"Aaaaaah…" Alisa let out a delighted sigh as she settled her feet on the public footbath located in Ymir's central square. Immediately she could feel some of the tension on her lower limbs fading, that last month had played hell to her body. No place for a proper bath, no beds, no make-up. Thank Aidios they had a place to stay now.

Ugh, I'm terribly spoiled.

"By the sounds you are making this seems rather relaxing, mind if I join?" Jusis voice came from the side, making Alisa slightly self-conscious. Was she really being that loud?

"Feel free, it's public after all."

The noble nodded and started to remove his boots and folded up the cuffs of his pants, sitting next to Alisa, and while he wasn't as vocal about it, he did let out a satisfied noise at the sensation of the hot water touching his skin.

"Feels great, doesn't it?" Alisa said enthusiastically.

"Indeed. I can only imagine that a full bath would be nothing short of reinvigorating."

"That sounds like a good idea," saying that Alisa looked at the packages next to her and frowned. Those were clothes, underwear and other basic necessities she had gotten along with the other members of her class. "For after I get settled down that is."

"I do not envy the fact you and the rest of your group only brought in what you were carrying. It is a shame our reunion had to be marred by those loathsome cretins."

"Speaking of which, where is Gaius? Weren't you two checking Baron Schwarzer's horse?"

"Yes, we were. Arthur is its name, a beautiful animal and you could feel he misses his master dearly. After we were done with that we got separated, Gaius said he wanted to take a hike through the woods and feel the mountain wind as well as reconvene with Linde, I imagine."

"I should've figured it was something like that. I swear, if I have to hear about the wind one more time I'm going to scream. Don't tell him I said that though."

A small laugh escaped Jusis' lips. "Don't worry, though I feel even he would find it humorous if you pointed it out."

"Yeah, probably. We joke about it but Gaius didn't mention the winds as much back at school, I guess it's just his own way of being nervous about his home."

"Which is understandable. I shared some of the information I managed to gather regarding the highlands with him. Skirmishes sadly have blown up there between segments of the Imperial Army and Nortia's forces but nothing major and there were no reports of the nomad tribes getting involved. That seemed to calm him down somewhat."

"That's good to hear," Alisa sighed in relief. Their stay in Nord was still fresh in her mind as well as the welcoming kindness of the Worzel family and she was worried about them getting caught up in the middle of the war.

"Meanwhile," Jusis continued with an annoyed huff. "Millium followed me back even though she had promised she would stay and brush Arthur's hair like I had taught her, but thankfully we came across Elliot, Emma and Regnitz as they were heading to the see the skiing course and she decided to go with them for the time being. That girl decided to cling to me like a bad rash and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Can you believe she reached Bareahard by herself just to find me?"

"I mean, it's obvious isn't it? She likes you," Alisa giggled when Jusis groaned and rolled his eyes. "Come on, are you going to tell me you weren't having fun teaching her to dance at the festival?"

"Millium is an extremely fast learner, which I assume is what brought her to the intelligence division, although why they would take someone so young is still a mystery."

Try as he might to hide it, Alisa saw that Jusis was smiling as he reminisced about the festival.

"But yes, it was amusing to teach her. On the other hand, you've put to shame many of the noble daughters I've encountered in the countless dinners and parties I've attended, Alisa. I would dare say you're the best dance partner I've had."

That was incredibly unexpected and Alisa blushed at the compliment, even if delivered as matter-of-factly as Jusis normally did. Or maybe the fact it was a sincere compliment was why she blushed. "O-oh, thanks. My grandfather taught me some of it and I took lessons and had some practice with it at some parties my mom dragged me to. And we you were pretty good too."

That seemed to end their conversation on the spot and a slightly awkward silence descended between the two. It was a strange situation to be in to have nothing to say, were they at school they wouldn't have a shortage of subjects to discuss, while the topic of the war had been shelved for the following day. Lost in her thoughts, Alisa caught the last word Jusis said as he spoke.

"-Beautiful."

"W-what?"

"Ymir, it is a beautiful town," Jusis repeated, motioning a hand across the view around them and not catching Alisa's flushed face. "Despite the recent events, it still is a welcoming place where, for a moment, one can forget their worries from the outside world."

"Are you trying to steal Rean's tour guide schtick?" She said playfully.

"I did sound like that, didn't I? But it's the truth. I've had some desire to visit for a while and although I'd rather it was in better circumstances, I'm glad I came."

Alisa nodded in agreement. "I've been here once when I was really young but I barely remember anything except for the snow and getting into a hot spring with my mom and dad…" She sighed wistfully at one of the few memories she had of the time her father was alive. "I probably came across Rean but we were both too young to remember."

"That's very probable. I'd assign the welcoming atmosphere due to Lady Schwarzer's efforts as well, that woman is incredible. She has endured a lot in these last couple of days but nonetheless she stands strong and ensured we had a pleasant time."

"Yeah, Rean's mom is amazing. She's so nice and a joy to be around and so pretty too, she barely looks older than 30 year old, it must be the mountain air. And even though we haven't talked to Rean's sister much, you can see where Elise got her looks and mannerism, she's like a little miniature Lady Schwarzer," Alisa giggled. "Though if Rean got his attitude from his dad, well… Let's just say he must be a handful."

"Oh doubt that is the case," Jusis said plainly.

"Hmm? Why is that?"

So she didn't notice it? Ah well, it doesn't matter anymore. "Lord Schwarzer and my brother are acquaintances and I think the baron being a hotblooded loudmouth is something Rufus would share. From what I hear he is a down to earth and honorable man, the fact he chose to adopt a stray child despite the stigma says it all. I can only imagine what it is like to have a father like that…"

The young noble trailed off and his face dropped with an anguished look in a complete 180 from their light hearted conversation, which concerned Alisa. "Jusis, are you okay?"

Hearing his classmate's voice, Jusis straightened himself and passed a hand over his face. It wasn't like him to run his mouth about a personal subject like that but then that day had been hellish long. "My apologies, Alisa. I simply got a lot on my mind in regards to today's events."

"You did say you guys came across your father on the way out. Did something happen between you two? You wanna talk about it? I kinda have experience in the subject of crappy parents."

Rean and Machias were already aware of his position in the Albarea family and the cat was halfway out of the bag for most of the class thanks to Rean's words of encouragement and his father's outburst back in Bareahard, and eventually they would approach him to confirm it. Which pretty much left only Gaius and Alisa out of the loop and it was only fair to fill them in.

"Sitting down while getting our feet wet isn't the most appropriate place for a serious conversation. How about later, over a cup of tea?"

"Oh my, Jusis, is this a sneaky way to ask me out on a date?" She teased, hoping to ease the mood.

He hadn't meant it in that way and Alisa was clearly just bantering but it made Jusis pause to think. The question of romance for him had always been accompanied by pondering what it meant for the Albarea family and because of that he rarely tried to engage in it but Rean's words earlier that day came back to him, what did the Jusis son of a commoner wanted? And what did the name Albarea mean now? He wasn't sure about either and he wasn't necessarily attracted to Alisa that way but… "Sure, why not?" He said with a casual shrug. Besides, Rean and Laura were the only ones making strides in that regard and he wasn't one who liked to be left behind.

To her credit, Alisa did not visibly freak out. "Haha, what?"

"Not right now, I suppose, it's hardly the time for that type of thing, but provided this war reaches a satisfactory conclusion for us, would you be willing to? That is, unless you have reservations about it."

Alisa slowly breathed in and out. That had been out of nowhere, like getting blindsided by a rhinocider, and she scrambled to find an answer. She thought about Rean and Laura, how those two just radiated when near each other, and about her own crush on the raven haired one and how sometimes an intrusive thought would pop up in her head about what she should have done differently in regards to him. She never had thought of Jusis that way, he was attractive for sure, and polite, smart, talented and a little bit of a stubborn hothead. She liked those qualities but did she like them in Jusis specifically?

And why was Jusis asking her out all of a sudden? He never demonstrated having any interest in her in that way, at least Alisa didn't think so. A startling thought that she was actually as oblivious as those two formed itself in her mind. Was it really just a spur of the moment thing? It better not be about him trying to one up Machias on something. No, Jusis wouldn't involve someone else in his stupd rivalry and Alisa knew she was just trying to come up with reasons to decline the invite.

Last time I was too stubborn and lost my chance with someone and now there is a new one right in front me.

"Alright, why not? No compromises beyond that though and if it doesn't work out, no hard feelings. Is that okay?"

Jusis nodded with a smile. "That is agreeable."

Silence would've settled between the two, although if it would the awkward or the comfortable kind neither could guess, and Jusis was about to take his leave when a somewhat grating voice intruded on them

"Hey you lovebirds!"

Alisa's eyes went wide at the voice of their instructor, had she heard their conversation? She really didn't need that type of teasing right now. "I-Instructor!?"

"We are simply having a conversation, instructor," Jusis said more calmly.

"Yeah yeah, I know. Laura and Rean are nowhere to be seen, probably making sword wielding babies right now, so let me have someone to tease," the former Bracer waved their glaring looks dismissively and started to take off her boots before sitting down and plunging her feet into the water. Sara let out a tad too loud groan followed by a breathy "Holy shit, this feels amazing."

"Truly a shining example for your students," Jusis said while both his and Alisa's glare threatened to bore holes on their instructor.

"Oh leave me alone, I've been running ragged for a whole month. I need this so bad," she cooed and craned her neck back with a moan. That woman was absolutely shameless, the two students thought. "Ymir is great, I wouldn't mind settling down here one day."

"We were just talking about how lovely the town is, although moving here would be a bit much in my opinion. I enjoy the cold occasionally but all year around would be bothersome," said Jusis.

"Yeah, Roer can get pretty chilly but not like this. Though I think part of my schedule after graduation will include regular visits here for some hot springs, tasty food and having a chat with Lady Schwarzer."

"That woman is a saint. I don't care how but we need to get her back to Trista with us, she doesn't even have to do anything, just talk about how awesome I am from time to time."

"Lady Schwarzer's image of you as a diligent teacher and Bracer would certainly crumble after long enough exposure to your daily life, instructor."

"Or maybe Lady Lucia would make the instructor get her act together, didn't you notice how professional and well behaved she was in front of her?" Alisa tittered as Sara directed a pointed glare at her. "And I gotta say, instructor, I'm surprised you managed to pull yourself out of the bar for a while."

"Aw, thanks for the backhanded compliments, Alisa. That's why you're my fifth most beloved student. Do you want to know why I left the inn and came here instead of jumping head first into the hot springs?" Sara replied with a sickly sweet tone that smelled of danger.

"Uhh…"

"I'll give you a tip, it starts with a G and ends with Wyn Reinford."

That statement drew all the blood away from Alisa's face. "Oh Aidios, please tell me he didn't say anything embarrassing about me."

"About you? Nah, your dear old grandpa was too busy hitting on me to talk about you. I don't even wanna know what he would do if I attempted to go to the baths," the instructor said with fuming annoyance.

"What's the matter, Sara, I thought you liked them older," Fie said as she arrived, kicking off her boots up in the air and making them fall neatly side by side on the ground, before sitting down next to the older woman. Her reaction to the hot water was a simple "huh, nice."

"Older, not elderly," Sara said, self-assured. "I admire the alluring charm of men around the ages of around 35 up to late 40s, with the rare exceptions of men over 50, that is generally when they are most ripe. They have the looks, a little rugged but not too much, the experience in knowing how to treat a lady, but also a spark of boldness. Viscount Arseid is the prime example of the perfect gentleman. Oh when he asked me to dance…"

Was she actually swooning?

"Other good examples are Matteus Vander which you are all familiar with, Cassius Bright, a former Bracer from Liberl and currently a lieutenant general of its army, Arios MacLane from Crossbell, another Bracer, and from the photos I saw back in there, Baron Schwarzer is a handsome fellow as well and he must be just as charming to snag Lucia. Hell, I'd say Duke Albarea would be quite the snack were it not for the whole coup thing."

At that Jusis retched in disgust and covered both ears with his hands. "Don't ever repeat those words in my presence ever again or I will be forced to stab my own eardrums."

Unperturbed, Sara continued to state what makes a perfect man for her, not that anybody asked and Fie felt a lot of regret for giving her a chance to. "But Gwyn Reinford is just too old, too…" the former Bracer gestured with her hands, as if holding something. "Too flabby. Like, I imagine all that excess skin and-"

"Instructor, please shut up," Alisa did not want to hear or, worse, visualize that.

"Besides, he's too forward for my tastes."

"Like you are one to talk," Fie said, finally ending the woman's tortuous streak.

"I'm not that bad. Right, Alisa? Jusis?"

"Do you honestly expect pity from us at this moment?" The young Albarea struck back.

"Point taken. What were you two talking about again? Ah yes, Ymir sure is lovely," Sara immediately chose to change the subject, daring not to hear her own flaws be exposed by her own students.

"Yep, it's pretty comfy and you can barely tell a jaeger attack happened here a couple of days ago," Fie mused as she looked around them. "It's rare for jaegers to be restrained but I guess they thought they could just make some noise and Rean's family would give them the princess."

"And the Northern Jaegers paid dearly for the 'noise' they made from what I was told, and I hope Rean doesn't let it weigh on his consciousness."

Sara had been merrily taping her feet on the water surface but she froze in place when Jusis said those words. "Wait, back up, what did you call those jaegers?"

"Northern Jaegers, as a Bracer I'm sure you are familiar with those so-called heroes of North Ambria. They are under my father's employment so naturally they were the ones who attacked the town. Similarly, a company known as Nidhoggr is working for Marquis Rogner and the Zephyr jaegers are under Duke Cayenne's employment."

"Jusis, what was that about Rean's consciousness?" Alisa interjected and distracted Jusis from their instructor's slightly paler complexion.

Jusis went on to explain to Alisa some of the details he heard from Rufus about the attack on Ymir and Fie gave her own version she heard from Rean, the one detail that had been skipped over during their arrival being how the jaegers had been dispatched.

"I've… gotta go," Sara said without her usual disposition as she made to get up. "I gotta call Toval, you kids enjoy yourselves," the instructor didn't pay attention to the weird looks she was being given and simply walked away back towards the direction of the inn.

Back in the Schwarzer manor, Laura was guided down the stairs by Lucia towards the living room, where both sat down on opposite ends of a couch. Still slightly anxious, Laura fidgeted with her hands, which did not go unnoticed by the lady of the house.

"You don't have to be nervous, Laura, really. I don't mind that you listened in."

"Again, Lady Schwarzer, my apologies. I simply wanted to greet the baron and waited outside, I hadn't expected your conversation to take the turn that it did."

"And I also say it again, it's fine, dear," reaching out, Lucia gave a light squeeze at Laura's hands, forcing the girl to settle down. "I know we just ate, but would you like some tea, Laura?"

"No, please, Lady Schwarzer. I'm fine," the swordswoman said, raising her head to look at the woman who so far she had been avoiding making eye contact out of embarrassment. "Do you know where Rean went?"

"He most likely took to the woods, it's the best place to go to if you wish to be by yourself."

"Are you sure it's wise to leave Rean by himself right now? He seemed very distressed and it could be dangerous to roam around alone."

"Trust me, the last thing he needs right now is someone fussing over him but thank you for your concern, I can see you care a lot for him. Besides, you'd never find him, Rean knows the forest like the back of his hand and if he wants he can disappear in there. He's pretty much mapped out the entire region after a certain incident years ago so he would never get lost again."

"I imagine you are referring to when he and Elise were attacked and his power awakened for the first time."

"So he told you," Lucia's face dropped in melancholy, though part of her found some comfort in the fact Rean had shared that with someone else. "I had never seen him like that before the jaeger attack. It was one thing to hear Elise describe it when she was a scared child or when Master Ka-fai talked about his training, but to see it with my own eyes… He was almost unrecognizable in his rage. I don't know what would've happened if Elise hadn't stopped him," recalling the still very fresh memories of the attack, Lucia's composure faltered for a moment and a slight sheen of wetness formed in her eyes and was wiped away by her hand.

Rean had been vague on how the last jaeger had survived and Laura had thought the mercenary had surrendered, not thinking it mattered much. Now his mother painted a different, clearer picture, of a Rean overcome by fury striking out at those who hurt his family, only stopping at the pleas of his sister. Whether the omission had been on purpose or not, she understood why as she recalled his fear of losing control.

"I'm sorry, a parent wishes they could help their children with everything and it can be quite despairing when there is something beyond their power."

Laura couldn't help but commend Lucia's strength as she still remained steadfast despite the strong emotions clearly coursing through her. With the woman doing her best to remain composed, Laura couldn't continue feeling nervous and thus picked herself up.

"Since we've learned of his power, our instructor and I have been assisting Rean in better understanding and controlling it. On that particular occasion Rean was understandably shaken and, well, angry but I assure you he has been getting better at handling it. We've sparred and even conversed together while he was in that state and I assure you, Lady Schwarzer, that despite how it looks, Rean is still himself."

To give weight to her words and reassure the older woman, Laura sat closer to her, grasping one of her hands between hers. She forgot her awkwardness and Lucia's position as her boyfriend's mother, and simply viewed her as someone who needed help.

"And I promise, Rean does not walk this road alone as I stand beside him as a follower of the way of the sword and as his partner."

For Laura to be able to look at her with such an unwavering, resolute gaze despite feeling so nervous a moment ago was a surprise, but a welcomed one. Lucia could feel those were not mere attempts at making her feel better but a sincere promise and desire to help Rean. She was truly an amazing girl and she understood why Rean had taken a liking to her. A real keeper, she thought to herself.

Lucia allowed herself to smile and thanked Laura for her words. "Now, with that gloomy subject out of the way, what I really wished to speak to you about was…" She perked up and Laura could feel an intense warmth coming off her. "When did you and Rean start dating? Have you gone out on dates? Have you two…" She trailed off with a sly smirk and a raised eyebrow and the implication made Laura blush something fierce.

"No! Of course not, we'd never- I mean not never, but we haven't, in his room we were just kis- Talking, we were talking and-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, calm down, Laura," Lucia laughed and patted the girl on the shoulder. "Please, forgive a mother for having some fun at the expense of her son's first girlfriend. I do wish to know you better and talk about your relationship, if you don't mind that is. I know how awkward it can be, so I avoided mentioning anything when your friends were around."

Laura exhaled and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down a little, the gentle expression in Lucia's face making it easy though the subject in question counterbalanced that. The way that woman managed to be so kind but also a bit mischievous at the same time was very surprising. Not being one to back down easily, Laura did gather enough courage to talk about her relationship with Rean.

She pondered on how to start and reached the obvious conclusion to start at the beginning, the adjustment period at Thors and the first interactions with Rean, although those were nothing noteworthy. It was only after the field exercises in Celdic that they started to develop a budding friendship due to working together, Laura explained, foregoing to mention their duel as Lady Lucia did not need to hear about her setting up a nightly encounter alone with Rean.

She went on to talk about their day to day, how their sparring sessions were the highlight of their weeks and how they tackled the challenges of the old schoolhouse and field exercises together, and a besotted smile took over Laura's face whenever she described the feeling of fighting against or alongside him.

It was heartwarming to see the girl talking about her son in such a way, but then Laura said something that caught her attention. "Of course, initially Rean's usual demeanor might have meant we would stay as mere friends but-"

Lucia blinked, once, twice. "Excuse me, but how do you mean, his demeanor?"

"Oh I meant all the jokes, the snark and his overall extroverted attitude," also how rude he could be at times but she wouldn't say that in front of his mother. "That type of more upbeat personality is quite the contrast to my own, as you may assume."

Extroverted? Rean? Lady Schwarzer tilted her head. And since when does he tell jokes? "I see," she simply said, choosing not to question it, although it was so far from how she would describe Rean. Yes, he had grown and changed in some ways but the way Laura spoke it was almost like he had always been like that.

Laura continued on that tangent, talking about the moments when she would see another side of Rean, the caring, smart and sensitive one that consoled her during the falling out with Fie and during their trip to Garrelia Fortress, and praised how dedicated he could be to helping others.

Now that is more like him, Lucia thought upon hearing it and she felt some relief, although that was short lived as Laura moved on to their trip to Legram and how Rean issued a challenge to Viscount Arseid, making Lucia almost go pale but Laura assured that her father enjoyed the duel. It had also been a pivotal point in their relationship as it was she learned of his power.

The story went on to the day of the festival, with Lucia expressing regret in not being able to attend. Laura addressed the whole thing with broad strokes, deciding that going through all the intricacies of their concert would be more interesting with Rean along, and went straight to what really mattered. "And then we got to dancing during the post-party and then… We kissed."

That was adorable, Lucia concluded and her own heart was skipping as she remembered the early days of her relationship with Teo. That girl was lovestruck and so was Rean, she was sure of it. "Thank you for sharing that, Laura. I've learned a lot about you and even Rean as well, and I'm glad he's found such an amazing person to be with, especially in such turbulent times, and I'm sure Teo would agree."

"Thank you, Lady Schwarzer, that is very kind of you."

"You may simply call me, Lucia, dear," she responded along with a gentle squeeze of Laura's hand. "And maybe, in the future, you may call me mom too."

Laura started to stutter again and Lucia giggled. "I'm sorry, just messing with you again. Now please, go be with the rest of your friends, I've taken enough of your time. I'm sure Rean will show up for dinner and if anybody asks about him I trust your judgment to inform them on what is going on."

The Arseid girl got up with a thank you and, despite the new level of closeness between her and Rean's mother, still bowed to her and excused herself rather formally, but before she could leave Lucia called out her attention.

"I meant to ask Rean but I suppose you could answer as well. In his letters, he mentioned a classmate called Crow, a second year who joined your class halfway through the year. Is there a reason why he didn't come with you? Judging by your good spirits, I assume nothing terrible happened to him."

It was a surprising question and Laura had to sit back down again. "Lady Schw… Lucia, how much has Rean told you about Crow and the day we escaped Trista?"

"Sorry, kids, but the skiing course is closed," said Kliff, the manager of the ski station to the Class VII students as they approached. "A fire broke out during the jaeger attack and destroyed most of the equipment but thankfully nobody got hurt."

"Awwww…" Millium lamented, though she was quickly reminded by Machias they were not there on vacation and it was rude to abuse the hospitality of the Schwarzers by expecting them to pay for their diversions as well.

"Yet you seemed quite content about getting that record from Lady Schwarzer," said Celine.

"Well, I-"

"Huh, who said that?" Kliff looked around for the source of the voice, confused as it didn't seem to come from either of the girls.

"It was me," Emma said as she loudly cleared her throat. "Sorry, my voice is a little hoarse."

"No, I'm sure I didn't see your mouth move," he said, his gaze starting to turn to Celine.

The witch sighed and removed her glasses, her eyes acquiring a faint blue shine. I'm so sorry, mister. "It was me, I talked just now, nobody else. Do you understand?"

Kliff froze as he found himself transfixed by the girl's stare and a sharp sensation took over his mind, compelling him to agree with the girl's statement. "Yes… right," he shook his head. "Not sure I thought it wasn't you, missy. Sorry about that. Anyway, you kids enjoy your stay."

Still looking a little confused, Kliff left them on their own and Emma let out a relieved sigh, only to see the stares of her classmates directed at her. "Uhh…"

"I swear, you humans are too impressiona-" Celine started saying but Emma was quick to pick her up from the ground and cover her mouth while looking around.

"Please be more careful when you speak, Celine. It's okay for someone like Rean's parents or Captain Rievedelt to know about you but not every random citizen of Erebonia needs to go around spreading stories of the girl with the talking cat," the witch said through gritted teeth before releasing her mouth again.

"Fine. I suppose I got too used to speaking freely again."

Satisfied with that, Emma put Celine down again which returned her to the still surprised looks of her friends.

"D-did you seriously just brainwash that guy?" Elliot asked.

"I wouldn't call it that, it was a simple hypnotic suggestion. I made him believe something else happened, but it's a rather fragile illusion that can be easily broken if it doesn't align with what the subject is experiencing. So, if Celine were to continue to talk it wouldn't have worked."

"Have you ever used it on us? Can you teach me how to do it?" Millium bounced with excitement but then what didn't seem to make that girl excited?

"No! No, I'd never use it on you guys! Uhmm… Unless you were close to finding out my secret, which you never were so I didn't! Please, believe me," Emma seemed to be about to cry in her pleas. She already felt incredibly remorseful for hiding her true identity from her classmates for so long, she couldn't bear to lose their trust even further if they started to believe she was constantly messing with their minds.

"Alright, Emma, calm down, we believe you. Right, Machias? Millium?" Said Elliot, quick to assuage the girl.

"Yeah, right. You were always there to help us, Emma. I trust you," said Machias.

"Can you use it on me though? I wanna kniw what it feels like. Also, teach me!"

"Thanks, guys. And no Millium, it won't work on you since you're expecting it, I can't fool your mind with something you know already it's false. Also, no, I am not teaching you," the witch said with a stern voice, having recovered her composure. "And I promise, when we gather tomorrow to discuss what we will do, I will explain as much as I can about myself and the Divine Knights, I owe you all that much."

"Aw fine," Millium slumped, hanging her arms in a show of defeat. "We can't ski, you won't teach me hypnosis magic, Jusis said I can't go swimming in the baths, what am I supposed to do until tomorrow?"

"Rean has a mangy mutt of a dog, maybe you should go bother it," said Celine with a sardonic smile, but this time not before making sure nobody else was around.

"Oooh, petting a dog sounds awesome! Though Mrs. Schwarzer did say it was making company for Mr. Schwarzer and I don't wanna bother him," a surprisingly thoughtful and mature thing for Millium to consider. "Oh, I know what we can do. Lammy!"

Although used to the sudden appearance of the white combat shell, they were still startled, worried about the townsfolk taking issue and having to explain what that thing was, though thankfully nobody was nearby.

"Millium, please, give us a warning before you summon Airgetlam," said Emma, but the girl wasn't listening as she made way to the skiing course. She and the boys followed, a little concerned with what kind of mischief the girl was planning. "Celine, could you please go fetch Jusis? And maybe Instructor Sara as well. I don't want Millium to cause trouble for the Schwarzer family."

"Do I have to?"

"Now, Celine."

"Fine, fine."

The intelligence agent stared deeply at her partner, which responded with its usual string of noises that were only understood by her.

"So you can't do it?" She said, sounding disappointed.

"Uh, Millium, what are you trying to do?" Asked Elliot.

"I tried to get Lammy to turn into a pair of skis or a snowboard. He can turn into a hammer so I thought, well, why not?"

"I don't even know how this thing works and I could tell you that's a stupid idea," Machias responded. "Can't you just jump on top of it and fly, why do you want to go down the slope on it?"

Millium's eyes sparkled at the words. "Ooooh yeah! Thanks, Machias! Lammy, on the ground!" The combat shell readily complied and laid down on the snow right before where the steep slope down began. "Who wants to come?"

"I'll have to pass."

"Yeah, thanks for the offer, but no, Millium."

"Absolutely not."

Emma, Elliot and Machias fired in quick succession but Millium was not having it.

"Weeeeell… You gave the idea, so you are coming, Machias!" WIth no previous warning, Mllium lunged at Machias at a speed they never saw the girl move with before, not even in battle, and used a set of moves that unbalanced the green haired teen before throwing him on top of Airgetlam.

Before Machias could even attempt to lift himself up, Millium jumped on top of him. "Alright, Lammy, let's go!"

"No, wait!"

It was already past 9 o'clock when Rean returned to Ymir, hungry, cold and exhausted both physically and mentally. With most of the townsfolk already retired to their homes, the town was practically deserted with only the lights coming from the windows indicating any signs of life and soon those would be turned off as well.

To pull off going back home for a little while longer, he decided to go to the Phoenix Wings to grab something to eat. Just like the rest of the town, the inn was quiet, with only a few patrons still milling about. Rean found Kenny and Annabelle were having dinner at the bar and though he wanted to say hello to his fellow fisher, he decided he didn't want to intrude. Meanwhile, Jusis and Alisa were having some tea in a corner booth and both greeted him with a casual nod and wave of hand and returned to whatever they were talking about.

It seemed they didn't have any questions as to where he had disappeared to for the rest of the day, which he was thankful for. He wasn't feeling like talking to anyone really.

Rean placed an order for some stew with the chef and would've been content to just eat at the counter by himself but Instructor Sara called out his name, waving at him to come sit with her. He sighed, it seemed like he wasn't going to get away from this one.

"Heeey, Rean, now why didn't you tell me you had such good liquor over here?" On her table was a half full bottle of some clear liquid with a label written in eastern characters that she had no idea what they meant. Probably "incredibly delicious" she thought to herself as she filled a shot glass and downed it in one go. "Aaah that's the stuff. Do you know what it is called?"

Sitting down, Rean squinted his eyes looking at the label, though he still couldn't tell what it said. "I think it's supposed to be shōchū. Master Ka-fai brought some with him last time he was here and now we import it from Calvard along with some other stuff."

"Oooh fancy."

"And expensive. My parents aren't covering for you to get plastered, you know?" He said through narrowed eyes.

"Oh please, are you doubting your teacher's ability to pay for stuff?" She downed another glass. "It's on my tab, okay?"

"You have a tab here now?"

"Duh, Ymir is great, you can consider me a regular as soon as this war is over!"

Rean was really tired so maybe his brain wasn't functioning well but the way his instructor was talking felt off. He had seen her drunk and judging by the half empty bottle at the table she had drunk a lot, and who knew how big that tab had gotten already, but right now she didn't seem that drunk. It was like she was forcing herself.

"Good vibes, good food, great liquor and as a bonus I can sneak a peek at the handsome baron who presides over it all. Your dad is so dreamy, a truly charming gentleman, you can barely tell he's raised you!" Sara cackled. "Oh if only he was single…"

"Please, don't become some sort of homewrecker," he glared at her again.

"Nah, I could never forgive myself if I hurt your sweet mother's heart and broken them up. Besides, Lucia is quite the sight and I might just learn to enjoy playing for the other team too if it gets me access to your dad."

Rean rolled his eyes. She was definitely drunk, there was no way she would say these things sober. "Instructor, I'm begging you to stop talking about my parents. Wait, did you go talk to my dad?"

Sara downed another glass and shifted in her seat, her movements seeming a little rigid and awkward, though Rean figured she was just being drunk. "Yeah, I just, you know, wanted to talk about stuff."

"Stuff," he repeated with incredulity.

"Look, despite current events I still am your teacher and a Bracer. Your parents and I just had a little chat about your academic life and some things about the security over here at Ymir. It was very brief, I didn't want to bother your father too much."

That made sense, he thought. Rean sighed and before he could say anything his food arrived and he immediately started digging into it.

With her salvo of improper things to say to stave off the bad mood she was in depleted, Sara allowed herself to be quiet and let Rean eat in peace while she had a couple more shots of shōchū. He looked like a mess, she thought. Laura had said he started to feel unwell due to all the fighting in the Divine Knight but she hadn't bought it and the conversation with his parents cleared up what he was really going through, though it only served to make herself feel even more like shit.

I'm really sorry. She couldn't bring herself to say it, not yet at least. He didn't need to learn that his teacher used to run with the same people that shot his father while he kicked himself with guilt.

Watching Rean eat with a listless expression on his face was awful, she had to do something to cheer him up somehow. Well, this could work. "Aside from us over here I think everyone else has already headed out to bed," Sara said casually.

"Hmm…" He looked up from his bowl of stew, not sure where she was going with it.

"What about you? It's been one hell of a day."

With a shrug, he said "I don't know." I don't want to go home yet.

"I wanted to take a dip at the baths the entire day but Alisa's grandfather kept hounding me and I just knew he would try to get in too if I did," Sara stretched her arms out lazilly with a groan before lying her head down on the table with a sleepy expression. "Now I'm too sleepy for that, I don't wanna pass out in the baths and wake up next morning and find out I slow-cooked myself the entire night."

Rean simply nodded as he finished his meal. Honestly he was barely paying attention.

"If you're not tired yet you should go for it, Rean. Take a load off because after tomorrow I don't think we will have many chances to chill out at hot springs."

"Hmm…"

Sara watched as Rean visibly was thinking on her suggestion, though he didn't seem completely taken on it yet. Well, there was only so much she could do. The instructor picked up her bottle of liquor and got up to head to her room. "Come on, kid, you gotta give your mind and body a break."

"That an order, instructor?" He said without looking at her.

"If that's what it takes," she put a hand over his shoulder. "You took quite a mean punch from McBurn and that spirit path thing played hell on you, Rean, and it's not going to be easier here onward. If you want to get your sister back, you need to be in top shape."

Rean never heard her sound this concerned before and the look on her face when he finally faced his instructor was very unlike her. "Thanks, instructor. I'll take that into consideration."

"That's what I like to hear."

With a pat on his shoulder, Sara said good night to Rean and left, though her plan wasn't over yet.

Rean wasn't quite sure when he ended up at the Phoenix Wings' hot springs as it hardly seemed like the time to be indulging himself but Instructor Sara managed to convince him. She was right, he really needed it as only now he became aware of how much his body ached and the hot mountain water was doing wonders to make him feel whole again. His mind on the other hand…

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

For now that would have to suffice. With his back against the springs' stone wall, Rean lowered his body until his chin almost hit the water and closed his eyes, emptying his mind of every thought, every emotion he could, and focused purely on the physical sensations around him.

First it was the rock where he rested his head on, hard but smooth and allowing for enough comfort. Through the hot water that surrounded his body, he could feel the slightest shifts in its motions caused incoming supply of water from the spring as well as his own slow breathing. From the tip of his toes to his stomach and chest and neck, he felt every muscle of his body being caressed by the water and washing his exhaustion away.

He went deeper into the blank emptiness of his mind, focusing more on the external sensations around him, and only on that, and felt the hot air flowing up from the water and rolling over his cheeks and the humidity that clung to his skin and hair. He could feel everything, every particle surrounding him as an individual thing.

The world around Rean felt more alive than ever as his senses expanded outwards. He could hear the sounds coming from the inn such as the clinking of glasses and silverware and drawers being opened and closed. Pairs of feet walked around the building's wooden floor with differing gaits and he could make out a couple of conversations but not who the people speaking were nor the content of what was being said.

Outside, a pair of owls moved in their nest in a tree nearby and took flight and he could hear the flapping of their wings as their screech echoed in the night, as well as the rustling of the branches caused by their movement. A squirrel rushed to a hide in a bush, its heart beating much faster upon hearing the nocturnal predators' call.

He could hear and feel everything.

That was the Unseen Eye, a technique Master Ka-fai taught him that Rean could only use in a deeply meditative state. By clearing the mind of all internal distractions, one's senses heightened, becoming able to pick out the smaller minutia of the world around them. Yun Ka-fai could use it even in combat situations with his eyes open wide, being able to discern someone's muscle twitches and know they would attack even before his own opponents did, a feat beyond Rean's grasp.

It was also a step towards reaching the necessary state of mind for mastering the Void form of the Eight Leaves. A step because what the Void actually required was a clear mind and emptying it first was part of the process of reaching full tranquility. Master Ka-fai simplified it to Rean as removing all of the furniture from a room before reorganizing it into a better set up. This incredibly powerful technique that allowed its user to sense the world more vividly and could even put a strain on the seasoned Sword Hermit and required all of Rean's concentration to pull off was a mere step.

No wonder he believed he would never master the Void. And Master Ka-fai would surely be disappointed that instead of practicing the Unseen Eye for its true purposes, Rean used it to run away from his own thoughts.

With his mind in peaceful, empty bliss, Rean felt comfortable despite being aware of everything else around him, the outside world providing sufficient distraction from his personal turmoil. He didn't want to leave but soon knew he would have to, he too didn't wish to be boiled overnight by the spring's hot water. Or would he if he hadn't felt a familiar presence that made his concentration start to slip.

It started with a confident gait towards the changing room before stopping, shuffling a bit, before entering. The person then stripped and picked up a towel. They shifted in place again for a moment before straightening themselves up and stomping with their right foot on the floor, a boost of confidence. They took a deep breath and then exited towards the spring.

"Hey, Laura," he said as he opened his eyes and sat up straight once again, trying to sound a little more upbeat than during his conversation with Instructor Sara. She deserved better than his sad self.

"Hello, Rean. Do you mind if I join you?"

"I'd feel bad if you didn't."

With no further words needed, Laura approached the spring and dipped a foot on the water before fully entering and sitting to Rean's left side. "Oh Aidios, this feels amazing," she couldn't help but groan as the water seemed to massage every fiber of her strained muscles.

For his part Rean simply watched and admired as the swordswoman let out soft groans and moans as she stretched out her body, now glistening wet. The towel Laura had wrapped around her body covered from her chest to above her knees but somehow she looked sexier than when in her swimming suit.

"I imagine this is how a hard day of training would usually end for you," Laura said.

"Yeah, most times. Though I'd avoid coming here when there are too many guests, can't really relax when a bunch of people around you keep yapping about something or other."

Laura simply nodded as she lowered herself so the water would reach up to her chin like Rean had been. She knew her body took a beating but only now she realized how much every individual muscle group of hers was hurting in a different way. Swimming at Lake Ebel was reinvigorating, serving only to get her even more pumped up for further training most times, but this had the complete opposite effect, mollifying her body and making the swordswoman want to lie down on a comfortable bed later and have the most comfortable night's sleep of her life.

She really needed this, all of them did, Rean most of all.

"This has been one tiresome day, hasn't it?" She said, sitting back up and looking up to the clear starlit sky.

"Tell me about it. It's crazy to think earlier today we were at your home then went to Bareahard and Roer just to end up here in one single day," Rean said.

"True. It feels like it's been days since we were taking the road towards Barehard," a moment of comfortable quiet descended on them as Laura recalled the peaceful trek from her hometown, but then a chuckle escaped her lips that caused Rean to look at her with curiosity.

"What's so funny?"

"I was thinking back on your pouting face."

"Ugh, you can't mess with a guy like that, you know that, right?"

"You deserved it. Now that I think about it, you never actually explained how you touched Fie's chest," she said with a pointed look at Rean.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said and went on to explain the exact way he came across Fie back in the Lunaria park. To put it simply he had gotten smacked in the face with the little ex-jaeger by the same giant ape monster they had fought during their first field exercises.

A simple "oh" was all the reaction Laura could muster. "How does that keep happening to you?"

"I'm just that lucky I guess," he replied with a not so innocent smile when he saw Laura's gaze narrow, which gave him a great, and also terrible, idea. "So let's review. First time was Alisa which was pretty awkward and I couldn't get much of a feel of, then you which was amazing, and then Fie recently, not much going there, unfortunately. Do you think I'll get a chance with the rest of the girl's in our class?"

"Rean…" Her low voice and narrowed eyes spelled danger.

"Okay, so, first there's Millium which is, like, come on, no. When it gets to Emma's turn though it will be like being hit in the face with a pair of soft pillows. Do you think Instructor Sara counts?" He turned to Laura with a look of innocent askance, pretending not to see the vein that popped on her forehead. "Let's say she does. Wow, I might just die crushed under those, I mean she's just hu-"

"Rean Schwarzer, are you honestly going to keep musing about our classmates and teacher's breasts while your girlfriend is sitting right next to you?"

"And what are you going to do to turn my attention to something else?" He said as he turned to her with a cheshire grin on his lips and gaze directed at Laura's chest.

Laura gasped at his leering, putting her arms over her chest. "Do you remember what I told you about being shameless?"

"I think I'm being very bold, actually," he said before shifting back to his original position with a satisfied grin as Laura made a most adorable face, angry with flushed cheeks. "You started this by the way."

He took to looking at the stars, purposely ignoring her glare which made him miss how Laura looked around the springs to check if they were truly alone and bit her lower lip. Rean was about to say he was just joking and add some cheesy line about how he only had eyes for her when she got his attention back by moving from her position and Rean thought Laura might actually leave, but instead she sat right in front of him.

"Uhh… Laura?" She stood there, kneeling with half of her body underwater, eyes darting from left to right while she clutched her towel with a tight grip. She looked redder than ever, from her cheeks down to her shoulders and chest, Rean was starting to feel nervous as to why she seemed so anxious.

Then, steeling herself with a deep breath, with a sudden move Laura pulled down the white towel that covered her breasts. Rosy nipples sat on top of perky breasts adorned by smooth, immaculate creamy white skin, tinted pink by the spring's heat and Laura's own, heaving up and down with the swordswoman's breathing.

Perfect. It was the only thought Rean's brain could conjure, nothing else. He was not expecting that, not knowing Laura, not after what had happened in his room. Perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect.

"Do I have your attention now?" She said, still feeling a little embarrassed to look straight at Rean.

"You and no one else…" He responded with a breathless whisper.

The clear awe in his voice was too much for her and Laura finally turned to Rean, coming face to face with his dumbstruck look, mouth agape and eyes that shimmered with delight. She had to admit, it was a big ego boost and feeling emboldened by this, Laura made her move. With the towel still covering her from the stomach down, Laura approached her boyfriend slowly, feeling satisfaction in how his breathing quickened and how he licked his lips, but also admiring his restraint.

She straddled his legs and sat on his lap but despite her confident stride Laura still felt nervous, this was absolutely not something she had planned when coming there. "I can be bold too," she said in a low, timid voice as she put her hands on his shoulders. With one hand she held him, while the other slid down from his shoulder to his right arm, enjoying the feeling of his toned muscles before guiding his hand to hold her by the waist.

Rean grasped her firmly both hands and pressed Laura tightly against his own body and she could feel his member moving through the layers of fabric of their towels. Squeezing her eyes shut, Laura could feel herself getting lost in this, forgetting what she had gone there to do. She caressed his hair, wet and soft against her fingers and cheek, and pressed his face against her chest, drawing a moan of pleasure from Rean.

With his face pressed tightly in between Laura's breasts, against her hot and wet skin, Rean felt like he was in heaven. And her heart! It was like a jackhammer, pounding and pounding so heavily he could clearly sense the vibrations it sent across his own body.

Is it just because of me?

And what else would it be? His own heart seemed about to burst from his chest, but at the same time he felt so warm and soothed as Laura's fingers caressed the back of his head. He pressed his nose and lips against the soft swell of her breast, drinking in the sensation of her naked skin against him; he wanted more, he wanted to dive in on what she was clearly offering her, but part of Rean felt this was all so sudden and unexpected and he still felt reluctance based on the last time they got intimate.

"I thought you said you wanted to take things slow," his voice came out hoarse and dry.

"I did and I do," Laura sighed. She had been stalling at first, having brought up the incident with Fie to buy herself time to think on the right thing to say, but then she got caught up in Rean's silly taunts and things escalated. Taunts which, she realized now, were a mask.

But in the end, maybe this was the ideal situation. It was such an intimate moment, they were so close and open to each other. It was a perfect, blissful moment that Laura would have to shatter. "This isn't about desire, it's about comforting you."

She felt Rean stir, the hands holding her waist losing some of their grip. "Instructor Sara told you to come over," Laura's coincidental appearance on the heels of the instructor's unsubtle nudges to get him in the hot springs should've made it obvious. Did he really seem that bad when he talked to his teacher?

"Our instructor was worried about you and so was I. Rean, I heard your conversation with your parents and I've been meaning to talk to you since."

How messed up had Rean been that he hadn't even thought about the situation from the eyes of the people outside his family circle? He had rushed out of parents bedroom and disappeared from the town for hours well into the night and Laura had been with him, of course she had heard and seen everything, and Instructor Sara talked to his parents so she probably knew too. What were the rest of his class thinking when they couldn't find him?

I guess I didn't think they would care.

Rean went cold and rigid, as if the past moments hadn't happened, and the hands that so lovingly held Laura disengaged, going limp to his sides. She felt his body starting to try to move, trying to push her off and get up, but Laura grounded herself and didn't allow him to leave. Yes, this was a perfect position to be in.

"It was pretty pathetic, wasn't it? Talking about running away from home and crying and then bailing out like that, like some stupid kid."

His voice was a weak mewling, such a far cry from the Rean she knew, and she could feel how afraid he was of her judgment of him. Gently, she held his head up to face her, fuschia eyes avoiding her gaze. "Would I be here if I thought you were pathetic?"

He didn't need to say anything for Laura to understand how he felt. His eyes had so much self-doubt, so much confusion and fear. "There is nothing pathetic about how much you love your family and how their pain hurts you. You've been through a lot, Rean, Crow's betrayal, the war, the attack on your family, and it's understandable that the weight of it all is taking its toll on you, that doesn't make you weak."

Rean flinched at that word and squeezed his eyes shut.

"You haven't been secretive about your desire to escape everything and I now understand how deep it goes. But Rean, you do know how much that would hurt them, don't you?"

"I know."

But they would get over it eventually, especially when their lives got better.

"Your parents love you and deeply care for you, and they don't blame you for what has happened, with these powers and duty forced upon you, nobody could, and as such you shouldn't either."

"It's… it's hard not to. You've already heard everything I said. If I hadn't come here then those jaegers wouldn't have found the princess and shot my father."

"That is very much true, unfortunately we can't deny that. But think, Rean, what if those jaegers had come for the princess and you weren't here? It is not that far-fetched to think that the Noble Alliance's search for Princess Alfin would eventually bring them here. What would have happened if you hadn't been there after your father was shot while your mother tried to protect Princess Alfin?"

"I'd rather not think about it."

"So think about what has happened because you were here. You protected them, you managed to avoid the worst, your parents are safe and sound because of you, and Elise is as well, I am sure of it, I can't believe they would hurt her anymore than they would hurt the princess."

Rean exhaled in frustration, she could tell he was fighting her words, looking for ways to say she was wrong, rationalizing how he convinced himself of his own guilt. Maybe she should try a different approach.

"And let's try to view it another way, if you truly believe blame should be assigned to someone. Let's trace back to other factors that led to those events. Should we blame Prince Olivert for requesting that Toval bring his sister here? Or should we blame Elise, as I believe her friendship with Her Highness was among the reasons why the prince thought Ymir to be a safe place?"

Rean shook his head. "Laura, that's-"

"Absurd, ridiculous, nonsensical, I know. Just as it is for you to carry all of this guilt."

His face dropped in defeat. Rationally speaking, Rean knew Laura and his parents were right, he knew he shouldn't blame himself for everything, there were so many parties in this war, so many moving pieces, not one person could be held accountable for every event. It still didn't stop him from still feeling like that but he was too tired to argue.

"Nobody hates or blames you for the things that are beyond your power, Rean. I realize it's difficult to let go of these feelings, but I want you to think about all of the things that were said to you today and please take them to heart."

Laura's words were filled with so much care and concern, even love he dared to think, that it threatened to overwhelm Rean again, he didn't know what to say, how to respond to that, how to feel about it. He had already exhausted himself too much, his armor of bravado that he had so neatly built up had been completely stripped away, depleted.

"You care so much for others but you don't realize we care just as much about you."

Laura pressed his face against her chest again and Rean never felt so vulnerable before, and not knowing what else to do, no way to escape it, he decided for once to embrace that vulnerability and wrapped his arms around her, not for desire but looking for safety and comfort. He was so tired of fighting with his feelings, of acting stronger than he was, and Laura was there telling him it was okay to drop his guard if only for a moment, and so Rean allowed himself to rely on her strength.

"I will try, Laura."

She smiled and planted a kiss on his head. "That's a start."

Isolated from everything else around them, Rean and Laura stayed there for a while quietly in their own little world.