September 2, S.1205 - Thors Military Academy: Class II Homeroom

The hustle and bustle of school life continued on for young Rean Schwarzer. It had been about five months into his second year, long after the dissolution of Class VII. All of his classmates found what they wanted to do and it was he who encouraged them to pursue those goals as opposed to waiting for him to graduate.

Elliot went on to enroll in the Music Academy in Heimdallr.

Gaius went home to Nord to support his family.

Alisa worked her way up the Reinford Group to prove her worth to her mother.

Laura traveled with her father to train and fully master the Arseid style.

Jusis took up the mantle as acting duke for House Albarea following his father's arrest.

Machias joined a political academy in Heimdallr.

Fie decided to become a bracer and Sara returned to the guild with her.

And Emma continued to look for Vita Clotilde, her sister.

The only one Rean managed to keep in contact with during this time was Millium, as they were often sent on specific missions granted to them by the chancellor. If it wasn't with her, it was with Altina instead.

It got lonely.

With Class VII effectively gone, his class placement became much trickier. He had friends within various social classes (or at least knew them amicably) that he didn't really mind where he ended up. Technically being of commoner blood, he should have been placed within Class III, IV, or V. However, thanks to his true heritage being mostly a mystery to everyone, it was decided he'd go into Class II, meant for lower-ranked nobles.

He had been asked if he wanted to join Class I as his status as the Ashen Chevalier could have warranted that privilege, but he declined immediately. It wasn't that he would've minded joining the class. Over the months, he had become rather close with Patrick and he and Ferris got along well enough. It wasn't the people that made him decline. He just hated receiving special treatment especially when it concerned that Aidios-forsaken title.

While it hadn't been a major issue keeping up with the curriculum, with the accelerated courses he took last year being the prime reason, his attendance had been in shambles. Mission after mission made him miss so many classes that Heinrich felt the need to give him the stink-eye with a lecture every time he spotted him on campus.

Ever since his return from Crossbell, everything felt like it was moving too fast. Only one last free day before the end of their first year, the departure of all his closest friends he made at Thors, and the mental beatdown of having to carry out the government's orders at the drop of a hat. Not to also mention that he never got the chance to explain himself to Juna. Uncle Matthew must have been beside himself once he found out he left before he could do so.

And now? Well, now he was wasting away at a homeroom meeting with his class on a most important discussion that could very well determine the fate of their future.

"So everyone," Bridget greeted at the front of the room. "We need to pool our ideas together or else we'll never get this done. What are we doing for the school festival this year?"

A student raised his hand. "Why not try to replicate our Stella Garden idea from last year and make some improvements? It was a hit last time, so it could work!"

"As if we can do the same idea two years in a row!" A female student scoffed. "We must do something that'll truly wow the crowd!"

They were truly the greatest innovators of their time.

"Agreed," Bridget added. "It wouldn't help the first years if they just ended up copying our old idea."

"Why not a maid café?" That caught Rean's attention. "I've heard those are incredibly popular in the capital. The girls could wear maid outfits while the guys will be dressed as butlers. Anyone else can go as whatever they want so long as it fits the theme."

"I'm not sure if I like the idea of serving customers. Especially commoners." A haughty voice replied. Some nobles never changed even after that disaster of a civil war.

"Now, now. The point of the festival is to be open-minded and challenge ourselves." Rean had to hand it to Bridget. Having to deal with the snooty nobility with a commoner boyfriend must have been a tough job for the class president. "The maid café will go on the list, but it doesn't seem as popular."

After listening to the incessant back and forth of his classmates, Rean finally decided to raise his hand.

"Do you have any thoughts, Rean?" Bridget called.

"Yeah, a few." Rean held out his index finger. "First, do we really need to worry so much about this? We're second-years. We shouldn't be playing much of a part for the school festival."

Kenneth was the one to reply. "I believe it may have to do with the major restructuring Thors will undergo after this year. They'll be pushing more militaristic sensibilities going forward so they want us all to participate in the last school festival for the foreseeable future."

Bridget nodded. "That's correct. You may have been absent that day they announced it, so you must've missed it. While it's true we're mainly playing support like the second-years mostly do, we're still encouraged to put on our own events before the new school year."

Rean heard another student scoff. "Figures that the Ashen Chevalier is too busy to concern himself with our lowly academic affairs. Why don't you go to your dear chancellor if you can't bring yourself to care?"

...Rean figured he wouldn't be the most popular guy around—especially with the nobility—due to his newfound proximity with the chancellor and the government, but that didn't make him want to slug them in the face any less.

"For shame!" A pompous voice bellowed. "You'd treat the hero of the civil war with such disdain when it was he who put an end to it? Did you forget who led the charge for our magnificent academy to save the Imperial family and retake the capital?"

"Margarita's right!" Bridget chimed in. "And most of all, he's our classmate now. Don't blame him for things beyond his control."

The student clicked his tongue in annoyance and huffed.

While he appreciated the words of defense, with the larger class size, it was even more embarrassing to be the center of attention. Rean decided to ignore the noble all together.

"Well, with my first question out of the way," Rean glared at the other student, "I think I might have a few ideas. How about a musical?"

"A… musical?"

"It's kinda similar to the operetta Class I did last year, but with a bigger focus on the music. The actors will break out into song at certain points of the story to basically explain the plot at that certain point. It might be fun."

In all honesty, he just wanted to do something similar to the concert he did with his classmates.

"That doesn't sound too bad. It would save us the trouble of setting up an actual attraction."

"I've heard that musicals are all the rage back in Crossbell. Even the Heimdallr Opera House has been hosting them from time to time."

"And it beats serving food. I can't imagine any of us aside from Bridget being that good at cooking."

"Yeah, probably a good idea we don't do that maid café thing. Can't imagine giving people Margarita's dishes."

"Excuse you! The delicacies I create for my darling Vincent are second to none!"

Rean chuckled nervously. He didn't think his idea would get as much traction as it did. He found it difficult to be excited for the festival this year without his friends with him, but he was at least glad he won't be dead weight in terms of ideas.

"So what's our story subject going to be?"

"What about the War of the Lions? Can't go wrong with that."

"Then we're totally just copying Class I from last year!"

"Oh please, who in their right minds actually thinks reenacting the War of the Lions is original? Anyone associated with Thors would eat it up. It's like some weird fanbase or something…"

"You really didn't have to put it like that, you know…"

"Maybe instead of just the war, we can do it about his entire life instead."

"Ooh, ooh! I call Roland! See, he dies halfway through, so I don't need to go through the whole thing!"

"...I don't think that's something you should say out loud."

Rean would be satisfied with playing an extra or a stage hand. As much as it felt like he was always the center of attention in Class VII, it never felt right to him. He didn't mind taking the lead role with his friends, but he preferred supporting their actions more.

Maybe he'll finally have his time here.


September 9, S.1205 - Thors Military Academy Main Building

Rean stared at the bulletin board, his mouth agape.

By his side was Alan, who sipped the remnants of his drink out of his paper cup, only leaving the ice cubes behind. The loud slurping noises were all that could be heard.

"So… You're playing Dreichels, huh?" Alan asked, almost unsurprised at the lowly amount of luck Rean possessed.

"Of course, I am." Rean facepalmed. "Because why wouldn't I be?"

"Someone seriously has it out for you, man. I hope you didn't piss off the Goddess when we weren't looking."

"Knowing me, I probably did."

"And from the looks of it, your understudy would have a field day if you end up not going through with it."

"Would he ever. He'd definitely rub it in my face until graduation."

"Hate to say it, but sucks to be you, dude."

Rean sighed. At this rate, he might be smited by the fury of the Goddess before he even graduated.

"And Instructor Mary is the one writing all the songs? Shouldn't you guys be in charge of that?"

"Once she heard that we were doing a musical, she basically forced herself into our production. Well, technically, Bridget's going to be the lyricist and Instructor Mary's the one writing the actual music, but she's handling much of the heavy lifting. They're gonna ask for our input to make sure they fit our respective characters."

"And since you're playing lead, you're most likely gonna have the most songs to sing, huh."

"...Dammit, I was set up from the start."

"People really liked your performance last year, Rean. No wonder they'd give you center stage."

"Oh, come on. We all know Emma carried me."

"Not from where I was watching. I can still see the girls swooning." His eyes narrowed. "Almost too vividly."

"...A most irritating sight, if you ask me."

They both turned to the newcomer.

"Oh hey, Patrick." Alan greeted. "You see the big news?"

"That Class II is concocting a pale imitation of Class I's excellent operetta from last year? Of course, I did."

"Oh please, we all know you were raving about Class VII's concert just as much as anyone else."

"Perish the thought." Patrick scoffed, crossing his arms. "Though, the image of Schwarzer fumbling his lines in front of a live audience does have me amused. Consider me for front row seats."

"Ha! I think I'll join you there!" Alan cackled.

"...When did you two become such good friends?"

The two fencing club members exchanged a glance. "Guess it just sorta happened after all the sparring we did."

"I believe that to be the case, yes. I'm sure you would know all about that with all your sparring matches with Arseid and Albarea."

"Yeah, except, you know, with less sexual tension."

"Much less."

"...I don't know how to respond to that."


September 15, S.1205 - Music Room

"Uhhhh, Instructor Mary?"

"Yes, Rean~?"

"This song seems… pretty unique."

"Ah yes!" Mary clapped her hands together in such a giddy manner that she resembled a child that was just served their favorite meal. "You see, I've been following the recent trends in music and when I heard this specific genre, I knew I had to incorporate it into the musical."

Rean scanned the sheet again. "There's a lot of consonance but the lyrics don't seem to… flow? The rhyming pattern seems a bit too close together than what I'm used to."

"That's what I thought too, but Mint showed me all sorts of examples. Think of it more like rhythmic, stylized speaking rather than actual singing. If you read it to the rhythm, the rhyming comes naturally. It blew me away at how intricate the art form is! Almost as much as that heaving metal I demonstrated last year."

"Heavy metal, Instructor."

Mary snapped in realization. "Yes, that. Heavy metal. Almost forgot. That aside, Elliot has even recommended a few albums to give me inspiration. He was so excited but disappointed that he couldn't see you perform!"

Oh thank Aidios, he got one blessing at least.

"So Elliot gave you ideas, huh…?" That kid was truly going places if he's branching this far from his usual expertise in music.

"Do you not like it, Rean…?"

Oh no, he could hear the waterworks already coming. Instructor Mary was much more timid and soft-spoken compared to the other instructors at Thors. If you were ever to make her cry, you'd be at the ire of all the boys throughout campus.

"No, that's not it! I just… never sang something like this before. I'll have to practice a lot more than what I did at the concert."

Her eyes immediately lit back up.

"Excellent! If you need any guidance or tips, be sure to contact me! I want to make this the best production this academy has ever seen!"

Mary stormed out of the room, leaving a dust cloud in her wake. Where she was going, Rean had no idea, but perhaps it was for the best that he didn't know. She had been the most excited out of any of them for this particular project and he wasn't about to rob her of that joy.

He skimmed through the lyrics again.

"Okay, so first things first. How the hell am I supposed to rap?"

...Part of him was ecstatic that Juna wasn't coming this year.


September 22, S.1205 - Auditorium

It took him far too long to get used to a curriculum without field studies. After every free day, there would be one waiting in the wings just the week after.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. The missions issued to him by the government sometimes felt like a field study, albeit not nearly as exciting. It was usually just himself and maybe Altina and Lechter would come along for the ride. Millium joined on occasion, but she had been busying herself bothering Jusis during his time off from paperwork.

It just wasn't the same though. Without his friends to solve any problems nor without someone to share that experience with every month through letters, it became increasingly difficult to adjust.

It wasn't all that bad though. Time away from his old classmates gave him a better opportunity to get to know his other schoolmates better.

Ferris's family apparently was a major contributor to Riviera Court, a shopping center in Ordis that's popular among the nobility.

Mint was an extremely talented engineer even though her clumsy habits caused her to be mightily accident-prone. Valimar took quite the liking towards her though.

Colette had a dream to start up her own boutique one day with the cutest clothes imaginable. Rean truly believed she would if she could stop spending away her savings.

And color him surprised when he found out that Rex was capable of taking tasteful pictures of girls. Seemed like that one he took of Laura and Monica wasn't just a fluke after all.

Over time, they all became invaluable friends that he could rely on. But that didn't stop them from keeling over when they heard him during one of his solo practice sessions.

"*snicker* You certainly produce a… *snicker* unique sound, Rean." Ferris covered her giggles in.

"Yeah! It's… not bad?" Colette awkwardly coughed into a closed fist.

"Oh man, I can't wait to get the camera ready!" Rex cackled. "This festival is going to be legendary!"

"Wow, Rean! You sound terrible!" Mint exclaimed.

Rean sighed.

"Give me a break, guys. I've only been practicing for a week."

After listening to multiple examples since his conversation with Instructor Mary, Rean had to admit that rap had been a different yet still enjoyable musical genre. Some had been pretty incomprehensible, but others had a really nice flow to them that it kept him entertained. The key, it seemed, was to be able to speak fast enough along with the tune to keep the lyrics going. Much easier said than done.

"So what was this production called again?" Ferris asked. "I've heard you made it a little different from how we performed our operetta."

"We're just calling it Dreichels since it'll be less about the war and more about his life story." Rean explained. "We got some fantastic writers behind the script, so I don't think the play portion will be bad, at least."

"Will the music only be the one genre?" Colette chimed in. "No offense Rean, but…"

"Say no more, I get it. I suck." Rean ran a hand through his hair. "No, this is just the opening number. We're getting a healthy mix of all genres since Instructor Mary insisted. Bridget's helping her out on that end."

"Oh yeah, what's Bridgey doing?" He almost forgot Mint gave her a nickname. "She's pretty much running the whole show, right?"

"Yup. She's been working with Instructor Mary for the compositions, the writing team for the script, and giving directions for the cast members. She's even playing the role of St. Lianne Sandlot too. I'm kinda worried that she's overworking herself."

"Oh yeah, I've been watching her working out the kinks." They all glared at Rex. "F-For documentation purposes, I swear!"

"Well, it can't be too bad." Colette reassured Rean, patting him on the back. "I'm sure Bridget knows what she's doing, so just do the best you can on your end!"

"Colly's right!" Mint beamed. "Just keep on practicing and you'll be a master in no time! Look at me! I'm basically the best flute player in the Wind Orchestra and can run circles with Panzer Soldat maintenance now!"

"...Mint, didn't you just ask us the correct way of holding a flute, like, an hour ago?" Rex arched a brow.

"And I'm pretty sure Valimar had to catch you when you fell off the Drakkhen." Rean deadpanned. "Multiple times."

"Baby steps."


October 21, S.1205 - Hangar

"And that should be everything!" Rean plopped into the hangar, dragging his feet and letting out a sigh of relief.

It was Friday, the last day of festival preparation before the opening ceremony. That also meant the last day of rehearsal. Thankfully, Bridget wasn't nearly as demanding as Military Commander Elliot Craig and supporting officer Crow Armbrust were as a director. Planning everything much sooner definitely helped ease him into practice this past month.

As for why he was in the hangar…

"Ah, hello Rean." His giant friend greeted. "How did your practice go?"

"Well enough. I think we finally managed to harmonize well. It's rare for a musical to have a solo singer, so being able to play off each other is key for every song."

"I see. From what you told me, you're experimenting with a relatively new genre for the opening performance. You are also portraying the role of Emperor Dreichels from his prince days. Am I correct?" If Valimar could tilt his head in curiosity, Rean was sure he would have.

"Yup. I don't think it's particularly popular with the nobility or in the capital, but Instructor Mary is really into it. I can certainly see the appeal to a more modern audience."

"Hmmm…"

"Is something wrong, Valimar?"

"Nothing to be particularly worried about, I assure you. I just find the entire scenario… amusing."

"Oh? Amusing how?"

It was rare for Valimar to find anything funny. Not that he was a stick in the mud, but he quite literally lacked a sense of humor. The leaps and bounds of his speech patterns progressed astonished him and became even more astounding as time went on with the development of his personality. With the absence of his friends, Rean found himself having these conversations with the Divine Knight more and more often.

"My memory banks are still rather clouded, but I recall Dreichels being rather… I believe the term is 'tone-deaf'? While he appreciated the arts, he himself was not skilled enough to participate in them."

"...Huh. You know, Valimar? Every time you talk about the Lionheart Emperor, it's like we can add some weird fact about him in our textbooks."

"I apologize. It appears that I've ruined the image of my previous Awakener in your eyes."

Rean waved his hands. "No, no! It's not a bad thing. It's just… easy to forget the man was still human underneath all his accomplishments. He had likes and dislikes. He was skilled in some areas while lacking competency in others. We all know him as 'The Father of the Renaissance' who led Erebonia to a new age, but he must've had a lot of the same struggles and insecurities as the rest of us. Deep down, Emperor Dreichels was just another person."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand. Perhaps the human saying 'misery likes company' is the proper verbiage?"

"Not… exactly. Well, maybe? It's more like… he becomes more relatable. When you know someone as great as him has a point of commonality with you, it feels like you can overcome it just like he did. Like you can accomplish something great despite your struggles." Rean scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Maybe not as great as uniting the entire country, but you get what I mean."

"Hmm, I see." Valimar paused. "On the night we liberated this town, I said that you and Dreichels were very different people. I still believe that to be true, but I find that you two are also quite similar aside from your paths during your respective civil wars."

Rean looked at the Divine Knight quizzically. His confusion could be heard for countless arge. "Why do you say that?"

"I cannot confirm anything for certain, as I have yet to regain any proper memories. However, I recall that Prince Dreichels doubted himself many times before. And he continued to doubt himself well beyond establishing himself as a leader."

Rean clutched his chest, but he kept listening.

"While doubt may seem like a weakness to others, he used his doubt to fuel his determination towards his goals. You and he are not that different in that regard, Rean."

Rean felt like laughing. Use his doubt to fuel him? All he had done was doubt himself and look where that got him. He sat by Valimar's feet and curled his knees into his chest.

"I appreciate the thought, Valimar, but I find that hard to believe." He hadn't planned on having a heart-to-heart with the Ashen Knight when he first came in here. It was strange, receiving human advice from who was effectively a sentient machine, but it still felt comforting even if the words felt too incredible to be true.

"That is fine. However, after observing your growth, I believe that my words have a modicum of truth behind them; as does yours. You may not see the results of your actions now or in the near future, but there will come a time where your doubt will bear fruit."

Rean lightly stroked his cheek.

Her voice still rang in his mind.

"I… I never want to see you again."

It had been eight months since then. The pain still lingered.

"...I hope so, Valimar."


October 23, S.1205 - First Day of the Festival

As he made his rounds around campus, Rean's eyes glazed over the various stands and attractions. Due to the requirement for each class to present their own specific event, the multitude of available activities rose exponentially in comparison to last year's festival.

Food and refreshment stands were the most common. Hot dogs, sandwiches, funnel cakes; Anything you easily eat with your hands for on-the-go consumption. Becky and Hugo were also at it again with their competitive rivalry to see who can man the more successful stand. It warmed his heart to see that those two would never change.

Unlike last year, the student council had a surplus of members. He could only surmise it was due to Towa's excellent leadership during the civil war that inspired more students to apply. As a result, Rean didn't have to concern himself with helping out with any requests or be on the lookout for any major issues.

He could just enjoy the festival at his leisure as the performance wasn't until tomorrow and he couldn't have been any more bored.

He was handed tickets by the current student council president earlier that morning, possibly out of respect for Towa, but he had nothing to use them on. It wasn't that any of them weren't appealing or up to snuff to the standards of last year's, but none felt enjoyable enough to participate in alone.

Rean slunk down in defeat and decided to sit back on a nearby bench.

He took out the tickets from his pocket and stared at them, not focusing on any detail in particular. Just a lazy glare from him, cursing the president for forcing him to have fun like Towa did a year ago.

Three tickets. Half as many as he got last year with twice as many attractions to check out, none of which he really wanted to see by his lonesome.

He stuck the tickets back into his pocket, almost a bit too aggressively. He wiggled his finger inside ever so slightly to make sure he didn't rip any of them.

He laid even farther back, sticking out his legs into the air and his head resting on the top of the bench. Unfortunately, that placed his line of vision directly upwards into the sky, but he had no problems shielding his eyes from the sun's rays with his arm.

If anyone saw him right now, they'd be absolutely appalled that the great Ashen Chevalier would rather nap on a bench in the middle of the day than do literally anything else. He had to thank Fie for that one though. Sleeping under the sun on a bench felt divine right about now.

But, to his dismay, he couldn't exactly afford that. He had plans.

Rean straightened himself out, stretching his legs a little more before gently setting them on the stone ground. He leaned a little forward before surveying his surroundings.

People from all over Heimdallr came to visit the festival. It had seemed that the turnout had been exponentially larger than last year's, most likely due to the role Thors played during the civil war. Everyone loves an underdog story, and what could be more of an underdog than a bunch of students who defied the Noble Alliance and put an end to the civil war?

Though, if he was being more realistic, they were probably there for him but stayed for the festivities.

The Ashen Chevalier, the young hero who helped reclaim the capital and pilot of the legendary Ashen Knight.

But as far as he was concerned, Rean was no hero. Just a lost soul who betrayed the trust of his best friend and never had the chance to make it up to her.

...In case he hadn't made it clear, he hated that damn title.

And with the current conflict with North Ambria intensifying, he could probably expect to be put on the frontlines soon enough.

He was getting off track.

Rean kept looking back and forth, trying to catch a single glimpse of his intended targets. Nowhere to be found.

"Where are they…?" Rean groaned.

Those plans he mentioned earlier? Elise and Princess Alfin called him ahead of time to notify him of their arrival to the festival. He tried insisting that they didn't have to - they were already putting aside time in their busy schedule to do so - but they demanded they spend the festival with him.

After five more minutes of not being able to catch so much of a silhouette of either girl, Rean decided to head off to a different location. Maybe he can grab a bite to eat from one of the stands.

"Whoa, look at that!"

"S-She's incredible!"

"She's not cheating, is she?! That's insane!"

Rean turned his head around toward the noisy commentators. A large group of people circled around something he couldn't quite make out. Was there some sort of event going on?

He didn't have any obligations to go and look, but he had to admit that his curiosity was eating at him. What could possibly garner such a large crowd?

Rean waded through the herd of on-lookers to find a peculiar set up. A table he was pretty sure wasn't there when he first arrived, two people sitting on both ends, and cards spread out throughout the table. The positions weren't random though, as they were far more organized than whenever he'd play Blade with his friends.

On one side, a young student clutched his head as if he was in physical pain and almost keeled over onto the table. His cards were scattered throughout the table, indicating that he had thrown them in frustration or dropped them in shock.

"N-No way! I lost?! And to a beginner no less?!"

On the other end was a young girl no older than his sister. She giggled at her victory as she gathered up her neatly placed cards into her deck box.

"Looks like it's my victory again. Thank you for introducing me to such a wonderful game!"

The student groaned, but quickly composed himself. "You're incredible. Are you sure this is your first time playing Vantage Masters?"

The girl nodded. "It sure was. I just have a knack for games and the like. My parents taught me everything I know."

"I see!" The student laughed, now with a merry expression on his visage. "Looks like the little lady has all sorts of hidden talents. Well, I lost. So as per our wager, you get one ticket to the festival."

"Thank you very much!"

The two exchanged their farewells and the crowd began to disperse. It seemed like the two were playing some new card game that had started to garner some attention. Otherwise, he wouldn't have imagined that anything else would accumulate such an audience.

Rean felt somewhat jealous, seeing as how he couldn't get a full group to play Daifugo and could barely get Altina to even play Blade with him. Seemed like Crow's magnum opus was on its way out.

"Oh?"

Rean broke out of his stupor, noticing that the girl from earlier had been looking curiously in his direction.

Now that she was facing him, he was able to get a better look. He wasn't able to grasp much of her appearance outside of her petite voice, but now he noticed some rather striking features. First was the fact that the girl was wearing a uniform from St. Astraia. A black dress with a white collar overlayed near the neck area. He wouldn't mistake the outfit anywhere. She even had the optional beret on top that completed the look.

But the most notable feature of hers was the long mint-green hair she sported.

"Sorry, I must be in your way," Rean replied. "Excuse me."

The girl shook her head with a bright smile forming on her lips. "Not at all. In fact, I think you might be able to help me out."

"Me? I'm not sure what I can do specifically, but I don't mind."

The girl joyously clapped her hands together. "You'll help me?! Thank you so much!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"You see, I have two friends that were going to come with me today, but they told me to go on ahead. Since I was so occupied with that game earlier, I haven't had the time to look for them."

"So you want me to help you find them? Okay, I can help with that. In fact, I've been looking for some friends of mine too, so we can help each other out."

"Of course!" The girl skipped up to him with a spring in her step and took hold of one of Rean's arms. She held it close to her person as if she were embracing a precious stuffed animal. "Wow, truly an honor to be escorted by the Rean Schwarzer!"

"H-Hey!" He felt a soft sensation in his arm, but he thought it best not think about it too much. Lest he wanted to suffer the ire of the male students' glares. Again.

"Come on, let's go!" The girl said excitedly, pulling him along by his arm.

ba-dum

"W-Wait! Hold on! I don't even know your name!"

"Oh! How rude of me!"

The girl let go of his arm and transitioned into a graceful twirl. With a wink and a slight curtsy, she introduced herself.

"I am Musse Egret." Her expression shifted to a devilish smirk. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Rean Schwarzer~ ❤."

Ba-dum


"So these friends you're looking for. Are they from St. Astraia as well?" Rean asked, taking a small sip of tea.

"That's right." Musse mirrored Rean's action but added onto it by taking a bite out of her confectionery. "As I said earlier, we were intending to come together but some last-minute issues arose that they had to attend to. They still plan to come later today, but I lost track of time after checking out a few of the events on display. Do you know anyone from St. Astraia, Rean?"

Rean's eyes narrowed, a little surprised that the girl was already being friendly with him, but quickly brushed it off.

"Just a few. I probably know more people who declined to go to the girls' school than those who actually attend."

"I see," Musse leered at him. "Such a shame though. Seems like I can't be spared the honor of being your first."

"...Excuse me?"

"Oh, never mind the woes of a young maiden, Rean." She bounced back quickly. "I want to hear from you!"

"M-me?"

"Of course! Most of the country already knows about the Ashen Chevalier and his heroic deeds, but what about the man underneath? That's the person I'd like to talk to."

ba-dum

This was… new.

"I don't know why you'd find me that interesting. Aside from that, I'd like to think I'm just a normal guy."

"I concur! I find that the normalities of a person truly demonstrate their character more than the exorbitant amount of accomplishments they achieve. Actions may speak louder than words, but how many of those actions are forced upon us and create a false narrative?"

Musse finished the rest of her tea and the complimentary treats.

Rean gave her an incredulous look.

"...How old are you again?"

The mint-haired girl giggled. "You think too much about these things!" She jolted out of her seat to his side and grabbed his arm. "Come on, we have to check out the other events!"

"Wait, hold on!" Before he could process what was happening, Rean was already pulled out of his seat and dragged to their next destination. "W-What happened to looking for your friends?"

"Oh, I'm sure they can wait!" Musse replied with a cheery disposition. She left a festival ticket behind as payment and went on her merry way.

Ba-dum


Rean had to admit that he was impressed by the sheer variety of events compared to last year.

Before beginning their journey of finding Musse's friends, they had stopped by Class IV's cosplay café that had a bit of a different atmosphere than the original maid café idea his class had earlier. The students were all in different sorts of costumes, whether they were superheroes from their favorite comics or just outfits they'd normally never wear to a regular outing. They all looked like they were having fun, and he was sure that Vivi and Colette had the time of their lives designing everything.

Their next stop took them to the field. Last year, Rean recalled that the Riding Club transformed the entire area into a racecourse for guests to try riding horses for the first time. With recent construction, the field was heavily expanded to give Soldats ample room for training and mock battles. As a result, not only was the Riding Club captain Paula able to fit the racecourse but the other sports clubs were able to arrange their own activities in the same space.

The lacrosse team, headed by Ferris, taught the visitors how to play the game and headed friendly matches between the excited children eager to try. Many of the other sports clubs followed her lead and mainly made their festival activity about teaching others about their respective sport. The influx of new students this year also made way to introduce new clubs to the curriculum, so there were various foreign activities like soccer. But one in particular caught Musse's eye. One that Rean was not expecting.

"The sniping club? They're doing a prize challenge?"

"Mhm! My grandfather has taught me quite a bit about handling a rifle. This should be a cinch."

"...Normally, I'd be concerned if a girl your age knew how to use a gun, but I've seen stranger things."

"Teehee, don't you worry one bit." Musse placed a festival ticket onto the counter and obtained one of the toy rifles from the student manning the stand. "A tad light for my liking, but it'll have to do."

The girl got into position and pointed the rifle ahead. From what Rean could glean on how the attraction worked, the participant had to use a toy rifle to knock over one of the prizes on display in the back within three shots. A simple enough premise.

However, it looked like her posture was rather… sloppy. Rean was no expert on firearms— especially not nearly as much as Machias, Fie, or Crow—but he could tell that the way Musse was positioning herself was far from ideal.

If it weren't for the huge dress in the way (and that Rean would get into major trouble if he ever considered such wrong thoughts), he would've assumed she was trying to seduce him more than focus on her aim.

"Annnnnnd there!" The rifle fired, releasing the projectile towards her target: a small teddy bear. The shot did hit its mark but just barely enough to tip over slightly; not the entire way. "Ah, darn. This is tougher than I anticipated."

"Here, let me help you." Rean approached her from behind, moving her arms to properly hold onto the rifle. He pushed and pulled on several areas of her body for a more effective posture, being sure not to touch anywhere inappropriate as he went along. He positioned her arms to aim at the teddy bear and held on tightly. "Try it like that."

"O-Okay…" Musse pulled the trigger, launching another projectile right at the plush toy. This time the shot was dead-on. It knocked the bear over without any effort. "I did it!"

Rean let out a small grin. "See? You're a natural."

"And to think, all it took for you to embrace me so tenderly in your arms was to fumble my first shot!"

"Yeah! You're amaz- wait, what?"

Musse gave him a sly grin as she pointed the rifle forward with a single hand. With a casual pull of the trigger, her last shot bounced around the stand. The poor student behind the counter cowered under the table in fear as the cork bullet felled a majority of the smaller prizes on display including plushies of Mishy and Kagemaru.

Ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum

"Hmm, not quite as many as I was aiming for, but not a bad haul if I do say so myself."

Rean stared at her, flabbergasted as she returned it with an innocent smile.

"Shall we continue?"


"I'm surprised. If you were that good to begin with, why not aim for the grand prize?"

"Oh, that giant thing? I doubt I'd be able to even take it back with me, let alone fitting it into my room." She sifted through her winnings again. "Plus, with all these smaller prizes, I can give them away to my friends if I end up with too much."

"That's oddly… practical of you."

"You've already managed to get a grasp on my personality?" Musse giggled. "See? We're already learning about each other!"

"I'm not sure if I'd put it that way."

"So what's next on the itinerary?" Musse placed her hand perpendicularly to her forehead as a makeshift visor, leaned forward, and squinted as she surveyed the surroundings. She didn't look too far from an on-field scout.

"Is it too much to ask if looking for your friends is off the table?" Rean asked, but she ignored him. He sighed at the lack of a response. "What about Gate of Avalon? Last year, they only hosted Blade, but now they're offering all sorts of games to play."

"Oh, no need. I've already been."

"Seriously?"

"Of course. Where did you think I got my excess festival tickets?"

"...They let you gamble your tickets in there?"

"It was either that or any snacks you had on hand. Money or personal belongings were strictly off the table."

"I'm… surprised the school let them do that. Limited capacity or no."

A sudden thought flashed through Musse's head as she finally realized something. "Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask. What does your class have planned, Rean?"

"Oh, us?" Rean scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. "Well, we're putting on a musical. It won't premiere until tomorrow though."

The sparkle in her lilac eyes shined even brighter. "Then consider me for front row seats! I can imagine it now: the gallant hero - played by you, of course - in the lead role as you valiantly save the day with the maiden by your side! Oh, how I envy the lucky lady who has the honor of doing so!"

Ba-da-da-dum ba-da-da-dum

Rean's eyes widened.

"How did you know I was in the lead role?"

"Forget about that, we should go look for my friends! I'm sure they're worried sick by now." Musse tittered as she playfully skipped ahead, leaving Rean by his lonesome.

"Wait, now you want to find them?!"


The more time they spent together, the more Rean grew intrigued by Musse. A generally carefree spirit that did what she wanted and no one else had a say. She was a far cry from the girls he came to expect from St. Astraia.

Well, that wouldn't be completely accurate. Elise may have been the epitome of how a noble lady should behave, Alfin was far looser than he'd ever expected the imperial princess to act. Not that he was against her jolly nature, but it did end up shattering his expectations of the modesty that the girls' school have said to uphold.

On the occasions he came to visit the school during his off time, it had always felt that the other girls had been boring a hole into his skull with all the leers he received.

However… Musse wasn't like that. Sure, she was flirty - far more than a girl that went to such a prestigious school should be - but she seemed genuine in wanting to learn about him for him. Not for the Ashen Chevalier.

But there was something else that gnawed at his mind. Something about her that felt… off. She veiled her true self beneath the cheerful and flirtatious exterior that she was showing off now. Perhaps he was being paranoid. He had only just met the girl after all.

Or maybe perhaps he desperately wanted to see her differently than how he saw another certain girl. The longer they were together, the more Musse reminded him of her. They couldn't have been any more different in demeanor or personality, but this meeting of theirs… it almost felt like Aidios was playing a cruel joke on him.

It had been over eight months since then.

Rean pushed the thoughts out of his mind and focused on looking through the crowds. He still hadn't seen any traces of Elise, Alfin, or any of Musse's friends. In fact, it looked like there was a severe lack of visitors from St. Astraia.

Instead, they ended up finding someone else.

"Rean? What are you doing?" The president of Class II's eyes wandered to the girl beside him. "And who's this?"

"This is Musse, a student of St. Astraia. I'm showing her around the festival while we look for her friends since they showed up late."

Musse casually waved at Bridget while Rean eyed the clipboard in Bridget's hands and sighed.

"Are you still working on the production? Didn't Alan invite you on a date today?"

The redhead scoffed. "First off, I don't want to hear that from you, Mr. Run-Me-to-the-Ground-with-Errands. Especially when you're escorting a girl around when you're not supposed to have any responsibilities." Rean began to sweat, feeling the impact behind each of Bridget's scathing words. Musse, on the other hand, innocently whistled. "I'm only getting the finishing touches done and Alan is in the middle of his shift at the café. Once we're both done, we'll go on our date."

"Okay, okay. Point taken." Rean held out his hands in surrender. "But still, don't push yourself. You've been working almost non-stop for a whole month on this."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. You should just focus on getting into your role."

"Aye, aye, Madam President."

"Do you have a death wish, Rean Schwarzer?"

Bridget smiled; and not that usual bright smile she had. The colder, more pissed off one she sported whenever someone called her by that nickname.

A shiver crawled down his spine; a far more frigid one than the ones he felt during the coldest months in Ymir. He promptly apologized and tried with all his might to wipe the memory from his mind.

"So, Musse, right?" Bridget glanced at the mint-haired girl. "You said you were looking for your friends? Why don't I help you out with that?"

"I wouldn't want to bother you, especially since you're so busy with the musical." Musse reassured. "Besides, I'm sure we'll find them sooner or later." She grabbed onto Rean's arm once more, holding it tightly to her chest. "I'm hoping for later so I can spend more quality time with my young hero here~"

"...Rean?" Bridget shot him a dirty look. "You didn't… do anything, did you?"

"N-No! Of course, I didn't! I just met her!"

She glared at him even harder.

"Alisa was right. You truly are an enemy to all women."

"Oh, come on! I thought you'd have my back on this at least!"

Musse giggled at the amusing exchange. She planned this all along, didn't she?

"Well, unlike you and your promiscuous gallivanting, I have things I need to attend to." Bridget huffed, though she sent him a mischievous glint in her expression to assure him that she was just kidding. "Have fun tonight, Rean, but be prepared for tomorrow. Just focus on your role and everything will be alright. Instructor Mary and I took care of all the particulars."

"Got it."

"And I hope you enjoy your time at the festival too, Musse. Make sure you don't have your friends worry too much, okay?"

"I'm sure they won't mind. Especially if I have a certain young man to watch over me ❤." Her grip grew tighter.

Ba-dum ba-dum

Rean looked away from Bridget's unimpressed glare. With that last remark, the class president left, leaving the two students to wander on their own.

"...Can you please not give anyone the wrong idea?"

"I'm not quite sure what you mean by that." Her devilishly sly look returned. "Will you explain it to me in full detail?"

Ba-dum-dum-dum Ba-dum-dum-dum

"...Nevermind."

Not too long after, he noticed the sky had turned dark and the lamps around the academy began to flash on. Without even realizing it, Rean had accidentally spent the entire day with Musse without once spotting Elise or Alfin or any traces of the girl's companions.

"It's getting late. You should probably head back before curfew. I'll look for any students in your uniform and tell them you went home."

"Oh, you're too kind, Rean. However, I think that will be unnecessary."

"Why's that?"

Musse held out three fingers, bringing down each one as another second passed.

3…

2…

1…

Once the third and final finger was put down, he heard people calling his name.

"Rean!" / "Rean, there you are!"

He turned around towards the familiar voices. Ones that, no matter what, he could always recognize.

"Elise? And Your Highness too!"

The two girls approached him, both waving their arms to greet him. Unlike last year, they sported their school uniform rather than their usual outfits. Maybe as a way to disguise Alfin from the other attendees but Rean was still confused as to how that would work when her golden locks stood out like a sore thumb.

"Where were you two? I turned the whole academy upside down looking for you!"

"Sorry!" Alfin clapped her hands together, praying for forgiveness. "We got caught up with some business with the student council election and that took up all of our time."

Elise nodded. "And besides that, we've been looking for a friend of ours. Unfortunately, we had to send her ahead, so we've spent our time looking for you and her."

Ah, that made sense. Rean recalled that Elise told him about the upcoming election and that she was running for student council president. As a big brother, he couldn't have been prouder. If only a certain someone could have felt the same pride he felt in that moment.

"If you're still looking for her, I don't mind adding another person to the list. We were just looking for Musse's- ...Musse?"

His eyes became as wide as saucers. He hadn't even realized that the weight hanging off his arm disappeared. He clamored around, his other arm searching the one Musse was clinging onto and his gaze frantically searching the surrounding area.

BA-DUM BA-DUM BA-DUM

Elise and Alfin exchanged a confused glance and turned back to Rean.

"Uh, Rean? Who are you talking about?"

"Sh-She was just here! I've been with her all day!"

She couldn't have just disappeared!

What if she got kidnapped?! No, he didn't sense anyone else approaching them.

Did she wander off? Possibly. Weirdly enough, his senses were only more heightened when he could feel people approaching rather than leaving.

Before he knew it, Rean had been breathing heavily and erratically. His arms and legs shook with tremendous force that he almost fell over.

"What's happening with Rean?!" Alfin asked, her tone also beginning to panic. "I've never seen him like this before!"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I'll handle this." Elise gently placed her hand on Rean's shoulder.

She held him tightly.

Whispered into his ear.

"Shhh Rean, it's okay. You didn't lose anyone. It's all right."

Rean's breathing steadied. He felt the shaking in his limbs subside and regained his balance. He felt calmer.

Over the course of the past year, this ritual had become habitual between the two Schwarzer siblings. Ever since the Infernal Castle, Rean had suffered these… instances. Episodes. His head spun, his legs turned into jello, and his vision blurred. It always struck without warning and always reminded him of his two darkest days.

"I can't go any farther now… but you can… so keep going forward… Relentlessly, without looking back…"

"So why? Why did you become just like them? Why did you take away our freedom?!"

He knew… He knew what had become of him. Part of him was ashamed to seek help, but the most shame fell over him when he had to rely on his sister time and time again to keep him grounded. Without his friends there with him… he had no one else.

It was strange. Why did he feel so strongly about a girl he had just met? Perhaps because she was the first person he met since the civil war that didn't care for his false hero status. Perhaps because she was willing to stay by his side despite the horrible things he had done.

Or perhaps he saw something in her that just felt familiar.

He couldn't say for certain, but he knew that spending his time with Musse sparked a joy within him that he hadn't felt in quite a while.

"Okay… Okay. I'm… calm. I think."

"That's good, Rean." Elise spoke softly. "Now, tell us what you meant."

"...Do you know a girl named Musse Egret? I-I met her earlier today. I've been… I've been helping her find her friends, but we haven't seen them at all."

"Musse… Egret? I can't say that-"

"Oh, did someone call for yours truly?"

The mint-haired girl in question approached them with the same carefree grin that rarely ever left her visage. A wave of relief washed over Rean at the sight of the girl as he walked over to her.

ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum

"Did you really have to break off from me when I was in the middle of a conversation? You had me worried sick."

An innocent look imprinted itself on Musse's face. She playfully knocked on her head, stuck her tongue out slightly, and winked. "Whoops, sorry! I just saw a stand over there and I had to try it!"

She held out a small paper bag containing four sticks popping out from its opening. When offered one, Rean paused before taking one for himself. On the stick was a piping hot wad of fried dough with some extra embellishments on it in the form of small cubed chunks of fried potatoes. The weight, however, wasn't consistent with regular fried dough, indicating that there was something underneath.

"A… corn dog?"

"Yup! I saw that they were having a nightly sale and decided to grab one for each of us! Normally, I'm not one for excessively fried foods, but as they say: 'do as the festival-goers do'. Or… something like that." She took out one for herself and offered the remaining two to a shocked Elise and Alfin. "Here you go, you two."

Princess Alfin shook her head in disbelief. "W-Wait…"

"M-Mil-?!"

Without warning, Musse stuck one of the corn dogs that was currently in her hand straight into Elise's mouth before she could blurt another word.

"Elise! Princess Alfin! I'm so glad you two could make it! It's such a shame that you two had to miss out on so much of the first day." A playful look was sent Rean's way. "Meanwhile, I had the most romantic date with my gallant knight here!"

The gears turned inside Rean's head. "Wait, hold up a minute! The friends you were talking about were my sister and the princess?! Why didn't you just tell me earlier?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that? Whoops, my bad!"

"'My bad'?!"

"What… is even happening?" Alfin asked no one in particular, attempting to process the events that were currently unfolding.

Elise bit off a piece of the newly introduced piece of festival nourishment. After swallowing, she glared at Musse, both due to the rude way of interrupting her and that she couldn't be too mad since it was actually quite delicious.

"I don't know either, but this is precisely something that she would do." Elise sighed. "'Musse', huh?"

She had to admit, the sight of her brother and friend having a playful argument was a sight for sore eyes. Whatever the mint-haired girl did, it was enough to lift up Rean's spirits just enough for him to enjoy his day. It was a shame that it wasn't with a certain someone, but it was important to accept the small victories.

Like Rean, Elise hated the annexation and loathed that it was he who was forced to carry it out. When he came home, he had kept quiet about his time there. In fact, he was never the same since the end of the civil war.

Rean never told Elise about what happened at the Infernal Castle. Only that Crow died in the midst of all the fighting and that the chancellor still lived. But something changed within him since he came back home and it only became worse since he came back from Crossbell three months later.

He became despondent and detached. The first time she saw him experience one of his episodes, he collapsed on the stairs. She immediately told their parents and they had him checked by a doctor, but he kept insisting that he was fine.

She didn't believe him. Even if he wouldn't let her help him directly, Elise needed answers. None of his friends were talking. It frustrated her, but it made her glad that they respected his privacy enough to withhold any information. So she tried contacting the next person who would know best.

One of her best friends: Juna Crawford.

She penned a single letter at first, just to gauge what had happened. If there was anyone who knew what happened to him, it would be her. There was no response.

She wrote a second one and the result was the same.

After sending more and more, she could only conclude that the worse had happened: Rean and Juna were no longer on speaking terms and that had taken its toll on him.

Perhaps 'Musse' somehow knew that was the case and wanted to cheer him up. Her friend's predictive ability had always impressed her that it was far from unbelievable. However, it only made Elise wonder why she would go that far when she was only told about Rean through her stories.

It hardly mattered now. Rean felt slightly better than he did before and that was the most she could do for now. Maybe one day… they'll be able to come to terms with Juna.

"I'm just saying, if you told me earlier, then this would've gone a lot more smoothly!"

"And ruin our date by having it end so soon? Come on now, Rean. Just relax and have another bite!" Musse held out her own corn dog. "I promise it's tasty!"

"Yeah, that's why I ate most of mine already!"

Elise clapped her hands to grab the two's attention. "All right, that's enough from you two. It's getting late. Musse, we're heading back to Heimdallr before it gets too dark."

"Ah boo." Musse pouted. "Can't we stay a little longer, President Elise?"

Alfin shook her head. "No can do. Thanks to you sending us on a wild goose chase, we haven't even had time to enjoy the festival. You're coming home and reflecting on your actions."

"And I'm not even president yet!"

"Ugh, fine. But so long as we get to come tomorrow to see the musical. Rean being the lead role is something I cannot miss!"

A mischievous glint shone in Alfin's eyes. "Ah, that's right! You're going to do a performance tomorrow, isn't that right Rean?"

Rean sighed. "I'm guessing Elise told you? Yeah, that's right. Just… don't expect too much, all right?"

"Oh, I do look forward to it~!"

Rean escorted the three St. Astraia students to the station, eating the rest of fried festival food on the way there. Rean had to admit that it did hit the right spot. A tad greasy, but it was a unique take on the classic corn dog that he found it difficult to care. If anything, it reminded him of the fish and chips his group shared at Machias' place during their field study. Musse was a girl with a good eye.

As Elise and the princess went to get their tickets back to Heimdallr, he and Musse stayed behind in wait.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Rean."

"Too many to count, if I'm being honest. If I were to hazard a guess, you know a lot more about me than you let on."

She tittered. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't." Her devilish grin resurfaced. "I'll leave that to your imagination."

ba-dum ba-dum

"There you go again…" Rean sighed for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. "But thanks Musse."

"Oh, what for?"

"For… spending time with me, I guess? Before I saw you, I was so lost on what to do. So even if it probably caused me a few gray hairs, I had fun today."

"Heehee, I feel the same, Rean."

"And if you wouldn't mind, could you teach me how to play that card game from earlier? Vantage Masters, was it?" As much of a soft spot Rean had for Blade, it wouldn't hurt to try new things.

"Correct. It's a rather recent game that has garnered a lot of popularity these past few months. It's still in its infancy, but the basic rules have already been established. It would be my pleasure to show you how it's played."

"That's great! I look forward to it. Hope you don't mind hanging out with someone as old as I am."

"Heehee, I don't mind a little age gap. In fact, there's no one I'd rather be with~"

"...You really should mind, but I guess I can't complain when I'm the one asking you."

He really needed to watch himself around this girl.

"Musse, come on!"

"We're about to leave!"

The two broke from their conversation, turning to the girls who were waving as they were entering the train. With a small nudge, Rean motioned her to follow them.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow? If you can survive Elise's scoldings, that is."

"Not to worry. I've grown accustomed to them. In fact, I find myself enjoying them from time to time."

...She's a masochist too, huh? Rean didn't dare speak that thought out loud.

"But before I go," Musse whispered. "I have one more thing to give you."

"Uh, okay? You really didn't have to-"

Musse stood on her tip-toes and gently planted her soft lips onto Rean's cheek. His eyes widened and the surprise nearly made him fall over to the stone flooring of the station.

BA-DUM BA-DUM BA-DUM

His cheeks burned red. "M-Musse?!"

The girl giggled once again, sending him off with a radiant smile. "Let's do this again sometime, okay?" And then she scurried off to meet with the other girls, who were none the wiser to the scene that unfolded.

"What is that girl thinking…"

He stood back up and wiped off any dirt that had got onto his uniform.

"'Let's do this again,' huh?" Rean repeated her words to himself as the train departed.

"Hey Rean?"

"Yeah?"

"We should… watch the fireworks again sometime."

He breathed slowly.

The goddess could truly be cruel when she wanted to be.


The next day

It was strange.

In no instance did Rean ever expect to enjoy playing the main protagonist when he first suggested the idea of the musical to his class. And yet there he was, bowing in contentment towards the audience as the curtains fell.

The singing… The performances… it all clicked together as the story continued forward. Rean related to Dreichels' struggle and found solace in that familiarity, just as Valimar said. The doubt he faced along the way was a similarity he shared with the Lionheart Emperor. It all culminated to the end of the War of the Lions to his eventual death.

Though some parts of the script may have been heavily exaggerated for the sake of making the cast of characters more compelling, he had heard that Bridget and the writing team consulted Instructor Thomas for historical accuracy. If Valimar's descriptions of the man were to be believed, then he had no doubt that the character he portrayed was truly Dreichels Reise Arnor.

It also helped his nerves knowing that Princess Alfin and Prince Olivert were in the audience and didn't show any indication that he had brought shame upon their ancestor.

...Either that or his singing really amused them.

Like last year, their performance was the last event of the festival before the bonfire and folk dance that followed. He stood near the back of the field as the fires burned throughout. The glow of the flames lit up the night, offering a beautiful view of the shining stars above. And yet, to Rean, it felt as if the smoke had hid most of the majesty from him.

He probably shouldn't expect much from this year. Everyone else was already in their own groups or with their own dates to hang out with him anyway. On the contrary, it was rather relaxing in the back corner watching them enjoy themselves.

He could always go and ask Elise to a dance, but she had been called to attend to something after the performance. He hadn't even been able to meet with the prince or princess either, as they were called away at the same time. Once everything was done with, Class II got out of costume and went their separate ways.

And there he was, watching everyone make merry as he held a drink he nabbed from a nearby stand.

He took a sip and scowled. "Nothing like the soda I got in Crossbell."

He didn't know why he felt like he was in such a foul mood. He had just put on an amazing performance (according to the applause) and he had a fun enough day yesterday to look forward to the rest of today's events. Something was gnawing at him, but he couldn't tell what. Maybe he just expected too much. Maybe he was just a living contradiction. Who knew?

"Heya, Rean!"

Alan approached him with Bridget in tow. The two had the brightest smiles on their faces as they walked hand-in-hand.

"Good work out there, Rean."

Rean returned the smile, albeit with a smaller one. "You too, Bridget. So what are you two doing back here? Shouldn't you be having your own dance?"

"Yeah, well," Alan scratched the back of his head. "Thought it would be best to take a break. Bridget's been working non-stop, but I bet you already knew that."

"Alan!" The noble girl scolded, her face turning a bright shade.

"Don't I ever." Rean shrugged. "She probably did more than I ever did back when I was still the student council's gofer."

"Ha, sounds about right. She wouldn't know the meaning of the word 'relax' unless someone took the definition out of the dictionary and glued it to her notes."

"I'd really appreciate it if you two didn't talk about me like I'm not even here…"

The three shared a laugh.

"So what about you, Rean?" Bridget asked. "Any reason why Thors' number one bachelor is all by his lonesome?"

"...They don't actually call me that, right?"

It was Alan's turn to shrug this time. "What can we say? People talk, Rean."

Rean rubbed his hand over his face. "Excellent. Just what I needed."

"Do you have any prospects for a dance partner?"

"Not really, no."

The couple then began listing off potential candidates, alternating as they went.

"Your sister?"

"She's busy."

"The princess?"

"Same deal."

"Colette?"

"Shopping with Miss Melinda."

"Linde?"

"Ran off crying."

"Vivi?"

"The reason Linde's crying."

"Becky?"

"Too occupied going against Hugo."

"Ferris?"

"Alisa would kill me."

"Monica?"

"Laura would kill me."

"Paula?"

"She'd kill me."

"R-Rosine?"

"I'd rather not have the Goddess strike me down with lightning, thank you very much."

"Wow, that really doesn't leave us with many options, huh?" Bridget scrounged through her mind. Rean appreciated the thought but felt more than content to just relax for the rest of the night.

He then noticed Alan's eyes bouncing back and forth between him and Bridget. "W-Wait! You don't mean-!"

"Huh?"

"Rean! Are you trying to say you want Bridget to be your dance partner?!"

"...When did I ever say that?"

"If that's the case, then we shall settle this like true Erebonian men! Draw your sword, you traitor!"

SLAM

A red bump appeared over Alan's head as he crouched down in pain, rubbing the sore spot. Bridget's closed fist also appeared red, with something that appeared to be smoke coming out of it.

"Don't mind him, Rean. His wild imagination gets the better of him sometimes."

"Uhhh, right…"

Ignoring Alan's cries of agony, Bridget continued her mental search. After a few seconds, she snapped her fingers.

"What about that girl from yesterday? Her name was Musse, right? The St. Astraia student."

Taking his attention off of Alan for a second, Rean gave her a weird look. "Uh, I guess? She did show me a good time yesterday. I could use it as a chance to pay her back."

"She looked to be quite captivated with you."

Rean scratched the back of his head, embarrassed at the notion. "Yeah, but from what I can tell, she's even younger than Elise. It wouldn't be good for me to be too involved with her."

"Don't worry about it, Rean. It's only an innocent dance. If she starts getting the wrong idea, then you tell her."

"Y-Yeah, I guess."

"So why don't you have fun? Enjoy the night and take a break from it all. You deserve it."

Rean let out a soft sigh. "Thanks, Bridget. I'll do that. You two have fun too."

He downed the rest of his drink and threw the container into the trash, walking off to meet with the mint-haired girl.

Bridget watched him as his figure grew smaller and smaller in her vision. Though he stumbled a little, it looked as if Rean was a little more sure than before.

"...You did a good job, Bridge."

Alan stood up, his sore spot finally subsided. He wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her close.

"You've been working hard so that Rean could enjoy the festival, right? So he can graduate with a smile?"

She nodded. "Yeah. He deserves it, after all he's been through." She looked down, her hands curling into fists. "It's not fair, you know? Being forced to do all those horrible things under the government's orders. And Rean has to grin and bear it. This isn't what Thors—what we—fought for. It's horrible."

"Yeah, it is." Alan looked away. "So I'm gonna do my part to help out too."

"Y-You mean?"

"Yeah. I'm going to take General Craig's offer to join the 4th Armored Division after graduating. It might not be much, but if it makes things easier for him, then I'll do it." He beamed at her. "Besides, it's not like I'm going out of my way to do this. I've wanted to join the army ever since enrolling here."

She giggled. "That's just like you, Alan."


"Am I correct in thinking that you're here to ask me for a dance, Rean?"

"...I didn't even say anything yet."

She winked at him. "But am I wrong?"

"N-No… you're not." Rean cleared his throat and offered his hand. "Musse Egret, would you give me the honor of having this dance?"

"The honor's all mine." She accepted his hand.

The two walked closer to one of the bonfires, before settling to a good distance. They each had one hand entwined with another as Musse held her free hand on his shoulder and Rean had his around her waist.

Their movements were steady and simple. A few side steps; nothing too complicated. Strangely enough, it was only then that Rean had noticed the difference in stature between the two.

Musse stood about twenty less rege than him, give or take, and her head only went as high as his neck. Admittedly, Rean had a bit of a growth spurt over the course of the last year, growing five rege since his visit to Crossbell. He had to get some of his favorite clothes resized as a result.

Earlier that day, Elise pulled him aside to inform him about Musse. She hadn't disclosed any personal information out of respect to her privacy, but she had told him that the girl had basically lived at St. Astraia all her life, even being there before Elise attended. However, she was a year below her and the princess.

Though he couldn't explain it, Musse was much wiser beyond her years and her body didn't show it.

And yet, even with all that in mind, he couldn't bring himself to care. He was having fun for the first time in who knows how long. The way she talked to him, the way she took charge, it all made his heart beat a tad bit faster.

Ba-dum-dum ba-dum-dum

But it still felt melancholic in some sort of nostalgic way. Like what he was experiencing was a far-off memory he had locked away in the recesses of his mind. Perhaps he was just thinking too much about it.

"That was quite the performance you had back there. Quite a unique take on the story of Emperor Dreichels, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. It wasn't anything I was used to, that's for sure. I didn't think they would run with my idea so much."

"Well, if there was one thing I know for sure, you were quite dashing in that costume of yours~ You were truly made for the part."

"You're exaggerating."

"Not at all! And let me just say that your singing? Truly immaculate."

"Now you're just teasing me."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Rean. In fact, I could say that even your dancing is impressive, Rean. A practitioner of ballroom dancing as much as the sword, are you?"

"Haha, you're really giving me too much credit." He spun her around slowly before returning to their original position. "My dance partner from last year complained about me stepping on her feet all the time, so I asked Elise to teach me in her spare time."

"I can see that it started paying dividends." Musse giggled. "Though I'm interested in this dance partner you mentioned. Is she a student at Thors?"

The smile from Rean's face was wiped away. "...No, she's not. She's just… somebody from my past. That's all."

"Is she important to you?"

Rean's brows scrunched, begging for the girl to drop the subject, but she only stared back; her gaze as serious as her query. Rean didn't appreciate his private life being pried into, but it had seemed that she had no ill intent in asking her rapid-fire questions.

"...Yeah, she is. But things… Things got complicated. We're no longer on speaking terms."

"I see…"

Despite the awkward conversation, the two continued their dance.

"In that case, allow me to lend you an ear if you ever want to talk about it."

A few seconds without hearing a response, Musse continued.

"I know it might sound strange from someone you just met yesterday, but with how much Elise talks about her big brother, I feel that I know more about you than you might know about yourself."

"Of course she did… Sometimes I feel like that girl talks a bit too much."

She giggled. "Oh don't worry, I'm sure you still have a dark secret or two that I don't know about."

"Knowing you, you'll find out before long."

"Is that a challenge~?"

"It really isn't."

He couldn't understand how she could say those nerve-wracking things with such a cute and innocent face, but he supposed that tricksters come in many different shapes and sizes. This one manifested into their plane as a cute young girl.

And yet, before he knew it, he found himself having fun with his little exchange with the girl. That sense of nostalgia resurfaced.

"Thanks, though, Musse. For listening."

"Of course. I'd be glad to listen anytime you want." Even with those comforting words, she frowned. "However, that should be left for another time."

"What do you mean?"

He could hear a commotion going on after the music abruptly stopped and chattering amongst the students took its place.

"Rean!"

Turning his attention to the other end of the field, he could see Princess Alfin running up to him with Elise and Prince Olivert by her side. By the tone of her voice and the look on her face, whatever happened was far from good.

"Your Highness? What's wrong? What happened?"

She jumped into his arms and pulled him into a tight hug. It was quiet, but he could feel the hushed sobs against his uniform. He looked at Elise and the prince, and neither could look him in the eye.

Elise couldn't find the words, so Prince Olivert was the first one to speak up.

"I'm… so sorry, Rean."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

He then heard the whispers from the other students.

"It's him."

"He really came here?!"

"The same song and dance, huh?"

"And with his right hand, no less."

"Man, this sucks…"

He watched as two figures walked onto the field. One was familiar and overly friendly.

"Man, did it get colder here, or is it just me?"

The other was intimidating and imposing.

"Yes, well, it is no wonder. I'm afraid my presence is putting too much of a damper on the festivities."

Rean stiffened, but turned to attention. He gently removed Alfin from his body, handing her off to Olivert, who had been glaring at the newcomers along with Elise. He stood forward, his hands behind his back and his chest out as the two men walked up to him.

"Good evening, Rean Schwarzer."

"Good evening… Major Lechter. Chancellor Osborne." Rean replied, avoiding leaking any venom in his tone when addressing the latter.

With the entire student body watching the exchange, he had to be cordial.

"I am quite honored for you to make time out of your schedule to come to our humble festival, Your Excellency. However, I know that you're a busy man. Might I inquire why you're here?"

Lechter chuckled. "Cutting right to the chase, huh? I getcha."

"Then allow me to do the honors, Lechter." Osborne took the envelope in the redhead's hands and opened its contents. Another letter, another order.

"Ashen Chevalier, Rean Schwarzer. By order of the imperial government, you are to make your way to Dnieper Gate and fight alongside the provincial armies to bring the Northern War to a swift end. You are to leave first thing tomorrow."

Rean took the document into his hands and scanned through it carefully. With all eyes on him, he held his hand over his chest and took a deep breath.

The ogre inside him begged to be released.

"...Understood."


Didn't expect a chapter so soon, did you? I guess the creative juices just kinda went into overdrive with this one. This was originally planned to be a much shorter, 5k chapter but it ended up being as long as it did thanks to all the events I wanted to cover. Plus, it makes for a good transition to the next plot point, so win-win I guess? I really feel like I'm incapable of writing anything small anymore.

So, what's this? Do we have a new love rival amongst the horizons? Well, this is where the canon divergences are really gonna take place. With me hinting at Musse all the way back in chapter 2, I'm glad I can finally formally introduce her to the story. I'm gonna have fun with her, I'm sure.

You know, when I first conceived this story, I had originally wanted for it to be a very classic and fluffy romance with some drama sprinkled in as a result of the whole Crossbell situation. But now, it's grown to be so much more. With what I have planned for Rean and Juna's relationship going forward, a messy romance might be the best-case scenario. I can only hope I'm portraying Rean's problems as realistically as I can so that what I have planned for him works better and hits harder.

Again, everyone, thanks so much for reading. You all are the reason why I keep working on this project of mine.