Hey guys! How's everyone doing today? Man did this chapter take a while. As you can tell by how long it is, I really stretched out everything that's happening during Bareahrd since there wasn't really a set timeline or day to day given about the events that happen. Like literally, the way the cutscenes go, it makes it seem like everything happened during the course of a single day, maybe two, and then it turns out about four or five days passed and I'm like nani?! Anyways, here is the Bareahard reunion and I hope y'all enjoy it!
As always, I enjoy any comments, except for those that are just full of negativity and not constructive at all. Just give me something to work with instead of just "It's bad." I also appreciate any positive constructive criticism since I'm always looking to improve my writing and storytelling capabilities. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by any medium, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the games or Drama CDs.
Warning: No beta, we die like Rean's ability to understand anyone's feelings for him.
Chapter 2: Reunion
XXXXXX
The travel group reached the end of the Ebel Highway and the fog that lingered around the region of Legram had dissipated to reveal a bright sunny sky.
"We've now reached the beginning of the South Kreuzen Highway," Laura announced.
"And it seems the fog doesn't reach this far from Legram thankfully," Emma observed, "It'll be one thing we don't need to worry about."
"Agreed," Celine said.
"Looks like we're not too far from Bareahard either. You can see it in the distance," Fie said, pointing out the cityscape that could be seen in the distance.
"Finally," Millium groaned in relief, "I don't think I've done this much walking since Uncle Teo and Reanie made us go on that camping trip in the Eisengard Range."
"Don't you start complaining now, missy," Rean scolded, "Exercise is good for you. We all knew you would've ridden on Lammy the entire time if Claire hadn't intervened."
"Gosh, you're such a dad sometimes," she grumbled petulantly.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he shot back without cringing.
She stuck her tongue out at him playfully and he laughed.
"Well folks, seems like this is where the real challenge begins," Toval said, drawing their attention back to the task ahead, "We're about to set foot in a city ruled by one of the most powerful figures in the Alliance. We'll need to practice more caution than usual."
Millium nodded in agreement. "Yeah. If the army finds us, we're totally toast."
"But what about you, Toval? You've been around the block in Bareahard so people are bound to recognize you," Fie pointed out.
Toal winked conspiratorially at her. "I've got a little something up my sleeve so don't worry about me."
Rean nodded. "Alright. Then that just leaves how we're going to get in without being arrested on sight."
"It'll be fine. Emma's got it covered," Celine chimed in.
Emma nodded. "Getting in shouldn't pose a problem. As long as the south entrance isn't too heavily guarded, we'll be fine."
Laura hummed thoughtfully. "Given how Legram lies to the south and has been mostly isolated since the war began, I don't believe many guards will be posted."
"Great! We've got…a semblance of a plan which is more than what we had before we left," Rean said encouragingly much to the others' amusement, "Shall we keep going?"
"Sure, but before we do," Fie gave him a pointed look, "What are we gonna do about Ouroboros' message for Jusis? Especially after what Leo told us."
Rean grimaced at the reminder, looking as if he'd hoped Fie wouldn't remember or point it out. "That's…"
Toval frowned and looked at the two suspiciously. "Hold on. What message?"
"We would also like to know as well as what was learned from this Leo you speak of," Laura added, already sensing the subject to be important and refusing to let Rean wiggle his way out of it.
Rean sighed in defeat. He then told those who were unaware about the message Bleublanc gave them when they were in Nord as well as what Leo, the jaeger from Zephyr, told Fie when they were at Garrelia.
"That message," Toval began as he carefully gathered his thoughts, "It's been three years since Jusis left Ouroboros. Why would the Grandmaster want to talk to him now instead of before?"
"And what was said about him having some connection to the death of Zephyr's boss and the group's abandonment of Fie," Laura frowned, "I don't like it. Any of it."
"You're telling me," Millium agreed, "This whole thing makes me wonder how much the society is tied into what's going on in the Empire. Then there's that whole deal with the Divine Knights."
"Do you two have any ideas?" Rean asked Emma and Celine.
The witch and familiar shared looks before turning their attention back to the others and shaking their heads.
"Not that I can think of," Emma honestly replied, "While I believe that Ouroboros is connected in some way to the Divine Knights, I don't think they're a direct cause."
Celine nodded. "Yeah. There's something more going on behind the scenes, a bigger picture where even Ouroboros is just a single part of it. But what that bigger picture is is anyone's guess."
"Bigger picture aside, what are you gonna do, Rean?" Fie asked, "Are you going to tell Jusis everything? No one's gonna blame you if you don't."
"Yeah," Millium agreed with a vigorous nod, "The society's even sketchier than Lechter on a good day. The message could totally be a trap!"
"I…" Rean hesitated as he struggled to come up with an answer that wasn't completely influenced by his emotions and desire to protect his close friend. Then he sighed when he realized he couldn't without overstepping. "I'm going to tell him."
The others weren't surprised, instead looking resigned as if they knew that was the decision he was going to make even though they didn't like it.
"Because it's his choice at the end of the day, right?" Fie said, understandingly.
Rean nodded. "Sharon's right. Jusis deserves to make that choice himself after having had so many taken from him already."
'Even if it takes him down a path away from ours' goes unsaid.
XXXXXX
Meanwhile in the Albarea Dukedom mansion, Duke Helmut Albarea was contemplating his next move after the failure to acquire the imperial prince and princess through his own means.
"The Alliance's advantage in this war isn't as overwhelming as it should be. It's only because Rufus is my son that I was credited with the capture of the royal twins."
The bitter sting at the reminder of his incompetent heir stepping in to help him save face made him angrily grit his teeth. That victory should have been his and his alone but now it was tainted by the knowledge that it wasn't even his idea that allowed him to achieve it.
"Now we're at a stalemate and what does that fool Cayenne do? Nothing! And even still, he's the one with the most influence and power." He clicked his tongue in disgust. "Something must be done. But what?"
"So this was your line of thinking when you sent those jaegers to Ymir."
Helmut startled and looked around for the source of the voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Jusis stepped out from the shadows, wearing a dark blue cloak that completely concealed his identity with the deep hood shadowing most of his face save for the area beneath his nose.
Helmut paled at the sight of him. "Who are you? How dare you enter here uninvited! Guards!"
"That won't be necessary, father," Jusis said, though he made no move to remove the hood.
Helmut gaped in shock when he recognized the voice. "Jusis?! Wha- where have you been?!"
For a moment, it seemed as if the Duke was genuinely worried about Jusis but he knew better as the Duke immediately followed it up with, "Do you have any idea how much shame and scrutiny I've been given by that damnable fool Cayenne for not having both my sons fight for the Alliance?!"
Jusis sighed, having expected this sort of behavior. "I don't know why I still expect any sort of praise or acknowledgement from you."
"If it's praise or acknowledgement you want, then hurry up and remove that silly cloak and report in to begin your duties as a loyal son of the Albarea Dukedom!" Helmut ordered, or more accurately, childishly demanded.
Jusis frowned. "I apologize but I'll have to refuse."
"Excuse me?!" Helmut cried out, completely flabbergasted like he couldn't believe his useless bastard of a son would dare to deny an order.
"I've only returned to Bareahard to ascertain your intentions, father," Jusis calmly explained, "And based on the information I've gathered, they are problematic in every sense of the word."
Helmut angrily scowled. "It is not your place to lecture me on my intentions. I only do what I must to replace that fool Cayenne and become the Supreme Commander that the Alliance deserves. Necessary sacrifices must be made for me to achieve that goal."
"And the lives of the good people of Ymir were considered necessary?" Jusis argued back, "They are a neutral power in this war."
Helmut laughed cruelly. "If they were truly neutral, there would not have been rumors of them sheltering the imperial prince and princess. They should count their blessings that they were let off so easily and Rufus managed to locate and retrieve the twins regardless."
Jusis frowned disapprovingly. "I suggest you think twice before taking any further action, father. You will not always have Rufus to rely on to bail you out."
"Bah!" Helmut said as he waved at him flippantly, "I do not need that failure to bail me out of anything so long as he continues to loyally serve his duty as heir of the Albarea Dukedom."
"Is that so? Then I suppose this is where I shall take my leave," Jusis said, turning away from the Duke.
But Helmut wasn't going to take his refusal lying down. "Hold it right there, Jusis! Don't you dare turn your back on me!"
"I will give you one and only one warning, father," Jusis said, ignoring him, "Do not overstep. For the moment innocent blood is shed, it will be your downfall."
"You dare threaten me?" Helmut asked incredulously.
"You have one chance, father. Don't waste it."
With that, Jusis opened the doors of the office and stepped out, closing it behind him as the Duke stormed over. Helmut flung the doors open not a moment later but was shocked to find that Jusis had disappeared. He snarled angrily.
"Guards!"
A provincial soldier rushed over and saluted him. "Sir!"
"Inform the fort that I shall be making my way over so they must prepare a demonstration of the newly arrived soldats posthaste."
"Yes, Duke Albarea!" The soldier said before scurrying off to do as he was ordered.
Helmut seethed and raged, "That half breed bastard dare threaten me? I'll show him. I'll show them all what happens to those who draw my ire. Arnauld!"
Arnauld quickly appeared upon his summon. "Yes, my lord."
"Get me in contact with Rufus," Helmut impatiently snapped, "There is much we need to discuss."
XXXXXX
The traveling group, with Toval now sporting brown hair courtesy of temporary hair dye, a pair of fashion glasses, and his signature coat tucked away in a bag, walked into Turner's Jewelry Store on Artisan Street in hopes of gathering information on Jusis' whereabouts only to be surprised when they ran into Colette who was equally shocked.
"Class VII? What are you guys doing here?" She asked.
"The same could be said for you," Rean said, "Not that we're not happy to see you but aren't Thors students on the wanted list?"
Colette grimaced at the reminder and looked around to make sure there were no untrustworthy people nearby. "Yes, but you're fine as long as you don't cause trouble. Besides, we're at the bottom of the list. It's you guys who should be worried. Class VII is at the very top, high priority and everything!"
"You needn't worry, Colette," Laura calmly assured her, "We will endeavor to exercise great caution."
"You better!" Colette exclaimed, "There's still so many stores I wanna take you to Laura! You need to get the whole girl's day experience before you're too busy focusing on Legram and your swordsmanship."
Laura chuckled. "And I will look forward to it but we have some business we must attend to now."
"Oh? What kind? Maybe I can help?" Colette eagerly offered.
"We were hoping you would," Rean said, "Do you have any information as to where Jusis could be?"
She looked at him in surprise. "Jusis? You mean he's here?"
He frowned. "You mean you didn't know?"
She shook her head. "No. This is the first time I'm hearing of it and I've been here for a few weeks already."
"Well…this is a bit of a conundrum isn't it?" Emma couldn't help but awkwardly say.
Fie sighed in frustration as she palmed at her face. "Of course he isn't going to make it easy for us. Why did I expect otherwise?"
"To be fair, we all thought with his status as a son of the Four Great Houses, he'd be less likely to get arrested coming back home," Millium sheepishly pointed out.
Toval smiled wryly. "Knowing Jusis, it's more likely he snuck back in disguise and is gathering information rather than outright rejoining his household."
"Sorry I couldn't be more helpful guys," Colette said apologetically, "But I'll let you know the moment I hear anything."
Rean nodded to her gratefully. "Thanks Colette. And stay safe out there."
"You too!" She cheerfully said before going back to work in the shop, leaving the group to ponder their next move.
"Why don't we head to the galleria? There's plenty of shops there so we might be able to find some solid intel from the patrons there," Toval suggested.
"Or better yet, run into him ourselves," Fie added.
Celine sighed. "I don't think you guys are that lucky."
Millium nodded empathetically. "You said it."
XXXXXX
The traveling group tried to subtly gather information from the vendors and patrons of the galleria but had no luck in finding any clues to their wayward classmate's whereabouts. However, they did end up running into another Thor's student, a second year noble from the Lacrosse club, Theresia. She told them of how she was separated from those she traveled with so she ended up returning home to Bareahard.
"I guess your family must be relieved to have you home at least?" Rean said, pointing out the silver lining.
Theresia nodded but she also looked a little glum at the reminder. "They are but…they're mostly focused on how the war is already as good as won by the Alliance so they're living it up right now."
"Huh? Really?" He asked, bewildered, "That doesn't make sense. Where'd you hear that?"
"It's all the Imperial Chronicle talks about. All the articles boast about the Alliance's accomplishments and how the war's going to end soon in Alliance victory," she explained.
"Well that's a complete contradiction of what we've seen," Fie said.
Millium nodded. "Yeah. Both sides are actually at a stalemate right now. No one's really winning or losing."
"How has this misinformation been allowed to spread?" Laura frowned in disapproval.
"Isn't the Imperial Chronicle stationed in the capital?" Emma asked.
"It is," Toval responded, "Most likely, the Alliance is using the Chronicle to spread propaganda and control the flow of information in their favor. Influencing the morale of the people can be just as deadly a weapon if used correctly."
"Well that's not concerning at all," Celine sarcastically muttered under her breath.
"Even if that were the case, there's not much I can do about it from here," Theresia said with a sigh, "Anyways, enough about that. What are you all doing here anyways?"
"Oh right," Rean sheepishly smiled, just remembering why they were in the galleria in the first palace, "We were hoping to find information on Jusis' whereabouts. We know he returned to Bareahard but that's it."
"Jusis is here?" Theresia asked in surprise, "Well that's news to me. I've yet to see him at all around the city."
"Ah geez, not another dead end," Millium whined in complaint.
"What about any information on newcomers into the city?" Fie asked, not willing to let it end there.
Theresia hummed as she searched her memories. "Not that I'm aware of…" Then a thought came to mind. "Oh wait! I did hear in passing about how there was a young woman who arrived recently. She said she was visiting family, a cook who works at Sorcerie, and her story seemed to check out so the guards let her through."
"A young woman with a relative at Sorcerie huh?" Toval said thoughtfully.
Fie eyed the others in Class VII. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Emma and Laura immediately caught on given that they were the ones who helped Jusis with his disguise. Only Rean and Millium were left in the dark.
"Indeed," Laura agreed, "Do you know where we would be able to find this young woman?"
Theresia shook her head. "No. Despite going to Sorcerie practically every day, I've yet to see her for myself."
"I see," Laura accepted with a sigh, "Regardless, thank you for the information, Theresia."
"It's no problem. I'm glad I was able to help a little," Theresia said with a small smile, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to return to the restaurant and hopefully have a good talk with my father. But we're most likely only going to argue again." She sighed heavily as her shoulders slumped from the burden she carried. "No matter how much I try to talk to him, he just won't understand how I feel about the war and my relationship with Emily."
"Oh right, Emily's a commoner, not a noble," Rean said, nodding to her sympathetically.
She smiled gratefully for his sympathy. "Indeed. I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous of you all. Not everyone has the freedom to do what they want right now, myself included. That's why I'd like for you all to do everything you can for now in our stead. And also, if you happen to come across Emily or anyone else from Thors, please help them."
Rean nodded. "Of course. That was our intent from the beginning."
"In turn, we'd like for you not to be too hard on yourself," Laura added empathetically.
"Thanks you guys," Theresia said, "I'll see you all again soon I hope."
Then she left, leaving the group to ponder what they'd just been told.
"Guess you can't shove all nobles under one label, can you?" Celine asked.
Emma sighed and shook her head. "I'm a bit disappointed that you're only realizing that now."
"But at least we got a good lead out of her," Fie said, "Should we go check out Sorcerie now?"
Rean nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully we'll find some sort of clue there."
XXXXXX
The traveling group continued their searching, coming up with dead end after dead end even with the knowing help of Jusis' uncle at Sorcerie. Eventually, they tucked themselves away to the north of the city in a secluded area near the gate where there were also few soldiers standing guard in order to discuss what they'd found so far which was practically nothing.
"We've established that he's home and that no one knows he's home and that's pretty much it," Rean perfectly summed up.
Laura sighed in frustration. "It was already going to be a challenge establishing contact with a son of one of the Four Great Houses and now this?"
"Whatever your next step is, you better tread carefully," Toval cautioned them, "The Alliance considers you all high ranking wanted criminals."
"There has to be something we can do though," Emma said. She turned her attention to Celine and suggested, "Maybe I could try scrying if we're in a secluded enough location?"
Celine shook her head. "Too risky. Especially since we don't know how involved Vita is with the Alliance. There could be wards around the city."
"I could try snooping my way around. See if there's any information I can find that we missed or maybe if we're lucky I'll run into Jusis?" Fie offered.
Millium raised her hand up and eagerly waved it around. "Oh! Oh! I could join too and finally put my intelligence division skills to good use!"
Rean shook his head with a frown. "That's too much of a risk in a high security place like this. We were lucky enough to not get arrested during our initial search without knowing the patrol schedule. Let's not push our luck."
Milium deflated like a sad balloon. "Awww. So now what?"
He shrugged helplessly. "We could try going back to Sorcerie and wait or hang out in Artisan Street and-"
"Umm, excuse me?"
The traveling group turned to see a young girl, Anette, and an even younger boy, Raby, standing before them. Anette looked nervous while Raby was all smiles and joy.
"Hello!" Raby cheerfully greeted.
"Hello there," Rean greeted with a welcoming smile, "Did you need something from us?"
Anette nodded. "Uh, yes. Can I speak to you all for a moment?"
Laura frowned as her brow pinched in thought. "Hang on. I recognize you two…"
"Aren't you the children who were reading on that bench by the church fountain?" Emma asked.
Fie and Toval narrowed their eyes, clearly knowing that there was more to the children than that.
"Aren't those two the kids-" Fie softly asked.
Toval subtly nodded. "That he hangs around and looks after? Yeah."
"Huh. This search may have just gotten a little bit easier."
Toval quietly snorted at that.
"Of course. What is it?" Rean asked, oblivious to the conversation that went on between the two.
"We have a message for you from someone," Anette said.
"For us? From who?" Rean blinked in confusion.
Anette fidgeted uncomfortably as if she wanted to tell them but knew she couldn't. "I'm sorry. I can't say."
Rean nodded in acceptance. "Alright, that's fine. What's the message?"
"Right um," Anette cleared her throat and clearly stated, "Make your way to the restaurant in the Central Plaza within the next ten minutes, no detours. That's the message."
"The restaurant in the Central Plaza? I assume that must be Sorcerie," Emma remarked.
"But what is with the time limit? The next ten minutes? Is something supposed to happen?" Laura asked, understandably suspicious.
"Are you guys playing hide and seek or something? Can I play too? J-" Raby eagerly asked only for his words to get cut off when Anette covered his mouth. "Raby! Shhh!"
Then she turned to the group and hastily bowed her head. "Anyways, that's all we were told to tell you. Bye."
She quickly left after that, ushering a protesting Raby along and leaving the group behind with mixed emotions and many questions.
"That was weird," Celine dryly remarked.
"Thoughts everyone?" Rean asked.
"It was…a little suspicious to be honest, especially with that timing," Laura truthfully responded.
"But it didn't seem like a trap, especially since we're supposed to go to a pretty public place in the middle of the day," Millium added.
Fie nodded in agreement. "I don't think there was any ill intentions behind it. We should probably do as it says."
"We're struggling for clues as it is so even if it is unnerving, it's still a lead," Emma agreed.
They all looked to Toval for his opinion and he just shrugged. "Hey, you guys are the ones running the show. I'm just here as a tag along and support in case push comes to shove."
Rean nodded. "Right then. We'll head to the restaurant but still be cautious in case it's a trap."
They all agreed and made their way over to Sorcerie where Hammond nodded to them all in greeting. "Hello again everyone! I've been expecting you."
"You have?" Emma nervously asked.
Rean frowned. "Then is it safe to assume you've been left a message for us as well?"
Hammond nodded. "Within the next twenty minutes, make your way to the orbal factory. Then wait another twenty before going to the shopping center. Then a final twenty before heading to the airport as your final destination."
"I suppose that means whoever has been sending these messages will be waiting for us there," Laura remarked.
"I wonder why it's so specific though," Millium wondered, "We're practically running around every section of Bareahard except the Noble District."
"Maybe they're just having fun dragging us all over the place," Rean wryly remarked.
"Or maybe those time frames coincide with the provincial army patrols and are helping us avoid them," Toval offered as an alternative.
Fie hummed. "Sounds about right. I caught the tail end of a patrol making its way to the Noble District when we entered the Central Plaza."
"Most interesting…" Laura remarked.
"But that still doesn't answer the question as to who could be sending those messages," Emma reminded them.
"It won't matter if we don't follow them and make our way to the airport," Celine quietly chimed in, "We should head over and finally get some answers."
Rean nodded. "Right. Let's just make sure we're ready before we head out. I've got a strange feeling about this."
XXXXXX
The traveling group arrived at the airport and was promptly guided to the only airship docked inside. They slowly made their way to the third floor lounge, hearts fluttering with nerves and anticipation that this could either be some elaborate trap or the reunion they'd been waiting for. Eventually, they arrived and entered the lounge to be greeted with the sight of a hooded figure.
"You certainly took your time."
"That voice…" Rean muttered quietly.
The figure turned around and pulled their hold down to reveal it to be Jusis. Everyone gasped.
"Jusis!" Rean happily exclaimed.
Laura let out a huff of laughter. "I suspected it was you."
Jusis smiled at them. "I had wondered how long you intended to make me wait. I even entertained the thought of whether you would bother to show up or not."
"You don't get to complain after making us run around the city the way we did," Fie dryly retorted.
"There were eyes everywhere in this city. It would've drawn too much attention for a group such as yours to come here directly. I was merely looking out for you so perhaps you could try thanking me instead," Jusis explained with a hint of smugness.
"Thank you oh great Jusis for your benevolence in making us go through so much trouble for such a simple meeting," Fie dramatically embellished with a sarcastic curtsy.
He rolled his eyes at her. "It's lovely to see you too, Fie."
"Back at you, doofus," she said before smiling slyly at the clothing choices she managed to see in the opening of the cloak, "Nice outfit by the way."
Jusis flushed and only now did everyone else realize he was still wearing his disguise underneath the cloak.
Only Rean flushed upon the realization. "Th-That, um, what in the world are you wearing?" He asked as his mind went places that were really inappropriate given the circumstances and he shook his head violently to rid himself of those thoughts.
"A disguise of course," Jusis responded, trying to remain unaffected but the blush on his cheeks betrayed his embarrassment, "This was the only way for me to move around as freely as possible."
"Well I'm glad to see that you seem to enjoy my taste in fashion so much that you've yet to change, Jusis," Emma remarked with a moment of uncharacteristic smugness which made him sputter in response.
"Okay, it's my turn now!" Millium impatiently interjected. She rushed at Jusis for a hug only for him to swiftly dodge her attempt and made her fall onto her butt in surprise.
"Awww, what'd you do that for?" She whined.
"Because you were trying to hug me, obviously," he responded in a tone drier than her spectacular oatmeal raisin cookie surprise which had crumbled to pieces with a single touch after coming out of the oven.
"Oh c'mon, you know you want one."
"Clearly I don't."
"I'm getting that hug one way or another! You can't keep dodging me forever!"
"The day that happens is truly the day Gehenna freezes over."
Everyone chuckled at the banter between them as Millium pushed herself up from the ground with a pout.
"It's really great to see you again, Jusis," Rean said, "I thought-"
Jusis shook his head and smiled at him. "I told you, didn't I? That I couldn't have you dying on me so we could see each other again."
Rean huffed in faux annoyance. "You and everyone else it seems."
"Indeed, still, I'm impressed," Jusis complimented with pride for his friends which was clear to see, "You've overcome many ordeals to reach this point but I shouldn't be surprised. I've always had high expectations of you."
"I doubt I would've been able to come this far if not for everyone's faith and help though," Rean said, trying to downplay his own contributions as he always did, "But thanks, Jusis."
"Guess this means all of Class VII will finally be together again," Toval said with a proud grin, "Gotta say, I'm pretty proud of you guys." He chuckled. "Wonder if this is what Sara feels like being your teacher."
"We also couldn't have made it this far without you as well so thank you Toval!" Emma said.
Laura nodded. "Indeed. You've been a tremendous help in making it happen."
Then Fie eyed Rean and nudged him gently. "Rean?" Upon his acknowledgement, she quietly asked, "You gonna?"
He nodded with a sigh, knowing exactly what she was asking. "Yeah, I should."
"Is something the matter?" Jusis asked.
"Not…necessarily," Rean said, clearly hesitating but knowing he had to push through regardless of his own reservations, "But there is something I think you should know, Jusis." He then relayed the message the Bleublanc left with them and also mentioned what Leo had said at Garrelia.
Jusis pondered over what he'd been told. "I see…it's interesting that a jaeger believes me to have some sort of connection to the fate of the Jaeger King."
Fie grimaced. "You're telling me. I still have trouble believing it even though I know Leo isn't the kind of guy to lie or make up something like that without being absolutely sure."
Jusis nodded as he finally made a decision to the question that had been plaguing him since the beginning of the war. "It seems that it is clear to me now what my path should be."
"Jusis?" Rean asked, confused.
But Fie and Toval narrowed their eyes, seeming to catch onto what Jusis was thinking. Even Emma looked as if she had an idea but was more unsure about the conclusion she came to than the others. Only Laura, Millium, and Rean were completely clueless though Rean had a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"I've managed to keep myself informed of your activities so I'm well aware that you've been fighting around the country using that ash colored knight of yours as well as the fact that you've chosen to remain as a neutral third party in the ongoing civil war," Jusis said instead.
"Oh? Has word of Valimar been getting around that much in so little time?" Celine asked, curious.
"It's only natural considering there is only one other such knight and he solely belongs to the Noble Alliance with no signs of that changing in the near future," Jusis responded.
Everyone frowned at the implied mention of Crow.
"That said, I didn't arrange this meeting just so we could see one another again," Jusis continued, "I did so in order to ascertain the path I must choose to walk and now that I have, I would like to make it clear to you."
"What do you mean?" Emma asked, almost nervous to hear the answer.
Laura sighed, eyeing him knowingly. "I see. You have no intention of coming with us, do you?"
"Surely you saw this coming?" He said.
"Oh…" Millium said as she visibly deflated, sadness overtaking the joy she previously felt.
"Can't say I'm surprised given your circumstances. You've got ties to pretty much all the parties involved in the war," Fie said, understandingly.
"But is this really the only way?" Rean asked, the only one refusing to just let things continue without some form of protest, "Why don't you come with us back to Ymir first? Maybe we can talk it out, find another solution?"
But Jusis shook his head in rejection. "I'm sorry Rean. But I can't go with you. This is the moment where our paths diverge. I have something I need to do and I must do it alone. My resolve is affirmed and I no longer have time for those who are still yet unsure of the path they wish to take."
Rean jerked back as if struck. "That's-"
"Don't Rean, please," Jusis interrupted with another shake of his head, "Know that I am not making this decision lightly. I will guarantee you safe passage out of the city but our timeline will be limited so-"
"I challenge you!" Rean blurted out.
Jusis, and everyone else for that matter, was taken aback. "Pardon me?"
Rean took a deep breath, in and out, to center himself, and faced Jusis head on with a determined expression. "I challenge you to a duel, Jusis. The terms are simple. If I win, you come with us and at least hear us out before leaving."
"And I suppose if I win, you let me go, no arguments?" Jusis asked.
Rean nodded sharply. "None."
Jusis looked at him, searching for any signs of deception but he knew Rean wasn't that sort of person and could only sigh. "Very well then. A duel we shall have," he conceded, "Now come. Our destination shall be Aurochs Canyon. There we shall see if your resolve is stronger than mine."
Rean nodded and followed Jusis as he left the lounge with the rest of the group uncertain but having no choice but to go along with what was happening.
Meanwhile, outside of the airship, two unexpected figures watched over the proceedings within.
"Well, well, I wasn't expecting to witness such a compelling scene," Duvalie the Swift, leader of the esteemed Arianrhod's Stahlritter, said with an intrigued hum, "I've no duty to report this to the Duke but I suppose there isn't any harm in watching how things unfold."
McBurn yawned. "You say that and yet it's clear to even someone like me you're only here to check up on you know who."
"Wha- no I'm not!" She vehemently denied, "There's no way I only came here to eavesdrop on this conversation just to see how Jusis is doing!"
He smirked. "You said it, not me."
She let out a shout of frustration. "Well I wouldn't even be within the city proper in the first place if you hadn't heard of his arrival." She shook her head at him. "It's still such a disturbing thought to think you can care about someone's well being just as much as who your next opponent will be."
He yawned again. "Whatever. Anyways, you can go do what you want. I don't care. I'll just go kill time in town or something."
"Oh no, you don't," she immediately objected, "You're coming with me and that's that! I'm here to support you, not babysit you. You're the one with the number not me so would it kill you to act like it?"
"Fine, fine," he conceded with a put upon sigh. Then he eyed Jusis curiously as he left the airship. "Well this is as good a chance as any to see how much he's grown so I guess it won't be a complete waste of my time."
A teleportation circle appeared beneath him. "Gotta make sure he'll be ready when the time finally comes after all," he said with a sharp grin before disappearing.
Duvalie sighed in frustration as a teleportation circle appeared underneath her too. "That man. I swear," she said before disappearing as well.
XXXXXX
Jusis stood tall before Rean as he slammed the butt of his trident on the ground. Pillars of ice shot out, smacking into the other harshly. As the ice shattered and dissipated, Rean fell to his knees with his tachi being the only thing keeping his face from making an introduction to the ground.
"It seems I've won this one," Jusis stated.
Rean could only close his eyes in resignation and slam a fist onto the ground in frustration. "Dammit!"
"Still I commend you for your efforts," Jusis continued, attempting to soften the blow of Rean's defeat, "It's hard to believe how much your swordsmanship has improved in such a short amount of time. But nonetheless, the duel has concluded and with that, our paths shall be officially diverged."
The others could only watch with resignation on the sidelines at the conclusion of the duel.
"Oh no…" Emma softly gasped.
"Dammit," Fie quietly hissed.
Laura sighed and shook her head. "I expected something like this to happen but I had hoped otherwise."
"Yeah…" Millium agreed in a subdued manner.
Toval and Celine remained silent, both understanding the gravity of what occurred but also knew it wasn't their place to comment.
"Please Jusis, you don't have to walk away from us," Rean said, trying one last desperate attempt to appeal to the other, "We can find the answers we're all looking for together."
Jusis shook his head, looking pained as if such a decision was also hurting him as well. But he'd already affirmed his resolve and it'd be an insult to go back on it now. "That's enough, Rean, please…" he softly said.
Rean fell quiet, gritting his teeth as he tried to fight back the urge to cry out in frustration as Jusis turned his back on them.
"Alright then, that's enough watching from the shadows. You two can come out now," Jusis called out.
"Hmph! I'm glad to see you haven't lost your touch after all these years."
"Heh. It wasn't long but thanks for the show anyways."
The traveling group was surprised when they realized that they'd been watched by two unknown figures on a nearby cliff.
"How long have they been there?!" Rean exclaimed.
"Probably since our little reunion at the airport," Fie guessed with a scowl at her inability to realize they were being watched.
"You are correct, Slyphid," Duvalie said.
"Who are they?" Emma asked nervously.
"One of them is wearing the armor of a knight," Laura observed thoughtfully.
"And that other guy, he seems really dangerous," Millium cautioned warily.
Toval groaned and ran a hand over his face. "Ah nuts. Not these guys."
Duvalie jumped down from the cliff and landed in front of them. "Good day to you, ladies and gentlemen of Class VII. I hope you pardon my intrusion."
"She knows us?" Rean asked in surprise.
"Just who are you?" Laura asked.
"I am Duvalie the Swift, the head knight of the Stahlritter, an esteemed group led by Ouroboros' Seventh Anguis in all her glory," Duvalie proudly presented with all her armored bravado, "And it is by her order that I have come today."
"You're with Ouroboros?" Rean said, alarmed.
"Looks like our luck just ran out," Celine remarked with a hiss.
"Pardon me, but might I ask if the Stahlritter is somehow related to the Eisenritter?" Laura asked, genuinely curious, "The name is almost too similar to be a coincidence."
Duvalie looked at her in interest. "Oh? You're an Arseid, aren't you?" She chuckled and began taunting her. "Are you curious? Hmm? I bet you are. Well I'm not going to tell you!"
Laura was taken aback by the childish display. "Pardon?"
Duvalie cackled with glee. "Does it bug you? Does it? Your curiosity's going to build and build and eat away at you until you can't even sleep at night! Sucks to be you!"
"Is she really with Ouroboros?" Fie deadpanned.
"I'm not quite that curious that I would force you to answer a question I could no doubt find the answer to on my own if it really came down to it," Laura awkwardly remarked.
Duvalie was stunned by how easily Laura backed down and didn't force the issue. "Hold on a minute! There's no point in pretending you don't care. I know you do!"
Jusis sighed as he palmed at his face. "I wondered why Anne sent you instead of one of the others. But now I can clearly see the reason."
"Hey!" Duvalie cried out indignantly, "I am the head night of the Stahlritter! Of course my esteemed lord would send me to complete this duty in her place."
"She doesn't act like it but there's no doubt that she's extremely powerful," Rean quietly said to the others.
Fie nodded warily. "Yeah. She's basically like Bleublanc. The presentation doesn't quite match the power she holds."
"Right on the mira there," Toval said wryly, "She may not be an enforcer but it's not for lack of skill. The man with her though, he's the most dangerous one here."
Duvalie coughed once she was done with her indignant tirade and returned her attention to the traveling group. "Now then, I've already introduced myself so it's only proper for you to do th-" She then realized McBurn was still not next to her and glared at him. "Why are you still up there? Get down here right this instant!"
"Do I have to?" McBurn asked like a teenager being asked to finish their homework before they were allowed to go hang out with their friends.
"I'm not the only one who made the decision to come here," she shot back at him.
He sighed and rubbed at the back of his head. "Man, what a pain." But he jumped down to join her anyways and nodded to them all in greeting. "Name's McBurn. Enforcer No. I though some call me the Almighty Conflagration."
This immediately put everyone besides Jusis on guard.
"He's an enforcer!" Fie said, drawing her blades as a precaution.
"Usually their numbers don't mean anything about their combat prowess but unfortunately for us, his does," Toval grimly warned, "Be on your guard, everyone."
McBurn smirked. "While I'd love to skip to the good part, you've got something you wanna ask us, don't you, Jusis?"
Everyone, even Duvalie, turned to Jusis in surprise.
Jusis ignored their attention, focusing his on McBurn as he nodded. "Indeed. In fact, your appearance couldn't have been better timed and provides a convenient way of achieving my goal."
"So?" McBurn prompted.
"I would like your help in returning to the society," Jusis requested, "Per Bleublanc, I've heard the Grandmaster seeks an audience with me."
There was a moment of silence before the society members reacted.
"W-W-What?!" Duvalie stammered out in surprise.
"Seriously?" McBurn said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion, "This is the first I'm hearing of it."
"So then not even the fool knows?" Jusis asked.
McBurn shook his head. "Not a single peep outta that clown."
Jusis hummed thoughtfully. "Interesting. He always did enjoy taunting you with the knowledge that he knew something you didn't."
McBurn sighed as he cracked his neck. "Right? One day I'm gonna wring that little clown's neck and I'll enjoy every single moment of it."
"Hold on," Duvalie interjected, still stuck on what Jusis said, "Why would the Grandmaster seek you out and have that thief inform you instead of the demon or the fool?"
"I'm more curious about why now of all times," McBurn remarked, "It sure brings up a lot of interesting questions."
"Which I intend to seek answers for but I will require your assistance to return first," Jusis said.
McBurn sighed. "Alright. I got no objections."
Duvalie nodded in agreement. "And I know my lord would be greatly pleased if your return was more…permanent."
Jusis shrugged. "Who can say? It all depends on what the Grandmaster wishes to speak with me about. Shall we go now?"
McBurn let out a jaw-cracking yawn. "Might as well."
But before anyone could do anything, a haughty voice angrily shouted at them. "What the devil are you doing up there?"
McBrun frowned. "The hell?"
Jusis also frowned upon the realization of whom that voice belonged to. "Ah. I'd hoped we'd be gone before he realized we were here."
Duvalie released a frustrated sigh when she also realized who had just yelled at them. "First I have to babysit the demon and now I must deal with this man child. Aidios have mercy on me."
Everyone looked down at the road below to see Duke Albarea and Arnauld standing outside of an orbal car. The Duke was red in the face from outrage while Arnauld stood deferentially in his presence with a carefully neutral expression.
Duke Albarea paled when he caught sight of Jusis without his hood up, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. "Wh-Wh-Wh- Justitia?! B-B-But you, you're dead!"
Jusis sighed and smiled sardonically at him. "While it is rather flattering to hear how much I look like mother, I'm sorry to say that I am not her."
The Duke's face flushed a darker red than before upon realization. "J-J-JUSIS?!"
"Hello again, father," Jusis dryly said. He nodded in greeting to Arnauld. "It's lovely to see you, Arnauld."
Arnauld nodded back, smiling somewhat sadly. "It brings me joy to see you whole and well despite the circumstances, Lord Jusis."
"What is the meaning of this Jusis?" Duke Albarea demanded with irate shouting, "First you dare to break into my office and threaten me like some common thug and now I see you colluding with wanted fugitives?!"
"We're considered fugitives now? Nice," Fie couldn't help but say with a satisfied smirk.
Laura looked at her in exasperation. "Fie…"
"I demand you come down here right now so you may repent for your asinine actions!" Duke Albarea shouted, falling short of stomping the ground like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Hey Duke, you mind staying out of this?" McBurn asked with a frustrated sigh.
"Silence! This has nothing to do with you!" The Duke shouted as if McBurn were some common foot soldier and not an enforcer who could easily burn him to a crisp with a snap of his fingers.
McBurn looked like he wanted to do just that but refrained when Jusis shook his head at him.
"Don't," Jusis quietly told him, "We'll be leaving soon enough."
The enforcer backed down with only a quiet grumble as the Duke continued to angrily rant, unaware of what was transpiring in front of him.
"Have you no respect for the Albarea name? I will not stand for this selfish behavior, Jusis! You will do as I say and come down here right now so that you can atone for the shame you keep bringing upon our household!"
"Unfortunately, father, I will not be doing so," Jusis said, un-swayed by the Duke's childish ranting, "I intend to walk my own path and know that my actions do not smear the name of Albarea as you would like to believe so." He smiled cynically. "But if it shall make you feel better, from this day forth you may consider me an Albarea no more. Thus you are no longer my father and hold no control over me, Duke Albarea."
Everyone couldn't help but stare at him in shock at his declaration.
"Jusis…" Toval murmured, knowing how much the other tried to live up to the Albarea name in order to make his mother and brother proud.
But the Duke was having none of that as he raged about like a wild boar. "What is this nonsensical drivel?! I always knew what a mistake it was to accept you into this family. Come forth Knights of Kreuzen! Capture those who dare to defy your duke!"
Upon his command, a squadron of three soldats arrived on scene. Two of them were familiar units that had been seen since the war began with the occupation of the capital. But one of them was a new model with added bulk to its interior and frame to increase its overall power in favor of sacrificing speed and agility.
"And here comes trouble," Celine sighed, shaking her head as if she should've expected something like this to happen.
"Those must be the soldats from Aurochs Fort," Laura said.
Fie warily eyed the unfamiliar soldat. "I don't recognize that big one."
"It must be a new model," Millium nervously remarked.
The plates on the new model soldat's shoulders opened to reveal missile launchers that were prepared to fire at the group. McBurn clicked his tongue in distaste as a flame appeared in his hand. He prepared to throw it at the soldat as retribution only to stop at the sound of gunfire.
"Not on my watch!"
Bullets struck the soldat, startling everyone at the suddenness of it all. However, the familiarity of the voice had those of the traveling group looking around hopefully.
"It couldn't be…" Rean murmured under his breath as he looked for the source of the voice.
Toval grinned in relief. "Finally."
Purple lighting struck the soldats, temporarily stunning them. Then out of the nearby hillside, Sara appeared, jumping up high into the air as she shot her orbal gun at the soldats' joints to temporarily halt their motion as well.
McBurn chuckled as the flame disappeared from his hand. "So that's the Purple Lightning huh?" He grinned viciously. "Nice."
Jusis pinned him with a look, knowing exactly what the battle manic wanted to do. "Don't even think about it."
McBurn sighed but conceded once again. "Buzzkill."
Sara landed on the ground of the clearing everyone was gathered in and wiped imaginary sweat off her brow. "Whew! Looks like I was right to hurry. I wasn't expecting to find you all like this."
"Instructor Sara!" Emma happily exclaimed.
Sara looked over her shoulder to shoot them a grin. "Sorry for the wait. But don't you worry your pretty little heads none. Now that I'm here, I won't let anyone lay a finger on you. How could I call myself your teacher if I did."
Millium whooped and threw her fist into the air with Lammy copying her motion with a chirp. "Aw yeah! Nice timing teach!"
"Nice of you to finally join us, Sara," Fie said.
Laura looked to Toval in question. "Was this your doing?"
Toval nodded. "Yup. Soon as we left Legram, I reached out to her to stop by just in case things got a little hairy which, by the way," he shot her a teasing grin, "Cutting it a little close aren't we?"
Sara deadpanned. "Oh give me a break. I was halfway between Heimdallr and Roer when you called me." She shook her head and smiled gratefully at him. "Anyways, thanks for taking good care of my kids for me."
"Aw shucks, it was nothing," he said, waving in joking bashfulness at her, "If anything, they're now more my kids than yours."
She chuckled. "Now them's fightin' words! But we can hash that out later," she said as she returned her attention to the immediate threat of the society members now that the soldats were temporarily incapacitated, "Let's get you kids outta here first."
Emma looked pointedly at Rean. "Rean…"
He nodded. "On it." He raised a hand into the air as a mystical blue light appeared around him. "Valimar, the Ashen Knight!" He called out in summons.
Within moments, Valimar appeared, landing with a heavy thud behind Rean and the others.
"C'mon! We should make our escape now," Celine shouted, "Emma, help me out!"
Emma and Celine rushed over to Valimar and summoned the power of the spirit veins as a teleportation circle appeared underneath them. The others went to join but Rean lingered, looking back at Jusis who didn't move to follow.
"But what about-" Rean began to say.
Sara turned to see what had Rean hesitating and frowned. Then she sighed and looked at Jusis in understanding. "So you've made your decision then."
Jusis nodded. "Yes. I…apologize."
She shook her head and smiled wistfully. "Don't. As long as you're making the choice with your own free will, I'll always support you no matter what."
He was surprised by how easily she accepted his decision and smiled gratefully. "Thank you Sara, for everything."
"Yo Jusis! You coming or what?" McBurn called out.
Jusis turned to see McBurn and Duvalie had summoned their own teleportation circles. "Right," he said as he went to join them.
"Wait!" Rean cried out.
Jusis turned to see Rean still had yet to join the others, a hand half raised to reach out to him in offer. "Please, Jusis, come with us," Rean pleaded.
Jusis bit his lip as emotions threatened to well up within him. He turned away with his back to Rean so as to prevent his resolve from shaking. "I'm sorry, Rean. Farewell and may the next time we see each other not be on opposite sides of the war."
Rean could only watch helplessly as Jusis walked over to McBurn and Duvalie, never looking back the entire time.
"Rean, c'mon!" Fie shouted.
She grabbed hold of him and dragged him towards Valimar's teleportation circle, leaving him with the sight of Jusis vanishing from his still outstretched grasp before they disappeared as well.
XXXXXX
Jusis, McBurn, and Duvalie appeared in the helm of the Noble Alliance's flagship, the Pantagruel. Besides essential staff, the only other people present were Rufus and Duke Cayenne, both of whom were shocked to see Jusis with the society members.
Duvalie bowed courteously to them. "We have returned, Lord Rufus, Supreme Commander Cayenne."
"Welcome back!" Duke Cayenne said, easily getting over his shock to present a welcoming demeanor, "And I see we have an unexpected face among us."
"Jusis? Wha-" Rufus said before swiftly clearing his throat to regain composure. "How surprising it is to see you here."
"Hello brother," Jusis greeted before turning his attention to nod at Cayenne, "Duke Cayenne. I would like to make it clear that I am not here to join the Noble Alliance."
Rufus minutely deflated in relief while Cayenne raised an eyebrow at him in interest. "Oh? Then what pray tell is the reason in which you have boarded our prestigious airship?"
"I merely have business with Ouroboros and this was the first location they brought me to in order to begin conducting it," Jusis carefully responded.
Whatever relief Rufus felt immediately dissipated as he frowned at his brother with transparent concern on his usually well-placed mask.
Cayenne eyed Jusis calculatingly in a manner that sent a shiver down his spine. "I see. Well then," Cayenne said as the calculating look was switched in favor for a jovial expression in such a swift manner that could give one whiplash, "Even if you will not join us, that does not mean we shall not treat you with the utmost respect and hospitality. Rufus!"
"Yes, sir?" Rufus said, stepping forward.
"Please see to it that your brother is shown to one of the vacant quarters. He may rest there until his business is conducted," Cayenne ordered.
Rufus nodded. "Of course, sir."
Jusis bowed his head. "Many thanks, Duke Cayenne."
Cayenne waved his gratitude away dismissively. "It's the least we could do. We're not commoners after all." Then he smiled cryptically. "And who knows, you may find yourself changing your mind later on."
XXXXXX
Meanwhile, the traveling group returned to the valley in Ymir with many mixed feelings over the events that had occured.
"Well, we're back," Rean sighed, whether from relief or disappointment was unclear.
The others eyed him in concern. Sara clapped to get their attention and stop Rean from possibly spiraling into a depressive funk. "Alrighty then, what say we head on down to the town proper?"
"That would be highly recommended," Celine agreed, "We need to let Valimar rest after all."
"Right…" Rean said.
The group traveled the short path through the valley and entered Ymir where the rest of Class VII, the Schwazers, Claire, Sharon, and Kurt went over to greet them.
"Welcome home, Rean!" Elise said.
Kurt nodded. "Welcome back, everyone."
"We're back," Rean said with a strained smile.
Lucia smiled at her son. "I see you were able to find the rest of your classmates, Rean." Then she looked at him in concern. "But it seems as if one of them is still missing."
Gaius frowned as he scanned the traveling group. "You picked up Emma and Laura so then the one missing is…"
Rean nodded. "Yeah, it's Jusis."
"Oh no! Did something happen?" Elliot asked in concern.
Rean explained everything that occurred in Bareahard and how it tied into what happened while they were in the Highlands and Garrelia for those unaware.
Sharon sighed once he finished. "I expected something like this to happen. How could it not given the circumstances?"
"Sharon?" Alisa asked tentatively.
She shook her head. "I will tell you later, my lady. In fact, I believe it is high time I tell the rest of you all in Class VII as well."
"Does it have something to do with your connection to Bleublanc?" Millium knowingly asked.
Sharon smiled at Millium in answer and the blue haired girl nodded in acceptance.
Machias eyed the two before shaking his head and returning to the matter at hand. "That aside, what in the world could that idiot be thinking?"
"Probably a great deal of things, so you shouldn't be too hard on him, Machias," Emma said, placing a hand on his shoulder in gentle reminder.
Machias sighed. "I know, especially with the way the war's been going. I guess he just found his own answer even if it apparently doesn't include us."
Emma shook her head. "I think he made his decision because he's trying to protect us. Out of everyone here, Millium's the only one with a clear allegiance to one of the factions. The rest of us either don't or are only connected because of our families and now because of our own choices."
Laura nodded in agreement to her logic. "And then you have Jusis who is a son of a commoner and one of the Four Great Houses, a member of the class created by Prince Olivert himself, and a former enforcer of Ouroboros," she added.
Gauis shook his head mournfully with a sigh. "It's a wonder how he was even able to come to a decision at all."
"I think he was only able to because of the promise of information from the Grandmaster of the society," Fie said.
"Indeed," Claire agreed solemnly, "Who knows what sort of information he could learn and how that could change the course of the war and its aftermath."
"It'd be real great if he ended up sharing that with us but I have a feeling whatever he learns, he's going to want to carry the burden of it by himself," Sara knowingly remarked.
Toval smiled wryly. "That sounds about right."
Alisa frowned when she saw how much of a kicked puppy Rean looked right now. "Well whatever happens, it won't matter because no matter what Jusis says, he's still a part of Class VII and he's not allowed to go off on his own for the sake of our protection!"
Rean looked at her in confusion. "Alisa?"
She scowled at him in frustration. "Don't look at me like that, Rean. Are you seriously just going to let him go like that? After all that effort to look for him, you're just going to let one duel stop you from chasing after him?" She shook her head in disappointment. "At this rate, you're never even going to get Crow back if you keep up that attitude."
He frowned, feeling a little hurt by her words despite the truth to them. "That's-"
"She's right, Rean," Gaius calmly agreed, ever the voice of reason, "You traveled far and wide to reunite with us just as we fought each day to make sure we would get the chance to see each other again. You can't allow something like this to stop you."
"Yeah," Fie chimed in, "We just gotta come up with a solid plan that self sacrificing blockhead can't weasel his way out of with a fight."
"So turn that frown upside down, Reanie!" Millium cheerfully encouraged, "It doesn't suit our fearless leader at all!"
The others of Class VII nodded and smiled in agreement.
Rean looked at them all in surprise, feeling a touch overwhelmed by their support. "Guys…" Then he smiled at them. "Thanks, everyone."
"There is no need for that," Laura said, shaking her head, "We were simply reminding you of the resolve you carried when you went to search for us."
"Don't forget you can rely on us, Rean!" Elliot said.
"Exactly. It's our job as your friends to snap you out of whatever funk you start spiraling into," Machias added.
Rean chuckled and smiled. "Alright, I get it. You're right. We'll come up with a plan and get our last two members back with us no matter what!"
Sara cooed at them. "Awww, look at you all. You've really matured since I last saw you."
Fie snorted. "Yeah, no thanks to you. Can we have Toval be our instructor when we go back to school? He's way cooler than you."
"Hey!" Sara cried out indignantly.
Toval laughed. "I'd be honored if it weren't for the fact that I'm pants at teaching anything that isn't about orbal arts and combat."
"I have a feeling you'd be better than you think, Toval," Claire said, smiling slyly at Sara, "Especially in comparison to Sara."
"When did this become bully the instructor hour?" Sara whined petulantly.
Teo chuckled. "It certainly has gotten more lively around here."
"Yeah," Rean agreed, "You're looking a lot better, dad. I'm glad."
"I'm still a ways from being back to my old self but I'm slowly getting there," Teo said, "It also helps that Sharon, Claire, and your classmates have been kindly lending a helping hand in the day to day of the village which means I can focus on my health."
"We're not doing anything special, really," Claire denied somewhat bashfully.
Sharon smiled in agreement. "Indeed. We're merely glad you are recovering well."
Elliot, Machias, Gaius, and Alisa all nodded and voiced their agreement to the two women's sentiments.
"Regardless, you've all done so much for us that I don't even know where to begin thanking you," Lucia said, "And Rean, even though you may have fallen short in the end, I want you to know we're all so proud of what you've accomplished. It most certainly couldn't have been easy coming this far but you did. So hold your head up high."
"Thanks mom," Rean said, blushing slightly from her praise, "Though I wouldn't have been able to do it alone. It was only possible because everyone was with me every step of the way."
Alisa scoffed and pinned him with a look. "Of course. You're not getting away with carrying everything yourself that easily."
Teo laughed at the sight of his son sheepishly cowering under his best friend's glare. "Well I believe we've been standing out here long enough. You all need to rest in order to have clear minds when you discuss your next move."
"Kurt and I already stopped by the Phoenix Wings to have rooms prepared for everyone ahead of time," Elise chimed in.
Fie grinned at the prospect of a clean, soft bed and a trip to the hot springs. "Nice."
"Thank you!" Emma said, bowing her head gratefully.
Thus the travel group all left to recover from the exhaustion of the trip to Legram and Bareahard though not before agreeing to discuss what their next move was tomorrow afternoon.
But even with the encouragement of his friends and the comforting reassurance of his family, Rean couldn't help but allow the sweet taste of his commendable accomplishment to be marred with the bitterness of still falling short regardless.
And scene! We have now officially reached canon divergence territory, at least as far as the lore is concerned. The events of the war will play out in mostly the same order though not quite the same way especially when considering the lore that I've both come up with based on my own theories and played around with existing canon in order to get what y'all will see in the next chapter. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and my attempts to give all characters some sort of relevance. Until next time!