Guest: Thank you. I appreciate you saying so. It's kind of you to say so, and I will do my utmost best.
RedBurningDragon: Isn't it though? Well, maybe not jump between them, but she can still dabble a bit. That would probably work, actually. Not many, I'm sure. Oh, it most certainly has. That would be glorious, for sure. No, thankfully, it is not.
RosyMiranto18: Don't worry, if I feel like my response drags on too long, I'll shoot you a PM. If not, you'll find my response here, like always. Yeah, it sucks infinite amounts that I've received huge spoilers regarding some of my favorite characters, but alas, there's nothing I can do for now. It doesn't help that I have people actively trying to spoil me in the reviews to this story. I've had to delete over a dozen anonymous reviews that tried to spoil stuff for me. I suspect they all might be from the same person, but I don't know for sure. I have kind readers, such as rikotch, who actively warn me about these spoilers, thankfully, so I can avoid them. So as much as it sucks that I've been exposed to some spoilers, it could be a lot worse if it wasn't for my and my readers diligence in regards to avoiding such things. Yeah, I've heard the cliffhanger is pretty bad. Unfortunately, there's not much I can do but grit my teeth and hope for the best, because I have got to play CS3.
-Pretty much.
-Hm.
-Yeah, I know, I've played it.
-Fair enough.
-I won't tell you when, but I can tell you it won't be too long. So just sit tight.
-Yep.
-I can't say he doesn't deserve it, so sharpen away and all that.
-Too true.
-He wasn't lying. He gave his reasoning, he doesn't get along with other nobles and had no desire to be in their company. Verrat is related to that, but he's not the sole reason.
-Yeah.
-More than likely.
-Well, I suppose that's up to interpretation.
-Yes.
-I see both to honest. She always struck me as incredibly strong for her size.
-Steamy stuff? Perhaps. Outright lemon, I'm afraid not.
-We'll just have to see about that.
-No thanks needed.
-I make no promises regarding such a fight, but it's definitely in the cards.
Warrick's boss chapter isn't a bad guess, actually. I doubt that'll be it though, as I already have a pretty good name for that one. Definitely going to hold on to it for a really good chapter though, for sure.
-Yeah, nightmares have been happening a lot lately, huh? Yes, Warrick uses dual machetes when he's fighting all out. Yes, it was Fie's nightmare. Warrick is sadistic, it's that simple. As for Machias, Jusis, and Laura, it is implied through Rean's dialogue that he covered their escape, so they're gone.
-Fie, a yandere? No, no, of course not. Well...define 'yandere'. The kind that will kill their lover if they dare to try and leave them? No, she would never do that. The kind that will fuck you up for messing with their lover? Maybe just a little. As for the kiss, it's not here yet, unless you count kisses on the cheek. But you won't have to wait too much longer; still some hoops left to jump through though. She definitely had a crush back then, what she is thinking is that the night in question 'confirmed' or 'cemented' the depth of her feelings, that's all. Uh, well, technically, Rean had his a few chapters ago in 'Strong Feelings'.
-Very true. Yeah, pretty cool. Yeah, that would have been a hell of a coincidence if they'd had mirror images of each other's nightmares, I wasn't gonna do that. Late night snack, not breakfast. I would consider that a late night snack; at three A.M., anyway. Dead to the world is an expression meaning they'd be so tired that they would be almost catatonic the rest of the day, no one would be able to get them to respond, as they struggled to just keep their eyes open because they're so tired. That's what dead to the world means in a nutshell. Also, semantics.
-Eh, partially. You'll just have to guess.
-That definitely played a role, yes. Hell if I know. Yeah, it does. No, no he does not.
-Somewhat, yes he is. This is true.
-Semantics. That said, a serious answer is, you're pretty much right. Technically though, she would have showed up for a bit to one class or another, to at least show she wasn't completely ditching. That's the truth. I suppose she would. You may have a point, doesn't mean Rean wouldn't still be annoyed by it though. Who knows? Like what? Other than all the sappy stuff he's said, there's not much to tell.
-I won't deny that. Yeah, I've implied pretty heavily that Verrat has no clue what his father is up to. That was his intention. Eh, I suppose.
-Hey, shit happens. Not everything works out. Verrat's combat strength is something you'll see eventually. Crow likes nicknames, simple as that.
-More than likely the food ended up going to someone else. Colorless noodle version of pasta soup. I made sure to use a dish from the actual game, makes it feel more authentic to me.
If someone prefers Sky over Cold Steel, that's fine, that's their personal opinion. I think they're wrong, but hey, whatever, more power to them. I personally prefer Cold Steel by a vast margin. That said, I still quite like Sky. Hey, I'm not gonna get upset over something like that, don't worry. Only time people bother me is when they're badmouthing Cold Steel as if it's somehow objectively inferior to the Sky games, which it, of course, is not. You're not doing that, so I have no reason to get upset. Hold off until Cold Steel 3? Definitely not. I've got some stuff I want to incorporate later down the line. Unless you're talking about waiting until after I've played Cold Steel 3, in which case I agree.
The problem I had with Sky the Third was that it kept messing up, running at like no-frames per second and took me a hour to get through fifteen minutes of dialogue. It wasn't always, but this issue popped up every time I played and I could not get rid of it, unfortunately. Still really liked the game though. As for why I'm playing Catherine Full-Body before Crossbell, have played it actually, since I beat it; well, I loved the original Catherine and really wanted to play this new and improved version, and it came out just recently. I don't see a reason not to play it. No, it's not a break. I can never get enough of Trails; not sure I ever could get sick of it, at least not of Cold Steel. I don't really get what you're asking me. Anyway, I shall be starting the Crossbell games soon anyway, so it's not like it matters.
Thank you for the review and see you next time! I will do my best to keep at it!
JoshPlater: Thanks! Eh, we'll see. Well, from what I understand of my knowledge from the three Sky games and CS 1 and 2, Rean's demon power is most likely related to the divergent laws or something of the like. There's no concrete proof for that, of course, but it is a prominent theory. Hopefully we'll learn the truth behind it in Cold Steel 3. Rean can't hide this from Fie forever, that's all I'll say on the matter.
Manu259: Glad ya like it!
It might not reach to quite those heights, but I'm sure it'll come close.
Hey, Rean ain't the only one who's self-conscious. She knew Rean would be kind about it, but it's not like she could predict he'd eat the whole damn thing. Most people in that sort of situation would thank the second party, but give in after a few bites of something so unpleasant and let it be thrown away; unless they had a code or policy about not wasting food, of course. Don't worry, I know you don't mean anything negative about it. You're just sharing your thoughts, and I am always grateful for that. :)
Yeah, when you don't have a very high opinion of yourself, it's pretty easy to start believing no one does.
Thank you for taking time to read and review!
Yep.
Oh trust me, I'm all too aware. :D
LaughingCoffin's revenge: Well, a kiss on the cheek, at least. Don't know why you say finally to that, since this is the second time Fie has kissed Rean on the cheek. The first time was as far back as chapter four, otherwise know as Chapter I Part II. So...yeah
rikotch: Ain't that the truth.
No worries, I understand. I'm just grateful ya came back. :P
Oh you'll see lewd, my friend. It'll take who knows how many more chapters, but you shall see lewd, I do declare. XD
Thanks, and you're not exactly wrong. Cold Steel isn't perfect, after all. Definitely; trust me, I've got stuff planned for Gaius.
The scene went through a couple different incarnations, some longer and more complex, but for now, I decided to go with a shorter and more direct route. That won't always be the case for such scenes, of course.
Once more, allow me to thank all those who reviewed, and allow me to thank those who have added this story to their favorites and alerts since the last update as well. Spark-plugger, leaxs, kyleayip, thank you!
UPDATE
Touch-ups!
Please read, review, and enjoy.
ACT I - CHAPTER III - PART IV
...
6/9 - Wednesday
It was early morning; Rean and Fie had just finished a light breakfast the former had whipped up for them, and they were about to head out for a spot of training before the first bell.
As the duo had been about to walk out the door, however, the male of the two decided to check his mailbox on a whim, and that's when he found it.
A letter addressed to him.
"Love letter?" Fie posed this query with a quirked brow, curious.
Rean couldn't help but guffaw at such a suggestion.
"I doubt it. Not sure any girl is that desperate." He self-deprecated with an air of levity; even so, it was obvious that he was only half joking.
Fie frowned openly at that. "You don't think a girl could like you?"
"No, not necessarily. I just think they'd be setting themselves up for disappointment is all." He admitted rather easily.
"I think any girl would be lucky to be with you." The silver-haired maiden stated matter-of-factly, her deadpan expression having returned; the sincerity that shone through her eyes let him know she wasn't joking.
The humble swordsman was stunned for just a moment, staring at the younger girl, a light blush dusting his cheeks.
"That's...really sweet of you to say, Fie. Thank you." He was touched by her words, even if he didn't agree with them.
"So, who's it from?" The stoic ex-jaeger returned the conversation to the letter in Rean's hand.
"Oh, right, let me see." He refocused his attention on the white envelope.
'Hmm? This looks like...' He thought to himself, as he turned it over to find the name of who'd sent it.
Elise Schwarzer.
"It's from Elise." He informed his childhood friend.
"Wanna read it now?" The petite girl cut to the chase and inquired directly.
"Yeah, as long as you don't mind waiting a few minutes."
She simply nodded her head at that.
"Thanks, Fie." He told her with a bit of a smile.
Moving over to the sofas, he took a seat.
Fie sat opposite of him, remaining quiet as he opened up the envelope.
Taking the letter out, he began to read.
The contents of the letter read as follows...
Dear Rean, I hope this letter finds you well.
I'm overjoyed to hear you have reunited with Fie. I can scarcely believe the odds that the two of you would wind up attending the same school so many years after having parted. Kindly give her my regards, and tell her I've missed her. If she so wishes, I would be more than glad to correspond with her. I have so many things to tell her, just as I'm sure she has plenty to tell me.
In response to the concerns you brought up; I appreciate that you're thinking of me. However, please, don't worry about me. While I still have much to learn before I feel like I deserve my status among the nobility; I've been blessed with wonderful friends, and I'm enjoying life here at the academy. I often feel more concerned for how you're faring in your own studies. Thors Military Academy is well know for its connections to Emperor Dreichels and its strenuous curriculum, and I worry that the dangers you face in your training could catch even you by surprise someday. I pray you don't neglect your own well-being. The world has many soldiers, but you're my only brother. -Elise Schwarzer
...
Rean chuckled as he finished the letter. "You never change, do you, Elise?"
'Though I guess it's probably me who hasn't changed much...' He thought to himself.
"What does it say?" Inquired the younger girl across from him.
"She wanted me to tell you that she's happy to hear we're together again, and that she would love it if you were to write to her. She wants to catch up; she's missed you too, you know." He relayed this to her.
"I'd like that." Fie replied simply.
"I really should write back to her." Rean thought to himself aloud then. "And to Mom and Dad, for that matter."
"Should I get you some paper?" The lime-green eyed girl queried.
"Nah; we still have a bit of time for training this morning, let's not waste it. I'll write them tonight." He responded.
"Mm."
"Well, let's get going."
For the second time this week, five out of nine members of Class VII could be found monopolizing the table furthest to the back in the cafeteria: Rean, Fie, Laura, Gaius, and Jusis sat together as they ate their meals.
The five shared an easy flowing, pleasant conversation.
Eventually, a particular topic came about...
"I apologize for straying from the topic, however, I've been meaning to inquire about this." Jusis prefaced. "Yesterday morning, I found the kitchen in a...less than immaculate state. Is anyone aware of who's responsible?" He queried his fellow classmates in his typical aloof manner.
"That was my bad." Fie owned up to it immediately. "Was practicing my cooking all night; I'm sure you already know it didn't go well." She put forth stoically.
"Considering I was the one who had to clean the mess, yes, I am all too aware of how awry you attempts went." The imperial fencer remarked, his tone bordering on snark.
"Sorry 'bout that; didn't have the energy and just ended up collapsing in bed 'round two a.m." The silver-haired maiden elucidated.
"I'd meant to clean the mess up in the morning, but by the time I came down it'd already been taken care of. So I shrugged it off and went about my day." She informed; her deadpan demeanor showing she was wholly and completely unabashed by this.
"Of course you did." The blond noble sighed.
"You have my apologies, Jusis." Laura spoke up then. "I had been assisting her; I should have made sure we cleaned thoroughly before retiring. Unfortunately, I was quite tired and returned to my room before Fie halted her efforts." She explained.
"Not your fault." The petite fifteen-year-old interjected.
"Were you practicing for anything specific?" Gaius questioned the youngest among them; the gentle smile he wore made it clear he had a pretty good idea.
"Mm. Wanted to make Rean something." She divulged easily.
Jusis quirked a brow.
Gaius' smile seemed to widen a tad.
"I've been meaning to ask about that." Laura said suddenly. "How did it go?"
Fie shrugged noncommittally. "Could have gone better."
"You did fine, Fie. It was a wonderful meal." Rean contradicted her.
"You said it was bitter." She replied simply.
"I also said I liked it." He countered.
"You visibly cringed when you took your first bite." The stoic maiden confuted.
"The taste caught me off guard, that's all. It was very unique." The diffident swordsman rebutted.
"That's just another way of saying it sucked." The ex-jaeger asserted.
"It didn't suck; I wouldn't have finished it if I'd thought that." The raven-haired boy protested. "I meant what I said, I liked it. In fact, as long as you don't mind, I'd love to try anything else you make in the future, Fie."
"Really?" The lime-green eyed girl queried with dubiety.
"Really." He affirmed with a smile.
In spite of herself, the young maiden could not help it as the corners of her mouth upturned into a tiny smile of her own.
"I confess that I am not an expert in such matters, but I truly cannot tell; are the two of you arguing, or flirting?" Jusis suddenly interposed; suggesting such implications with an amused smirk.
Rean chuckled sheepishly, a light blush playing at his cheeks.
"Um..." He wasn't sure how to reply to that.
"Funny, I think the same thing every time you and Machias bicker." Fie retorted with her usual deadpan; unlike her childhood friend, she knew exactly how to respond.
All sense of amusement fled Jusis in that moment.
"That isn't funny." He stated seriously; a deep frown adorning his face.
It seemed their classmates didn't agree, as Gaius softly chuckled, Laura giggled, and Rean outright laughed.
"Seems pretty funny to me." Fie added, before allowing a teasing smirk to take it's place on her face.
Jusis looked like he wanted to huff at that, but managed to retain his usual distant noble disposition in spite of the urge.
"Wanna fight about it?" The cat-like girl proffered.
"No." Came his disinterested response.
"Wanna play blade about it?" Fie proposed the idea with a quirked brow.
"You know what? Fine. I accept." The aloof noble agreed all of the sudden.
The petite ex-jaeger brandished her blade deck then. "Let's go."
The two began their game, pushing their mostly eaten food to the side as they did.
That was when Gaius turned to Rean and asked, "Would you and Fie like to join Machias, Elliot, and I for dinner tonight at Kirsche's? We enjoyed it quite a bit last month, so we decided to see if you two wanted to do so again."
"Sure, that sounds great." Rean readily agreed.
"Right, Fie?" He prompted her for her answer.
"Yeah." She concurred without taking her eyes away from the game, placing her next card down.
"Laura, Jusis, how about you? Would you guys like to join us?" Rean extended the invitation to his other friends.
"I would love to." Laura stated with a smile.
"I appreciate the invitation, thank you. I shall be there." Jusis accepted the offer to join them.
Unlike his opponent, he took the time to look away from the game and make eye contact with his friend when he did so.
'Almost the whole class will be meeting at Kirsche's for dinner later. The only ones who won't be present are Emma and Alisa; Instructor Sara, too, of course.' He realized then.
That didn't sit quite right with him. 'No reason to leave them out.'
"Most of us are meeting up anyway, why not eat dinner together as a class? All of us." Rean proposed this idea to the others.
"Fine by me." Fie said simply.
"Bolt." She spoke her card title aloud as she played it.
"I have no objections." Jusis commented.
"Mirror." He spoke the card title as well, playing his card.
"We have yet to do anything outside of coursework as a class; I think it's an excellent idea." Laura opined.
"It would be fun for all of us to get together for dinner." Gaius gave his two cents.
"That said, if that's what we're doing, why not eat in?" He further suggested. "That way no one would have to spend any mira; any ingredients we might need to cook for everyone aside."
"Sounds good to me." Rean agreed to that.
"I'm an all right cook, so I'll see what I can do." The humble swordsman volunteered.
"It will be quite the task to cook for the entire class plus our instructor all by yourself." Jusis pointed out then; his attention having been diverted from the card game to this conversation. "If you so desire, I can offer my assistance; I do have some culinary experience, after all."
"I'll take you up on that; thanks, Jusis." Rean accepted his friend's offer with a smile.
"I'll help out, too." The soft-spoken nord threw his metaphorical hat in.
"I regularly helped with the cooking back in my village; I've also cooked for my siblings on numerous occasions." He explained.
"Thank you, Gaius. Between the three of us, we should be able to handle everything pretty easily." The Schwarzer heir remarked.
The raven-haired boy looked toward his childhood friend then. "How about you, Fie? You want to try cooking with us? The four of us could probably make some pretty tasty dishes."
"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'too many cooks in the kitchen'? I'd probably hinder you more than help; I'll pass." The stoic girl responded.
"You sure? We'd have no qualms in teaching you." The gentle spearman tried to assist in convincing the youngest among them.
"I'm sure. I'll let you guys handle it. That way no one can complain about the food." Fie shared her reasoning; at the same time, she placed down her last card.
"I won." She announced.
"Indeed you have." Jusis conceded.
"If you've no want to join us, then so be it." He added regarding her refusal.
"I'll be sure to tell the others about our dinner plans; everything considered, I don't think anyone will be too busy." Gaius commented.
"Most clubs have already been put on hold for the upcoming tests, and the few that haven't are doing so starting tomorrow." He elaborated.
"Understood." Jusis replied.
"Mm." Fie mumbled in understanding.
"Got it." Rean said.
A few hours later...
"Damn those stuck-up, pompous assholes." Machias grumbled to himself as he exited the Student Union building.
"Who do they think they are? We aren't allowed to enjoy chess? The game doesn't belong to them! Anyone who wants to can play!" He complained aloud to himself, heading for the academy gate.
"I suppose for every noble like Rean and Laura, there have to be dickheads like that." He supposed with a sigh, adjusting his glasses.
"Though, even Albarea on his worst day is less insufferable than those idiots." He begrudgingly admitted to himself, as he began his stroll from the academy to Trista.
...
Shortly into his walk back to town, the Class VII Vice President found something that caught his eye.
Along the pathway leading to the intersection for the dorms, stood Rean and some noble student with a mop of light orange hair.
Machias had no real clue who the noble was, unable to place him in the slightest.
What caught his attention about this was that the two appeared to be arguing; or rather, the noble appeared to be worked up about something and was berating Rean about it, and the raven-haired teen simply let him.
Curiosity piqued, the green-haired bookworm stopped where he was, within sight but just far enough away that the two wouldn't notice him unless they were actively looking for him; alternatively, this also meant he wasn't close enough to make out what was being said by either party.
That was when the situation escalated, or at least, should have escalated.
The teen in white shoved Rean, nearly knocking him to the ground; however, the humble swordsman did not retaliate. On the contrary, he retained his footing and just stood there, allowing the noble student to shove him again.
Whatever the teenage noble was on about, he was clearly pissed; shoving his finger in the Schwarzer heir's face like he was a misbehaving pet, he was visibly reproaching the adopted noble. Rather than fight back in any real substantive way though, the diffident swordsman was almost completely passive, even as he was shoved yet again.
Machias, understandably, grew rather angry at the sight, as his friend was literally being pushed around by the noble.
At the same time, he also found himself rather perplexed, 'Why is he just standing there and taking that abuse!?'
Deciding he needed to intervene, the bespectacled teen stepped forward, only to quickly be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Looking back to see who'd grabbed him, he saw Crow there, a box under his arm.
Machias had seen Crow around, he'd heard stuff about him from Rean and Fie, but he'd never actually spoken or interacted with the second-year. Needless to say, he was displeased that he'd been stopped; moreover, he was confused as to why a friend of Rean's would halt someone trying to help him.
"What are you doing?" He questioned the older boy.
"Delivering stuff for Towa." The red-eyed slacker answered simply, gesturing with the box under his arm.
"That's not what I meant! Why are you stopping me?" He demanded.
"Cuz' Rean-Meister wouldn't want you gettin' involved with a punk like that. Said he'd be your archenemy or something like that." The white-haired youth explained himself.
"And if the chip on your shoulder regarding nobles is as big as Fie says it is, I'm inclined to agree." He further elaborated.
"Excuse me!?" Machias exclaimed.
Ignoring the offense the younger teen had taken at what he said, Crow spoke further. "Besides, look, he's got it for now."
Doing as his upperclassman bade him, Machias looked back toward Rean and the noble, to see his friend all but brush the second party off, with what he sure were a few polite words, and moved on.
This left the noble student to visibly stew in his anger.
"I'm concerned with how accustomed Rean seemed to that." The bespectacled genius suddenly said.
"You're tellin' me." Crow concurred in his own way.
"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Class VII's Vice President queried, turning around to face the second-year; his tone said it was more a demand than query, however.
"Not sure, to be honest. That guy's some noble brat who has some problem or other with Rean-Meister. That's about all I know, really." The bandanna wearing youth divulged with a shrug.
"Can't you tell me anything more than that?"
"Not much to tell, really. That punk's been harassing Rean-Meister on and off for half a month now. If you wanna know more, you'll have to talk to Fie or Rean-Meister himself about it." The slacker informed him "Anyway, I gotta get goin.'"
Machias didn't bother trying to stop Crow as he made his exit.
'What the hell is going on?' He wondered to himself.
'Why did Rean seem so...nonchalant about what was happening? Why did he not even react!?'
Angry, concerned, and perplexed, Machias decided he needed to talk with someone who'd know more about this: Fie. Turning around, he headed back toward the academy.
Fie was carefully watering her flowers, while simultaneously doing her best to block out the sound of Vivi's whining.
"Why did I get stuck doing this?" The pink-haired prankster groaned.
"I had something really sweet lined up; Linde would have flipped her lid! But instead of having fun, I'm stuck here with boring plants." She openly complained.
"You are an official member of the Gardening Club, Vivi, therefor, sometimes, you must assist in the upkeep." Edel reminded her reasonably.
"If you didn't want to take care of flowers, then you shouldn't have joined the Gardening Club; simple as that."
Came the voice of one Kenneth Lakelord, who was currently standing over in front of the pond located at the back of the garden; rod in hand, the noble was fishing away.
"I know that. I just wish I didn't have to help out today." Vivi responded.
'Or most days, to be honest. I'm more interested in my clubmates than the actual garden.' She silently admitted to herself.
Almost as if she could sense those thoughts, Edel popped up right beside the dissatisfied girl.
"You don't mean that. You've never even bothered to water the plants before; surely you must have finally wanted to help out today. To finally show the flowers the tender care they deserve, right?" The emerald-haired second-year connoted with an almost honey-like tone, while sporting a tight smile and closed eyes; at the same time, she almost seemed to exude a...dangerous aura.
Halfway between adorably sweet and just plain scary, Vivi couldn't help but chuckle nervously at the display. "O-Of course."
"That's great to hear!" Edel exclaimed happily, before returning to her own activities.
Vivi sighed in relief and returned to the garden upkeep.
...
"You know, I've been wanting to ask you this: why do you always seem to be fishing here lately, Kenneth?" One half of the pink-haired twins queried the male noble, shifting her attention to him.
"Have you, perhaps, by any chance, been eyeing me up?" The prankster suggested.
"I certainly couldn't blame you if you have; I am really cute. No one could fault you for checking me out." Vivi teased with a mirthful grin.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I've only got eyes for the fish around here; at least compared to you." Kenneth quipped without missing a beat, not even bothering to turn around and look at her as he did.
The playful first-year visibly deflated at that. "Aww, did you have to phrase it like that?"
"Quit with the whining." Fie curtly enjoined her clubmate.
Rather than be deterred by the younger girl's words, Vivi brightened at the sound of her voice, her focus shifting to her.
Almost skipping over to the silver-haired maiden, she immediately started in on her. "So, what's been going on with you?" She questioned.
"I've heard all sorts of juicy gossip about Class VII, and your 'field studies'; I wanna hear everything!" She attempted to pump the ex-jaeger for information.
Fie didn't bother to look at her, continuing about her business, pointedly ignoring the older girl.
"Oh come on, please! I'm sooooo bored. Give me something!" She pleaded with the stoic fifteen-year-old, to no avail.
"Any crazy antics? Lurid trysts? Is anyone at least dating or something!?" She continued to pester her clubmate.
...
After several minutes of nonstop badgering from Vivi, Fie finally acquiesced and told her about her classmates.
She refused to share anything too personal, much to the older girl's disappointment. However, the amount of time the lime-green eyed teen spent talking about a certain swordsman gave the girl an inkling...
"You are crushing on Rean, hard!" Vivi exclaimed ecstatically.
Fie didn't make the slightest of efforts to deny it.
"Well? Well? Have you tried to get his attention or anything?" The pink-haired girl inquired excitedly.
Silence...
For a stretch of time, no words were spoken, until finally, when things threatened to turn awkward, Fie finally gave an answer.
"I tried cooking for him." She answered simply.
"Tell me all about it!" The older girl exhorted exuberantly.
...
"Should we stop her?" Kenneth looked over to his side to make eye contact with Edel as he asked her this.
"No, let her be. They're bonding. It's good for them." The emerald-haired noble girl replied.
"If you say so." The noble boy agreed easily, before returning his attention to fishing.
...
"Still, even after that, Rean still doesn't seem to get it." Fie explained to her friend.
"He can't see how I feel about him. So, I'm back to square one; figuring out a way to get through to him." She elaborated.
The mischievous pinkette's face lit up at that, a devious smile dominating her face, as something brilliant came to her mind. 'I have an awesome idea!'
The two girls' conversation broke off there, as Vivi began to plot and plan.
Finished with her club activities for the day, Fie was heading toward the campus gate, when she ran into one of her classmates.
"Hello, Fie." Jusis greeted her
"Hey." She replied.
"Finished with your club activities?" He inquired.
"Un-huh. You?" She returned the inquiry.
"I am." He confirmed. "Are you on your way to meet Rean for your daily training?" Came his follow up question.
"Not today." She informed. "Why? Wanted to join in?" She queried.
"If the two of you had no qualms with it; yes, I would have liked too." He answered honestly.
"Mm. Maybe next time." She responded.
...
The two made a bit of small talk for another minute or so, before the aloof noble came out and voiced something that had been on his mind.
"Are there still students giving you trouble? Or has Rean finally chased them all off?" Jusis inquired forwardly.
"I'm guessing you heard about what happened with Patrick?" Fie inferred.
"Nobles do love their gossip." The imperial fencer simply stated in response. "More so than that, I've been told it's been more than nobles that have been giving you a hard time."
"Yeah; they still give me shit here and there." She bluntly divulged. "Though they have backed off a bit; I have Rean, Machias, and you to thank for that." She readily acknowledged.
"That isn't necessary." The blond noble waved her off. "No gratitude is required for simply sticking up for a friend." He explained.
"I'm certain Rean and Regnitz would agree." He added.
"Still appreciate it." She said to that.
That was when the two noticed someone approaching them, shifting their attention toward the front of the campus, they saw Machias walking their way.
"Come for another game of blade?" Fie queried the bespectacled teen as he came to a stop before them, intending on poking fun of the fact that he'd yet to beat her at the game a single time.
However, once she noticed the look of consternation on his face, she knew something was up.
"What's up?" She simply asked him.
"Is there a problem, Regnitz?" Jusis posed this question to his rival.
"Fie...I saw something rather concerning a few minutes ago. I wanted to talk with you about it." Machias began.
"I know you rather dislike it when I, or any of the rest of our class for that matter, get too personal in our inquiries regarding Rean. At this point, I think I even have an inkling as to why." He continued. "However, Rean is my friend as well, and I have respected his privacy, as well as yours. But this is something I must know." He prefaced.
"Does Rean... Has he had problems with nobles in the past? What I'm asking is, does he have a history of being harassed? Bullied?" He questioned.
"What do you think?" She retorted snarkily; retaining her deadpan expression.
"A commoner without a drop of noble blood, his lineage completely unknown, suddenly thrust into the nobility and granted all the same rights and privileges? Your inquiry is naive, Regnitz; something I did not expect from you, not on this matter." The scion of the Albarea family admonished his rival.
"It is almost a certainty, perhaps an inevitability, that such a child would be harassed and bullied relentless by his fellow nobility." The aloof noble posited. "Moreover, why are you asking all of the sudden; why the dramatics? What is it that you witnessed?"
"What I saw, Albarea, was Rean being berated and pushed around, quite literally, by some noble student." The Class VP brusquely relayed what he'd seen.
"And making no attempts whatsoever to retaliate; he just stood there and withstood the harassment passively. He looked accustomed to such treatment. Surely you can see why I'd come to the conclusion that he'd been preconditioned to expect such sordid behavior." He shared his rationale.
"I've seen this sort of thing before, and I'd hoped I was wrong about a friend of mine being involved in yet another case of it. Unfortunately, it's exactly as I thought." The bookworm was clearly getting quite worked up about this.
Jusis, for his part, looked fairly subdued by this info.
"You say he's currently being treated in such a manner? I confess that I did not consider that might be the case; I'd assumed that such behavior would only be exhibited by impudent children." He opined.
"Children adopted into nobility, while certainly not smiled upon, are considerably less taboo these days. They're certainly not accepted, mind you; however, it is more often than not seen as shameful behavior to belittle or otherwise openly mock them for it." He expounded.
"Behind closed doors is another matter, I'm sure." Fie interjected in a cynical manner.
"Quite." The blond swordsman concurred easily.
"Well, it's happening." Machias insisted.
"I understand that." Jusis assured him.
"Do you have a clue as to the identity of this person?" He cut straight to the point and asked directly.
"No, I don't."
"I know." The silver-haired maiden piped up.
"You do?" The bespectacled genius questioned.
"Yeah; I only know one guy so far up his own ass that he'd treat Rean like that out in the open, risking getting caught." She preambled.
"Verrat Cayenne." She supplied.
"Of course he's from one the Four Great Houses, why wouldn't he be!?" Machias vociferated.
Jusis allowed a small, concerned frown to show on his face in that moment.
"The faculty are reasonable people, I'm sure they won't allow this behavior, even from the heir of-" The dark green-haired teen started.
"No." Fie cut in, interrupting him.
"No?" The Class VP repeated, bewildered. "What do you mean, 'no?'"
"The last thing Rean would want would be for you to make this public." She informed. "Keep this to yourselves, don't tell anyone."
"WHAT!?" Machias exclaimed incredulously.
Even Jusis was looking at the young girl with a dubious eye.
"I want nothing more than to put a stop to the whole thing. However, Rean has had a lot of bad experiences with this sort of thing; every time, and I mean every single time something like this has happened, if Rean spoke out about it or made any kind of scene, he and his family were punished in some form or another."
Fie proceeded to explain what'd happened at the soiree that Rean had first met Verrat at, keeping things as vague as she could, and excluding the scolding he'd received from his father, while still getting her point across.
"Y-You can't be serious..." Machias mumbled in a state of shock.
Jusis remained silent, simply allowing a tired sigh to pass his lips.
'I have no doubt such a thing occurred... My father likely would have done the same.'
"If I got my way, I'd just kick the crap out of him. But Rean won't let me." Fie shared her personal feelings on the matter.
"I just might do it anyway, if the guy doesn't lay off him soon." She added.
Shaking her head, the stoic ex-jaeger moved to leave.
"So keep this to yourselves. If you really wanna help, keep an eye out for Rean. It's the only thing you can do, for now. And if things escalate, which I'm sure they eventually will, we'll step in."
And with that, she walked away without another word; she'd, understandably, been put into a sour mood because of the subject, her terse tone near the end of the conversation proof of this.
The rivals stood there in silence then, neither sure of what to say.
...
After an extended period of time, the two finally did something, as they began walking toward the library; they'd figure they would kill time there until it was close to time for dinner.
Neither said it, but they both knew they weren't content to leave things this way, however, they didn't have much choice.
Machias wished to abide by the wishes of his friends, but struggled to reconcile that with the deplorable situation he found his classmate in. At the same time, he could see where they were coming from regarding not wanting to make a public display out of it.
Jusis knew it was more than likely that Verrat's father would smooth things over one way or another if they told someone, and while reporting it would definitely cause the young Cayenne to cease, it would likely only make things more difficult for Rean in the long run. On the other hand, doing nothing was just as bad, as it solved, obviously, nothing.
As the two walked and contemplated the situation, the sound of obnoxious laughter caught their attention.
Eyes drifting to the source of the noise, they spotted a small group of noble students laughing at one of their own. They couldn't hear what was being said, but the one being laughed at was growing visibly distressed, until he finally turned around and began stomping away from them.
The moment this noble student did that, Machias recognized him.
"That's-"
"Indeed, that is Verrat." Jusis finished, having recognized him.
They'd met several times before their time at Thors at noble gatherings and the like.
Verrat Cayenne took notice of the two students wearing red at about the same time they did him; he made a beeline for them.
His agitation was on display as he made no attempt to hide his anger. "You two, Albarea and the noble-hater, where is Schwarzer?"
"Excuse me!?" Came Machias' response.
"And why, precisely, do you think we'd know, let alone tell you?" Jusis replied in an aloof manner.
"Just tell me, dammit! That trash has lower-ranking nobles laughing at me! ME!" He exclaimed, vexed. "Where is Schwarzer!?" He demanded.
"Trash!? Where do you get off-" Machias started, ready to tear in to the pompous prick, when his rival cut him off.
"We are not his keepers. I'm afraid we don't have the slightest inkling where he is. My apologies." Jusis spoke for the both of them, attempting to avoid causing a scene.
Verrat just about snarled at that, before stomping off toward the main gate.
"Why did you-" The bespectacled teen started once more, only to get interrupted again.
"Because it would not do us an ounce of good to go causing a commotion." He answered.
"Let him throw his temper tantrum." He said simply.
With that the blond noble continued on toward the library.
Only after a few steps, he realized his rival was no longer following.
Turning back to check on him, he saw the Class VP was watching after the Cayenne heir as the light orange-haired teen left campus.
"What are you doing?" The aloof noble came right out and questioned him.
"Nothing." He replied, turning to continue toward the library.
Only, he visibly hesitated.
Machias made a decision in that moment.
"You can head to the library; I've got something I have to do." He told his rival.
Jusis let out a sigh of exasperation at this.
"Fine. If that's how you're going to be, I suppose I have no choice but to accompany you."
"I don't need you following me around like I'm some sort of hapless babe, Albarea." The Class VP protested.
"If you went by yourself, you are certain to do something stupid." The blond shut him down immediately.
"You did not just-"
"Are we going, or not, Regnitz?"
"Ugh, damn you, Albarea."
With that settled, the pair of rivals followed after Verrat Cayenne.
It was evening, the sun had only barely begun to set; Rean had just arrived in front of his class' dorm.
However, as he was going to head inside, he felt the presence of a certain instructor not far from him; needless to say, this caught his attention.
Stepping back, he turned to his left, toward one of the exits leaving Trista, to see the red-fuchsia-haired woman preparing to depart.
"Okay...let's boogie."
He could faintly hear her say to herself, before she walked right out of town and onto the highway.
'Huh...I wonder what she's heading out onto the highway for? I mean, it is her, so I probably don't need to be too concerned...' He mentally assured himself.
'Even still...should I follow after her...?' He contemplated all the same.
He needn't think on it long, as he came to his decision rather quickly.
"Right. Let's go." He said aloud to himself, before moving to follow after her.
...
It took a few minutes for Rean to catch up with his teacher, and by the time he did, she appeared to be in a somewhat precarious position.
Sara stood, almost nonchalantly, in the middle of a circle of monsters. Ranging in size, bird-like creatures and larger than average wolves surrounded her on all sides.
Needless to say, they all looked hungry.
"She's going to take on all of those herself?" Rean wondered aloud to himself.
"I'm sure she can handle it, but..." The humble swordsman couldn't help but feel concerned.
"Heh. Looks like I've got no shortage of dance partners today. All right, time's a-wasting, so let's get started. Hope you all can keep up!" Sara declared, overflowing with swagger.
As if they'd understood her taunting words, another batch of beasts came out of the woodwork; joining their kin, they growled and snarled as their numbers swelled to over two dozen.
"Oh?" The ex-bracer feigned surprise.
"Looks like everyone wants a piece of me today." She quipped in a confident manner.
At this point, Rean could no longer quash the rapidly building urge to help inside him.
"Instructor!" He called, drawing his blade and rushing in to assist.
"R-Rean? What are you doing out here?" The jovial woman seemed to be caught a tad off guard, as one of her students slashed at a few beasts to force them to back off, allowing him to penetrate the circle and reach her side.
She was surprised to see him, and it seems a bit concerned, evidenced by the way the corners of her mouth threatened to curve downward into a frown.
"It's too dangerous to fight this many on your own. Let me help!" He determinedly adjured the older woman.
"Aww, I'm touched." She stated then, the tiny smile she suddenly wore being one of sincerity; the amusement in her eyes was a little offsetting of that though.
Drawing her gun and blade combo, Sara brandished her weapons as she stepped in front of her student.
"I think I've got this, though. Why don't you just sit back and watch?" She dictated in an assertive manner.
"And...begin!"
With that, Sara lunged forward and began to tear through the large pack of monsters.
...
After a few, short minutes, Sara had absolutely slaughtered all of the beasts; their carcasses were strewn about in a haphazard manner, however, every single one had been a clean kill. Blood was about, but there was not nearly as much as there could have been if a less experienced warrior, or on the flipside, a more brutal or sadistic one, had done the job.
"There we go. Easy peasy." The merry instructor remarked as she put her weapons away.
"Wow, you beat those monsters so hard I honestly kind of felt bad for them." Rean commented with a fair amount of amazement.
"Heh heh. How'd ya like that? Willing to admit how awesome and cool your instructor is now?" Sara boasted jubilantly with a triumphant grin.
"Kind of hard to deny it at this point." The Schwarzer heir admitted.
The educator's grin grew at that.
"So you came out here to train, then?" Rean asked her outright, having inferred this by now.
"Pretty much." She confirmed. "I wander out here every now and then to lay into the wildlife. A gal's gotta stay in shape somehow, y'know."
The diffident swordsman could not help it as a hearty self-deprecating laugh escaped him.
"Guess I look pretty dumb rushing in and trying to help out, huh?" He regarded his teacher with a small, sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Sorry, I should have known better, especially since you just saved our asses last month. I didn't think before I acted. My bad." He apologized.
"That's not entirely true. I appreciate the sentiment, at least." The playful twenty-something divulged, grinning with delight.
"Seeing you dashing in, all worried about little ol' me...it made me smile." She confessed.
However, almost immediately after, she let out a heavy sigh.
"Alas, dear Rean...I don't want to break your sweet young heart, but we're teacher and student. It'd never work out." She emoted regret.
"Tragic. How will I ever cope?" The raven-haired boy played along with a faux forlorn tone, eliciting a snicker from his instructor.
"Anyway, now that you're here, you might as well get in on the fun." She urged her student.
"Think of it as a special private lesson, just for you." The buxom beauty's tone was borderline sensual as she winked at him.
"Well, ignoring how staggeringly suggestive the implications of that statement are...sure, I'll join you." Rean agreed.
"In fact, I'd be glad to." He obviously welcome the opportunity.
"Hehe. Atta boy." She replied, evidently pleased that he had agreed.
Growls could be heard in the distance then.
"Well, they've got good timing."
...
After taking a moment to move away from the fresh monster corpses and put their weapons away, the two began to converse once more.
"I spoke with Instructor Beatrix yesterday. She told me about what you asked her to do." Rean mentioned.
"Oh?"
"Thank you, for looking out for Fie." He voiced his gratitude for her.
"It's my job to look out for all my students; that includes you, Rean." Sara replied, her playful nature fading as she took on a more serious demeanor.
"What are you-"
"I was concerned about you after our little talk a few days ago." She preempted him, continuing on with her elaboration. "So I spoke with Fie about it."
"You...what?" Was all Rean could manage to say to that, looking at his teacher as if she'd just struck him.
"Don't worry, I didn't tell her what we talked about or anything you said; I wouldn't betray your trust like that. As far as I'm concerned, when it's just the two of us, anything you tell me is subject to student-teacher confidentiality." She reassured him.
He visibly calmed at that.
"That being said, I did tell her that you had me worried. You've been agonizing over something, I could discern that fairly easily when we last spoke. I asked Fie what she thought it could be; her answer surprised me."
"What did she say?" Rean queried.
'She wouldn't tell anyone about my 'power', not even Sara; I know that. So what did she tell her...?' He privately wondered.
"Warrick, who's hounded the two of you since your first field study; you're the one he's after." She stated bluntly.
"You're the one who killed his brother." She came right out and said it.
'She's just like Fie; neither of them have any sort of filter.' Rean thought to himself then.
'Then again, when I'm serious about something, or just not thinking about it, I suppose I don't either.' He acknowledged to himself, as those were the times all his so called 'cheesy' and 'sappy' lines, according to others, came out.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Rean refused to deny it.
"Yeah. I did." He affirmed simply.
"You shouldn't be ashamed of it." The twenty-something woman told him earnestly.
"What?" Was his eloquent response.
"Taking a life to protect someone; there is absolutely nothing shameful in that." She dictated.
"There is nothing for you to feel ashamed of." She assured him, her tone gentle and caring.
The only time he could recall her speaking in such a way was after she'd saved him and his friends in Bareahard.
"It's...it's not that simple." Is all he found himself capable of saying in that moment; tone piteous.
"I...I...I don't think you would understand; there's more to it than that." He settled on that as his reply.
"No, I suppose I wouldn't." Rather than argue, she accepted his words.
"Huh?" This confused him.
"Unlike you, the first time I took a life, it wasn't to protect anyone, it wasn't even to protect myself; I killed for mira." Sara unbosomed herself to Rean in that moment.
Rean was taken aback at this, his eyes widening in shock.
"I-Instructor, I...I..." Words failed him.
"I wasn't quite as young as you were, but it was still pretty early in my life. It shaped me into who I would be for years to come..." The twenty-something ex-jaeger divulged, before trailing off, closing her eyes as her face took on a pensive, almost melancholic expression.
"But that's a story for another time." She suddenly said, wiping that expression from her face, as she opened her eyes to look at her student once more.
"My point is, you did nothing wrong. So if Fie is right, and that's what you've been torturing yourself about all this time; just let it go." She entreated.
"It's not your fault. That man, whoever he may have been, forced your hand. If you hadn't acted, neither you or Fie would be here now; and as far as I'm concerned, that would be a genuine tragedy. You're both such good kids, if you didn't live in this world, the world would be worse off for it." She gave this sincere effusion from her heart.
Rean was rendered nearly speechless by this, moved by her words.
'But still...but even still...'
"I know that you're right; but I...I can't...I just can't..." He struggled to find the right words.
"I understand. Your first kill changes you, no matter who it is. Coming to terms with what you've done is one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do in your life." Sara empathized with him.
"It's more than that..." Lowering his head, he spoke beneath his breath, voice so low his instructor only just barely managed to catch his words.
"Tell me then, Rean. Tell me what happened, in your own words." She instructed him.
"I lost control..."
For a time, those were the only words to fill the silence between them, as Rean kept his head down.
Rather than prompt him to continue, or prod him in some manner, his teacher remained quiet and gave him time to work through it.
"I lost control...I wasn't myself; all I could see was red." The diffident swordsman confessed to her.
"I didn't just kill that man. I butchered him. I-I..." He trailed off, unable to bring himself to finish.
"Rean, the way you make it sound, it's as if you never made the conscious decision to end that man's life." Sara responded, brows furrowing in perplexity.
'Was he running on pure instinct?' She theorized to herself.
"No; I am the one responsible. I have no excuses to give; I did it." He openly accepted the responsibility of his actions, voice low, tone grim.
'Even if I don't feel like it was really me.' He thought, trying to comfort himself, to no real avail.
'There's something I'm missing here...something he's not telling me...' Sara extrapolated in that moment, able to tell by how haunted he sounded that this was more than a simple case of instincts taking over.
'But it won't do any good to try and push him any further, not today. He's already at his limit on this subject; he could bolt, or worse, shut down completely if I try and prod any further.'
"Okay, that's enough."
"Wait, what?" Rean responded with confusion, raising his head to look at her.
"I can see you don't really want to talk about it, so we'll drop it, for now." The buxom beauty told him.
"I...thank you, Instructor." He was grateful for small mercies at that moment.
"Well, we'd best be getting back. I'm looking forward to the dinner you guys are whipping up; can't wait to taste my kiddies cooking." She remarked, slipping back into her fun-loving jovial demeanor with complete ease.
"Worst case scenario, it'll be a good story to tell when drinking; best case scenario, I get a free, delicious meal out of it!" She added, very chipper at such a notion.
Rean rolled his eyes at that; at the same time, he couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.
'She sure has a way of shifting the mood at the drop of a coin.'
Sara turned and began walking back toward Trista then.
"Actually, Instructor, I'll catch up. I could use a minute alone." Rean told her.
"Alright, just don't take too long. There probably isn't too much wildlife still hanging around here after we cut down so many of'em, but you never know." She cautioned him, before continuing on her way back to town.
Verrat was boiling over with anger and aggravation as he stomped away from the Class VII dorm; Rean was not there either.
'He and that imbecilic friend of his have made a laughing stock of me among the lower-ranked nobles, who don't seem to understand that it would behoove them to respect their betters!' He thought with frustration.
'I am the heir of the Cayenne name! How DARE they laugh at me!' His line of thinking continued.
'Schwarzer and Armbrust don't show the proper respect, so those of a lower station think they can get away with it as well. If this continues, the rest of the common peasants will get the same idea.' He fretted pompously.
'Who do they think they are!?'
His thought process surely would have dragged on from there, but, something interrupted as he bumped into them and was nearly knocked on his ass.
Stumbling back, Verrat opened his mouth to berate the person who would dare to collide with him, when he realized who he was about to speak to: one Sara Valestein, instructor of Class VII; he quickly shut his trap.
"Sorry about that, didn't see you there." The former bracer kindly apologized with a smile.
"No, it is of no concern." He assured her, allowing a pleasant smile of his own to take form.
"However, I'm afraid I must trouble you. Do you, perchance, have any idea as to where I might find Rean?" With practiced ease, he adorned a polite facade.
"I wanted to talk with him about something, unfortunately, I have been unable to locate him most of the day. I could not even find him in the dorms." He informed.
"Oh, Rean?" Sara repeated his name. "Well, if you don't mind waiting a few minutes, he'll be back pretty soon. Feel free to relax on the first floor of the dorm until he gets back." She told him.
"Is that so? I might just do that then." He agreed easily.
With that, Sara passed him by and entered the Class VII dorm.
Verrat had stood aside so as to not block her way, feigning as if he would follow, but came to an immediate halt once she was inside. And just like that, his affable demeanor melted away.
'She came from the highway.' He noted. 'And given I've searched this backwater town up and down, it stands to reason he's out there.' He concluded.
'I am no idiot; whatever that washed up bracer was doing out on the highway, it had to have been with Schwarzer. It is the only way she could know he would be returning soon; in addition, it would explain why I could not find him.'
Looking toward the exit leading onto the Trista Highway closest to the Class VII dorm, the Cayenne heir gave it almost zero thought, before coming to a quick decision.
Confronting Schwarzer where prying eyes will most likely not see; that would be most auspicious.'
Wasting no more time, Verrat left town and made his way out onto the highway.
Little did he know, two sets of such prying eyes were following him from a distance...
Rean was making his way back to town, when he came to a sudden stop.
'More monsters? That's strange...' He noted.
'After all the ones Instructor Sara and I defeated, there shouldn't be anymore in the immediate area.' He reasoned.
'They don't feel particularly strong, either.' He observed, beginning to scan his surroundings for the beasts.
Before he could pinpoint their location, however, something else, or rather, someone else, caught his attention.
"SCHWARZER!" Verrat, who was stomping at a fair pace towards the swordsman in question, shouted.
Momentarily distracted, Rean almost failed to notice the prowling monsters make their move; almost.
At the last second, he picked up on their exact positions, sensing them out rather than spotting them.
"Verrat, get down!" He hurriedly warned the higher-ranked noble.
"WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOU-" Verrat started, but never finished, as three wolves, each one almost twice the size of a normal beast, leapt out into the open.
The brown-furred monstrous canines were mid-jump, teeth bared, as they came down upon their prey: one Verrat Cayenne.
In the heat of the moment, as the slobbery, snarling maws bared down upon him, the surge of shock and fear was too much for him, and he just fell back onto the ground, landing on his posterior.
"W-WHAT THE HELL!?" He cried, closing his eyes tightly and raising his arms defensively, his instincts screaming that he was about to become prey for some beasts.
Rean didn't think, he just moved.
...
Machias and Jusis had been following closely behind Verrat for some time, they only considered stopping for a brief moment when he walked out onto the highway; both teens were too stubborn to give up, however, so they had followed.
They figured, worst came to worst, they could drag the pompous idiot back to town if he got himself in trouble; he may have been a punk, but they weren't going to let him get mauled.
Out on the highway, there were considerably less places to appear discreet while following someone, so they were forced to increase the distance they followed him from. It was because of this, that even though they had begun running when they heard Verrat's scream, they only arrived in time to see Rean finishing off the last wolf, and were unable to assist.
...
Verrat was unsure of how long he sat there, collapsed back onto his ass, completely out in the open on the Trista Highway.
Eyes closed and arms held up in front of him, he unconsciously embraced the defensive reflex, the primal sense of fear he felt overriding his higher brain functions for a brief time. Even as the sounds of growling, snarling, yelping, and retching filled his ears, he dare not open his eyes.
He could hear Rean exerting himself, he could hear the howls of the wolves, he could hear everything as they fought; still, he would not open his eyes.
Eventually, after a little more time had passed and the noises died down, Verrat finally felt safe and calm enough to open his eyes back up.
What he saw were the three wolf-beasts dead at his feet, Rean unharmed before him and sheathing his blade; he'd clearly won the little skirmish.
"Nice job." A voice praised. "Looks like you didn't need any help."
Turning his head to find the source of the voice, the Cayenne heir could see just behind him stood the two he had spoken to earlier. 'Albarea and the Noble-Hater...'
"Good work." Jusis complimented his friend and fellow swordsman.
"Eh, it's no big deal. They weren't all that strong, to be honest." The diffident swordsman waved off; the smile he wore at their words showed he did appreciate it though.
Verrat zoned out then, unable to hear what the three around him spoke about after that, struggling to come to grips with what had just occurred.
Eyes widening nearly to the size of dinner plates, he lowered his head and stared at the ground.
'I-I...I didn't do...anything...I couldn't...do anything...' He thought disbelievingly.
'Those filthy creatures came at me, and I couldn't bring myself to combat them...I hesitated...even though I didn't want to be...I was afraid of them...' His train of thought continued on; he was completely frustrated with himself.
'My first taste of real combat, and I froze! What the hell is wrong with me!?' He mentally castigated himself.
'While I cowered on the ground, Schwarzer, fucking Schwarzer, of all people, did battle with the beasts in my stead!' Shame filled him to overflowing at this fact.
Verrat could already imagine how his father would have reacted if he'd seen the heir of his household acting in such a manner.
'You are no son of mine.'
He was consumed with humiliation; attempting to preserve his dignity with all of his being, he fought back the tears that so desperately wanted to be shed.
That was when the final blow to his pride was delivered.
"Are you alright?" Rean asked, as he held out his hand to him, offering to help him to his feet.
Verrat visibly began to shake then.
"How...how dare...HOW DARE YOU!" He shouted furiously.
Raising his head revealed that the tears he'd wanted to hide so much had begun to run down his face.
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, slapping the offending hand away.
"You are nothing but trash! Garbage that doesn't belong among the ranks of nobility! You do not deserve your place amongst us, you do not deserve your place here! YOU DESERVE NOTHING!" He vehemently reviled the adopted noble.
Rean recoiled, as if struck, at these malignant words.
"Who the hell do you think-" Machias attempted to cut in, only to be drowned out.
"YOU WILL PAY, YOU HEAR ME!?" Verrat exclaimed at great volume, now back on his feet, having gotten off the ground under his own power.
"I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS HUMILIATION!" He proclaimed, full of rage.
He violently shoved Rean in that moment, sending him to the ground.
Despite that sign of aggression, Verrat turned right around and took off toward Trista, running back to town as fast as he could.
...
Silence...
No one spoke a word for short while, as Rean got up off the ground and dusted himself off.
"How..."
"What's that?" Rean queried, unsure whether he'd missed the rest of the sentence or it just hadn't been finished.
"How can you stand to be treated like that!?" Machias rounded on Rean and demanded to know, obviously pissed.
"Calm yourself, Regnitz." Jusis instructed his rival.
Without missing a beat, the diffident swordsman regarded his friend with sheepish smile and said, "It's fine, it doesn't really bother me all that much; I've dealt with worse. Besides, getting upset over it won't accomplish anything."
"That doesn't mean it's acceptable." Jusis interjected.
"How long has this been going on?" He followed up with an inquiry.
"Not that long. Roughly two weeks, I'd say." The raven-haired teen answered easily enough.
"Why didn't you at least tell us about it!?" The bespectacled genius implored; vexation on display.
The Schwarzer heir opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He wasn't sure how to reply to that. It took him a moment to find the words he was looking for.
"I...I didn't really see a reason to bother you guys about this, to be honest. It's not important."
"It's not important!?" The Class VP repeated with incredulity.
"Explain." The aloof noble ordered.
"I mean, it's not like he's been hurting me or anything. If he was kicking the crap out of me on the daily or something like that, then I'd of told someone; it'd of been a real problem. But as it stands now, he's just a brat who has a petty grudge against me. It's no big deal, really. I'm fine." He tried to reassure them; slipping on his well-practiced 'I'm okay' smile.
It was disingenuous, yet, with all the times he'd used it in his life, it was almost indiscernible from his real one.
At the sight of this smile, Machias' eyes widened to their limit, flashes from his memory playing before his mind's eye.
...
They harassed her constantly. No matter where she went, it followed her.
Her life was a living hell.
She wouldn't talk about it or ask for help.
She chose to endure it all alone.
Even through it all, she would tell him everything was okay and that she was fine. But she wasn't.
Yet, she would smile at him; her bright and lovely features masking her pain, even when sadness would creep into her eyes.
She smiled at him everyday, just like that.
Until one day, she smiled no more.
...
Reality flooded back, as Machias recognized the same sadness and defeat in his friend's expression; he could see past his false smile, for he had seen one just like it.
"Bother? You didn't want to bother us with it!? You didn't think it was important!?" The spectacle wearing bookworm exclaimed; he was absolutely livid, brow furrowing and face contorting in anger.
"Regnitz, do not-"
"Shut up!" Machias yelled at his rival.
In that moment, Rean noticed the peculiar look in his friend's eyes.
'He's looking at me, but it's as if he's seeing someone else...'
Striding forward, Machias grabbed Rean by the collar of the shirt beneath his blazer, and began to shake his person wildly.
"You don't get to decide that! It may not be important to you, but it sure as hell is to me! That bastard has been harassing you, bullying you, degrading you! According to you, it's been going on for two weeks! TWO DAMN WEEKS! So why the hell did I just find out about it today!? We're friends, aren't we!? YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME!" Machias was shouting his lungs out, as he gave this impassioned tirade.
"I could have helped you, somehow, someway! I could have-I could have done something, ANYTHING! Even something as trivial as listening to you vent; just as long as it was something!" Unshed tears were prickling at the corner of Machias' eyes, his glasses beginning to fog up; the pair of spectacles were nearly hanging off his face from all the shaking he'd been doing that only now came to a stop.
He was panting at this point, nearly out of breath from all he had to get out.
Rean was visibly stunned by all this, rendered just about speechless. He hadn't ever expected something like that.
Jusis, too, looked taken aback. He clearly had not anticipated such an outburst.
"Machias, I-I don't know what to say..." The affable swordsman confessed.
Then he seemed to finally come up with something. "I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't be the one apologizing, damn it!" Machias insisted, his teeth grit as he gave his friend one last shake for good measure, before hanging his head.
"I...I don't..." Rean could come up with nothing more to say, he had no way to console his sad and frustrated friend.
He was dumbfounded. And that aggravated him.
'Why can't I think of anything? I should be able to come up with something!' His consternation showed.
Jusis let out an audible, heavy sigh then. "I dare say you're both hopeless."
Shaking his head at the two, he continued, "Come, let us return to the dorms. The highway is no place for such emotional outbursts and the discussions that are sure to follow." He gently chided his friend and his rival alike.
"Once we arrive back at the dorm, Gaius and I can begin the meal prep; Rean, you use that time to talk things out with Regnitz. Then you can join us for the actual cooking." The aloof noble counseled.
"Yeah, you're right." Rean agreed.
"Fine." Machias responded curtly, before releasing his hold on his friend.
He wiped clear his tears and adjust his glasses then.
...
With nothing else to say, the three boys walked back to Trista in silence.