The break was soon over and Class VII and their allies reconveined back to the conference room. Due to his conversation with Viscount Arseid, for Rean it hadn't much of a break and Victor apologized for that but it wasn't that big of a deal, it was a very important discussion for him to have after all.
Rean also had to thank She Who Dwells Above that when he saw the need to ask the viscount if there was anything he wanted to say regarding his relationship with Laura, Victor simply stated he had already said everything he wished to on the matter. For the most part.
"Like I said before, I trust Laura to make her own decisions, anything else I might want to say can wait for when things have calmed down," the viscount paused and although his face betrayed no hesitation, Rean could feel it as they walked back to the conference room. "However, ehrm… How should I say this… For Shion's sake," the older man muttered under his breath, stroking his chin as he fumbled his words. "Just… Use protection."
Painfully awkward but it was a refreshing reminder that Victor Arseid, wise, respected and feared Radiant Blademaster that he was, could still be a dad, and a pretty understanding one to boot.
When they returned to the conference room where most of their allies were already waiting for the others, Laura came up to Rean and her father, concerned and questioning if everything was alright, and Victor left the couple by themselves to sit in his place at the right of Prince Olivert.
"Everything's fine, Laura. Your father gave me a lot to think about, there's a lot of things I have to work on."
Looking to the side, Laura spotted Towa entering the room, the girl looked a little better than when she had left a few minutes ago. "I think it's something we all have to work on. Preferably together."
"Right, and I should apologize to Towa."
"Indeed, you aren't the only one who thought they knew Crow. Now come on, let us sit."
Part of Laura was thankful that her father had offered to talk to Rean about the subject because as willing as she was to help him, with no experience with the subject of taking lives, she was ill equipped for properly counseling him. But it also hurt her pride that a chance of assisting her partner with his troubles was taken from her, even if she understood that her father was more experienced on that matter.
Laura was being petty, she knew that, just because Rean had talked to her father it didn't mean he wouldn't wish to talk to her about the subject as well. She was better than that and she would work on correcting those feelings but that was just a fraction of the powerlessness she felt. The talk of the Rivalries and a potential fight to the death between Rean and Crow greatly upset her not only for the obvious reasons but because she would only be able to watch from the sidelines. Maybe she could get her hands on a panzer soldat but even then, Rean had easily dispatched scores of those piloted by experienced soldiers, what chance would she have against Crow? It was more likely she would get in Rean's way instead.
She could only do so much to assist Rean in regards to his family problems and she was woefully unprepared to assist in the matter of Crow, both emotionally and in the battlefield. No experience, no power, was there anything Laura could do? If only the Argent Knight was still in Legram, if only she could be an Awakener and fight alongside Rean…
"Alright, I trust everyone is feeling well rested."
Prince Olivert's voice called Laura back to reality and she extracted herself from that line of thought. Again, she was being petty and childish, just like that time back at school when she felt jealous of Instructor Sara for doing a better job at helping Rean with his insecurities. Deciding she would seek her father's advice later, Laura focused on the discussion at hand.
"With the topic of the Divine Knights exhausted for the moment, it's time for us to move onto the matter of the war," said Viscount Arseid. "Considering some of you have been isolated for the past month, I believe a simple rundown on the current situation within the Empire is necessary."
The viscount pressed a button on the table and a large screen descended from the ceiling behind Prince Olivert's seat. The monitor displayed a map of Erebonia, divided in the four provinces of Lamarre, Kreuzen, Nortia and Sutherland, each one highlighted in the colors of their ruling houses, while the Heimdallr region at the center was in bright imperial red.
On cue, Captain Claire left her seat and moved next to the screen. "After the take over of the capital by the Noble Alliance's forces, successive attacks to bases belonging to the Imperial Army as well as of the RMP took place," she said, pointing at specific locations on the map.
"We have confirmed that the Noble Alliance is being headed by Houses Albarea, Cayenne and Rogner. Marquis Hyarms has declared himself neutral and the Sutherland Province has been taking refugees, which, however, doesn't immediately mean he doesn't have some level of complicity with the ongoing coup."
Jusis nodded in agreement, saying it was likely that the other provincial lords had initial talks with Marquis Hyarms. "Nothing overt, of course, just mere insinuations to understand on what side the marquis stood on, and in the end they judged him to not have the same level of… conviction, I suppose, as them. And even if Marquis Hyarms realized what was going on, attempts at denouncing the other houses would only paint a target on him and offer no help to stop the coup."
Machias scoffed at the notion of a person in that position being neutral, calling the marquis a centrist which led to him getting shushed by Emma.
"At least, by remaining neutral, Sutherland and its people are spared from the war for the moment, and it's a safe haven for civilians," said Sara, directing her gaze towards Machias and putting emphasis on saying it couldn't have been an easy decision to make.
"And for the sake of that neutrality, Marquis Hyarms has declared that any military forces, be they provincial or imperial, that attempt to enter the province will be forced to turn back, which I am sure includes us as well," Prince Olivert pointed out.
"To cut this short and put it in simple terms, the current state of affairs is the following: the 4th Armored Division is stuck at the remains of Garrelia Fortress, horns locked with Kreuzen's army blocking the Twin Dragons Bridge as well as some small skirmishes with Nortia's forces when they can spare the men. It is only thanks to General Craig's unparalleled expertise that they have been able to hold out for so long."
Though worried about his father's situation, Elliot couldn't help but feel a little proud to hear him being talked up like that.
"Up in Nortia things aren't as clear cut. We know that the 3rd Armored Division is engaged with the provincial army in various skirmishes across the province but we have no news as to what the situation is at Zender Gate and the status with General Vander."
"Rumor has it that the Noble Alliance has made a deal with Calvard," Toval said and paused for a moment to let the murmurs of surprise subside before continuing. "By having the Republic throw their weight around and make a show of force near the border between our countries, One-Eye Zechs has no other choice but to participate in the same song and dance lest Calvard actually tries to invade while defending himself from the Noble Alliance."
"This is preposterous!" Jusis shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "Are you telling me the Noble Alliance has sold out to our nation's greatest adversary and then they have the audacity to say all they are doing is for the sake of Erebonia!? What will they do if our country, weakened by a civil war they themselves caused, actually does become the target of Calvard's invasion!?"
"They probably think the panzer soldats and Crow are enough of a deterrent until Erebonia can rebuild its forces, and honestly? They might just be," said Alisa.
Raising her hand, Laura spoke up. "If I may, Your Highness, but since we are on the topic of General Zechs Vander, what has happened to the rest of the Vander family? They're the sworn protectors of the Royal Family but from what we've heard, His Highness the Emperor as well as the Empress and your brother have been captured."
"Ah that. Something like this happening was expected in case of a coup, as such a plan to separate the royal family was devised, scurrying away each member in a different corner of the Empire for the purpose of avoiding the situation we are partially in right now. That is why I asked Toval here to take Alfin to Ymir, meanwhile RMP officers would hide Cedric in Raquel while my father and his wife would be guarded by Aurier Vander in a hideout at the Malva Coast.
"Doing so would free up General Matteus from his duties as the royal bodyguard so he could take to the battlefield. Eventually the Courageous, captained by Viscount Arseid, would pick up the royal family and under the Emperor's direct authority we would be able to quell much of the noble rebellion. It would be impossible for the Noble Alliance to keep up their charade of fighting off a rebellious Imperial Army if the Emperor's voice was ordering them to lay down their weapons.
"But, alas, they got the drop on us," the Prince said, almost casually as he conceded he had been outsmarted. "While their alliance with Ouroboros was in the cards, the society has too many cards up their sleeves for any sane person to keep track of. In this case the cards were a group by the name of the Stahlritter," and with that, word was given to Viscount Arseid and the name caused Laura to tense up.
"According to information gathered by the intelligence division they are four women led by a so-called Steel Maiden. They raided Valflame Palace and challenged Viscountess Vander, and as fearsome as the Stormwatcher is, she was overwhelmed, and she, along with His Highness and his wife as well as members of the administration such as Governor Regnitz, were captured."
Machias heart sunk at hearing that his father had been made hostage, part of him had hope the governor had managed to hide himself somewhere, but he managed to hold any externalization and not disturb the viscount's on going explanation.
"Followed by that, the Stahlritter intercepted Prince Cedric's transport as he was being secured by the RMP and surely they would have gone for Princess Alfin next were it not for Toval's prowess."
"It just required a bit of my smuggling expertise, no biggie," Toval shrugged and Sara called him a humblebrag.
"Smuggling…" Rean muttered under his breath, stroking his chin in thought for a moment then a lightbulb flicked to light in his head. "You're Toby!" He spoke up, pointing accusingly at the Bracer, causing him to slap a hand on his forehead.
"Ah crap."
The others looked at the scene with confusion, wondering what Rean meant. "Isn't Toby just his nickname? I heard Sara call him that a couple of times," said Fie.
"Wait, Rean, you mean the Toby from Carnelia?" Asked a surprised Emma, launching the room into a wave of indagations.
"Yeah! The Erebonian smuggle who proficient in Arts who becomes a Bracer by the end of the novel. When Instructor Sara called Toval Toby I just thought it was a coincidence, but then seeing Toval's skills with Arts these past few days and calling himself a smuggler just now made me put two and two together. He also mentioned he wanted to meet with Micht from the pawn shop at Trista and… Wait, are they the same person too?"
"Micht's the writer," Toval said with a defeated groan as he threw his head back. "I hate it when this happens. I told him to make the names more distinct but he never listens."
"Is Carnelia real too? I-is she…?" Emma hesitated as the fate of the Septiam Church's agent the book took the name from died at the end of the story.
"Oh don't worry, 'Carnelia' is absolutely fine, isn't she, Toby?" Sara interjected, her teasing voice drawing another loud groan from her fellow Bracer.
"Oh wow, a Bracer and a Church agent, huh?" Rean followed up on the teasing.
"Can we please go back to talking about the war?"
"As delightful as this little distraction, yes, let's get back to it," said Prince Oliver, gesturing to Captain Claire to continue her explanation.
"As things stand now, Emperor Eugent, Empress Priscilla and Prince Cedric are under custody of the Noble Alliance in an unknown location. Chances are high that the Imperial Family is being held in Heimdallr, however we have no way of being certain where or even if they are truly within the city. Meanwhile, General Matteus Vander and Major Mueller are with the 7th division engaging the forces of General Le Guin and Brigadier General Bardias."
"You'd think the Thunder God would raise hell after someone kidnapped the Emperor and even his own wife in the process," Fie said bluntly.
"Uncle Matteus is a pragmatic man and sees the necessity of the greater good, for him to leave the battlefield for too long would spell victory for the Golden Rakshasa's forces."
Viscount Arseid nodded in agreement but raised a caveat. "Of course, that level headedness only lasts as long as the Emperor and Aurier are alive. If that stops being true, the Noble Alliance will hear the thunderous sound of their demise."
"Father, do you know who these Stahlritter are?" Laura asked, referring as to how the group styled themselves after the Eisenritter, the knightly order their ancestor Shion Arseid was part of.
"I wish I knew any more than you do, daughter," Victor said with a sigh. "They are extremely capable and aligned with Ouroboros, aside from that…" he shrugged.
"It's not a lot to go on but the Steel Maiden is the Seventh Anguis, her name is Arianrhod," said Rean, recalling the snippets he got from his time at the Pantagruel. "And the Stahlritter aren't technically Enforcers but are on the same level, if what I've picked from that Duvalie woman is true. Also, she's got a bone to pick with the Arseid family."
"That is curious, I don't think I've ever met her before. Father?" Laura turned to the viscount, who shook his head, as clueless as her. "Her behavior aside, Duvalie the Swift was a fearsome adversary. I could tell she held back on us."
"Aside from what they call themselves, anyone capable of defeating Aurier is worthy of our attention and respect as an adversary," said Victor. "Part of me is intrigued about their reasoning for taking Lianne Sandlot and the Eisenritter's mantle, but I can't deny that I'm also hoping for the possibility of crossing blades with this Arianrhod as well."
"If I may steer the current discussion to another topic," said Sharon, looking expectantly at Prince Olivert and Viscount Arseid, who nodded in approval. "I believe it is important to bring up the current situation in Roer and the Reinford Industries as well. It is no surprise now that all the iron that had been laundered from the Sachsen Mines in Roer was diverted into the creation of the panzer soldats through a secret 5th factory, and not tanks and other conventional weaponry as we believed initially.
"Now with their façade over, the Noble Alliance has taken over the Reinford Company and even the Roer Institute of Technology, with Count Heidel Rogner assuming the position of interim chairman while, according to the official statement, Lady Irina is sick."
Alisa scoffed. "Funny how after all of this they want to pretend they didn't just kidnaped mother and locked her up in a dark room. Do you have any idea where she might be, Sharon?"
"Unfortunately not, my lady. But do not fret, I shall leave no stone left unturned until you are reunited with her as the happy and loving family you once were."
Upon hearing that, Gwyn had to suppress the urge to scoff. Loving? I know Sharon is a good maid but that would be a miracle. Bah, what am I saying, it's not as if I'm removed from that mess.
"In addition, it seems Professor Schmidt is under the employ of the Noble Alliance as well."
"Bah! Of course that old coot is involved!" The former chairman bellowed with anger. "The panzer soldats and even that massive airship have his stink all over them. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even know why he was working on those things, as long as he can make his inventions he doesn't give a damn how they are used."
"Yeah, the professor can be like that," said George with an awkward laugh. He had a few interactions with the famed inventor, none of them too pleasant.
"As if all of this wasn't enough," Captain Claire started with a sigh. "We have reports of bizarre monsters never seen before appearing all over the country. From bestial creatures to what were initially mistaken to be panzer soldats but it seems they are called magic knights, is that right, Emma?"
"Yes, captain, and those more powerful monsters are cryptids," Emma then proceeded to explain the origins of the magic knights and how they, along with the cryptids, were manifesting due to the agitation of the spirit veins caused by the war.
"Generals Le Guin and Bardias mentioned such cases back in Legram. Apparently it's a problem big enough that the Noble Alliance is willing to dedicate part of their forces to deal with his plague of magical creatures," said Laura.
"And you can bet that the Imperial Army and RMP are doing the same thing too," Rean said rather thoughtfully. "Although I wonder how much they can spare considering how hard things are for them, and General Le Guin might have said that but it doesn't mean it's something the rest of the Noble Alliance is giving it much thought. Where does that leave the rest of the populace? Ouroboros sent those two to clear up the Sachsen Mines because it's in their best interest, but what about small towns in the countryside?"
Rean raised a good point, Erebonia had already been suffering with a lack of monster control due to the closing of the Bracer Guild branches and the disputes between Provincial and Imperial Armies, and now even more dangerous monsters were appearing in the middle of a war.
With a clap of his hands, Prince Olivert called everyone's attention upon himself. "Let's sum it all up, shall we? The Imperial Family are imprisoned. To the east side we have Chief of Staff Rufus Albarea and to the west General Aurelia Le Guin, each one leading the forces of the Noble Alliance against the Imperial Army and the Railway Military Police. The country's biggest weapons manufacturer is under control of the Noble Alliance, producing new machines of war for them that we have few ways of countering.
"On top of that, the agents of Ouroboros are slithering around the country with their schemes sending Erebonia into a chaos of ancient magical rituals with a secondary effect of releasing monsters upon the defenseless citizenry. My oh my, this is quite the predicament for us of the Crimson Wings to solve, isn't it?"
It seemed that the Prince was finally getting to the last topic of discussion, what role would the Courageous and Class VII play in this war? For Prince Olivert and the airship's crew it seemed rather obvious but what about Class VII specifically? While each one of them was talented in their own way, none of the students held any illusions of being key pieces in the war, Rean and his Divine Knight aside.
"Now, I know what some of you might want to say. 'But oh Prince Olivert, talented artist and devilish handsome man that you are, haven't you in the past declared yourself a neutral party in the power struggle between the reformist and noble factions? Aren't you now placing yourself on the reformist side?'
"Neutrality is a luxury that can only be afforded in times of peace. Let's say individuals A and B are having a heated argument and you, Class VII, are neutral observers watching it unfold with nothing to gain from either of them winning said debate, when suddenly, oh tragedy! Individual A stabs B with a pocket knife! Now, what would the correct course of action be? To remain 'neutral' and do nothing as poor B gets assaulted or to interfere now that the situation has escalated?"
It was a simplistic analogy, delivered through Olivert's usually exaggerated flamboyant manner, but it got the job done in explaining his position.
"Do not be mistaken, I would have taken similar measures if the roles were reversed and it was the Reformist Faction staging an unlawful, violent power grab. I and the Courageous were neutral when we were in a state of equal adversaries, with the purpose of keeping them in check, the moment the scales tipped too drastically to one side all bets were off. We, the Crimson Wings, and that includes you kids, will be assisting the Imperial Army in restoring Erebonia to its relative normalcy and bringing those responsible for the current state of affairs to justice."
Olivert stared merrily at the students, delighted in seeing the expectant looks on their faces. Oh the suspense! Good thing Mueller wasn't there otherwise his grouchy bodyguard would tell him something like "Stop messing with them and say what you have planned already" possibly followed by a twack at the back of his head.
"Let's go back to that fateful, peaceful day when we met in St. Astraia's rose garden, 'part of the future that pushes the darkness away from the country' I believe were the words I used back then to describe the boys and girls of Class VII. Now, that still applies, of course, but the Class VII program has a secondary aspect to it that was never publicly divulged, not even to the members of the Board of Directors of Thors, although all of them must've come to this conclusion by themselves.
"Class VII was the first step in the creation of a special forces unit working under direct orders of the Emperor."
The room was put into shocked silence by the revelation as the students couldn't even muster to stutter a question.
Sara had her suspicions for a while, although she never thought it was something worth pursuing, it felt good to have them confirmed, and even better was to see that Miss Icy Maiden seemed almost as shocked as the students. Ha! Suck it, I knew something you didn't. Heh heh.
"A group of people from different backgrounds and a wide range of talents, put together for special operations where one's differing skills would supplement another's, united by bonds forged through intense training and a little short-cut called combat-links. Small enough that they can quickly maneuver from one place to another but still be a force to be reckoned with, this group would be the perfect match of military doctrine and Bracer know-how, intervening in situations where conventional military couldn't and work solely under the Emperor's orders, not even the Chancellor would hold any authority over these individuals."
"So we were going to be-" Machias started but was quickly shut down by the Prince.
"No. Class VII is first and foremost still a class of students with your best interests at heart, your education paramount regardless of the goals of the project. You were never meant to be this task force itself, just the proof of concept, although depending on your individual results any of you would be liable to be invited to become part of the real thing.
"What I want to stress here, my young friends, is that the choice to be a part of it is yours and it is a difficult one to make. You have signed no documents or made any pledges that hold you to any responsibilities. Those who wish are free to go, we shall drop you in any place of your choosing to pursue either safety or your own agenda, there is no shame in feeling like you are way over your head. Meanwhile those who choose to stay… Well, I guess it is quite obvious, isn't it?"
It was a major bombshell that had been dropped on Class VII. Not only were they going to integrate with Prince Olivert's efforts in ending the war, something they had already expected, but the fact they were meant to be a testing ground for a special task force and now they were meant to be such task force. It completely recontextualized their entire school experience and their position in the war.
The reply to the prince's question was a unanimous yes, as it came to be expected from Class VII.
The talks extended until the evening and a lot was still left to be decided. Aside from Class VII, the Courageous also welcomed Towa, George, Rex, Linde and Kenneth into their ranks, although they wouldn't be participating in field operations in the same way Class VII would, the other Thors students would be assisting as the airship was running on a skeleton crew. Not being a Thors student and having zero military education, Annabelle stayed in Ymir after a lot of insistence from Kenneth.
After that was done with, Instructor Sara led the students to their quarters, where they would be staying in for the foreseeable future, and when the topic of room arrangements came up, she did her usual teasing remarks at her favorite targets, Rean and Laura, about how "Poor Elliot doesn't need to be woken up in the middle of the night with the bunk bed shaking."
Rean groaned (and put a hand on his face to hide his grin), Laura went red and Elliot desperately wanted to know why he had to be included on this.
Rean had his response at the ready when all of a sudden, Laura spoke up. "Yes, well, and I don't think my father would appreciate being bothered by a lustful drunkard in the middle of the night either."
That Laura of all people had managed to get that one against their teacher left everyone's mouth agape, Sara most of all, then Rean snickered and everyone descended into laughter, except for the seething former Bracer. After getting their stuff set in their respective bunk beds, they went to the cafeteria for a well deserved dinner, the same stuff they were served in Garrelia Fortress. Was it too late to abandon ship?
Well, war is war and they wouldn't complain for not having it easy. Rean didn't have in him to complain as he was specially famished after using his power for such a long stretch of time that day but aside from that he didn't think there were any other side effects. There was absolutely nothing else out of the ordinary in that regard.
Him and Laura sat next to each other and he regaled her with the details of his stay on the Pantagruel as well as his escape.
"I can't believe you threw Princess Alfin into the air," Laura said in disbelief. "You're very lucky the Imperial family is so good natured."
He shrugged. "I took that into account. The princess was never at any risk, I know what I'm doing."
And weirdly enough, she trusted that he did. Rean might put on a façade of flippancy but he absolutely gave the situation as much thought as he could considering the circumstances and chose the best course of action.
"So you are… mixed?" She asked, still unsure about the term.
Consciously or not, Rean's hand hovered over his chest for a moment. "It's what McBurn said anyway. Someone put something in me, in my chest or my heart I guess, but who knows how much of that is true, that guy seemed just as clueless about it. Maybe I could've asked Vita but-" She tried to seduce me and read my mind. "I doubt she would have given a clear answer either."
Judging by how the witch had spoken to Emma earlier that day, that was pretty much a given. At least Rean was safe and back with them, that mattered more than expecting all the answers they sought to be delivered on a fell swoop.
"Rean, have you noticed something?" Laura asked her boyfriend and received a "wuh?" in response. "Nobody has sat next to us."
After swallowing the piece of meat he was eating, Rean disengaged from his meal and looked around the table and true enough, both were alone sitting next to each other. Huh, weird.
"They think they'll bother you," Fie said in response, setting her food tray on the opposite side to the couple. "Like intruding on you two wanting to spend time alone and being lovey-dovey or whatever."
Laura scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That is ridiculous, both Rean and I already decided on staying in different rooms to not make anyone uncomfortable or self-conscious about it."
"Yeah, I figured you don't want to be intimate and stuff in public when your dad can just show up at any time," said Fie. "It was Alisa who said we should let you two have some alone time."
"Of course she did," the blue haired girl said, pitching the bridge of her nose. It was a nice thought but wholly unnecessary, she would have to talk to her friend later.
"And clearly, you don't care about bothering us," Rean said with a half-lidded stare.
"Well duh," Fie shrugged. If she was actually bothering them they would say so, her friends knew she was comfortable with that sort of bluntness. "Anyway, Rean…" She started but then stopped herself, looking down at her plate as she prodded at her mashed potato with a fork. Both swordsmen looked at Fie with curiosity but said nothing, letting the girl take her time. After a minute of silence and shoving some food in her mouth, Fie finally spoke. "Did you talk to Xeno and Leo when you were up there?"
Ah it was that, it made sense she would be curious. There wasn't much to say since their brief conversation centered around Fie to begin with but the girl did smile when Rean made it clear the jaegers still cared about her. The question as to why the Jaeger King's will indicated Sara as her caretaker in case of death eluded them all however and Fie had no hopes their teacher would be willing or even able to give an answer.
"Did they say anything else?"
"Oh not much, they just threatened to kill me if I 'try anything' with you," Rean said through half-lidded eyes.
"Those idiots," Fie groaned as she sank on her seat but behind that there was still a faint smile.
The trio continued to chat for a while, though much of it was either about the details of Rean's stay at the Pantagruel or Class VII's status as a task force, and when Captain Claire showed up at the cafeteria Rean excused himself to go talk to her.
"Hey Captain, can I talk with you for a second? Unless you're really looking forward to eating sawdust then I'll leave you be."
A quick glance from the Icy Maiden's analytical eyes noticed that Rean was a little bit on the defensive, a little awkward even. It made her curious. "Sure, Rean. What can I help you with?"
"I wanted to thank you for going out of your way and dedicating resources to protecting Ymir and my family. The RMP needs all the strength you guys can spare but you're still willing to send people to watch over my town and I really don't have the words to say how much that means to me. Thank you, really."
For Claire it wasn't surprising to hear this, although how sincere Rean sounded was a new facet from the student that she didn't expect, but then she could understand how worried one could be about their family. "Don't mention it. It is the Railway Police's duty to protect the citizenry, especially in times like this. The war might be a priority right now but we can't forget why we are fighting."
"And uhhh, I'm sorry for being kind of an ass to you back in Roer."
And he sounded almost bashful when he said it too. Now that was surprising, maybe she had a completely wrong impression of the Schwarzer youth. Considering their situation it was preferable to be on good terms with him, Claire thought. "It's okay, Rean, we all had a rebellious phase back when we were younger, even I did."
"Heh, no offense, captain, but I doubt it," Rean said a wry smile.
"Oh really?" She returned a lopsided grin of her own. "I'll have you know that back when I studied at Thors I was put in detention for talking back at the teachers multiple times."
"Seriously? I bet it was because you were obsessed with correcting them."
He was clearly joking but Claire was still taken aback by how on point he was. How did he figure that out? "W-well, that aside. I hope that by now it has been made clear that even though I was concerned about Class VII stepping in the way of our investigations, I also had the safety of all of you in mind. To protect and serve the citizens is not only the RMP's mission but it is my personal one as well."
Captain Claire was being genuine and Rean looked at her with new eyes of appreciation. He really had misjudged her, or maybe he had been too focused on putting up an image of being cool for defying authority, whatever the case he owed her more respect. Now more than ever Rean needed allies he could trust and a straight arrow like Claire Rieveldt seemed as trustworthy as they come.
He extended his hand for a shake and the RMP captain gladly returned it.