There was a palpable excitement at Thors over the upcoming festival, which served only to remind Rean of the failures of his own class, and he hoped that his upcoming meeting with Towa would change the situation. Still, despite how awkward the atmosphere made him feel he couldn't deny the fact that the upbeat mood was a pleasant feeling, especially as it appeared to be spreading into the town as well.
His friends all seemed to be focused on the festival as well. Helping them out proved to be quite rewarding, as it ended with him enjoying a horseback ride with Jusis and getting a sneak peak of Gaius's wonderful painting of the Nord Highlands. Elliot seemed to be even more frazzled about the festival than he felt, but after he suggested a violin song the youngest male calmed down significantly. Even Machias was helping his club prepare and Rean took the time to help him find a beginners book for chess.
Just after finishing that his ARCUS rang. "Hello, this is Rean." He greeted, even though he already had a strong suspicion as to who it was.
"I'm ready for you guys." Sure enough, the bored voice of Fie chimed through the speakers.
"Sure. I'll be there in a minute. Want me to grab Laura since I'm right by the dorm?"
"'Kay. Later." With that the line went dead. Rean couldn't help but smile in amusement at just how blunt the girl was. Some might find it rude, but he found it a refreshing change of pace after dealing with so many nobles in his life.
With destination in mind the scion of house Schwarzer returned to his dorm. He got sidetracked en route to Laura's room when he spotted Emma in her room, seemingly distracted. He wasn't sure if his attempt at cheering her up from whatever was bothering her was successful, but she did reward him with what she called a magic trick, causing flames to appear without the aid of an ARCUS unit. It confirmed what Rean already suspected after Lohengrin castle that Emma was hiding something, but since he didn't feel any malicious intent from her actions he was more than content to leave matters be, no matter how curious he was.
With that detour out of the way he stepped across the hall and entered Laura's room. The Arseid practitioner appeared to be in deep thought about something, but perked up at Rean's appearance. After informing her of their destination the two departed.
"So what have you been up to?" He asked curiously as they made their way through Trista.
"I've spent the day improving myself while attempting to think up an idea for the festival ." She answered proudly, but without actually answering the question.
Rean was confused. Had she been working out in her room or something? His confusion must have been visible to his companion as she looked torn between elaborating further.
Eventually she decided on her answer, although she struggled to look him in the eye. "If you'd like, I will show you what I mean after we finish assisting Fie."
Rean was startled. The answer from the normally proud girl was surprisingly... shy. Now he was really curious. "Sure, we have plenty of time before I begin the old schoolhouse investigation, so I would love to."
"Great!" She beamed brightly at him, forcing him to look away lest she see the tint of red on his face.
Arriving back at the school the two wasted little time making their way to the garden, where Fie waited for them.
"Took you two long enough." While Fie was as deadpan as ever the two sword practitioners knew her well enough to tell she was teasing them and held no real malice in her words.
"Sorry. I got kinda sidetracked before meeting with Laura. So you all ready to go?"
Fie nodded her head. "Let's get potting."
The three settled in to work, with Fie showing Laura how to transfer the plants without hurting them. "Surprised you're even here. Didn't think you cared about flowers."
"Lately I have come to realize my own inadequacies as a person, so I have been trying to expand my knowledge beyond the blade. I think this will be a good lesson for me." She turned to the third member of their group, who had been diligently potting flowers as they conversed. "I notice you are having no problems with this Rean. Do you have prior experience with flowers?"
He nodded in the affirmative. "Some. Mom has her own garden back home. I helped her out with it when I was younger. I'm certainly no expert though."
"Huh. Neat." Fie remarked. "Would like to see it some day."
"Sure. If you ever end up in Ymir I would love to show you. Oh! Did you ever find out what these flowers are called?"
"Edel said they're an herb. They're used for all kinds of remedies. Very practical."
"Huh, your old jaeger corps probably got a lot of use out of them." Rean's comment drew a curious look from Laura, but she refrained from saying anything. Just another clue about how little she actually understood of the outside world.
Fie had more to add. "Apparently they symbolize 'familial love.'"
Rean and Laura shared a glance. "Do you miss the others in the corps?" He asked.
"Kind of." The silver-haired girl replied with a shrug. "I don't feel lonely though. I like it here." She gave a small smile towards the two.
"And we like having you here." Laura responded to her dearest friend with a smile of her own. The brief distraction almost proved costly, however, as the swordmistress almost dropped the flower she had been attempting to pot, but managed to catch it, albeit with a very undignified yelp. Her fellow noble was kind enough to not let his humor at her display show, but Fie of course had no qualms and giggled lightly at the older girl's misfortune.
Fie looked down at one of her herbs. "...Never thought I'd be able to raise these. I didn't understand what Edel meant by 'giving them love' at all."
"Seems like you proved yourself wrong, just as you proved me wrong in Heimdallr." This time Laura''s focus didn't waver from the task at hand.
"...Even if you didn't understand the words you understood the meaning. I have seen how kind and wonderful you are first hand. You helped these flowers grow just as you helped me grow. I don't think anybody could have raised these flowers as well as you. And of course I feel the same way about you too, Laura."
Unused to such earnest praise Fie found herself looking away shyly. "...Maybe you're right." She mumbled out.
"Teehee! How wonderful!" A new voice called out as Edel made her way over to the trio. Fie started to say something to the second year, but was interrupted as she was pulled into a tight hug. "Fie, as the head of the Gardening Club, there's not a thing in the world that could make me happier. Now, you should go spread your love by delivering your flowers to everyone!"
"What a heartwarming scene." Laura proclaimed happily. Rean merely smiled warmly in agreement.
Once they finished potting the herbs the three departed, with Fie in the lead. Each of them were carefully holding two plants as they made their way into the school. They drew a few odd looks, but nothing that made them uncomfortable.
The first stop was the Infirmary, which didn't surprise Rean at all. He knew more than anyone how much the younger girl appreciated the solitude of the room, the warmth of the beds, and most importantly the kindness of Instructor Beatrix. The former Imperial officer was delighted by the gift, but seemed just as happy to see the quiet girl hanging out with friends.
Their next destination wasn't far from the first, as they ended up in the faculty lounge. Luckily, for once their prey was actually present and doing work. Despite all the grief she constantly gives the older woman, it was obvious to all how much Fie cared for Instructor Sara so it made sense she would be rewarded for taking her in. The Bracer was clearly touched by the gesture, but the look on her face made it blatantly clear that she intended to tease her about it at some point in the future.
With those two delivered the group made their way all the way back to the dorms. Emma was still there and fortunately so was Alisa. Like with the previous two the recipients were delighted for the gift, but Alisa was still somewhat annoyed that the three were hanging out yet again.
After their two classmates departed Laura turned to her younger friend. "So who are these final two for?" She asked, noting that both she and Rean were holding a pot still, with the black-haired swordsman looking just as curious as she.
"Who do you think?" While her face was as blank as usual there was a level of incredulity in her expression at their obliviousness. "You two are my closest friends so of course they're for you. I just wish I had more to give you than a couple of flowers..." There was the slightest tint of red on her face after giving such a confession.
"Oh..." Rean didn't really think anything he did was worthy of such a gift, but obviously appreciated the gift and the heartfelt words. "I know more than most how much these flowers mean to you, so if you really think I should have one... Thank you very much!"
"Indeed. Rean is correct." Laura looked down at her own flower with a fond smile. "I shall treasure this gift. Thank you, Fie."
"...Don't mention it." While everybody appreciated her gifts hearing such praise from these two made her feel unusually bashful and she struggled to maintain eye contact with them.
With that finished the three made their way up the stairs so the two recipients could drop off their gifts in their respective rooms, with Fie tagging along as she had nothing better to do. Rean split off when they arrived at the second floor, but the two girls continued until they reached Laura's room. The Arseid practitioner easily found a spot for her herb and took a second to admire the pleasing sight and aroma of it.
"There, that should do it." As she turned to Fie a thought came to mind. "Oh! Fie, I was planning on showing Rean something once we finished here and I would like to extend the offer to you as well."
It only took Fie a second to find her answer. "Sure, why not?" Sure it was lunch time and she was feeling a bit peckish, but that could wait. Plus, she suspected this had something to do with her earlier actions and she couldn't help but be just as curious as Rean had been.
On the way back down they reunited with Rean and Laura grabbed a wrapped package from the kitchen. "I think it would be best if we took this to the highway outside of Trista." Fie and Rean shared a confused look, but silently acquiesced to the blue-haired girl's desire.
The area Laura took them was far enough outside town to not be visible to anybody looking out the exit, but not so far as to make the trip arduous. A few monsters made nuisances of themselves, but were quickly and efficiently dispatched by the experienced fighters. Eventually they found a small clearing away from the road that seemingly met her approval.
"There's something I would like your help with." She gestured for them to sit down and when they did she revealed the contents of her package... a bento box.
Rean looked surprised. "Now I don't want to just jump to any conclusions here..."
"A picnic? Really Laura?" Unlike Rean Fie was totally willing to make that jump.
Laura looked somewhat embarrassed at the look the younger girl was sending her, but persevered. "I'd like for the two of you to try this."
"Did you make it?" Rean asked curiously as they examined the contents of the box. While not the most complicated meal it looked quite wholesome and appetizing. Certainly far superior to whatever it was that Mint made earlier.
"I did. Sharon's been teaching me the finer points of cooking lately. And this seemed like as good a situation..."
"It's pretty good." Fie interrupted. The other two were shocked to discover that somehow without either of them noticing the ex-jaeger had pilfered a piece right out of the box and was happily munching away at it.
"Fie! You can't just dig in like that."
Said girl shot the offended boy a bored shrug. "She clearly wants us to eat it. Try some, it's good."
Seeing that Laura was looking more amused than offended at the younger girl's antics, Rean hesitantly agreed and grabbed a piece for himself. He chewed it slowly and deliberately before coming to his conclusion. "She's right. It's really good. Honestly, it's on par with the meals Sharon makes for us." Fie hummed in agreement.
The Arseid heiress was unimpressed by their compliment. "When you go overboard on a compliment it comes off as insincere."
"Maybe, but he's not wrong." To emphasis the point Fie started chewing on another portion.
"Your hands are all cut up. I can tell how much care you put into it. And that care comes through in the taste. It really does."
Finally accepting the compliments as genuine Laura couldn't help but get flustered. "W-well, then. I'm... I'm glad you two like it."
And like it they did. Under the warm summer sun the two happily devoured the efforts of their third member, much to her delight. After a few minutes, a problem arose.
"...That's the last piece." The stoic girl sent a challenging glare towards her adversity.
He met her stare with one of his own. "So it seems."
"Give it up Rean. You know I'm faster." That was true, but he wasn't without his own advantages in this fight.
"You should give it up. You've eaten a lot more than me already. Any more might be bad for you..."
Fie narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "...Are you calling me fat- Hey!" In that brief second of hesitation Rean darted forward and snagged the prize. But Fie was not one to give up so easily, and launched herself at the dirty thief. They collided and both went down in a heap.
It was Fie who recovered first and with no hesitation she used her teeth to grab the prize right out of Rean's hand. "Mmm... Tastes like victory." She grinned down at the shocked boy as she savored her win.
"Pft!" Laura covered her mouth, but the very unladylike snort had already escaped. "Hehehe!"
As is often the case in situations like that, once Laura cracked it was like the floodgate had been opened. Fie giggled lightly as she pulled herself off the chuckling boy. They remained like that for a good minute until they finally regained their composure.
"So Laura, if you don't mind me asking. What brought all this on anyways?" Rean asked with a sweeping hand gesture towards the empty box.
"W-well. I am a lady after all. While I do focus on the sword I do like to expand my training. And it doesn't hurt that this makes me more ladylike."
Fie snorted. "Ladylike? You? Sorry, I don't see it." She paused as she grew introspective. "...Although coming from me that doesn't mean a lot."
"I wouldn't worry about it." The two turned towards Rean, curious. "I don't know much about being ladylike, but plenty of ladies would come to vacation at the resort back home." He made a face as if he just swallowed something particularly distasteful. "None of them could ever hold a candle to the two of you. You're awesome."
It was just after the words left his mouth that he realized how forward he was, especially considering he was conversing with two members of the fairer sex. He tried to stammer out something to save face, but the words failed to come to him and he settled for awkwardly looking anywhere but at the two he was talking with.
For their part the two girls couldn't help but get flustered at his earnest comment, with even Fie reddening slightly. The fact it came so quickly from such an honest person made it clear that he believed every word he said, which only added to the awkwardness.
"Anyways..." Laura muttered after regaining her composure. "I think it is about time we head back." And totally not because she wanted to escape this awkward atmosphere. "Normally I would suggest a post-meal spar, but it's almost time for your investigation of the Old Schoolhouse, is it not?"
"Y-Yeah. Did either of you-"
"Yup." Fie answered before Rean could even ask the question. "It's the final floor. Not gonna miss it."
Laura nodded her head in agreement. "My blade is yours."
The investigation proved to be something of a disappointment. While every member of Class VII expressed a willingness to participate in the exploration, some had other things they could have been doing and it had long since been decided that smaller groups were best for this, so in the end it was Jusis, Gaius, and Emma who participated alongside the three fighters.
There was a sense of anticipation as the ground descended down onto the final floor, as if they expected all of their questions to be answered once they arrived. Unfortunately, what they found was just more of the same. Just more monster-filled passages. And while the monsters were dangerous, none of them were a threat to the experienced students and none of them were so much as winded by the time they arrived at what they labeled the boss room.
The boss itself was no different. While the rational part of Rean's mind knew the two creatures that appeared out of thin air were markedly tougher than the ones they had fought previously, he still found the battle to be remarkably simple. While Laura, Fie, and Jusis focused their attention on one of the creatures he, Gaius, and Emma took care of the second one.
He had been prepared to transform if the situation required it, but it never once proved an issue. It only took a couple of minutes before he managed to deflect one of it's attacks, leaving it completely exposed for the kind Nord to cripple it with his spear. And while the wounded foe was dangerous as it lashed out in a panic, neither of the calm fighters nor the supporting class president were the type to get cocky and leave themselves open. Methodically they chipped the beast down until Emma finished it off with a well-placed Phantom Phobia art.
A glance over showed that the other group had already dispatched their enemy and had just been waiting to see if they should intervene or not. Once finished they all waited, expectantly, for anything to happen, but nothing did. Rean was pretty sure he wasn't the only one who noticed that Emma almost looked like she had been expecting nothing to happen. With nothing further to do the group of six made their way back to the teleporter and from there back up to the surface.
With their primary mission finished the group dispersed. Having a little time before his meeting with Towa was scheduled, he decided to do one more quick tour of the campus and town. He ended up playing catch with Alisa, discovered that Millium wasn't nearly as proficient a cook as Laura was, and even scored his first win against Crow in Blade.
Outside of those encounters he also had an interesting meeting with Patrick from Class I. The son of Hyarms seemed bothered by something and since he had been a lot less unpleasant lately Rean offered to assist in whatever it was that was troubling him. Come to find out his butler, Celestin, had been acting strangely and it was bothering Patrick. Despite his attempts at not being blatant in his observation failing miserably, Rean was eventually able to get the butler to reveal that he had been ordered home by the Marquis, but was doing what he could to remain in Trista. While Patrick was obviously annoyed that his close companion had been operating behind his back, and worried that his family might be plotting something dangerous, the happiness he expressed at Celestin's desire to stay was obvious even to Rean.
Realizing that he had gotten sidetracked and was actually running a few minutes late, Rean hurried to the school and made his way to the computer room. Unsurprisingly the dutiful Towa Herschel was already there, but surprisingly... she was sound asleep. This created a conundrum for Rean as he couldn't decide between doing the proper thing and waking the older girl, or letting the hardest worker in Thors get a little extra rest.
Eventually he decided to wait. Fortunately he had the most recent chapter of Red Moon Rose available to read, so after loaning the sleeping girl his jacket he sat down to do just that. Night had already fallen on Trista by the time the student council president awoke. She was very confused at her location and the red jacket before Rean finally called out to her.
First came the embarrassment as she realized what had happened. After that came the scolding for not waking her, but that fell flat as her menacing face was too adorable to take seriously. Once she finished her lecture she made her way to one of the orbal computers and plugged something into it.
What was displayed... was amazing. And he didn't just mean Towa's outfit, either. It was a rock concert put on by the students who would inspire the creation of Class VII. Crow and Angelica with guitars, George on drums, and Towa as the vocalist. Something about the setup felt right to Rean, and with Towa's permission he got a copy of the concert with full intention of showing it to his classmates the next day.
After dinner the members of Class VII sat down to discuss the events the other classes were planning. There was a wide variety of attractions being planned and it really felt like their smaller class needed something amazing if they wanted to compete. That's when Rean revealed his findings. To say the other members were curious was an understatement, especially after Crow vouched for it, and Rean promised to show them the recording the next day during lunch. With the day finished Rean retired to his room and listened to Abend time while finishing up some homework, all the while unknowing of the conversation taking place a floor above.
Laura was unsurprised when Fie made her way to her room that night, as that seemed to be happening at an increased frequency these past few weeks. The teasing smirk on her face was something of a concern, however.
"Sooo..." She drawled, " a picnic for Rean, huh?"
Laura blinked in confusion. "You were there too."
"Yup, and it was tasty. But still, it's pretty clear you mostly wanted Rean there."
"I suppose that is true. But I fail to see what you're getting at here..."
"Isn't that something couples do?"
"Oh." That certainly explained the look. She had to pause to consider Fie's words.
Which the younger girl noticed. "Huh. I was just teasing, but maybe I'm not wrong...?"
"I... I'm not sure. It was never my intention to pursue a romantic relationship when I enrolled in Thors, but there's no denying I have a duty to my family and I cannot deny that Rean would be an optimal partner."
"Huh..." Fie took on a more contemplative look at that revelation.
Seeking to divert the attention from her on this embarrassing topic, Laura decided to take the offensive. "And what about you? It seems to me that you have gotten really close to Rean and it didn't escape my notice that he was the only boy you gave a flower to."
Fie looked away awkwardly. "It... it doesn't matter. He already has enough girls interested in him." She admitted quietly.
Now that was something that annoyed Laura greatly. "So a little adversity is enough to make you give up? That's not the Fie Claussell I know."
"This isn't some duel where I can rely on speed and skill to win, you know? And plus, why would he be interested in a girl like me when you and the others are so much more... mature." It was blatantly obvious that she wasn't talking about mental maturity either.
"I think you underestimate yourself, personally. As for that second part, I have noticed Rean's wandering eyes on you just as much as the rest of us during swimming lessons. I suspect there is at least some level of attraction there."
Fie remained unconvinced. "If you say so..."
Seeing her friend still seemed doubtful, the blue-haired girl settled on a different approach. "While I can't speak for Rean with any certainty, he and I are similar enough that I suspect the things that drew me to you apply for him as well." She paused to gather her thoughts as the younger girl looked at her with curiosity. "You have a warrior's body. Muscles in all the right places, with the grace and poise that comes with it. And while you are smaller than the rest of us, I think that creates a contrast that is... exhilarating."
"Oh..." Being complimented on her appearance was something new for the stoic girl, and she couldn't help but redden slightly at Laura's words.
"Be more confident in yourself, Fie. If you decide for yourself that you do possess romantic feelings for Rean then you should act upon them, and I shall do the same."
"Shouldn't you be not encouraging me to hook up with the guy you might like? That seems counterproductive."
"Perhaps so, but I see it like any other duel. Win or lose I would rather face you at your best."
Fie chuckled. "You really are one of a kind, aren't you?" Her face took on a more ruminative look. "We probably should figure it out soon, though. It's only 'cause Rean's so dense that he hasn't noticed Alisa practically throwing herself at him, and I've heard the Student Council President has a thing for him too."
Laura hummed in agreement. "True. I have also noticed that Emma seems to have interest in Rean as well, although I cannot tell what that is about."
"I used to think Emma was the only normal person in Class VII, but she might be the biggest mystery of all..." They probably weren't the only ones who noticed that Emma clearly knew more than she should about some of the questions that plagued the class.
With the heavy stuff out of the way the conversation shifted to lighter topics, such as their interest in Rean's idea of a concert and curiosity at what he was planning on showing them the next day. Eventually Fie returned to her room and the two went to bed, but neither of them slept particularly well as both were plagued with thoughts and doubts.
The next day all the members of Class VII gathered in the computer room where Rean showed them the video he was shown the previous day. To say they were all impressed was an understatement, but one thing did stick out to them...
"W-Well, it was certainly quite a technical display..." Emma muttered.
And Alisa finished. "But if you think we're gonna put on outfits like that and prance around stage, you must be dreaming!"
"Is that the kind of outfit you like, Rean?" Fie teased, before a thought came to mind. "Well I'm about the same size as Towa, so I probably could wear it... What do you think?" She asked the black-haired swordsman.
Rean tried to awkwardly laugh off her teasing words, but despite his best efforts he couldn't quite will away the blush that formed as his traitorous mind created the image for him. This caused Fie to smirk. Perhaps Laura wasn't completely lying if she could garner that kind of reaction from him?
In the end they decided to go with Rean's idea. With Elliot in charge of music, Crow the equipment, and Rean having final word on costumes it seemed they had the beginnings of something special. If nothing else it was a huge relief to finally have something decided so they could move on without constantly having to worry about it.
The next couple days passed rather uneventfully as the ones in charge of the concert preparation worked on trying to figure out the roles that the students would have and what equipment everyone would need. Despite the extra work, Rean still found the time to meet up with Laura and Fie for one of their group training sessions.
While the session progressed like normal, Rean couldn't help but feel something was slightly different this time. Maybe if was the fact that both girls seemed to be deep in thought about something. Or perhaps it was the way they would occasionally glance in his direction when they thought he wasn't looking. The only thing he could think of was that perhaps he wasn't performing up to standard and he did his utmost to focus more, but that didn't appear to change they way they were acting so perhaps it was something else? Still, if they weren't going to bring up whatever was bothering them he didn't see the need to press the issue.
Wednesday arrived and with it came an event that some looked forward to, some dreaded, and one that always proved to be eventful: The Practical Exam. The eleven members of Class VII gathered in the field and listened as Instructor Sara praised them for finally coming up with a festival idea.
After that, they were presented with their challenge for the month: Sara herself. All of them remembered her skills both from Garrelia Fortress and the May practical exam, so the tension of the group rose considerably as the enormity of the challenge before them was realized. Still, none of them were willing to back down as this was a great opportunity to see how far they had progressed as a class and as individuals.
"Since there are eleven of you you will be grouped in two groups of four and one group of three. The first group shall be... Gaius, Elliot, Jusis, and Alisa!" The four called students stepped to the front and took their stances. With the call to begin the four students engaged their combat instructor.
The battle was a difficult one, but the first group was very balanced and it showed in their combat prowess. Gaius and Jusis formed a formidable front line, especially with Elliot supporting them, and Alisa provided suppression fire from afar. Still, despite being heavily outnumbered, their instructor proved her mettle as she deftly evaded the efforts of the melee fighters while using her gun to harass the supporting elements. Eventually they pulled out a win when Jusis surprised Sara with an art cast at point blank range, but it was a close thing and the four combatants were exhausted beyond belief.
"Excellently done! Very solid coordination between your arts and your physical attackers! You guys got me good!" They truly doubted her words when she pulled herself to her feet and acted as if nothing had happened. "Alright. Time for group two. Machias, Emma, Millium, and Crow. You're up!" The next four stepped forward.
"Should have expected this." Fie complained as realization as to whom the third group will be set in.
"It will be nice to see the fruits of our training." Laura, as ever, was eager for the battle to come.
Rean's opinion was somewhere in the middle. "If nothing else this should go better than the beat down she gave me in May..."
While they could have taken the time to form a strategy, Fie knew how skilled and unpredictable their teacher was, so instead they just opted to observe the battle. While the first group had been extremely balanced, the second team focused far more heavily on ranged firepower, with Millium forced to hold the line by herself. It was obvious she wasn't happy with the fact that she was stuck on the defensive, but the intelligence operative understood her role well enough and focused more on Lammy Barrier and not Lammy Smash. Machias assisted where he could, but he was more of a mid-ranged fighter. Emma and Crow provided the bulk of the offense.
It was a struggle, but the second group performed admirably and also secured the win after the arts casters unbalanced the older woman leaving her open for Airgetlam to finally attack, which it took advantage of with a powerful whack that sent Sara flying. Although the Instructor landed on her feet and didn't look any worse for wear, she ended the fight and praised the second team for their relentless firepower and Millium's stout defense.
"So that just leaves us with the third team. I'm not the only one curious to see the results of this top-secret training right?" Given how almost instantly the eight exhausted students perked right up to focus on the third fight it was clear that she wasn't. As one the final three stepped forward and presented a unified front against their Instructor, causing her to grin. "While I won't say I held back against the other groups, I made sure to keep a little extra in the tank for you guys. Got a feeling I'm gonna need it. So if you're ready? Let's go!"