"…You switched spots."

Morgan looked up from her resting spot under a tree on a hill. Standing over her was a young boy with gray hair and a bright smile.

"You've always been telling me to get outside the library more," she reminded him.

"Not so you could read another book!" he complained.

Morgan hummed to herself. "Maybe I didn't want to be found."

"It's fortunate we're good friends, then. Eh, Morgs?" The boy sat down next to Morgan without her permission, but something told her that he wouldn't have taken no for an answer. "I noticed you haven't been acting the same ever since we came back from Regna Ferox. Was it not to your liking?"

"No, no! It was great! It was the first time I had traveled outside Ylisse, after all."

Being an informal member of the theater the boy and his mother belonged to, Morgan had been invited to join them on their yearly return trip to Regna Ferox. Performing on stage in a different country was a completely different experience from their quaint little theater in Ylisse, but the boy and his mother made the transition look effortless. Her father, naturally, accompanied her on the trip as well. While he did have to step out for work on occasion with the Khans of Ferox, it was the first time the two of them were able to spend time together since Mother's…accident.

"Oh, and thanks again for helping to cover my mistake during practice."

"Don't worry about that. All's well that ends well, right? And remember, if you mess up, you-"

"-You smile twice as much. The audience won't know you've messed up unless you make it obvious."

"That's right! As a dancer, you should convey emotions on stage, and your audience's smiles are their response to the emotions conveyed in your dance. Well, that's what Mother always said, haha…"

Morgan responded with a weak smile. Bless his soul; he was trying his best to cheer her up.

"But you know…" he continued. "I've noticed that you haven't been with your father lately. I thought the two of you were getting along well throughout the trip."

Morgan would never forget the look of pride her father had on his face when she and the other theater children finished their routine. For a moment, the two of them had gone back to a time when there was no pain or grief, where the two of them could simply exist as father and daughter.

Things changed, however, when Feroxi archaeologists made the discovery of the century: an entire city located in the far north reaches of the desert, unearthed by the shifting of the desert sands. Being a scholar himself, Morgan's father was curious about this piece of ancient history and invited himself to the ruins, but what started as mild curiosity eventually escalated into a fervent desire to oversee the excavation himself.

"...Is that really something the Grandmaster of Ylisse should be concerning himself with?" the boy asked after Morgan finished recounting her story.

"That's what everyone else thought as well," Morgan recalled. "But he believes the ruins could hold some answers to the missing pieces in the continent's history. Uncle Chrom allowed him to leave, treating it as time off for his 'illustrious service to Ylisse' or whatever."

The boy frowned. "So then…are you…?"

Morgan shook her head. "I won't be going with him."

For a brief moment, Morgan caught a hint of relief on the boy's face. "Can I ask…why?" he asked hesitantly.

"He… He said it's too dangerous to bring me along. In the meantime, he's planning on having Uncle Chrom look after me."

"That's not so bad, isn't it? Being able to live under the same roof as the Exalt and his family? You get free desserts every day!"

"But that's just it! He's leaving me behind! Just like Mother…"

"Morgan…"

Morgan shut her eyes and clenched her fists, fighting back the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Did you tell your father this?"

"How could I?" she said. "Anything I say will only push him further away. I…I don't want that…"

The boy placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his chest, which caused Morgan to let out a small gasp. "I can't begin to fathom what you must be feeling right now…" he said softly. "But I promise that we'll be here for you. If you ever need a shoulder to lean on… I'll be there."

"Mm…"

Even as Morgan stained his shirt with her tears, the boy didn't raise a single complaint.

"Thank you, Inigo…"

When Morgan finally stirred from her slumber, the first thing she noticed was the feeling of moistness that stained her cheeks. She reached her hand instinctively to her eyes, confirming that she had indeed been shedding tears in her sleep.

Not exactly the most ideal way to start her day.

"I wonder how everyone's doing back home…"

Every so often, her mind would wander to the people she called her friends in her past life. Was Inigo still dancing for their audience in Auntie Olivia's theater? Had Cynthia and Severa abandoned their dream to become pegasus knights with her? Did the members of the first Justice Cabal still go on small adventures into the countryside, or had they all grown out of it?

*chirp* *chirp*

Morgan perked up at the familiar chirping noise, her eyes landing on the winged guest that was perched outside her window.

"It's you again…"

Rubbing the remaining traces of sleep from her eyes, Morgan stepped out of bed, opened her dormitory window, and allowed the blue bird to hop inside. She looked at its leg, wondering if Vita had sent another message. Sure enough, she found a slip of paper attached to the bird's leg, which she unfurled and read its contents.

"Hope you enjoyed the show last night.

I'm out of town today for work, but I'll be back tomorrow morning if you want to meet up and ask questions about Crossbell. In the meantime, I have sent Grianos (that's the bird) to keep an eye on that old schoolhouse you mentioned. Be nice to him, will you?

Have fun at the festival."

-Misty

The news of Crossbell's declaration of independence had sparked a large late-night discussion in the Class VII dormitory, as some of the guys had also been awake to catch Vita's radio announcement. Those who had friends and family members affiliated with the Erebonian government, namely Millium and Machias, expressed some concerns but ultimately thought little of the declaration. Elliot worried for his father who was still stationed at Garrelia Fortress, right at the border of Crossbell. Gaius, remembering the brief threat of war he and Class VII faced during a previous field trip, also worried how his family might be affected. The only person who was absent from the late-night discussion was Emma, who had somehow managed to sleep through the entire commotion.

"I hope Vita will be okay…" Morgan muttered before stopping herself. "Wait, she's a witch. She's probably been through worse. And speaking of which…"

The young tactician looked at Vita's winged messenger. "So you're Grianos."

The bird perked up at the sound of his name.

"You can…understand me, can't you?"

The bird nodded.

"Are you…her familiar?"

The bird nodded again.

"Can't you speak?"

The bird shook its head.

Morgan shrugged her shoulders. Not all familiars were created equal, it seemed. "Well, make yourself comfortable. It's not much, but…"

Before Morgan could finish her sentence, Grianos flapped his wings over to her desk and started pecking at her father's tactics book, which she had left open. Panicking, Morgan rushed over to pull the precious book away from the bird before it could damage it. Grianos squawked at Morgan's sudden intervention and started flying around her, seemingly intent on prying it from her hands.

"No! You can't touch this!" she insisted, hugging her father's book close to her body. "This is really important to me!"

Grianos continued circling around Morgan, trying to find an opportunity to peck at the book she cradled in her arms. Why the bird was suddenly so interested in her father's book, Morgan did not know, but she wasn't about to let something so important to her get taken away. It was the only physical thing she had left of her home world, after all.

"I…said…STOP." For a moment, Morgan's voice reached deep levels of contralto that even she didn't think was possible.

Red flashed before Morgan's eyes as she felt the familiar tingling sensation of her anathema activating. At once, Grianos stopped mid-flight, hovering down until it perched onto her bed frame. With the bird having finally halted its assault, Morgan shut her eyes and tried to calm herself by taking in deep breaths. It was concerning just how quickly her curse would reveal itself at the slightest hint of negativity these days. And then there were also times, like that one occurrence at the Egret residence in Ordis, when it would flare up momentarily even when nothing was going on. Needless to say, following her near-fatal outburst in Ymir, Morgan made sure to pay extra attention to her mood and surroundings. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to get her mind off it, since preparing for Class VII's concert took up most of her attention.

"Now then…" Morgan said, her voice returning to normal. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

She slowly opened her eyes. Grianos was still perched on her bed frame, continuing to stare intently at her father's book like it was the most precious gem in Zemuria or some other form of priceless relic.

"I don't know what's gotten you ruffling your feathers. It's only a book…"

Morgan looked down at her father's book, and that was when she noticed something very peculiar that had been glowing in front of her. It was just in the process of dissipating into thin air, but she could make out the faint traces of a circular symbol depicting a black hand reaching downwards in front of a red background.

"What was…?"

Before she could finish her question, Grianos chirped twice before pushing off of Morgan's bed and flying out the window.

"So much for being nice…" Morgan mumbled. There would be time to find the bird later. Right now, her morning encounter had left her famished. Morgan stowed away her father's book in a nearby drawer before changing clothes and leaving for breakfast.

Morgan would continue to keep an eye out for Grianos for the rest of the morning, even as she and the rest of her classmates left the dorm early for the opening ceremony of the school festival. It appeared that Class VII wasn't the only one who tuned in to the radio the preceding night, as talk of Crossbell's sudden declaration of independence was on the lips of almost every student. It was even enough for some to doubt whether the festival would even be allowed to continue with the way things were heading.

Those doubts would be cast aside, however, as the number of faces gathered outside the academy gates continued to grow. If Crossbell's declaration of independence didn't stop people from coming to visit Thors, then there wasn't any excuse for the students of Thors harbor any doubts either. With renewed fervor from the students, the first day of the 127th Thors Military Academy Festival began without a hitch.

"Hey, Morgan! Got a sec?"

Morgan located George approaching her right after the gates to the academy opened. "Morning, George! Need me to check on something?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Smirking, the engineer pulled out a set of blue-colored tickets with the Thors logo printed on one side and the words "Military Academy Festival" written in gold. "Here. Towa asked me to hand you these."

"Tickets?" Morgan stared at the rectangular pieces of paper. "What are these for?"

"A gift for your exemplary service this year," George answered. "These were given to visitors in accordance with this year's new ticket system, but Towa managed to set aside a few for certain outstanding students this year. Naturally, that also includes you."

"But I thought we agreed that I'd help you during the festival!" Morgan reminded him.

"And I'm thankful for the offer. But at the same time, this IS your first festival. You only get one, you know, so I say go out there and have fun while everything's still new and exciting. Once you've used up all your tickets, THEN you come over and help me. Oh, and no giving them away to friends; otherwise, Towa would never let me hear the end of it."

"Well, I guess when you put it that way…" Seeing no more reason to refuse her upperclassman's gracious offer, Morgan humbly accepted the tickets. "All right! I'll take you up on that. Thanks, George!"

The two of them waved goodbye to each other, with George heading in the direction of the Engineering Building. Morgan looked down at her little pile of tickets, which counted five in total. "Now where should I go first…"

It didn't take long for Morgan to figure out her first destination. After all, she had already promised Bridget that she'd drop by to see Class II's finished product after helping them fix their device the other day. So, Morgan went inside the main campus building and made a beeline for Class II's classroom on the first floor, where Bridget was busy ushering in an older couple.

"Good day, Miss O'Keefe!" Morgan called out. "How's everything looking today?"

Bridget turned around and smiled. "Morgan! Welcome! You certainly didn't waste any time making your way here."

"Well, I promised I'd swing by, didn't I?" Morgan looked up at the ornate garden arch that was placed in front of the door, which was decorated with a placard that read "Stella-Garten."

"I take it our ornaments meet your approval?"

"The outside definitely succeeds in setting the mood. But…" Morgan rested her index finger on her chin, remembering a saying that Fauna instilled in her while she was assigned to garden keeping duties. "A garden's true value lies in how everything on the inside is taken care of. That's why I'll reserve my judgment until I've experienced everything for myself."

That elicited a small giggle from Bridget. "I see someone fancies herself a critique. We certainly aren't aiming to compete with Esmelas Garden anytime soon, but I assure you that we aren't lacking in presentation. Our Stella Garten evokes the scenery of a garden at nighttime, allowing you to take a leisurely walk underneath a blanket of stars. It's an ideal place to unwind from the hustling and bustling of the festival."

"An indoor garden set at nighttime? That's an interesting angle." Morgan fished out a ticket from her skirt pocket. "Then how do I use these?"

"Oh! You have a visitor ticket!" Bridget recognized. "You must have done something exceptional to earn yourself one of those."

"Ahaha…" Morgan scratched the back of her head. Honestly, she didn't quite understand Towa's criteria for "outstanding students" herself.

"In that case, I can let you in right now. But are you sure you want to go in by yourself, Morgan? One ticket admits up to two guests, and as you might have seen earlier, our garden is specifically designed to be experienced…intimately with someone special, if you know what I'm implying."

"Ohhh…" In other words, it was a date spot. Perfect.

"Ohhh, indeed." Bridget giggled again. "So if you need a moment to contact someone special, then by all means, go ahead. In fact, you can do it right here! I don't mind!"

"Bridget, is it just me, or are you sounding very interested in who I decide to bring?"

The blonde noble smiled innocently. "Now whatever might have given you that impression, Morgan?"

Morgan hummed to herself as she fingered the ARCUS unit in her pocket. Most of Class VII would be busy around this time doing things for their clubs, which narrowed down the number of realizable partners to a scant few. Who would she want to spend some time with? Under the stars, just the two of them…

"Hey, Morgan!"

Morgan reacted to Rean's voice calling out to her from across the hall. "R-Rean!"

Rean nodded at Bridget, who likewise waved her hand to greet him. Hopefully, Rean didn't catch the small blush that had been beginning to form on Morgan's face.

"I see you're checking out what everyone else is doing, too."

"Y-Yeah…" Morgan cleared her throat in an attempt to regain her composure. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be helping the student council."

"Well, I'm doing whatever I can. It's just that I was given these…"

From his blazer, Rean took out a visitor ticket just like the one Morgan was holding.

"Whoa! You've got tickets, too?"

"Towa gave me more than a few of these. Although, I think a more apt description would be that she's forcing me to have fun." Rean adopted a stern expression and said with a higher pitch, "'You're going to use them ALL by the end of the day. That's a mandate from the president!' That's what she said, anyway."

Morgan laughed. "That does sound like Towa. In that case, care to join me for a little stroll through Class II's garden? I hear it's a treat to look at."

"Sure! Why not?" Rean stepped forward and held out his ticket for Bridget to take. "Admission for two, please."

"Hold on there, Rean." Morgan cut in front of him with her own ticket. "I was here first, so I insist that we use my ticket."

"I'm only doing what's expected from my social class. Or are you denying me the chance to practice chivalry?"

"Since when were you so particular about noblesse oblige? And if we're talking about social standings, then I think I outrank you by a fair bit!"

The two classmates continued their back and forth bickering until Bridget, unable to contain her amusement any longer, broke down in laughter.

"Oh, oh! I haven't laughed like that in a while…" Bridget wiped a tear from her eye. "My apologies, you two. I just never imagined that I would witness two people fighting over whose ticket they wished to use. It's not as if you're paying for a meal."

Morgan and Rean looked at each other, fully comprehending the futility and, frankly speaking, absurdity of their argument.

"Here's what we'll do instead…" Bridget said, reaching forward and pointing at both tickets in Morgan and Rean's hands. "I'll take both of those tickets and grant you both entry into our garden at the same time. You can work out whose ticket you want to spend for this visit while you're inside. I'll hold onto these in the meantime so that once you leave, I can give a ticket back. How does that sound?"

"That…sounds reasonable."

"Are you sure it's okay for us to do this, Bridget?"

"It's still early in the day. I believe now is the only time when we can afford to bend the rules without anyone complaining. And…" Bridget leaned forward and whispered, "I still have to thank you two for helping me make peace with Alan."

Finding no other reason to reject Bridget's offer, Morgan and Rean formally handed over their tickets to the blonde, who subsequently ushered into Class II's garden. Immediately, all thoughts of their earlier quarrel were forgotten by the sight of the night sky before them.

"Wow…" Morgan marveled.

"Stella Garten lives up to its name," Rean agreed. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less from Class II."

Obviously, it wasn't the actual night sky that was surrounding them; anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Class II had used thick black sheets with small bright beads and felt patterns to completely cover the walls and ceilings. Still, it was a very good imitation, and the rest of the garden furniture and decor was likewise not so fancy to feel uninviting, but also not too simple to imply that this garden was managed by commoners. Apart from the furniture, Class II had a collection of different flowers that was provided by the Gardening Club, and there were even small butterflies fluttering around the flora. Every little particular thing blended together to create a sum greater than its individual parts, and the fact that Class II was able to accomplish this much with how little they were given was a testament to their creativity.

"It's like I'm back at Nord…" Rean remarked. He then veered his gaze to Morgan, whereupon his mouth curved upwards into a small smirk.

"Something funny?" Morgan asked.

"I think you've acquired some new friends."

Rean pointed at Morgan's blazer. In the short time they had already spent standing by the entrance, Morgan had attracted the attention of several butterflies, which were now fluttering around her like she was the most visually appealing flower in the room. It was a feeling Morgan hadn't felt since the last time she cleaned Esmelas Garden as a maid.

"I wish I could take a photo of this, but I don't think they allow flash photography," Rean quipped.

"Yes, I'm sure I look quite the catch right now," Morgan snarked back. "Flying invertebrates aside, they have the ambience down. Now I'm curious how that projector will look when it's lit up…"

Rean looked at Morgan quizzically. "What projector?"

"It's a little further in. I can explain on the way there."

The two Sevens took their time walking through the garden, guided through the faux night by dimly lit orbal lanterns. On the way, they would come across other visitors, all of them gathered in pairs. Once, they caught a glimpse of a student giving his girlfriend a small peck, which then escalated into a full-blown kiss. Rean and Morgan hurriedly tiptoed out of their sight before they could notice.

"Didn't think they'd be so bold," Rean coughed, tugging at his collar. "So this place is, uh…"

"A date spot, yeah." Morgan smirked slyly at Rean. "Having second thoughts on coming here with little old me?"

"Well, you know what they say. If you're gonna go with someone, make it someone you trust…"

Eventually, they came across the orbal projector in the center of the room, which was surrounded on all sides by decorated fences and benches.

"There it is. Care to do the honors, Morgan?"

"With pleasure."

Morgan flipped the switch on, and the projector whirred to life. With the absence of outside light, the orbal device was able to shine its light to full effect, making the night sky even brighter and adding astral bodies like constellations and galaxies. She and Rean stood there for what felt like an eternity, taking in the sight above them like it was the real thing.

"I gotta say, this is a really relaxing start to the day," Rean remarked, inviting Morgan to sit down next to him on a bench. When Morgan sat down, the butterflies that had been circling around began to land on her shoulders, one by one. "Okay, are you sure you don't have nectar on you or something?"

"I wish I could give you an answer. It's just something that sort of…happens. Guess that's another thing to add to my list of quirks."

Rean lifted a finger horizontally in an attempt to get a butterfly land on him. As he neared closer to Morgan, however, each butterfly that had landed on the young tactician's shoulder took flight and dispersed back into the garden. This caused Rean to hang his head a little, and Morgan couldn't help but giggle at the swordsman's disappointment.

"I guess being a butterfly magnet isn't as easy as it looks, huh?"

"Don't let it get to you, Rean! Some people are just born that way. If it makes you feel any better, I can think of one other person who caused them to react like that…" She then leaned in closer and whispered in the swordsman's ear, "Chancellor Osborne."

"Seriously?" Rean quietly voiced his disbelief. "Butterflies are afraid of the Blood and Iron Chancellor? Then again, I guess he does leave an impression on you."

"The ones in Esmelas Garden fled at the sight of him," Morgan recalled. "I think it's because he acts so serious all the time. So! Make sure you smile a bunch these next couple of days, because our performance is counting on it!"

"Haha! Thanks for the reminder." Rean sighed as he looked up at the stars. "Sitting here like this with you… It reminds me of that night in Ymir, when you talked about your past."

"Yeah…" Morgan closed her eyes momentarily, recalling the memory. "Thank you, Rean."

"What for?"

"Just for…being you, I guess. You're a really good listener. You were able to accept my story so easily. Anyone else, and they would've thought I was spouting nonsense."

"So you're saying I'm crazy for believing you?"

But before Morgan could retort, Rean threw up both his hands and said, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Sure, there's a lot of details that I'm still trying to wrap my head around, but I know you'd never lie about something like that. And after hearing you recount everything so honestly, well…" He gave Morgan a small smile. "A part of me hopes that someday, you'll find something that proves the things you experienced happened for real. After all you've been through, you deserve some closure on what happened in your childhood, as well as your missing memories."

"...Hehe." Morgan chuckled softly. "The way you say things so earnestly that you almost start to believe it… It sounds like something Uncle Chrom would say."

"Uncle…Chrom?"

"He's the hero…well, one of the heroes who fought against the Fell Dragon. And out of those gathered, he was the one who performed the Awakening ritual and dealt the finishing blow."

Rean scratched the back of his head. "Well, now I'm beginning to feel a bit self-conscious, knowing that you're comparing me to someone that important."

"No pressure, Rean. You just have this charisma that makes everyone drawn to you, and you're able to inspire everyone to be the best versions of themselves. All qualities befitting a worthy lord."

"So it's like…how Laura reminds you of your mother?"

Morgan nodded. "Yeah. And in my homeland, every lord needed a tactician to back them up. In the case of Chrom, it was my father. The two of them weren't related, but they were as close to brothers-in-arms as anyone could be."

"A lord and a tactician…" Rean mused. "Is that how you view our relationship?"

"I-I didn't mean anything weird like that, I promise!" Morgan stammered.

"It's fine. It's got a nice ring to it. Although, I've still got a ways to go before I'm 'lord' material."

"There you go, selling yourself short again…" Morgan giggled softly. She then turned her head away and muttered to herself, "But then again, humility is a desirable trait for a leader."

…

After relaxing together for a while longer, the two of them made their way to the exit and left the classroom. Having been in a dark space for so long, Morgan and Rean had to take a moment to let their eyes readjust to the sunlight.

"What did you think?" Bridget asked.

"It was beautiful," Morgan complimented. "I'm glad I didn't get spoiled on the ceiling yesterday."

"And the projector in the middle was like the icing on the cake," Rean added. "I think we're going to have a hard time topping that."

"Is that how little faith you have in us, Rean Schwarzer?" Morgan wagged her pointer finger in front of Rean's face. "A lord should have more confidence in the people he leads."

Rean laughed in response. "You're right. I should remember to keep that in mind, genius tactician."

Bridget glanced between the two of them, puzzled by their terminology. "Lord? Tactician? Are the two of you role playing or something?"

"Don't pay any attention to it, Bridget," Morgan insisted. "Now about our tickets…"

"Yes. I have them here…" Bridget showed the pair their tickets. "So whose ticket will be used for this visit?"

Rean looked at Morgan, who gave him an encouraging nod.

"We've decided that we're going to be using Morgan's for this visit," Rean said. "But as for the other, Bridget… You can keep that one."

"I…beg your pardon?" Bridget nearly exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, Morgan said George wouldn't let her give her tickets away," Rean began to explain. "I didn't get any restrictions like that, only that I had to use them all up-"

"That's not what I was referring to, Rean!" Bridget interrupted. "You must have worked so hard to get one of these! On the other hand, I don't have any reason to use this."

"Reeeaaally?" Morgan cocked an eyebrow. "No reason to go with someone else? Someone…special?"

"Morgan, is it just me, or are you sounding very interested in who I might decide to bring?" Bridget asked, echoing the very same question Morgan had posed to her earlier.

In response, Morgan motioned for Rean to give her and Bridget some space. After Rean was a few paces away, Morgan leaned forward and whispered, "If you really want to repay us, you can start by using that to spend some time with you-know-who."

Bridget's face flushed. "Y-You misunderstand our relationship, Morgan! Alan and I…we've only just returned to being on amicable terms! We're nowhere close to…that point yet!"

"It doesn't have to be official," Morgan said, "but don't wait. Do you remember that there's a bonfire dance tomorrow evening? You only get one first year, and it'll be awkward if he ends up choosing another dance partner."

"Th-That's…"

Morgan quickly turned her head around. "Sorry, but I gotta run. If you want an excuse, just say this is your way of thanking him for helping deliver Class II's decorations. Trust me. He won't say no."

Bridget stifled a gasp. "How did you…?"

"It's a secret to everyone~" Morgan put a finger to her lips and winked. "The ball's in your court now. See you!"

The young tactician left before her friend in Class II could utter another word of protest. She had pretended to be in a hurry, but as soon as she turned a corner, she relaxed. "I think that went well," she said.

Rean, who had been secretly listening to the entire conversation, asked, "Think she'll do it?"

"Well, that'll depend on her. She said they're not at that point yet, the key word being 'yet.' At the very least, it's not an outright rejection."

"Good news for Alan, then. If I know him as well as I think, then the two of them are pretty much set for the bonfire tomorrow."

Morgan grinned. "Wanna bet two hundred Mira that they'll hook up before the end of the month?"

"You've been hanging around Crow too much," Rean joked, but not before replying with smirk of his own and adding, "You're on."

"Hey, Rean! There you are! Listen, you gotta help us!"

Rean and Morgan were stopped by a student from Class V. "Hey, Munk. What's up?"

"It's your classmates, man! They're trying to break each other's records at Mishy Panic! You gotta convince them to stop or else they'll end up breaking the game!"

"That…doesn't sound good. Which ones are giving you trouble?"

Munk gulped. "Laura and Millium."

Rean's expression paled. He looked over to Morgan, who had also become very concerned.

"Yeah, that REALLY doesn't sound good," Rean said, providing what was possibly the biggest understatement of the day.

Class V's attraction was, all things considered, an excellent piece of orbal engineering. Essentially, it was a life-sized version of an arcade game where a person was tasked with whacking as many moles (or some other small animal) with a mallet, except this time the moles were replaced with characters from the Mishy brand of plushies. The grand prize that would be awarded to anyone who could beat the day's record would be a large Mishy plush, something that naturally grabbed the attention of Laura and Millium. Having to convince two of Class VII's biggest stuffed animal enthusiasts, who also happened to be two of their heaviest hitters, was a tall order for Rean and Morgan. In the end, they were able to convince the two blue-haired students to take a short break and look for another attraction to compete in. There was more to the academy than just Mishy, after all.

Laura, ever the ardent seeker of challenges, suggested they pay a visit to Class III's "Gate of Avalon" attraction on the recommendation of her club mate Monica, who belonged to said class. Morgan had also been curious to check it out ever since Mint had revealed her class wanted to do something related to Blade, so she, Rean, and Millium went with Laura to Class III's classroom in the main building. Both Rean and Morgan spent one ticket each so all four students could enter at the same time.

Class III's classroom was furnished in a way that greatly resembled the interior of a medieval castle, which was a detail that reminded Laura of Lohengrin Castle. The objective was to play against other guests and win a certain number of games so you could be eligible to challenge the "Blade Master." Whoever this Blade Master was, though, they had apparently just stepped out. So, the members of Class VII decided to hold a little round robin tournament among themselves to determine who stood the best chance at beating the master.

Several rounds later, it became apparent that one player had already surpassed the rest in skill.

"...And that's another win for me!"

"That was still a close one, though," said Rean. "Good games, Morgan."

"How did you win three straight times?" Millium cried in disbelief. "In a game with randomness?"

"Losing a card is no less frustrating than losing a real battle," Laura remarked before raising her hand. "I hereby request a rematch, Morgan! Vengeance will be mine this time!"

"Haha! Bring it on, Laura!" Morgan laughed. She had not expected to be doing this well against her friends, especially since Blade as a game still had some inherent chance when it came to what hand a player started with. She chalked it up as an unexpected boon from all her attempts trying to beat Crow.

"Heehee! That was a well-fought victory, Lady Morgan."

All four students turned in bewilderment at the familiar voice. It was none other than their resident maid Sharon.

"What are you doing here, Sharon?" Rean asked.

"What, indeed?" Sharon answered vaguely. She carried the same mysterious grin that gave off the impression she knew something they didn't.

"Oh, I getcha!" Millium said, connecting the dots at a speed befitting of an Intelligence Division agent. "That means the Blade Master is…"

"Very perceptive, Lady Millium." Sharon gave Millium a small head pat as a reward, which the younger girl appreciated. "You may know me as your mild-mannered dormitory caretaker, but for the duration of this festival, I have been appointed the Blade Master!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Rean exclaimed.

"I'm just as bewildered as Rean," Laura added. "Is there truly anything you cannot do?"

While her classmates were still recovering from the shock, Morgan was already grinning at her next challenger. "This is perfect, actually. I've been wanting a rematch."

"I remember our last match quite well," Sharon replied. "Let's see how well you fare this time."

Rean offered Sharon his seat, and immediately a large crowd consisting of every player in the room began to form around them, waiting with bated breath for the match to begin.

Morgan and Sharon both drew their full hand and flipped over an extra card to begin the match. Morgan's card was higher than Sharon's, which meant Sharon had to play a card first. Looking down at her hand, Morgan breathed a sigh of relief. In contrast to the previous time they faced off, Morgan had a few Bolt cards to spare. Now that she had a card lead, she could dictate the pace of the match.

Morgan put down a 3, one of her lowest numbered cards that happened to match the total amount that Sharon had on her side, thereby forcing the two players to draw again. This was going to be the core of her strategy: whittling down Sharon's hand until she had no choice but to play her most valuable cards to gain an edge. And when she did put down a high value card? Morgan would retaliate with a Bolt card.

"So that's how you want to play…" It appeared that Sharon had also caught wind of Morgan's intent, because after Morgan played a Bolt, she countered with a 1 to bring back her discarded card and followed up with a Mirror. Deciding it was too much of a risk to even the playing field and draw again, Morgan played a 6 to gain the number lead. However, her card was promptly Bolted out of existence.

'Bolt, One, Seven…' Morgan counted the values of the three cards in her hand. On the other end, Sharon had only two cards remaining. Statistically speaking, Morgan was in the clear in terms of card count and points, but psychologically, it was a different story. Sharon remained unfazed at how dire her circumstances might have appeared, and her serene poker face gave off the impression that Morgan was walking into her web trap.

Morgan swallowed her nerves and put down her 1 card. Sharon put down a Mirror. Morgan responded with a Bolt.

"My, I didn't think I'd be backed into a corner already…" Sharon said. "I do hope that Master Crow won't hold this against me."

"What do you mean, Sharon?"

Sharon giggled. "Oh, I'm just reminiscing about the time Crow invited me to play Blade for the first time. He was a formidable opponent, but I managed to scrape out a win."

"I'm not sure whether to feel impressed or discouraged…" Morgan admitted. "I've never been able to win against him once."

"If you play as well as you did just now, I'm certain that victory will eventually be yours." Sharon turned over her last card: a 5. Morgan's 7 card eclipsed Sharon's total amount by a wide margin, making her the winner.

The whole room erupted into cheers and applause. Rean and Laura gave their congratulations, while Millium held up her hand for a high-five.

"That was a splendid victory, Lady Morgan. Please accept this relief card as proof of your absolute victory here at Gate of Avalon." Sharon passed a small rectangular card across the table to Morgan.

"Thanks for the match, Sharon." Morgan stood up from her chair, and upon noticing a familiar head of silver hair sneaking out of the classroom, she broke into a sprint and called out, "Crow! Wait!"

Her upperclassman stopped a few paces shy from the door. He turned around and flashed a grin. "Oh hey. Sup, Morgs. That was some good ass Blade you played there. Beating Sharon's no small feat, I'll tell you that."

"If you were watching, you should've said so."

"And break your concentration? Yeah right."

Before long, Rean, Laura, Millium, and Sharon all came forward to say hi to Crow.

"A good day to you, Master Crow," Sharon said, bowing respectfully. "I hope this loss doesn't mean I'm fired."

Crow laughed. "Shoot, no. That's part of Blade; you win some, you lose some."

"Wait, hold up." Rean glanced quizzically at Sharon. "Fired?"

"Indeed. It was Master Crow who appointed me as Blade Master."

"Are there any attractions at this festival that you DIDN'T have a hand in?" Laura inquired.

Crow shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say, Laura? I'm a busy guy."

"Didn't you say that second years didn't have to participate this year?" Millium playfully elbowed Crow's side. "You big overachiever, you!"

"Oof, careful where you elbow me!" Crow fake grunted. "I guess I didn't want to have any regrets, you know? And besides…" His grin disappeared for a moment as he added, "Angelica would probably yell at me for lazing around instead of helping Towa and George make sure everything runs smoothly for you guys."

"Crow…"

The mention of Angelica sucked all of the positivity from the conversation, which Crow immediately took note of. "Sorry. Brought the mood down, didn't I? Come on! That's enough moping! This should be a happy occasion. Well, I'll leave you all to it…"

Crow turned around to leave, and the image of the silver-haired trickster leaving them behind caused something to stir from within Morgan.

"Did you tell your father this?"

"How could I? Anything I say will only push him further away. I…I don't want that…"

Familiar words from days long past replayed in her head. What was this strange feeling that began bubbling up from under the surface? Was it…regret?

"I don't…want that…"

Before she knew it, Morgan had already stepped forward and grabbed Crow's wrist to prevent him from leaving.

"Did we say you could leave?" she said, ignoring the looks everyone else was giving her.

Crow let out a small scoff before replying, "And who are you? My mother?"

Reaching into her pocket with her other hand, Morgan brought out the relief card Sharon had given her and handed it back to the maid. "I'm sorry, Sharon, but I can't accept this yet. I just remembered that there's one last thing I need to do."

"Oh?" Sharon looked half-surprised, half-intrigued by Morgan's actions. "Which is?"

Morgan's dark eyes locked with the red eyes of her upperclassman. "I want to beat the person who appointed you as Blade Master."