Trails of Blood and Steel

by ultimatedbzmaniac

The Blood and Iron Chancellor, Giliath Osborne. The Debaucherous Prince, Olivert Reise Arnor. The board is set; the players are ready. Caught between these titans, Class VII are forced to serve as pieces in their game. However, three of these pieces: Rean Schwarzer, Fie Claussell, and Crow Armbrust; are not content simply being used. No, they would make this game their own.

4. Unconventional Studies

Apex85: Well, I didn't plan it to be an interrogation about being a couple. Just an interrogation as to why, even though, as far as the rest of the class was aware, they had only known each other for half a month and were so friendly with one and other. Two people being together constantly like that, when they're supposed to be little more than strangers, is kind of weird, ya know? Seeing it day in and day out every single day, you'd really start to wonder. Regardless, it seems it came off that way, so I concede that perhaps I should have waited a little longer. But, it made sense to me, so I stand by it. Things just kind of came out that way during the writing of the scene, I guess. My bad, I suppose.

Eh, I could've seen it going one of those ways. And I definitely think she'd do something to get him back, and rest assured, she will do something to get him back. But it just didn't come out that way when I wrote it, so I'll save her retaliation for later.

Oh, lucky you then, cause I'll give it to you right now. Laura came in first, Fie was second, Rean was third, Jusis and Gaius were tied for fourth, Machias was fifth, Alisa was sixth, Emma was seventh, and Elliot was eighth, making him the weakest.

Yeah, I actually really loved that part too. Writing it and reading it. I had thought about using Machias or someone else, but I felt it'd work best with Jusis, so...yeah, I went with him.

GeassKing101: You bet your ass I'm a Rean X Fie fan. That is the only couple for me in this whole damn game universe that is Legend of Heroes. My one exception is Rean X Harem, which Fie must be in to even count. Some people might not like that or give me flak for it, but I don't care.

RedBurningDragon: I suppose. And perhaps it could give me some good ideas for moves, so, yeah, I'll probably pick up a copy of one of the entries, or at least look it up on Youtube. We'll just have to see how it goes and whatnot. Good, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

jamesb497: Thank you, I'm glad you think so. Good, and here's the next one.

8Swords: Not a bad suggestion at all. I'll most definitely try it out.

Hey, who knows, could happen, I haven't decided yet.

As the story goes on, I do intend to flesh out the characters as much as possible. We'll just see where it goes, ya know? Though that's not a bad idea for Gaius, perhaps I'll use that...who knows?

All I'll say on the matter is Rean will learn to control his demon form, and when he does, unlike in the game at times, he will be a force to be truly reckoned with. Beside that, he will grow stronger on his own merit as well.

I appreciate your knowledge on the German language, and while I can't guarantee it'll pop up too much, I can promise Sara will still use it to certain degrees throughout the story. Also, thank you. :)

ZealousSiren: They are, aren't they? The field studies are going to have different groupings, and I've already got them drawn up in my notes, so, you shall see how that works soon. No problem at all, I enjoyed the chapter, so I reviewed, simple as that. Yes, yes we do. Let us do our absolute best to do so, my friend. :)

Tsyne-Oblivion: I'm glad you love it. Don't know if Alisa is jealous per se, more like that just kind of struck me as something she would go on about, since she is getting to know them, and it is weird for supposed strangers to be so close. But hey, if that's the way you see it, go right ahead, don't let me stop you man. Though, there is a chance jealousy could be shown later, I mean, who knows? Rean is quite the ladies man when you think about it. As for other ships, or pairings, I don't know. It just depends really. Depends on what? If I feel like they go well together, or belong together, etc. You be you guy, if that means acting like Munk, right on. Besides, Munk is cool anyway. :P

Once more, thanks to all those who reviewed, and allow me to thank those who have added this story to their favorites and alerts since the last update. Apex85, jamesb497 and TheCrimsonGhost309, thank you!

UPDATE

Unlike the previous chapters, this is only partially rewritten. I've done some touch ups, but there's no getting around the fact that this chapter, after a certain point, won't read as well as the first few chapters and the latest chapters. It reads better than it originally did, though. That's for sure. Still some important stuff in here, though.

Anyway, let's start. Part two of chapter one. Please read, review, and enjoy.

---

ACT I - CHAPTER I - PART II

...

Septian Calendar 1204
4/18 - Sunday

Today was the first free day, as such, the dormitory was all but empty by the time Rean finished his morning routine. As far as he could sense, Elliot was the only one still in the building.

Deciding to check in on him, Rean stopped by his room.

...

After helping Elliot unpack some boxes that his sister sent him and talking to him for a bit, Rean stopped by the dorm mailboxes. In his personal one, he found, as Towa had said he would, a list of requests.

There weren't many, only three. One from a first-year student named Colette, who had misplaced her student notebook, and was requesting assistance in searching for it. Another from George, who needed someone to deliver several pieces of orbal tech he'd recently finished repairing. And the third and final was from Principal Vandyck himself, requesting that any member of Class VII willing to investigate the old schoolhouse come see him.

"One from the principal, one from the Engineering club, and, oh, hey, one from another first-year." Rean noted the requests. "I certainly wasn't expecting a request from the principal as one of my very first assignments. Hope I don't screw it up. I'm curious about that one from the Engineering Club too." He said to himself. "Well, I've got all day, so...I'll just dive in, I guess."

---

Rean ended up getting sidetracked almost immediately after leaving the dorm, spotting Machias outside Kirsche's and deciding to stop and have a chat with him over coffee and tea.

...

Shortly after bidding his friend farewell, Rean paid a visit to Keynes' Bookstore to do some quick browsing.

'Hopefully I can find something that'll help me with my studies.'

The moment he stepped inside, he was all but verbally accosted.

"Welcome! Have a look, we've got some solid books for students' lined up here! You keeping up well in class, mate? I hope ye are, 'cause being a student's all about gettin' yer heed in the books! I cannae say much though, 'cause I'll be focusing on working instead. Yassss!"

'She's enthusiastic.'

She was a fellow Thors student, dressed in the green commoner's uniform; she had light skin, dull-blonde hair, and brown eyes.

"I could actually use some help finding a book, if you don't mind."

...

Rean walked out of Keynes', new book in hand. 'Becky is certainly...zealous.'

Shaking his head, the raven-haired youth realized he'd wasted enough time as it is.

'I'll drop this book off in my room and get to these requests.'

---

Rean met up with Colette in the cafeteria, there, she explained the situation. She had lost her notebook the day before and failed to notice until she tried to checkout a book from the library. She made it clear that she had come to the library directly from the main building, and she was sure she had it on her before she left. That narrowed down the search area, so they split up and got to work.

Eventually, Rean found it in between the cushions of one of the sofas in the rest area on the second floor of the main building, and returned it to its owner. She thanked him, and he gave her a little advice on where to keep her notebook so she didn't lose it again.

With that, he moved on to the next task.

...

Checking in with George, Rean got the run down on what he needed to do. Too busy to do it himself today, the second-year passed the task of delivering three pieces of orbment technology he'd recently fixed to their owners.

The first was an orbal scale, which he took to Nicholas in the home economics room. The second was an antique orbal lamp, which he brought to Micht at his pawnshop; he got something in return for this one, as the older man handed him a deck of cards from a game called blade. The third was an orbal wristwatch, which he returned to Michael at the Radio Trista building; the showrunner informed him that their station was going to be broadcasting a new program tonight and encourage him to tune in.

With all three items returned to their proper owners, the swordsman went back to the Engineering building to report to George. As thanks for making the deliveries for him, the second-year gave his junior an orbal radio. Rean tried to refuse, but the engineer insisted, so he accepted.

...

Rean, after leaving the Engineering building, stopped by the gym and timed Laura as she swam laps, conversing with her all the while. In doing this, he ended up acquainted with her fellow club members, Klein and Casper, as well as a girl who seemed to admire the sword maiden, Monica.

He stayed and talk with the lot of them for a short while.

---

Rean, only one task left to him for the day, went to see the client, the school principal himself.

The Schwarzer heir rapped on the door with his knuckles, alerting the principal to his presence.

"Come in."

So, he entered, closing the door behind him.

The principal's office was a large room with a comfortable sitting area, some stocked-full bookshelves, and, of course, his large mahogany desk. The man himself stood away from all the room's personal effects, staring out one of the windows out onto the campus.

"Excuse me, Principal. I'm Rean Schwarzer, of Class VII." The swordsman introduced himself, walking deeper into the room, before stopping roughly an arge from the large man.

Principal Vandyck turned around to face the teen. "Ah, good, good! I've been waiting for you."

"My apologies, sir. I let myself get a little sidetracked."

"Nonsense. This is your free day, after all, you can use your time as you see fit." The aging man waved off his apology. "That said, I truly appreciate that you're taking some of that time to assist me in this."

"It's no problem at all, sir. So...you're looking for someone to further investigate the underground area of the old schoolhouse?"

"Precisely. And I couldn't have found a better man for the job, considering your class was down there so recently. Incidentally, it was Sara who insisted on making use of the trapdoor, not me." The older man suddenly said. "I probably should have tried to stop her, however. Please do accept my apologies."

"O-Oh, not at all sir. You have no reason to apologize." Rean reassured. 'From what Fie's told me about Instructor Sara, I kind of already figured it was all her idea.'

"Getting back to the matter at hand, there are a number of interesting stories regarding the old schoolhouse. That gargoyle you fought is just a drop in the bucket, all told."

"Now that you mention it...I did get the distinct impression while fighting it that it was...no ordinary monster... It was almost as if..."

"Indeed. Almost as if it weren't a 'monster' at all, but a...demon? Perhaps the word 'fiend' might fit." Principal Vandyck postulated. "In our experience, if left alone, it will always regenerate to its original statue form...eventually."

"R-Really?"

"Yes. And as a result, the area has long been used by students in tests of strength and courage. But in the past year, many strange...'alterations' have begun occurring there. I've received reports ranging from doors appearing out of nowhere to strange and eerie voices from the darkness..."

"I see. So you'd like me to go and investigate whether there's any truth to these reports, then?"

"If possible, yes. Specifically, I would like you to walk through the underground area and check for any significant changes since last month." The principal specified. "...A task for which you are uniquely qualified, given your prior experience down there."

"I suppose that is true." Rean granted. "And I'd be happy to undertake this mission. Though if that gargoyle has regenerated, thing could get a little tricky..."

"If that turns out to be the case, I would have no objection at all to you turning back. I should also stress that I'm making this request to Class VII as a whole. By all means, do ask your classmates for assistance. I'm certainly not expecting you to go it alone."

"Oh... Understood. I'll do just that." Rean replied. 'That makes things easier.'

"Splendid. I believe you'll be needing this, then."

The grey-haired man pulled an old, almost rusted, key from one of his pockets and handed it over to the raven-haired youth.

"That's the key to the front door of the old schoolhouse." Principal Vandyck told him. "Best of luck to you, and please...be safe."

"Thank you, sir!"

...

Rean left the office, pulling out his ARCUS in preparation to call his friends for some backup.

'The principal is a far more approachable man than I'd anticipated. He honestly kind of reminds me of my master...'

---

After Rean called up Fie, Machias, Elliot, and Gaius, they joined him at the old schoolhouse, where he relayed the information he'd gotten from the principal.

With them caught up to speed, the swordsman led them inside the building.

...

As the doors closed behind them, the group of five let their eyes wander.

"I can't believe we're coming back in here again..." Elliot made no attempt to hide his apprehension. "I-I really don't think this is a good idea..."

"That's because it more than likely isn't." Machias said.

"None of us would blame you one bit if you turned back. It's not too late." Rean offered his meek friend the chance to back out.

"I would." Fie interjected matter-of-factly.

"Fie..." The Schwarzer heir began.

"I was just kidding." The silver-haired maiden assured with her usual bored inflection.

"N-No, thanks, I'll come with you. We've got that practical exam next week, after all. I need to familiarize myself with this orbal staff as much as possible before then." The timid violinist reasoned. "Besides, if I turned back, I'd just wind up worrying myself sick about you guys."

The underground area should be just ahead through that door, correct?" Gaius questioned, gesturing to the double-doors across the way from them.

"Yeah. That should take us right to the room where we fought that gargoyle." Rean answered.

"Better to go that way than fall through the trap door again..." The bespectacled academic remarked.

"I-I hope that thing hasn't regenerated yet." Elliot thought aloud.

...

The group of teens entered the room where they had done battle with the stone gargoyle, only to find something off about it...

"Well, at least that monster isn't here anymore. And it doesn't look like we've got any more creepy statues ready to come to life either." Elliot observed. "Wait...did it always look like this?"

The room, once massive in size, had shrunk considerably. While the flights of stairs remained, the rest of the interior was completely changed.

"No. This room is definitely smaller than it was the last time we were here." Rean replied.

"H-How is that possible?" The orange-haired boy questioned.

"I'd say it's about half the size, perhaps closer to one third." Machias commented.

"And there are things that weren't here previously." Gaius pointed out.

"Like...that door?" Elliot said hesitantly, looking toward the a set of double-doors below. "I don't remember there being a door there last time."

"Neither do I. I also remember the floor being heavily damaged from our battle, yet now it appears to be fully intact. I'm not sure what to believe anymore..." The Schwarzer heir confessed.

"Strange as though it may be, we should go and get a closer look. This is essentially why we came here, after all." The softspoken nord reminded them.

So, the group descended the steps and moved across the room to the second set of double-doors. Passing through them, they suddenly found themselves in a dungeon that bore rather little resemblance to the one they had traversed before.

"Unbelievable..." Gaius voiced his disbelief.

"This isn't even the same place!" Elliot exclaimed. "I don't remember passing through an area like this at all!"

"Because we didn't." Rean stated. "The entire layout down here has changed completely."

"This...this boggles the mind..." Machias said, baffled by the sheer difference of it all.

"H-How...?" The timid violinist couldn't even finish his query.

"I can sense new types of monsters here, too." The softspoken nord cautioned. "What do you think we should do, Rean?"

"The principal sent us down here to investigate these mysterious changes, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Now that we've seen just how major these changes are, there's no way we can go back empty-handed." Rean opined. "We should head in as far as we're able."

"We'll follow your lead." Machias said.

Elliot gave a defeated sigh. "Here we go then."

"May the Goddess be with us." Gaius prayed for the best.

"This won't be as hard as you're making it out to be." Fie remarked dispassionately.

"All right, let's do this!" Rean proclaimed.

...

In just a few short hours, the five managed to reach what appeared to be the end of the dungeon.

Passing through strange double-doors that slid open under their own power, the teenagers entered into a rather large room; it was oddly shaped with pillars located in several spots, but was otherwise completely empty.

It looked like a dead end.

"That...wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, actually." Elliot admitted.

"Indeed. Things went rather well." Machias concurred.

"I believe that has something to do with these combat links we're using." Gaius opined.

"Definitely." Rean agreed. "They made every battle we've had a breeze."

"Looks like we've still got one more before we're done." Fie alerted them.

From a small vortex of blue, purple, and white light, an eight foot troll-sasquatch-looking beast appeared. It had sickly-grey flesh, reddish-brown fur from the waist down, a small, short tail, and magenta claws on its hands and feet; the horns atop its head were of a similar color.

"Ah, another one!" The timid violinist shouted in shock.

"First the gargoyle, now this thing! Must we face some manner of ferocious beast every time we're here!?" The bespectacled academic complained loudly.

"Perhaps so." The softspoken nord commented.

"Let's see just how easy this one goes down." The silver-haired maiden remarked.

"Go!" The raven-haired swordsman cried.

...

The beast dropped dead, face planting onto the floor. It began to shake and tremble, before being engulfed in a swirl of dark purple energy, and proceeded to vanish entirely.

"I stand corrected, 'cause that was kind of tough." Elliot stated.

"Not really." Fie contradicted him.

"We probably would have had a more difficult time with the creature, were it not for our combat links." Gaius opined.

"I concur. They really do make combat a breeze." Machias commented.

"Totally. I mean, it feels like the ARCUS has practically synchronized our breathing." The orange-haired boy exclaimed.

...

The group of five scanned the room, searching for anything of interest.

Nothing even remotely close was found.

"Well, since this seems to be the end, and there are no other routes for us to take, I'd say we're done down here. We should head back outside." Rean stated.

"Okay." Elliot agreed.

"So long as the path we took to get here hasn't suddenly shifted on us, we should have no trouble finding our way back." Machias brought up.

"Hopefully that's the case." Gaius said.

Fie just hummed in agreement.

...

After returning to the entrance, having done so through a pedestal that literally teleported them back there, they went to report on their findings.

---

The five students stood before Principal Vandyck, who sat behind his desk, and Instructor Sara, who stood to the side.

They had just finished their investigation report.

"Hmm... Well, this is certainly unexpected." Principal Vandyck said.

"So the layout has changed completely since last month? I knew something was amiss there, but I had no idea it had progressed to such an extent." Instructor Sara remarked.

"Principal sir, do you know anything about the origins of those ruins?" Machias suddenly inquired.

"They look like they predate the school by...well, a lot." Elliot added.

"I'm afraid I can't be certain who constructed them, nor exactly how long they've been around... But you are correct. They've existed for at least several hundred years before this academy was founded. All signs point to their construction occurring sometime during the Dark Ages." The principal apprised them.

"The Dark Ages?" Gaius repeated.

"You mean...the chaotic period that began after the Great Collapse twelve hundred years ago?" Rean asked.

From the look on Machias' face, it was evident the gears in his head were turning, as he contemplated this information.

"Most of the ruins the archaeologists have uncovered from that period are full of strange things. Some of which seem to have been made with technology we don't even fully understand. We're talking magic, and alchemy... But the inside of a building completely changing its layout... I have to say, that's a new one. Definitely not normal." Instructor Sara expatiated.

"Indeed. No record of such a phenomenon exists in the academy records. We have a bonafide mystery on our hands, it would seem." The principal responded.

The grey-haired man fell silent then, becoming lost in thought.

"Well, I'll try to have a look around the place myself when I get a chance. I've been curious about it ever since I started working here." The instructor assured.

"I'd greatly appreciate that." The aging man let her know.

Principal Vandyck returned his attention to the students gathered in his office. "Schwarzer. Claussell. Regnitz. Craig. Worzel. Thank you very much for all your hard work."

"It was no trouble at all. I'm happy to have been of assistance." Rean replied.

"Agreed." Machias concurred.

"Ahaha. Yeah, it's always good to help." Elliot commented with a smile.

Fie said nothing on the matter.

"If you'll please excuse us, then." Gaius said politely.

...

After the five students left, their instructor followed them out into the hallway, closing the door to the office behind her.

"Heh. You five did pretty well." Instructor Sara praised them with a smirk. "And it seems you're getting the hang of using your ARCUS, too!"

"Combat links definitely did make our battles in the ruins a lot easier." Rean remarked.

"Substantially so." Machias added.

"They could prove a powerful asset if we're able to master them." Gaius stated.

"Hard to get the timing right, though..." Elliot mentioned.

"Well, just keep at it. You'll need to form links with your other classmates in battle too, after all." The instructor reminded them. "And let me reiterate once again, you've all done very well today. Especially you, Rean." She lauded. "I'll be expecting great things from you next time too!"

"I'll do my be-" It took Rean a second to realize exactly what her words implied. "W-Wait a second, what do you mean 'next time'?!"

"Well, the way I see it is, you're a natural at this, so why stop now? Besides, with how busy our poor Student Council President is, don't you just want to do everything you can to help her out?"

She was trying to guilt-trip him!

And worse still, it was working.

"W-Well... I guess I do feel kind of bad for her, but...Gaaaaah, okay, fine! I'm in...I guess." Rean capitulated pretty much immediately.

"That's our Rean! I'll pass the good news on to Towa, then."

By her grin, it was apparent Instructor Sara had anticipated this outcome.

"Oh, and the principal has given the okay for you to keep hold of that old schoolhouse key. You're welcome to go poke around inside again anytime you wish!" The buxom twenty-something informed them. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you kids later. Toodles!"

She gave them a little wave and walked away.

...

"Er-Erm..." Elliot was unsure of what to say.

"I still don't understand how she's an instructor..." Machias said with a shake of his head.

"Are you sure you're all right with this, Rean?" Gaius queried.

Fie glanced at her friend, the look in her eyes getting the question across to him: are you okay with this?

"Haha. Yeah, I'm sure. It's not like I'm signed up to any clubs, and as long as I don't wind up with too many more requests than I had today, I'll be fine." Rean gave his friends his assurance.

"Well...okay, then. But if you need any assistance, please just let me know. It's really no trouble." The softspoken nord assured him.

"If you need any help, I will gladly assist you." The bespectacled academic told him.

"Same goes for me." The orange-haired boy echoed their sentiments. "And I'll be happy to come with you next time you go into the old schoolhouse, too!"

"Just say the word. I'll tag along." The silver-haired maiden stated.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."

---

Not long after leaving the main building, Rean found his way out onto the academy field, where he came across Alisa, alone. She was on clean up duty for the Lacrosse Club, which she had joined. Another girl, a noble by the name of Ferris, was apparently supposed to help, but had skipped out on her. So, he offered to assist in the girl's place.

The blonde had tried to refuse, but he insisted, and she eventually accepted.

Rean had intended to use this as a chance to get to know one of his classmates better, however, for some reason unknown to him, the air between the two of them was unmistakably awkward in nature. As such, rather than carrying on a pleasant conversation, they found themselves cleaning up the equipment in an uncomfortable silence.

...

Once the last of it had been put away in the storage shed, they traded quick goodbyes and went on their way.

"So much for that." Rean sighed.

...

With some time to kill until curfew, Rean stopped by the Student Council room to check on Towa.

After closing the door, he walked up to her desk and politely tried to get her attention. "Hey, President Towa."

Towa looked up from her work at the sound of his voice, finally taking notice of his presence.

"Good work today, Rean! Turns out your assistance was just what we needed." She praised him with a pleasant smile.

"I'm just glad I could take a bit of weight off your shoulders."

"Ehehe, you really did. George really appreciated your help, too." She let him know. "I'm amazed you managed to take care of all that and investigate the old schoolhouse."

"Haha, it's no big deal, really. Anytime you need a hand, just let me know. My schedule's pretty flexible. I mean, I'll be at Thors all year." Rean gave her an open invitation to call on him for assistance.

"Thanks. You should head back to the dorms and get some well-deserved rest." She told him, resisting the urge to glance down at all the work that remained.

"Are you still busy?" He asked her, finally taking note of just how much paperwork was piled on her desk. "I'd be happy to help if you need a hand. I've already spent the day working, so a bit more won't kill me."

"Are you sure? You must be really tired."

"Don't worry about it. I can handle a little more if it'll help you out." He assured her.

"Thanks, Rean, that's really kind of you."

Her smile brightened, she was clearly happy to have the help.

...

An hour and a half later, they'd finished the day's paperwork.

Towa, quite grateful for the extra pair of hands, treated her underclassmen to some tea as thanks.

They rested on the couches off to the side in her office, as she poured them cups.

'I'm still getting used to the fact that this small girl, who looks even younger than Fie, is the Student Council president.' Rean thought to himself, as he watched her finish pouring the tea.

He understood she was older than him, it was just a little difficult to wrap his mind around.

"You really had a lot on your plate!" He decided to strike up conversation once more, as she handed him his cup. "Now I see just how busy the Student Council can be."

"Ahaha. There's so much to get done that I almost always have to take work home with me to finish everything in time." Towa disclosed with a laugh.

The humor suddenly vanished, replaced with concern, as she suddenly asked, "Um... Are you sure you're okay with this, though?

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said you'd help us out next month, too, right? Trust me, you shouldn't feel obligated to help just because your instructor told you to..."

The Schwarzer heir's good mood all but disappeared. "It's fine. I mean it. Besides, it's not like I don't get anything out of it."

Towa looked confused at that.

'I can't let the chance Instructor Sara's given me go to waste. Not when I'm finally doing something, being useful for a change.'

Rean's outward appearance betrayed nothing of his tempestuous thoughts; calmly sipping his tea.

Towa's confusion fell away, as she finally had an inkling as to what this was about.

"I'm going to be blunt here, Rean. Do you really need to push yourself like this?" She inquired in a direct manner.

The mood had become rather pensive, all of the sudden.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, there's nothing wrong with doing your best and helping other people out. I'm a big fan of both." The second-year prefaced. "But at the same time, it's important to take the time to just sit back and rest, too. You need to have a balance. Because if you don't, there may come a time when you want to work toward something important to you, but can't..." She counseled him.

Rean had gone silent and offered up no reply.

"O-Oh, sorry! Wow, things got really heavy there. I probably shouldn't be saying all this when I hardly even know you... B-But I just don't want to see you hurt yourself by going overboard or anything. Because you're just as important as anyone else in the academy, even if you don't realize it yourself."

He remained quiet, the silence dragging on for several more moments; Towa now feared she had perhaps said too much and caused some sort of offense.

Thankfully, though, her underclassmen finally responded, putting her at ease.

"Thank you, President Towa." Rean flashed her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I was kind of worried about being able to do enough while I was here, but this is kind of like a weight off my shoulders."

It disturbed Rean how effortlessly he could lie to this kind girl's face. But he didn't know her, and she certainly didn't know him; she wouldn't understand. And he had no desire to bare his soul to a stranger, no matter how well-intentioned.

"Ehehe... That's good, then."

Towa's bright smile had returned.

"And... If you're ever feeling tired, feel free to come visit me. At the very least, I'll make you some nice, hot tea and we can talk things over." She offered.

"Roger."

---

By the time Rean had returned to the dorm, most everyone had adjourned to their rooms. So, he skipped dinner and did the same.

...

"Whew... What a day."

The raven-haired youth removed his blazer and tie, and put them away.

Looking toward his desk, he sighed.

"Better do some studying before bed. After all, it sounds like this is going to be a busy week, what with the ominous 'practical exam' looming over us." He thought aloud, as he gathered everything he needed to study, including the book he'd bought earlier in the day.

'I doubt it could be worse than the combat practice we had yesterday.'

Remembering the orbal radio George had given him, Rean went over and turned the contraption on. "Might as well listen to that new show while I'm studying."

Returning to his desk, he opened a notebook, one of his textbooks, and the book he'd bought, and took hold of his pencil.

"It's nine P.M. and you're listening to Radio Trista." Came a unique, feminine voice over the radio.

"Welcome, welcome. Don't touch that dial listeners, you've found the right place to be tonight. It's time for the start of a brand new program here on Radio Trista, coming at your promptly every Sunday! I call it 'Abend Time,' after the word for 'evening'." The voice elucidated. "Might be a little cliched, but sometimes, simple is best, right? Cliches are cliches for a reason, after all! Anyway, my name is Misty, and I'll be your host."

---

4/21 - Wednesday

The practical exam had come.

The entirety of Class VII was gathered at the academy field.

"Okay! Let's get your practical exam started, shall we?" Instructor Sara began enthusiastically. "To be completely clear from the outset, this exam is about more than just testing your physical strength and stamina. I already have a fair idea on where you all stand there. It's designed to hone in on how capable you are of making strategic combat decisions on the fly, and more importantly, to properly acquaint you with each other's fighting styles." She explicated. "Defeating your opponent quickly is a good thing, certainly...but it won't be enough to score you high marks here!" She clarified.

"Hmph. Interesting." Jusis commented.

"Acquaint us with each other's fighting styles?" Alisa repeated. "That would mean we'll be fighting together, or..."

"Against each other, correct! Someone give this girl a gold star!" Instructor Sara exclaimed.

"What good is that going to do us, exactly?" Elliot inquired.

"I suppose learning through experience is the method she believes would be most suited to our class." Gaius reasoned.

"By having us fight one and other, we'll have to learn through the act of combat how our classmates maneuver. And in doing such, this will allow us to gain intimate knowledge of how they do battle, which will be invaluable in a team skirmish." Laura expounded her understanding of the matter. "It's a viable, even an efficient, method."

"Exacty." The instructor confirmed. "That's why although some of you have become friends, a certain few of you closer than others..." She pointedly gazed at Rean and Fie as she said this, visibly specifying them. "...you can't hold back, even in the slightest. As it'll only end up hurting you in the end." She explained. "You will have to come at each other with everything you've got in order to get the most out of this exercise. Along those lines, this is more to benefit all of you than anything else, but I will still be grading your performance, so it technically falls under the exam parameters."

'Who will I be going up against?' Rean wondered to himself.

"I see. So then, how do we decide the match-ups?" Machias queried.

The instructor proceeded to answer. "As I've already said, this isn't really to test your physical capabilities. The match-ups reflect that. Instead, this is to see if you can think on your feet and use strategy to overcome those more powerful than yourself. And, of course, to get to know the workings of each other's fighting styles. So with that in mind, the pairings are as follows: Alisa versus Emma."

"Number six versus number seven? I suppose that makes sense." Emma remarked.

"So it will be a completely ranged battle then." Alisa said to herself, already thinking about how that could potentially play out.

"Machias versus Jusis." The jovial twenty-something continued.

Jusis scoffed at this. "Of course."

"Looks like I'll finally get to knock you down a peg or two." Machias taunted, to no reaction

"Laura versus Gaius and Elliot." The red-fuchsia-haired woman rattled off.

"I see. Then, I wish the two of you luck." Laura said pleasantly.

"Likewise." Gaius shared the swordwoman's sentiment.

"To be honest, I don't know that even the two of us together can beat you." Elliot admitted with a chuckle.

"And the fourth and final round will be...Rean versus Fie." The buxom young woman finished.

"Ahaha, of course, I get the absolute worst opponent for me." Rean opined sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Fie didn't vocalize her feelings on the matter, simply looking toward her childhood friend for a few moments, before returning her gaze to Sara.

"Okay then, let's get started!"

...

"Not bad, not bad at all." Instructor Sara complimented the two girls, clapping a little as she did. "The victory goes to you, Alisa."

"You certainly didn't make it easy for me." The blonde archer complimented, as she put away her bow.

"Thanks." The bespectacled girl acknowledged her praise, lowering her orbal staff. "I'd say it wasn't easy for me either, but I'm sure you already know that."

"Onto the next one!"

...

"Well, no room for interpretation. Jusis is the victor." The instructor announced.

Down on his knees, the blade of the blond noble's saber pressed against the side of his neck, Machias could only glare daggers at the him, panting all the while. Jusis met the brash bespectacled academic's intense glare with a pointed look of triumph, also panting.

"Time for round three!"

...

"Yeah, I was pretty sure this is how it'd turn out. Laura is victorious." Instructor Sara stated.

"That was a good battle. You two put up an admirable fight." Laura commended the two, as she put away her bastard sword.

"Thank you, we appreciate that." Gaius replied with gratitude, breathing a little heavily as he put away his cross-spear.

"Yeah, thanks." Elliot affirmed their gratitude between his panting, just about exhausted by that little fight.

"All right, one more to go!"

...

"And here I thought that would last longer. Oh well, I guess." Instructor Sara didn't bother to hide her disappointment as she shrugged her shoulders. "Fie triumphs."

"Yeah, this ended about as expected." Rean admitted sheepishly between ragged breaths, sheathing his tachi.

Fie was silent, frowning, clearly contemplating whether or not to speak.

'He was restraining himself so much... He held back. Why?' She wondered to herself.

She had anticipated he'd hold back a little, everything considered. But the difference between the power she felt from him and that of which he'd just demonstrated was...substantial. It would have been enough to even the playing field considerably.

'Why?'

"Anyway, that brings this month's practical exam to an end." Instructor Sara proclaimed, getting all eyes on her. "But as you might recall, I told you I had a big announcement for today! Are you all ready to hear what it is?" She asked them excitedly. "I'll give you a hint. It's about a special part of Class VII's curriculum."

Fie put away her gun-swords, and fell back in line with the others, pushing the incident to the back of her mind. She would deal with it later.

"Give up? Heh heh! It's really bugging you now, isn't it?" The energetic instructor queried. "Well, I'll come clean then." She told them, before clearing her throat. "The special task you're about to be assigned is none other than...a field study!"

"Field study?" Emma repeated with confusion.

"I don't like the sound of this one bit..." Machias muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You'll be split into two groups, A and B, and each sent to a different location. And while you're there, you'll be given a number of tasks to complete. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

None of them could figure out if it was a rhetorical question or not.

"Er...we only just got to the academy, and we're already being sent somewhere else?" Elliot inquired, perplexed.

"Will you not be coming with us, Instructor?" Rean inquired further.

"Oh, of course not! It'd be much too easy for you if I were there to bail you out every time the waters of life came seeping in. You've got to be cruel to be kind, and all that!" She responded much too jovially for their tastes.

Alisa just sighed at this.

"Well, I'm certainly not opposed to a challenge if it allows me to advance my training." Laura stated.

"Instructor Valestein. Where, exactly, will we be going? And when?" Jusis questioned.

"Ah, yes, about that. As I said, you'll be split into group A and group B. Each of you, please come forward and take one of these to see how the groups have been divided, and where each is being sent." She instructed them, presenting envelopes to them.

They did as she bid, taking the envelopes and opening them up, reading the papers within them.

They disclosed where they would be going and who made up each group.

Group A: Rean, Fie, Laura, Gaius, and Elliot were going to Celdic, and Group B: Machias, Jusis, Emma, and Alisa were going to Parm.

"Well, these are certainly some interesting groupings." The sword maiden remarked.

"Celdic and Parm... Are they both in Erebonia?" The softspoken nord queried.

"Yeah, Celdic's a market town on the east side of the Empire." The timid violinist answered.

"And Parm is situated in the deep south, it's known for it's spinners." The class president informed.

"Fie and I are in the same group? Well, that's nice at least." The Schwarzer heir quietly said to himself.

"Well, at least we won't be going far." Fie commented.

"I'm less worried about where we're going than the utter lack of sense that went into these groupings!" The bespectacled academic voiced his aggravation. "I mean, are you high!? Why the hell would you ever put that pompous snob and I in the same group!?" The hotheaded teen demanded to know.

"Unbelievable..." The aloof noble gave a heavy sigh.

Instructor Sara brushed off their concerns. "You'll be leaving this weekend, and will be out in the field for two days time. Your means of reaching your respective locations will, of course, be by train. So do make sure you're thoroughly prepared and raring to go before the big day!"

---

4/24 - Saturday

When Group A entered the train station, they found Group B was already there waiting.

"Ah, good morning everyone!" Emma greeted them pleasantly.

"Good morning." Rean returned the greeting.

"Looks like you guys are already good to go." Gaius noted.

"Yes. Parm is quite a distance from here though, so we're not likely to arrive before evening." The bespectacled girl stated.

"Hmm...considering its relative location, that seems to be an accurate estimate." Laura commented.

"I guess it is the southernmost town in Erebonia. Makes you realize just how big the Empire is." Elliot remarked. "But...umm..."

"They're still at it." The softspoken nord observed.

And indeed they were, both Machias and Jusis stubbornly refusing to make eye contact, looking away from the other, their backs to each other. It was almost like the two were toddlers giving one and other the silent treatment.

"Have they been like this the entire time?" The raven-haired swordsman asked.

"I'm afraid so." Alisa answered with a sigh.

"I think we may have underestimated how deeply rooted their differences are." The class president added.

"That might be an understatement." Gaius said.

"You'd think that battle they had would've absolved some of the animosity between them, but, if anything, it only seems to have exacerbated the situation." The blonde archer explicated.

"I'm not even in the same group, and I'm already sick of'em." Fie gave her two cents on the matter.

...

"Passenger service bound for...Heimdallr...now arriving on platform two. We ask that all customers utilizing this service please wait on the platform until the train has come to a complete stop." Came a voice over the intercom suddenly, announcing the imminent arrival of the next train.

"Hmph." That was all the vocalization that came from Jusis, before he walked away from the others, heading for the train platform.

"Time to go." Machias informed the others, before doing the same.

"Well, best of luck. Though here's hoping you don't need it." The Schwarzer heir wished them luck.

"Getting those two to work together sure doesn't seem like it'll be an easy task." The orange-haired boy added.

"We'll do what we can. But we can't make any promises." Alisa replied with another sigh.

"Good luck to all of you. Please take care." Laura bid them farewell.

"Later." Was Fie's simple goodbye.

"Yeah, see you guys soon." Emma returned the sentiment.

The two remaining members of Group B walked away then, following after their two other members.

"I wonder if they'll be okay..." Elliot thought aloud.

"Well, Emma being with them should keep things from getting too out of hand. I'm sure Alisa will do her best to help in that regard as well." Rean reasoned. "But, it is just the two of them. They're gonna have to juggle their tasks and playing peacekeepers. So...yeah, it's definitely not an ideal situation."

"I'm concerned for them as well, but I believe we should be focusing on our own trials right now." Laura commented.

"You're right." Rean agreed. "Let's go buy our tickets."

---

The five had just taken their seats when the train began moving; Rean, Fie, and Elliot sat in one booth, Laura and Gaius sat in the one directly adjacent to them.

"Umm...so, it's about an hour to Celdic from here, right?" Elliot questioned.

"Yes, I believe so." Laura answered.

"As I understand it, Celdic is mostly known as a merchant town, right?" Rean queried.

"Yeah, that's been their main source of tourism for some time, mostly thanks to the Grand Market." The orange-haired boy explained.

"You know, it couldn't hurt to go over what we know about the town before we get there." Gaius put forth.

And so, they did.

...

"You know what, I'm kinda looking forward to this now!" Elliot said with excitement.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But who knows if we'll actually get to enjoy it. There's just no telling what kind of crazy stuff Instructor Sara has planned for us." Rean reminded.

"Fair point." Gaius granted.

"Boy, isn't that the truth." The orange-haired boy agreed.

"Knowing her, it'll probably be something ridiculous. Or lame. Probably both." Fie voiced her thoughts on the matter.

"I can't hazard a guess as to what this 'field study' might involve." Laura admitted.

"We can say one thing for sure. Being part of our curriculum, it's a safe bet it's not going to be easy." The raven-haired youth inferred.

"If it were, it would hardly be worth the trip." The well-spoken swordswoman opined. "Personally, I'm looking forward to learning the true nature of our excursion."

"I-I suppose that is a good way to look at it..." The orbal staff user conceded.

"Well, we'll find our answer when we get there. We're supposed to drop by the inn as soon as we arrive." Rean spoke on the subject. "There should be an envelope waiting for us there with details on our mission."

"It seems everything was thought of." The soft-spoken nord surmised. "Lodging has been arranged for us, our instructions are awaiting pick up, and even the station employees were ready for us when we we arrived."

"Yeah, it's almost weird how everything's been so well planned out." Elliot remarked.

"Well, that just goes to show how high the academy's expectations are for all of you!" Another voice interjected, getting everyone's attention on none other than Instructor Sara, who now stood beside them, having just entered the train-car.

"Whoa!" Elliot exclaimed in shock.

"I-Instructor...?" Rean was more than a little surprised by her sudden appearance.

"I was wondering why you were nowhere to be seen this morning." Laura commented.

"And I was wondering when you were finally going to show yourself." Fie remarked.

"Aww, and here I thought I had managed without you noticing." The instructor voiced her disappointment, minimal as it might be.

"I think that means she's been watching us the whole time." Gaius said.

"I've been on high alert whenever you're concerned. After all, last time you stole my grappling hook." The stoic silver-haired girl retorted, clearly still just a tad sore regarding the incident. "Which you've yet to give back, by the way."

"Anywaaay..." The buxom young woman dragged the word out as she changed the subject, clearly set on ignoring that last bit. "It looks like Group A's all present and accounted for. That's good."

"So, uh, what brings you here, Instructor?" The Schwarzer heir asked.

"Well, considering this is your first time out in the field, I assumed you'd be positively lost without me!" The energetic twenty-something disclosed.

"Nope." Fie just flat out denied that.

Not that it seemed to bother the instructor, as she continued on as if she hadn't even heard it. "So I decided to stick around at least until you've finished checking in at the hotel."

"I see. Thank you." Gaius responded with a nod of his head.

"I, uh, I think Group B could've used your help a little more..." Elliot brought up.

"Would it not have been better for you to accompany the others?" Laura questioned her.

"Aww, but they'd be a nightmare to deal with..." The instructor whined. "I may still go to them though, if those two get out of control. But, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!"

The five sweatdropped at that.

'If you knew it would be such a problem, why'd you even put those two in the same group anyway?' The timid violinist wondered to himself.

'I had suspected she put them together on purpose. This just about confirms it.' The black-haired swordsman thought.

Turning away from them, the twenty-something took a seat in the booth across the aisle from them.

"Anyway, don't pay me any mind! You five feel free to keep talking!" She told them. "I didn't get any sleep last night, so I'm just going to take a little nap right here."

"Wait, wha-" Before Rean could get more than three syllables out of his mouth, the instructor was out like a light.

"S-She's already asleep!?" Elliot exclaimed in disbelief.

"Incredible..." Laura muttered to herself.

"That's..uh, quite the talent." Gaius commented.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you got your sleeping habits from her, Fie." Rean remarked.

Said girl in question shrugged her shoulders at that.

The conversation lulled, as they all waited out the time.

...

Eventually, the quiet was broken, as Gaius and Elliot struck up a conversation, and Rean and Fie did the same.

"Say, Fie?" Rean began.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever been to Celdic before?" He queried. "I know you traveled a lot, so I was just wondering."

"No. A small market town like that wouldn't have had much use for a corp like Zephyr. We stuck to big cities and the occasional countryside broiled in turmoil." She answered, doing so just low enough to where no besides her friend could hear her. "Why?"

"Just curious." He replied.

"Hmm." She accepted his answer, before turning her head to look out the window at the scenery as it whizzed by.

Picking up on the fact that she wasn't too receptive to conversation at the moment, Rean decided not to bother her further.

'Why did he hold back against me?'

...

"I do wonder what, precisely, these field study trips will involve. I truly can't even fathom a guess." Laura voiced her thoughts aloud then.

"Likewise." Rean concurred. "The weirdest part, to me, is the divide between Group A and Group B. Why were we split up and sent to different places? And most bizarrely of all, why were Machias and Jusis placed in the same group? It's like they're just asking for trouble."

"It does seem quite illogical." The swordswoman acknowledged. "I can only assume there's a hidden purpose to these trips beyond what we've been told. Perhaps multiple purposes, requiring multiple groups to fulfill."

"Yeah, that's my best guess too. There has to be something going on behind the scenes here." The raven-haired youth conjectured. "Which is why I wanted to ask Instructor Sara a few more questions, but...well..."

The two glanced over to the snoozing Sara then, and sweatdropped once again. "...I don't think she'll be doing much answering."

"Perhaps she fell asleep deliberately to avoid addressing such concerns." Laura theorized.

"Sounds about right." Fie interjected. "It's what I'd do anyway."

She didn't bother to pull her eyes away from the window.

"Well, then, it seems our instructor is...quite the formidable opponent." The sword maiden remarked.

"That's one way to describe her." The black-haired swordsman granted. "Guess we're just going to have to work out the meaning of these field study trips on our own."

With that, Rean let out a sigh.

"Hey, almost forgot I had these. I just picked them up on a whim a little while ago." Elliot piped up, pulling a deck of Blade cards out of his pocket.

"Oh, you've got a pack too? I just got a set of my own from the pawn shop in Trista." The Schwarzer heir said.

"Really? That's perfect then! How about we play a few hands? Seems like we've got some time to kill before we arrive." The orange-haired teen suggested.

"Do you know the rules?" Rean asked.

"Yeah. They're not that complicated, so I doubt anyone here will have any trouble picking it up." Elliot opined.

"Sounds like a good way to pass the time." Gaius commented.

"Indeed, it seems like it could be an enjoyable diversion." Laura remarked.

"Meh, could be fun." Fie said with a shrug of her shoulders, finally looking away from the window as she did.

"All right, let's give it a try." Rean proposed.

...

After going over the rules real quick and playing several games, they put away the cards. By the time they had, nearly ten rounds had been played. They had all enjoyed the game, even if some of them were far better at it than others, Rean and Fie in particular.

Once that was done, silence once again fell over the students, as they waited out their train ride.

...

"Now that's a pleasant sight." Gaius said suddenly, in reference to all the greenery, windmills and nature that had begun to pass by their window.

"It's beautiful." Elliot commented.

"What a spectacular view." Laura concurred. "The rye planted last fall seems almost ready for harvesting."

"Now? I thought rye could only be harvested in the fall." The orange-haired boy replied.

"Well, the soil in this area is supposed to be extra fertile due to the warmer climate, so things are a little different here." Rean explained. "The view really is amazing though. It looks like something out of a painting."

"Guess you've been paying closer attention in class than I have." Fie remarked on that fact.

"The Ministry of Railways wishes to thank all passengers for their patronage. This transcontinental train is bound for Crossbell. The next stop is...Celdic. Celdic." A female voice filtered through the intercom. "Passengers travelling to...Bareahard...please change trains at this stop."

"Looks like we're almost there." Gaius said.

"Guess I should wake Instructor Sara..." Rean said to himself.

---

Deboarding the train, the five teens followed after their instructor, as she led them out of the station and into what equaled out to the town square of Celdic.

It was a humble looking little place. It's main attraction was the Grand Market off to the side of the center of town, most of the residents focused around that area, while a sparse few moved about the rest of residential area, going about their daily lives in peace.

"Wow, so this is Celdic..." Elliot was clearly impressed with the serenity of it.

"It seems like a really relaxing little town, though there are a lot more people here than I expected." Rean disclosed.

"I imagine they've come for the Grand Market." Laura put forth. "Even merchants from other countries regularly come to see it."

"Celdic's also widely renowned for their local beer, which they make using rye." Sara apprised. "But you're all still minors, so I'm the only one here who gets to drink it!" The glee she took in that simple fact was just a little ridiculous.

The sweatdrop the five students shared showed they thought as much.

"And there it is, the real reason why she came with us." Fie vocalized her comprehension.

"Are you...actually trying to make us jealous?" Rean inquired with a tad of incredulity.

"Anyway! Let me show you to the inn." Sara ignored her so called wunderkind's question. "It's, uh, right over there." She pointed out, beginning to lead them over to it.

The five followed their teacher as she led them to their lodgings.

...

Meanwhile, not far from the group of six, a man with long, violet hair and a flamboyant white getup, with accents of a few other bright colors, watched them.

...

As the six entered the inn, called Weathercock, the students took a moment to look around, while their educator walked up to a woman at the counter.

Said woman appeared to be forty years of age, had light skin, brown hair tied up in a medium-size bun, and brown eyes. The clothes she wore consisted of a simple mid-sleeve shirt, long skirt and an apron over it all.

"Hey there, Margot." Sara greeted.

Noticing the instructor's presence, the woman at the counter turned to her, a smile crossing her face. "Well, if it isn't Sara! What are you doing here? I was only expecting the kids."

"Oh, I just figured I'd help them get settled in before I left." The jovial twenty-something elaborated. "I had to do at least that much for my lovely students!"

"Well now, aren't they a youthful looking bunch!" Margot exclaimed, as she noticed the five in question.

This prompted them to come closer to the counter.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. We're first-year students from Thors Military Academy, Class VII. I'm Rean." Rean introduced himself.

"I'm Gaius Worzel. Thank you for allowing us to board here." Gaius expressed his gratitude.

"The pleasure's all mine, I assure you. I'm Margot, the owner of this humble establishment." Margot introduced herself in turn. "Sara here has taken care of all your arrangements." She informed them. "Come, I'll show you to your room."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Elliot said with a nod of his head.

"Much obliged." Laura said in the same vein.

Fie merely nodded her head in agreement with the others.

"I'll leave you to it then!" Sara exclaimed, before turning toward a young waitress and calling out, "Hey Louise, can I get some beer and snacks?"

"I'll bring them right over!" The young, light skinned, long red-haired woman called back. "You do know it's not even noon though, right?"

...

Once on the second floor, Margot came to a stop at the third door, the teenagers following her doing the same.

"This is the room you're all going to be staying in tonight." The woman told them, opening the door.

It was spacious enough, containing a large, L shaped comfy-looking couch, a single desk with three drawers, two night stands, and five single beds. Two were against one wall, and three were against the next wall beside it.

"Wait...we're all...?" Elliot trailed off.

"Yeah, this is..." Rean started as well.

They all realized they would be sharing a room.

"More than enough space for our needs. Thank you very much." Laura finished for the two boys.

"B-But there are five beds, wh-which means..." The timid violinist tried to continue.

"We'll all be sleeping in the same room." Gaius completed his friend's sentence.

"I have my doubts about this, I'll admit." Margot disclosed. "But Sara insisted, so that was that!" She divulged. "I broke the beds into a group of three, and a group of two, but that was about the best I could manage."

"Who cares?" Fie asserted.

"We are military students. We mustn't allow the prospect of mixed-gender accommodations to faze us." The well-spoken swordswoman added.

"She has a point." Gaius granted, clearly taking this the best out of the three guys.

"I don't have a problem with it personally. So if no one else does...I guess it's fine." Elliot remarked.

"Yeah, I, uh, I suppose you're right." The dark-haired swordsman conceded.

"Why're you so nervous? We've shared a room before." The silver-haired fifteen-year-old mentioned.

The looks they received at that comment, from Margot in particular, well... Scandalized was a good word for it.

"Yeah, when we were kids! It's a little different now!" Rean contended.

Fie eyed him for a moment, before simply going, "Mmm."

...

"Anyway, now that your room is all sorted, let me give you this." Margot said, as she held out an envelope with the words Thors Military Academy written on it, along with the academy's crest.

"That's our academy's emblem." Rean observed, as he took the envelope from her.

"Does this contain the details of our assignment here?" Laura inquired.

"That's what I've been told, yes." Margot confirmed with a nod of her head. "Well, if you need anything during your stay, just let me know. For now, I'll leave you to get settled in."

With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her as she did.

...

"All right. Shall we have a look inside it?" Gaius proposed.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Elliot affirmed.

"Okay, let's see what we've got..." Rean said.

Opening the envelope, he pulled out the paper tucked away inside and unfolded it, the other four reading it along with him.

The list contained three tasks. The first was from a man known as Father Zirbel, a clergyman, he wanted them to procure some ingredients to make a particular medicine. The second was from a man known as Samus, who worked at a local arms and orbal factory, and wanted them to replace a malfunctioning orbal light in a roadlamp along one of the highways. The third and final task was from a man known as Syro, a farmer, who needed them to exterminate a monster that was making it difficult for his family to harvest their crops.

Below the tasks was additional information regarding the field study itself.

Study area is defined as two hundred selge radius around Celdic. Each student must record his or her activities daily, to be remitted to the instructor upon request.

...

"Uhh...I don't know about you guys, but this just looks like a list of menial tasks to me." Elliot opined.

"There is a monster elimination request, at least. But that's the most we have." Laura noted.

"Well, there is more to helping a town or settlement then slaying monsters." Gaius stated.

"I see. So that's her angle." Rean said to himself aloud.

"Huh, did you figure something out?" The orange-haired boy queried.

"Oh, no, it's nothing. We should go and talk this over with Instructor Sara, though. She probably stuck around specifically to answer any questions we might have." The black-haired teen inferred.

"Hmm, you may be right." The swordswoman of the group acknowledged.

"That seems like a good idea." The soft-spoken nord agreed.

---

After speaking with a mildly drunk Sara, who did little to answer any of their questions, Rean shared his realization with the others.

That their choices as to what to do and when to do it were just as much a part of the field study as the tasks themselves.

Instructor Sara, finally saying something useful, all but confirmed this.

Once outside the inn, Rean explicated his reasoning on the matter, and, as a group, they came to the conclusion that this was not only to test them in a way, but also to provide them the invaluable opportunity to gather knowledge about Celdic as a whole. To give them real insight about the town over what they just knew from studying about it.

With that out in the open, they came to the decision to work down the list of tasks while doing their best to immerse themselves in the culture of Celdic.

The first of which they decided to work on was to gather ingredients for the medicine Father Zirbel wished to make. So after talking with him and getting the rundown on what they needed, they stopped by the market to procure the first two main ingredients. Then they headed for the west exit of Celdic, which led out onto the west highway.

Along the way they ran into three men blocking their way, all dressed in blue and white outfits with gold accents. As it turned out, they were soldiers from the Provincial Army. The same sect of the Provincial Army that served the Albarea family on top of that.

Thankfully, they didn't give the students much trouble after making sure they were truly from Thors like they claimed they were. The soldiers did little more than try and intimidate them a little before going about their business, but it still left the group with a sense of wariness.

...

Once they had secured the third main ingredient from a farmer known as Paul, they returned to town and turned in to Father Zirbel. He thanked them for their assistance and rewarded them with some spare healing salve he had on hand.

With that task complete, they moved on to the next.

Speaking with Samus at his place of work, he gave them the details on what needed to be done, as well as how to access the roadlamp to change out the orbal light. Which, as it turned out, was back on the highway they had just come back from. So, access code in hand, they returned to the west Celdic highway.

...

Changing out the light proved rather easy, even as a dozen monsters surrounded them. While one of them punched in the code and did the actual changing, the other four wiped the beasts out with little difficulty.

Second task completed, they returned to Celdic and informed Samus of their success. He thanked them, and they went on their way.

Time to begin their third and final task, they left town through the east exit, travelling along the East Celdic Highway, until they reached a farmhouse owned by the man who had put out the extermination request. Upon entering they were greeted by him, Syro, who, while expressing concern over how young they were, trusted them to take care of his monster problem regardless. Giving them the information they needed, such as it's location and what it looked like, a blue dinosaur, he wished them luck, and off they went.

...

The monster was no pushover in a general sense, but was clearly no match for the five, being slain rather shortly after having encountering them. Even Elliot didn't break a sweat because of how swiftly they brought an end to that beast. So it was a rather uninteresting affair as a whole, the only remotely interesting thing to happen being the weird look Laura gave Rean, that when he questioned her about, she brushed it off as nothing.

Their last task complete, they returned to Syro and let him know that the beast would no longer be a problem. Filled with gratitude, he thanked them, and answered the question they had for him.

Why didn't he ask the Provincial Army to take care of this for him?

He informed them that they didn't have much interest in aiding him or the rest of the town, which didn't sit well with any of them, Laura especially.

They said goodbye to Syro, and went back to town.

...

Once there, they found themselves mixed up in some commotion in the Grand Market between two merchants known as Heinz and Marco. It was something about their stall permits and who had the most forefront stall. The five managed to break it up with little incident, with the help of a man they came to know as Otto the Market Manager. He had them make a compromise, then took the five students back to his home where he thanked them and apologized, while treating them to tea. He also informed them of the underlying cause of the flaring tensions and how it was affecting them all as a whole: the ludicrous tax increase Duke Albarea instituted.

Because of the town's collective refusal to pay it, the Provincial Army was less than inclined to help them in any matter. Which explained why there was no interference on their part in that squabble in the Grand Market, or assistance with the monster extermination.

Assuring the students not worry about it and to focus on their studies, Otto showed them out and bid them good evening.

The moment they left his house, they bumped into Sara. She was leaving to go help Group B sort things out, as they were apparently not getting anything done at all.

They saw her off, and returned to the Weathercock inn.

---

After being treated to dinner by Margot, the five teens relaxed at their table, conversing with one and other.

"You know, I've been thinking...and I can't help but question what exactly Class VII's purpose is." Elliot voiced his rumination on the matter. "Instructor Sara says it's about ARCUS, but I really don't think that's the only reason we've been brought together."

"I'm certain it's not." Laura opined.

"It's never that simple." Fie agreed.

"If that were all, today's field study tasks would serve little purpose." The sword maiden added.

"It seems to me that Instructor Sara is trying to imbue us with experiences, both big and small, important and trivial. Question though, is why?" Gaius cogitated aloud.

Their discussion lulled, as they all seemed took few moments to think that over.

...

"What do we have to offer one and other, when our reasons for enrolling at Thors in the first place are undoubtedly very different?" Rean pondered.

"Our...reasons?" The orange-haired boy repeated with uncertainty.

"My reason for enrolling was quite simple." The swordswoman started. "I aim to come ever closer to my goal. Or rather, to the person whom I regard as such."

"Who's that?" The timid violinist questioned.

"Heh. This is neither the time nor place to discuss such matters. Best to save that topic for another day. What about you, Fie? Why did you enroll at the academy?" Laura went on to ask.

"I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. I was all alone and had nowhere else to go." The stoic maiden revealed, as composed as ever. "It was either that or wander Zemuria by myself. And..."

She closed her eyes, going quiet as she did. 'I didn't want to be alone.'

"And that's it. So, I enrolled at Thors." She finished.

Rean was unable to hide the frown that marred his face, he knew the full story and it didn't make it any better. She was abandoned by those she considered family. He knew how deeply that must have cut her, how she was scarred by it. There was sadness in her eyes when she spoke about them that he would do anything to absolve her of. But how could he ever hope accomplish such an impossible task? All he could truly do for her, was be there for her, like he had sworn to her he would all those years ago.

"I see." Laura said, taken back by the level of blunt, almost brutal, honesty from the younger girl.

It seemed this was a sensitive topic, so the well-spoken swordswoman chose not to try and probe further.

"Fie, I never knew..." Elliot trailed off, caught completely off guard. He wasn't sure what to say.

"Are you alright?" Gaius inquired with concern, having noticed a flicker of emotion run across the silver-haired girl's face at the end.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." She assured. "So, Gaius, what's your reason for coming to Thors?" She questioned him, shifting the focus away from herself.

"I enrolled to learn more about the world outside of Nord." The soft-spoken nord began without hesitation, happy to accommodate. "My homeland sits between the border of Erebonia and Calvard, two countries that more often than not are at each other's throats. And the ever looming threat that presents to my home has always concerned me immensely. So it is my hope, that with better understanding of the world will come understanding of how to better protect my homeland." He divulged.

"A very noble cause." Laura lauded.

Fie nodded her head in affirmation.

"You're amazing Gaius. Taking something like that upon yourself this young, just wow!" Elliot expressed his astonishment.

"I don't know about all that. I just want to protect my home." The soft-spoken nord replied.

"They're right, Gaius. Goals don't get much more altruistic than that." Rean told him with a smile.

"Man, I'm really in the minority here." The timid violinist grumbled to himself a bit. "See, I wasn't intending on coming here at all originally. I wanted to do something completely different."

"Oh yeah, you said you wanted to go to a music academy, right?" The Schwarzer heir brought up.

"Ahaha. Well, I wasn't that serious about it or anything..." Elliot tried to brush it off. "What about you, Rean?" He asked in turn. "You're the last hold out. And since you're the one who brought it up, it's only fair if you answer the question too."

"Me?" Rean queried, a little surprised. "Hmm..." Closing his eyes, he went quiet for a few short moments, before opening them and answering with, "It's nothing special. I guess I just...wanted to find myself."

"Find yourself...?" The the orange-haired teen repeated.

"Sorry, that makes it sound like a much bigger deal than it actually is. That's the best way I can think of to put it though." Rean replied, rubbing the back of his head in an anxious manner, smirking sheepishly.

"Heh. Nothing wrong with that. Going on a journey of self-discovery...it's actually a pretty cool answer!" Elliot complimented.

"You may not think of it as such, but to seek out your true self, it is a very profound goal." Gaius told his fellow teen.

'Rean...' Fie said nothing, but the concern in her eyes as she stared at her friend was unmistakable.

Laura remained quiet, simply continuing to stare at Rean inquisitively, as if searching for something. She'd been doing this almost all day, almost as if she was scrutinizing him at every turn.

If he noticed, he never mentioned it.

...

"So, you want me to wake you up at six tomorrow, right?" Margot asked, just to make sure.

"Yes, please. We only have until tomorrow evening, so we need to get an early start." Rean answered.

"We really appreciate it." Gaius preemptively thanked her.

"It's no problem at all!" Margot assured them. "Have a good night."

"Good night." Elliot returned the sentiment.

The inn owner then left them to their own devices, returning to the counter to tend to the customers, leaving the teens at the bottom of the steps leading to the second floor.

Elliot hung his head with a sigh. "But we're not actually going to sleep yet, are we? Not until we write our reports for the day..." He whined.

"We'll just have to make sure to get them done as soon as we can, that way we'll have more time to rest." Gaius advised.

"You don't sound very worried about it..." The orange-haired boy remarked.

"Well, I'm used to rising early. It was commonplace back home." The soft-spoken nord replied.

The two continued to converse as they began ascending the stairs to the second floor, Fie following after them. As Rean moved to do the same, however, the sound of his name being spoken caught his attention.

"Rean?"

"Hmm? What is it?" He queried, turning around to face Laura.

"I was unsure whether to ask or not, but I've decided this question bears answering." Laura prefaced. "Why have you chosen to hold back?"

"What?"

"Your sword style and technique...it is the Eight Leaves One Blade school, is it not?" It was clear that she already knew the answer to that. "Popularize by the 'Sword Hermit' Yun Ka-fai, it combines the best elements of other Eastern sword styles. " She expounded the style. "Those who master any of its forms are referred to as a 'Divine Blade', and are said to understand the true nature of all things."

"You certainly know an awful lot about it." Rean remarked. "I didn't think it was particularly renowned here in the Empire."

"We of the Arseid school consider the studying of other swordsmanship styles to be an essential part of our training. In addition, my father once told me...'If you follow the path of the sword, it is only a matter of time before you encounter a follower of the Eight Leaves.'" She divulged.

"Your...father said that? Haha. It's an honor to be acknowledged by the Radiant Blademaster himself." He replied bashfully.

A lull manifested between the two's communication, quiet filling the air for several, long moments. Until...

"I'm nothing special though. I'm just a dropout who's never even-" As Laura gazed at him intently, awaiting the truth on the matter, Rean found himself in the middle of espousing a half-truth.

Did he really want to lie to one of his classmates?

'I want to get to know my classmates better, to become friends with them. Even if it's uncomfortable, it's better to be honest, at least with the things I can be.' He rationalized.

With a deep sigh, he spoke once more. "Look, the truth is...I did train with Master Ka-fai, but he cut my training short. I was... I hit a wall. I had barely progressed past the beginner level when he told me he would no longer be able to train me. He said that I...that my conflicting emotions made it impossible to learn anything more than I already had. So...I could go no further." The swordsman was unable to hide the perturbation he felt at revealing this.

Laura was evidently taken off guard by this revelation, judging by her shocked expression. So, of course, she dug deeper into the matter. "Conflicting emotions?"

"Yeah. I was determined to get stronger, but I was also...afraid." Rean confessed, anxiousness on full display.

"Afraid of what?" The sword maiden probed further, concerned for her classmate, and intrigued.

'Myself. Of my power.' This was his true answer.

However, he needn't bare everything to someone to be honest with them. He had no desire to unbosom himself to this girl, or any of the others for that matter. Fie knew the whole truth, that was good enough. Maybe one day, when he was closer with the others, just maybe, he would tell them of that side of himself. But for now...

Rean turned away from his fellow swordsman, evading the question entirely as he did. "So, I'm not actually holding back. And I'm sorry that I don't quite live up to your expectations." There was genuine remorse in his words.

Moving to climb the staircase, he was stopped once more.

"Wait. I apologize for pressing the issue. I understand if you don't want to talk about it. But, please, could you just answer one more question?" She asked of him solemnly.

Turning to face her once more, he awaited the question.

"Why did you take up the path of the sword?" Such a small, simple question. Yet it carried such enormous weight.

"Why?" He repeated. "To protect someone."

...

Above, leaning over the railing, the other three teens listened to the two converse below.

"I could tell for awhile now that he's been bottling something up, and trying as hard as he can to keep anyone from noticing." Gaius stated, just softly enough that only those beside him could hear his words.

"You've noticed it too?" Elliot asked quietly with a curious glance.

Gaius nodded his head in affirmation. "Yeah. I first saw it during our fight with the gargoyle in the old schoolhouse."

"It took me a bit longer. I didn't see it for the first time until our combat practice three days later." Elliot responded.

"He's been doing it since he got to the academy. It just becomes more noticeable during battle." Fie enlightened them.

"Fie, you've known him a lot longer than we have, any idea what it is?" The timid violinist queried.

"If we knew, perhaps we could help him." The soft-spoken seventeen nord propounded.

Fie failed to respond to either of them, closing her eyes and beginning to contemplate.

---

"Tag! You're it!" Rean exclaimed, rushing past Fie to get away from her before she could tag him back.

"Hey, no fair! I wasn't ready!" The silver-haired girl protested, rushing after him.

Elise sat in the snow a few feet away, taking a rest after the rousing game of hide and seek they had just finished. The excitement the other two were giving off was contagious, however, so she jumped to her feet and joined the fray, eager to play. Crossing her friend's, she succeeded in catching her attention long enough to ensure her brother didn't get tagged. Only, now she was the one in danger of being made it, as the lime-green eyed girl came after her.

Fie would have caught her, if Rean didn't cut in at the last moment, saving his sister from being tagged, stumbling as he moved her and himself out of the way. That left them both precariously close to Fie, presenting the young girl the opportunity to tag either of them easily.

How were they going to keep her from getting them?

Simple. Rean threw a snowball in her face.

"Split up!" Rean instructed his sister. So, they did, running in exact opposite directions, while Fie wiped the snow off her face.

"Rean, you're such a cheater!" She shouted, running after him.

"You're just mad that you can't catch me!" He taunted her, his tone thick with mirth.

"We'll see about that!" She called after him, attempting to close the distance between them as quickly as she could, straight out sprinting at this point.

Her effort quickly paid off, as she got almost close enough to touch him, just a few short rege between them. Even with her arm outstretched, she could quite tag him. So she threw herself forward and tackled him from behind.

"I got you!" She declared with glee.

Turning over, Rean revealed his snow-covered face. "Yeah, you did."

The two proceeded to peel into a fit of rambunctious laughter then, eliciting the question what's so funny from Rean's sister, as she walked up beside them. Once she saw her brother's face though, she just joined in on the laughter.

---

Sitting up in bed, Rean let his eyes wander the room. He'd just awoken from a light doze, for some reason unable to find restful, deep slumber.

The room was dark, only the light of the moon permeating the room through the window allowing him to make out his surroundings. In this dim light, he noticed what was out of place immediately.

Gaius, Elliot, and Laura were all still in their beds, asleep, while a certain silver-haired girl was noticeably absent.

Curious, and a little concerned, he got out of the bed, and made his way over to the desk to retrieve his clothes.

...

After changing out of his pajamas and into his school uniform, he made his way downstairs and proceeded to exit the inn. As he did, he made absolutely sure the door closed quietly behind him to not to disturb anyone sleeping within the establishment, his classmates or otherwise.

Once outside, it didn't take him long to find his childhood friend, the girl leaning against the wall beside the entrance to the inn; she was also wearing her school uniform.

"There you are." He simply said.

"Yep." She responded just as simply.

"Having trouble sleeping, I'm guessing?"

"Got it in one." She confirmed.

"Yeah, me too."

Turning around, he let his gaze wander the town, taking in it's appearance covered in the shadows of darkness, only illuminated by the same moonlight that had allowed him to navigate the room without fumbling about.

It was almost eerily quiet, though with everyone asleep, that was to be expected. After all, it was like three in the morning, give or take an hour so, if Rean's internal clock was to be believed.

"Want to talk about it?" The Schwarzer heir suddenly inquired, looking back at her as he did.

She sighed at that. "I don't always have a problem, y'know."

"I know that. But something's bugging you."

She took a few moments to respond to that. "Yeah, you're right."

"So, what is it? I can't help unless you tell me."

Another sigh. "I've been thinking. About you." She specified.

"About me?" He wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Yeah, you. I've been trying to figure out why you were holding back during the practical exam." She clarified. "That's what I've had on my mind. Among...other things."

'How empty you've become...how you don't act like yourself...the weird feelings you invoke in me...'

She had no intention of voicing these thoughts aloud, of course.

'Other things?' Was Rean's immediate thought.

Pushing that to the back of his mind, he replied. "I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't holding back during our fight."

"Yes, you were." She insisted. "I can sense people and the power they possess just as well as you can. I've felt the strength of your aura. You try to hide it, but you have to show it for the most part when you fight, so I've got a pretty good idea how strong you really are." She explicated. "I know why you're always so tense, why you're always so reserved, why you're bottling things up. It's because you're afraid it will happen again, aren't you?"

Eyes going wide, Rean was all but speechless. "Fie, I..."

His emotions were all mixed up.

"But that doesn't explain why you held back during our fight. It was just a mock battle. You didn't have to worry about your power coming out, not for something like that. If you had gone all out, we would have been on an even playing field for the most part." She finished, her eyes meeting his, burrowing into him with her piercing gaze.

"I thought you would trust me enough to show me how strong you had become. And when you didn't...it hurt." She confessed, emotions on display in those oh-so expressive eyes of hers.

"Fie, I'm sorry. It's not like that, I swear to you. It's...it's..." Rean trailed off, closing his eyes as he attempted to reign his emotions in.

...

It took several, long moments, but he managed it.

Opening his eyes back up, he met her gaze. "I didn't hold back against you, Fie. Not really. You're just stronger than I am. There was one technique I could have used, but even if I had, you still would have won." He elucidated. "And you're right. I am afraid. I've been trying to push my capabilities beyond my current level for so long, but by trying to do it through sheer force and effort, it makes it far too difficult to insure that I won't lose myself again. So I...just don't. As a result, I've been at a stand still, that's why you thought I held back against you. I'm not strong enough, but I want to get stronger. However, I'm absolutely terrified of trying to push myself because...because I don't ever want something like that to happen again." Pain, fear, and remorse flowed from his words in abundance.

The image of himself standing over the butchered corpse of that man, with Fie and Elise gawking at his bloodied form, flashed in his mind. The thought that he could do that to the ones he cared about, those he loved...it terrified him beyond measure.

His distress all too evident, Fie decided he needed some time to talk with a friend. "Let's take a walk."

...

"You've really changed, you know that?"

"Huh?" Was Fie's eloquent response.

"You're different than you were when we were kids. You've become more stoic, aloof, and cynical, even."

"Oh." Was all she said at that; the way her irises shifted downward as she lowered her head spoke volumes of how that made her feel.

"But in a lot of ways, you haven't really changed at all." He continued. "You're still the sweet, kind-hearted, quick witted, laid-back girl I first met."

That got her to perk back up, a smirk crossing her face.

...

"About what you said to Laura..." Fie started, choosing her words carefully as she did. "When you said you took up the path of the sword to protect someone..."

"I was talking about you and Elise." He came straight out and confirmed it.

"O-Oh, I see..." The stoic girl, in spite of her nature, was unable to keep a light blush from dusting her cheeks.

"I know you're stronger than me, but that doesn't change anything, not to me at least. I still want to protect you, no matter what." He confessed to her, his words heartfelt and sappy.

Just as she'd expect from him.

It was in that moment that Fie made a rash decision.

She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against the side of Rean's face, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you." Her blush, needless to say, was even darker now. In the same vein, her smile had widened.

Rean's immediate reaction? To go red as a tomato and begin spluttering. Unfortunately, before he could get anything coherent out, the sound of something being violently smashed caught their attention.

Directing their eyes to the Grand Market, which they stood atop the steps leading down into, they caught sight of four men vandalizing a stall.