7-4: Character

The stadium stood silent.

For the first time in almost a decade, those who watched that marble stage were struck with awe. There were no jubilant cries of encouragement, nor any were there any frustrated jeers. Neither man nor woman could find any words to cast upon the field below, and neither young nor old were able to do anything but sit in total astonishment.

Was it any wonder? Not four minutes ago, two figures stood before the watchful eyes of the four kingdoms, ready to do battle for the sake of glory. They spoke, bowed, turned, and then struck, all to show the world the extent of their skill. Two individuals, the very pinnacle of what people could hope to achieve, had made their mark on history. So now, after the battle was fought and won, was it any wonder that the entire world seemed to hold still?

Of course not. Not when the victor of such a bout was herself... a petite little girl of scarlet hair. And not when her opponent had been the star pupil of Haven academy.

But even silence was short lived, and after a few short moments of quiet reverence, time woke once more.

"I can't believe it!" The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, voicing all the thoughts of the spectators present. "In what may be the biggest upset ever witnessed on the Stage of Helios, Pyrrha Nikos has defeated reigning champion Umber Thebes! And not only did our thirteen year old prodigy's battle the fastest champion bout ever ever recorded, she fought and won her battle flawlessly! Let's give it up for Pyrrha Nikos, the brightest star of Symphony!"

She barely recognized the name of her school, the announcer's voice drowned out by countless others. Men and women who had once jeered her at the earliest rounds had turned around completely, now singing her name with unabashed praise. But what stuck out the most to her was not those particular fans, but the ones who used to belong to her opponent.

Voices from all sides of the colosseum began cheering her name, a wave of sound that thundered through the air. But rather than them, the young mistralian warrior turned her attention to her old opponent, the man who laid collapsed and forgotten at the center of the arena. She threw a concerned look into the crowd, trying to find someone who had been worried for the man, but all she saw were the cheering faces of countless mistrali as they turned their eyes on her.

So she walked, slow and hesitant as she made her way to the fallen man. And as she drew closer, the man turned his face back up to meet hers, his tired expression slowly shifting to one of... disgust? Anger?

She didn't know, nor could she have, and the only thing that the little girl named Pyrrha Nikos could do was flinch in worry. That gesture was lost to the crowd, but not the man, and his look of disgust immediately faded away, melting into a look of pity.

"Ha ha... Damn, you really are good, aren't you?" The man's voice was quiet, barely audible to the young myrmidon, and completely muted to the spectators beyond. He winced beneath her gaze, as his eyes turned away from the child to the countless cameras at the side of the arena. "You shouldn't have done that. It would've been better for you if you had just ignored me."

"W-what...?" Her eyes widened, and the girl crushed her worries and fears as she knelt down beside the man. Of all the things she had expected him to say, it certainly wasn't that, and the girl instantly feared the worst. Did she make a mistake? Had she accidentally injured him? "What do you mean by that? Are you okay? D-did I-"

"Unbelievable! Not only does she have the skill and prowess of our greatest legends, Pyrrha Nikos embodies the very heart and soul of Mistral! Rather than lavish in victory, she shows concerned for her fallen opponent, throwing away all praise to ensure his safety. Truly, she is a paragon of our Kingdom!"

The announcer's voice rose up once more, followed by a deafening applause as the people within the stands rose up, echoing forth her name with a standing ovation. She didn't understand... Why were they cheering her because of something like that?

"You're confused, aren't you?" Once more, the man's voice took her attention, a silent breeze that she somehow heard through the maelstrom of cheers. "Of course you are. Why wouldn't you be? I bet you weren't even thinking of something like this when you first signed up. Yet, here you are, Mistral's youngest champion to have ever graced Helios."

He laughed. She didn't know why.

"God... They're just going to eat this up, aren't they? Too good for them not to." His eyes never turned away from where he was staring at, and the little Nikos couldn't help but follow, slowly turning her gaze from the man as she spotted the cameras at the edge of the arena. "Hope you're ready for this, kid... I know I wasn't. And compared to what you'll face? I had it easy."

She had no clue what he was talking about, nor could she ask him. The moment he had spoken, his words were drowned out by the blare of music, as the announcer's voice tore through the stadium.

"Pyrrha Nikos! The youngest champion here on the Stage of Helios, and a true legend in the making! Let her victory serve both as a shining example of all we can aspire to be, and a message to all those who wish our brilliant Kingdom ill will! The honour and virtue she showed in the field of battle echo in the hearts of all of Mistral's citizens! We shall always strive to reach our greatest, and we shall never yield to the dark beyond!"

Another applause. She didn't even know what they were cheering for anymore. Honour and virtue? Yield to the dark? She couldn't even begin to understand what the announcer had been talking about. But before she could question it, the fallen man beside her spoke out once more. And this time, it was barely audible to her, nearly smothered by the sonorous pressure.

"Sorry you had to go through this so early in life, kid. Good luck."

Yet, his tone was unmistakable, and Pyrrha Nikos could do nothing but stare in silence, her emerald eyes fixed directly at the distant cameras.

"And that's Mistral." Qrow's voice was frank as he spoke, the huntsman leaning back in his chair as he turned away from the holodisplay.

Ozpin, on the other hand, continued to sit in silence, his brow furrowed as he stared at the image. Whether for good or ill, the camera crew had taken the perfect shot of the new Mistralian champion, and the image of the confused little girl burned itself into the headmaster's mind. Of course, he didn't doubt that Qrow noticed as well, as his friend had immediately decided to pull out a flask, but neither of them felt it... appropriate to comment.

How could they? Ozpin of all people saw the need of it. To comment on it would be nothing short of hypocritical.

"Leaves a bad taste in your mouth, doesn't it?"

The red-eyed huntsman echoed the headmaster's thoughts. Ozpin couldn't help but turn towards his friend, a wry smile slowly forming on his face as he nodded. "... Indeed. But also an inevitability. They needed to make such an announcement, especially with the public growing more worried about the White Fang."

"Yeah, sure, but this is nothing like what Vacuo announced last month." His associate almost snorted as the red-eye huntsman heard his words. But, that little difficulty soon disappeared, and Qrow was already three swigs into his drink before he spoke again. "Their little 'Obsidian Guard' is just a fancy name for a more expensive military branch, after all. Or huntsman branch or whatever. And let's not forget Jimmy's big 'Leviathan of Atlas' reveal two months ago, either. Event that thing's just another one of his robot pet projects."

The headmaster slowly nodded. He agreed with all of Qrow's points, of course. As worried as he was about James' little project, it was still ultimately an attempt at innovation in an existing field. It was an action that the Kingdoms had been used to seeing from Atlas, even more so now that they were publicly affiliated with the Schnee Dust Company, and it was something that ultimately reassured the populace.

Likewise, the revival of old Vacuan tenants were hardly anything revolutionary, especially in the grand scheme of things, and certainly acted more as a public display to ease the Kingdom's growing concerns than anything else. A reinstatement of old, romantic views, modernized so that it may fit the needs and safety of the citizens. Really, it was just a reaffirmation of Vacuan values, if in a slightly different way, and it was certainly not something to be concerned over.

But couldn't that also work as an argument for Mistral's decisions? Since time immemorial, humanity has always clung to the legendary idea of a hero or heroine. Especially in a place like Mistral, which had its fair share of immortal legends. At worst, the action was still one that would engender goodwill throughout the Kingdom... And at best? Well, it wasn't hard to inspire children, especially if they could see such inspiration in someone close to their age.

"... I can already tell that there's no point in arguing this with you." Qrow's words snapped the headmaster from his thoughts, and Ozpin couldn't help but note the signs of a fading grimace as his friend took out another flask. "Just... Tell me that Vale isn't going to do something like that, okay? The last thing I want to see are my nieces being used as political pawns."

With that, Ozpin agreed wholeheartedly. With that said, the headmaster couldn't exactly raise his voice in enthusiasm as he turned his gaze to one of the documents on his desk. "Do not worry, Qrow. From what I understand, Vale will be pursuing a... different project to protect their interests."

The red-eyed huntsman's vision followed his own, the man raising a single brow as he read the more prominent words on the parchment. "... Rhinestone? Seriously?"

"Indeed." Ozpin's voice was grave as he answered his friend. "Ever since their... acquisition of that object, both the company and the council have been under constant negotiation. To say nothing of Rhinestone's involvements with other Kingdoms."

"But they know nothing about the damn thing! They've had the contraption or monument or whatever the hell they're calling it for three months now, and all they've succeeded in doing was breaking off one of the robot arms! I didn't even know that thing had robot arms, but I guess it doesn't anymore." The only reprieve from Qrow's words was a quick swig of his flask. "Hell, they're probably closer to blowing themselves up than they are to figuring out anything useful from that thing."

The headmaster couldn't help but release a chuckle at that particular statement. Still, his eyes remained fixed on the document, as the words within filled his thoughts. "Be that as it may, both the council and the company believe that they are making advancements. At least, that's what I can glean from this particular letter. It seems they don't trust me well enough to provide me with more concrete information."

"Can you blame them?"

Ozpin chose not to answer that particular remark.

Instead, he pushed the letter aside, before turning his gaze back to the huntsman proper, quickly shifting the topic of discussion to something more important. And Qrow noticed this particular gesture, as the man quickly sat up in his seat, pocketing his flash as he gave the headmaster as solemn stare. "... I assume we have had no luck in locating the Stranger from the ruins?"

"Hell no." Qrow's response was immediate. "Do you have any idea how many 'mysterious new huntsmen' rumours I've investigated over the past few weeks? Twenty. And not one of them was our little metal friend."

The headmaster raised a brow at this statement, but remained quiet. After all, he had received similar statements from Amber, though her reported number was far lower than Qrow's. Her collateral damage report might've been higher, though, but Ozpin honestly hadn't worked up the nerve to ask-

"One hundred and fifteen thousand lien." Once more, Qrow's response was immediate. "Hey, not that bad, all things considered. I only ruined two bars this time."

The old man in green couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Anyways, yeah. I've scoured all along the southeastern outskirts, and there's not so much as a rumour of the guy. And you know all those 'new huntsmen' reports? Turns out, most of 'em were actually ex-White Fang who didn't agree with the change in management. Guess they figured now was a good a time as any to bail."

"You don't say." That was surprising. Ozpin gave the scythe-wielder a thoughtful glance as he took in this information. "Do you suppose Team Scapolite would be interested in this information?"

Qrow groaned at that particular question, the huntsman rolling his eyes at Ozpin's words. Well, that was hardly appreciated. He had spent a great deal of time coming up with that name. Sure, it wasn't exactly a name you'd normally imagine, but it still fit! And it was far more imaginative than something simple, like Team Soil. Really, his friend simply didn't appreciate the effort that went into the decision.

And his unappreciative tone was clearly evident, if his deadpan expression was anything to go by. "I still can't believe you named them that."

"It lends them legitimacy to their appointed station. They're certainly of the age and experience necessary to pose as a huntsman group, and their intra-group dynamic matches one we'd expect from a graduate huntsman team, so I simply felt it necessary to formalize the process." It was a perfectly logical course of action, and there was nothing Qrow could say to change his mind. "Besides, their particular name composition wasn't necessarily easy to work with."

"But... What even is a Scapolite?"

Ozpin couldn't help but smirk at his friend's question. Without saying another word, the headmaster slipped his hand into one of his desk drawers, pulling it out to retrieve a small gem from its contents. Then, with a simple flick of his wrist, he threw the gemstone at his red-eyed associate, all while keeping his smug little smile plastered on his face.

"Ow, what th-... Really." The huntsman was not amused. "Did you seriously keep this stuffed in your drawer, just so you could have a response the moment I asked?"

Was it a bad thing that the headmaster nodded? He certainly didn't think so.

"I hate you sometimes." Ozpin could only chuckle at that statement, giving the huntsman a shrug as he turned his attention to other matters at hand. For his part, Qrow returned the gemstone, casually tossing it back at the headmaster before he continued. "So anyways... Yeah. No sign of our mummy friend. I don't suppose you've got any other news."

The headmaster shook his head. As much as he would've liked to state otherwise, he had about as much luck with his investigations as Qrow had. Amber certainly hadn't found anything, nor had his newly acquired information network been able to uncover anything about the stranger. And unfortunately, in a situation like this, no news was far worse than bad news.

"Damnit. It makes no sense, especially with how long it's been. As much as I'd hate to admit it, I'd rather something like that damned fire Ursa pop up again. Okay, maybe not something that bad, but still." And it seemed his associate agreed. Silence was worrisome, especially if the Stranger was capable of terrible feats like infusing dust into grimm, or the creation of... whatever that artifact was.

Which brought Ozpin to why he had called Qrow over in the first place. "Hopefully, Amber will have more news for us in the future. But for now, I require your assistance once again, old friend."

"Yeah... I guessed as much. Is there at least time for me to make sure I haven't been fired from Signal yet? Or visit and see how Tai and the kids are doing?" Despite his words, the huntsman was already ready to go, his equipment packed and sorted as he rose to his feet. Perhaps it was because of Ozpin's expression, as the red-eyed scythe-wielder only spared the headmaster a single glance before speaking out once more. "...Guess not. Whatcha need?"

And with that, the headmaster rose to his feet, taking the document from earlier as he handed the parchment to the huntsman.

"I need you to investigate our associates at Rhinestone."

Everblue Port.

The Guardsman had lived at this place for as long as he could remember. From when he was a little brat, to when he had been old enough to enlist in the local garrison, everything he knew had been contained within this walled coastal city.

That wasn't to say he was ignorant to the things outside it.

He was a member of the city's garrison, and had trained from an early age to be prepared for all things that could approach the city. Usually, that meant grimm, and required a more violent sort of interaction that started—and ended—with his gun. However, today's assignment had brought him away from the Wall, which meant that he had to deal with the other kind of people who approached the city.

Huntsmen. And, well, huntresses, but you know what he meant.

Honestly, the Guardsman never liked dealing with them. They weren't necessarily bad, but... Well, there were a few times when he had met a few that had a inflated sense of self-importance, and those coloured his interactions with the rest. He didn't like thinking that way, but c'mon, he was only human. What can he do? That's why he always had an uncomfortable pit in his stomach whenever he had to deal with most huntsmen.

"Ah, Mills, good to see you. Stopping by for another request?"

What? He said 'most' huntsmen.

Mills was an interesting guy. Sure, at first, the Guardsman had been a bit worried about the huntsman. Who wouldn't be? The guy appears out of the blue one day, then just straight up walks to the gate and asks for employment. He also seemed to have this weird accent which, and he wasn't trying to be racist or stereotypical or anything here, was sketchy as all hell. It didn't help that Mills had walked up to them completely drabbed in a long leather coat that hid his entire body, as well as some ridiculously contrived tricorn hat and mask.

But at the same time, it was hard not to warm up to the guy.

His outfit was something easily explained away. Turns out, he had been the victim of a terrible accident or something. He wasn't sure of the specifics, but it had scarred him, and Mills had to wear the outfit to protect himself against the elements. Certainly explained the bandages, and quite frankly, the Guardsman appreciated the honesty. Huntsmen never needed to explain their ridiculous clothing, and he was sure that the man would've fit in anyways without the need to explain himself, but this particular huntsman had the decency to approach him about the entire matter.

Not only that, but Mills had outright asked if they needed help with the grimm population. See, normally, huntsmen would just ask to see the bounty board, so when the Guardsman sarcastically asked him to assist in the next attack, he didn't expect him to agree. Yet, the guy stayed to help out, fancy sword and all, and he didn't even mention anything about payment. Just said he appreciated the chance to observe the local garrison in action, and thanked them for the hard work.

Now, see, as much as he thought Mills was a decent character, the Guardsman wasn't the kind to just trust any old person. Sure, he talked a good talk, and certainly seemed to be genuine in his compliments, but those little acts of kindness weren't what made the man ultimately trust the huntsman.

What made him trust the huntsman was how he saw the guy react to the local group of kids.

Normally, the kids flocked around visiting huntsmen, and Mills was no exception. And the moment the Guardsman turned away to get some paperwork to register Mills' presence in the city, a trio of kids surrounded the poor man. Two boys and a girl, if he remembered correctly. Almost instantly, the man turned his attention to the little kids, seemingly forgetting that the Guardsman was there.

Now, sure, some huntsmen were rude to the local kids, and chose to ignore them. Others sorta entertained the kids for a little bit, before politely asking them to leave... but Mills? Maybe the guy just didn't have anything important to do in the city, or maybe he didn't care, but the moment those three children came to talk with him, he brightened. Well, first, he seemed stunned about something—the Guardsman could tell by the man's posture, and Mills certainly wasn't trying to hide it—but he quickly settled into a calm sort of acceptance.

Then, after that, he spent the entire day with the kids. As in, the entire day; he never even seemed to care about the bounty board, and genuinely enjoyed himself as he set about entertaining the kids. From answering silly questions and letting the kids see his hat or swords, to tiny moments where he just showed off his weird metal semblance thing as he made random trinkets for them. Heck, there was even a moment part he helped them with some homework, which was surprising as all hell to see. Sure, you couldn't exactly tell a person's entire character by how they interact with kids... but you can still tell a lot of it. And From what the Guardsman saw of Mills, he had a lot of character.

So yeah, Mills wasn't exactly like the other huntsman, which was why the Guardsman held absolutely no ill will to the guy. That's why he brightened considerably whenever the huntsman stepped into town.

"Indeed I am, sir. I appreciate the opportunity to assist the settlement, and if I can earn some local currency while doing so, all the better."

"Ha ha... You know, Mills, you have a weird way of saying Lien." About the only thing that the Guardsman found curious was that the man always seemed to say things in such weird phrasing. It took him a while to get used to the word 'grimm', sure, but he never stopped referring to lien as 'local currency'. But what was more curious than that, was the weird way the man would pause whenever the Guardsman spoke the huntsman's name and Lien in the same sentence.

Oh well, not that big of a deal. Huntsmen always have some weird quirks, and if Mills' quirk was that he enjoyed helping out the community while flinching for a half second at the words 'Mills' and 'lien' in the same sentence, the Guardsman won't complain.

"...Indeed. At any rate, is there anything pertinent that you need my assistance with? I did notice that the local... 'Ursa' population has been on the rise."

"Huh, you know better than me. But yeah, a bunch of request just got posted up at the bounty board. Take a look."

"Merci, Mr. Guardsman" Oh, yeah, that was another thing he found weird about Mills, but the Guardsman figured that that was more related to the guy's past... and considering how much the huntsman had been through, he never felt the need nor desire to ask.

"Good luck, Mills."

And with that, the huntsman made his way into town. The Guardsman chuckled as he saw the man get accosted by the a group of local children, but new that they were in good hands. So, he turned his attention back to the gate.

"Excuse me?" A feminine voice took the Guardsman's attention the moment he turned around, and the man almost let out a cry of surprise when he saw the source. It was a woman of hazelnut hair, but that wasn't what confounded the man. You see, for some reason, the woman found it appropriate to ride in on a pure-white horse. And while he could understand the animal's presence in places like northern Vale... Everblue Port wasn't exactly situated in a field. Horses were rare here.

"Yes?" But the Guardsman put those thoughts out of his mind as he turned his attention fully to the woman. "How may I help you, miss...?"

"Amber." She spoke simply, and despite himself, the Guardsman felt another pit in his stomache as he watched the woman dismount from the horse. Of course... a huntsman. Well, huntress, but you know. "I apologize for my sudden visit, but I was in the area, and needed to restock my supplies. May we enter the city?"

The Guardsman gave an internal sigh, but kept himself composed otherwise. She was no Mills, but she was still far more polite than most other huntsmen or huntresses that had been in the area recently.

"Of course. Though I do not believe we have the appropriate facilities for your... horse. Marygold, the local innkeeper, does have some open space behind the inn, though, so I recommend you ask her. With that said, may I ask you the reason for your visit? Bookkeeping, you understand."

"Oh, thank you. And of course, I understand." She gave a polite bow, before speaking out once more. "As for my reason for visiting? I suppose you could say that I'm looking for work, though I'm also helping a friend find a friend."