Chapter 4: Revelations
"Well, I have to tell someone here about Chaldea and everything I've been through, and there's no one I trust more than my team. But simply dumping all this information on their laps would undoubtedly make me seem like a madman," Jaune mused to himself.
"I'll bring them to my workshop this afternoon and set up a meeting with Da Vinci. She can back up my seemingly insane claims," he decided, his mind resolute. With his plan in place, Jaune made his way back to his team's room.
As he entered the room, Jaune gathered his team together and spoke with a sense of urgency, "Guys, there's something I have to show you."
Nora's eyes widened with curiosity. "Is this about that thing you've been keeping a secret?" she asked, her voice filled with anticipation.
Jaune nodded in response. "Yes, it's about that."
Ren, ever observant, interjected, "Wait, Nora, you knew why Jaune has been isolating himself from everyone recently?"
Nora's face lit up mischievously. "Not exactly, but I did notice him coming back to the room late at night," she confessed, her tone filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Well, today I'm going to share everything with all of you. I trust you, and I need your support," Jaune said, his voice filled with a blend of determination and vulnerability.
Team JNPR was led by Jaune down the hallway where his hidden workshop was located. They stopped in the middle of the hallway and a confused Nora stated "Um fearless leader there is nothing here?"
Silently thanking his servants for putting up the bounded fields to hide the door and keep away unwanted visitors. Jaune granted his teammates access to his workshop. Their expressions ranged from awe to confusion as they took in the array of books, reports, and scattered coffee cups that adorned the space.
"Don't look at me like that, Nora. You haven't endured the hell that is paperwork," Jaune teased, a hint of exhaustion still evident in his voice.
As the anticipation built, Jaune contacted Da Vinci through his communicator, summoning her hologram in a blue haze. "Is it time?" Da Vinci inquired.
"Yes, it's time. But before we start, I'm going to pour myself a drink," Jaune responded, making his way to a cabinet in the back of the workshop.
Returning with half a bottle of Bourbon and a glass in hand, Jaune unabashedly ignored the disapproving looks from his team and Da Vinci. "If we're going to go over everything, then I'll need a drink. Especially when we get to Him," he explained, his tone hinting at the weight of the upcoming revelations.
Da Vinci sighed, a mixture of understanding and concern in her voice. "It always comes back to him somehow, doesn't it?"
Suddenly, there was a noise from the hologram, and the familiar face of Jaune's kohai, Mash, appeared beside Da Vinci. "Of course, he was a combination of an older brother and a father figure to us," Mash chimed in, her voice tinged with sadness.
"Hey, Mash, do you remember his reaction when he found out that Merlin was in Babylonia? I thought he was going to come charging through to strangle him," Jaune reminisced, a smile tugging at his lips.
"But then Fou started beating up Merlin," Mash added, her giggle filling the air as she recalled the amusing memory.
"Anyways, let's get back on track," Jaune redirected the conversation, drawing everyone's attention. "Do you guys remember the trip to Vale I took a few days ago?"
"Is that where you got your gun, Fearless Leader?" Nora asked, her curiosity barely concealed.
"Yes, from a certain point of view," Jaune replied, a hint of mystery in his voice.
"I knew it was a mistake to have a Chaldea movie night," Da Vinci chimed in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face at his words. Contrasting with her mildly reproachful words.
"Well, in the middle of the trip, I suddenly found myself transported to the headquarters of the Chaldea Security Organization," Jaune began, capturing their attention.
"Wait," interjected Ren, his voice filled with confusion. "Is this the same Chaldea that has been making a name for itself by helping out frontier villages with Grimm and bandit assaults?"
"Yes, Ren, we are that Chaldea," Jaune confirmed. "That reminds me, there's something I need to discuss with you later."
"I found myself transported into Chaldea, and there, I came face to face with the world's greatest simp," Jaune continued a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Senpai!" exclaimed Mash, her voice filled with shock, while Da Vinci struggled to contain her laughter.
"You see, Mash, Da Vinci gets it," Jaune said, a playful tone lacing his words.
"But, Senpai—"
"No 'buts,' Mash. He will always hold a special place in my memory, but he was undeniably a great simp," Jaune declared, not willing to let his secondary father figure off the hook.
"He wasn't that bad," Mash weakly defended, her loyalty to Dr. Roman's memory shining through.
"Two words Mash Magi*Mari"
"Anyways, I was then initiated into Chaldea as the 48th Master candidate. There, I was introduced to the world's best kohai, Mash," Jaune declared with conviction in his voice, prompting an embarrassed whine from the blushing Mash.
Ignoring her antics, Jaune continued, "I then managed to piss off my tsundere boss by merely existing and got fired as a result. Little did I know that this would end up saving my life. Shortly after, a bomb was detonated in the command center, killing or injuring 80% of the staff and leaving me as the last Master of Chaldea. I rushed to the command center to aid any survivors and came across Mash, pinned under some debris. I managed to extract her from underneath the rubble, only for us to be rayshifted moments later, transporting us to a city in the future that was also on fire. To my surprise, my cute tsundere boss was also there for some reason."
"That's not entirely how it happened, Jaune," Da Vinci interjected, always the voice of reason.
"I'm taking some liberties," Jaune defended himself. "It's not like you won't provide them with a visual aid or something to fill them in. Let me have my moment!"
"We teamed up with a very loyal magical dog and after a few battles, found ourselves facing off against the Burger King. During that, my boss died, and we had to return to Chaldea," Jaune continued, briefly recounting some of their adventures.
"Then sometime later, we were sent to Orleans, France, aka Earth Arcadia, where we helped the good Jeanne d'Arc fight against the evil Jeanne d'Arc. And before you ask, no, I am not related to either," he added, dispelling any potential misconceptions.
"We then had to go through six other singularities, one of which involved me getting hit by a cannonball while trying to stop a three-way war. And finally, we faced off against the instigator of it all at Solomon's Temple," Jaune concluded, his voice filled with a mix of resolve and pain, the humor from earlier now gone.
"I'll take it from here, Jaune," Da Vinci interjected, understanding the emotional toll the storytelling was taking on him. She readied the presentation she had prepared to give a more accurate and detailed account of their journey.
After the presentation, Da Vinci and Mash engaged in lively conversations with Ren and Nora about some of the more outlandish and wacky parts of Jaune's adventure. Jaune took a moment to relax, pulling out a lighter, tobacco pouch, and pipe from a stand. Carefully packing and lighting the bowl, he lounged on his chair, trying to find some respite from the emotional fatigue that had settled on his shoulders.
"Jaune, you really went through all of this," Pyrrha asked, her voice reflecting a mixture of pride and worry. She was proud that her partner and crush had managed to reach his full potential, but at the same time, she felt sadness knowing he had endured so much mental and physical trauma in the process of saving humanity.
"Yeah, it's been quite the journey," Jaune replied momentarily pausing his smoking, giving a weary smile. "But it's not just me; I also had my servants and all the staff of Chaldea at my side." "Sure we've had our ups and downs and I wasn't exactly the most well-liked in the beginning, but its all different now. We are all at least on the same page now."
Nora chimed in with a mix of curiosity and concern, "Jaune, how has all of this affected you? I mean, you've seen so much, and it must have taken a toll on your mental state."
Jaune's expression softened as he leaned back, pondering the question. "It's been tough, no doubt about it. There were times when the weight of everything seemed almost unbearable, but having all of my servants supporting me made it easier to keep going. I guess it's just a matter of taking it one step at a time."
Pyrrha placed a comforting hand on Jaune's shoulder, offering her unwavering support. "You don't have to shoulder all of this alone, Jaune. We're here for you, through thick and thin."
"I know, and I'm grateful for that," Jaune acknowledged, genuinely touched by his friend's concern. "That's actually why I wanted to show you all Chaldea and introduce you to some of the servants. I think you'll find it fascinating and maybe even helpful.
"I'm in!" Nora exclaimed without hesitation, and Pyrrha quickly nodded in agreement.
"Great, I'll arrange everything with Da Vinci and get the details sorted out," Jaune said with determination.
"But Jaune, won't this trip interfere with our Beacon responsibilities?" Pyrrha questioned, considering the potential consequences.
"It might, that's why I want to keep this whole Chaldea thing a secret for now," Jaune admitted. "At least until we're more certain about the time constraints. We don't want everyone getting worried about Chaldea's abilities or intentions. Not to mention what various people would do once they realize that a huntsman in training controls one of the strongest private militaries in existence."
Getting up from the ground the first thing that Jaune noticed was that the entire city was on fire. The second was that his entire body was in pain, acting quickly he supercharged his aura and that seemed to take the edge off of the pain for the moment. But it is still there lingering under the surface like a layer of razors shifting underneath his skin. Stabbing and cutting with every step he takes at every fiber of his being.
Faintly as if from a great distance he hears a voice.
"empai ...Sempai can you hear me?"
With great effort, Jaune looked up and saw an armor-clad girl running towards him. In her hands was a cross-shaped shield that was easily as big as her body.
"Shield... Shield," Jaune muttered, glancing around to see if his own sword and shield were still with him.
"Senpai, are you alright?" asked the armored girl, whom Jaune thought was named Mash. Her name was coming out of the depths of the fog that had settled in his head.
"I'm not in the best of shape, but I can move. Quick question, do you feel like your body is on fire, or is it just me?" Jaune inquired.
"No, that is not happening to me. Is it happening to you, Senpai?" Mash asked, worry evident in her tone as she moved to Jaune's side.
"Yeah, my body feels like razors are shifting under my skin, but thankfully my aura is taking the brunt of the pain off for the moment."
"Aura?" she questioned, then continued, "Once we get to a ley line, we can contact the doctor and see why your body is reacting this way to the ray shift."
"Sounds like a plan, Mash. Lead the way."
Any further conversation between them was interrupted by a scream piercing the air. Both looked at each other and, without a word, set out towards the source of the scream, hoping they would arrive in time to save someone.
Moving quickly, the pair discovered the source of the scream. A young woman was firing blast after blast towards an ever-approaching army of undead skeletons.
"Oh, looks like the mean boss lady is in trouble. Let's go save her," Jaune declared.
"Understood, Senpai. Entering combat," Mash responded.
Both Jaune and Mash advanced towards the mass of skeletons. Seeing Olga fall during her retreat, they redoubled their efforts. As she fired upon the advancing skeletons, she didn't notice one above a lamp post, waiting to ambush her.
"Mash, take care of the advancing skeletons. I'll cover our boss," Jaune said as he leaped to intercept the oncoming blow.
Managing to make it in time, Jaune deflected the blow and counter-attacked with his sword, cleanly beheading the skeleton. Ensuring the immediate coast was clear, he then turned towards his boss.
"Are you okay, mean lady?" Jaune asked as he knelt down to look her over for injuries.
"What do you think you are doing putting your hands on me!?" Olga exclaimed
"Well, it seems you have a sprained ankle and I can fix that rather quickly with my aura so unless you would rather keep limping for the foreseeable future. Would you please stay still and let me help you mean lady?"
"I have a name you know."
" No, I don't know." Jaune responded while infusing his aura into her body to heal her wounds.
"What is happening?" Olga asked as she felt a strange warmth engulf her entire body and the feeling of strength return to her. Leaving her refreshed as if she had never been injured.
"Oh, it's just my aura healing your injuries." Came the distracted reply
"Aura, I've never heard of that." Questioned Olga
"How did my partner put it? Right aura is the soul manifested into what I can term is a force field with almost limitless uses."
"What?" came the shocked reply. If she was thinking this through correctly then this aura that this commoner had could revolutionize mage craft.