryad's Tear. But, you must also remember that we are in a city of nobles. Anything can happen. So, if things don't work out, I'll do what I can to help you. Okay, Mr. Bengt?"

Bengt frowned in confusion, but slowly nodded his head in understanding. Then, he remembered what Bleublanc said. "Wait, Prince Naruto?! Are…are you the prince we've all been hearing about lately?!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and nodded his head. "I suppose I am, yes. I honestly didn't expect word to have traveled so quickly, but what can you do?" Shrugging, he simply offered the man a smile before saying, "Remember what I said. If this doesn't work out, I'll help you however I can. So don't lose hope, okay?"

Bengt nodded and smiled gratefully at the prince. "Thank you very much, Prince Naruto."

"Of course." Smiling, he stepped past Bengt and proceeded with his friends towards the jeweler in the back, Mr. Turner.

Turning to them, Turner said, "Lord Jusis, it's a pleasure to see you again. And it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Prince Naruto. I'd be honored if I could be of service to you today. Please, let me know if there's anything you require. I'd be more than happy to oblige."

"I'll have to keep that in mind. Thank you, Mr. Turner." Naruto said before he turned and led the way out of the store.

Once they were outside again, they walked up the path and stood at the top of the steep hill, off to the side so they would not be in the way. Looking at Naruto, Emma asked, "So what was that all about back there, Naruto? You obviously know him from somewhere."

"Was it from your time with Zephyr?" Machias questioned curiously.

Naruto shook his head and said, "I saw him watching Group A in Celdic last month when we first arrived. I'm not sure why he was watching us at the time, nor did I care to find out. I also remember reading about a 'Phantom Thief B' in the Imperial Chronicle recently. With the flamboyant way that guy was talking, his clear obsession with beauty, and the way he seemed to be aware of us? It wasn't hard to put it together. And since he didn't deny it, it is my honest belief that Baron Bleublanc is, in reality, Phantom Thief B."

When Naruto shrugged, the others simply looked at him in awe for a moment. Shaking it off, Machias asked, "Are you sure of this, Naruto? You're not mistaken or anything?"

Anko shook her head and said, "It's hard to hide something like that from a ninja. Maybe I should've picked up the Chronicle and given it a read. I might have picked up on it if I had. Good catch, Naruto."

Rean frowned and glanced back towards Turner's Jewelers. "Should we try and apprehend him if we see him again? Is he dangerous?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "We should focus on our field study instead of trying to apprehend a criminal. Besides, he doesn't mean us any harm this time around. That, and I think he knows of me since before I was outed as a prince. I'm willing to bet that he knows my identity as the Silent Shadow, as well. I'd rather not have to fight a guy that well-informed right now. And no, I'm not scared of him. I'm damn sure I could kick his ass if I need to. I just don't want to deal with a pain in the ass like him right now. Just not interested. We have better things we could be doing with our time."

Jusis nodded and said, "You have a point. We had best get a move on. We should head to Station Street and check the mall for any items we might need, as well as more of your precious souvenirs. Then we can venture out onto the North Kreuzen Highway and search for the Dryad's Tear we've been asked to find."

"Agreed. Let's get a move on." Rean said before he led the way back towards the Central Plaza.

As they walked along the streets of Central Plaza, Emma smiled as she looked around them again. "I love the look of this city. It's so beautiful."

"Maybe so, but it's got nothing on Heimdallr in terms of sheer scale." Machias said, though he was also taking in the sights.

Anko laughed a bit and said, "Personally, I'm just glad to be getting out and seeing places like this period. I'm still so new to this world, after all."

Naruto smiled at his girlfriend and said, "Same here, Anko. I explored all over the place with Fie and the others in Zephyr, but it's nice actually getting to tour places like this without having to worry about all the crazy stuff in our lives. Once we've graduated, I'd love to go on a tour of the Empire. Sounds nice to me."

Once on Station Street, they approached a maid by the name of Saffron who was walking the streets. Smiling at them, she said, "Lord Rufus is extremely popular even among us servants. He's kind, skilled, and even assists with the province's governance. He truly is a wonderful person." Then, frowning a bit, she said, "Considering how difficult the duke is to get along with, though, I wouldn't want to work at the Albarea family mansion."

Jusis sighed and said, "I can't say I blame you. Father can be…difficult sometimes."

Saffron blushed in embarrassment and said, "I-I'm so sorry, Lord Jusis! I meant no offense!"

"None taken. Do enjoy the rest of your day." Jusis said before walking off with the rest of Group A.

It was at this point that Naruto noticed a strange pair standing just outside of the station. Taking a mental note to keep an eye out for them, as he just knew something was unique about the two men, he shrugged and continued to explore with his friends. I wonder where those two are from.

Glancing down the street leading to the airport, Rean asked, "Is this the way to the city's airport?"

"It is, though I doubt we'll have any reason to go there." Jusis replied.

Anko shrugged and said, "Maybe someday. Might be kind of nice. I know I'd love to ride on an airship one of these days."

Entering Christie's Galleria, which just so happens to be the great mall of Bareahard, they marveled at the sheer size of the place. "Damn. This is impressive." Naruto said.

Machias nodded and said, "It really is. Heimdallr has plenty like this, some even bigger, but still. This is remarkable."

Ignoring the girl standing beside the Henderson & Co. store, they approached the owner of said store: Henderson. Upon seeing Jusis, he exclaimed, "O-Oh, good day, Lord Jusis! It's always such an honor for us to serve the needs of the Albarea family. D-Did there happen to be an issue with any of our products, perhaps?"

Jusis was initially confused before it dawned on him. "Oh, I see. This is the store we get our furnishings from, isn't it? Worry not, I'm here on personal business today."

"U-Understood. If that's the case, then please take your time." Henderson said, sounding relieved.

"That was…quite the conversation." Rean whispered awkwardly to his friends.

"Seems they like to flaunt their influence all over town." Machias groused.

Ignoring the whispering going on, Henderson smiled at Jusis and the other members of Class VII and said, "In addition to furniture crafted in the Bareahard style, we also sell rare ingredients, among other things. We stand by the quality of everything we sell. As Lord Jusis said, we even count the Albarea household among our distinguished customers. If you have any questions about our lineup, please ask my daughter, who also works here." At this point, he motioned to the girl standing off to the side, waving at them with a smile on her face.

Then, as the girl got a good look at Naruto, her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! Dad, I think that's Prince Naruto!"

Naruto sweatdropped at this point and muttered, "Crap. The whole mall probably heard that."

Jusis chuckled a bit and said, "It wouldn't surprise me."

Henderson's eyes widened as well before he smiled brightly at Naruto and said, "W-Welcome to Henderson & Co., Prince Naruto. W-What brings you here?"

Naruto smiled awkwardly at the man and his daughter before replying to Henderson. "Well, we're here on a field study for our curriculum at Thors Military Academy. We are members of Class VII, and we are pushed quite a bit harder than our peers. This is just one such example. Anyways, it was actually my hope to browse your wares and see if I might find some souvenirs for my friends and loved ones. And a little something for me to hold on to as well."

While Henderson pondered over it for a moment, the man's daughter, a rather beautiful girl by the name of Aloise, said, "If that's the case, I highly recommend our adorable Frog Strap! It's one of our most popular items and it just so happens to be part of a set. I think you and your loved ones might just adore it."

Henderson nodded and said, "That does seem to be the best choice. We also have a variety of items available for purchase, ranging from restoratives to fancy ingredients, as I said before. We even have some accessories and jewelry we can part with if you're interested."

Naruto thought it over for a time before purchasing 12 Frog Straps, as there wasn't much else in the terms of souvenirs he could think of to get from this particular shop. Afterwards, he purchased some of the rarer ingredients that they didn't have much of, just so they could do some cooking later. Once they were finished, he smiled at the duo before turning and walking away from the store.

Smiling and waving at the maid that was watching them, he wished her a good day before they approached the store just underneath/by the stairs: the Camellia Boutique. Upon seeing them, the woman manning the store, Tanya, asked nervously, "A-Are you here to make an order? Or perhaps you've come to pick up your goods…?" Blinking a couple of times, she said, "My apologies. I assumed that you were here for tailoring. Please take your time to look around." Then, looking between the prince and Jusis, she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "I only started working here last month. We only seem to get nobles and their servants here, so I spend most of the workday a nervous wreck. Y-You…you won't berate me, will you?"

Naruto smiled at Tanya and said, "Of course not. And before you say anything, yes, I am the prince you've likely heard all about by now." Chuckling a bit, he said, "Just try to relax and don't let anyone dampen your spirits, okay? Now, let's see what you have in stock, shall we?"

"O-Of course, Prince! Ummm, I'm afraid we d-don't really have much. We mostly do custom tailoring and repairs here. I'm truly sorry." Tanya said.

Seeing that she was right, Naruto offered her a smile and shook his head. "It's all right. Perhaps I'll return at a later date and see what you have in stock at that time, all right? I might not purchase anything while I'm here for our field study, but I'm sure your stock will improve after some time. I'd be glad to return then."

"O-Of course, Prince Naruto! Th-Thank you. Have a wonderful day." Tanya said, smiling thankfully at the man.

Chuckling a bit, Naruto turned and led the party over to the next store, which happened to be a store called Tricolor Shoes. Before he could speak a word, the man, named Gottsche, said, "Good day, Lord Jusis. It's always an honor to have your patronage here. Please, take your time and peruse our selection. And I welcome you, as well, Prince Naruto. I have heard a lot about you, but I'm afraid most of it is simply rumors. You are still a mystery to us all."

"Heh. I'm somehow not surprised by that." Naruto said.

Gottsche chuckled before saying, "I truly am proud of the fact that our mere shoe store can be a part of Christie's. Please leave all your shoe-related needs to me."

Naruto smiled at the man, but as with the previous store, the stock wasn't great. Still, Naruto decided to purchase a few pairs of Cozy Socks, figuring they might make for a nice gift as well. Afterwards, he led the others upstairs to the second floor. Once up there, they saw a worried butler roaming about. Upon spotting them, the butler, whose name is Carrigan, said, "Oh dear. The young lady of the house I serve has run away from home… She's ever so frail, so I was under the impression that she would have made her way to Bareahard… No one seems to have seen her here, however." Sighing sadly, the man then said, "Lady Annabelle, wherever could you be…? Oh, how I fear that she's lost her purse somewhere and is fretting over it… Please be safe, Lady Annabelle…"

Before Rean could say anything, Naruto held up his finger and shushed him. Stepping away from the man, Naruto looked at his friend and shook his head. "We don't know Annabelle's circumstances or why she ran away from home. She might have a good reason for doing so. It would be better to let her be for the time being, instead of sending her butler after her to drag her back home. She would just be hurting inside and would likely try to run away again until she could truly escape her problems. Annabelle will be fine for the time being, I'm sure of it."

Rean nodded in understanding before saying, "If you say so, Naruto. I'll take your word for it."

"Thank you." Naruto said.

"Wait, what the heck are we missing here?" Anko questioned. "Who's this Annabelle girl and how do you two know her?"

Rean smiled at her and said, "We actually helped her back in Celdic last month. She had lost her wallet and we were tasked with returning it to her. It was quite the search, but we eventually found her and returned what she had lost. At first, she wanted to reward us with an insane amount of mira, but we politely declined and we were given a different reward instead. She was really kind of nice."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "She was. A bit awkward, but a good girl regardless."

Emma giggled a bit and said, "You really did go out of your way to help people last month, didn't you?"

"But of course." Naruto said with a grin aimed in her direction. "Enough of this, though. We have some more stores to check out, and then it's off to the North Kreuzen Highway to seek…our destiny! Dun dun duuuun!"

Emma giggled some more before saying, "You really do find a way to have fun with everything and brighten everyone's day, don't you, Naruto?"

Anko grinned and said, "It's kind of what he does. Nooow, let's see what's for sale and then get a move on. We do need to get a move on."

"Right." Rean said before looking at Naruto again. "You sure you aren't hyper or something?"

The ex-jaeger chuckled a bit and said, "Nah. I'm just enjoying myself. As odd as that may sound. Then again, this whole situation we're in right now is kind of crazy. Meh. Can't really complain though."

Jusis chuckled a bit and shook his head. "I really don't know how you do it, Naruto. Oh well." With that, he turned and led the way over to the nearest store: Fortnum Books.

After greeting the man, Naruto grinned as he saw a couple of books he had yet to get his hands on. Forking over 200 mira, he gladly purchased both chapters 3 & 4 of the Carnelia book series. Thanking the man, he turned and led the way towards the other shop on the upper level of the shopping mall. Definitely going to give these a read later.

As they approached the store, called Club Lexington, they listened as Brash, the salesman, said, "Welcome. I assume that you're Lord Jusis' classmates? We have a wide range of arms and horse tack in stock here, so please feel free to take your time and peruse them."

"Huh. I wasn't expecting there to be horse tack here as well. It's almost like it's a store specifically for horseback riding." Rean said.

"Indeed. Horseback riding and hunting are both still popular here, after all. This also happens to be the best store for hunting-related tools, too." Jusis explained.

"It's an honor to hear those words from Lord Jusis himself." Brash said with a smile on his face. "We also have a range of arms manufactured by the Reinford Company, should you be interested in those." Then, a thought occurred to him. "Ah, yes—a word of warning. Do take care should you choose to head out to the Aurochs Canyon Path. The journey to Aurochs Fort is a long one, and monsters have been appearing on the canyon path more frequently of late. I recommend that you be fully prepared if you have any intention of going there."

"Thank you for the warning." Rean said. Afterwards, they browsed the man's goods and purchased some better weapons for the majority of the group, though Naruto still neglected to purchase anything new for himself. When asked why, he replied with, "My Yato blade has already been improved quite a bit. I'll just do some maintenance on it later and keep it upgraded as we go along."

Shrugging it off, they watched as Naruto purchased some Horseman's Caps as souvenirs before they left the mall and began making the trek down the road towards the North Kreuzen Highway.

Before they could leave, however, they spotted two children sitting on a nearby bench, reading in the shade of a tree. When they spotted Jusis, the little boy said, "Oh… It's Lord Jusis! It's Lord Jusis!"

The girl, his older sister, exclaimed, "Wow, it really is! I'm sorry we didn't notice you… We were just reading a book."

Jusis said, "Worry not. I see you're still taking good care of your brother."

Anette nodded and said, "Mom and Dad are working at the mansion again, so the two of us end up alone during the afternoon. That's why we're both waiting here for them to finish."

Raby, the younger brother, said, "Guess what? I know how to wait patiently now!"

Jusis smiled at them and said, "Is that so? You're both worthy of praise, then."

Raby giggled before cheering happily. His sister, Anette, giggled as well before saying, "Thank you!"

Jusis thought about it for a moment before saying, "I have to leave now, but be sure to watch out for cars. Don't run out onto the road, either."

"We'll be careful!" Anette said.

"Bye bye!" Raby exclaimed, smiling brightly at Jusis.

Rean smiled and whispered to the others, "He's popular with kids, isn't he?"

Anko smirked and whispered back, "Wasn't expecting that. It's kind of cute in a way."

Emma smiled at Machias and asked, "Would you care to give us your thoughts on this, Machias?"

Machias shook his head and said, "Not really, no. Besides, he's still far too blunt, even with children…"

Jusis glanced at them before saying, "Cease your gibbering. We have business to attend to." And with that, he turned and led them out onto the North Kreuzen Highway, leaving the younglings to continue reading their book.

Deciding to explore a bit, rather than immediately going on the hunt for the Dryad's Tear that they were asked to find, Naruto couldn't help but smile as he stretched out. "Ahhh. Feels nice out here. I wonder if we can get some fishing in while out here. Might be kinda nice."

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "I agree. I'm sure Kenneth would appreciate hearing about the fish around the city of Bareahard as well. We'll just have to catch a bunch and see what we find."

Jusis sighed and shook his head in disbelief. "These two really don't seem to have a care in the world sometimes."

After killing a couple of Egg Snakes, which were reptilian monsters that lived in eggs, they glanced towards their left at the trail leading off of the paved road. Frowning a bit, Naruto said, "We'll look up there in a bit. Let's stick to the road for the time being and see what we can find." The others quickly agreed with him, so they continued on their way.

When they came across another branch in the path leading off to the right, Rean glanced in that direction and said, "Well, we might as well check it out. I don't see any harm in taking a little look." Seeing the others agree with him, they proceeded to venture down the path and did battle with a couple of Mantraps, which were plant-like monsters. Afterwards, they opened the nearby chest for a Recuria quartz, which Anko quickly equipped.

Returning to the main road, they decided to continue down towards the end of the path. Killing a few more Mantraps, they soon came upon a bridge. "A bridge, huh?" Machias questioned as he looked around.

"Saar Bridge. Beyond here is out of bounds for our field study." Jusis explained.

"That's fine." Naruto said. "Buuut, I do sense some fish in the river down below. I'm going to fish for a bit!"

Rean chuckled and said, "As will I. I wonder what we can catch out here."

As the two went off to get in some fishing, Anko giggled and said, "They're really dedicated to their fishing, aren't they?"

Emma giggled as well and nodded her head in agreement. "It seems to be an enjoyable pastime for them. I say we let them enjoy it for a little while."

Once they were finished, they put away their rods and proceeded back down the road until they reached a split once again. This time, they took the path to the right and ascended the hill a ways and killed a few more Egg Snakes before opening the nearby treasure chest for a Reviving Balm. Pocketing the item for later use, they continued along the path.

After passing by a tree, they turned to the right and did battle with three more Mantraps and an Egg Snake. Afterwards, they approached the chest, only to pause when they glanced beyond it at the lake below. "Wow. That's quite the lake." Anko said.

Emma giggled a bit and said, "It looks so pretty."

Naruto nodded and said, "It really does." Afterwards, he shook his head before opening the chest for 150 of each kind of sepith. "This'll come in handy."

Turning around, they proceeded to climb the hill a little ways and blinked when they saw something shining on the tree directly ahead of them. Approaching it, Rean stared at it in awe before saying, "It's so pretty…"

"I'd say this is it." Emma said.

"All right! Let's see if we can remove it without causing any damage." Rean said before he carefully retrieved the Dryad's Tear.

Taking a closer look at it, Anko blinked and said, "Wow. You can see right through this thing."

"Its radiance truly is the equal of septium, just as the rumors said." Jusis said.

"Yes, I'm certain this will make for an exquisite ring." Emma said.

Machias chuckled a bit and said, "I can hardly wait to see the expression on Bengt's face when we show it to him. Although this does mean that Phantom Thief B was telling the truth. Can't say I was expecting that."

"Yeah…" Rean said with a frown on his face. "And we still have no idea why he went out of his way to tell us. But there's no point in worrying about that now. We got what we came for."

Naruto nodded and said, "Right. Let's head back to Turner's and hand it over. I'm sure Bengt's gonna love it."

As they neared the entrance to the city of Bareahard, they suddenly heard something rolling up behind them. Quickly moving off of the road, they watched as a number of large vehicles began rolling by and into the city. "That was the emblem of the Kreuzen province, wasn't it? Are they part of the provincial army…?" Emma questioned.

"I suspect they're members of a unit stationed in Celdic." Jusis said. "They're likely on their way to rendezvous with the main unit in Bareahard."

"Makes sense. I've never seen those vehicles accompanying them before, though." Rean said.

Naruto frowned and said, "Reinford's latest model of light armored transport, I'd guess. From what I know, they lack the firepower of a tank, but make up for it in maneuverability."

"Hmph. They must have spent a small fortune on those." Machias said.

"You certainly seem to know a lot about them, Naruto." Emma said.

Naruto shrugged and said, "Trust me, you learn some things while traveling with Zephyr. Plus, we've kind of kept up to date on everything. Well, as much as we can, at least. I still have no idea what the hell those puppet things are Sara keeps having us fight, for instance."

"I don't think any of us do." Rean said with a chuckle.

"Regardless, we have no reason to linger here. We should return to Bareahard ourselves." Jusis said.

"Yeah, you're right." Rean said. Afterwards, he led the way into the city and back towards Turner's Jewelers.

Turner's Jewelers

As they entered the store, something immediately felt off to Naruto and Anko. Glancing off to the left, they saw a noble and his maid standing there, browsing the store's wares. Frowning slightly, Naruto approached them, only for the maid to turn to him and say, "I am pleased to see my lord in such high spirits. Though I must admit, I have mixed feelings about this…"

Then, they listened as the man, Count Gorti, exclaimed, "I can't believe I was able to obtain it so easily! Clearly, Aidios holds me in Her favor for all of my good deeds."

Leaving the two of them, Naruto frowned at his friends and said, "I reaaaally don't like the sound of this. Let's see if Bruc and Bengt know what the hell is going on."

As they approached, Bruc turned to them and said, "Ah, you're back."

Bengt couldn't even look them in the eyes. He looked dejected at the moment, which only compounded their worry.

"Umm… Is something wrong?" Rean asked.

"Well…could you…give us the item?" Bruc asked hesitantly.

Naruto frowned for a moment, but nodded at Rean. Seeing this, the black-haired teen frowned in confusion before turning and handing the Dryad's Tear over to Bruc. "Uh, sure. Here."

Bruc looked resigned as he accepted the item. "Thank you."

It was at this point that the count they had seen before shouted, "What is taking so long?! If you have what I asked for, hurry up and give it to me!"

Before Bruc could comply with the man's demands, Naruto held up his hand and said, "Let me guess. He wants the Dryad's Tear?" Seeing Bruc nod, the prince sighed and turned around to stare hard into the count's eyes. "I'm sorry, Sir, but you're going to have to find your own Dryad's Tear. If you've already paid for it, then I'll return your money to you out of my own pocket. This particular item is for Mr. Bengt's wedding ring. Please try to understand."

Count Gorti narrowed his eyes at the pompous brat and asked, "And just who do you think you are, to try and order me around? Do you know who I am, Boy?!"

Naruto continued to stare hard into Gorti's eyes and said, "No. And quite frankly, I don't care. In case you aren't aware, I am Prince Naruto Uzumaki. A member of Thors Military Academy and a part of Class VII; here on a field study with my classmates. As I said, you can either search for your own, or pay someone else to find one for you. I will NOT let you have this Dryad's Tear. Now, I will repeat my offer. I will pay you what you paid for this item, and you will leave this store and Mr. Bengt alone. Do we have a deal?"

Gorti frowned in confusion before turning to his maid. "Last I checked there was no 'Prince Naruto'. Just who is this fellow?"

"Master Gorti, this man matches the description I have heard about a prince new to Erebonia. He is already the talk of the Empire, and he is well known throughout the nation by now. Prince Naruto is a well-respected individual. Perhaps we should take him up on his generous offer?" the maid suggested, hoping to settle the dispute before it could escalate.

Gorti frowned as he looked back at Naruto. "A new prince? You must not be a relative of the royal family then. You're a foreign dignitary, aren't you? That means you have no say in the affairs of the Empire, Prince Naruto. No. Deal."

The maid looked scared at this point. She didn't know what the prince would do now. Oh dear. What are you doing, Master Gorti?!

Naruto shrugged and said, "Very well then." Turning to Bruc, Naruto began examining his various seals before asking, "How much for your most beautiful wedding ring, good Bruc? If this fool insists on taking the Dryad's Tear, then I think I'll get Mr. Bengt the best you have to offer instead." Looking at Bengt at this point, he asked, "Do you have any objections to my generous offer, Mr. Bengt?"

Before the man could reply, Count Gorti shouted, "Hey! Don't just turn your back on me! How dare you disrespect me in such a way?! Just what do you think you're doing?!"

Naruto turned back to face Gorti with a raised brow. "I do believe our conversation was finished, was it not? I am curious, though. Why exactly did you want the Dryad's Tear so badly? Bruc, please give the man what he's paid for. I want to see what he does with it."

"Y-Yes, of course! At once!" Bruc said before quickly giving Count Gorti what he wanted.

As this was taking place, Emma looked at the others and asked, "Wh-What's going on here?"

Machias shook his head and said, "I don't even know anymore."

When Bruc finally handed over the Dryad's Tear, Gorti said, "About time!" Glaring at Naruto at this point, he wanted to say something, only to get a wicked idea. Looking at the Dryad's Tear that was now in his hand, he said, "So, this is what it looks like…"

Nora, his maid, nodded and said, "I can confirm that this is a genuine Dryad's Tear. I imagine it will be a bit hard, but as it is nothing more than petrified sap, you should be able to consume it without worry."

Anko blinked and asked, "Consume? The hell's that mean?"

"W-We had to have heard that wrong…" Rean said in disbelief.

"Hmm… All right, then." Turning to Naruto with a wicked smirk on his face, Count Gorti said, "This is what something like this was meant to be used for." Then, making a big show of it, he began to chew the Dryad's Tear.

Class VII's eyes widened and Rean shouted, "Wha…?!"

"Seriously?!" Emma shouted in shock.

"What are you doing?!" Machias shouted in outrage.

Gorti blinked and his eyes went wide. Turning to his maid, he shouted out, "No'a, wo'a!"

Nora sighed, but quickly handed over a cup of water. "Here, my lord." Taking it from his maid, the count quickly gulped it down before breathing a sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Anko scowled angrily and said, "What a scumbag."

"H-How did THIS come about?!" Emma questioned.

Machias went to shout something, only for a firm hand to be placed on his shoulder. Turning to see who it belonged to, he asked, "N-Naruto? Why are you stopping me?"

Naruto simply shook his head before turning to face the count when he began to speak to him again. "From now on, Prince, you should watch your tone when speaking to your betters. I will be generous and let it pass this once. But you would do well to mind your manners in the future. If you were to truly anger me, your life could be cut short. Very short indeed."

Jusis sighed and shook his head. "I think you're the one who ought to mind his manners."

Count Gorti glared at Jusis and shouted, "What was that?!" Then, seeing exactly who it was he had just shouted at, he began to panic and shouted, "L-L-L-Lord Jusis?! Wh-Wh-What are you doing in a place like this?!"

"That does not concern you. However, we went to great pains to find a Dryad's Tear for that man there. And I am most interested in hearing what, exactly, made you feel you had the right to consume it." Jusis said angrily.

"B-But, Lord Jusis…I-I legally purchased that stone from him! I have done nothing improper here!" Count Gorti exclaimed.

Jusis narrowed his eyes on the count before glancing towards Bengt. "Is what this man says true?"

"Y-Yes, it is. He agreed that he would give me a sum of mira in exchange for the tear." Bengt said, sounding heartbroken.

"See? So that stone was my property, which meant I could do with it whatever I wished!" Gorti exclaimed somewhat petulantly.

"O-Okay…" Rean said unsurely.

"But…why would you want to eat it?" Emma asked.

Nora frowned and couldn't even look them in the eyes. "Well…the Dryad's Tear is used in Eastern herbal medicine, as it is said to possess a number of useful properties."

"Herbal medicine…?" Machias questioned.

"A popular variety of alternative medicine practiced in the Eastern lands." Rean explained.

Anko frowned in confusion before asking, "What 'useful properties' would those be?"

"Nutritional supplementation, mostly. But there are those who believe it can also prevent the effects of aging." Nora explained.

"Prevent…aging?" Emma questioned, not quite able to believe what she was hearing.

"Hmph. Utterly ludicrous." Jusis said.

"B-Be that as it may, it is my prerogative! And now that the deed is done, I have no reason to remain here any longer." Count Gorti said.

As he prepared to leave the store, Jusis glared hard at him and said, "Stop. You have disrespected my friend and classmate, and a prince that came here on a goodwill mission to foster peace between our nations. I suggest you apologize to him. Now!"

Count Gorti flinched before turning to Naruto and quickly bowing to him. "M-My humblest apologies, Prince N-Naruto! I-I'll just be on my way now!" And with that, he quickly fled the store.

Nora sighed and bowed politely to Naruto and the others. "My apologies. Do have a good day." She said before leaving the store as well.

Once they were gone, Naruto and the others turned back to face Bruc and Bengt. "I'm sorry for causing a scene like that." Naruto said. "It's just a shame that my position does not afford me the sway that I was hoping for in this situation."

Bengt shook his head and said, "No, I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry for making you watch that without a word of explanation beforehand. Especially after all the trouble you went through to get it for me…"

"So…is it true?" Rean asked. "Did the count purchase it from you?"

Bengt nodded and said, "Oh, yes, that was completely true. Everything was on the level. Though honestly, considering he's a noble—and a count, at that—I couldn't possibly have refused. The situation may be changing for the better in Heimdallr overall…but deference to those of higher stature is still the reality in areas where the chancellor's influence doesn't reach."

"I thought it might be something like that." Machias said.

"As for the ring, I'm going to use the mira the count gave me as a deposit and buy one locally. I'm really sorry for putting you through all of this. I'll need to start making my way to the station now. I don't want to miss my train. Goodbye, everyone!" Bengt said and prepared to leave, only for Naruto to place a firm hand upon his shoulder, stopping him before he could so much as take a step. "P-Prince Naruto?"

Naruto looked hard into Bengt's eyes before looking back at Bruc. "I shall ask again. How much for the most beautiful ring you have? I think Mr. Bengt has more than earned it with his patience. I say he be rewarded for his efforts."

Bruc and Bengt were wide-eyed at what they were hearing. Before Bengt could protest such a thing, Bruc quickly began looking through all of the store's jewelry and their records before finally deciding on one. "Ah, here it is!" Presenting it to Naruto and Bengt, he said, "It costs 600,000 mira, but I do believe it's well worth the money. It will never chip or decay, and it cannot be damaged by conventional means. And, as you can see, it's one of the most beautiful rings we have available." Looking at Naruto, he asked, "Are you sure you want to pay for such an expensive gift?"

Naruto hummed in thought before unsealing a couple of large bags full of mira. Handing them over to Bruc, he motioned towards Bengt and said, "That should more than cover the cost of the ring. I suggest that you use the rest of it wisely. Or you can give it to Mr. Bengt here to make up for the trouble caused by the count." Smiling at Bengt, Naruto said, "Make sure you keep that ring safely tucked away until you are able to give it to your betrothed, Mr. Bengt. And do take care on your trip home. I hope we will see each other again. Perhaps you could even invite me over for dinner or some tea sometime to thank me for this."

Bengt's eyes were wide and tears started to stream down his cheeks. After accepting the ring from Bruc, he bowed to Naruto and said, "Th-Thank you so, so much, Prince Naruto! I shall never forget your kindness! I'll be sure to spread the word about your kindness and your generosity! People deserve to know the kind of hero you are to the commonfolk! Thank you again!" And before anyone could say anything else, Bengt hurried out of the store, tears streaming down his cheeks as he hurried on his way to the station.

Back in the store, Naruto turned to Bruc with a smile and said, "Thank you, as well, Bruc. I do believe we've made Bengt and his fiancé very happy today."

Bruc smiled gratefully at Naruto and said, "Prince Naruto, I can already tell you gave me at least 100,000 extra mira. For your good deeds, and your boundless generosity, I'll put this money towards anything you would like to purchase. In fact, I'll double the amount and allow you to buy 200,000 mira worth of goods, should you wish it at no extra charge to you."

Naruto smiled at Bruc gratefully before he began to browse the man's goods. As he did this and began to select a variety of accessories and various pieces of jewelry to purchase either for himself or as souvenirs, the others watched on with wide eyes. "I…I can't believe he just did that." Rean said in awe.

Machias blinked a couple of times and said, "I didn't think anyone, noble or otherwise, would go out of their way for someone like that. Especially not at such a steep cost. How can one person be so…so selfless? So kindhearted?"

Anko smiled as she watched her mate. "That's just the kind of person Naruto is. It's part of why I fell in love with him. Oh, the stories I could share with you about all the amazing things he did back in the Elemental Nations." Giggling a bit, she said, "Trust me, once you hear about some of his past adventures, you'll start to realize what a special person my Naruto truly is."

Jusis couldn't stop the smile that stretched across his face. "He's a good man."

Once Naruto was finished, they bade goodbye to Bruc and Turner before leaving the store and preparing to make their way towards the Aurochs Canyon Path. As they prepared to move along, he released a sigh before smiling at his friends. "Yes, I really just did that. And no, I'm not worried about it. It was the right thing to do." Looking at Jusis, he said, "Thanks for sticking up for me back there, Jusis. I appreciate it."

Jusis nodded and said, "You would have done the same for me, Naruto. Still, you are welcome. Now, I do believe we should be on our way."

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "Yes. We've got that monster extermination request, and then we have to collect some pink salt before reporting in at Aurochs Fort. Then, we can return here and hand over the salt to Hasan so we can complete that request as well. We still have so much left to do today, and I'm already exhausted."

Anko laughed a bit and said, "I know the feeling. I've felt that way in the past. Anyways, we should probably hurry up."

"Of course."

Then, Naruto remembered something and shook his head. "Might want to customize your weapons a bit at the orbal factory first. You might have some new weapons, but I'm sure he can make them even better. Then we'll get going."

"Good point." Rean said. "We'll do just that then. And then we'll get a move on." Chuckling a bit, he led the way across the street to get what they needed done.

Aurochs Canyon Path

Upon stepping outside of the city onto the Aurochs Canyon Path, they marveled at the beauty that they could see ahead of them. After a moment, Jusis turned to his comrades and said, "We've now crossed the border into Aurochs Canyon. On the other side of it is Aurochs Fort, where the provincial army is stationed."

"Which means the monster we're after is somewhere along this path. The most logical approach here would be to take care of the monster first, then continue following the path to the fort." Rean suggested.

Machias nodded and said, "If that's the case, we should probably make sure to finish all of our other tasks first, otherwise they may be left undone."

Emma nodded and said, "Well, I know I'm certainly anxious, so as soon as everybody else is ready, we should head out."

"Roger that, Emma." Anko said. "This might actually be kind of fun."

Naruto nodded in agreement before he began to lead the way along the path. They knew it would be a long walk, but they weren't too worried. So long as they were together, they knew they'd be fine.

As they walked across the bridge towards the canyon path proper, Rean looked up at a bridge spanning across the tops of the path and said, "That bridge above us looks like it dates back to the Middle Ages."

"It is. It's been there for several hundred years." Jusis said.

"That's neat. Weird place for a bridge, but I assume things were different back then." Anko said with a shrug.

As they moved along the path, they saw a path leading to the right, off the road and deeper into the canyon. So, killing a few monsters in their way, they proceeded along the small path, killing a couple of Stealth Turtles towards the end, and then opened the chest for a Curia Balm.

Returning to the main road, they continued along until they entered the next section of the Canyon Path. Peering ahead a ways, Naruto extended his senses and said, "I definitely sense something a ways in. I'm not quite sure where exactly it is yet, but we'll see when we get there. It's definitely more powerful than the other monsters in this area, that's for sure."

Before advancing too far along the path, they went off the road and quickly killed three War Mantises before exploring the area a bit. As they continued on in this direction for a while, they came across a rather large avian-like monster called a Zwordar. There were actually two of them together with a Stealth Turtle. This battle was a bit trickier when compared to the previous enemies, but it wasn't a problem in the long run. At the end of the path, they opened the chest for 150 of each kind of sepith, which again they could definitely make good use of.

Looking down into the deep chasm, Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Man, that's quite the steep drop. Can't even see the bottom. Reminds me of that chasm Jiraiya threw me down when he was trying to force me to learn the Summoning Technique. Damn rotten bastard."

Anko grumbled a bit and said, "I remember you telling me about that. I wanted to sick my snakes on him and watch as his balls turned blue and fell off. He could have killed you!"

Naruto nodded and said, "I highly doubt he would have cared much."

Jusis frowned and said, "That sounds like yet another person from your past life that we likely wouldn't have cared much for."

Naruto nodded and said, "Remind me to tell you guys about him later. For now, let's just say he was a horrible person and leave it at that."

Rean nodded before he led the way back towards the main road. "I think there's a LOT you still need to tell us about, Naruto. But there's no point in pressuring you. You'll confide in us in time."

The whiskered teen nodded and said, "Yep. Might not happen right away, and definitely not all at once, but you guys will start to understand me a bit better as time goes by."

Once they were back on the main road, they continued along their way until Emma commented on something she noticed. "This looks like quite an old road, though it does seem well reinforced."

Anko nodded and said, "Certainly looks that way. It looks to me like a lot of armored vehicles come this way."

Jusis frowned deeply, but couldn't find it in himself to say a word. Instead, they just continued along the path, eager to just kill the damn monster and be on their way. Upon reaching a split in the path, Jusis said, "If we continue along the main road, we'll be well on our way to Aurochs Fort. However…"

Rean nodded and said, "We should slay the monster first before we move on any farther. It wouldn't be wise to have to backtrack and then return to the fort."

"Right." Naruto said. "Might as well go up to the top and kick that Fate Spinner's ass then."

After killing a few more groups of monsters, they spotted an obviously trapped treasure chest across a deep pit. So, circling around to the other side, they killed a few more monsters before approaching it. Looking back at his comrades to see if they were ready, Naruto smiled at them before opening the chest, triggering an ambush by four War Mantises and three Stealth Turtles.

While there were a lot of enemies this time, they were monsters they were familiar with after having faced a number of them along the path. So, working together and making good use of their combat links, they proceeded to destroy their enemies before collecting their treasure: a rare wind quartz known as Breeze. This particular quartz gave its user the ability to cast Aerial, Breath, and Recuria, while also increasing their mana pool and increasing the power of their arts somewhat. Grinning at this, Anko pointed at Jusis and said, "I say we give that to him. Seems like a good choice to me."

Before Machias could protest such a decision, the others voiced their agreement with that idea. Sighing, the green-haired teen thought it over carefully before nodding his head in agreement. "Very well. It does make sense to give it to him to use. I suppose."

Jusis thanked them before taking the quartz and inserting it into his ARCUS. Afterwards, they proceeded back along the path and ascended the hill towards their target. However, they noticed something off to the side: a small group of monsters and another treasure chest. Thankfully, this one wasn't trapped, so they didn't have to worry about anything other than slaying the monsters in their path. Once they were defeated, they proceeded to open the chest and collected its contents: a wind quartz known as Blind. This one was rather self-explanatory. Whoever equipped it would be able to blind their opponents with their regular, physical attacks. At first, Naruto thought about equipping it himself, but he looked at his beloved Anko and gave it to her to use. Thanking him for the thoughtful gift, they turned around and approached the target: the Fate Spinner.

Looking at it cautiously, Rean said, "There it is…"

Emma nodded and nervously said, "I-It does look pretty strong."

Anko shrugged and said, "Nothing we can't handle. It might put up more of a fight than the monsters we've been fighting so far, but we shouldn't have any problems killing the damn thing."

Jusis frowned and looked at Machias, "Hey."

Machias nodded in agreement and said, "I know. We need to form a proper combat link already. We won't fail this time."

Naruto chanced a glance at them and thought, Somehow I don't see this going well. Guess we'll see.

"You can do it." Rean said supportively.

"Naruto. Rean. Put us on the front line. We need to give this every possible opportunity to work." Machias requested.

Jusis nodded in agreement and said, "We'll show you how it's done!"

"Machias, Jusis…" Emma said hopefully. She knew that they could do it if they really learned to trust each other. She just hoped now was their moment to really shine.

Anko frowned as she chanced a glance at her mate. Seeing him nod at her, she sighed quietly and shook her head. Something tells me that this ISN'T going to go well. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how this goes.

Rean nodded and said, "All right, we're counting on you. We'll start the battle as soon as you're ready."

"Thank you." Machias said before he took a breath to steady himself. Afterwards, the party of six approached the Fate Spinner and watched as Machias and Jusis formed a combat link together. It was shaky, and the two ninjas knew it could break at any second, but they'd give the two of them a shot and see how they did.

When the monster noticed them, the green-haired teen took a moment before saying, "All right… Let's do this."

"Is everyone ready?" Jusis asked as the monster watched them cautiously, waiting to see what Group A would do.

"I'm good to go. Let's do this!" Rean exclaimed.

"Right!" Emma confirmed.

"Might as well." Anko said with a shrug. Looking between the two troublemakers again, she shook her head and thought, I really hope this works.

Entering battle with the creature, Naruto formed a combat link with Anko while Rean formed one with Emma. The two ninjas would fight, but they wouldn't kill the damn thing just yet. No, they needed to see if Machias and Jusis could finally put aside their differences and actually fight together as a team.

When they had nearly defeated the Fate Spinner, the link between Jusis and Machias was suddenly severed and they flinched from the sudden backlash. Seeing as they were temporarily out of the fight, Rean moved in and finished the monster off. Or so he thought…

Now that the battle was over, they turned as one to look upon Jusis and Machias, frowns on their faces. Machias was panting as he tried to catch his breath. Seeing the frustration on their faces, Rean shook his head and said, "That was rough. Tougher than I expected."

Emma nodded and said, "Yeah. But we still won."

Anko nodded in agreement, but continued to keep an eye on the downed monster. Naruto and I aren't going to do a damn thing here. Something big needs to happen for these two to finally work together. I hate that it has to come at the expense of one of us being injured, but these two need a serious reality check.

Putting away their weapons, Machias and Jusis glared at each other. "What the hell is wrong with you, Jusis Albarea?! Why did you sever the link?!"

"Don't even think of trying to place the blame on me, Machias Regnitz! YOU were the one who severed the link!" Jusis retorted.

At this point, they grabbed each other by the collars of their uniforms, glaring into each other's eyes. "You said you'd cooperate, but you just couldn't do it, could you? You couldn't bring yourself to stoop to the same level as a commoner like me! You nobles truly are beyond redemption. You're utterly hopeless, through and through!" Machias exclaimed furiously.

"You asinine little…! Why can't you see that all of this is born from your own prejudice and narrow-mindedness?!" Jusis questioned angrily.

Having enough of it, Rean shouted at them. "That's ENOUGH!"

"Please, calm down!" Emma pleaded.

"Stay out of this! This is our problem!" Machias yelled angrily at the two of them.

"Why don't we settle this once and for all? Let me show you how much better than you I really am!" Jusis challenged.

Rean scowled, watching them in disbelief. Then, before he could even think of anything to say, his senses went haywire. Quickly rushing between the duo and the monster, Rean prepared to take a blow meant for one of them, only for Naruto to quickly swap places with him and take the blow to his own body. As his new wound began to bleed, he closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. Hopefully this gets the message through to these stubborn fools. Looking at Anko, he nodded at her and watched as she finished the Fate Spinner off.

"N-Naruto?!" Emma exclaimed in a mixture of shock and horror.

Before anyone could say anything more, Anko put away her weapons as the Fate Spinner's body faded away. Walking towards her boyfriend, she looked at him and asked, "Are you okay, Sweetheart?"

Naruto smiled at her and said, "Meh, I've had worse. Remember when Sasuke and I fought the first time?"

"How could I forget? You were in the hospital for quite a while. It's amazing Tsunade was even able to save your life after what happened to you." Anko said, smiling sadly at him.

Hurrying to his side, Emma asked, "Naruto? Are you all right?!"

Machias and Jusis were stunned, as was Rean. Looking at Naruto in disbelief, Rean asked, "W-Why do that, Naruto? You could have easily killed it before it even attacked again!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and shook his head. "It's fine, Rean. Just trust me, okay?"

Rean could only frown in confusion, but didn't say another word. Instead, he looked to Machias and Jusis and listened as Machias hesitantly said, "H-Hey…"

Jusis looked worriedly upon him and asked, "Are you injured? How bad is it?"

Naruto smiled at them and said, "It's fine. Like I said earlier, I've been through far worse than this."

"But I was so sure we'd killed it, though!" Rean exclaimed. "If only I hadn't let my guard down…"

Anko smiled sadly at him and shook her head. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Rean. It's an easy mistake to make. The damn thing's truly dead now, though. Thankfully."

As Machias and Jusis looked on worriedly, Emma kneeled down to look over Naruto's wound. "I need to administer first aid. I'll need you to take off your jacket."

Smiling at Emma thankfully, Naruto removed his jacket, now stained with his blood and torn, and waited patiently for Emma to finish tending to his wound. Once she was finished, he said, "Thank you, Emma. I appreciate it."

Emma smiled kindly at him and said, "You're welcome. I'm happy I was able to put what we learned from Instructor Beatrix's classes to good use."

Anko asked, "That was last week, wasn't it?"

Machias looked upon Naruto sadly and said, "I'm sorry, Naruto, I…"

"It's our fault that you were injured." Jusis said apologetically.

Naruto gave them a thumbs-up and said, "It's no problem, really. I'm not too worried about it. Honestly, I think we're all just glad you two are okay. That could've been so much worse."

"Why are you so…?" Machias tried to ask, only for words to fail him.

Anko whispered to her hubby-to-be. "Might want to rest your shoulder for a little while, Honey. Hopefully this gives them the kick in the butt they desperately need."

Emma looked between them for a moment, curious about what they were saying to one another. However, looking upon Naruto once again, she said, "I'd strongly recommend you fall back from the front line for the time being. At least until you're feeling better."

Naruto nodded and said, "Sure thing, Emma. Thanks." Standing up, he winced a bit and said, "We should get moving. We need to find the pink salt and then report in at Aurochs Fort. I'll heal in time."

Machias nodded and said, "Yeah. I suppose it's not a done deal until we file our report."

"Aurochs Fort isn't much farther across the canyon. We may need to hurry if we wish to be back in Bareahard before nightfall, however." Jusis stated.

Anko smiled at her love and said, "Let's get going. Just rest for now, okay?"

As the other four walked off, Emma took Naruto's hand and said, "Hey, Naruto?"

Naruto glanced over his shoulder at her and asked, "What's up, Emma?"

"O-Oh, I just…uhhh…" Taking a breath, she placed her hands over his wound and said quietly, "Lux solis medicuri eum." ('Heal him, sunlight.')

Naruto blinked as he felt all the pain in his shoulder fading away. Looking at her, he asked, "What was that? What did you just do, exactly?"

Emma smiled nervously at him and was prepared to lie, but Naruto simply reached up with his good shoulder and patted her on the head. "You don't need to lie to me, Emma. But I'm sure you would prefer to keep your secret for now. I won't pressure you into telling me about it. Still, I hope you'll feel comfortable with us enough to tell us all about it someday, Emma."

Emma blushed a bit in embarrassment, but slowly nodded her head. "Thank you, Naruto. I figured you'd realize that I'm…different. You're perceptive that way." Sighing a bit, she said, "I promise I'll tell you all someday. Just as I hope you'll tell us more about yourself, as well. Okay?"

Naruto smiled at her and said, "Of course. Thank you, Emma. We should probably hurry up. Don't want the others to wonder what's going on now, do we?"

The bespectacled girl giggled a bit and said, "You're right. Let's hurry. Though do remember to stay out of the fighting for the time being. You don't want to worry the others, do you?"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Of course not." Patting her atop the head again, he turned and walked with her down the path, rejoining the others once more.

After rejoining them, Anko stepped up to him and asked, "Sooo, what were the two of you doing up there by yourselves, hmm?"

Naruto chuckled again and whispered to her, "Seems Emma has some secrets of her own that she'd like us to keep. She didn't tell me anything, but she sped up the healing process for me somehow. I should be just fine in a little while. Still, I might as well keep to my word and let all of you do the fighting for the time being."

Anko nodded in understanding and said, "I suppose I'll have to thank her later, then. We should get going. Although, you know that was reckless of you, right? Once Fie and Laura hear about what happened, I doubt they're going to be too happy."

Naruto chuckled nervously and said, "Yeah, you're probably right. Might have to plead with them NOT to hurt those two. I can't see that going over too well."

Anko giggled a bit before she began to follow Rean's lead with her boyfriend at her side. "Don't worry. I'll help you keep them in line. Promise."

"Thank you, Anko." Naruto said as they followed the others back to the main road and then into the next area of the Canyon Path.

Upon reaching another fork in the road, Jusis and the others stopped. Turning to face Naruto, he asked, "How's your injury?"

"If… If it still hurts, we can slow down a bit…" Machias suggested.

Naruto smiled at them and shook his head. "It's fine. Honest! It's stopped bleeding, and I barely feel anything right now. I should be just fine soon enough, I'm sure." Smiling at Emma at this point, he said, "Gotta admit, Emma's first aid skills really are top notch."

Emma smiled gratefully at him and said, "Not at all! I'm just glad you'll be okay."

"Well, if you're sure." Machias said.

"If you truly are in pain, there's no shame in admitting it." Jusis said.

"Thanks, guys. Don't worry too much about it. It barely hurts anymore." Naruto said. Then, glancing at Emma, he grinned at her and asked, "Did you rub some kind of special ointment on the wound or something, Emma?"

Emma quickly became flustered and shook her head. "Y-Yes, I did. I used a special kind of medicine I brought with me from back home. My grandmother made it by combining a number of medicinal herbs together, I believe…"

Rean blinked and asked, "Really? My old master often used something similar."

Anko grinned at Emma and said, "I'm kind of interested in hearing more about this."

Emma shook her head and said, "O-Oh, no. There's nothing more to tell! I don't know the…recipe or anything. Actually, I was far more impressed with you, Anko! You made defeating that monster look really easy!"

Smirking at the busty girl, Anko said, "Heh, trying to change the subject. Fine with me." Shrugging, she said, "I'm used to fighting things like that by now. You'd be surprised just what we had to fight back in the Elemental Nations. It was really no problem."

"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. You ninja are surprisingly versatile, and quick on your feet as well." Jusis commented.

"And that's not the first time you've saved us in battle, either. It's really quite impressive to see you in action." Machias said.

Anko grinned at them and said, "I'm loving all the praise guys. Feels kinda nice. Go ahead, praise me some more."

Rean and the others sweatdropped, but he chuckled a bit and looked at Naruto. "Is she always like this?"

Machias chuckled as well and said, "It's kind of refreshing in a way."

Naruto nodded and smiled at his beloved. "She's awesome that way. I wouldn't want her to act any other way."

"I see. Very well then. We should be on our way." Jusis said before he led them off of the main road, where they quickly did battle with a few more monsters.

As they proceeded up the path, they noticed a small treasure chest hidden behind some foliage, next to a rather large tree. Opening it, they found some Groundbait that they could use for fishing. Pocketing it with a smile, Rean looked at the others before he noticed something further along the path. "Well, that's different. Is that what we're looking for?"

Jusis nodded and said, "I believe so."

"It's a rather pretty shade of pink, isn't it?" Emma said.

Curious, Anko took a small sample and licked it. Seeing this, Machias shouted, "Wh-What are you-?!"

Anko shrugged and said, "It's a little sweet for salt. Interesting."

"A-Are you sure you should be doing that?" Machias questioned worriedly.

Jusis shrugged and said, "She's clearly fine."

"So they're going to use this in the bath? I guess I shouldn't be surprised nobles would do that kind of thing…" Rean said. "Well, let's just take what we need and go."

"Umm…I'm sure the clients won't mind if we give this to them after we've reported in at the fort, will they?" Emma questioned.

"I imagine they'll be satisfied as long as they receive it by the end of the day." Jusis said.

"Off we go, then." Anko said. "Might as well get moving. Daylight's burning after all!"

Proceeding further along the path, they soon opened another treasure chest for a Mind 2 quartz. After giving it to one of them to equip, they returned to the main road and continued along the path, aiming to finish exploring the Aurochs Canyon Path before approaching Aurochs Fort. Seeing as there was nothing of interest left on the path, they proceeded along the road down into Aurochs Fort.

Proceeding down the road a little way, they paused as they took in the sight of the massive fortress. "Wh-Whoa…" Machias muttered in awe.

"It's huge…" Rean said.

"So this is Aurochs Fort…" Emma said. "One of the Kreuzen Provincial Army's premier bases…"

Anko frowned as she took in the sight of the fortress. "Huh. Not quite what I was expecting. Definitely kind of imposing, though. Large, too. Looks like they decided to modify an older fort. Quite a lot, actually."

When Rean noticed that Jusis looked troubled by something, he asked, "Is something wrong, Jusis?"

"No. Not at all. Let's go and give our report on the monster we defeated." Jusis said.

While the others looked confused, Naruto frowned as he looked at his friend. He's definitely troubled by something. I wonder what's going on.

When they reached the bottom of the hill, they heard a train overhead. Looking up at the tracks, they saw a rather long train carrying some kind of large cargo speeding by. Frowning at this, Naruto thought, Were those tanks? This doesn't look good. Whatever's going on, I don't like this.

While Jusis looked even more troubled by what they just saw, Machias asked, "I-Isn't that…?!"

"I-It's…a freight train from Bareahard?" Emma questioned curiously.

Rean nodded and said, "Looks like it's carrying tanks. Pretty heavily armored ones, at that…"

Anko frowned as she looked at Naruto. "Aren't those the latest models from the Reinford Company?"

Naruto nodded in confirmation and said, "I think so. I can't be sure, though. Fie would probably know better than I would. I think they're called 'Achtzehn,' though."

It was at this point that Jusis began walking towards the entrance of Aurochs Fort. Seeing this, Machias started to ask, "H-How…?"

"Come on. We have things to do." Jusis said.

"Gah, why does he have to be so…? Grrr…" Machias said frustratedly.

"He's right, though. We really should keep moving." Emma said.

"Yeah." Rean agreed before they decided to make their way towards the soldiers stationed out front.

Upon reaching them, the soldier on their left asked, "Who goes there?"

"Wait. Aren't those uniforms…?" the other soldier asked.

"We're members of Thors Military Academy, Class VII." Rean stated.

"We completed a monster extermination task on your behalf and have come to give our report." Machias said.

"Oh, so you're the ones." The first soldier stated.

"We've been expecting you." The second one said as he looked over the members of Class VII.

"Um, so…we were able to defeat the monster in question. Do you require a written report, or is verbal confirmation okay?" Emma questioned.

"Oh, no. That's fine." The first soldier said.

"You were really able to beat that thing, though?" the second one asked.

Rean nodded and said, "Somehow or another, yes."

"It wasn't easy, but we managed." Machias confirmed.

"Hmm… Not bad. Not bad at all. We probably should've taken care of it ourselves, but it was a pretty dexterous thing, so we just kind of…let it be." The soldier on the left stated.

"It wasn't tough enough to cause any of us any harm, as long as we were in our armored cars when we encountered it. But still, it took a bit of convincing for us to ask a group of students to fight it, as you might imagine." The second one explained.

"I can understand that." Emma said.

"Hmph. Well, it provided a good opportunity for us to test our skills." Jusis stated.

Blinking, both soldiers took a closer look at Jusis and their eyes widened. "Wait…"

"Oh!"

"L-Lord Jusis?! Wh-What brings you…? Wait… Th-That uniform! Are you…?!" the second soldier said in shock.

"Correct. I've returned to Bareahard as part of a field study for the academy. I'm here as a student, not as a member of the Albarea household. Please treat me accordingly, the same as you would my classmates." Jusis requested.

"A-As you wish." The first soldier said unsurely.

"As you wish, Lord Jusis!" the second one exclaimed.

"Wow…" Rean muttered in awe.

"Hmph. Looks like even the provincial army won't miss a chance to bend over backwards for him." Machias grumped quietly.

"I would like to know, however, about the contents of that train that just passed by here." Jusis requested.

"Ah, you saw it? Our provincial army has finally started getting supplied with tanks! Isn't it exciting?" the first soldier explained with glee.

"Armored cars can't hope to compete with tanks in terms of firepower, after all…and we can't let the Imperial Army be stronger than us forever!" the second soldier said.

Naruto frowned and shook his head in disappointment. Wonderful. This is just what we needed. The Kreuzen Provincial Army in possession of the Reinford Company's newest model of tanks. And far too many of them at that. Son of a bitch.

"I see. The fort also appears to have been fortified quite significantly." Jusis said.

"Ah, yes. Some rather sizable construction work was carried out just last month. It'll take more than a little cannon fire to damage these walls now!" one of the soldiers exclaimed.

"Our anti-air defenses are going to be strengthened in the near future, too. This should soon become a fort we soldiers of the Kreuzen province can truly be proud of! You can count on that." The second one explained.

"I will." Jusis said before turning to his classmates. "And with that, I believe we're done here. We should take our leave."

"Okay." Rean said.

"It is almost evening, after all." Emma agreed.

"Right." Anko said before looking at her mate. What are you going to do now, Naruto?

Deciding to check out the small rest area attached to the fort, Naruto led the party over that way, only to pause and glance over his shoulder at Jusis. "Jusis, are you okay with this? If you ask it of me, I can wreck this fortress in no time. It would be no problem for me. I can destroy those tanks, wreck their defenses, and render them completely defenseless. All you have to do is say the word."

Jusis shook his head and said, "Not just yet, Naruto. If things get too out of hand…then I'll gladly let you do as you need to. Damn that man."

Naruto nodded in understanding before opening the doors and leading the way into the Crescent Moon rest area. Once inside, he glanced around the room before approaching the maid walking around, tending to people and busying herself with work. When she turned to face them, the woman, whose name was Ulrika, said, "Welcom—wow! We don't usually get customers like you! Are you students? Oh, well. Who cares? Feel free to make yourselves at home here! We don't get many customers here, so we'll welcome anyone! This place pretty much exists for the merchants who've got business at the fort. We really don't get many other people coming along, because of how remote it is. Feel free to order something. Share some stories with me, too, if you want."

The whiskered teen chuckled a bit and said, "Maybe another time. Thank you for the generous offer, though."

Approaching the merchant sitting nearby, they greeted him and listened as he said, "I've been getting called out here pretty frequently these days. I've been so busy, I haven't really had the time to sit down and enjoy this book. You all seem like you'll have the time to enjoy it, so here."

When the man handed over Red Moon Rose – Chapter 4, Naruto smiled gratefully at the man and said, "Thank you. I'll give this a read as soon as I am able."

"Sure thing. You kids take care out there. I'll just be here for a while." The merchant said before watching as Naruto and the others approached Spare, who was manning the counter/bar, and talked with him for a moment. Deciding to take a look at what was for sale, they purchased a few Elegant Sandwiches and some Golden Juice for the road back. Might as well keep their energy up, after all.

Leaving the rest area, they proceeded back towards the hilly road leading back up to the Aurochs Canyon Path. Upon reaching the bottom of the hill, Machias said, "Wait. What is the meaning of this?"

"M-Machias…?" Emma said worriedly.

"If we were on the border with Crossbell or the Republic, maybe I could understand…but why does the provincial army HERE need state-of-the-art tanks?! Not to mention anti-air defenses and countless other fortifications… It's utter madness!" Machias exclaimed frustratedly.

"Machias…" Rean said warily.

"He's got a good point." Anko said. "So what've you got to say, Jusis?"

Without turning to face them, Jusis sighed and shook his head before asking, "Can you truly be so ignorant? This is the reality of the present situation within the Empire." Turning around to face them, he continued. "Tensions between Osborne's Reformist Faction and our Noble Faction grow worse by the day. Though admittedly, it's been happening mostly under the surface, away from the eyes of the general populace. But this is just one of the many ways that conflict is manifesting itself."

Rean frowned deeply and said, "I'd heard rumors, but…"

Jusis shook his head in disappointment and said, "No doubt my father was the one who ordered these fortifications. I have no intention of giving any comments of my own on his decision. But if you wish to lodge a complaint, I'm quite happy to listen. So?"

Machias sighed and reluctantly shook his head. "No. It's fine. The sun's going down. We should get back to Bareahard."

Rean nodded and said, "Yeah…"

Anko frowned sadly as she looked between Jusis and her boyfriend. Shaking her head after a moment, she said, "Let's get going, then."

As the rest of his friends began to ascend the hill, Naruto turned around and stared coldly at the fortress. Thinking on it for a time, he raised his arm and prepared to call forth a Rasenshuriken to decimate the blasted building and all of its defenses. However, Anko's voice stopped him. "Don't, Naruto. Not yet. Maybe in the future, but not now. Let's just go."

Sighing softly, Naruto lowered his arm and scoffed. Turning around, he proceeded to rejoin his friends and climbed the hilly road with them. I don't want to kill everyone anyways. Despite how despicable most of the army is, there ARE some innocents among them. Still…I can't just let this stand.

After a while of walking along the road, they paused when they heard alarms blaring behind them. Blinking, Rean asked, "What's that…?"

"It sounds like a siren…" Emma said.

"It seems to be coming from the fort." Machias said.

Naruto and Anko turned in that direction and watched the sky for a moment. Noticing this, Rean asked, "Naruto? Anko? What's-?"

It was at this point that they all saw a strange metal puppet, similar to the Combat Shells Sara had them fighting in their practical exams. It was flying overhead, away from the fort. And it was moving at a high speed. However…

"Wh-What was THAT?! Are birds like that common around here?!" Machias shouted.

Jusis sighed and shook his head in disbelief. "Imbecile. That was no bird."

Anko looked at her boyfriend for a moment before looking back in the direction the strange thing flew off in. "There was a little girl riding on it."

Rean nodded and said, "I saw that, too."

Machias, Emma, and Jusis turned around to face them in shock. "Wh-What?!" Machias shouted again.

"Are you certain…?" Jusis questioned unsurely.

Naruto nodded and said, "Trust me, it's not hard for us to spot something like that. We didn't get a good look at her face, but that was definitely a little girl."

"Unbelievable…" Emma murmured.

It was at this point that they heard horns blaring and turned back around to see a couple of armored cars rolling their way, coming from Aurochs Fort. When they came to a stop in front of them, two soldiers hopped out and approached them. "Lord Jusis!"

"W-Were you on your way back to Bareahard…?" the second soldier asked.

"What is all this commotion? What is the meaning of that siren?!" Jusis questioned.

"W-Well, you see…moments ago, we became aware of an intruder in Aurochs Fort." The first soldier explained.

"Y-You don't mean…" Emma said. The whole of Class VII were shocked. Or at least, most of them were. Naruto nodded and thought, I figured as much. It's a good thing I didn't use the Rasenshuriken then. That could've been nasty.

"the silver…thing that flew past us…?" Machias questioned unsurely.

"Y-You saw it?!" the first soldier asked.

"Which direction did it go?!" the second one asked.

"It flew off to the southwest mere moments ago. At a rather significant speed, at that." Jusis explained.

"Damn… If you'll please excuse us!" the first one exclaimed before turning around.

"Do take care, Lord Jusis!" the second one said before he and his fellow soldier returned to their vehicles and hurried off, giving chase after the strange contraption.

Once they were gone, Anko shook her head and said, "They won't catch it."

"It does seem unlikely. What could that have been, though?" Rean questioned.

"That's a very good question. What's capable of flying that's not an airship?" Emma asked, only to hear Naruto chuckling to himself. Turning towards him, she asked, "What's so funny, Naruto?"

Anko giggled a bit and said, "Naruto can fly without needing an airship or a contraption like that thing. He's been able to ever since the end of the Fourth War."

Machias shook his head in disbelief and asked, "Is there anything you CAN'T do, Naruto? Wait…" Shaking his head again, he said, "Don't answer that. Still, I've never heard of any flying device besides one!"

Jusis frowned and said, "This is a matter for the army. We should trust in them to handle it. We're students, visiting here for our studies. We're under no obligation to do the provincial army's job for them. Besides which, we have our hands full with our own tasks."

"W-Well, that is true, but…" Machias said hesitantly.

Emma said, "It would do no harm to mention this incident in our report. It is…noteworthy, after all."

"Agreed. And I'm in agreement with Jusis here. It's best to leave this situation in the hands of the provincial army. We are under no obligation to help them catch that thing, nor should we bother to. It is truly none of our business." Naruto said.

Anko glanced at her mate and asked, "How's your shoulder doing, by the way? Has it healed yet?"

Naruto nodded and began to move his arm and shoulder about, stretching it out and testing its mobility. "Yep. I'm feeling as good as new. I can rejoin the front line again."

"Are you certain?" Jusis asked in shock.

"I find it hard to believe such a significant injury could heal so quickly." Machias said disbelievingly.

Anko giggled a bit and said, "Naruto has always had an unnatural healing factor. He can recover from pretty much any wound in a really short amount of time. If he says he's fine, then he's fine. Trust me."

Naruto nodded and said, "It's a combination of things that are kiiind of unique to me. I'll probably explain it later. For now, we really should get a move on. The sun's starting to go down, after all."

"If you say so. I'm glad you're all right, Naruto." Emma said with a relieved smile on her face.

After this conversation was over, Naruto began to lead the way down the road, back towards Bareahard. What the hell was that thing? Mysteries upon mysteries here, I swear.

Once they were finally near the city again, Anko stretched her body and said, "Mmm. Looks like we're finally back. I'm looking forward to getting a little shut eye."

Emma giggled a bit before saying, "Whew… My feet are killing me. I don't know how you do it."

Naruto smirked at her and said, "Ninja."

Machias sighed and shook his head. "That really doesn't explain anything to us."

Anko giggled and said, "If you think about it, it kind of does."

Upon entering the city minutes later, they glanced up at the sky and Rean said, "Just about sundown…"

"I guess that means our field study activities are done for the day." Emma said.

"Almost. We still have to turn in the pink salt to Hasan, but after that we should be good for the night." Naruto said.

"Thank goodness for that. I'm exhausted." Machias said.

Anko shrugged and said, "I'm just plain starving. I'm looking forward to getting a nice meal and then heading back to the hotel. I'd love to go straight to sleep, but we have those reports to write up. Dammit."

Jusis looked around for a moment before saying, "Whatever that strange flying object was, it doesn't seem to have come anywhere near the main thoroughfare, at least."

"Fortunately not." Emma said.

"The city wouldn't be this calm if it had." Machias said.

"Yeah. It's probably long gone by now." Rean agreed. "We should turn in that request and then head back to the hotel before it gets dark. There's a lot to put in our daily reports today, after all."

"Indeed." Machias said.

"We can figure out how best to summarize the day's events over dinner." Emma suggested.

"I can agree with that." Naruto said with a smile. "Let's get moving. I'm eager to get a nice, hot meal and then get some sleep."

Deciding to forego chatting with any of the locals, noble or otherwise, they proceeded to the Central Plaza and approached the Sorciere Restaurant. Walking up to the two nobles, they greeted them before watching as the two of them stood up to greet them.

"O-Oh, Lord Jusis, Prince Naruto… Might I assume that you've…?" Hasan questioned hopefully.

"That's correct. Here." Jusis said before handing over the pink salt.

"Th-Thank you very much. Allow me to hand this over as your reward, then…" Hasan said before giving them a Silver Hourglass accessory.

"Refusing to accept it would be rather rude, I suppose. Thank you." Jusis said.

"Th-Thank you very much." Hasan said.

"My apologies for our rudeness earlier…" Udiro said.

Rean whispered to the others, "It's kind of amazing how much their attitudes change for Jusis and Naruto."

"Well, there's no denying the influence his family holds here. And Naruto's kind of to be expected, being a prince and all." Machias said.

Once their final task had been taken care of, they proceeded to cross the way to the hotel and stretched out a bit. "Might as well stop by our rooms for a bit before we get something to eat." Naruto said.

"Sounds good to me, Naruto." Emma said. Afterwards, they proceeded towards the hotel doors, only to pause when they heard a car horn from behind them.

Turning around, Jusis exclaimed, "That's…!" Seeing who it was, he mumbled out, "Father…"

"Huh?" Emma asked.

"What…?!" Machias shouted in shock before the party turned around to see what Duke Albarea could possibly want.

Jusis hurried up to the car and, as soon as the window rolled down, he said, "I'm terribly sorry for not coming to greet you, Father. Although I'm here but for a short time, I, Jusis, have returned to—"

"Enough." The duke said. "As I informed Rufus, you may do as you wish while you're here. However, you will do nothing that brings shame upon myself, nor upon the Albarea name. Please be ever mindful of your position and what you represent."

"Yes, Father. Umm… Would it be too much to ask for you to introduce yourself to my classm-?" Jusis started to ask, only for his father to interrupt him.

"I have no time for pleasantries, though I do wish to meet this prince I've heard so much about. Where is he?" Duke Albarea requested.

Naruto approached the vehicle and bowed politely to the duke. "That would be me, Duke Albarea. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I assure you."

Duke Albarea frowned as he looked into the prince's eyes. "It's a pleasure, Prince Naruto. Though I admit to being a bit disappointed. I have heard that you have refused my kind offer to stay in the suite I had prepared for you. Might I ask why?"

Naruto frowned as well and shook his head. "My apologies, Duke Albarea. I simply did not wish to exclude my classmates by taking advantage of such generosity. I would prefer to be treated as an equal amongst my peers, especially your son, Lord Jusis. At least for the time I am here. Please try to understand."

"Hmph. You're far humbler than I would expect from someone in your position. Very well. You may do as you wish. However, do remember that you are a prince, and an important one at that. You would do well to remember your station and hold yourself to a standard greater than the likes of the commoners, or even we nobles. Should you require anything during your stay here, do let my people know. And should anyone cross you in any way, inform me at once. I will tend to the matter at once." The duke said.

Naruto nodded and smiled at the man. "Of course, Duke Albarea. I thank you for your generosity. Do have a good night."

Jusis' father simply nodded before turning his gaze to his son. "Should I require anything of you, you will be contacted." And with that, he rolled up his window shortly before the car drove away.

Once he was gone, the rest of Group A approached them. "What exactly was that all about?" Anko questioned.

"A-Anko, that's not really—" Emma tried to say, only to pause.

"That was the almighty Duke Albarea, was it?" Machias asked. "The head of one of the Four Great Houses, and the man in charge of this entire province…"

Jusis nodded and said, "Indeed. And by some strange twist of fate, my father as well."

"Jusis?" Rean questioned unsurely.

Jusis shook his head and said, "I've spoken out of turn. Forget I said that. Today's workload has made me hungry. Shall we return to our rooms, then find something to eat?"

"Before that…" turning to her mate, Anko asked, "How the hell were you able to stomach that guy, Naruto? The guy just screams scumbag to me."

Naruto shook his head and said, "It's as he said: I need to be aware of my station and act the part. Should I cross him just yet, it could cause problems for us for the rest of our field study. I just hope he doesn't pull anything stupid."

Emma nodded in understanding and said, "I see. So long as you are well, Naruto. Anyways…" Looking at Jusis, she offered him a smile and said, "That sounds good to me, Jusis."

Anko nodded as well, but kept a careful eye on her mate. "I'm starving, too. Some food sounds real nice right now. But…" Placing a hand upon Naruto's cheek, she asked, "Are you sure you're okay, Naruto?"

The whiskered teen smiled kindly at Anko and nodded his head. "I'll be fine. I'd just prefer not to deal with people like that if I can help it. I just hope we'll all be fine."

Nodding in understanding, the party didn't say much more before they all entered the hotel and returned to their rooms. They each took turns getting showers, considering they were dirty and could really use a good soak. Then, after resting for a little while, they decided to head to the Sorciere Restaurant across the way from the hotel.

After dinner

After enjoying a nice dinner on the outdoor patio, Machias smiled and said, "Ahh, the breeze here feels wonderful."

Emma nodded in agreement and said, "The food was delicious, too."

"Definitely." Anko said as she patted her belly. "It's got nothing on some good ol' dango, but it was definitely delicious."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "I know how you feel, Anko. I'd love to have some ramen, but it seems such treats aren't very common here in the Empire."

"It is rather unfortunate." Anko said with a pout.

Chuckling a bit, Rean turned to Jusis and said, "I can see why this restaurant is popular with the nobles. Do you dine here often, Jusis?"

Jusis nodded and said, "I do. The chef has been good to me since I was a child. I was practically raised on this food."

Machias grumbled a bit before saying, "How typical. Even in your dining habits, you nobles subsist on unnecessary luxury. Though, I can't deny the quality of the food."

"Gotta agree with you there, Machias. The food wasn't just tasty, but it had this kind of…warmth to it, if that makes sense. I'm not really sure how to explain it exactly." Anko said.

"Yes. For a high-class restaurant, the chef seems to have used a lot of very healthy ingredients. Perhaps he's doing his part to ensure Jusis stays in good health." Emma said, smiling at her friend.

Jusis nodded and said, "I wouldn't doubt it."

After a short period of awkward silence, Machias said, "I-I wonder what Group B is doing right now."

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "We had this exact same conversation in our group last month, too. I'm sure they're hard at work over in Saint-Arkh. Probably nothing to worry about."

"It was…Celdic for you last month, right? So you were thinking of us on the first night?" Emma asked.

Rean nodded and said, "Yeah. After dinner, we were wondering how Group B was getting on." Then, looking pointedly at them, he asked, "Dare I ask?"

Machias looked guilty and glanced away. "W-Well…"

Anko giggled a bit and said, "Nowhere near as peacefully as now, I can tell you that. I have to say, this is a big improvement."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "We kind of figured as much."

Machias frowned for a moment before saying, "We are doing…much better this time. That much is true."

Emma giggled a little and said, "And I'm sure our reports will reflect that."

"It is an improvement, though I'm not convinced it's good enough." Jusis said, shocking everyone besides the two ninjas.

Emma frowned in confusion before asking, "I-It's not?"

Jusis nodded and looked around at everyone. "I'm certain Group B gave their absolute best in all of their tasks today. But can we honestly say the same? That we could have done no better? And I'm referring not just to the monster encounter, but to the handling of our other tasks as well."

Anko nodded in understanding before glancing at her boyfriend. "Gotta agree with you there, Jusis. You and Naruto kinda saved the day with a few of those requests. If you two didn't carry such influence, I doubt we'd have made much progress."

Rean shrugged and said, "We'll just have to try and make up for it in the day we have left. Besides, we had the chance to catch sight of a far bigger problem."

Emma nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, that's true."

Thinking back on all they had seen throughout the day, as well as everything they had heard, Machias said, "First we find out taxes are rising throughout the province, then we find out the military is being expanded on a grand scale…" Narrowing his eyes, he exclaimed, "Don't even try to tell me the two aren't related!"

Jusis stared calmly back at Machias and said, "I have no intention of denying it. But you're only looking at one side of the coin. Exactly how many Achtzehn tanks do you think the Imperial Army has under their control?"

Machias flinched before glancing away. "W-Well…"

Naruto frowned and said, "I'd say a hundred to two hundred. And that's just a guess based on what we know so far about the entire situation. "

Jusis nodded and said, "Precisely. The Imperial Army's military capabilities are enormous. This nation has one of the most powerful armed forces on the continent. And roughly seventy percent of it is under the chancellor's control. Tell me, how is the Noble Alliance supposed to counter that?"

As Naruto frowned in distaste, Emma asked, "So you're suggesting that's why the provincial army needs to bolster its forces?"

"Considering both sides are comprised of Erebonians, it all seems so wasteful…" Rean said.

It was at this point that they heard the familiar voice of Baron Bleublanc. "Ah, the travails of youth! How noble and beautiful they are!"

Turning to face the man, Emma blinked and said, "It's you again."

Rean frowned and said, "Baron Bleublanc. Or would you prefer us to call you Phantom Thief B now?"

Bleublanc chuckled a bit and looked around at the six of them before settling his eyes on Naruto. "I knew you would tell them about me. Fret not, I am not here to stir up trouble. I was simply curious to hear about your woes and concerns. Ahh, the beauty of youth! But you, good prince, are still quite interesting to me. I just cannot quite wrap my head around the mystery that is you. Alas, I must say that I simply do not have the luxury of trying to figure you out. But, I do believe we will be seeing each other again, Prince Naruto. The same to the rest of you, members of Class VII. 'Twas a pleasure to see you again. Do have a good night and be careful tomorrow. You never know what troubles might befall you come the morrow."

Machias narrowed his eyes at the man and asked, "What exactly do you want with us? Or rather, what do you want with Naruto?"

Bleublanc simply smiled at the teen and said, "I'm afraid that is my secret to keep for now. Let's just say a certain party happens to be interested in the dear prince and leave it at that, shall we? Perhaps you may learn more at a later date. Ta ta for now, members of Class VII." Looking at Naruto, he grinned and said, "We will be seeing each other again, dear prince." And with that, he turned and walked away, disappearing down the road leading towards Station Street.

Machias scowled and said, "I really don't like that guy. And what the hell does he mean that 'a certain party' is interested in you? That really doesn't sound like a good thing to me."

Emma frowned as she looked worriedly at Naruto. "Naruto? Are you going to be okay?"

Naruto frowned in thought for a time before eventually shaking his head. "I'll be all right. But I'm curious to know what he meant by that. Sounds to me like he's working for someone. Someone important and most likely powerful, as well. They clearly know about my time as the Silent Shadow. But I wonder just how much they really know about me. I doubt they've uncovered all my secrets yet, but something tells me they're dangerous."

Jusis looked at his friend worriedly, but couldn't find it in himself to say anything. Instead, they listened as Anko began to speak. "This situation reminds me of the Akatsuki and how they kept hunting you. Only, unlike with them, we have no idea what this guy and his boss want with you. At least the Akatsuki were clear in their goals. These guys aren't. Makes me wonder which one's more dangerous."

Naruto shook his head and thought about it for a time. "If I had to guess, I'd say he's part of an organization of some sort. I'm willing to bet there's far more members than just Bleublanc and whoever it is he serves. And if I'm right in my guess, then the 'man of blazing fire' Beryl warned me about is probably among their number. So…" Looking into Anko's eyes, he said, "I'd say these people are more dangerous than even the Akatsuki."

Anko's eyes widened before she looked down at the table and said, "Shit. That's really not a good thing."

"Okay, I'm lost here. Who are the Akatsuki? And what the hell is going on here?" Machias questioned.

Anko shook her head and said, "We'll tell the entirety of Class VII about it when we get back to Trista. It's a long story, and one you're not going to like. To put it simply, they were an organization out to capture and kill people like Naruto."

Rean frowned deeply at this and said, "You've really had a rough life, haven't you, Naruto?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "You could say that. I'll admit, the Akatsuki were tough, but they had nothing on that damn goddess, Kaguya Otsutsuki. She was a real pain in the ass to fight. But at least she can't hurt anyone anymore. Neither can Sasuke for that matter. But that doesn't matter now. We're here in Zemuria and they can't get to us here. All we have to worry about is Bleublanc and whoever he's working for."

"Agreed." Anko said. "I'll help you however I can, Naruto. You know that."

"I know, Sweetheart. I know." Naruto said, smiling thankfully at her.

Shaking his head, Rean decided to get everyone back on track. "Regardless, tomorrow's the end of our stint here. We can't let ourselves get distracted. We still have a lot to do."

Emma nodded and said, "That's right! We have to do our group proud!"

"Hmph. Exactly." Jusis said, though he couldn't help but gaze at Naruto worriedly.

"We should return to the hotel and begin work on our reports, then." Machias suggested.

"Agreed." Naruto said before he stood up and began leading the others back to the hotel. Whatever the hell's going on, all I can do is prepare myself the best I can for whatever the hell's coming our way. I won't let myself be caught off guard.

Fie – Isthmia Great Forest – Near Saint-Arkh

Fie frowned to herself as she wandered around the Isthmia Great Forest by herself. It was late at night and she knew she should be sleeping, but she still had a lot on her mind. She honestly didn't know how to handle it all, let alone deal with all the stress she had been under lately. It didn't help that she hadn't been able to cuddle with her mate in a week already.

Scowling to herself, she watched as she was quickly surrounded by a number of monsters. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings. Still, she knew she'd be okay. She was strong and she had trained hard while in Zephyr. She had also learned a lot from her mate, Naruto. Still… "There sure are a lot of them." She muttered to herself.

While she was doing well for the most part, she was a little exhausted from the day's events thus far. And she kept replaying the small argument she had had with Laura earlier in the day. Dammit Fie! Don't think about that right now! Focus on the fight!

Sadly, the short teenager failed to notice two monsters leaping at her from behind. By the time she had, she flinched and froze up, despite her instincts screaming at her to dodge the hell out of the way. Naruto's going to be so mad at me for this!

"Don't you touch her!" Laura screamed as she descended upon the monsters, cleaving them in two with her great sword. Once they had been defeated, she turned to Fie and asked, "Are you okay, Fie?"

Fie blinked in shock for a moment before asking, "L-Laura? Why would you save me? Especially after what I said to you earlier!"

The blue-haired noble smiled at her sister mate and said, "Because I care about you, Fie. I know you're still upset with me, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you as I would a true sister. And I would never forgive myself if I let you get hurt."

The silver-haired jaeger frowned and found it impossible to look Laura in the eyes. "Thank you…Laura. And I'm sorry. For everything."

Laura stepped up to Fie and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl, hugging her close. "It's okay, Fie. I already forgave you for everything. I just want us to be friends again. I want to be happy together with the man of our dreams. Okay?"

Fie giggled sadly for a moment and tentatively hugged Laura back. "Me, too, Laura. I don't like being so mad at you. Especially when you love Naruto as much as we do. Anyways, we should probably get back to the hotel, huh?"

Laura smiled at Fie and nodded her head. "We should. We could both use some sleep."

"Thank you, Laura. And I'm sorry." Fie said as she and Laura began walking back towards Saint-Arkh, leaving the Great Forest once they found their way back to the entrance.

"I know, Fie. You know, I'm sure Naruto misses us as much as we miss him. Do you think he might cuddle with us again when he sees us getting along?" Laura questioned.

Fie giggled a bit and said, "I'm looking forward to it."

Bareahard – Hotel Esmeralda

While the girls were sleeping peacefully in their room, Naruto and the other boys were still awake, though Naruto and Machias remained quiet. They couldn't help but listen in as Jusis and Rean began to talk. "Can't get to sleep?" Rean asked his fellow noble.

"I could ask you the same. You aren't going to tell me the bed's too hard for you, are you?" Jusis asked.

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "I wouldn't dream of it. I've never slept in a bed this high class in my life. Not even back at home."

"And yet you're the son of Baron Schwarzer… You've not lived the life one might expect of a boy from a noble family." Jusis stated.

"Yeah. That's just how my dad is." Rean said. "'A lord should live like his people, not above them.' That's how he always put it."

Jusis smiled at the thought and said, "I see… It sounds as though you have a good family."

"Yeah. I'm very thankful for my upbringing." Rean said.

After a short period of silence, Jusis looked away and asked, "Aren't you going to ask? I assumed you'd be curious about that brief exchange with my father earlier."

"I wasn't really sure you'd want me to bring that up." Rean said. "You obviously get along really well with your brother, but…I didn't get that same sense with the duke. Has he…always been like that?"

"As far back as I can remember. I suppose he just has little respect for a son born to a commoner." Jusis stated.

"Wha…?" Rean asked, not quite believing what he had just heard. Sitting up in his bed, he turned to Jusis and listened to what his friend had to say.

"My brother and I have different mothers. He was born of my father's legal wife…a noble who still lives to this day. My own mother, however, was a commoner…and she passed away eight years ago. In other words, I am his bastard son." Jusis explained.

"I had no idea…" Rean said. Then, coming to a realization, he asked, "So, was that chef we met earlier…?"

"He's my uncle. On my mother's side. Perhaps that's why he's always been so good to me…or perhaps he's simply compelled to treat me as I 'deserve' to be treated, being the son of the duke." Jusis said.

Rean shook his head and offered Jusis a smile. "No…that can't be. I don't blame you for being a little cynical, but there's no need to be quite so hard on yourself."

Jusis chuckled quietly before saying, "I suppose you're right."

After another period of silence, Rean said, "I'm…I'm sure you have your differences…but you do get along with your brother, right?"

"You could say that. He's treated me well ever since I was taken in eight years ago. He was the one who taught me my swordsmanship and who trained me in the ways of court etiquette." Jusis explained.

Rean chuckled softly and said, "I knew it."

"Pardon?" Jusis asked confusedly as he turned towards Rean.

"There's just something…honest, I guess you could say, about the way you fight. It shows that whoever taught you was someone you really trusted. When we first met him this afternoon, I had a hunch he might have been the one." Rean stated. "Then again, I'm sure Naruto figured it out right away. He's clever like that, after all."

Jusis chuckled a bit and said, "That he is." Then, he went quiet again.

Curious, Rean turned towards Jusis again and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Hmph. Nothing at all. You just keep reminding me how…unlike a noble you truly are." Jusis said.

Rean chuckled again and said, "I get that a lot."

After another period of silence, Jusis looked at Rean again and said, "You confound me, Rean Schwarzer. I've watched you, and I have come to the realization that you are something of a danger to yourself."

Rean blinked and asked, "I…am?"

Jusis sat up and turned to Rean again. "On the day of the entrance ceremony, when the trap door opened beneath us…you acted instantly to protect Alisa. There wasn't even a moment's hesitation."

"Ah…" Rean said in realization. Though he still wasn't quite sure what Jusis was getting at.

"In most cases, one would reflexively act to protect himself. It's part of man's natural survival instinct. Yet you put another before yourself, not even pausing to question the validity of that decision. And…" Looking hard into Rean's eyes, he said, "I saw what you tried to do today, Rean. You leapt in the way of that monster's attack, preparing to take the blow meant for us. If Naruto hadn't swapped places with you somehow, you could have been seriously injured. And unlike him, you aren't some superhuman being capable of shrugging off things like that. I'm sure most people would see that as an act of selflessness and sing your praises for it…but to me, it comes across as…abnormal. Perhaps even twisted. You and Naruto are both like that. You're always looking out for others instead of thinking about yourselves."

Rean chuckled quietly and said, "I…don't know how to respond to that. I wasn't expecting you to see through me quite so…clearly. I can't even begin to speak for Naruto, though."

"I owed you as much, for having seen through me first." Jusis said. "Still…the point stands. You need to be more cognizant of the effects your actions have on those around you. If not for your health, then for your…reputation? That selflessness of yours can just as easily be perceived as arrogance, after all. I agree, though. I have no idea what drives Naruto to do the things he does."

Rean sighed and said, "I know it can. And you're not the first person to tell me that. 'What's the point in saving others if you can't spare even a moment to save yourself?' That's what my old master always used to say to me."

"Was it, now?" Jusis asked.

After a brief period of silence, both young men began to chuckle a bit. After a time, Jusis said, "I suppose we both have some things we need to work through."

"Yeah. But for now, we need to get a good night's sleep. If we stay up too late tonight, we're going to be dead to the world tomorrow. And that wouldn't be fair to the others." Rean said.

"Hmph. I agree, it wouldn't be fair…to the girls, at least. I'd hate to be so tired as to limit my potential." Jusis said.

"Hear, hear." Rean said. "Good night, Jusis."

"Pleasant dreams." Jusis replied.

After being sure the two of them had drifted off to sleep, Naruto turned and looked at Machias. "Are you satisfied with what you just heard, Machias?"

Machias wasn't even shocked at the fact Naruto had seen right through him. Sighing quietly, he said, "Let me sleep on it. They…aren't quite as bad as I thought they were."

Naruto offered the green-haired teen a smile and said, "Good night, Machias."

"You as well, Naruto."

The Next Morning

Once the entirety of Group A were in the hotel lobby, General Manager Richelieu approached them and said, "Here is the envelope Lord Rufus entrusted to me. Please take it, and study its contents well."

Accepting the envelope from the man, Rean said, "Thank you."

"Much appreciated." Jusis said.

"If you'll excuse me, then. Should you require anything further, please do not hesitate to let me know!" the manager said before he turned and returned to work.

Looking at Rean, Jusis said, "All right. Let's see what my brother's given us for today."

"Yeah, I'm kind of anxious." Rean said. Opening the envelope, Rean took out its contents before he began to read aloud.

"-Field Study Day 2 – Assigned Tasks- Huh. Seems there's one required and one optional today. Let's see here…" Rean said as he began to read the details of the optional quest aloud.

"Task – The Bite of Nostalgia

Client – Owner Hammond

'I'd like to request someone's help in gathering a number of ingredients I need to make a particularly nostalgic dish.

For more details, come find me at Sorciere, a restaurant in the central plaza.

-Hammond.'"

"Okay, seems simple enough." Rean said. "What's the next one say?"

"Task – North Kreuzen Highway Monster

Client – Manager Richelieu

'We have received word that a dangerous monster roams the North Kreuzen Highway. This is bad news for our hotel, so may I ask someone to please take care of it?

Monster: Venus Mantrap

Location: The stone bridge leading towards Celdic on the North Kreuzen Highway

-Richelieu, G.M. of Hotel Esmeralda'"

"Another well-balanced assortment." Emma said.

"You know…I wouldn't be surprised if Rufus had predicted what happened yesterday from the very start." Rean said.

"You're saying he intended to give us a firsthand look at the problems between the nobles and the commoners?" Machias asked. "Hmph. If that's true, I'm impressed. His reputation is well earned."

Anko nodded and said, "Sure as hell seems that way."

"I believe that's enough talk about my brother. We have only one day left before we must depart on our return voyage to Trista. We should set out as—" Jusis said, only for Machias to interrupt him.

"Jusis Albarea."

"What is it, Machias Regnitz?" Jusis asked somewhat irritably.

"I will accept no more failures." Machias said. "Today, we WILL form a combat link."

"What…?" Jusis asked, clearly confused by what he was hearing.

"As much as I may dislike you, I'm ashamed that we were unable to do what every other member of our class has accomplished. Today's monster extermination request seems as good a chance as any to make up for yesterday's failure, wouldn't you say?" Machias said, sounding unusually calm to the others.

Jusis shook his head in disbelief and asked, "You really are simpleminded, aren't you? I suppose you overheard our conversation last night and feel some kind of affinity toward me now?" Then, looking at Naruto, he said, "I figured you were awake. How do you feel about this?"

Before Naruto could reply, Machias shouted, "N-Nonsense! I did no such thing! I was fast asleep while you yammered on about your family and Rean and…"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "You just gave yourself away, Machias." Turning his gaze to Jusis, the whiskered teen said, "You're right. I heard you two saying some interesting things last night. Including a few things about me. However, you won't be getting any answers from me just yet. Just know that I have no ulterior motives when I help people. And my deeds aren't born out of arrogance either. I simply do what I feel is right. It's as simple as that. The rest you'll have to find out for yourselves at some point."

"Should've known you'd say that." Jusis said before returning his attention to Machias. Before he could say anything though, he heard Rean chuckling a bit. Hmm?

Rean smiled at Machias and said, "Machias…"

Emma giggled to herself while Anko simply smirked at him. "Well, kind of gave yourself away there, didn't you, Machias? It's so sweet that you're trying to make up with Jusis and be all lovey-dovey now."

Machias growled before facepalming. "Forget I said anything. Just…leave me alone."

Jusis simply chuckled a bit, clearly amused by the whole situation. After he calmed down, he looked at Machias and said, "Very well. I accept. I'll be happy to show you what a proper combat link looks like."

"H-Hah! We'll see about that!" Machias exclaimed. "Fortunately, I have more than enough generosity of spirit to endure being paired with an arrogant noble like you!"

Naruto leaned close to Anko and whispered, "Why don't they just kiss and make up already? Sure seems like they should."

Anko giggled to herself and said, "Agreed. I'm looking forward to teasing them until they finally stop all this crap. It sounds fun!"

Emma smiled brightly and said, "Maybe today's field study will go more smoothly than yesterday's after all."

Sadly, before they could continue their conversation, the doors opened and someone called out, "Lord Jusis."

Blinking, the party turned to watch as a butler approached them. Seeing him, Jusis asked, "Arnauld…? What brings you here? I would have expected you to be at my father's side."

"I'm terribly sorry I could not greet you upon your arrival yesterday. However, I have come today in the capacity of an escort." Arnauld stated.

Jusis frowned in confusion and asked, "An escort? To where? I'm sure you must be aware that I returned to Bareahard purely as part of a field study for my academy work."

"But of course. However, His Grace has directly requested that I escort you to the mansion. So I would be most appreciative if you'd accompany me without delay." The butler explained.

Jusis was clearly even more confused by this. "F-Father…? He showed no signs of desiring my company when we spoke yesterday!"

"I am in no position to question or oppose his orders, merely to obey them. I'm sure you understand. Though while I hesitate to speculate, I do wonder if His Excellency may feel some regret regarding his demeanor yesterday…" Arnauld stated.

"I… B-But…" Jusis struggled to say anything, clearly flustered by this sudden request.

"Go with him." Machias said. "We can attempt to form a combat link another time."

"We'll be able to handle the morning's tasks just fine on our own. Don't worry about us." Rean said.

Emma smiled at Jusis and said, "You've come all the way back to your hometown… It would be a shame not to visit with your family, right?"

Anko frowned and glanced at her boyfriend, seeing him shaking his head at her. Sighing reluctantly, she looked at Jusis and said, "It's up to you, Jusis. We can't make this decision for you."

Jusis looked between them and asked, "A-Are you certain…?" Seeing the supportive expressions on their faces, he said, "Very well. I'll return this afternoon. And though I will worry as to how you'll fare without me, I know you'll at least give it your best. For what that's worth."

"Hmph. Of course we will." Machias said.

"All right. Let's meet back in the hotel lobby around noon. If something comes up, just leave a message at the front desk." Rean said.

"Understood." Jusis said. "Lead the way, Arnauld."

Arnauld shook his head before looking at Naruto. "His Excellency would like to speak with you as well, Prince Naruto. You are under no obligation to attend, of course, but perhaps you would come with me as well?"

Naruto frowned and asked, "And what does he want with me? He should spend this time with his son. We can speak at a later date. Currently, we are here on a field study for Thors Military Academy. And, as you said, I am under no obligation to meet with him."

Arnauld frowned and shook his head again. "I'm afraid I do not know, Prince Naruto. He just requested that I bring you to him. If you choose not to attend, what would you have me tell His Grace?"

"Please inform him that I am simply unable to attend. My duties to the academy, as well as to my classmates, require that I participate in the tasks assigned to me. If time permits it, I shall meet with him this afternoon. If not, we can meet later, when we both find the time to do so. If he does not like my answer, then please inform him that he is free to take it up with Principal Vandyck and myself back at Thors at a later date. I'm sure he will understand the situation then." Naruto said.

Arnauld frowned, but nodded his head in understanding. "Of course, Prince. Come, Lord Jusis. Let us be on our way."

Jusis frowned as he looked at Naruto. Seeing his fellow blonde smile supportively at him and nod his head, the noble nodded in response before following the butler outside. I hope you know what you're doing, Naruto.

Once he was gone, the other members of Group A looked at Naruto worriedly. "Are you sure that was wise, Naruto? What if he doesn't take it well?" Emma questioned.

Naruto shook his head and said, "As I said: my duties to the academy and to you all outweigh any request he might make of me. If this bothers him, he is free to visit me at the academy and speak with me there."

Rean nodded in understanding before saying, "Understood. Anyways, let's get started! We wouldn't want to give Jusis any further reason to worry, now, would we?"

Emma smiled at Rean and said, "Certainly not. Still…"

When all eyes turned on him this time, Machias blinked a couple of times and asked, "Wh-What? What is it? If you have something to say, just say it!"

Emma giggled a bit and said, "Oh, it's nothing. Nothing at all!"

Rean decided to poke a bit of fun at his friend. "She's probably thinking, the worst is over, and it's all thanks to your eavesdropping."

Anko snickered to herself before patting Machias atop the head. "You're such a good boy. Yes, you are."

Machias swatted at her hand with a deep blush of embarrassment on his face. "S-Stop that already! All of you stop looking at me like I'm some hapless babe!" Looking hard at Rean, he exclaimed, "Rean! You do know I still haven't completely forgiven you for lying, don't you?!"

Rean blinked and asked, "Are you still hung up on that?"

Looking at Emma at this point, he exclaimed, "And Emma! I hope you're ready to score second on our midterms, because I'm not about to lose to you again! But don't even think about giving those exams any less than your very best! I intend to best you when you're in top form!"

Emma blinked and asked, "Y-You will…?"

Machias then turned to Anko, but when she simply smirked at him and twirled a kunai around her finger that she wasn't holding before, he gulped and looked away. "I…I can't even say anything about you and Naruto."

Anko giggled wickedly to herself and said, "That's a good boy. Now, what do you say we get this show on the road, huh? I'm looking forward to having some fun."

"Agreed. We've got a lot to do, so how about we get to it?" Rean said.

"Right!" Emma agreed.

As they turned around to approach Richelieu about the monster extermination request, Naruto couldn't help but frown to himself and think, Whatever's going on, I don't like it. It's like he wanted to get me and Jusis out of the way for some reason. Keep us busy so something else can happen. If only I knew what, I could probably counter it. I don't like going in blind like this.

Anko looked at her boyfriend and nodded her head. Don't worry, Naruto. No matter what might happen, we'll weather the storm and come out on top. That's my promise to you.

---

A/N - And that's the end of the really, really long chapter! lol. As I said, it was a very, very long chapter. Just as long as the previous one, actually. Fun stuff, huh? XD

Anyways, as you saw, a crap ton happened in this chapter. They met Bleublanc. Things were a little different as compared to the game's events. Yada yada Good stuff, right? lol. And word has spread like wildfire throughout the Empire of Erebonia about Naruto, which also explains why the royal family is already aware of him as well. Hence why they want to meet with him already and hear the truth straight from him.

As I said at the top of this chapter, my arm is in a ton of pain right now. Not sure if I've stressed it or what, but I can't do anymore writing until this dang things heals. x.x Sooo, might be a little while. We'll see.

I AM planning to continue with yet another chapter for this story next! The next chapter will be day 2 of the Bareahard field study! That one might end up being pretty long, too, but we shall have to wait and see. I doubt it'll end up being quite as long as chapters 11 & 12 were, but we'll see.

Aaaanyways, I'm honestly kind of exhausted. I hope you're looking forward to what comes next in this story! I'm having a lot of fun writing it! See ya!

ANNOUNCEMENT! - As stated in the announcement at the top of this chapter, Naruto will NOT be getting a Divine Knight! Naruto is powerful enough to fight a Divine Knight on even footing AND he's powerful enough to defeat McBurn when he's in his Overlord McBurn form! He does NOT need the power of a Divine Knight to challenge them. Besides that, Naruto has a transformation of his own that will NOT be revealed for many, MANY chapters yet! But more of Naruto's power will be revealed the further into the story we get. You just need to wait and be patient! We'll get there eventually. Might take hundreds of chapters, but we'll get there. lol

Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. So please, stop asking me about Naruto becoming an Awakener and whatnot. It's not going to happen!