It was a restless night for Rean, being surrounded by enemies made it impossible for him to relax enough to get any significant sleep. Not that anybody there needed him to lower his guard to kill him if they wanted to, which just made his anxiety greater.
But that wasn't the only thing on Rean's mind that kept him from getting some shut eye, the conversation with Crow had been a heavy load to bear. His reasons for joining the Noble Alliance, for wanting to kill Chancellor Osborne, were finally explained and they hit too close to home. Rean questioned himself over and over what he would've done if he were in Crow's place, because he almost had been. If his father had died back then, would he still have gone after his friends first, gathered them up and tried to formulate a plan on how to deal with the war? Or would he have hopped on Valimar in a suicidal attack against Duke Albarea, the ogre on overdrive, leaving behind a trail of bodies of anyone who dared stand in his way?
That thought made him shudder.
"I gotta say it's fucking rich to hear you of all people being on my ass for pretending to be another person!"
"I guess it was funny, huh? The loser kid from school trying to fit in, trying to be cool, imitating you."
That was a whole other can of worms. Of course Crow had noticed it, Jusis and Instructor Sara had already said they saw through his act, Laura as well in her own way, but that Crow himself did… Back then, before terrorists and coups and Divine Knights, Crow was just a guy, a friend, and what's so wrong about friends influencing each other? And even if Crow had noticed it, he wouldn't have judged him for it because he was that sort of chill person and Rean was just trying to find himself.
But that wasn't the case anymore, Crow wasn't just a chill guy he hung out with and he had been plenty aware of how Rean emulated him that whole time. He wasn't his friend, never was. It was so juvenile, Rean was 17 years old when school started and still doing that thing where younger kids try to act like older people, and the terrorist leader, center piece of the Noble Alliance had seen right through him from the beginning. Pathetic really.
And none of it had been real anyway, his attempt at breaking away from his previous self had been based on a fake, so what did that say about Rean himself? What right do I have to be angry at Crow when I'm not any better…
No. No, that wasn't right. Crow had lied and deceived everyone to hide his identity, to fool the intelligence division, meanwhile Rean was just trying to get a better grip on his life. And sure, he let Crow influence his mannerisms and attitude but it wasn't like he turned himself into a carbon copy of him, Crow had been the base of the new Rean but not the whole thing, his attempts at slacking off just maed him feel bad and he couldn't even pretend to be a shameless womanizer.
Right, I'm not like Crow at all, Rean told himself. He hadn't lied about who he was, it wasn't a lie to act differently around different people, that was perfectly normal actually, and he wasn't putting up a front to deceive anyone, he had just changed. He was still his own person, that Crow betrayed him and everyone else shouldn't change that, and now, more than ever, he needed to be assured of himself, for the sake of his family, his friends and Laura. He could not doubt himself.
The grumbling of his stomach pulled Rean away from his reverie, only now noticing the sunlight coming from behind the curtains of his room. He got out of bed and went for the window and was greeted with a beautiful early morning sky with just a few clouds in the horizon. They still hadn't landed yet, he wasn't sure the Pantagruel would even land any time soon and he couldn't tell exactly where they were but at least it seemed it wasn't anywhere near the Eisengard Range, so that was a relief at least.
He needed to escape, but how? He could order Valimar to fly to his location, break the window and jump on his cockpit but Ordine would alert Crow before the Ashen Knight reached him. As for Valimar's spatial translocation, there wasn't enough space for it and Rean did not think this was the best time to learn what would happen if Valimar materialized within the walls of an airship. Would the spirit path work up there? There were way too many uncertainties to do anything risky.
So bringing the Divine Knight to him was out of question, Rean would need to get to Valimar. He just needed to sneak past all the soldiers, jaegers, ILF and Ouroboros agents on the way, hop on Valimar and fly away. Easy.
And fly away to where? He couldn't go back to Ymir, the Noble Alliance would just go back there. And there was another issue, Duke Cayenne's threat. He couldn't accept the offer, he refused to work with these people, promises of ending the war quicker were just attempts to make their side sound benevolent, and he refused to ever work alongside Crow. But what would happen if he refused?
Rean crashed back on the sofa, putting a hand to his forehead as he felt a headache starting. He needed to leave, he needed to be somewhere safe, he needed to see the others again… He needed to eat. His stomach grumbled again. He looked at the coffee table, the fish burgers Crow had brought him the previous day where he had left them, now cold and unappetizing.
There was a knock at the door and a sweet, charming female voice asked permission to enter, and Rean had half a mind to see if he could use his power to punch through the door and catch her by surprise. "Sure," he simply said instead.
Vita Clotilde entered the room, elegant and beautiful as ever but now with an added sense of power and danger to her, something she had hidden supremely well before but now exuded for all to see. Rean did his best to feign indifference as she sat on the sofa in front of him.
"Where's your bird?"
"Just take a look outside," she gestured to the window and the avian familiar came into view, flying alongside the airship, twirling and doing flips in the air while leaving behind a trail of azure sparkles that shined brightly even against the clear morning sky. "Grianos likes to stretch his wings after a good night's sleep. Were you expecting to take another potshot at him?"
Rean tisked in response and turned his gaze to the wall, away from Vita and the window.
"I hear you and Crow had a heated discussion yesterday, he looked really down about it."
Rean decided to ignore that, she was obviously just provoking him. "What do you want?"
"I came to say hello, of course," she replied casually. "My apologies for not meeting with you yesterday but I had urgent business to attend and had to leave Grianos in charge of teleportation duties. Also I have enough tact to not show my face back in your hometown so soon after my last visit. How is your father, by the way?"
Rean resisted the urge to be too curt to her, if only because her magic indeed had saved his father's life, not that she deserved a thanks. He sighed to himself, he needed to actually talk to her, gather information, whatever crumb of truth she was willing to part with, and that wasn't going to happen if he were rude to the witch. "He's doing better."
"That is good to hear."
He thought there was genuine relief in her voice but he wouldn't trust how genuine Vita could be as far as he could throw her. "I might not know much about Ouroboros, or anything really, but I really didn't expect you guys to be so concerned with maintaining the status quo of Erebonian nobility."
A light titter escaped Vita's lips, elegant like everything else she did. "Straight to business, huh? Of course, you're still too young to understand the value of a good conversation, even with an enemy. Because that's how you view me, right, Rean Schwarzer? Your enemy."
He was only looking at her from the corner of his eye but somehow he managed to perfectly focus on the way her lips moved, slowly and sensually at that last word, and missed how her eyes flickering with a blue shimmer.
"You are no fool to believe that Ouroboros cares about the traditions of Erebonian society, honestly, nobody on this ship is, not even Duke Cayenne. Despite the conversation you had with him yesterday, he is not an idiot, he understands our allegiance isn't simply bought and that the society has its own plans."
"Right, he just likes to run his mouth," Rean said.
"Quite. He has a bit of a superiority complex. 'Your chance of being a real noble,'" another laugh from the witch, sweet like a melody. Soothing almost. "He can be a smart negotiator when he wants, believe me, he wouldn't have amassed the support he did if he wasn't, but I suppose that he underestimated you due to your age and didn't think it necessary to really get to know who he was dealing with. Don't take it personally."
Easy for you to say.
An uneasy silence settled between them. Well, uneasy for Rean at least, it was so awkward to sit there as she looked at him with those deep violet eyes and unwavering smirk on her face. There was a feeling in the air, not too different from that time he and Towa met her as Misty, that was starting to make him feel oozy.
"Aren't you going to ask what my plans truly are?" She said.
Rean blinked, getting his bearings back, before shooting an incredulous look at the witch. "Like you are going to tell me."
Vita chuckled. "Come on now, Rean. You have to at least try. Isn't that a question that is torturing you? Why did I conspire with the nobility to launch a coup against the Imperial Government just for the sake of preparing the grounds for the resurgence of the Deus Excellion? For what purpose did this cruel witch throw the country into chaos?"
"Well, why then?" He simply said, swallowing as his mouth felt a little dry. Why was her voice so smooth? Why was his head so fuzzy?
"That would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?" She said with a cheeky wink of the eye.
Of course she wouldn't give up the game to him, even if she was assured to win whatever it was. So why was she there? Certainly she wasn't going to try to actually recruit him to their side.
Suddenly Vita got up from the couch and something about the gesture made her look even taller than she normally was, majestic even. Actually, it wasn't sudden at all, she was slow, methodical and calm but Rean's head was feeling so sluggish that he hadn't noticed it until she was standing right in front of him and the light from the room seemed to drain, leaving only an blue and violet glow coming from Vita. It felt overwhelming.
"But I will tell you this. My reasons are much bigger than the petty squabbles of power between little men, more important than simplistic notions of keeping the peace and tranquility in Erebonia and yes, I'll say it as twisted and repugnant it might sound, even more important than the lives of common people."
Vita's voice had grown deeper, darker and absolutely enthralling, like tendrils in the corners of his mind. The light in her eyes shined like a cold sun, growing and growing, threatening to engulf him. She was doing something to him, had been from the moment she walked into the room, she was trying to…
Rean lunged at her, his hand grasping her neck. "Get out of my head!" He growled as he made it to slam her against the nearby wall but then he fell forward as if through the woman. Looking up he saw there were two Vita Clotildes now, the one he had attacked stood motionless for a second before vanishing in a cascade of sparkles, while the other stared at him with an air of superiority.
It had been all just an illusion and she was toying with him.
"Oh Rean, didn't I tell you to get your act together?"
"Just… Just leave me alone!" With a huff, Rean lifted himself up and made a hasty exit from the room, slamming the door behind him.
The Ashen Awakener left in a display worthy of any angry teenager and Vita Clotilde dropped her smirk into the faintest grimace, fingers gently rubbing the spot on her throat he had touched in that brief moment.
"Enjoying the show, Bleublanc?"
As if he had always been there, the Phantom Thief stepped away from behind Vita sporting an incredibly delighted grin on his face. "He is a fascinating one, isn't he?"
"Quite so," she simply responded.
Bleublanc walked around the room, his masked eyes centered around Vita's neck as she still absently caressed her neck, her breathing subtly quicker, her eyes a little more alert than normal. She noticed his peering and shot an icy glare at him as she removed her hand, and the thief pretended to be staring at the fish burgers on the coffee table instead, letting out a disgusted "blergh" at the cold food, before turning back to the Ouroboros Anguis.
"Teleportation immediately followed up by casting an illusion where you were standing, how dastardly simple but effective, he really didn't seem to realize how close he came to throw a wrench on the Phantasmal Blaze Plan. But trying to charm the young man, my dear Azure Abyss? How devious of you. I could brush aside the Juraian one but this paints you as a little too fond of young Awakeners. Next thing you know rumors will start to spread and you know how the Thousand Oathbreaker loves gossip."
Vita chuckled. While Bleublanc's skills had been the primary reason for requesting his assistance, his capacity for a good conversation, some bantering to keep her entertained, had been a deciding factor as well. Goddess knows she couldn't expect to have any good exchanges with Duvalie or McBurn.
"I was merely probing his mind, nothing more. And looking at the evidence, it seems that ogre power of his is more powerful than I expected."
"Is that what you believe this was?" The thief asked, a grin stapled on his face like he knew something she didn't, now that aspect of him she wasn't much fond of.
"And how else do you believe Rean broke away from his trance? Sure, it didn't manifest itself like it normally does but that matters little. He has no training in the magical arts, the only explanation as to how he could've escaped that spell, simple as it was, is his power."
"Ah but you see, Vita, you are too focused on classical notions of power. Mana, magic, curses and incantations. But have you considered something else? How about something deeper within him, something downright primordial?" From the way Bleublanc spoke, Vita could feel he would soon start on his ramblings about human nature.
"He is an Awakener and a berserker, don't tell me you are suggesting he has a third power hidden within him," she rolled her eyes, rather annoyed at the idea.
"It's something much simpler actually, but at the same time impossible to truly study or measure…" A dramatic pause for effect. "Human will."
"Oh please, Bleublanc," she scoffed, almost offended. "Are you telling me Rean Schwarzer is just too strong willed to be hypnotized? That he is such a well composed individual that even magic can't pierce the barrier of his mind?"
The thief laughed, guffawed even. "Absolutely not, he has the mind of an average, insecure young man that will shatter given enough stress. But he has that spark, dear Vita. A spark that can ignite brighter than any fire, that can propel him onwards beyond his own limits. It's the kind you have to witness for yourself to believe."
Vita could see Bleublanc's eyes behind the mask and realized the man wasn't being his poetic, theatrical self. There was a genuine admiration in his voice. "Liberl has changed you."
"It gave me a new perspective. Only when you see people fight the impossible like I did in that glorious day in the Liber Ark, only then will you understand what I mean. As for Rean Schwarzer himself, if his spark will take him to new heights or burn him down, that is something I very much desire to see."
The gentleman thief was many things, eccentric chief among them, and his diatribes about beauty could be rather uninteresting to Vita if he went long enough, but he was no easily dazzled fool and for something or someone to catch his attention should demand at least some consideration on her part. Should, but it wasn't like Vita hadn't accounted for innumerable factors that could hinder her plans and on the list of risks, Rean Schwarzer was of low priority.
All the pieces were perfectly set on the board and they would play themselves to the game's conclusion, the Ashen Awakener included, strong will or not.
Rean left his "guest" room in a hurry, angry and completely without a plan and it didn't take long for him to realize he had no idea where to go. He brought himself to a stop, took a deep, centring breath and observed his surroundings. It was a two level floor where the more luxurious quarters reserved for the top brass were located alongside with a cafeteria, as the woman who called herself a Stahlritter had explained the previous day while grumbling about having to be a tour guide.
So they put me where the ILF and Ouroboros people sleep, great.
No wonder they didn't even bother to lock him in his room.
Rean looked behind him, his room way in the back. Was Vita still there? No, it didn't matter. He couldn't stay in his room, that wasn't how he was going to escape. Following Cayenne's suggestion, he decided he needed to get to know the ship and made his way to one of the elevators just to be barred by a soldier.
"His lordship's orders. You cannot leave this floor."
"I thought I was free to 'get to know this marvel of engineering that is your flagship,'" Rean said.
"Yes. And this is as far as you get to know it," the soldier replied.
He got the same response from the other soldiers guarding the other elevators. Of course it wouldn't be that simple to get a glimpse of the inner workings of the Pantagruel. Two soldiers flanked each elevators' doors as well as the stairs to upper and lower floors; it was impossible to sneak past them, so Rean decided to shelve that idea for a moment and think of something else, then his stomach grumbled again.
Ugh, I really need to eat.
At least there was a cafeteria on that same floor that he could go to, otherwise he would really have to settle for cold burgers for the day. Calling a cafeteria was downplaying it, however, it was more like a small restaurant with proper tables set and a bar counter with a variety of drinks displayed behind it and a kitchen in the back, which shouldn't be surprising, for a military airship this part of the Pantagruel was more like a hotel instead.
Despite being the early hours of the morning the cafeteria was empty however, except for a table where two men were sitting down, each one with three bottles of whisky with them. One was Vulcan, with his lowered head lying on top of his arms hugging a mostly full bottle of liquor, and the other McBurn, not looking any worse for wear. Rean immediately froze on the spot once he saw the Enforcer and thought of turning back but then he called out to him.
"Hey, Schwarzer kid. You here to eat? Come sit down with us, I'm bored."
Rean looked around, nervous. No sword, no ARCUS, the last time he saw that guy he sent him flying with a single punch to the gut. "Uhh, I'm good."
"Relax, I ain't gonna fight ya, unless you want to?" McBurn said menancily with a smirk.
Rean sighed, he might as well, he had some stuff to ask the Enforcer. He sat down next to Vulcan, who had yet to show any reaction. Had he drunk himself unconscious at around 7 in the morning? Rean looked at the bottles, on Vulcan's side there was the one he was holding, mostly full, and two were empty while McBurn had two empty ones and was three quarters through the way on his third one.
"Want some?" McBurn asked as he noticed Rean looking at the liquor.
"Ah no, thanks, I have to be at my best for when I escape."
McBurn cackled. "You don't hold back, huh? Good, give us a good show when you try."
"Heh, funny…" Vulcan mumbled and stirred before going quiet again.
"Not that I care but is he okay?" Rean asked of the jaeger noticing as he didn't really seem to be all there.
"He's fine. Vulcan gets like that whenever there's down time but bounces back after a couple of hours."
"You seem to be doing fine."
"I can't get drunk, this shit doesn't even get me buzzed, but ol' V here still tried to challenge me to a drinking competition," the Enforcer looked at the bottle with his default bored look before chugging it then slamming it back on the table. Only now Rean noticed he didn't have a glass.
That guy seemed stranger and stranger, were all Ouroboros people like that? Bleublanc was a weirdo and Sharon was relatively normal, but McBurn had something off with him and it wasn't just his drinking prowess. There was something disquieting about him that Rean couldn't really pinpoint.
A waiter then showed up, offering Rean a menu for him to browse through. As expected there were a lot of different breakfast items to choose from, all of which would be readily prepared by an expert chef, according to the waiter. Fancy.
The whole situation was ridiculous considering he was their prisoner but it was better than being locked at the ship's brig and being served prison food, Rean thought. Considering he missed on eating the Phoenix Wings' breakfast pancakes, Rean chose the chef's special pancake dish with honey, cinnamon and caramelized milk, and the waiter readily left for the kitchen. He might as well get something good out of being kidnapped.
Turning back to McBurn, Rean remembered he had something to ask of him. "So… What did you mean when you said I'm mixed anyway? Is… Is that a race thing?"
"What? No. What?" McBurn scratched his head, looking a bit confused. Next to Rean, Vulcan snorted and laughed. "I mean you're mixed with something in your body or your blood, I'm talking about that power of yours."
Mixed? That's what the ogre power was? "Wait, you know what this is? How? Where does it come from?" Rean asked frantically, leaning over the table and for the moment forgetting the unnatural feeling he got from McBurn.
"Woah, hold your horses, kid. I don't know shit," the Enforcer responded with clear annoyance. "Like I said back then, it doesn't look like much with you, that's as far as I can tell."
"Oh…" Of course, why did Rean expect any other kind of response? "So, that's your deal too?"
"Yeah, but mine is different," McBurn raised a hand and with a snap of his fingers, a flame appeared on his hand. Like the man, this fire also felt unnatural, burning in a bright red and white instead of a mix of orange and yellow like a normal fire. "It ain't Art, magic, a Stigma or anything else. I can just do this, like you, and to tell you the truth, I have no idea where it comes from. All I know is that people like us have something foreign, unnatural, mixed into us that lets us do this stuff, get results without having to put up the effort to get it."
Rean's fingers moved to his chest, lightly brushing against his shirt as he thought of his scar. So it was something unnatural, something that was put in his chest, in his heart. Did someone did that to him when he was a child? If so, why? And who did it? His real parents? Questions that had no business plaguing him at that moment started creep into his mind.
"Well, I don't know about you but I had to train a lot to control my power," Rean said to move away from his internal questioning.
"You mean you hold it back," McBurn snapped his fingers again, snuffing out the place. "I do too sometimes, otherwise you'd all be dead by now and where's the fun in that?" Cold shivers ran down Rean's spine at the malicious glint at the Enforcer's eyes. Noticing the tension in Rean, McBurn smirked and leaned back on his chair, putting his hands on the back of his head as if relaxing. "I get it, you don't wanna burn yourself out or whatever, but that's not what this sort of power is meant for. Next time we face off, kid, you better be ready to go all out."
Rean swallowed drily. This guy was goading him, it seemed all he wanted was to fight and part of Rean couldn't deny he wanted to see what the Enforcer was capable of, but this wasn't the time. "So, you said I'm just a little mixed, but what about you? How much of you is mixed?"
"Me?" McBurn's lips curled up into a smirk as he leaned forward on the table, eyes flashing black and red as his voice gained an unnatural tone to it. "All of me."
"O-okay…" Another chill went down Rean's spine. The way his voice sounded reminded Rean of his own when he was using his power. Was he in a sort of ogre state all the time? What kind of monster was he?
I need to get out of here.
But just as Rean was about to get up, another voice called him.
"Hey, Ashen kid!"
It was the Zephyr jaeger Xeno, followed by his partner Leonidas, both arriving at the cafeteria and immediately sitting along with Rean and McBurn. Xeno at the end of the table next to Rean, promptly cutting off any attempt of his to leave, while Leonidas placed himself next to McBurn and directly in front of Rean, both clearly wanting something from him
Oh great, what now?
"Just the person we wanted to see," the burly jaeger said.
"Uhh, why?"
"You see, we've got a couple of questions for you. Very important questions."
Both jaegers exchanged a serious, no bullshit look that only got Rean more concerned and then…
"How is Fie doing at school?"
"How are her grades?"
"Is she eating well?"
"She doesn't stay up til late, does she?"
"Is she getting along with other students?"
The jaeger duo continuously bombarded Rean with questions about Fie's day-to-day life and her well being, some of them being just variations of the same one. McBurn laughed at Rean's bewildered face as he grabbed Vulcan's remaining liquor bottle for himself while the drunk jaeger grumbled something unintelligible.
"Wait, wait, hold on, one at a time!" Xeno and Leo quieted down at Rean's outburst, both realizing they might've gone a little overboard with their questioning and Leonidas muttered an apology. "Look, Fie is doing fine at school, alright? Her grades are fine, not the best but she studies hard and the rest of our class helps her whenever we can. We all get along with her and she's part of the gardening club, so she's friends with them as well. She either eats food from school, whatever Sharon whips up or goes out to eat at the nearby bakery, so I guess she eats well, it's what everyone else eats, but you don't expect me to keep track of that, do you?"
"Hmm, yes, of course."
"Right. Sorry."
"Anyway…" Rean stroked his chin, thinking if there was anything else relevant to say. "When classes started she used to take naps a lot around Thors and the town, on benches, trees, the nurse's office, but after a while she stopped doing it as much and if I had to guess, it's because she started to fit in in Thors and to care about spending time with the people around her."
At that, the Zephyr jaegers seemed to relax and content smiles appeared on their faces. They really seemed to care about Fie, more than they had let on in their previous encounter, which was kind of nice, and maybe it could give Rean and his friends a tactical advantage later on. But it also raised a question. "For people who care about Fie it's weird that you guys left her by herself."
Xeno sneered at Rean. "Shit, kid, what do you know?"
"A jaeger's life is not the one for a little girl," Leo said, raising a placating hand towards Xeno.
"So why did you raise her as one in the first place? Fie told us about being found by your boss, how you tried to put her in an orphanage but she escaped and found you again, and how she imitated you guys until you started to teach her how to fight. If you really care about her, why did you make her into a jaeger? And then when things took a downturn why did you leave her with Instructor Sara?"
A scowl adorned the face of the often calm Leonidas, it seemed Rean had struck a nerve. "And did Fie tell what orphanage we put her in? Mother Clarissa's Home for Wayward Children in Calvard's capital, Edith. Do you know where she found us? In Remiferia two months later, starving and exhausted."
Rean recoiled at the jaeger's heavy tone and the content of his words, realizing that maybe he didn't have all the facts to judge them.
"Even back then little Fie was extremely capable, she had to be to survive. We are not sure why she wanted to stick to us so badly, she herself probably couldn't tell you if you asked her now, maybe it's because the boss was the first person in her life to treat her like a person."
"We hadn't tried to cover our tracks from her back then because why would we, right?" Xeno continued with th exlanation. "But after that happened, the boss then figured that trying to drop her off again and disappearing would be a bad idea, she'd try to find us again and depending on the situation she could die in the process, so we took her in. And to be honest, I didn't much care for her at first, kept my distance, but Fie has a way of endearing herself to you, you know? It didn't take long for her to become part of the family."
Family, huh… Rean thought back on their school days, seeming so distant now, and how everyone had grown closer over time. "Yeah, I get what you mean."
With the severe look on his face gone, Leonidas continued. "And to answer why we left her with Sara Valestein, that was the order in the boss' will in case of his death."
Well, that was strangely specific. "Why the instructor, exactly?"
"Beats me," Xeno said with a shrug. "She became a teacher like a year ago, right? That's around when his fight with Orlando happened. Maybe he thought a Bracer turned teacher would be a good example."
While Rean wouldn't disagree that his instructor was incredibly capable in a lot of ways and he had a lot of respect for her, she was far from what he would consider a good role model. But then what would someone who chose to fight to the death to prove a point consider a good role model anyway? As Rean pondered about that, the waiter showed up again to take the orders from the jaegers, and not soon did the man leave, the duo blindsided him again with an even weider tangent.
"What is the exact nature of your relationship with Fie?" Asked Leonidas, voice low and menacing.
"W-what?"
"You seem awfully concerned about her upbringing, it makes a man wonder," Xeno chimed in with an equally threatening vibe.
"What are your intentions with her?"
"You better not have tried anything with her!"
"Did you give her that sweater she was wearing down there?"
"What? No, my mom gave it to her!"
"Your mother is already giving her gifts!?"
By this point, McBurn, who was starting to doze off out of sheer boredom caused by the conversation, woke up and started to laugh again as he watched Rean desperately try to explain himself to the overprotective jaegers.
"I just asked because she's my friend, chill the hell out! Besides, I'm already in a relationship with someone else."
"Oh, I see," Leonidas cleared his throat and sat back down, sheathing back his boot knife. "My apologies."
"Yeah, sorry, kiddo," said Xeno, putting down the chair he was about to swing at Rean. "Can't be too careful, you know how it is."
"No, I don't," Rean said, completely unaware he himself behaved that way in regards to Elise.
"So, who's your girlfriend anyway, is she one of your classmates?" Xenos asked casually as if he had not threatened violence against Rean three seconds ago.
Why does he- Ugh, fine, whatever. "It's Laura Arseid, Viscount Arseid's daughter."
Aside from the drunk Vulcan, the other occupants of the table all reacted with surprise, even McBurn, though his reaction was just a raised eyebrow in regards to hearing the name of the swordmaster.
Leonidas nodded in approval. "Impressive."
"Woah. You've got some balls to be dating the Radiant Blademaster's daughter. You'd think most guys would be too scared to even approach someone like that," said Xeno.
There was a shift in the way the Zephyr duo looked at Rean, it seemed that dating Laura had earned their respect just because of the viscount. Well, that was an incredibly weird reason but Rean would take any for them to not try to kill him. This breakfast was turning into a nightmare, Rean just wanted to eat and get back to his room to plan his escape before something else happened or someone else showed up.
"Oh my, what do we have here?"
And just as Rean had finished that thought, none other than Bleublanc showed up. "Oh come on!"
At least the others seemed to share Rean's sentiment as nobody appeared too pleased at the Phantom Thief's appearance, with Xeno grumbling something about how it was too early for his brand of bullshit and asking McBurn for his liquor bottle.
"Having a nice chat with my fellow Enforcer Nº I and our esteemed guns for hire, young Rean? Wait, don't tell me that you've accepted Duke Cayenne's offer and decided you had to get to know your new colleagues?"
"Of course not," Rean stated matter-of-factly.
"Haha, of course, forgive me for making assumptions, you just seemed to be having such a good time with them. Do you gentlemen mind if I join you?" The Enforcer asked, pulling up a chair, and was greeted with a unanimous "yes" from everyone. "Splendid," he replied, sitting on the head of the table on McBurn's side, waving the waiter and ordering some tea for himself.
"So, my friends, what is the current topic of discussion?" Bleublanc said, running his fingers through his mask and making it disappear while crossing his legs. Apparently this was his preferred position for relaxation.
"Ashen kid here is dating the Radiant Blademaster's daughter," said Xeno, drawing an annoyed "hey!" from Rean, who did not give anyone permission to share anything about his life.
Surprisingly, Bleublanc showed little interest in the subject. "Hmm, I see," he muttered dismissively. "Congratulations, I suppose. Questions of the heart are more on the field of my rival, the one Debaucherous Prince, I care little for this kind of gossip."
"Well, since you're here, maybe you can answer a few questions," Rean said. "I know what the ILF and Zephyr are doing here, but what about you people? I'm not asking what Vita Clotilde's plans are, I know you aren't going to explain that, but Instructor Sara said Enforcers don't have to follow orders and Sharon says she has no involvement with all of this, so what are you getting out of this? Is it just money too or something else?"
"Ah, you wish to know our raison d'être! How flattering," the thief perked up, talking about himself was one of his passions after all. "I cannot speak for the others, but I joined the ranks of Ouroboros to see the world in its full glory, which is through the lenses of human conflict! And as Enforcer Nº X I am able to watch first hand as the society's plans flourish and people are sent to the highest highs and lowest lows. I seek to witness these most exquisite moments of hope and despair in the most spectacular fashion!"
The Phantom Thief spoke with fervent passion, waving his hands in flourishes to emphasize his point, and everyone was utterly uninterested.
"And what about you?" Rean unceremoniously turned to McBurn, ignoring Bleublanc.
"Mostly I'm just looking for a fight that gets me going," the Enforcer casually replied.
And figuring out why he's mixed, Rean imagined. Well, at least it was a simple answer, even if Rean half expected something along those lines, but it also made him realize something. "Wait, so none of you actually care? You are doing all of this and you don't even have a stake in the war itself?"
"Did you expect blasé reasons such as monetary compensation or loyalty to one cause or another? No offense to the present company, of course," Bleublanc said looking at the jaegers. "While you might find our motivations shallow, young Rean, we don't treat our roles lightly, do be aware of that the next time we meet on the field of battle. But maybe Miss Duvalie here has reasons that are more palatable to you. What do you say, my dear?"
Everyone turned to where Bleublanc was directing his gaze. Attempting to sneak past behind Xeno so she didn't have to interact with any of them, was Duvalie looking at them like a small woodland animal about to be run over by an incoming train.
"W-what!? Don't involve me into whatever idiotic conversation you are having!" The knightly woman said, although not-so-knightly as her voice cracked in a mix of anger and surprise.
"Come on, my dear, sit down, let us converse," Bleublanc continued.
"I came here for a meal, not to chit chat, especially with someone who is still our enemy," she glared at Rean. "Unless, of course, you've decided to take up on Duke Cayenne's offer?"
"What do you think?" Rean replied with a glare of equal measure to hers.
"Hmph. Still defiant even in the situation you are in, are you? At least you managed to control your impulses in front of the duke, if just barely. I suppose I must commend you for not being as temperamental as the Arseid girl."
Rean was taken aback by that. Did this woman just insult Laura? It sure seemed like Duvalie had a problem with her thinking on the things she had said back in Roer, and there was the fact she was using the names of Laura's heroes for some reason. The thought of anyone disliking Laura was baffling to him, nevermind he was incredibly biased on the subject, it just didn't make any sense, Laura didn't even know the woman to begin with. Was it just because she is an Arseid?
"What's your deal, you've got a bone to pick with the Arseid family for some reason? What, did Laura's father refuse to autograph your sword or something?"
Duvalie balked at the way Rean spoke to her and it didn't help that everyone else was finding the whole thing very amusing. But no matter, the leader of the Stalhritter would not be easily provoked by a child, she told herself. "My 'deal' with the Arseid family is none of your business and I owe you no explanations."
"Pfff, sure, you're probably jealous or something, that's why you're plagiarizing their name," Rean waved dismissively at her and turned away from Duvalie and while he could not see it for himself, he could feel the anger coming off her. He had already picked up on some of her personality from their few interactions, all business until the tiniest little thing got to her, like how McBurn had introduced her or the downright childish way she had provoked Laura.
"You listen here you-"
"Whatever you say, Enforcer fifty five or what gives, I don't care anymore."
He could hear the vein popping on her forehead now.
"I am not even an Enforcer to begin with, you little twerp," she said through gritted teeth.
"Oh really?" Rean said in an uninterested tone although it was indeed an interesting bit of trivia. "Well, you aren't a jaeger or part of any provincial army from what I can tell."
"Yes really! And although not an Enforcer, as part of the Stalhritter I am among the elite combat forces of Ouroboros, receiving orders from my lord, the Second Anguis hers-"
"So!" Rean loudly said, cutting off Duvalie, and pointed at McBurn then Bleublanc. "You are Enforcer Nº I, you Nº X and I heard Sharon is Nº IX. Is that based on a power scale?"
The Phantom Thief volunteered himself to answer, eager to know where the swordsman was going with this while he watched Duvalie grind her teeth in anger. "More or less. While I'd say the Severing Chains and I are on equal terms in regards to our abilities, the upper echelon of the Enforcers are the most fearsome."
"I see. So let me see if I get this, the Grandmaster is the leader of your society, under them are the Anguis like Vita and the Iron Lady…"
"Steel Maiden!"
"Then there are the Enforcers like you two. And then, I guess, there's a tier below that where there's people like her?" He pointed a thumb at Duvalie who looked as if she had been shot.
Duvalie was fuming by now, cheeks flushed red and hands balled into fists. How dare this snot nosed brat try to imply she was below anybody in there just because she didn't have a title. "Y-you… I am not a tier below anybody! There are no tiers! I could easily defeat any of the Enforcers…" She looked at McBurn. "Most of the Enforcers by myself!"
"Whatever you say. I'm sure you'll get your number one day."
What composure Duvalie thought she had was completely gone, caused by both Rean's provocations and the snickering coming from the other men on the table. Her hand was itching to snap that brat's neck but she held herself, if only because she remembered her pledge to carry the honor of her lord in all of her actions, and killing someone outside of a combat situation didn't fit that.
"I am leaving," the Stahlritter said, stomping her way out of the cafeteria.
"Damn, man, you got a death wish?" Xeno said, snickering and tapping Rean on the shoulder. "Not that it isn't funny to mess with her but still, I wouldn't want to be on her bad side if I were you."
"For your sake I do hope you don't actually take Duvalie lightly if you fight her again. Despite not being an Enforcer she is an accomplished warrior," said Leonidas.
Rean shrugged, she had started it when she bad-mouthed Laura. "I know what I'm doing."
At that, for the first time since Rean had gotten there, Vulcan lifted up his head and let out a loud bellow of a laugh and slammed a hand against the table as tears ran down his reddened face. "You're a funny one, boy! You're really funny!"
Rean looked at the others for clarification but all he got were shrugs as the terrorist continued to laugh and say something about Rean "being the one."
Amidst the commotion, Scarlet appeared, following the sound of her partner's voice. Differently from the times Rean had encountered her, the woman looked much less aggressive, softer even, with a tired look on her face as she approached Vulcan.
"I told you to quit drinking so much, Vulcan. It's not good for you. Come on, let's get you back to bed," gently, Scarlet slung one of Vulcan's arms around her shoulders and lifted the former jaeger up, carrying him away.
"I'm tellin' ya, Scar, that kid could be the one to do it, you know?" He kept saying, his voice dragging, and waving his free arm at Rean.
Scarlet looked at the raven haired kid with a burning glare before directing herself to McBurn. "Next time, could you please not accept his challenges?"
"He's a grown man, he can make his own choices," the Enforcer replied with an unconcerned shrug of his shoulders.
The terrorist just let out an exasperated sigh and left with her partner. Rean couldn't help but feel it was a sad scene to watch, a distant image from the woman that had almost killed him a month ago. In a way, both of them had reminded him of when he saw Crow the previous day. "What's going on with Vulcan?" He asked.
"His spark is gone," said Leonidas. "For him and most of the Imperial Liberation Front, it was all about killing Osborne and now that is done with, all that is left is what they call cleaning up after themselves and drinking."
Vulcan had joined on Crow's crusade against Chancellor Osborne to avenge his jaeger corps, who had been slaughtered after a failed assassination attempt, he told the rest of Rean's group back at Roer, while Rean himself and Crow fought Bleublanc disguised as C. Back then he had even proudly proclaimed he had no moral ground to stand on, he just wanted revenge. Highly hypocritical to hold a grudge over that, Rean thought, it seemed that for jaegers "nothing personal, just business" only applied when they tried to kill other people, not the other way around. And now that his mission was over, the man had nothing else to live for.
"Some people can only fly so high," said the Phantom Thief with a sigh. "A shame, truly. He had some interesting parting words, however. What do you make of them, young Rean?" He leaned over with an expectant smile.
"He's gonna be the one to do it."
Do what, exactly? "Hell if I know, he's drunk," Rean put it out of his mind, he had way more important things to worry about than the ramblings of a drunk terrorist, such as his breakfast finally arriving.
The waiter arrived with a plate stacked with pancakes, golden honey sliding down the tower of thick and soft cooked dough with cinnamon sprinkled all over it, and delicious caramelized milk spilling out from in-between each pancake. It looked positively incredible, instantly lifting Rean's mood at seeing such a well made dish, he was pretty sure it would give Chef Werner a run for his mira. Rean grabbed his fork and was ready to dig in when he stopped and looked up and saw the fearsome jaegers and Enforcers amusedly looking at him.
"Are you seriously going to watch me eat?"
"Go right ahead, young man, pretend we're not here," said Bleublanc.
Ugh…
To avoid losing his appetite, Rean picked up his plate and silverware and got up, ready to make himself scarce. "While this has been an enlightening… Well, somewhat enlightening conversation, I'm gonna eat in my room. See you all later when I make my escape."
Rean made his way out of the cafeteria, just barely paying attention to the cheeky farewells from his enemies, because that is what they were at the end of the day and the fact they weren't trying to kill him at that moment didn't change that, and focused on making his way back to his room, hoping to Aidios that Vita Clotilde wasn't still there, surely she had better things to do.
He was walking at a quick pace, eager to get to his room and have his meal as well as to avoid meeting anyone else along the way, but, alas, it was in vain because as he was about to reach his destination, Duke Cayenne and Rufus Albarea were standing between him and his room. The duke was probably on his way there to demand an answer from him but he had no answer the man wanted to hear. It was a dangerous predicament as well, as this time Rean had a very sharp knife and fork in his hand.
Maybe I could be the hero of this war, just not the way he said…
He immediately pushed that thought aside. He would not kill a defenseless man, no matter how hateful he was, the blood on his hands, justified as it was, was already enough.
While the duke of Lamarre thankfully had his back turned to his direction, he was pretty sure Rufus had seen him but it seemed Jusis' older brother had no interest in speaking to Rean or to alert the duke of his presence for that matter. Thinking fast, the swordsman looked around him, saw the closest door and went for it. It was unlocked and he quickly entered the room.
He had thought fast, but not smartly. Whose room was this? What if it was Scarlet's or Vulcan's or, the Goddess forbid, Crow's room? And there he was holding a plate full of pancakes like an idiot.
A glance across the room didn't alert him of anyone's presence, its previous occupant was probably away. Well, good then, he would enjoy his breakfast in peace and silence and by the time he was done, Cayenne would've gone away. Rean put his plate down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch but once again the universe seemed to conspire against him doing something as basic as having breakfast.
"Claiomh Solais!"
Rean immediately jumped up and assumed a combat stance, turning around to see the little girl who had kidnapped Elise and Alfin taking on a similar stance alongside her black combat shell.
"Oh, it's you," he said with a glare.
"Indeed, it is I. What business do you have here?" Altina said, her voice somewhat accusatory.
Rean's glare faded as he realized this was her room. Oh, that was awkward. "Uh, I came here to eat," he looked at his plate on the table.
"In my room?" She tilted her head to the side, perplexed, though not dropping her monotone voice and placid face. "Why not your own?
He winced, thinking of how much of a childish idiot he was being by trying to avoid Duke Cayenne, but he still had no plan on how to recover his weapons or how to escape, so the more he could stall before he was sent to the brig and treated like an actual prisoner the better. "There's an obstacle on the way to my room."
On cue, Cayenne's muffled laughter could be heard from behind the door. It seemed him and Rufus had not moved much since he entered Altina's room.
"I'm not looking for a fight. Can I just take a break here until they move on?"
Altina's face was a statue, completely unmoving, Rean could barely tell if she had heard him at all, but then her combat shell disappeared and the girl relaxed from her stance a little. "Your intentions are strange but as long as you aren't looking to cause problems, I have no objections."
Rean breathed a sigh of relief and although he was still wary of the girl, she did kidnap his sister and sucker punch him a couple of days ago after all, he sat back down and finally, finally, got to take a bite out of those pancakes and holy shit, they were simply amazing, he could not suppress the delighted moan escaping his mouth. It really surpassed Chef Werner's recipe. How did they manage to make them so fluffy and soft, what magic honey was this, how did the caramelized milk taste so divine?
"So…" Rean said with a mouthful, before swallowing. "I didn't see you when I came in," he looked behind the couch, at the bed trying to figure out where the girl could've been.
Altina took a moment to reply, seeming to be weighing in her response, and she took just long enough for him to almost try to repeat the question. "I was sleeping."
"But I didn't-"
"I normally sleep with Claiomh Solais' stealth mode engaged."
The strange statement made Rean stop mid chewing. Why did she sleep while invisible? He was about to voice that very question when Altina walked up to stand next to him and stared at this plate with bewilderment, though one could not tell from her lack of facial expression. "These are pancakes."
Rean thought she would have left by now, maybe to have her own breakfast or do whatever it was she did as part of the Noble Alliance. "Uhh, yeah? Do you like pancakes?" She shook her head. "You don't?"
"I recognize the dish, however I do not know if I like or dislike them, as I have never eaten them."
That could not be right. "What do you mean you've never eaten them? You mean pancakes made this way in particular, right?"
"I have never eaten pancakes in any form."
"Are you more of a bread and butter person? Eggs and bacon? Fruit? Oatmeal?" No. No. No. No. She shook her head for all of the items he mentioned. That was weird. "What do you eat for breakfast then?"
Instead of simply replying to his inquiry, Altina walked to her nightstand, opened a drawer and returned carrying two rectangular bars wrapped in tinfoil and showed them to Rean. "Nutrition bars. Two of them contain the necessary nutrients for me to operate efficiently until it is time for lunch. I still have fifteen minutes until it is the assigned time to eat them, however I shall accompany you as I am told it is the polite thing to do."
Rean watched Altina sit down on the couch opposite to him and methodically unwrap her nutrition bar and he found the whole thing slightly disturbing. She couldn't be older than Elise, maybe even younger given a year or two, and her breakfast were tasteless looking nutrition bars while they had a fully staffed kitchen a couple of steps away?
Was she just messing with him?
But the way she moved, with such deliberate and efficient movements even for something so mundane, it was the kind of behavior ingrained into someone through harsh training, a stiffness in her mannerisms born out of being taught the most strict of disciplines.
The way she was dressed seemed normal at a first glance, a black hoodie pulled over her head and gray tights, the same things she was wearing the times Rean met her but upon closer inspection it seemed there was something off about that as well. They were so plain, so nothing, almost like a prison uniform, like something someone else handed down to her with no real care about what a little girl would wear. Combined with hre silvery hair flowing out of the hoodie, it made the girl look almost monochromatic if it weren't for her green eyes.
"Why don't you order food from the cafeteria?" He asked her reluctantly, his meal almost forgotten. "You are allowed to, right?"
"Leaving my room and eating is within the boundaries set for my current assignment, however I feel it is pointless as these bars are sufficient. I do not understand why others waste time waiting for food to be prepared and served."
Rean blinked, as if she had said the most baffling thing imaginable, and in a way she did. "Because it tastes good?"
A plain "I see" was all the response he got from Altina as she finished eating her first nutrition bar.
Assignments, efficiency, operating, it was like she was completely detached from herself as a person. "You're nothing like Millium."
"Why would I be? Despite what she said in our previous encounter, we are not sisters."
"Right, you are just of the same age, share a surname and have the same type of combat shell by utter coincidence."
If she caught the sarcastic nature of Rean's words, Altina didn't show. "Correct. Speaking of which, I am surprised you haven't inquired about your sister yet."
And he was surprised she had even brought up the subject. "Well, I imagine you wouldn't tell me if I asked."
She nodded in response and started unwrapping her second piece of breakfast and once again her demeanor made Rean think what exactly was the deal with her. He had been ready to be angry at her and treat her like any of the other people he met so far at the Pantagruel but the more he observed her, the more that faded.
Everything he could infer about Millium also applied to her, probably an orphan and raised from childhood to work on espionage, and while he thought that was messed up by itself, Millium was happy and talkative, a little too much in fact, and overall she behaved much like any kid would, while Altina seemed almost devoid of emotion.
"Who…" He started asking then stopped, thinking why he was bothering to begin with, but his mind didn't let him keep quiet. "Who takes care of you?"
"I do not understand the question."
Rean wasn't sheltered and stupid enough to think she had a happy family she went back to after a mission, and he knew there were countless unfortunate children in even worse situations everywhere in the world, but still, it bothered him something fierce. Someone had to oversee her well being, right? Even Fie, raised by jaegers to be like them, had people who cared and worried for her and raised her into a mostly functioning human being.
"I mean someone who checks in to see if you're alright, if you're eating well, getting enough sleep, stuff like that."
"I see. You're fishing for information about my employer," she said with a suspicious gaze.
"No, that's not… I'm just curious."
Altina let out a soft "hmph" and took a bite of her second nutrition bar, her suspicion about his line of questioning unyielding. "If you are so curious, I am on loan to the Noble Alliance and Chief of Staff Rufus Albarea is responsible for overseeing my well being. That is as far as I am willing to divulge."
On loan!?
Rean almost yelled out loud. How could a person be on loan? You loaned someone a tool or a car or any other sort of object, not a child. She certainly wasn't mistreated per se, she had food and shelter and seemed healthy but he couldn't feel any warmth from it. He could picture Rufus giving Altina her missions, explaining to her what she could and not do around the ship and ordering the staff to treat her well but leaving the girl to her own devices, a girl who didn't know the first thing about living.
Even I had people who loved and took care of me…
With a sudden move, Rean got up, picked up his plate with still three pancakes left and placed it in front of Altina, then swiftly grabbed the girl's nutrition bar from her hand and handed her his fork.
"You can have them."
For the first time since meeting her, Rean saw Altina react with a quick widening of her eyes, some semblance of surprise. "I told you you could stay as long as you didn't cause any problems. This is a problem," she said. "Please, return my food at once or is this an attempt at sabotaging my efficiency for your later escape?"
Instead of answering her, Rean simply ate the nutrition bar in one go and it was easily the most tasteless thing he ever ate, far surpassing the grub from Garrelia Fortress. I could extract more flavor from a piece of wood. "I guess you have no other choice now."
"I can easily call up to the kitchen and order more."
"Just eat the damn pancakes."
"You are strange, and not in the way your dossie described you," she said with a heavy sigh. "If I eat these will you leave my room then? I would rather not cause damage with a fight if I can help it."
"Sure, pinky swear," Rean replied.
"I don't know what that means but I assume you understand. If you don't comply, I will forcibly remove you."
Altina looked at the fork in her hand and then at the pancakes, repeating the act three times before stabbing the food with the piece of silverware. Picking up the knife, she methodically cut a small piece of the top pancake before bringing it close to her mouth and there was a short pause of hesitation before she took the plunge.
Rean tried to not watch her too closely but he noticed her reaction, small as it was, a second time he saw the emotionless girl emote, pupils dilating and a face of almost shock as she realized food could be pleasant to eat. She chewed slowly, savoring it, and no sooner had she swallowed it the second slice had already been cut, bigger this time.
"So, pretty good, right?" Rean said with a satisfied smirk.
"They aren't very nutritious and will take longer to eat," she replied, then cut and ate another piece. "However, I understand now what you meant."
A couple of silent minutes later the silver haired girl paused, staring at the now empty plate, blinking as if in disbelief. She wiped a smidge of caramelized milk for the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and placed the silverware down and stared at Rean, who by now was by the window, looking at the sky. "Black Workshop."
The swordsman whipped around, confused by the set of words. "What?"
"That is the name of my employer who lent me to the Noble Faction and a piece of information I am allowed to divulge if I so desire. I believe it is right to repay someone after they give you something, that was your intention, correct?"
"No, I…" Rean pitched the bridge of his nose, contemplating how to explain his actions, because he couldn't fully comprehend them himself. "I guess…" He started, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he walked back to stand beside Altina. "I thought someone had to do something for you."
For a third time Altina emoted, this time her emerald eyes looked at him with utter confusion. "Why?"
"Because a kid needs more than just efficient nutrition bars."
"I see," she replied in her usual cadence after a solid minute of staring at Rean, but did she understand it though? Rean wasn't sure since he didn't think he explained his actions properly either. "I shall add pancakes to my morning meal."
Well, that was a start. "Or anything else you might want. Try different things."
"Anything I want…" She said as if the concept was something new for her.
"If you have problems choosing, just go down the list in alphabetical order."
"That does seem logical. Thank you for your suggestion," Altina replied with a slight nod.
With a casual shrug and unconscious movement of his hand, Rean reached out and placed his palm on top of her head, over her hoodie, and patted her lightly. "Think nothing of it."
Altina jumped away from the couch with eyes open wide and called forth her combat shell. "What was that!?"
"Uh, what?" Rean stared at her, dumbfounded, before realizing what he had done and raising up both hands. "Ah shit, sorry!"
"Explain yourself!" Altina yelled, and although it still was in a low and controlled manner, it was a surprising explosion of emotion from the girl.
"Sorry, it was on impulse!"
"What sort of impulse-"
The ring of a telephone cut off whatever accusation would have been levied at Rean. Both stared at the device sitting at the nightstand and slowly Altina moved carefully towards it, never taking her off of the swordsman, who made sure to keep his hands up. Damn his habit of giving Elise headpats.
"Altina speaking," the girl said when she answered the phone. The person on the other side of the line said something and the girl nodded with a neutral "understood" before hanging up. "I am to take you to see Princess Alfin."