Chapter 11 - A Trail Gone Cold
"This is a mere jest, right?" Unterfeldwebel Dorn's eyes were bulging.
"In all my years, I've never heard of anything this outrageous," said Parson, the coach master of the postal service.
"Sorry gentlemen, but this is no joke," Sara interjected. "The monster attack was a deliberate hit, orchestrated by humans."
The rest of the provincial army soldiers and postal service guards were shocked to silence. She wasn't surprised. Monsters were rarely seen as anything more than nuisances by laymen or creatures to be farmed for their sepith - a common sentiment in the military.
The evidence laying before them was pretty decisive. At least for her. Alisa's orbal readings showed the lights to be fully functional. No sabotage. Feathers and talons had the violet discoloration at the root and there was blue sepith harvested from two separate corpses. Finally, there was the caltrop bullet found by Fie. And neither she nor Neithardt needed to help out even once, although a military blockhead like him would've been useless anyway with this kind of investigative work.
Was this what they called teacher's pride? She had to admit that it was a profoundly pleasant experience. Of course the fact that the evidence pointed to Jaeger involvement soured her a bit on all the warm, fuzzy feelings.
She didn't say her suspicions aloud yet. Fie most likely figured it out, too, but sometimes silence was golden. That woman from the inspectorate wouldn't take it well. And the last thing the group needed was for her to sink into another bout of hysterics - and try to put herself in charge.
"I've never even heard of such a thing," the female inspector murmured in horror. Now that she was outside the carriage, she continued to be useless. "Monsters as living and directed weapons? How many cases thought to be mere accidents were the result of deliberate murder?"
Sara rolled her eyes. "Sorry lady, but that's hard to say. Bracers try to follow up on such cases but you know how it is in the Empire nowadays... guild houses shut down and all. And without a base of operation it's kinda impossible to prepare accurate statistics."
She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice. Whatever. What was the high-born Judicial Inspector going to do? Sue her?
"This isn't the best place to air your grievances, Lieutenant Valestein. Now that we are aware how serious the situation is, our cadets should bolster the protective duty and get Madame Inspector as well as the carriage to safety." Neithardt bowed towards the woman, the bootlicker. "Our mission is clear. Now that we have regrouped there is no need to tarry anymore."
"Yes, yes. It's good that at least one soldier has his priorities in order. Let's head to Saint-Arkh immediately."
Sara saw the faces of the Provincial Soldiers turn stony. A typical way to suppress their emotions.
"Major, I would like to remain here. I also want Rean, Fie and Gaius to stay with me. The firepower of the remaining cadets in addition to the fighting prowess of the 'Mighty' is enough to ensure the safety of the package." She gestured to the monster corpses. "These are just the beginning of a trail. I want to pursue it while it's still fresh."
"The tracks lead directly into the wilderness. This is difficult terrain with potential hostiles. Do you want to get our cadets killed?"
"If they were trained like regular troops, I would share your worries. You watched how I drilled them last month though and my training prepares them for exactly such an undertaking. The kids I chose are ready, whether you like it or not."
Elliot raised his hand. "Excuse me, instructors, but perhaps we can find a compromise?"
Neithardt stopped himself. "What is it, Cadet Craig?"
"Part of the first years are doing scouting exercises under Instructor Luditz, including some second years. Crow told me that part of their program involves a venture into Isthmia Forest. How about contacting them so Instructor Valestein's team can engage in a joint-exercise?"
This was a good idea. The major seemed to think so, too. He didn't waste any time using his ARCUS to contact their operator. Several members of Class VII gave Elliot a thumbs-up once Neithardt's back was turned. Sara grinned and joined in which in turn made the red head blush.
Aww, how adorable. No wonder Fiona loved to fawn over her little bro.
"So they are about 40 selge away?" The major nodded several times. "Good thinking Sterling. The cavalry scouts can rendezvous with our protective duty, while the sniper scouts can join up with Instructor Valestein... Yes, relay this to Lieutenant Colonel Luditz. Contact me again in case of last minute changes. Copy and out."
While the major organized the joint-exercise, Sara activated her own ARCUS. She took out an argem chip crafted by Toval and opened the orbment casing on the back. The homemade signal scrambler was slotted into the circuit board and only then did she start the call.
Freising here.
"Hey, it's me. We've got your package."
Ah, good news. Any problems?
Sara forced herself not to snort. "Yeah, you could say that." She recounted their fight with the monsters as well as the follow up investigation.
Jaeger involvement? By Aidios, just what I needed. And a dead soldier. What was his name?
She closed her eyes. "Jarod Greenich."
I see. Please Sara, tell the provincial officer that I'll be the one writing the letter.
She sighed. As someone who commanded troops back in the days, she was well aware of this particularly nasty task. The Northern Jaegers were organized like a regular army for the most part. Not surprising, considering they were formed from what was left of the North Ambrian military. Unlike typical jaegers most members had loved ones waiting for them back home. It was a measure her dad encouraged to ensure that the money they earned really flowed back where it was needed. Jaeger life corrupted, making it easy to sever ties to civilized society amidst all the blood, violence and wealth. As such, shackling them through human bonds was a necessary thing.
It also made it a nightmare to write those letters. Explaining what could not be explained. Consoling when the recipients were all but inconsolable. Telling mothers or fathers, wives or siblings, sons or daughters why her subordinates had to die, all the while making sure that what she put down with her pen weren't just empty platitudes.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Helena?"
This transport was send out under my orders. I have to take responsibility for that. Besides, you mentioned a female inspector?
"Yeah. I first thought she was escorting the package under your orders. Some bigwig from the Government A..."
Accountability Inspectorate?
"Yes, that one. Never heard of them before."
Not surprising. They were established only two month before. Still, didn't expect them to take action this fast. Thought they were busy with recruitment. Did you catch the name of the woman?
"Katarine Fugger. Probably a family member of the Fugger Mercantile Group." Sara heard a groan through the phone line.
Great. One of the big three venture capitalists of Heimdallr. Seems like they're spreading their influence into the 'reformed' government.
"I can consider her one of Osborne's lackeys then?"
The relationship between the Fuggers and the Chancellor is more nuanced than that. But they, like Kleist and Guiscard, thrive as much as they do on that man's behest. If she's part of the transport, we can be assured the Aulic Council is her destination. What do you make of her?
She blew a raspberry. "I wouldn't call my encounter with her pleasant by any stretch. She didn't utter a single word of condolence for the man who died on duty. Instead she cared only for her own safety. Tried to give marching orders without any understanding that my cadets and the soldiers need to rest and regroup. If it weren't for her name, she could've fooled me into thinking that she's bonafide noble."
As far as economical power and societal influence is concerned, the nouveau riche of modern Erebonia could as well be aristocrats. One of your cadets is a Reinford, right? As her main instructor, I'm sure you've already encountered instances when the higher ups treated her with kid's gloves.
Sara was reminded of the faculty meeting two weeks ago with the board of directors in attendance. "Well, less kid's gloves, more red carpet treatment. Her mother is a board member at Thors."
My point exactly.
"On another note, Helena, try air delivery next time you transport sensitive information. Could've avoided all this mess."
We went over this before, Sara. The only aircraft delivery service in Erebonia is run by the Capuas. Disgraced members of Imperial Nobility who turned to crime. Not the kind of résumé I would entrust national secrets to.
"They've been pardoned, you know?"
Of course I know. A ruling that was far too lenient. If they were caught in Erebonia committing piracy, their sentence would've ended up much different.
"Right, right, Ms Crusading Prosecutor. Just to give you a heads up, I'm going to follow that monster trail. See where it leads."
You'll keep me abreast of any new discoveries?
"Course I will. You stumble into one big conspiracy after another like a drunk Gordi Schnorr. Someone has to watch your back, what with your lack of self-preservation. Though it seems this time you really poked into one big hornet's nest."
Thank you Sara. I know you're going out of your way for me. I really appreciate it.
"You can show that appreciation by preparing some nice alcohol. Like that Legram Brandy you mentioned. The perfect drink for telling you about my meeting with Victor S. Arseid."
...wait, the Radiant Blademaster? The man who placed first on the Velvet Magazine's poll for Erebonia's most eligible widower?
"His daughter is one of my cadets, you know?" Sara couldn't keep the smugness out of her voice.
You opportunistic harpy...
She hung up. It was always best to end things on a high note.
After Sara put away the ARCUS, she turned to Fie who had been watching her midway through the call. And considering her heightened senses...
"It's impolite to eavesdrop, you know?"
Fie put on her most innocent expression, tilted head and widened eyes included. It was pretty convincing but Sara was made out of sterner stuff than to succumb to the devious cuteness of her charge.
"How much did you hear?"
"Enough."
"Keep it to yourself for now."
Fie blinked. Sara could almost hear the gears turning inside the girl's head. Finally, she came to a conclusion and looked the bracer straight in the eyes. "Is the army aware of you being buddy buddy with the state prosecutor?"
"Probably. But knowing these military blockheads, they don't realize how close our cooperation really goes. And I'm in no hurry to tell them."
"You know the content of the package?"
"I can make educated guesses. But if these guesses are even close, this is way beyond the scope of Class VII's activities."
"In other words, let the adults handle it."
Sara detected some faint emotion. Was that resentment? "You're awfully pricky. Did something happen?"
Fie didn't utter a word. Their silent stare down continued for several uncomfortable seconds. Sara wasn't bothered. Dealing with the little ex-jaeger meant dealing with stretches of silence.
"...why didn't you warn me?" Fie finally said. Her voice was quiet and awfully brittle.
"Warn you about what?"
"Laura being aware of my background."
Oh, that.
"So she finally confronted you about it? Thought it would happen sooner."
"Don't dodge the question."
"What do you expect me to have done?" Sara sighed. "Laura was worried about the state of her mind and the moment Colonel Beatrix got involved, it more or less fell under patient confidentiality. Besides, I have an open door policy for all cadets under my care. How can I do this in good conscience if I blab out private matters to third parties? Sorry Fie, but I can't play favorites here."
"Is this your bracer code?"
"We don't have an article that deals exactly with situations like this, but yeah, my guild experience does give me a sense about the right thing to do."
"Sounds like a pain."
"It is. Living with society instead of outside it makes everything horribly complicated. You can't just divide the world into your corps and everything else. Them and us. Black and white. Enemies to be killed and loved ones to be protected."
"..."
Another silent stare down. Fie then turned on a heel and stalked away, her body language closed off. As far as Sara could gauge, the girl was sulking.
Nothing to do but let her cool down.
Sara saw how Neithardt's group was about to leave. She went to Unterfeldwebel Dorn and told him about Helena's request, which he accepted grudgingly. The major gave her a curt nod while the other cadets waved her goodbye - except Jusis and Laura. The two nobles went for the proper salute instead, but she wasn't in the mood for military rituals. Sara did a lazy wave and watched the bolstered convoy move toward Saint-Arkh, Gaius and Rean standing beside her. She then turned her sight westwards. Thors' sniper scout platoon couldn't come sooner.
"Man, first the rhinociders, now this. Did you and your cadets mow through these monsters with some kind of oversized meat grinder?"
Sara rolled her eyes.
"Oh. It seems you combined that meatgrinder with a flamethrower. How would something like this be called? A... flamegrinder?" Konrad turned towards her. "Can I have one, too?"
She shook her head at his antics. Konrad Zander was a warrant officer of the Imperial Army's 17th Scout Regiment. He was also a second year. A non-commisioned officer who went to Thors to spruce up his military career, which in turn made him older than most of his classmates.
It apparently made him old enough to think that he could make passes at her.
"And what have we here? By Aidios' knickerbockers, did somebody shoot those birds right in the heels with bow and arrow?" He circled the corpses. "Fletching is of the same make. Six shots made in the span of three seconds while moving. Most likely from horseback, judging from the angle." He blinked owlishly. "These are awesome archery skills."
"If you want to gush to the right person, look no further than there." Sara pointed to Gaius who was pouring over a map with Crow, Rean and Fie.
"Makes sense. This is something a Nord tribesman should pull off... can I have him?"
"Not everything in the world is for grabbing."
"Hey, I'm serious. If he's even half the rider Nords are said to be, he could teach the cavalry scouts a thing or two. Okay, maybe not have him, but I think even Instructor Luditz wouldn't be averse if we borrowed your cadet for a course or two."
"And the lieutenant colonel isn't going to protest? Gaius is part of the infamous Class VII, you know? Taught by yours truly."
Konrad shrugged. "Instructor Luditz' beef is with you, Sara, not your cadets. And he always tells us that the only way to get really good at something is to never stop learning."
A sentiment she could get behind. "Go ahead then. But make it clear this is voluntary. Also, if he's to shoulder an instructor's duty - even for a short time - I want him to earn credits to match."
"I'll talk to the lieutenant colonel. I'm sure something can be arranged." He then crouched down and began to cut out the arrows.
"What are you doing?"
He looked up to her. "These arrows are handcrafted. At least the fletching here is. These are either falcon or eagle tail-feathers. Don't grow on trees if you catch my drift."
"I see. Well, I've always been more a gun type of gal."
He winked at her. "I'm sure you are. Your cadet would collect the arrows himself if he hadn't been distracted by more pressing matters. This is just me doing him a favor. Should be a good ice-breaker."
Sara laughed. "Gaius is the last person you need to prepare an ice-breaker for. He's one of the friendliest persons I've ever met and believe me, I've met a lot of people from different walks of life."
Konrad stopped his work for a moment, looking sheepish. He then continued with renewed determination. "It always pays to be nice."
She smiled. "I'll leave you to it then."
While Sara walked toward the hastily erected encampment, she thought back to Gaius' combat performance. Despite his silly antics, Konrad was correct - her unobtrusive Nord cadet had performed well above expectations. Was he someone who worked good under pressure? Or perhaps...
Horseback. Nord tribesmen grew up in the saddle. As his combat instructor, Sara found Gaius' spear skills lacking but couldn't quite put a finger on what the problem was. Perhaps he was simply not accustomed to fighting on foot?
Sara could ride but fighting from horseback was way beyond her. She wasn't in a position to show Gaius how to transfer his ingrained combat skills to simple foot-soldering. Maybe outside help was needed.
She passed first year cadets left and right who were hard at work harvesting the sepith. Some second years from Forsetis Military Academy were watching, though most of the academy students were too squeamish to get their hands dirty.
It was still an object lesson in understanding that earning sepith was hard work. Despite it's amazing properties, the stuff didn't transfer into ones wallet out of thin air, all pristine and clean, just because some monster was killed. Class VII's claim during the next round of requisition should involve a nice bonus though. Major Neithardt would make sure to prepare the necessary documents and dot the i's and cross the t's. Her cadets weren't going to get shortchanged.
At least that stick-in-the-mud was good for something.
He was also quite good in a fight, she had to admit. But then again, most officers in the Erebonian Army earned their ranks the hard way. As much as she liked to wail about the military, there were things they did right.
Once Sara arrived at the encampment, she changed out of her instructor uniform into a set of camo-patterned clothing. There was ballistic mesh woven into it but the weight was well distributed, not impeding movement in the slightest.
She then twisted her ponytail into a bun and fixed it with a clip. A big scarf of brown and olive followed which she bound atop her head to hide her entire hair inside.
Sara was proud of her fuchsia locks which took years to grow out. It was meant to show her break with her Jaeger past. A constant life on the battlefield where long hair was nothing but a liability. The lessons she learned back then were not forgotten though. Going into unknown and potential hostile territory with difficult footing was already dangerous. But knowing her luck, they would need to venture into actual forest terrain, meaning bad visibility and an abundance of cover.
With hair color as bright as hers this was practically begging for a headshot.
She exchanged her decorated pistol and sword with a camo-patterned helmet, a mundane field knife and a powerful single-action rifle, also painted in unassuming colors. No scope though. She wasn't that good of a sniper, making the risk of a reflective surface not worth it. Wild forests tended to be dark, but there were occasional breaks in the foliage for light to stream through. And with eyes already adapted to sparse illumination, the glare of the lens would stand out even more.
What a bother. She wanted to be a lot more hands-off with the kids during the field study. Use the opportunity to take it easy for once, kick back inside a nice, classy bar. But since the vice principal changed Class VII's entire field program on the fly, nothing had really gone according to plan. Originally, the first field study was to see the cadets split into two groups. Destinations were Celdic and Parm and the whole operation was supposed to be decoupled from the military exercises of the other classes.
Instead members of the General Staff Office started to bemoan the 'blatant favoritism shown to the Red Jackets' and how it supposedly undermined military cohesion among the student body. Of course, they failed to mention the institutional favoritism of the class system and how it influenced the structure of the GSO itself. When Sara pointed out their blatant hypocrisy, those medals for brains were quick to dismiss her as just an 'outsider'.
Finished with weapon preparation, there was one last thing she had to deal with. She looked around for a suitable spot and found Fie squatting some distance away, smearing her face with mud. Like Sara, the little ex-jaeger had changed into a camo-uniform. Her white hair was completely hidden.
She joined Fie in front of a small puddle on top of wet soil. There was a brief moment of revulsion, but soon enough her hands were moving in familiar patterns. First were the exposed parts of the face: nose, cheekbones, forehead and of course the ears. These areas were covered thoroughly in dark mud, the cool, slimy sensation oddly nostalgic. Then came the recessed areas like below the chin, around the eyes and the neck. Finally she smeared even the back of her hands.
She turned to Fie who already finished her face painting. As expected, her protege did a flawless job.
"Are there any parts that need more covering?" Sara asked while pointing to herself.
The little jaeger stuck her left hand into the wet soil. Then, her arm whipped out in a flash and Sara felt her left cheek hit with a wet smack.
"Everything's perfect now," Fie deadpanned.
That little...
Before she found it in her to reprimand the imp, Fie was already turning away to join Crow and the other Class VII members. Whatever. She'll let her have this one. Sara grimaced to ease the itching on her face, now that the mud was starting to dry. After that, she walked to the makeshift scouting group to take charge.
Gaius and Rean had also changed into proper scouting gear, though the swordsman's face paint could use some work. Konrad was already in deep conversation with Gaius, while Crow was in the process of furling the area map.
"Anything interesting you found?"
Crow shrugged. "Beside ostrich tracks atop more ostrich tracks? Not really. The area around here's devoid of suspicious human activity."
"The tracks suggest that the monsters made it here from Isthmia Great Forest," said Klein, another second year. He gestured toward the nearby woods. "Technically these trees also belong to Isthmia, but they're only the outer vestige. The core of the forest is far more dense and very hard to traverse. I think the only ones to do the scouting should be us second years." He turned to her cadets. "No offense meant of course."
Rean smiled disarmingly. "None taken. As our senior, you're just worried about us."
"We can take care of ourselves," Fie said.
"Sorry to sound like a sourpuss, instructor," said Vesteria, another second year who oversaw the exercise, "but are you sure we're going to find anything? Making monsters go all crazy sounds pretty out there to me. But if I were to do it, I'd have removed all traces long ago."
Sara shook her head. "Septochromatosis adversaris occurs when a monster species with a single dominating lower element gets a sudden influx of the opposing septium in large quantities. This isn't something that happens naturally... except during great geological disturbances that completely flips around the septium composition in a given area."
She shrugged. "Perhaps this is what we'll find, but I doubt it. That caltrop bullet didn't appear out of nowhere. And aggravating the pack leader is a surefire way to whip an entire monster horde into a frenzy. Having this many Ostriches tainted with Sapphirl requires area wide contamination. Something like that leaves traces. Traces that won't disappear after a few days."
She turned to Crow. "What's the maximum range of ARCUS links?"
The second year scratched his head. "It kinda depends. Trust, familiarity, practice. But they usually start to get finicky when the distance exceeds 75 arge."
Better than she thought. She could work with that. "Okay cadets, here's what we do: separate into teams of two consisting of one ARCUS user and a second year. Klein, tell Josephia to stay behind and maintain chain of command."
Klein folded his arms. "Are you sure this is a good idea instructor?"
"Yes, I am. As for us ARCUS users, I want a sustained five person link. Each team should have at least another group nearby. We keep distance between proximate teams at 50 arge to make sure the connections doesn't fizzle out all of a sudden. You second years focus on sniffing out the trail, while the ARCUS users make sure they do it in safety. I want a widened spear formation. Loose enough so a potential ambush doesn't catch all of us at once, but close enough for quick support."
"This Combat Link system allows users to know what the partner is doing in real time?" Konrad asked.
"Pretty much," Fie answered.
"Is there any signal lag when coordinating over this maximum distance of 75 arge?" Konrad inquired further.
Everybody looked to Crow who shrugged. "If there's lag, it's so little to be of no consequence."
Vesteria was the next to speak. "And this link doesn't care about physical obstacles or visibility or line of sight?"
"Not at all," Gaius replied. "It seems to be a mental connection."
The three second years except Crow looked at each other, their expressions a mixture of disbelief, awe and dread.
Konrad finally said. "A fully trained scout platoon with these things would make for an unstoppable force in a skirmish on low visibility terrain - or Aidios beware guerilla warfare." He looked around, eyes sparkling. "I want one of those."
Sara sighed in exasperation. "If you're willing to fork over 750,000 mira, you're in business."
This time, the second years stared straight at her. Klein's eyes glazed over, Konrad's mouth was as open as a barn door and Vesteria pursed her lips. "Seems like the rumors are pretty on point," she muttered.
Rean raised his hands in a placating gesture. "This is experimental tech, so it's going to be expensive. I'm sure once production is streamlined, the cost will be lower."
Klein turned toward Crow with furrowed brows. "Why did you never tell me how much money you're carrying around?"
"And make you even more envious than you already are?" He put one hand on his hip and pointed with the other at himself. "Handsome and strong. I'm already the full package. Add crazy awesome tech on top?"
Vesteria snorted. "You're just full of it."
"Kids, we're not here to discuss the costs of prototype orbments. Let's move out and get this mission done before dawn." She looked at Konrad. "You're with me, smartmouth."
He visibly perked up. "So eager to partner up, Sara?"
"We're the ones with the most experience. It only makes sense to take the most dangerous position."
"Tip of the spear. Roger."
Rean partnered up with Klein, Fie with Vesteria and Gaius with Crow. Soon enough, their group left the illusionary safety of the road and went straight into the heart of untamed nature and wilderness.
Their escort mission back to Saint-Arkh turned into a procession.
Initially, Machias felt a little leery when Instructor Valestein told them to split forces. Elliot's suggestion to contact Thors' scout company eased his worry, especially when about two dozen riders joined their fray with Instructor Luditz in the lead.
There was safety in numbers. Or at least it felt that way, though it didn't stop him from keeping his rifle at the ready or throwing the occasional glance behind his back.
Even now, the sounds of combat were resounding in his mind. The shrieks, gun reports, the commands shouted over the battle noise, the thundering of hooves and the heavy stomp of the lead monster. All the while his heartbeat threatened to choke him lest he put himself together, squeezing the trigger again and again in hope of making a difference.
He almost didn't make it. Were it not for Gaius' and Instructor Neithardt's timely intervention, he would've ended up similar to the deceased soldier. Machias had already thanked the instructor as was proper, but he hadn't yet found the time to extend his gratitude to his fellow classmate.
He didn't really interact much with the foreigner from Nord. Despite Gaius being nothing but friendly and courteous, Machias found him hard to talk to. A little intimidating and somehow aloof. It also didn't help that Gaius frequently hung out with his Lordship. Despite the Albarea heir's repeated insistence that he wasn't here to make friends, the snob frequently allowed the Nord Tribesman to grace his 'esteemed' presence and both of them regularly teamed up during group exercises.
Machias shook his head. It didn't change anything about the gratitude he owed.
Thinking back to the monster battle, Gaius was the one who surprised him most. Until now, Machias thought him to be unremarkable except for his origin. Someone who was always in the background, neither failing nor excelling at academics or combat. How wrong he was.
Machias had a front seat view on Gaius fighting prowess, because he took care not to engage in friendly fire with his rifle. And now that he saw how the Nord Tribesman fought on horseback, he felt it safe to place him among the combat prodigies in Class VII, right along Laura, Fie and Rean to a lesser extent. There was this cliched saying in Erebonia of how rider and mount became one. Not that he ever gave it much stock before, as he saw it as a typical activity for nobles.
Today he saw what true riding was. Not only were Gaius' archery skills remarkable - Machias had never seen anybody loose arrows this fast before, without sacrificing precision - but he did it while his horse literally danced and weaved around the cluster of monsters like some four-legged fencer. The horse even kicked away the bird monsters should they try to engage in melee. And despite all the rocking Gaius' shooting rhythm wasn't disturbed.
Elliot was also coming along with his arts casting and as for Emma; an area wide Adamantine Shield on nearly 30 people followed by a powered Flare Bomb. Performing even one of those arts spoke of expertise, but she cast them in succession and even had enough spare energy within her orbment to utilize high level Tear arts on the wounded soldier - not that it made a difference in the end.
Even Alisa who was the closest to him when it came to combat prowess had her engineering skills to fall back on, which were repeatedly shown to be useful and valued in the field.
He didn't attend Thors to become some outstanding soldier, but being surrounded by this much competence was starting to make him feel... inadequate.
And he would be the first to admit that he had a competitive streak a selge wide.
Their procession arrived at Saint-Arkh gates without incident. The guards waved them through after the officers explained the situation. It shouldn't have surprised him, but the moment the carriage passed, the four gate guards saluted crisply.
Paying their respects to the dead.
The picture of giant bird maws flashed inside his mind again and Machias found his hands shaking. He strengthened the grip around his rifle to suppress the jitters, trying and failing to quell the residual terror coursing through himself.
It took him until they reached the Aulic Council for his shaking to subside. Fortunately, none of his classmates noticed. Seemed like everybody was dealing with their own feelings and thoughts. The provincial soldiers dispersed once they arrived while the scout cavalry bode them farewell. They still had their own exercises to attend to. The female inspector also went her own way, though Machias wondered why the Governmental Accountability Inspectorate was involved.
His dad mentioned them lately, if only in passing - a government agency so new that nobody could tell how far their jurisdiction was supposed to reach. Of course their ranks had already been infested with nobles, if that haughty woman was any sign.
Prosecutor Freising was expecting them in her office. Hibelle and the other female assistant were also present.
Coach master Parson was the one who carried the sealed package, laying it down on the mahogany desk.
"Thank you, good sir, for your dedication." Freising stood up from behind her desk, placing herself beside the men. She took the delivery with reverence and performed a slight bow. "I'll have to thank you, too, Unterfeldwebel Dorn. It was your men who were the first to arrive on scene. You protected the postal guards, while staking your very life."
"We were just doing our job, ma'am," the officer murmured.
"And you did it well. I'll talk with Marquis Hyarms himself to see that your platoon receives a commendation. The same with you and your postal guards, coach master Parson." She closed her eyes. "Second Lieutenant Valestein already informed me about the circumstances. She also told me about your casualty. You and your men have my condolences for your loss."
Both Dorn and Parson lowered their heads.
"Please prosecutor, whoever was behind this attack, bring them to justice," the coach master finally said.
"This is what the Aulic Council does. As we speak, further clues are being sought." She turned to her assistants. "Hibelle, Dorothee, I trust you to lead the initial investigation. Collate all relevant evidence and eye-witness reports. Let's see whether we'll scare some suspects out of the woodwork."
"Yes, ma'am," both assistants chorused.
"And lastly, Major Neithardt, cadets of Class VII. Excellent work reinforcing the postal guard. From what I heard, your involvement prevented a potential rout."
Neithardt saluted. "We live to serve, madame prosecutor."
"If I may be so bold to ask, madame prosecutor, what is the content of that package?"
Machias whipped his head around. To his and everybody's surprise, it was Emma who spoke up.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss this... Cadet Millstein, correct? I understand your curiosity, but the information contained in the package is classified."
"I see." Emma said in a toneless voice. "So a man has died for some unknown cause that nobody is allowed to learn."
All people in the room turned to her. Elliot performed a double take and his other classmates were equally shocked.
"Cadet Millstein! You are overstepping your bounds!" Neithardt bellowed.
She ignored his reprimand and stepped forward. Machias could only blink, for he had never seen her behave in any other way except polite, friendly and demure.
"Then answer this, madame prosecutor: why did you use the Provincial Postal Service in the first place, when the Imperial Postal Service is available? A postal service that relies on the railway network, with offices integrated into every train station in Erebonia, making deliveries cheaper and much, much safer." Her voice rose in volume with every sentence.
"The information within that package is dangerous. Otherwise it wouldn't be classified and it wouldn't have provoked an attack. You are aware of the content and therefore knew the potential risk. Why then did you endanger the life of good men by choosing a delivery method that is open to easy disruption?"
"Enough!" Neithardt roared. "You're the last one I expected insubordination from, Cadet Millstein. You'll be silent and..."
Freising held out her hand. "It's okay, major. As a high ranking prosecutor I obviously have the means to commandeer the military for police work, but that doesn't make me a true part of your chain of command." She turned to Emma with an approving gaze. "And Cadet Millstein's question is a valid one."
Machias certainly agreed with that, in-between recovering from Emma's unexpected outburst.
"The answer to this tricky question lies in the little known fact that secrecy of correspondence has become a sham in recent years." She slowly walked back to her chair and sat down. "I believe there's no need for me to expound on the legal basis of secrecy of correspondence?"
"It's one of the rights codified in the Imperial Constitution," Machias said.
Alisa flipped her hair. "Yeah, I mean doesn't everybody know? Opening letters as a third party or wiretapping orbal phone calls is criminal activity. Not that it stops some people from trying."
"Quite correct." The prosecutor steepled her hands. "But unfortunately, this basic right has been circumvented to a certain degree through the existence of the Railway Military Police and the Imperial Intelligence Agency. Two modern institutions that answer to only one man."
Machias blinked again. He didn't like where this was going.
Laura stepped beside Emma. "This is my ignorance speaking, madame prosecutor, but I don't understand what the postal service has to do with those aforementioned institutions."
"As the daughter of a Viscount, you should be aware that for most of its history the Imperial Postal Service was the domain of the nobility. It wasn't until Chancellor Osborne's fourth year in office, when he presented the Erebonian Government with an... alternative."
Jusis scoffed. "Instead of horse drawn carriages of olden days, letters of tomorrow shall be delivered by the motor of progress."
"Yes, this was one of the key phrases Chancellor Osborne used for his speeches on the matter. I'm surprised someone as young as you can quote them, Cadet Albarea."
"This phrase is even now one of many reasons the nobility take umbrage at the... Imperial Chancellor's policies. Overhearing them and the accompanying complaints has become a natural part of growing up. That is when living inside the household of any influential noble."
Machias bit his lip. Of course his Lordship needed to rub it into everybody's faces that he grew up in an influential household. Pompous asshole.
Freising chuckled. "This certainly explains it. Well, as Cadet Millstein already noted, distributing letters and packages via train is safer and can be done in large quantities, making it affordable for most people. It took a scant few years for this modern method to utterly outperform the old model. Soon, the former IPS was demoted to the provinces, while the new one was absorbed into the emerging Central Government. Today, the Imperial Postal Service is a subcommittee belonging to the Ministry of Railway. And while they love to pretend it's the other way around, the Ministry of Railway is just the administrative arm of the RMP."
Alisa shook her head. "Even if the RMP controls the distribution of written communication, that doesn't give them the right to open letters."
"Again, quite correct. The RMP doesn't have any legal basis at all to violate secrecy of correspondence..."
"...but the Imperial Intelligence Agency does," Neithardt finished.
The prosecutor's smile looked almost mischievous. "It seems even you have learned something new today, major."
Their instructor went into parade rest, hands folded behind his back. "I'm just a simple soldier, ma'am. Keeping up with the intricacies of our nation's government is beyond me at times."
"So you didn't want the government to read this information?" Emma asked.
"If part of the Central Government is who you want to prosecute, it's only prudent to not let the other side know what kind of evidence is stacked against them, don't you agree?"
The tension in the office rose sharply as everybody realized the implication of these words.
"Of course the IIA is only answerable to the Chancellor himself and despite how the newspapers like to depict him, he doesn't embody the entire Erebonian Government. Even then, I didn't want to risk him knowing about the Prosecutor Office's exact arrangements." She paused. "Does this answer your question, Cadet Millstein?"
She bowed deeply. "Yes it does, madame prosecutor. I apologize for my previous outburst."
"Apology accepted. Beware that under normal circumstances, I wouldn't tolerate the kind of lip you gave me. But to reiterate - your question was a very good one... and a very necessary one."
Machias couldn't suppress his frustration anymore. "But how can anybody, any institution, simply ignore constitutional rights? Even Imperial Intelligence shouldn't be above the law, ma'am."
"Another excellent question. Personally, I share your sentiment, Machias Regnitz. But answering this makes it necessary to delve into constitutional law. And technically, the lot of you haven't finished a single field study task yet." She took out a tactical orbment and looked at the time.
"Almost 4 p.m. If you want any progress done on the mission list, I suggest you start now."
How could he forget? Of course their grueling course program always provided another thing that needed doing. While Machias prided himself on being a productive member of society, he felt that the officer school was going overboard sometimes.
It also gave the prosecutor the perfect opportunity to evade his question.
"She has the right of it, cadets. You still have jobs pending and any mandatory tasks unfinished will only add to your workload on the following days."
And then there was always Instructor Neithardt, the by-the-book slave driver.
"Wait, so there are additional tasks that haven't been listed yet?" Elliot asked.
"Naturally, Cadet Craig. You might recall that the area of your field studies also include Parm, but at least for today we decided not to include any missions there. Suffice to say, this is going to change come tomorrow."
"After all the excitement, I would really like to rest for a bit," Alisa mumbled.
Laura put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "This is Thors. After a whole month, we should expect everybody to push us to the breaking point."
Alisa smiled. "You say it like it's a good thing."
"It is a good thing, if it prepares you for the difficulties you encounter later in life," Prosecutor Freising said. "Now, as much as I love to hear that the Thors Spirit is still kept alive, you should really be going. Major, Class VII, thank you again for your excellent work. Dismissed."
The wind blowing inside Isthmia Great Forest was unlike anything Gaius had ever felt.
There was a weight in the air, a spiritual pressure that was palpable.
Following the ostrich trail had been easy. But even now that they've entered the core of Isthmia they still haven't found a single trace of humans.
Was Instructor Sara wrong in her assumptions?
No. As someone who lived with nature for most his life Gaius believed he had an inkling on how monsters behaved. The crazed ostriches carried the gust of wickedness and the stench of despair. And while normal monsters and animals could be pushed to despair, wickedness was a trait that was for the most part only found in humans.
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the entirety of his tribal markings and exposing as much of his bare skin to the elements as possible. With this unique wind blowing around, he would've preferred to go completely bare chested but that would lead to raised eyebrows.
Crow walked beside him, rifle at the ready and senses on high alert. His movements were smooth and economical despite the uneven terrain. His steps flowed through the thick foliage like water, leaving no visible traces of anybody passing.
Gaius wasn't quite as proficient. He could track a lost foal across the steppes over hundreds of selges and move through grass as if it wasn't there, but thick forests were another matter altogether. And Isthmia wasn't just any forest, but a wild one. Untouched.
Master Barkhorn taught him much about the encompassing influence of technological civilization, with the orbal revolution being the latest and most impactful expression of such. But even before orbal technology became a mainstay, the progress of civilization claimed its sacrifices. Desertification in the East due to excessive agriculture, landscape disruption through strip mining, deforestation to claim more land for agriculture and to burn the wood as fuel.
The advent of a perpetual self-renewing energy source did much to alleviate the burden placed on the land. Wood and coal went out of fashion, though Erebonia still needed a limited amount of coal for it's gargantuan steel processing. Nature was allowed to reconquer lost territory and forests were replanted.
Trista Forest was one such. Patterns in the vegetation that were too regular to be organically grown. Constant spacing between trees, as if they were too polite to invade each others territory. Nature couldn't care less about such politeness. It was beautiful. But it was also brutal.
The gigantic trees of Isthmia stood proud, tyrants among the vegetation that claimed the best places in the sun. Their no doubt extensive network of roots plundered the soil for nutrients and water, leaving but scraps for the smaller plants to subside on. One thing was certain. They had never experienced the bite of a woodman's axe.
Gaius felt a shift in the air. The gentle breeze landing on his skin felt uneven, slightly turbulent, as if being forced through a labyrinthine tunnel. His anxiety propagated through the mental connection provided by their ARCUS. Crow stopped his march.
"What's up?" He whispered.
"I'm not sure. There's some kind of invisible obstacle in front of us. Whatever it is, I think we need to be cautious."
Crow furrowed his brows. "Invisible obstacle? Okay, let me send this through the link. Need to concentrate for a moment."
Pictures flashed in his mind, half-formed ideas that he couldn't quite put into words. Then something solidified inside his mind's eye, carried by the glowing willpower of their combat instructor. An arachnid with a menacing carapace.
"Good job, man. It seems we're standing at the edge of a spider web. The giant version. This could've gotten nasty."
"Can we avoid it's territory?"
"Nope. The monster tracks go right through. Though I wonder why the rampage didn't destroy the web."
Gaius chuckled. "I'm sure it did. But at least regular sized spiders are very quick to repair their nets."
"Is that so? Never been much of spider watcher myself."
"What do we do now?"
Crow disengaged his rifle. "Take it down."
Gaius readied his bow. "We need to find it first."
"Just wait."
More sensations flooded his consciousness, for a moment it seemed like he was watching the forest through the eyes of another person. Everything was clearer, the shapes and contours of everything put into sharp relief. Gaius felt like he could count the individual leaves of a tree several selge away.
Another nudge in the back of his head which he learned to follow thanks to Instructor Sara's Combat Link courses. He craned his neck as if being pulled by strings, until his gaze rested on a dark shadow that almost blended into the foliage. It took a second for him to settle back into his own senses and another moment for them to adapt.
Then, he finally perceived it.
"And little Fie to the rescue. I swear that girl has straight up hawk-eyes."
"Most impressive," he agreed.
What followed was a simple extermination. The arachnid was put into a cross-fire and with their teams spread out, the monster never managed to zero on any shooter. Gaius left his arrows in the quiver. His normal ones would just be a minor inconvenience and his armor smashers were something he wanted to conserve against more threatening game.
Killing one arachnid provoked a second one, but it was also shot down without mercy. After that, the clearing became silent and the tension he felt was gone.
"That should be all."
Crow nodded. "Most likely. But walking through a spider web won't be a cakewalk. Have your field knife ready."
"Of course."
His wind sense made it easy to avoid the sticky spider threats. They were as thick as rope, made from of a semi-translucent material. But with so little light they were practically invisible to the naked eye. But combined with his sensitivity and Fie's eyesight, they managed to navigate through this natural trap.
Suddenly, there was a spike of excitement. A moment later, he understood the reason.
"Konrad found a human footprint," Crow said. "Okay, Gaius. You and Fie continue to feed your sensory information into the link. Sara's group will take point again, while we cover their flanks."
They made good time once they cleared the spider web and after another half an hour, Gaius heard the sound of flowing water. They arrived at a little inconspicuous stream. Sara, Konrad and Fie were already searching the place, while Rean and the other second-years secured the perimeter. Another burst of sensations and vague orders, but Gaius quickly got the gist.
"Seems like you are to go downstream, Crow."
"Yeah. With Rean and Klein. See you later."
"Take care."
"Course."
Gaius joined the instructor and the others. He breathed in the air and let the gentle wind caress his arms, but he didn't sense anything out of place.
"The prints indicate that this was their destination," Konrad whispered. "Shoe size between thirteen and fourteen. Men's feet. Profile indicates solid footwear, but nothing distinctive. They definitely did something here. Didn't have the courtesy to leave us more clues."
Sara sighed. "Anything? Fie, Gaius?"
They both shook their heads.
"So downstream it is."
They moved to where Rean and Crow were send. Soon enough, they arrived at a small lake, though it was more a watering hole. It was also clear that they finally struck true. There were several ostrich corpses lying around but different than the ones from before, the violet coloration was far more prominent.
"The oldest trick in the book. Contaminate the water source." He saw Instructor Sara ball her fists. "Take a water sample, cadets. Rean, you have the camera ready?"
"Yes instructor. I have only five photo quartz, so the pictures need to count."
"Then how about a shot of that?" Crow called out.
They clustered around the second year and looked down where he was pointing. There, hidden underneath a plain bush, was a small bottle and discarded stopper. There was a trace of some blue liquid at the bottom. Fie immediately crouched down and took a sniff.
"Sapphirl solution."
"Not a suspension?"
The white haired girl exchanged a meaningful look with their combat instructor. Unspoken words were conveyed, so fast that even the ARCUS connection couldn't keep up. "Sepith solution. This was specially prepared."
Sara exhaled loudly. "Well kiddos, seems like our little trip wasn't completely wasted. Secure the evidence and take care not to get your fingerprints on the bottle."
Machias head felt like mush. He had to force himself to pen out the next word on paper. The white and black seemed to blur together the moment he let his mind wander. He felt around his eyes to check whether his glasses where still there. Fie occasionally pranked him by swiping them, but his fingers touched solid metal frames. Everything was in order.
He blinked several times without much success. By Aidios, he must be more tired than he thought.
Their group managed to finish two field study tasks - another delivery job for the Albion General Store as well as a request from the Rieveldt Company to serve as a test audience for their newest line of pianos. Their group wondered whether the company name had anything to do with the RMP major, but even Alisa offered nothing but speculation.
Elliot took charge during the Rieveldt request and gave the store owner far more than he bargained for, teasing out even the subtlest of tonal flaws from the instruments. He even gave a spontaneous performance to the surprise of the other classmates. While Elliot didn't keep his... obsession for music secret, which was impossible anyway when living in the same dorm, the other Class VII members only knew of his violin skills. It had been a while since Machias heard Elliot play the piano, but the former leader of Odins' school orchestra didn't lose his touch.
Even High Lordship Albarea seemed impressed and Machias almost felt envious at the admiring looks the girls gave the redhead. But that sliver of envy was insignificant compared to the gratitude he felt, because Elliot's music lifted the dark and morose mood which had settled on Emma, if only for a short time.
It was evening now and their whole class was gathered around a roundtable, doing the finishing touches on their after-action reports. Emma's morose mood had returned with a vengeance.
Machias was at a complete loss on how to lift it and it made him feel powerless. And judging from the concerned looks the other Class VII members occasionally threw her way, they were equally as clueless.
"So, you're absolutely sure the monster attack was orchestrated by jaegers?" Laura asked. There was a nasty expression on her face and her normally calm voice carried a hint of venom. Her entire body was stiff and her gaze fixated at a point above everybody's head, as if she took great pains not to look anybody in the eye.
Rean watched the swordswoman with a pensive expression before answering. "With everything we've learned from Instructor Sara about monster lore, it makes sense. I should've figured it out myself, considering that I knew about the common root shared by bracers and jaegers."
"Technically the only thing we have is supposition." Jusis said. "There's every possibility that other unsavory individuals simply copied the jaeger's modus operandi. I'm no expert, but this jaeger business doesn't strike me as the most stable of occupations. I can easily picture how individuals leave this job after a few years, carrying their know-how with them, followed by disseminating said know-how into other circles."
Machias hated to admit it, but his Lordship had a point.
"We do have a solid piece of evidence," Gaius spoke up. "Perhaps those discarded bottles will lead us somewhere."
Machias nodded. "The forensic specialists at the Aulic Council are working on it as we speak. Their lab is the most cutting edge in Erebonia. Fingerprints, orbal synchronization signatures. If anyone can take up the trail again, it's them."
"They won't find anything," Fie deadpanned.
He furrowed his brows. "How can you be so sure?"
"Whoever performed the hit were pros. Even an experienced tracker from the army nearly failed to find traces. They navigated through a monster infested forest with extremely difficult terrain like they were ghosts. You seriously think they forgot to wear gloves? Or are stupid enough to use arts for a task that requires none?"
"Well..." Nothing he could say against that.
"In the end, this case doesn't fall under the purview of our field study missions," Laura said. "We should focus on the things we can and should do."
They followed her example and proceeded with the reports. After another grueling hour of writing, fact-checking, cross-referencing and spelling correction, everybody in their class was finished.
Fie stretched her arms and arced her back to such a degree that Machias worried for a moment she would break it. Nothing all together happened and her body returned to a position that wasn't painful to watch at.
What were her bones made of anyway?
"Reports are evil," she groused.
"They certainly aren't pleasant," Gaius agreed.
"Should we go to the canteen downstairs?" Elliot suggested. "I'm totally famished for one."
"We could've eaten earlier," Fie said while looking pointedly at him. "But a certain someone insisted we finish these evil reports first."
"After-meal exhaustion regularly happens," Rean said. "I think Machias idea was a sensible one. A little suffering to prevent greater suffering down the road."
Ah, at least someone understood his reasoning.
"He just wants to nag."
Machias folded his arms. He wanted to rant at Fie, but his mind felt so sluggish that he didn't trust what would come out of his mouth. And there was the shadow of a smile around her lips. Was she baiting him?
That cheeky pipsqueak. Well, as the elder one, he'd prove his maturity by not falling for her childish provocations.
Alisa yawned. "I feel too tired to eat. I just want a soft bed and warm blankets... oh don't give me that look, Rean! I know I must eat to keep up my strength."
Rean scratched his head. "I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
Laura nodded sagely. "He is something of a busybody, isn't he?"
"Oh, you don't know the half of it. If you think him running errands at Thors is strange, you haven't seen him do the same at our old school. That was nothing short of excessive."
"He certainly gained a lot of notoriety at Baldurs for that," Gaius added.
"Quite uncommon behavior for a noble," his Lordship remarked.
"Guys, you know I'm sitting right here?"
"Oh, shush you!"
He watched the byplay between Alisa and Rean. The swordsman put on a mock defeated expression, while the blonde turned her head away. A seemingly dismissive gesture, were it not for the playful undertone in her voice or that from his position, he could see her pleased grin.
If he had any doubts that these two had some past... history, those doubts were truly buried now. After all the skittishness of the first few weeks it seemed they both wanted to make up for lost time.
Machias couldn't decide whether he should envy or pity the guy.
Rean stood up. "Food right now sounds like a wonderful idea. I heard they have a buffet-style dinner going on. With our visitor-badges we can grab whatever we want."
Machias and the rest of Class VII followed suit. Emma then bowed.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling hungry. You'll find me in our sleeping quarters." Her voice was lifeless and the lighthearted mood vanished in an instant. Nobody felt it in them to call her out as she left the spare office.
Alisa sighed. "I also feel bad that we didn't manage to save everyone, but it's not like we knew the soldier personally. I mean, we do need to move on with everything going on around us."
"Emma was the one who treated the man's wounds," Machias interjected. "And she was also the one who listened to his last words. It's only natural she'd be the one most affected."
"I'm going," Fie said.
"You want to follow Emma?" Rean asked.
She looked at him as if he was stupid. "I'm going to the buffet obviously." A moment later she ran out of the room.
"That was blunt," Laura said with folded arms.
His Lordship shrugged. "What else is new?"
They walked down to the canteen at a sedate pace. It was a wide room that looked like a cross between restaurant and lounge. There were a lot of people milling around and it took Machias some time until he could make out familiar faces.
Both their instructors sat at the same table with Prosecutor Freising and Celestin the butler. Unfortunately, the neighboring tables were already taken and looking around, there weren't any places that could accommodate all seven of them. They then saw Fie walk towards them. She was carrying a big stack of steaming... lunchboxes?
"Are you seriously going to eat all of this alone?" Machias blurted out.
She showered him with the same withering look that Rean was subjected to.
"You're carrying Emma's share, aren't you?" Elliot said.
"Ja."
"Didn't she say that she wasn't hungry?" Alisa asked.
"I'll shove it down her throat then."
Nobody had any quick remark to that. Fie rolled her eyes.
"I picked up pumpkin gratin and cheese shortcake. Emma always goes for them if they are on the Thors menu. See you later."
Their group stared at her long after she left the canteen.
Alisa finally broke the silence. "That's... awfully sweet of her."
"In this situation, she proves more noble than all of us put together." Everybody looked with surprise at Jusis.
"True that." Rean muttered. "Well, we won't accomplish anything by standing around. We have to split up."
"Jusis and me will go for that corner table then," Gaius said. "And two places from the right is a table for five. I say we take those."
Alisa held out her hand. "I have another suggestion. Laura and me take the corner and you five can have your all-guys table." She took the swordswoman by the hand, who seemed a little overwhelmed. "Come Laura, ladies first."
Machias pushed the bridge of his glasses. "That's also a way to resolve it, I guess."
The dinner was a slightly awkward affair. Both Rean and Elliot tried their best to steer any conversation away from politics, though Machias was simply too exhausted to care. It wasn't until his second portion of boar-steak garnished with potato salad that he found his strength returning. It still took him until his second coffee to work up the nerve to thank Gaius. The Nord Tribesman accepted his gratitude with grace and a friendly smile. Machias wondered once again how such a nice person could stand mingling with that haughty noble.
Perhaps it was a sign of Gaius' friendliness that he could stand his Lordship altogether.
Jusis soon left the table after he finished his meal, noticeably loosening the tension. Gaius stayed and the four of them delved into pleasant small talk while digesting their food.
"Well, well, look who the devil scared up."
They turned to the speaker and Machias saw Hibelle followed by a person who always carried a promise of headaches.
"Hi Crow, Hibelle," Elliot waved. "If we squeeze together, we can all fit at the table."
The second year shook his head. "What's the world coming to? Engaging in skinship with smelly guys instead of hot ladies?"
Hibelle chuckled. "While you are waxing poetic, I'll take up my dear successor on his offer."
"Tsk. You have no sense of tragedy, Hibelle."
"Say that again when you hear my performance of Kantor's 7th violin sonata in b-minor."
Elliot shuddered. "I can only think of one fitting occasion for that song; a funeral."
"And the table just becomes much rowdier," Machias groused.
"Yo, Regnitz. Still a sourpuss as always. You never call. You never visit. It's like you don't care." Crow placed both hands above his heart. "And we even share the same campus. That's cold, man."
One serving of headaches coming right up.
"Interesting." Gaius offered his hand to Hibelle who shook it. "Gaius Worzel, we already saw each other, but there wasn't exactly time for pleasantries." He smiled. "I take it you four are all from the same school?"
"Correct. I'm Hibelle Wagner, alumnus of Odins Military Academy and the former head of the Odins School Orchestra." He then introduced himself to Rean and both upperclassmen sat down.
"First round's on me." Crow took out a 50 Mira coin and flipped it between all fingers of his right hand. "So everybody, what's your poison?"
"Coffee, black."
"Tea please."
"Tea with milk sounds good."
"Hmm, I'll take an apple juice."
Crow slammed the coin down the table. "Guys, you're all of age for Aidios' sake. How about enjoying some of the pleasures that come with being an adult?"
Rean threw him a half-lidded stare. "We had a pretty exhausting first day, you know? And tomorrow promises to be even more difficult. None of us are going to endanger our performance by getting drunk tonight."
"We also have a backlog of unfulfilled requests that we're carrying to the next day," Machias added.
"Nobody is telling you to get piss-drunk. Never heard of 'social drinking'?"
Rean arched an eyebrow. "Tea is a very social drink. Every noble in Erebonia swears by it."
"The same with coffee." Machias folded his arms and grinned. "It's all the rage in Heimdallr now. The coffee-break has pretty much ousted the tea-time as the main socializing event for the average employee."
Crow groaned. "You guys are completely hopeless." He turned to Elliot. "Come on, Big E. Throw Old Crow a bone. Let's down one beer together."
"Em, sorry Crow, but I don't like the taste of beer."
The second year threw up his arms. "Surrounded by traitors! Hibelle. As the only true adults here, let's show these kiddos what real men drink."
"I'll have a dark malt beer then."
"Finally! You're the man."
Gaius leaned forward. "Is this dark malt beer that black liquid with the white foam on top?"
Hibelle nodded. "Yes. It's a local Sutherland brand and very popular in Saint-Arkh. I like it because there's almost no bitterness. And it has a mild, but still spicy aroma."
"Then I also take one. But only one please."
"Got it. I'll fetch the drinks."
Machias watched the second year leave the table. "Is he going to buy the non-alcoholic drinks, too?"
"I'm sure he is." Elliot said. "He may complain, but he won't break his promises."
"No, he won't." Hibelle agreed. "That's what makes him a great guy."
Machias rolled his eyes. "I know he supported the orchestra and all, but the student council had to suffer his shenanigans on a regular basis. Pranks, gambling rackets... I could go on. I'm surprised Thors accepted someone like him."
"I teamed up with him today," Gaius said, "and his skills are on a very high level. He can compare with the best Thors has to offer."
Hibelle shrugged. "His combat skills were always outstanding. As for his support, that's the way you call it, Machias. But from my point of view Crow granted me the proudest thirteen minutes twenty-three seconds of my life."
"That's awfully specific," Rean noted.
"It's the combined duration of the first two movements of Scharnhorst's 6th Symphony in F-major, allegro appassionato and largo." It was of course Elliot who spoke up.
Hibelle folded his hands. "We were just a school orchestra. Our members were good and I'm proud of each and everyone of them, but we were not professionals. Despite that we were given the opportunity to perform at Valflame Palace, while playing alongside members of Heimdallr's Academy of Music and Vita Clotilde. And the Emperor was part of the audience."
"The Emperor? And you performed in Valflame Palace? With the Vita Clotilde? ... that's amazing!" Rean's eyes were wide open.
Elliot scratched his cheek. "Even I don't understand how Crow managed to do this. He's pretty cagey about it, but back then it seemed like there was always another contact he pulled out from nowhere. Miss Clotilde was actually the first notable person to cooperate with our orchestra. But with her fame, others soon followed until things snowballed and we ended up performing in front of the Imperial Family."
"Quite an honor," Gaius noted. "And Clotilde is the famous opera singer, right? I've heard of her."
Machias pushed the frame of his glasses. "She even visited Odins for practice. Twice."
"And I remember a certain someone being first in line to get her autograph." Elliot smiled mischievously.
He cleared his throat and cursed himself for his warm cheeks. "She's a cultural treasure of Heimdallr's. As a man of taste it's only natural to ask for her signature."
"And it doesn't hurt that she's one seeexy woman," someone breathed into his ear.
"AGH!" Machias jumped in his seat.
Crow put down the beverages and sat down, a cheshire grin on his face.
"What was that for? And don't you dare defile Miss Clotilde's image!"
The others around the table except Gaius were suppressing their laughter now.
"Hey! This is not funny!"
"Come on, you want to deny that she's one of the most beautiful woman you've ever seen?"
He balled his fists. "I didn't say that. And this conversation is over!"
Hibelle put a hand on Crow's shoulder. "Let's ease up a bit. Machias can only endure so much teasing."
The white haired joker made a non-committal gesture with his hand. They then proceeded to nurse their drinks.
"Now I'm wondering though," Rean put down his teacup. "How did you end up in Thors, Elliot? I mean, with this kind of accomplishment you can pursue a career in music, can't you?"
The redhead scratched his head in embarrassment. "This is kind of a long story. And a little cheesy to be honest." He closed his eyes. "It was Miss Clotilde who gave me the final push, but even my attendance here at Thors is actually in service of music."
"How so?" Gaius asked.
"I wanted to broaden my horizon. Experience different things. See what this big nation has to offer. Music is about conveying feelings to the audience. But if everything I ever do is submerge myself in the lifestyle of a musician, never looking beyond my own little echo chamber, how can I ever... I don't know, get people who don't live such a life? I still plan to attend the Heimdallr Academy of Music, but they don't really have an upper age restriction so there's no hurry. And well, you perhaps all know that my dad is Craig the Red. To be honest, we didn't get along for some time. In the beginning I wanted to attend the Music Academy right after Sunday School, but he denied me my wish and forced me to attend Odins instead."
He looked down. "I resented him for that, but then things changed." He looked up to Crow, Hibelle and Machias. "I made friends. I learned that there were other things I was good at. And by learning about the military, I also started to understand where my dad came from." He chuckled. "I should probably mention that my mother was an accomplished pianist and that was the world I lived in for most of my childhood. Odins gave me the chance to connect with my dad."
Gaius raised his mug. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your story, Elliot. My reason for studying in Erebonia instead of living with my tribe can be summed up as 'broadening my horizon'. Listening to you choosing a similar path reaffirms my own decision to leave Nord behind."
"My Master once said that to advance in swordsmanship, one sometimes needs to step beside the sword. It seems your sentiment is similar."
The redhead nodded. "Stepping beside the music to advance my music. Yeah, this is fitting. And it sounds pretty cool. Thanks, Rean."
The swordsman smiled. "Thank you, Elliot."
Machias couldn't help but smile along. "But now that we are talking about career paths, how did you become an assistant to Erebonia's ace prosecutor instead of the next rising star of the music scene?"
Hibelle sighed. "My story is a little bit of a downer actually. There were a lot of offers from maestros at the academy and I did plan to accept one of those offers. But... a car accident happened. It was a hit and run at Vainqueur Street. It wasn't until after the Imperial Transportation Act was put into place that the HMP found the perpetrator." He shrugged. "Didn't help that much except giving me a little bit of closure and monetary compensation. I lost the use of my right arm for nine month."
"No," Elliot looked horrified. "I'm so sorry. I tried to contact you, Hibelle. So that's why..."
"Yeah, the first two month after the accident, I was in a really bad place. Sorry for not replying. Then I pulled my shit together and remembered that there were other things I was good at. Things that simply required a functioning brain."
Machias leaned forward. "You were also one of Instructor Herschel's top students."
Hibelle pointed at him. "You were always his favorite, Machias, as long as he wasn't bragging about his granddaughter. But well, I hit the books on political science and law. There wasn't much else to do while I recuperated. After my release, I went and passed the first state exam. Old man Herschel then gave me an endorsement for the Aulic Council and here I am, a trainee under the wings of the 'Demon Prosecutor'."
So that's what happened. Seems like his upperclassman from Odins ended up on a similar trajectory in life. Machias also managed to pass the first judicial state exam shortly before attending Thors. He had to cram for his graduation from Odins as well but he wasn't called the king of exams for nothing. But as for that detestable moniker Hibelle mentioned...
"I don't like that 'Demon Prosecutor' nickname," he spoke up. "There's only one reason her detractors call her this - they have skeletons in their closets and fear the day Prosecutor Freising exposes them."
"Well, it seems your boss has a fan, Hibelle," Crow snickered.
"I really need to ask," Rean said, "but is this Instructor Herschel related to Towa Herschel?"
"Yep, Reanie-boy. That's her grandfather. Small world, isn't it?"
"Wait, so our committee chairwoman has been Instructor Herschel's granddaughter all along?" Elliot blurted out.
Hibelle looked around the table. "She is attending Thors?"
"I'm one of her closest friends," Crow grinned.
"I was basically her right hand man, when she was student-council president at Baldurs," Rean added.
"And I'm now one of the new members of the cadet committee she's in charge of," Machias finished.
After a few seconds of silence, their table broke out in laughter.
"Everything is interconnected." Gaius nodded sagely. "Something my old teacher used to say."
"Pretty spiritual." Machias remarked.
There was the hint of a teasing smile on Gaius' lips. "He is an ordained priest of the Septian Church."
They laughed again in unison.
"This is awesome," Hibelle wiped a tear from his eye. "We should drink to this."
Rean raised his dainty teacup. "How about drinking to the 'Interconnection of human bonds'."
Crow snorted. "This sounds pretentious and cheesy as hell."
"You know something better?"
"Nah, pretentious and cheesy is okay." He raised his jug. "To us - and you know..."
"The 'Interconnection of human bonds'," Machias said in his best mock-noble voice.
The rest of the evening passed by in a flash amidst further laughter and merriment.