Chapter 1: Welcome to Thors Branch Campus
[April 1st, S.C. 1206]
[Erebonia, Lamare Province]
[Lamare Main Line Mixed Train via Heimdallr Central Station]
The young man's eyes gazed out at the passing trees as the train sped along its rails. He was one of the few passengers seated in the forward car, which also kept it sparsely populated, meaning he had the full seating of his segment to himself for the quite long ride he had been on since boarding the train from further east.
Much further east.
As far east as Crossbell as it happened.
"Hah… I suppose this is what I get for following his recommendation of where to go… still, didn't think I'd end up finding myself this far west."
The young man sighed as he leaned back against his seat, letting his head loll a bit so his neck could relax.
The young man, known as Shin Shiraha, looked to be about 17 years old.
His features suggested someone from even further east than Crossbell or even Calvard. His pale face happened to be rather androgynous in looks, with messy ashen white hair and pale blue eyes. His attire at the moment was a perhaps loosely put usage of a uniform. The jacket he wore, consisting of dark blues trimmed in silver, certainly fit the bill, the upper arms marked in a blue and silver emblem depicting a horned lion.
The jacket, however, was about where the "uniform" ended, as while it was perhaps not against any regulations. Under the jacket, a white and blue top of Eastern make, and the pants he wore were thick travel slacks made for far more wear than the school clothing he'd been sent before leaving Crossbell, and the certainly non-uniform athletic sneakers.
Least of all the black fingerless gloves and white and black askew belt he included as accessories. He had to wonder if he would actually be allowed to get away with it.
And then there's this… in his left hand was a small medal, meant to be pinned to his jacket's breast. It was a simple adornment, not all that flashy but it did bear a simple emblem. A red-shaded background with two golden marks mirroring one another. All he knew was that it was his class emblem and not much else.
In the seat across from him was his luggage. It wasn't much, really, as admittedly he didn't quite own much in the way of a bunch of personal effects. His previous lifestyle had been a bit too mobile to be carrying much with him. Overall, it was really just a single large duffel bag with a slew of extra clothing and other personal items he happened to have, while strapped atop it was what was very obviously a weapon case, though its contents were unclear to all but him.
The other object of interest he had with him was the relatively hand-sized case tucked neatly next to his duffel bag. Atop it was the same emblem as on his jacket, and printed under the emblem was "ARCUS II." According to the letter that had come with it, the contents were a special combat orbment meant to be used by his new school.
But really, the letter Shin was more interested in was the one he chose to open up since he was done staring out of the window.
[Dear Shin,
By the time you're reading this, hopefully you'll almost be at your new school. Gotta say, you deciding to head abroad for a while was surprising to hear, but, I guess a kid your age needs to broaden his horizons every now and again. Even if you did say it was mostly for training reasons. Still, two years is a bit much, don't you think?
But, even then, being on the other end of Zemuria doesn't suddenly mean you're free to act however you want, though you probably had that drilled in before you left. Just know, I have my ways of making sure I'm aware of what you're up to. But don't worry too much and try to have fun while you're gone. But while you're off in Erebonia seeing more of the world, we're going to be here in Calvard.
Just be sure to keep yourself sharp. When you get back, you can be assured I'm going to be the first one seeing just how much you've improved by seeing life beyond these wings we've grown up under.
Your ever faithful big sis, "Hime"]
"Always the whimsical one, aren't you, nee-san?" Shin chuckled as he folded the letter and tucked it into a pocket of his luggage, leaning back into his seat just as the intercom pinged.
"The next stop is… Leeves. Leeves. We will be stopped for… ten minutes. Ten minutes…"
"Almost there, huh?"
Shin hummed as the announcement continued, leaning over and giving his things one more look over to make sure everything was good and in place for arrival. As he was making his final checks, Shin's eyes perked up as a certain sensation came to him. In his time spent traveling with his mentor, a certain skill he had picked up was a sharp "sense" for the presences of other people. A handy skill when one was searching around for someone in a dense crowd or just on the hunt for monsters to make some quick money.
But rare was it for that sense to perk up on its own. Which meant that somebody was passing by who had the sort of presence that could set it off.
[Did you see that?! It was him!]
[The Ashen Chevalier?! On this train?]
[No way… does that mean the Ashen Knight is on this train too?!]
"… who?" The sheer bewilderment behind Shin's statement cut through the excitement of his fellow passengers like a sharp blade. The boy shrunk back a bit at the astonished faces that turned towards him, as if he'd blurted out something utterly preposterous to their ears. "Ahahaha… I'm… how to put this lightly? I'm uh… from rather far away, so I'm not entirely aware of the goings ons here in Erebonia quite yet."
"Really now?" said a man seated in the bench across the aisle from Shin. "I doubt there's a person in Zemuria who doesn't at least know about the Ashen Chevalier from as far as Calvard! At least, if they're the sorts to go looking about those sorts of things."
"Well… let's just say my circumstances are… a bit on the unique side, so I'm a bit out of the loop on more recent events for uhm… interesting reasons. I assume this Ashen Chevalier is some kind of national hero?"
"… I mean no insult young man, but have you been living under a rock?" The man was, understandably, quite taken aback by how oblivious the teenager was coming across as in the current moment. "I understand a foreigner not knowing the finer details, but to not know at all?"
"Would it make sense if I said I'm from the Far East? True, we neighbor Calvard, but news about the Empire hardly reaches us there."
"Really now?" Shin nodded at the man's astonishment. "Hmm… well your face certainly suggests as much. But the other thing is… you don't quite look like someone simply here for normal reasons…"
And now Shin was paying attention to the man's countenance a bit more.
A bit older, probably getting into his forties, dark hair just beginning to gray out with a few streaks in the bangs, with humble brown eyes that bore a good deal of wisdom in them. The man was dressed in a casual suit that was comfortable enough for a long train ride, though a bit ruffled telling he'd had little time to do some recent grooming.
"Ah, sorry… you see young man, I'm a doctor traveling out from the capital for some business. I suppose it's some force of habit that I size people up when I meet them."
"Not at all, sir! Besides uh… I happen to be a martial artist. So, I suppose I tend to do much the same. Might I ask what you can tell me about this Ashen Chevalier if you could, please? Being as new to Erebonia as I am and all…"
"Of course!" The doctor cleared his throat as Shin set himself to pay close attention to what came next. "You see, around two years ago now, Erebonia was engaged in a civil war between two factions of the time. The Noble Alliance and the Imperial Resistance. We also call it the October War, due to it beginning near the end of that month at the time. I'll spare you much of the details, but the important part here is that the war led to the rise of the hero we know as the Ashen Chevalier, a young man by the name of Rean Schwarzer."
"… Rean Schwarzer…" Shin let out a hum after repeating the name, his brow knitting together as his eyes screwed shut. "Hmm… did I hear that name somewhere? Maybe when I was passing through Crossbell…"
"I wouldn't be surprised if you did. I'm sure you'd hear talk of him even in Calvard."
"That may be the case. Considering I plan to be in Erebonia for quite some time, I'll have plenty of chances to catch up on my recent history."
"Well, things come as they will. And going by that jacket, I assume you're a student, yes? Rare to see a foreign exchange student from so far ending up in Erebonia."
"As I said, my circumstances are… interesting," Shin tugged at the article in question. "I applied to enter the Thors Military Academy on… recommendation of a relative. Though it seems for whatever reason, despite my scores I was sent off to the newly opened branch campus in Leeves."
"Ah right, I have heard tell of that new branch's opening. Thors is quite the prestigious institution, founded by Emperor Dreichels almost two hundred years ago. Even if it is the new campus, being accepted there is a great honor, nonetheless. Although, going by your account, I would assume the entrance exam was no easy task."
"… I can't deny the written portion was certainly a cram session for someone as unfamiliar with this nation as I am," Shin laughed as he looked to the side. "However, I did excel enough in the practical test to make up for it. I suppose it's easy to say I have an… interesting life style. I happen to be quite the swordsman. And, I will admit, according to my mentor, I have quite the talent for it. Though… I'm far from being more than a beginner."
"Hahaha, well then, I'll take your word for it. And might I add, you speak in a remarkably polite manner for someone of your age."
"So, people often tell me. My name is Shin Shiraha, as it happens. A pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine. I'm Doctor Alban Oriole. If you ever find yourself in Heimdall and by some chance end up at a certain clinic, we may run into each other again… though I must admit I do not wish for you to come crawling in needing my help."
"Hahaha, I do hope myself we can meet again under friendly circumstances. It was to meet you, Dr. Oriole. I wish you luck on your business beyond here."
"And you in your studies at Leeves. If more students are like you, I can foresee a rich academy life awaiting you."
"Ahaha… I can only hope so."
"Now arriving at… Leeves. Leeves. Train will be stopping for… ten minutes. All passengers who wish to depart…"
"Ah, sounds like my stop," Shin chuckled as he started checking his things once more while Oriole gave him a nod. One could quite appreciate the earnest excitement on the boy's face as he readied himself.
Leeves was one of the smaller towns just out of Heimdallr. Around a thirty-minute train ride westward out of the capital city itself, recent strife from the civil war had seen the city turned over to the Imperial Government after the holdings of its territory were lost by the Capua Barony.
Considered as a result then to now be part of the Heimdallr suburbs, while it was certainly an idyllic, scenic location, recent changes brought about by the construction of the Thors Branch Campus and its associated facilities within the town meant one could feel an air of unease about the town at times, though other than that, it was a quaint enough place to live.
And while Shin couldn't see much of the town as the train pulled into the station, the tops of some buildings did poke over the trees to give enough of an idea of what he could expect. And there was little doubt he'd grow awfully familiar with the place during his coming attendance period.
He found himself being one of the first off of those disembarking the train, and as a small crowd soon formed, Shin cast his gaze back to the train as he heard chatter beginning. But not because of the chatter. Rather, because something pinged his senses.
He'd heard mutterings about how the train was also hauling some special cargo for some reason or another, and now that the train was stopped, said cargo car was opened and unloading. And what stood out most was what was being unloaded.
A humanoid but mechanical figure, even when crouched one could measure as at least seven arge tall, its body ashen silver and giving the countenance of a grand, winged knight. And on seeing it, Shin felt a kind of… pulse in his mind. And an odd sense of familiarity at seeing it.
"… Valimar," Shin flinched as he uttered the name, bringing a hand to his head as he felt a dull throbbing now. "Weird… why does that thing look… familiar? And… what about that name?"
"Surprising, isn't it?" A man in the crowd said, looking to Shin as he was staring at the mechanical knight in confusion. "This your first time seeing it, lad?"
"Yes… I think. What is it?"
"That is what we in Erebonia know to be the Ashen Knight, Valimar," the man chuckled as they watched the station workers haul the knightly figure from the cargo hold. "While you could be forgiven for mistaking it as a Panzer Soldat, according to the stories it's something entirely different. It's quite famous around these parts."
"So, it seems," Shin gave a chuckle. "As it is, I'm here as a new student for the academy that opened in town. So, if this… Ashen Knight is being stopped here, perhaps I'll see it around."
"Heheh, lucky you if so… wait," The man hummed as he looked Shin over. "If you're a new Thors student, shouldn't you be getting along? If I had to guess, you must one of the last students arriving, and I'm sure the opening ceremony will be soon."
"Ahaha… is that sooo?" Shin's voice trailed off into a concerned sigh as he looked away. "This is what I get for being on one of the last trains out of Crossbell, isn't it? Uh, would you happen to know the way to the academy then? I'd like to avoid being late."
"Sure sure, no problem. Right out of the station, you'll be in a fountain plaza. Look for the shop called Barneys on the right, and head down the road near it. Next, take a left at the intersection, and you'll see the academy off way back from there. The Recette Bakery & Café should be a decent landmark too."
"Thank you very much," Shin gave a quick bow before spinning on his heel, setting off at a trot to leave the station, waving to the man as he set off.
And just as the man had said, the first sight he was greeted with was a pleasant fountain plaza. Surrounding it was a handful of shops and other buildings. The first building to fall on Shin's gaze was the front end of a boutique, while to its left was a chapel and then a bookstore Shin took his gaze the opposite way, spotting the large building with "Barneys" labeled across it. That was his first landmark.
Carrying on at a trot along the path as directed, Shin followed it down to the next t-intersection, taking notes on the buildings around him for later reference. He passed what looked to be a café just at the intersection, and as he turned to the left, he found his destination immediately.
Much further back along the road than any of the other buildings, fronted by a gate marked by banners bearing the same emblem as was on his jacket. That and the shift from one style of paving to another certainly made for a notably marker leading to the building itself.
Nodding to himself, Shin picked up his pace along the path, and as he neared the front, he spotted someone standing in wait just outside the last gate.
It was a tall, blonde man in a grey and dark green uniform, a slightly skewed officer's cap resting on his head. His stern gaze fell on Shin as the student approached, the boy got the immediate feeling the man was quite annoyed at his rather timely choice of arrival.
"Well now, I was wondering when the last one was going to arrive," The man's voice didn't at all hide the hint of irritation he was feeling. "I assume then you must be Shin Shiraha, the Far Eastern transfer student we're taking in."
"Yes, that's me," Shin bowed his head for a moment. "I'm sorry about the time of my arrival. Due to circumstances, I ended up on one of the last trains out of Crossbell, so I only just arrived on the train following from Heimdallr after the transfer period. Which was… quite the trip, to say the least."
"Hmph, well it isn't as if you're late. Though you did get here after the other one who was on that same train. But I expect you to be punctual as with your peers from here on out, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Hm, seems you respect authority well enough," The man let out a breath. "Also, be sure to place your class badge on your uniform. As for introductions, they will be held on the practice field to the left. Be sure to memorize your map of the campus. Oh, and your belongings will be taken to the dorm from here, but hold onto your weapon and ARCUS II. Considering your placement, you'll want them on hand. Are we clear?"
"Understood."
"Good. And for future reference, I am Major Michael Irving. I am serving here at Thors Branch Campus as the Chief Instructor. Considering the nature of your enrollment here, do know I will be keeping an eye on you. Step out of line or give me any reason to doubt the veracity of your supposed history, and I promise you it will not be pleasant."
"I… will keep that in mind, Major Irving."
Shin chuckled as he stepped off to the side while slipping his class emblem onto his jacket. Finding the place where a number of other baggage items were, he set his duffel bag down while taking the case above it off. And with no better time than now, after digging it out from his duffel bag, he finally undid the seal on the ARCUS II case and opened it up to reveal the device within.
Shin was no stranger to combat orbments, but the model in his hand was certainly new to him. The ARCUS II was about the size of Shin's hand, with a sleek, smooth design, the face plate bearing the Thors logo and branch campus name over a dark blue background, while under it he saw a logo reading "Reinford" at the bottom of the plate.
A soft glow came from the main power generator atop it, and a dial below moved up and down as the orbal energy within flowed through the tool. Shin took a second to pop the front open as he followed the path down to the testing field, the item opening with the face plate lifting downwards. The interior of the orbment was firstly a small screen of the main face, while below it was an array of circular slots, all currently empty, with all but one of the two center slots and the immediate one connected to it closed.
Assured he would learn its functions later, Shin closed the orbment and carried on. As he made it to the field, the first thing he did was take a headcount. After him, standing on the field was a surprisingly small number of students, only about twenty others in total. So, including Shin himself, that made the student body a paltry twenty-one large.
That's… almost impressively small for a campus as big as this one. He thought as much as he looked around. The main building made for the most obvious sight of course, following off from that being the downward path to the training field. The field had a couple other buildings as part of its layout, one being a large hangar by the looks of it, and next to that was a building connected to the rail line he could see just over the walls, no doubt meant to being in much bulkier supplies and other shipments.
The introduction guide he had been reading on the train did mention something about Panzer Soldat training… whatever that meant.
For now, this paltry student body was making idle chatter amongst each other as they waited, while some merely kept to themselves in the line. What Shin did take note of were two others carrying their weapons like himself. One, a tall boy with pale blue hair who had two swords strapped to his waist. And the other, a girl with pink hair who had what appeared to be some style of tonfa at her back.
Otherwise, aside from some others who wore their uniforms irregularly such as himself, Shin didn't take note of too many others. Well, aside from the younger-looking girl with white hair who had been giving him a placid look almost the entire time, though she looked away almost as soon as Shin caught her doing so.
Well, at least it seems my potential classmates will make for an interesting arrangement. Shin chuckled to himself as he continued to scan around the other students, though he didn't have much time to take further stock of his peers before the chatter turned from whatever inane topics were going around to something else.
Because now their instructors and the other staff were arriving. All six of them, by the looks of it. Shin really was starting to question what was going on at this school for it to be so thinly populated.
[Th-That woman!]
[Isn't she the Golden Rakshasha?]
[A-And that black-haired guy…]
[Whoa! He's super famous!]
[Huh, it's him!]
[Tch, seriously?]
[Hehehe, oh dear. How unexpected.]
"… and it seems everyone is aware of who some of these people are… except for me… how shocking of a development," Shin couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. But he perked up when he heard someone else.
[The Ashen Chevalier…?]
Casting his gaze to the arriving instructors, he ended up finding the guilty party. A young man with spiky black hair and matching eyes, dressed in a white coat over sturdy clothes… and Shin had to admit, glasses that weren't exactly flattering on his pale face.
"Rean Schwarzer…" he muttered. "… was I seriously on the same train as that guy?"
Shin flinched when some of his classmates snapped around at hearing his whispering, and he could only nervously chuckle at the sudden attention. Though everyone was quick to snap to attention when Irving stepped forward and started barking at them.
"Attention! I will have silence!" with that confirmed, the man cast his gaze across the students, stopping for just a moment on Shin. "We will now begin the entrance ceremony for Thors Academy's branch campus! The opening speeches will be omitted. We will begin by announcing class assignments!"
Irving glanced to his left, bringing attention to a red-haired man in a heavy white jacket standing with the other staff. "First, Class VIII: Combat Tactics! The instructor is Randolph Orlando."
"Right, step forward when I call your name," Randolph drew out the clipboard from under his arm, quickly looking over the students. "Jessica, Wayne, Sidney, Maya, Ash, Freddy, Gustaf, and Leonora. You eight."
As the eight students moved away from the crowd, Shin did take note of one who seemed perhaps more annoyed about the placement than anything. A tall, blonde haired boy who just gave off a general vibe that Shin would best describe as "a punk."
"Next, Class IX: Military Finance!" Shin had to admit, Irving had a voice fit for being loud. "The instructor is Towa Herschel."
"Umm… I'll call out the name's now," the speaker was a small woman who Shin almost would have sworn was younger than them. Brown hair kept in a loose, curled tail that moved down her back and soft green eyes, dressed in a white, fitted uniform that seemed to be trying to make her look more womanly. Keyword was trying. "Sandy, Kairi, Tita, Louise, Tatiana, Valerie, Musse, Pablo, and Stark. There are nine of you in total."
Which leaves… four, Shin gave a hum as the crowd thinned out even more. Which left himself, the boy and girl carrying weapons, and the small girl who herself seemed a bit out of place here.
"Silence!" Irving again shut down any chattering among the students. "We will now have a word from our principal! Principal, if you would."
Eyes turned as Irving delegated the spotlight. The one to step forward was a tall, striking woman with long silver hair and piercing violet eyes, dressed in a sterling uniform and grand cape that fit her place at the top of the hierarchy here.
"I am Aurelia Le Guin, principal of the branch campus," began the principal. "As some of you are new to Erebonia, not all of you may be familiar with my name. That, however, is of little concern to me. A few of you may have noticed already, but I'll spell it out for the rest: this school is a trash bin."
Aurelia's all too blunt statement got a rouse of shocked noises from the others, though some had expressions that said they were well aware of it, even if on intuition alone. Aurelia continued.
"Thors' main campus will be welcoming the crown prince this year. As such, it will go through heavy reform. This campus is a place they can toss aside those deemed too troublesome or those with problematic backgrounds," Shin couldn't help but stop looking at the principal as she said that last bit. "Just like that. All of you, our instructors, and even myself are here because we have been tossed aside."
"Hey now…" Randolph muttered.
"P-Principal Le Guin!" Irving spluttered just a tad. "That is far too-"
"However, there is a saying," and yet Aurelia continued without heed. "'Be ever vigilant, as though the world is a battlefield.' Such a mindset is difficult to learn in times of peace. However, the situation we find ourselves in is a perfect environment for it. Those who lack the resolve to better themselves – to reforge themselves in the fires of adversity – leave now. Or you run the risk of leaving later… in Aidios' arms."
Not a single person, student or instructor, made even a hint of a motion intending to leave the campus. Looking pleased, Aurelia let out a chuckle, then raising an arm forward.
"Very well. In that case, I welcome each and every one of you to Thors Military Academy's branch campus! 'Arise, o youth, and become the foundation of the world!' I greet you with these familiar words from Emperor Dreichels."
With that, the Classes VIII and IX left the field, leaving only Irving, Aurelia, Rean, an elderly man who'd been glowering around the entire time, and the four students who hadn't had their names called for a chosen class. And interestingly enough, also a girl Shin knew must have been called for another class, yet she was now chatting with the old man instead.
"Well, I'm nice and overwhelmed now, but…" the pink-haired girl said, looking around to her three remaining compatriots.
"Just where are we supposed to go?" said the blue-haired boy.
"Well…" Shin spoke up, putting a thumb under the medal on his jacket. "I'd assume the fact the four of us have the same emblem on our medals here means something. Clearly, we have a Class… they just had no reason to announce it alongside the other two. Add in the fact we were told to keep our weapons on our person, and I believe we were not announced because our Class has some… other purpose."
Shin put a hand behind his head as the boy and girl looked at him with surprised gazes.
"That's quite perceptive of you," Aurelia gave a chuckle as Shin made the assessment. "Shiraha, was it? You're surprisingly sharp, for a special case such as yourself."
"Ahaha, th-thank you, Madam Principal."
"Genera-er, Principal…" Rean spoke up, eyes now on him since he was sure to be the topic of the hour for the students. "Could I get you to announce the final class?"
"Very well," Aurelia seemed all too amused at the situation. Perhaps Shin's quick assessment of things helped lend to that. "We'll be picking up after the main campus' classes I though VI with our own classes VII through IX. The four of you make up Class VII: Special Operations. Your instructor will be him, Rean Schwarzer."
Eyes turned to Rean as he too looked to his new crop of students. As he and Shin wound up meeting gazes during the look over, the boy's gaze settling just for a moment before their gazes separated. In the eyes of that man, Shin had, for a moment, gotten a sense of some kind of power within there. He didn't know what it was, and he certainly couldn't pin it down. Though a thought did cross his mind at the very least: Definitely stronger than me, but not on the level of nee-san…
His other hand tightening on the strap of his weapon case, Shin let out a breath. He was here now. and since there wasn't any chance to turn back – at least in his own mind – it was for now best to simply move forward. He was here for new experiences and challenges after all.
But also, for another reason as well. Something that had been the very reason he'd decided to venture to Erebonia to begin with…
"… listen, o Fragment of Steel… return, and fight… fight to prevent this world of sorrow. Fight, in Erebonia… alongside the Ashen…"
An echo that had come to him one day. An echo that was familiar, as if calling him for some purpose he didn't know of yet.
Might as well see what fate had in store for him.
