A routine quickly developed among the three combat specialists of Class VII. They didn't meet up every day as all of them had club duties or tasks for the student council to accomplish, but they made an effort meet up every other day. A full week passed like this.
To say their efforts bore fruit would be an understatement. While Rean would probably never be comfortable using the malevolent energy coursing through his body, he no longer feared using it as long as it was in moderation. While he couldn't say he had complete control of himself while using it the past few duels had left him feeling a more confident that it no longer controlled him. He was still a bit more aggressive than normal, but he was at least fighting with an intact mind.
Which was good because once his two opponents adjusted to his improved speed and strength they started routinely defeating him with ease. While in the first attempt he got a good hit on Laura and forced Fie back, now the two girl's amazing teamwork countered his improved attributes perfectly. Without his sword he stood no match against their combined front.
"So what do you think about the announcement?" Laura asked as they rested after one such spar. Earlier the class had been informed that the Board of Directors was going to have a meeting at the school, and one of the topics would almost certainly be Class VII and its field studies.
"It's... not surprising, but it still feels a bit weird that so many important people from all over the Empire are going to meet just to decide what we're gonna do as a class." Rean admitted. While on the surface this was just simple gossip, it actually served an important purpose. After all, Rean was still in his transformed state while holding this conversation.
"Our field studies are a pain, but I don't wanna lose em." Fie added from her spot next to the ashen-haired teen.
"Agreed. Our field studies have been an invaluable experience for us and it would be a shame if they were to cease. Still, I can understand why they would want to err on the side of caution..."
The transformed teen nodded in his in reluctant agreement. "I know they mean well, but I think we can do so much good out there. I'm not so naive to think we can fix Erebonia on our own, but we can at least help the people caught in the middle..." While the voice was a lot deeper and intimidating sounding, those words were one hundred percent Rean and that was a comforting notion to the girls sitting alongside him.
"It's weird. All my life I was told how weak the Guild was and how pointless their work was, but here we are pretty much doing Bracer work for our field studies... and it's great. I never thought helping people could be so rewarding. I wonder what my old family would think of me now..."
"I think they would be proud of you." Rean's answer surprised Fie, causing her to look at him with curious eyes. "Maybe I'm wrong, but I think they would be happy that you found a path of your own."
"You think so?"
"Rean's right." Laura affirmed. "And even if he wasn't, it doesn't matter. You're a member of Class VII now and nothing will ever change that."
"Yup. Class VII is my new dysfunctional family. And this time I'll be strong enough to protect it."
"Haha! Well said." And we'll be right there with you. Speaking of..." Laura rose to her feet and hoisted her sword. "Think you're up for another round, Rean?"
"...I think so." The reason he was still transformed was two-fold. Fie first suggested it to see if he could keep a clear head an remain himself even in mundane conversations, and everyone was curious as to how long Rean could safely hold the transformation. The first part had been a rousing success, but Rean didn't think he had much time left. While he could always immerse himself deeper into the power, that way would only lead to him losing control and thus was one he refused to consider.
His words rang hollow when not even three minutes into their next fight he suddenly gasped in pain and fell to a knee. Before his concerned opponents could ask what was wrong the energy that had been surrounding him faded away, leaving him in an exhausted state.
"Alright, so maybe that wasn't the best idea." He got out between pants after transforming back to normal.
"You alright?" Fie asked with concern visible in her eyes as she and Laura made their way to their downed classmate.
"I think so." The downed boy muttered. "Feels like all my energy left me at once. I just need a minute."
Laura smiled at the downed boy. "That's fine. Take all the time you need."
Rean would have loved to do exactly that, but a quick glance of his ARCUS confirmed a suspicion of his. "We probably should be heading back though. Wouldn't want to be late for curfew... again." He managed to stand on his own power, but the second he tried taking a step he stumbled and would have fallen had Fie not been quick enough to catch him. "...Thanks."
"Nothing wrong with being a little late." Fie muttered as she supported his weight, with Laura arriving on the other side to help him from that end. "Could do without the constant lecturing though." The last time the three had done this they were just a few minutes late and ended up getting an earful from Machias and Alisa, with Jusis and Emma looking at them with disapproval. At least the actual authority figure of Class VII didn't give a damn if they were breaking rules.
"I'm fine. Just might need some help walking for a bit." That didn't sound very fine to them, but if he was insisting...
"Very well. Allow me to support you." With that the three of them departed the Old Schoolhouse, with Rean being supported on each side. He found that he could make a passable attempt at walking as long as he didn't put any weight on his legs.
As they were leaving the mostly abandoned Academy Fie made an observation. "It's gonna look pretty bad if we carry Rean through Trista. Can you walk yet?"
Rean could, but was very wobbly about it. "I think I should be able to in a few minutes." He decided at last.
"Well we do have a few minutes left before curfew, do either of you have suggestions on what we could do?" Laura asked the pair.
Luckily for them, Fie did. "I could use your help, actually." She admitted. "Want to pick up some pots and spades."
Rean perked up at that. "Are you planning on potting them soon?
"Yup. I told Laura last night. Gonna do it on our next free day."
"That's wonderful! Rean exclaimed as they made their way to the flower shop. "Can I help?"
His question earned him a ghost of a smile on Fie's face. "I was kinda hoping you would."
"I admit, I don't know much about flowers, but I do find myself curious when I see them after club activities. If you would like I will gladly offer my assistance also."
Laura's offer was surprising, but in hindsight they should have expected as much from the kind noble. "That would be great, thanks."
The two waited as Fie made her purchases and together the three of them carried her supplies back to the dorm, with Rean having enough strength in his body to pass himself off as just being a bit tired from an overenthusiastic spar. They arrived just early enough to avoid any unwelcome lectures, but still late enough to earn themselves a few stink-eyes from some of the more serious members of the class.
They dropped off the supplies in Fie's room, but before Rean could depart to clean up for dinner Laura stopped him. "Rean, I think we've reached the limits of what you can accomplish unarmed, so next time bring your blade with you." Rean had been leaving his tachi in the dorm since that first day so he wouldn't have to suffer a repeat of Fie's thievery in action.
"Are you sure?" He asked with a hint of nervousness. While he had become a lot more confident in his ability to maintain control, using his tachi would be a massive escalation. Still, it was one that he needed to overcome, so as long as his two trainers were comfortable with it...
"Yup." Fie was quick to support her best friend. "Having you as a punching bag has been fun, but it's time to go all-out. Gonna suck for us though..."
A few days later and the three of them were back at it again. This time, as expected, Rean had his tachi with him. The two girls watched the now familiar but no less unsettling sight of the boy's transformation. Once finished he took a deep breath before drawing his blade. Slipping into the familiar fourth stance of the Eight Leaves One Blade school of swordsmanship the Ashen-haired youth turned to his opponents. "Ready whenever you are."
Fie, ever the opportunist, decided to test his words by firing an unexpected barrage from her gunblades, but the enhanced teen easily glided out of the way. He wasn't allowed to do much else as Laura was soon upon him, but unlike before where he was forced to dodge, now he had a weapon of his own and could block. Despite the massive size advantage of the Arseid's greatsword Rean was easily able to parry her sword with his own thanks to his strength increase.
It quickly became apparent to the combat experts of Class VII that the tactics they used against unarmed Rean were no longer viable. He no longer feared Laura's blade which meant that it was much harder for Fie to predict his movements and follow-up for her partner. Still, the two girls were veterans of many battles and did their best to adapt.
This time it was Fie taking the lead, hoping that her superior agility would unbalance her foe and give Laura the opening that she needed, but it was for naught. While she did evade each and every one of his blows, his enhanced speed meant that she was forced on the defensive and her attempts at a counterattack were few and feeble. And with her failing to exert much pressure on her adversary he was able to freely reposition himself whenever Laura attempted to press the attack, keeping both girls in front of him at all times.
Rean was forced back after a particularly viscous leaping attack from Laura and Fie started to charge her guns to capitalize on the space she created, but the two were painfully reminded that Rean now possessed a ranged attack of his own as an Arc Slash far larger and more dangerous than any they had ever seen from the boy was launched at speeds they could barely comprehend. Although Laura was able to block and Fie evade, the attack delayed them enough that the transformed Schwarzer closed the distance and forced the two back on the defensive.
Although the battle had thus far been a stalemate, it was one that both girls understood plainly enough that they were losing. They didn't need their combat link to know what the other was thinking. It was time to pull out their strongest attacks in an attempt to turn this fight around.
Fie, relying on her superior speed, was the first to engage the empowered Rean. Pushing herself to her limits she assaulted him at speeds that even he had trouble keeping up with. She came at him over and over from every direction possible before pausing her assault to instead fire a concentrated barrage of bullets at him. Unfortunately for the girl Rean was just able to maintain a solid defense, but that was fine as she was just setting up for the more powerful attack.
Said attack came from the powerful blade of Laura. While Fie initiated her attack she had taken the time to focus her energy into the blade, causing it to glow a radiant azure. Once her opening was made she lunged forward, striking Rean with two quick slashes before doing a full spin to hit him with all of her power. It was an attack she would never use against an unarmed foe, but with tachi in hand Rean was an equal and using anything less would be disrespectful.
The results of their combined attack were... disappointing. While he did look worse for wear, Rean had managed to raise his blade at the very last second and blocked the strongest part of the Arseid's attack. The dark instinctive part of Rean's brain screamed for him to respond to their escalation with his own ultimate attack, but the rational part of his mind that had steadily been gaining control of these spars knew that that would be a poor idea.
Instead that same part of him supplied him with an alternative idea. An improved version of one of his favorite techniques that while simple to execute normally required a level of speed that far exceeded what Rean could pull off. Until now, that is. With a calming breath the Schwarzer heir set himself into a new sword stance.
Both of the Class VII combat specialists were familiar enough with Rean's swordsmanship to recognize the second form and both prepared to handle the imminent Gale in their own way. As expected, their opponent vanished in a burst of speed. Although she could barely track his movements Laura was able to keep her colossal blade between Rean and her, blocking to the best of her ability. Fie, meanwhile, was able to track his movements better and was able to move herself away from his incoming attacks.
While both managed to avoid the Gale, neither were prepared for what happened next. Normally when Rean finished his Gale he did so back at his starting position in a neutral position to continue the battle. This time, however, with a final burst of speed he ended up behind both of them. Most ominously his sword glowed with energy, which was released with a mighty swing of his tachi.
Rean watched with some satisfaction as the results of his successful attack slammed into the backs of his two defenseless foes, sending them both crashing to the ground. It wasn't strong enough to cause significant harm, but judging from the pained groans they were making from their positions on the ground it was clear that they weren't getting back up.
"Oww. Okay, I'm done." Fie confirmed.
Laura was in agreement. "I concede this fight to you. What was that attack anyways?"
"That was the Arcane Gale, an advanced use of Gale perfected by the Divine Blade of Wind. It requires far more speed than I can normally use, but I thought it was worth a shot here."
The last living Claussell pulled herself to her knees. "So you pulled out some new move to kick our asses? Not sure if I should respect that or be annoyed at it."
Rean didn't hear her comment as adrenaline faded and the enormity of what they had accomplished set in. He gazed down at his reflection in the tachi as he ended the transformation and watched as his hair and eyes returned to their normal color. He was suddenly overcome by emotion at the ease of it all.
"Rean?" Laura asked with concern after a minute of the boy refusing to look at him. The two girls gasped in unison when he lifted his head, revealing a face full of tears.
"Thank you... both of you. You don't know how much this means to me." Normally their leader's smiles were guarded and never quite reached his eyes, but the expression of gratitude he shot the two of them in that moment was almost blinding in it's radiant honesty. "It's like being freed from shackles that I didn't know existed..."
"It wasn't that big a deal..." Fie mumbled while looking away. She knew it was a lame response, but she had no idea what else to say in the face of such raw emotion.
Rean wasn't deterred in the slightest. "I'm serious. I don't know how I can ever repay the two of you for helping me with this."
Now that, at least, Laura had an answer for. "Don't be foolish. Helping others is a reward all on it's own. I should be thanking you for teaching me that fact." Here she turned her gaze to the youngest of the three. "And I should be thanking you for giving me the courage to offer my assistance."
Fie narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "It was your idea, so don't go trying to place the praise on me." Later on nobody would be able to recall which of them cracked first, but as they realized just how absurd the conversation was someone started laughing, which caused a humorous chain reaction among the three.
After a few minutes and several failed attempts the three finally righted themselves. Rean, although no longer crying, still had very red eyes (the natural kind) as he looked between his two companions. "So I guess we're all done with these sessions?"
"I... suppose we are." For some reason admitting that felt very wrong to the blue-haired girl.
"Do we have to be?" Feeling all eyes on her Fie elaborated. "It's great we reached our goal, but that doesn't mean we have to stop, does it?" She paused as she considered her next words, but eventually decided that her usual blunt nature was the best approach. "I really like spending time with you two. Don't get me wrong I still like our other friends, but this is... special. It's like... I dunno... I can be more open around you two?"
They were stunned at hearing such a heartfelt declaration from the most stoic member of their class, but Laura regained her composure and smiled warmly. "I wholeheartedly agree. Maybe it's our similar passions, but I feel most at ease here. I feel as if I have grown, both as a person and as a swordswoman, since we started our meetings. I will not allow myself to be remiss in class or club work, but I think we can keep meeting like this. How about you Rean?"
Honestly he probably would have agreed to anything they asked of him at that moment, but he was ecstatic that they saw him in such a positive light as to include him in their group. "I would like that very much."
The next few days proved one of Laura's earliest observations from those first days at Celdic correct: It was only Rean's hesitation that was holding him back as a swordsman. As soon as he stopped being afraid of himself his skill vastly increased and he became a formidable sparring partner.
It was a bit awkward setting up fights with three people, but eventually they settled on something of a round robin format. Two would fight and the winner would be forced to engage the third member, with the loser gaining the chance to rest until the end of that duel. Despite their vastly different fighting styles the three were pretty evenly matched and never once was one of them able to run the gauntlet and beat both opponents back to back.
That isn't to say the only thing they did during their meetings was to fight. Often they would just relax and talk about things that caught their fancy. The worsening situation in Erebonia was a frequent topic of debate, and while Laura's idealism occasionally clashed with Fie's pragmatism, there was no real friction from those debates as both girls had learned to appreciate the other for their different upbringing and beliefs, especially with Rean there to occasionally act as an intermediary.
They still maintained their daily lives, of course. Fie was busy making sure her herbs were ready for the big day, Laura diligently continued her swimming training and assisted Monica in her own progress. As for Rean, while it wasn't quite the same workload as he got on his free days, there was always something he could do to assist Towa and the student council, especially as the festival was rapidly approaching and their workload increased.
Eventually the middle of the month arrived, and with it the meeting of the board of directors that would determine Class VII's fate for the next month. It was a self-study period, so Emma and Machias were soliciting ideas for the upcoming festival. Unfortunately for the president and vice-president everyone was so distracted by the meeting that no ideas were forthcoming.
"Would it kill all of you to give a teensy bit of cooperation?" Machias groused as it became clear that nobody had any ideas to contribute.
They set about lamely defending themselves, and in the process discovered that Millium had no idea about the festival, which they briefly explained to the White Rabbit.
"I would say we could brainstorm a bit later in the dorm, but it's hard when certain members of our class vanish every couple days." Machias accused.
"Yeah!" Alisa agreed. "What's up with that anyways? I know you said it was training, but what kind of training lasts for two weeks?" She asked with suspicion as she along with most of their class focused on the three in question.
Laura gave an amused look. "Plenty of training does." She could recall multiple times when her father took her out into the wilderness for weeks at a time. "Still, I apologize if our actions have inconvenienced the class. That was not our intention."
"...It's been intense." Fie added.
"If it was anyone else I would suspect a secret tryst, but considering how... simple the three of you are, I believe you." The three glared at Crow for that comment. "What? It's true! You probably just talk about swords and fighting all day. Still... it might be possible... Rean my buddy! Which of those two beautiful girls do you prefer?"
"What!?" The young swordsman sputtered in shock and embarrassment. His traitorous brain couldn't help but ponder the idea of a deeper relationship with his two closest female friends, which in turn caused him to glow red. It didn't help that everyone was looking at him, with Crow smirking at getting a rise out of him, Alisa providing a glare of doom, and the two girls in question giving him unreadable expressions. Desperately he turned his eyes to the front and silently pleaded with Emma, who looked torn between getting the class back on track and being just as curious about the gossip herself.
Luckily, he was saved from further embarrassment by the timely arrival of their instructor, who informed them that the board had unanimously agreed to allow the next field study to occur on schedule, much to the relief of the class. After that they were given permission to visit the directors before they left. While Jusis, Machias, and Alisa opted to spend the time with their family the rest of Class VII met up with Prince Olivert and his bodyguard Mueller Vander. They chatted for a bit, but just as the Prince and his guard were about to leave.
"I must say, it's only been a month since last we met, but you're looking different, Rean. More confident, perhaps?" It was a stunning observation from the Debaucherous Prince, and left the boy in question completely shocked. Most of the other classmates looked confused, but the Prince noticed that two members didn't seem as surprised by his comment.
Rean was floored by the comment. Certainly he felt more confident lately, but to the level where it was actually obvious to other people? The oldest prince was far more observant than anyone had given him credit for. It took a good second, but Rean managed to get over his surprise. "I uh, thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. Let's just say I have very good friends."
"I see! How wonderful!" Erebonia was soon to weather a great storm, and Olivert knew that Class VII would be at the center of it. To know that the center of Class VII was more ready to face that challenge put him at ease and gave him a little more hope that his nascent third path had a chance at success. He proceeded to give the class an overly dramatic farewell to the young students, which led to Mueller lovingly grabbing him by the ear and passionately dragging him away. It was time to ready the Crimson Wings for flight.
The next few days passed normally, with the upcoming festival dominating the mindset of the students. Try as they might, however, nobody could think of any ideas of merit. Despite the comments they had received in class the three warriors of Class VII still met up, but made sure to inform their classmates ahead of time to ensure no conflict of schedule. They still got a few unimpressed looks despite their efforts, but their meetings had become important enough to them so as to be worth earning the ire of Machias and Alisa.
This time was a repeat of their earlier fight, with Rean allowing himself to transform and facing off against both girls at once. While he wasn't particularly keen on transforming frivolously, he wasn't going to begrudge their desire to face off against a powerful foe together. Plus, while he felt confident in his ability to not lose control, it was a simple fact that the transformation had altered many of his Eight Leaves moves and he appreciated the chance to adjust to those changes.
Of course even after such a high octane fight the conversation between the resting trio inevitably shifted back to the upcoming festival. But given who the three were those conversations were extremely unproductive. Both Rean and Laura had lived relatively sheltered lives and while they had enjoyed the local festivals of Ymir and Legram respectively, the former was more for winter celebrations and the the latter focused heavily on Legram's rich history and tradition. Fie was even less help, as while she had witnessed a couple festivals during her time with the Corps, she had never gotten the chance to participate in one. A silent glance between the two sword users assured the other that they both intended to fix that during the upcoming festival.
An opportunity was presented to the frustrated class in the diminutive form of Towa Herschel, who Rean bumped into on the third day. After a long afternoon shopping together the student council president offered to show the boy something related to the event they put on in the previous festival. The news of Rean's potential lead gave them hope and a knowing smirk from Crow, and they went into the free day with a little hope that their troubles might soon be over.
As usual, free days were a source of great excitement for the students of Thor's Military Campus and the eleven members of Class VII were no exception. While not unusual, the fact that one of the students chose to remain behind at the dorm was enough to pique the curiosity of her two closest friends.
"I assure you, it's nothing important. I just require the assistance of Sharon with a certain... matter. Rest assured, when the time comes I will be ready to assist with your flowers and the Old Schoolhouse investigation."
Her words did little to quell their curiosity, as Rean and Fie shared confused looks. What did Laura need the assistance of the super maid for? Still, neither had any intention of pressing the matter and the two left the dorms together, with a quick stop for Rean to grab his list of tasks for the day.
"Anything interesting?" The former Jaeger asked as the boy read through the requests while they walked towards the Campus.
"Maybe? Angelica requested a meeting with me in the gym. I think she might want to fight me?" The request didn't say anything specific, but given the location that was the most obvious conclusion.
"If it was any other girl I might be suspicious of a private meeting, but that creep? Probably." Fie couldn't say she was particularly fond of the horny noble, but it was probably preferable to the usual sticks-in-the-mud that encompassed most of the nobility. As long as she maintained a proper distance, of course.
Since their destinations were close by, the two walked together, with Fie splitting off at the end as she wanted to help Edel with some of the other flowers and get all her equipment in order before she was ready to pot. Rean made his way into the gym and sure enough the Rogner heiress was waiting for him and looked ready for battle.
Greetings were made and she confirmed what he already knew by demanding a spar. Of course Rean saw no reason to decline, but couldn't help but feel surprised when she took a vaguely familiar unarmed combat stance. As someone who had a decent comprehension of unarmed combat thanks to his Eight Leaves training he could tell at first glance that her stance was flawless and that giving anything less than his all would lead to a swift and painful defeat.
Without much preamble the fight began in earnest. It was only thanks to his recent spars against Fie that he wasn't caught off guard by her blistering speed. Because he was prepared, however, he managed to force her back with a well-timed counter swing. Undeterred the second year responded by releasing energy from a kick, sending a beam his way that he just managed to avoid.
If there was one advantage that unarmed specialists had over other martial artists, it was their understanding that everything could be used as a weapon. Fists, kicks, knees, elbows, and even an attempted headbutt were all unleashed against the young Schwarzer, but he managed to evade or parry each of them in turn. Of course unarmed warriors had to worry about the fact their weapons were their limbs and that each attack exposed themselves to the enemy. High level fighters could reinforce their limbs to provide some protection, but even still a good counterattack could easily disable them.
While Rean understood all of this from his own unarmed training, it still didn't make the fight any easier for him. Still, had it not been for his recent training and his newly awoken confidence it might have been a lot harder. He of course had no intention of transforming in a simple spar like this and vowed to win on his own merit.
A quick Arc Slash forced her back, which gave him time to switch to the second form. The daughter of the Marquis found herself struggling against the sheer speed of Rean's Gale, and multiple cuts soon formed on her arms as she was forced to block with her limbs. This mostly served to enrage the girl, and with a roar she released all her energy at once, powering herself up.
With her strength so enhanced Rean was wary, and allowed himself to fall back on the defensive. Thankfully, while her hits were a lot more powerful they weren't any faster, so he avoided taking any damage. After a minute of this he realized that her attacks had become a lot more aggressive, and suspected she couldn't keep up the intensity for long. Perhaps he could take advantage of this?
The moment soon presented itself when Angelica went for a quick jab towards his face, one that Rean immediately recognized as a feint. Instead of playing along he opted to let the blow hit, only moving his head enough for the hit to land on his cheek. Despite it being a light jab it still hurt like hell, but the swordsman maintained his focus. So surprised was she at the unexpected success of her attack that she found herself unbalanced and failed to pull back her arm in time, leaving her exposed to the descent of his flaming blade, which ended just a rege away from her outstretched elbow.
It was obvious to both fighters that if Rean had finished his attack that there was a very real chance that Angelica would be missing an arm, so the fist fighter accepted her defeat with grace. "Heh... I should've expected a swordsman of the Eight Leaves One Blade school wouldn't go down so easily. If I'd been keeping up with my training maybe I could have kept up better."
Rean was impressed that she fought so well despite claiming to be rusty, and let her know, but she merely waved him off, claiming she still had a long way to go, a sentiment he readily understood. After confirming his theory that she was indeed a practitioner of the Eastern Taito school of martial arts she briefly touched on her training and her family situation. With a parting tease about his upcoming meeting with the student council president the second year student departed, leaving Rean alone once again.
As he departed the gym he once again met Fie, who had been in conversation with Edel but excused herself when she saw her classmate exit. "What happened to you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "You have a bruise on your face." She clarified at his confused expression.
A probing touch confirmed that yes, the spot where he got punched was indeed bruised and sore. It didn't hurt much, but it might be worth stopping in at the infirmary and having a healing art used on it at some point. Shaking himself from his thoughts he informed Fie about his duel with Angelica.
"Did you at least win?" At his affirmative nod the girl gave a tiny smile. "Good. Would've been lame if you lost after all the effort Laura and I went through." He merely rolled his eyes at that very Fie response.
"Well, I need to get started on my patrol, just let me know when you're ready to pot those plants." The sixteen year old agreed and watched as Rean departed, before she returned to working with Edel.
Deciding to knock out his final non-schoolhouse related request the Eight Leaves practitioner made his way to the student union building. In the kitchen he met up with Mint, who explained her desire to make something healthy for Instructor Makarov, but needed sample meals to get an idea of what to make. While not the best cook himself, Rean was confident enough in his abilities and set to work on a meal centered around fried fish.
Once finished he served it to the clumsy girl, who seemed to enjoy the fish and gleefully used it as inspiration to create... something almost wholly unrelated to the meal he had served her. Still, his observations ensured him that nothing she used was bad, so he let it slide. She even let him sample the dish and he found that it was... edible.
Rean did send a silent prayer to Aidios for the Instructor's safety after the girl nearly tripped and lost everything while departing, but put it out of mind after that. He had done his part, after all. With all of his tasks save the schoolhouse finished he departed to see if anyone had need of his services or if any of his friends wanted to hang out for a bit.