Wow! Thanks for all the reviews and views! Since the view count has just hit past 9000, I am obligated to post a new chapter because of this, just like I did with my past fics. If you haven't noticed, I usually post a new chapter every time I hit 9000 on something. So here's what the items that were crafted for Jaune! I got requests to make his shield/sheath to decorate it instead of making it black. Going to have to ignore those because of what was crafted. You'll see why right now!
For all those who tried to guess, nice try. Keep in mind Crocea Mors is a special blade, so that won't get replaced.
Also, don't expect me to be able to shoot out chapters this fast. It takes a lot of rereading what I wrote and re editing it.
Read and Review!
The whole Nikos family and Jaune were back at the Nikos home again. Hephaestus was carrying five carefully wrapped items with him when he entered the house.
"Jaune, my boy! I had a great time crafting this beauty," said Hephaestus. Before he could reveal any of it, Leonidas stood up.
"Brother. I was wondering if you could let me pay for Jaune. He has almost become like family, spending time with Pyrrha. I admit that since Gorga and I were busy, we didn't nearly have enough time to spend with our daughter. And based on your reports as well as what I saw at school, Pyrrha was becoming more isolated from her peers. I want to thank Jaune for coming into her life, chasing those lonely times away."
Hephaestus laughed, "No worries there brother. I was doing this for free anyways. Me old friend Ghira actually asked me to do it for free. Jaune even provided the materials for me!"
At that, Leonidas sat back down with a smile. Gorga was at his side, leaning on him. Pyrrha was unconsciously following her mother and doing the same to Jaune, not that he minded.
Hephaestus grabbed the first small parcel as well as grabbing a pouch from his pocket, "All right, first off then! I had my friend do this one, as weaving is more of her specialty. Here's your Mithril Shirt. As a bonus, my friend made it so it won't react with anybody's aura except for the wearer as thanks for letting him use such a high purity material."
Jaune opened it to see a beautifully weaved shirt It felt light and could be worn under all his clothes like an undershirt. The other Nikos family member watched it in amazement. Hephaestus was about to toss him the pouch that had the leftover Mithril when Jaune stopped him.
"Keep it. If you can, use up the remaining one to make something for Pyrrha," insisted Jaune.
"Why, offering a dowry already, Jaune?" smirked Gorga, causing Pyrrha to blush.
"Pfft, technically he already has with this next item," bragged Hephaestus, causing the Nikos family to raise their eyebrows. He unveiled the second item, showing the exact same replica of a shield the Pyrrha used. "Meet Akouo Mark II! When Jaune gave me the materials for his items, he dumped the biggest Adamantine ore with the highest purity I'd ever seen at my store and asked if it was enough. Now my niece has probably one of the most indestructible shields I've ever made. Even Muramasa's best blades would be hard-pressed to even scratch this one."
Pyrrha gazed in awe as her uncle passed the shield to her. The shield felt a bit heavier but even stronger than her previous shield. She grinned as she tested it out with her semblance, happy to see that it would still respond to her. She hugged Jaune and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush even more. Othim was hooting inside his mind while the others just smiled.
"Finally, your special shield, Jaune," said Hephaestus, revealing what was under the wrappings. A rather large shield, almost the same size, and shape as Akouo, appeared. The key differences were the color schemes, the fact it was completely round unlike Pyrrha's who had curves to allowed to use her rifle easily. The outer circle had designs of various dragons roaming about. The background of the whole shield was silver-gray. At the center, though was seven dragon heads of different colors. Red, white, black, yellow, green, brown, and blue dragon heads could be seen. The layer of the shield was also a bit thicker than Akouo.
"Aww, how sweet," said Alaerth, "He put our respective elements and dragons on his shield to show how we're always protecting him."
"Indeed," said Ryo-Wo, "I find it quite fitting."
"Trust me Jaune, the way you had your blueprints, I had a hard time trying to figure how I could craft this. I had to use some of your Mithril along with Adamantine to finally craft this baby out," said Hephaestus.
Jaune held it, checking its weight. It was heavy, as expected. Pyrrha asked to touch it, which Jaune easily allowed, and found it heavier than it looked.
"Why is this so heavy? And why does it feel like this is more than just a shield?" asked Pyrrha suspiciously.
"Good eye, Pyrrha," said Hephaestus, "That's because inside that shield has a lot of surprises. Do you want to reveal them, Jaune?"
"Sure. I don't mind," said Jaune. Normally, Lung Wang would have discouraged Jaune from showing his new shield so easily, but he was basically in the presence of family and a future mate. The shield edge near Jaune's hand when using it suddenly separated, showing a muzzle of a hand cannon as it came forward.
"This mode is to pick off enemies at mid-range. Each one of the muzzles comes with a magazine that I can easily reload or change into dust rounds. Hephaestus even managed to make it consume Aura. Usually, that's a last ditch effort, but because of my apparent massive reserves, it makes a good deterrence weapon even if I'm out of ammo."
"Muzzles, as in plural?" asked Gorga. Leonidas smiled as he heard that, knowing that there had to be something else.
"Yep," replied Jaune before the muzzle collapsed back to its original form. With a flick of his Aura, a small cranking sound could be heard from within the shield. It opened up again to reveal the muzzle of a sniper rifle. A small scope appeared at the side, allowing Jaune aim precisely with it. Jaune repeated it one more time, and this time, a double barrel shotgun muzzle revealed itself.
"I have all ranges covered. Not to mention that even if I can't use it, I still have my trusty sword."
"Amazing," said Pyrrha. She looked at her shield, feeling like she should have had her uncle modify it. As if reading her mind, Hephaestus laughed before telling Pyrrha to tap the button inside her shield. Raising her eyebrow, she noticed a small button hidden in her shield. Pressing it, her shield suddenly morphed. Collapsing itself, it turned into another xiphos for her to use. Pyrrha grinned at this. With this, it would be even harder for her to lose a weapon. Not to mention she could easily hide her shield or store it. Sometimes, the shield just took too much space. She would have to learn how to dual wield, though, something she looked forward to training with.
Hephaestus passed back Jaune's sword and sheath afterward. Jaune admired how the new hilt looked. It was much more comfortable to hold now, and the sheath was painted black. Even when expanded into a shield, the layer of coating was even. Hephaestus even threw in a bit of an upgrade for it, stating it was almost as strong as his new shield.
"Well, that's all. Jaune, here's the last of the adamantine," said Hephaestus.
"Keep it for now," replied Jaune, "I might consider getting armor. I'll know who to look for when I finish my armor designs."
Hephaestus grinned as he put the pouch in his pocket again. He looked forward to seeing what Jaune wanted next. "So what's the name of your new shield?"
Jaune looked at it for a bit before grinning, "I'm calling it Dragonscales."
Leonidas looked to his wife, who nodded back before they both stood up along with Hephaestus, standing before Jaune.
"Jaune. I know its only been a few weeks, but the time you've spent with us is something unforgettable. We wish to continue that trend. We want to adopt you. Or Hephaestus will adopt you. Either works," said Gorga as she bent down to see face to face with Jaune.
"I can enroll you to Sanctum for the time being with Pyrrha. After that, any school for Huntsmen and Huntresses you two want to apply, I'll send you there," said Leonidas.
"Cmon, Jaune. What do ya say? Become our family. You can keep your last name, or we can add Nikos to it. Hmm, Jaune Nikos. Jaune Ryu-Long Nikos. Not bad," said Hephaestus, rubbing his chin.
Pyrrha's eyes opened wide and hoped Jaune would accept.
Jaune was floored by this offer. He felt.. wanted. Happy. A family that would take him in. However, before he could say yes, his mind was dragged into his mindscape forcibly.
Jaune opened his eyes to see the seven dragon kings again.
"Jaune," began Aryz uneasily, "There's no easy way to say it."
"You can't accept," said Lung Wang bluntly.
"But, why?" asked Jaune.
"We're not finished with your training," said Ryo-Wo mournfully, "There are a few more nesting grounds you must visit. In time, when you hit seventeen, we will allow you to enroll in a Huntsmen school of your choice to further your training. However, it is vital that you travel the world and visit the nesting grounds. The remaining energy within each cave can help strengthen you. This stops when you hit seventeen."
"And you cannot delay it," added Alaerth.
"Indeed. I'm usually the one that's for getting the girl, but Andusk and I sense trouble brewing in the future. And you're going to need all the power you can get," said Othim, his usual lax and joking attitude gone.
"Not to mention if you do get adopted, it might attract the attention of a certain 'ARC'. Since your still a minor, he can choose to override the adoption, saying he wants you back. If he does, he might just kill you instead or try to lock up your Aura. Only when your seventeen and enrolled in a Huntsmen school is he not allowed to do that anymore," mentioned Fafnir, "For once you're in training, you are considered an an adult who can make their own choices with no allegiance."
Jaune closed his eyes, holding back his tears. The Nikos family was certainly everything he wanted, but he knew his dragons were right. They had saved him, and never guided him wrong. He had to keep traveling.
"We're sorry it has to be like this," said Andusk, "Perhaps when you're older, you can come back."
"I understand," said Jaune sombrely. Each dragon nodded before Jaune was whisked back to reality.
"Jaune? Are you okay?" asked Pyrrha, noticing Jaune had a blank stare for a second. It disappeared, and Jaune shook his head as to clear off the cobwebs.
Jaune wasn't going to like what he had to say, but it had to be done.
"Hephaestus, Leonidas, Gorga,... Pyrrha. I thank you for this, but I regretfully have to say no."
"Why?" asked Gorga in shock.
"I have to continue my travels. I didn't tell you this, but I was rescued from my so-called 'father' when he bound me. If they didn't, he would have dumped me right next to a Grimm and watch me die, saying that it wasn't his fault a Grimm was there when he banished me. I made a promise to them to travel the world for specific things.'
"We could help you kid," said Hephaestus, "We can buy you airship tickets to where you need to go. I can close my shop for a bit to come with you. Leonidas and Pyrrha can help too!"
Jaune shook his head, "This journey has to be done on foot and alone. I'm sorry. I can't tell you any more than this."
Pyrrha looked at Jaune, "But, can't you do it when you're older?" Inside, she was really asking, 'Can't you stay with me?'
"No. It has to be done before my 17th birthday. Only then will they allow me to enroll in an academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses. I didn't say this, but my sperm donor is also influential. If he got wind that my Aura was unlocked and adopted, he could use his resources and force me back under his feet," said Jaune.
"And only if you're a Huntsman in training or an adult will you fully be safe from him," mused Leonidas.
"There's no way your father can fight us for the right of custody," said Gorga tearfully.
"I'm afraid he can. That's why I have to say no, for those reasons," said Jaune as he hung his head.
"But...," started Hephaestus. Leonidas held up his hand, stopping his brother.
"Jaune," stared Leonidas, making Jaune look up, "Are you sure about this decision?" Jaune nodded his head.
"Very well then. But always know you always have a place in the Nikos family," said Leonidas before striding to a table with a paper and pen. He quickly wrote something onto it before sealing it into an envelope and giving it to Jaune, "When you enroll to an academy, merely show them this. This is my personal recommendation letter. With it, your chances of going to any academy will be much higher. I only hope that you will end up at the same academy as my daughter."
"Thank you, sir," said Jaune respectfully as he took the letter and put it in his bag. Seeing that the adoption wasn't going to happen, Gorga, Pyrrha, and Hephaestus hugged him one last time, where he also returned the hug. As Jaune was about to walk out the door to continue his journey, Pyrrha called out to him.
"Before you go, there's something I want to do. Something for you to remember me by," said Pyrrha. She grabbed Jaune on the cheeks and kissed him on the lips. Jaune froze up at that but then started to kiss back. After a few seconds of kissing, they broke apart.
"Remember me, always," said Pyrrha, blushing at what she had done. Even though she knew that they weren't really married, she felt like it was fitting.
"I always will, my goddess," responded Jaune, putting his forehead on hers, enjoying the moment. Soon, they separated, and Jaune left the city, but not before exchanging Scroll numbers with Hephaestus. He promised to try to message him and Pyrrha if he could, but since he would be in the wilderness most of the time, he couldn't do it often. They both understood that they couldn't be the one to initiate the call, otherwise, they might put him in danger. Jaune put his sword back into his sheath while putting his shield on his back, right above the bag. Luckily, it didn't clash at all. He kept the sheath because he could say it was a keepsake from his mother. Also, it could serve as another blunt weapon if he needed it.
Jaune left Mistral, going North. His next location was to be the continent Solitas at the city of Atlas, where he would stock up on some winter clothing before heading towards the said cave. For this trip, he was to ride an airship to Atlas, as Atlas did not have piers. They were said to be the most technologically advanced city and only had airship docks. Lung-Wang wasn't happy that Jaune couldn't train while on the ship, so they stuck him with meditation for the ride. Luckily, it didn't take long, and after 3 hours, he was in Atlas. Feeling cold, he quickly went to buy some warm clothing.
As he finished buying his clothes, he was about to leave the store when he heard a male snobbish voice in the store, "This is the best you have? I've seen better clothes at a pig's store!"
Jaune turned around to see a young boy with white hair with pale blue eyes about the age of 11 complaining while tossing clothes without care.
"Please sir, don't throw them like this. We need to put them in order if you're not buying," pleaded the store manager.
"Excuse me? Do you know who you're talking to?" shouted the boy, "I'm Whitley Schnee, son of the Schnee Dust Company. I am basically royalty, you plebeian."
"Hmph," scoffed Ryo-Wo, "This boy has not had the proper education of being a gentleman, nor does he exhibit an ounce any majestic qualities. Teach him a lesson."
"Hehe, and I thought I was the one with the most pride. Still, do shut that brat up," commented Lung Wang.
Before he could, the door opened once more, and two females entered the room. A young 14-year-old teenager and a mature 19-year-old with the same white hair and eye color as the boy.
"Whitley," said the older one as she put her hand on her forehead, "Please stop causing trouble. It's very disrespectful to others."
Whitley huffed as if to ignore her sister, commenting on how he was only treating commoners as he should be.
"Not to mention, it's a behavior unfitting of a Schnee gentleman in public," added the younger girl.
Whitley huffed, but finally looked down, "Apologies, Elder Sister Winter and Sister Weiss."
Winter took out 2 white Lien cards, giving them to the store owner, "Apologies for his behavior. We'll try to curb it. Just don't say anything."
The store owner bowed in reply before getting his employees to clean up the mess Whitley had caused. As all the Schnee members were leaving, Jaune was looking at Whitley with an annoyed expression. Whitley caught this and turned to him.
"What are you looking at, commoner?" sneered Whitley. Winter and Weiss turned around sighing. Whitley was becoming more like his father but without a filter nor intelligence of knowing when to put on a facade. Thank heavens Winter had inherited her mother's attitude, while Weiss was more of a mix of both. She still had some snobbish tendencies, but they had been curbed thanks to Winter. Whitley, however, never listened to her sisters that much, disliking them very much. It could be that he didn't inherit the Schnee semblance. It didn't help that their mother never had a chance to raise Whitley after her early death.
"Just looking at a piteously ignominious child who has no display of any fine qualities or majestic aura," replied Jaune cooly. Winter and Weiss had to stop themselves from snorting in laughter, although small grins could be seen on their face.
"You! YOU! YOU LITTLE-!" shouted Whitley
"I'm older and taller than you, thank you. Still, if I'm small, you must be tiny upon all areas of being a man," replied Jaune.
Whitley was frothing in his mouth while Winter and Weiss were snickering now. He sputtered out words, but Jaune interrupted him.
"Do not speak unless you intend to improve the silence. Your IQ is lower than the weather's temperature outside."
At this, Winter and Weiss couldn't hold it anymore and was clearly laughing. Winter tried to put a serious face while trying to discipline Weiss but was clearly failing. Sure, she should be protecting her little brother from all those insults, but the said brother always acted so snobbishly that she got irritated by him easily. Whitley needed this smack down. Before it went any further, though, a voice rang out.
"What's going on here? Whitley, Winter, Weiss?"
They turned around to see a man with white hair and white mustache walking towards them. From an obvious glance, this man was their father. At least he looked and walked with a slight regal aura. Even so, Jaune could tell this man was just as selfish as his son. He just hid it better.
"Father!" shouted Whitley, "This peasant has insulted me. He must be taught a lesson about respecting his betters."
"And it's very clear that you are not my superior," replied Jaune frostily.
"Enough. Whitley, your attitude is unbecoming of a Schnee," said the father before whispering in his ear, "You must keep a public facade, to allow everyone to respect you. This attitude in public will draw bad publicity."
"Yes, father," replied Whitley. He never bothered apologizing to Jaune or the shopkeeper, though.
The man turned to Jaune, sizing him up. He liked what he saw. Here was a strong young man who although seemed to be from the common class, exuded a somewhat regal aura around him. He saw his attitude, and body language and his language to be a gentleman. Clearly, Whitley could learn from this teenager.
"I am Jacques Schnee, President of the SDC, father of these three. I apologize for my son's behavior. He is still learning. And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"
"Jaune," cautioned Ryo-Wo, "It would be best if you just follow what I say for now. This man seems to adore those of proper public behavior. It would be bad to have him as our enemy for now."
"Greetings, patriarch of the Schnee family. I am Jaune Ryu-Long, a mere traveler. I also apologize for causing this public disturbance." Jaune bowed in respect before standing back up straight. Jacques kept an eye out for his body language and found it quite perfect as a gentleman.
'Hmm. Perfect form. Perfect behavior. And a sly one, too. He's only apologizing for the public disturbance, not his comments about insulting my son,' thought Jacques.
"Well met, Mr. Ryu-Long. Well, I have to take my children home for now. Perhaps we can meet another day. My daughter, Weiss, will be performing on stage tomorrow. Would you like to come as a guest?" asked Jacques. The Schnee children could barely hide their shock at this. Their father never invited someone so easily!
"It would be a pleasure, President Schnee. I look forward to seeing what talents you have cultivated in your daughter," replied Jaune.
"Very well. Merely mention my name at 6:00 PM sharp tomorrow at the Atlas Theater Plaza. The staff will send word to me, and I'll know that's it's you." said Jacques. He gathered his children and walked them to his limo, driving off.
"Well," said Jaune out loud, "Looks like I'm going. Hopefully, this won't be long."
In the limousine, Whitley was stewing mad.
"Father! Why didn't you punish that unrefined traveler?! And why invite him as a guest? He should be shoved into the mines!" shouted Whitley.
"Whitley," warned Jacques sternly. Whitley immediately became quiet. "You still have much to learn. We, Schnee, are indeed above most. However, we can not have such an attitude out in public. It is most unbecoming of a gentleman. If I went out with that attitude, most of our stockholders would sell their stocks, plummeting the SDC into ruin. You must learn to have proper behavior."
Winter and Weiss rolled their eyes in secret. Jacques wasn't really a Schnee. He merely married into the family.
"Yes, father," grumbled Whitley.
"The reason why I invited Jaune Ryu-Long is because I would hope you could learn from him," said Jacques, "He displayed a behavior like a gentleman, and managed to insult you while still maintaining the perfect facade. When he apologized, he merely stated he was sorry about disrupting the public, but he had no intention of recalling his words to you. Yet, with your behavior, the public sided with him. Not only that, I can tell that he is not a normal man. A strong figure while maintaining excellent behavior. Perhaps a suitor for Weiss. He looks the same age as her."
"Father!" blushed Weiss.
"Not your type? Then perhaps a suitor for Winter. He seems very mature for his age, and I doubt his age is far apart from yours, Winter."
"Father!" blushed Winter this time, "I am not interested in someone below my age. I would be seen as a pedophile if I had a suitor of his age."
"That can easily be remedied. We can just wait for 3 to 5 more years before declaring him as a suitor for you," replied Jacques.
"Enough!" shouted both daughters, unable to handle the embarrassment. The family butler, Klein Sieben, chuckled as he drove the family back home.
Jaune managed to find a nice room to stay at for the night. As usual, he got up early to do his daily training. With his Aura active now, Lung Wang pushed Jaune even harder, knowing that his Aura could know heal him without much consequence. Andusk and Othim helped him meditate, increasing his already large Aura reserves. Ryo-Wo was guiding him through what to do when he went to the performance. Alaerth and Aryz would be helping him with his clothes and how to look proper. Fafnir was guiding him on how to feel the earth, and to let it guide him. Fafnir told Jaune this would help him fight those with illusions. After all, nobody can lie to the ground, as they needed to walk on it.
Soon enough, Jaune left for the Atlas Theater Plaza after making sure he had the right direction. He had his formal wear on, thought he mad sure his bag was inside the suit while also wearing his Mithril shirt. The shield had been stuffed inside as well. He left the sword and sheath on his waist, fashioning it in a stylish way while also being able to fight with it effectively. He left the room at 5:00 PM and arrived there at 5:50 PM. He saw a crowd starting to gather. Still, he went up to a guard at exactly 6:00 PM and telling the guard that he had been personally invited by Jacques Schnee to attend a performance by Weiss Schnee. The guard seemed dubious but sent a messenger up anyways, since he did receive a notice that someone would be coming at that time. A few seconds later, and Jaune was escorted to a VIP room.
"Mr. Ryu-Long, welcome!" greeted Jacques as he put his hand out. His eyes flickered to what Jaune was wearing, and gave it an okay grade. The suit was not high-class, but it did suit Jaune quite well. Plus, there was no point of buying an expensive suit at his age since he would just grow out of it.
"It is a pleasure to be here," replied Jaune cordially, shaking his hand.
"Please, come sit," said Jacques, guiding him to the balcony with four chairs. Whitley sat at the far left, near the stage. Jacques sat next to him, who was followed by Winter.
Jaune sat next to her before introducing himself to her. Winter smiled and greeted back, putting her hand out. Jaune immediately caught on, slightly grasping it before kissing her hand. Whitley rolled his eyes in disgust, but Jacques seemed to approve of Jaune's proper behavior. Soon, the theater darkened while the stage brightened.
"Now introducing, Weiss Schnee!"
A polite applaud rang out the theater while Weiss stepped out. Jaune could see that Whitley was doing it sarcastically.
Soon, Weiss began to sing a beautiful song. Jaune was intrigued by her voice. It was clear she enjoyed singing, but it felt like there was also sadness within the range of emotions she was singing. Soon, the song was over. Everyone was applauding while Weiss bowed down in return. There were other performances that followed after her song, and soon, Jaune found himself at a banquet.
"So Jaune, how did you like my daughter's performance?" asked Jacques, pointing to Weiss and putting them in the spotlight.
"It was excellent. Truly, a talented singer you have raised your daughter," complimented Jaune, "I can only imagine your other children being talented in their respective fields."
Weiss slightly blushed at this but kept up her posture as a proper lady. Winter still had the perfect posture, but they could see Whitley beginning to tire. He was, only 11, after all. There was only so much a child could take.
"So, Jaune," began Winter, "I see you're carrying a sword. Do you fight with it? Perhaps we can spar sometime."
"That would be lovely," said Jaune, "Alas, I'm afraid I might have to decline. It is obvious from your posture that you have been trained in fighting, along with Weiss. Not to mention I noticed you carry a badge, stating that you are currently attending Atlas Academy. I would say you are about to enter your third year. I would only lose terribly against someone of your caliber. I also cannot remain in this city for long. There are a few places I must set off soon."
"Hmph. Kiss-up," muttered Whitley. He didn't think Jaune heard it, but Jaune did and turned to him, "It is a mere compliment and truth to your sister. However, you may interpret it in any way as you like, even if it's below ordinary levels. I would have a battle of wits against you, but I see you are unarmed."
Whitley could feel his face starting to twitch, but a hand from Jacques stopped him from exploding. Thankfully the banquet ended. As the Schnee family stepped out towards their limousine, they said their good-byes to Jaune. However, movement caught Jaune's eye, and a Faunus with a Grimm mask was charging towards Jacques with a dagger.
"Die Schnee!" roared the Faunus as he tried to stab him. Winter reacted fast, kicking the dagger out of the man's grip. With another movement, her other leg slammed into the man's face. Since she was wearing high heels, Jaune imagined it must hurt a lot. As the man held his bleeding face, the authority quickly went to arrest him. However, since everyone's attention was towards the man, they missed another assailant heading right towards Weiss.
"Die, spawn of Schnee!" shouted the second assailant. Winter didn't have time to react, but Jaune did by grabbing Weiss out of the way while slapping his sheath up. It flew from his belt right into the mask, cracking it open to reveal the Faunus' face. The rebound sent the sword and sheath up into the air. Without even hesitating, Jaune dashed towards the man, grabbing his flailing arms. In the next moment, Jaune did an overhead throw and threw the Faunus into the ground hard. Without missing a beat, Jaune flipped the man over on his front while forcing his hands back, making him unarmed and immobile.
"Let go of me! I have to kill those Schnee bastards," roared the Faunus. However, he fell unconscious when the sheath and sword that Jaune had used as a projectile landed right on his head. Many thought it was just coincidence. Whitley scoffed, saying Jaune was lucky it didn't land on his head. However, Winter and Weiss saw the truth. Jaune had managed to calculate when the projectile would fall and managed to maneuver his enemy right into it. Seeing as the second assailant was no threat, Jaune let go of him, letting the authorities arrest the Faunus.
"White Fang," growled Jacques before turning to Jaune, "Thank you for saving my daughter. Please, allow me to repay you for your kindness somehow. Perhaps a nice place to sleep for the night at the Schnee mansion?"
"Thank you," replied Jaune, "But I'm afraid I have to decline. I must be leaving soon. I have already tarried long enough."
Whitley silently cheered at this. Jacques slightly frowned but decided to let it go. Nobody but him noticed, but when Jaune judo-flipped the Faunus, he noticed something glimmer in Jaune's shirt. Realizing that it was a Mithril shirt, he immediately wanted Jaune in his family. The fact he had such a shirt, and at a very high-level craftsmanship at that, told him he was well-connected.
"Very well. Then, at least let me give you this," said Jacques as he presented Jaune with a special card with the SDC logo on it, as well as Jacques personal signature. "This will give you 20% off all Dust purchases from any SDC store. Be sure to keep it well. As long as you present this in the store, they'll knock off the price for you. It's the least I can do for saving my daughter."
Jaune accepted it, bowing down in respect before he turned around to leave. He took a few steps when a voice called out to him.
"Wait!"
Jaune turned around to see Weiss walking up to him with her family standing a few feet away, "I still need to thank you somehow. If it wasn't for those filthy Faunus..."
Jaune silenced her with his finger on her lips, "Shh. Such words are unbecoming of a lady." Weiss blushed, but Jaune continued with a whisper, "Not all Faunus are bad. Some of them have aided me in my time of need before. The White Fang are just extremists, and can not be labeled upon all Faunus. However, the question becomes why they would try to attack the Schnee family? Has the SDC done something to them? Those are questions you must ask yourself first before making such hasty judgments."
Weiss actually pondered about this before shaking her head, "I'll consider your words since you saved me. However, I still need to reward my knight." At this, she leaned forward and kissed Jaune on the cheek. At that, she walked away back to her family, although she put a bit of emphasis on her waist. Jaune slightly gazed it before shaking his head and walking the other direction. It was time to head towards the nesting grounds on Solitas.
And Cut! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and my idea for his new shield! I've kept the sword the same, as it will factor into the future. Keep in mind Crocea Mors is a legendary sword already, and I do have plans for it. As for his old shield, I felt like it could use some improvements. The new shield, Dragonscales, is a similar shape as Captain America's shield, but thicker so it can contain all those ranged weapons. I had considered a bow for Jaune, but threw that idea away.
The original design I had for the shield would have had a fourth muzzle, and it would have been a flame thrower. I threw that idea out quickly. The place to load the magazines for his shield would be in the back, so Jaune has easy access to are slots in it that eject empty magazines and load fresh ones before sealing it in, allowing the shield to keep its smooth surface on both sides.
And no, they did not french kiss. Just a simple kiss on the lips.
Keep in mind that all the polite gentleman talk was Ryo-Wo coaching Jaune what to say. As for the age differences between the Schnee family, Winter's and Whitley's age isn't really stated. Just looking from canon, I estimated the age difference. Winter was already in the military when Weiss went to Beacon, so therefore she must be at least 4 years older. Whitley didn't look that young, so a three year difference is a guess. I do not plan on pairing Winter with Qrow. I made some calculations and estimate that there is a 17 year age difference between them. If you want to know more about why, just pm me.
Also, might need to shift this rating to M. Anyone know if death of very minor characters is enough to shift this from T to M?
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