It required a bit of time for the 4th Armored Division to make their move for a full on assault at the Twin Dragons Bridge, but Class VII managed to hold on to their positions while General Craig commanded his forces and impeded the provincial forces from accessing their command center. Meanwhile, even though Major Neithardt had hit them in a surprise attack, it didn't take long for him to be overwhelmed, his panzer soldat becoming too damaged to move, but Rean's timely return saved the military man from capture or worse.
With a two front assault from Valimar and the 4th Division, the provincial forces were defeated, the survivors were either captured or fled to Celdic.
After the battle was over, Viscount Victor Arseid was found by Sara and Class VII at the eastern side of the bridge where he had fended off the panzer soldats. The viscount didn't seem worse for wear, in fact, he sported a content grin as he leisurely sat on top of one of the steel soldiers with Galland-Sharl resting in his hand in a lazy grip, its blade plunged deep on the plating of a soldat. He had removed his coat and pulled up the sleeves of his shirt, showcasing his well defined muscles covered in a thin layer of sweat glistening in the sun.
"Ah my friends, I trust everything is well?" Victor waved as he watched his allies in the Crimson Wings approach him, making their way through incoming traffic of tanks, armored cars and soldiers coming to take over the military stronghold.
The sight of the charming, strong, older man practically posing for her was too much for Sara Valestein and she let out a shaky breath.
"Down, Sara, down!" Joked Fie but her protegé's words passed by completely unregistered, all mental processes being dedicated to burn that image in her mind.
"We got word from Rean that Fiona is safe," responded Laura. "I was going to ask about your status, father, but it seems there is nothing to worry about."
"D-did he really take on four soldats by himself?" Machias asked with clear awe in his voice. His whole class couldn't take on a single one.
"Papa Arseid is the strongest!" Millium cheered.
Victor chuckled heartily before leaping from the panzer soldat, one hand holding his sword while the other held his coat draped over his shoulder, a gesture that made Sara weak at the knees. "Dashing" didn't even begin to describe that man.
Not long after, Valimar came flying from the other side of the building, hovering above the bridge as the armed forces opened space for him to land. One curious thing nobody had noticed until the Divine Knight came closer was that Major Neithardt was being carried in his hand and Sara snickered that the military man looked like a toy soldier being held, much to the major's chagrin.
After settling down Neithardt on the ground, Rean ejected himself along with the Craig siblings and to everyone's surprise, Neithardt rushed to Fiona's side and rained down questions about her well-being at her. The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled the man back to reality as he was about to physically check Fiona for any injuries and he turned around to curious looks from the students and a smirk from his fellow instructor.
"I-I mean, Miss Craig, are you feeling well? Maybe I should go ahead and get a doctor. Excuse-"
Neithardt's attempt at a strategic exit failed as Fiona got a hold of his arm and pulled the major close to her, smiling brightly. "Don't be silly, Erik, we've been dating for five months now and I'm tired of hiding it!" And to seal the deal, Fiona stood on her tiptoes and kissed Neithardt on the lips.
Everyone stared in shock at the couple, having difficulty processing how the union between cheerful musician and hardened military man came to be, while Fiona just continued to gleefully cling to Neithardt's arm without a care in the world and the man himself felt completely out of his element, uncomfortable with that sort of attention. And the worst was yet to come for the major.
"WHAT!?" General Craig's voice boomed through the bridge, briefly silencing all of his men before they continued on their advance. Accompanying the general on his tank were Toval and Jusis.
"General Craig, sir!" Neithardt snapped to attention immediately at his superior's voice, although he quickly realized Fiona was still holding on to him. "I-I can explain."
"Save it for later," Olaf said sharply. "First things first. Viscount Arseid, I must thank you for your assistance, to see the Radiant Blademaster in his element is a sight to behold. Truly no other man in the Empire equals your tenacity. My gratitude, of course, extends to the rest of the Crimson Wings crew, I am in your debt."
"And so does mine," said Fiona, bowing to the others. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble for everyone and thank you for saving me."
"Now, while I'd like to have a long, long conversation with some of you…" the army general said, almost growling with a fierce gaze directed at his subordinate. "We will be taking advantage of the current situation to push onward and retake Celdic. This is a job for the 4th Armored Division, a chance to reinvigorate the men's morale and the trust of the people in the Imperial Army. As such, I wouldn't ask you to assist us more than you already have, however… Rean Schwarzer, the Noble Alliance has that Azure Chevalier of theirs and while his presence on the battlefield is rare, his shadow looms over us like a reaper ready to strike our forces without a moment's notice."
Quickly, Rean understood where the general was getting at and looking around, he saw that his companions reached the same conclusion and they stared back at him. In his mind, there was an expectation from him now, more than ever, of his strength and skills. Everyone was counting on him.
"If I'm right, the enemy will be waiting for us so we'll need you to break their defenses, open up a path so that we can move in. After which you can hang back and we'll call you in case of any surprises. Is that fine with you?"
"Sure, I'll lend a hand."
"Attaboy!" General Craig exclaimed. "Like I said, this is a 4th division matter first and foremost but this will be a great showing that the Noble Alliance aren't the only ones with an ace on their sleeve."
True to General Craig's words, a line made up of panzer soldats had been formed at the eastern exit of Celdic, eager to make their stand against the tanks of the 4th Division. The provincial army's excitement deflated however when Valimar came crashing down on them, greatsword slicing through mechanical limbs with swift efficiency. After his initial attack, Rean pulled back for the army to do their job but kept an eye out for Valimar's azure twin. Another reason for Rean to not join the fight was that as an outsider he was utterly unfamiliar with the 4th division's tactics and could easily end up getting in their way.
By the end of the day, Celdic had been liberated and the remnants of Kreuzen's provincial army retreated back to Bareahard to lick their wounds.
The town's populace rejoiced, glad to be free from the downright tyrannical clutches of the provincial army. The demands made of the merchant town had increased exponentially over the course of the war, as Fie had aptly put, it had become straight up robbery at some point and many merchants and nearby farms had their entire stocks requisitioned, and those who had dared raise their voice were imprisoned after being labeled as "reformist sympathizers."
The 4th Armored Division weren't the only ones received with open arms by the people of Celdic, for so were the members of the Crimson Wings, not only for their role in retaking the Twin Dragons Bridge but because of their assistance in returning the requisitioned merchandise from the provincial army, much of which had been taken to the military base, and then subsequent buying many essential items such as food, medicine and medical equipment, weapons and even clothes. Prince Olivert had been sure to stock the airship with enough money to sustain the operation for a long time.
Olaf Craig was right about another thing as well, word of the Ashen Knight's might spread through the town and in no time a crowd had formed around Valimar as he stood stationed outside Celdic.
"What is that!?"
"I saw it flying and beating up those panzer soldats!"
"Is it really on our side?"
Those many other questions and statements were thrown by the curious crowd of civilians, some adventurous children even trying to sneak in close and touch Valimar. Rean hadn't expected that level of attention when he landed at the Celdic's eastern exit, though in retrospect he should've, and had no idea how to deal with it. Thankfully for him, Otto, the market manager, was on the scene and dispersed the crowd, allowing Rean to join his friends.
The work of the 4th Armored Division establishing itself in Celdic had extended itself well into the evening and while Class VII had eagerly lent a hand in whatever they could throughout the day, by the time the sun set down they were all exhausted. As a way to thank the members of the Crimson Wings for their efforts, the innkeeper of the Weatchercock Inn offered them dinner on the house.
Not seeing any reason to decline the offer, many of the Thors students decided to retire to the inn for dinner, which included reunions with Becky and Rosine from Thors. Meanwhile, Elliot preferred to spend time with his family and Millium announced she would be reporting back to the Intelligence Division about the recent events as she had managed to get in touch with Major Lechter through the RMP.
"The townsfolk gathering to look at Valimar has to be my favorite picture of the day!" Rex exclaimed, brandishing his camera up high. "What do you guys think of 'A Glimmer of Hope, a New Hero Arises' as a title for it?"
"Sounds like a mouthful," Rean replied. "Also, if you make money off the pics of Valimar you have to pay me."
"Deal!"
The photographer extended his arm across the table and excitedly shook Rean's hand. 'The Erebonian Civil War Through the Lenses of Rex Oakfield' was starting to take shape, now 'Cuties At War' on the other hand… "So, Linde-"
"Don't even think about it, Rex," the pink haired girl responded sharply.
"Aww… Rosine! I got a great photo of you treating a wounded soldier, the sister get up added a downright holy quality to it!"
"Sure, I don't mind," the blonde replied with an angelic smile. "As long as the photos you use aren't improper, of course."
"Are you sure, Rosine? You shouldn't feel pressured to pose for Rex's dumb photos," said Alisa.
"It's fine. If a picture of me helping a wounded soldier can help inspire others to offer a hand to those in need, I don't mind at all."
"Wow, you're really like a saint," Machias said, mouth slightly agape. "Uhh, by the way, why are you still wearing the sister disguise? You don't need to hide anymore."
Rosine tittered and waved a hand. "Oh, I guess I just got too used to it. Is it bothering anyone that I'm still wearing it?"
"N-no! No at all I was jus-"
"I think Machias is actually enjoying the view!" Seizing the opportunity, Rean spoke over Machias' attempt to say anything else and before he could try to defend himself, Fie went for the follow up attack, lips stretching in an open grin like a wolf ready to bite.
"He always looked excited whenever Rosine and father Zirbel showed up to give us supplies. Is that your thing, Machy, a nun's habit?"
As the others laughed at his expense, Machias groaned as he hid his reddened face with his hands. He couldn't even deny their claims, Rosine looked cute! When the laughter subsided and he felt safe in lifting his head, Machias looked sheepishly back at Rosine and the girl smiled and winked at him. His blush came back in full force and the vice class president decided to chug on cold water hoping it would lessen the heat on his face.
The group ate and chatted about this or that, exchanging fews shreds of news they could with the Celdic group. According to Becky other Thors students had passed through the town but decided to move on. Amidst their conversations, a group of soldiers from the imperial army entered the inn and homed in on their group, specifically Rean, and proceeded to thank and praise the young man for his help, one of them even calling him a hero. Rex of course took photos.
"Just don't let it get to your head, hero," Alisa quipped after the soldiers left.
"Well, one of my many awesome qualities does include being very humble, so that's nothing to worry about," Rean played up the fake modesty, only hoping it would hide how uncomfortable he was starting to feel with the whole thing.
There was a bout of laughter at their table while Alisa groaned and rolled her eyes while biting the inside of her mouth to not laugh as well.
"I can't blame the people of Celdic or the soldiers for looking at Rean and Valimar like that," said Laura. "I doubt it would have been this easy to liberate the town if it wasn't for you, Rean. The battle was over quickly, the town was unscathed and the 4th division suffered no losses. You've made a huge difference," she spoke confidently and truthfully, without platitudes, and accentuated her words by holding Rean's hand under the table, giving an affectionate squeeze. It was a simple gesture that said a lot and completely stripped Rean of any attempts of deflecting her words.
"Not to bring the whole mood down but that does make me wonder why Crow and Ordine aren't more active during all this. Surely the Noble Alliance should've dispatched him here by now?" Asked Gaius, stroking his chin in thought.
"The reason is the same as to why this whole civil war is happening," said Jusis, pausing to sip on his tea before continuing. "Ego. Just as General Craig asked only for minimal support from Rean, so does the Noble Alliance resort to their 'Azure Chevalier' to only critical moments."
"Stupid-ass pretentious name," said Fie and all members of the table nodded in agreement.
"Just like one of the triggers of this rebellion was the growing authority of the Imperial Army over the provincial ones, I can't imagine the provincial forces would be happy to serve as second fiddle to an outsider like Armbrust. What would be the point of taking power by force just to incite another rebellion within their own ranks?"
Laura nodded. "I assumed as much as well. Regardless of their reasons, the provincial soldiers still have their pride as warriors."
Lying under their table next to an empty bowl of milk, Celine yawned and muttered how she thought human pride stupid.
"We must also consider where Armbrust's allegiance lies," Jusis continued, directing his gaze to Rean. "He was with Duke Cayenne at the Pantagruel, however I doubt he actually answers to the duke, meaning the nobles can't actually count on his undivided attention."
"He'll go where Vita goes, I suppose," said Emma forlornly as she thought of her sister.
Kenneth removed his har and scratched his scalp, trying to comprehend the situation properly. As an outsider in regards to Class VII, he understood very little of the situation regarding the second year student. "Still, wasn't his whole grudge with Chancellor Osborne? Why keep helping the Noble Alliance now that he got his revenge? Did he say anything about that when you talked to him, Rean?"
"I made a mess, I know that, and now I'm cleaning it up."
Rean shrugged. "Nothing really."
"He wants to clean up his mess, I guess," quiet on the subject so far, George had decided to speak up and the contents of his words drawing surprised stares at him, not least of all Rean who was shocked at how on the point he was.
Feeling rather uneasy with how everyone was looking at him, George laughed sheepishly, but didn't back down from his statement. "Sorry, I know how everyone must feel about Crow but it's just that back when me, him, Angie and Towa were doing the preliminary work that would lead to the creation of Class VII, we fought a lot and made our fair share of mistakes during our field exercises, but whenever that happened, Crow was always the first one to step up to fix things. So if I had to guess why he's still going through with it, it's because with his Divine Knight he can win the war quicker, leading to less suffering."
There was a lull in the conversation. Rean thought of making a remark as to how George believed that previous behavior from Crow could've been genuine. Was the second-year that naive? Or was it Rean who was being too cynical and still bitterly angry? He still had trouble processing the entirety of his conversation with Crow back in the Pantagruel.
"Excuse me for a sec, guys, I gotta go talk to someone," Rean said, exchanging a knowing look with Laura before getting up from his seat.
The swordsman made his way out of the inn with a mind heavy with thoughts and missed the white clad blond entering the establishment with a lute on his hands and a mirthful smile on his face.
The limitless vessel of energy dedicated to bureaucratic work known as Towa Hershel had spent the most of the day coordinating with Celdic's administrative body, the 4th Division and Jusis on how to properly return the merchandise that Kreuzen's army had requisitioned. There would be a lot of sorting involved to avoid any mix ups, as well as the proper reparations that would have to be made later, provided the war went in their favor.
The student council president had also placed herself in charge of the Crimson Wings' accounting, although Prince Olivert had assured her that wasn't necessary at all. "Too much money to even care about keeping track of it all," the prince had informed her. But Towa couldn't help herself, she liked working and keeping herself busy, especially now that it kept her mind off other things.
Otto had gracefully offered Towa the living room of his home to be used as an improvised office during their stay, and the girl made good use of it by the stacks of folders and papers overtaking the coffee table and half of a sofa.
"Hey, Towa, do you have some free time?"
"No, I don't," she replied almost too fast without looking at him and Rean flinched, thinking she was mad at him. Towa quickly realized it and sighed at herself, putting down a paper she was reading and looking back at Rean, offering a small, but genuine, smile. "But a friend once told me that the brain is like a muscle and if I overwork it I'll burn myself out and all my work will suffer as a result. Mr. Otto said I can freely use his kitchen, how about I make us some tea?"
Returning the gentle smile, Rean nodded and accompanied her to the kitchen where he sat down and watched the diligent girl prepare their tea, holding himself to not ask her if she needed help. Many visits to her office back at Thors had taught him that she would not accept help for that task.
When the beverage was done both sat at the table, quietly as if one was waiting for the other to start. Rean took the initiative. "I'm sorry, Towa. For yelling at you back then. It wasn't fair of me to get mad at you, I'm not the only one affected by this whole thing, and having to listen to me talk about… You know," he grimaced. "Dealing with Crow, it was really messed up. I'm sorry."
Towa nodded as she listened and took a sip of her tea. "I understand, Rean. You were still processing everything Crow had told you, not to mention still on the edge after escaping the Pantagruel, so for what is worth I didn't take it personally.
"I think I should apologize as well. I must've sounded so naive saying we could just keep the two of you off each other or even that we could bring Crow back to our side. The war, Divine Knights, everything that is going on right now is, as you said, really messed up, and I myself was trying to get a grip on the situation, still am, in fact."
Towa's often cheerful eyes turned tired and her face dropped as if the weight of it all was forcing her head down. She was sad and tired and it was painful to see her like that but before Rean could try to console her, Towa lifted her head and looked at him with newfound strength, saying something that made him recoil.
"But you do understand how I feel about hearing you saying those things, right, Rean? The idea of two of my friends fighting, possibly to the death? And I do mean friends, because that's how I still view Crow."
"Towa, come on, he-"
"I know things will never get back to what they used to be. Crow, Angie, George and I won't be able to graduate together, you think I don't realize that?" Her gaze pierced straight at Rean and made him feel much smaller than the girl, like a child being scolded. "He didn't have to but Crow still took the time to let you know what he's been through, what led him down this path. Why do you think he did that, Rean?"
Why indeed. To try to get Rean to sympathize with his cause, to recruit him? No, Crow knew Rean all too well to think that would work. Crow hadn't gone into his room that day to recruit him or gloat or even justify himself, he simply explained himself and if Rean tried a bit harder, he'd remember Crow looked absolutely miserable.
"Rean, you said Crow was willing to throw all we had at Thors away and to a certain extent you are right, after everything he had gone through he couldn't possibly back down from his plans, but I don't think he did it as coldly as you think he did. Weren't you just trying to convince yourself that Crow never cared about us?"
Rean exhaled, the scowl on his face softening as his fingers moved the cup over the table and he stared at his own reflection on the beverage. "Crow feels bad about it, is that what you're trying to say? So what? He still helped cause this war."
"I know that he is responsible for a lot of pain and suffering, I'm not saying he should get away scotts free, but I still spent over a year getting to know him. We studied, worked, fought, traveled and had fun together, so even if there were things about him I wasn't aware of, I still think I knew a lot about Crow. Even if he lied to us, not everything could've been a lie and I'm not willing to throw those memories away. He didn't have to befriend us, he didn't have to help us with things like the concert, but he did so anyway, why do you think he still did all those things?"
"I've wondered the same thing," Rean muttered and drank from his cup, draining its contents in one go. Wondered and threw aside the question more like…
"If you really hate Crow, Rean, that's fine…" Towa recoiled and shook her head like she had been hit by a blunt object to the face. "No, that's not right, it's not fine, I don't want two of my friends fighting and hating each other, but I'd understand why you feel that way. But I ask you to not expect others to feel the same and that you analyze your own feelings about it. Are you willing to throw all those memories away?"
Once again Rean sighed and hid his face by looking down on the floor while Towa finished off her tea.
Stillness took over the room as Rean mulled over what Towa had said. He was angry at Crow, undoubtedly, and he imagined Towa and George were as well, but the two second years didn't have hatred for their friend (former friend?). The lies, the betrayal, the attack on Trista, it would make sense for Rean to hate Crow and there was the problem, it should be easy to hate Crow, he wanted to, and somehow he still couldn't and it was frustrating. In truth, Rean didn't know the first thing about actually despising someone, maybe the jaegers that attacked his family for a brief moment before he killed them but that was it and even then he had trouble coming to terms with his actions.
In the back of his mind laid the stray, unexamined thought that Rean had never hated anyone in his life that wasn't himself.
How I face Crow will determine my chances of winning and if I'll be able to live with myself…
Viscount Arseid's words resounded in his mind and what Towa said hadn't been too different. Neither had denied the conflict between Rean and Crow, even Towa had admitted it would be unavoidable, but focused on where his mind should be, a much more difficult task.
"You'd think someone smart like you would know when to take breaks instead of overworking herself," Rean said with a smirk directed at his friend then looked across the kitchen door towards the living room where stacks of paper were piled on.
"Ahaaa… Well, that's different," she scratched her cheek and gave an embarrassed laugh, the mature and wise visage she just held collapsing.
Rean chuckled and shook his head, glad that things were okay between them. "Come on, let's join the others at the inn."
The brunette nodded in agreement and after washing the cups they had used, both left the market manager's house and started on their way to the Weathercock Inn, but not sooner had they closed the front door behind them they met with Elliot.
"Oh hey, Rean, Laura said you'd be here. Do you have a minute? Unless you and Towa have something important to talk about, in which case it's fine!"
Judging by how his eyes darted between Rean and Towa then scanned their surroundings, the redhead looked a little skittish, so whatever he had to say to Rean must've been something for his ears only, leading Towa to make herself scarce. "We were just about done, Elliot. I'll leave you boys be. See you later."
Rean realized the same thing and without ceremony motioned his friend to follow him through the streets of Celdic hoping to find a more private place to talk. "So, has your dad fired Neithardt from a tank's cannon yet?" He asked, hoping a casual conversation would help his friend relax.
"So you heard that," Elliot chuckled awkwardly.
"I think the entire province heard your dad and Fiona arguing. I didn't think she could scream that loud."
"And I don't think I've ever seen Instructor Neithardt that scared before, or just scared period."
Rean laughed at the mental image of a tiny Major Neithardt clinging to Fiona's skirt while General Craig yelled at him. "Wish I had a picture so we could blackmail him in case he tries to make us go through the manway method again. But seriously, is your father okay with him dating your sister?"
"Yeah he's… Well, okay might be a strong word, it's more like he relented to what Fiona had to say."
"And are you okay with him dating your sister?"
"Sure. I mean, it's kinda weird but if she's happy what can I say. I'm sure you feel the same way about your sister, right?" Elliot said with a shrug and looked up to the swordsman just to see a frown take over his features. "Rean?"
"Well, I guess she's the older sibling so you wouldn't get it…" Rean muttered, stroking his chin, brow furrowed as if in deep thought and leaving Elliot utterly confused.
The duo took a turn right on a corner, coming across a street that was mostly empty aside from some people chatting in front of a house away from them, which would have to suffice unless Elliot really wanted a totally private moment with Rean. "So, what's u-OOF!"
Rean wasn't sure what exactly had happened at first. Did Elliot just tackle him? But on closer examination, the redhead was simply hugging Rean really tightly. "Woah, Elliot, what-"
"Thank you, Rean, thank you, thank you…"
The musician's voice seemed to almost crack as he continuously repeated words of gratitude and Rean struggled to figure out what he had done to warrant them in the first place, but after a moment a likely answer came to mind. "It's alright, Elliot, calm down," he said calmly, grabbing his friend's shoulders and pushing him away, although offering a comforting squeeze of his hands. "Take a deep breath."
"I-I'm sorry, sorry about that, it's just…" Elliot wiped a slight wetness from the corner of his eyes and an awkward laugh escaped his lips. He followed Rean's suggestion and breathed in and out slowly until he steadied himself. "I've been holding that the entire day. You saved Fiona, Rean, I have no words to describe how thankful I am."
"Hey," Rean shook Elliot's shoulders. "We saved her. All of Class VII worked on keeping her safe."
"Yes, I know, but if it wasn't for you and Valimar we wouldn't be able to catch up to them and then at the train, when my Adamantine Shield broke, I was sure we were going to die, it was like the world slowed down and all I could see was the barrel of that gun pointed at Fiona and I couldn't do anything. I didn't know if I should try casting an Art or try to protect her, I was paralyzed and just held on to her like a scared kid. And then you saved us, you had to kill someone to protect us and-"
"Come on, that's not a big deal."
"A-and you even risked yourself when you didn't have to!"
"Elliot, we're at a war, we're taking risks all the time."
"I mean when you put yourself between us. You could've died too."
"Well, yeah, you two could've been shot," Rean stated matter-of-factly, slightly confused on why Elliot had even brought that up.
The swordsman's confused expression didn't escape Elliot's notice and it was enough to make him reorganize his thoughts. The scene had been etched onto his mind, him and Fiona reeling from the shock of the first gunshot, the provincial soldier approaching them with his gun raised and Rean standing next to him. He saw his raven haired friend move, moving forward and raising his sword and for a moment it seemed Rean would've cut down the man without issue but then he took the extra step of putting himself between them. It felt oddly familiar but he couldn't quite understand why.
Elliot wasn't the most combat gifted among the Class VII students but he had learned a lot in the past months, and looking back at that moment he could see different, safer ways for Rean to save them that would achieve the same result. And if he could see that, surely Rean did as well.
"I mean, you were on his blindspot, you didn't have to throw yourself in front of us like that. Couldn't you just have attacked him from the side or… It sounds like I'm complaining, I'm sorry, I'm grateful to you, Rean, really, but I'm just thinking that maybe there was a better option for you to be out of harm's way too."
"What? No, of course not."
"But you could've been shot and-" Elliot stopped himself and stared at Rean, who blinked and tilted his head, looking as if the musician was speaking gibberish. It wasn't as if Rean was denying he took a needless risk, he simply didn't understand how that was an issue to begin with, like his own life was an afterthought. The implication left Elliot disturbed.
A playful hit on his shoulder jostled Elliot out of his thoughts and he looked back to Rean, who smiled unconcerned at him. "Don't think too hard about it. Everything's fine now, right?"
Rean knows more about combat than I do, maybe I'm not remembering what happened right. I was so frightened back then that maybe I'm just imagining things.
"I guess… Sorry, I didn't mean to gril you about it."
"No biggie. Come on, let's get to the inn."
As they made their way back, Rean ran back the scenario that happened at the train earlier that day and could not figure out what Elliot had tried to say. In his mind there had been no other way of keeping the Craig siblings safe, the idea of not putting himself in front of the gun to deal with the soldier didn't even register in his brain. Besides, it had been his fault they were in that position in the first place, he owed them that at least. Considering everything had worked out in the end he saw no need to analyze his actions any further.
Besides, there was something else that bothered Rean about that whole operation and Elliot's presence finally reminded him. "Did Neithardt ever explain how he learned about Fiona being kidnapped? I mean, I don't know what he was doing before coming to her rescue but it feels like that came out of nowhere."
"Now that you mention it, he said he got a tip from someone, although he didn't mention who."
"I'm the answer that you seek."
Rean and Elliot turned around as a mysterious voice spoke up from behind them, revealing a hooded individual. Rean was shocked at how he hadn't even noticed the man initially, even if his guard was down he should've at least taken notice of his presence in a mostly empty street. That someone could get past him so easily sent a shiver down his spine and Rean instinctively reached for his sword just to realize he had left it behind.
"Who are you?" The swordsman demanded.
The individual chuckled as his hands reached for his hood, slowly pulling it down to reveal his face. "Why, my dear Rean, it is I… Thomas, your favorite instructor!"
And there he was, Thors' history teacher in all his glory with his huge glasses and carefree grin with open arms as if expecting a warm welcome from his students, deflating all tension in a swift move.
"No, you are not," Rean sharply replied to the idea Thomas Lysander would be his favorite instructor. "Wait, hold on, what are you doing here, instructor?"
"As I said, I was the one who informed my colleague of his beloved's capture and now I'm here rendezvous with our allies!"
"How did you-" Rean pitched the bridge of his nose and stopped himself, better to not give Instructor Thomas any rope to talk. It was in vain, however, as Elliot presented the question anyway and immediately regretted it.
"Ah, most astute observation, Elliot," The instructor's eyes shined behind his glasses. "And I'm sure Rean is chomping at the bit to learn as well, isn't he?"
"Nooo?"
Rean's words were unheeded or ignored as the history aficionado placed himself between both of his students and firmly held them by the shoulders and started to guide (push) them towards the inn. "There's no need to be shy! It is a thrilling tale of espionage and suspense that will have you begging for more. Come, let us celebrate this most fateful reunion with our friends, I hear music coming from the inn!"