With the festival beginning the very next day, all classes were suspended so that the students had time to assemble their rooms for their events. Most of the classes utilized their own classrooms and the clubs that were participating used their club rooms or nearby areas. A few exceptions did exist, as Class V was holding their event in the gym while both Class I and Class VII were using the auditorium.

Fortunately, there was very little physical preparation for their concert, especially with Class I having their play first, so the members of Class VII were generally excluded from the setup work. That didn't mean that they were free to slack off, however, as both Crow and Elliot demanded a final full day of practice to make sure that everything was perfect. Not wanting to make fools of themselves on stage, the rest of the class accepted those demands readily enough.

The results... were actually quite impressive. While none of them were close to being true experts with their instruments with the sole exception of Elliot, all of them were proficient enough to play the two chosen songs to perfection quite reliably. With the singers and dancers also completely in sync, confidence was at an all time high as they completed three full recitals without a single mistake that morning.

If they thought that meant they would have the second half of the day free, however, they were sadly and painfully mistaken. Crow was so impressed with their work that he dropped a total bombshell on them: A third song. He claimed that having a surprise song as an encore would be the decisive blow needed to make the concert an absolute hit.

None of them could disagree with that, but none of them felt particularly confident in their ability to master a third song in the span of a single day. The second-year countered that thought by pointing out that the musicians were already comfortable with their instruments and since the song he had chosen was known to everyone they should be able to get it extremely fast. It was a daunting task, but if there was something that Class VII had become good at after six months of field studies, personal drama, and Sara, it was their ability to never back down, no matter the odds.

Thus it was a thoroughly exhausted Class VII who departed the Old Schoolhouse late that evening. They had pulled it off, but considering the sun was nowhere to be seen they had definitely gone well over the time they were supposed to spend at the academy. Fortunately Towa and George were also especially busy that day and were still around to lock the campus up after they had left.

Any excitement that they had for the next day was completely muted by the physical and mental exhaustion the ten students and one amused Crow felt as they shuffled through town back to their dormitory. Not even the special celebratory meal prepared for them by Sharon did much to improve the mood, but it did ensure that they would have extra energy to burn the next day, something which they all suspected they would need.

With bellies full and eyes drooping down to critical levels, most of them retired to their rooms for an early night. Although Rean did do his customary evening visit to all his classmates, even that was tame in comparison to usual as few people really had the energy to converse and most appeared ready for an early night's rest.

The next day came rather quickly, much to their dismay, but after a full night's rest they were all starting to feel excited for the day's events. The concert was on the second day and most of the students who had clubs involved were helping out on that day as well, so that meant the first day was free for all of them to explore and enjoy themselves. That didn't stop a certain helper of the student council from mentally promising to stop and provide assistance for anyone who needed it, but his classmates had all but demanded that he especially take the day and enjoy himself.

Two voices were particularly loud in that regard, not that he minded in the slightest. Eventually it was decided among the three that he would be spending the morning with Laura and evening with Fie. The afternoon he had free as Fie had wanted to hang out with Laura and was muttering something about challenging her best friend/rival to a game of Mishy Panic...

There was some concern that morning over the news that Crossbell had declared independence, and some of the more politically minded individuals were worried about any potential fallout from that, but knowing that there was nothing they could do they instead set aside those concerns so that they might enjoy the festivities for themselves. It didn't mean that there wasn't some intense discussions among the students and townsfolk that morning as the school got ready to open.

After the brief entrance ceremony the gates were opened and students, townsfolk, and tourists alike began to stream into the academy in droves. The members of Class VII were no exception and they too followed suit and began their day. A day that unbeknownst to them would end up being one of the longest days in their lives...

As planned, Laura met up with Rean as soon as they entered the campus. It was a unique experience seeing the school filled to capacity with people who weren't students. The two were perfectly content to let the initial rush of bodies stream through while they watched.

"So did you have any plans in mind?" Laura asked curiously.

"Towa gave me some tickets to use at the attractions, so I was thinking about checking out the horseback riding event. Anything you have in mind?"

"Horseback riding sounds lovely. If we have time Monica was telling me how they decorated their classroom like an ancient castle, so I would not mind visiting Class III if we get the chance."

Class III was... "Gate of Avalon, right? The Blade event?" Seeing her confirming nod he couldn't help but smirk slightly. "That works for me, but don't expect me to go easy on you." He couldn't help himself! Blade was serious business!

"I would expect nothing less. Very well, shall we be off?"

They decided to visit the field first, where the Super Stallion event was being held. The field had been converted into a large track with obstacles for experienced horse riders, while an area off to the side had been setup for beginners to be taught how to ride. Since both Rean and Laura were experienced equestrians thanks to their noble upbringings they skipped that section and went straight to the race track.

Rean went first, and put up a very solid time, at least in his opinion. Maybe it wasn't a Jusis or Gaius time, but he felt his score would hold up for a little while. That thought only lasted for a couple of minutes as Laura did her run and managed to beat him by a single second. Fie was right, she truly was a competitive girl. But that was fine, so was he, and the Blade tables would be the perfect spot for him to enact his revenge.

"Haha, that was fun."

"It was. I must admit I was a bit jealous when I found out that you got to explore the Nord Highlands on horseback. That must have been quite the experience."

Her comment caused Rean to think back on that trip those many months ago. "It really was..." Even the attack on the watchtower and threat of imminent war failed to detract from the beauty of that place. "Maybe one day we'll get to go back there."

"I hope you are correct. I would love to visit that place myself."

"You're group went to... Bryonia Island, right?" She nodded in agreement. "Well that must have been a pretty amazing place too, right?"

"It... was." She answered slowly. "But I must confess I didn't get to fully appreciate the beauty of that place at the time."

Why wouldn't she... oh, right. "Your tiff with Fie, right?"

Her wince would have served as answer enough, but she still felt compelled to speak. "Right. I was so caught up in my own prejudice that I failed to appreciate the world around me."

Right. He had heard about it from Elliot and Machias. While that field study wasn't a complete disaster like the first one with Jusis and Machias, there was still an oppressive tension in the air the entire time and they were unable to finish all the optional tasks because of it. "Haha, well at least you managed to grow from that experience, so it wasn't a total loss."

"True enough." She answered with a smile. "Still, I would like to go back there and experience the island again at some point. Perhaps one day the three of us will get that chance to go together." It was hard to imagine them all ending up back there, but stranger things had happened...

As they conversed they were traveling around the school. While their eventual destination was the classroom of Class III, they had plenty of time to kill so there was no real rush. This meant that they had plenty of time to enjoy all the sights and sounds of the festival.

Despite the festive atmosphere, Rean was still Rean and kept himself on the lookout for any people needing help. So he was the first to spot a lost elderly couple outside of the auditorium during their explanation and couldn't help himself from rushing over and seeing if they needed assistance. While some of the other classmates thought he could be nosy, as she watched him provide directions to the two she couldn't help but find it to be a most admirable quality. Silently she vowed to mimic his actions and keep an eye out for anyone in need of help.

After stopping for an early lunch at Becky's food stall, the two took their tour of the festivities inside the school itself. As it was with the outside, the indoors area was just as packed. Eventually they made it to the second floor where all the first-year classrooms were. They were briefly detoured when they discovered an abandoned Mishy plush near the classrooms, but a quick search led them to a child on the rooftops who had lost it. After handing one of his tickets to a Monica who got extremely flustered when she saw the pair, the two entered the classroom turned castle.

"They truly did a remarkable job with the decoration. It really does reminds me of Lohengrin Castle."

"It does, hopefully without all the fiends trying to kill us..."

Laura couldn't help but giggle at his sour look. "Next time you're in Legram I would be happy to show you the castle as it normally is. It's truly a spectacular place."

After admiring the décor of the room for a few minutes the two settled in at one of the tables to play a few rounds of Blade while waiting for the mysterious 'Blade Master' to arrive. The only person they could think of who might fill such a role would be Crow, but neither of them felt like the slacker was one to volunteer his services on something like that.

Some might deride Blade as a game of luck, but Rean knew better. While chance did play a significant role, there were plenty of moves a skilled player could do to turn the tables on someone with a better hand. He remembered that first trip to Celdic when the four members of Group A were inexperienced beginners at the game. Laura had improved her skill by a massive margin since that first time. But then again, so had he.

While his hand didn't contain many high number cards, it did contain a trio of bolts, so he played an extremely aggressive early game and forced his opponent to use her best cards early, which he promptly deleted over and over again, much to her consternation. With that done it was a simple battle of attrition which he inevitably prevailed in. With a defeated sigh and an amused roll of the eyes the Arseid student conceded her defeat.

"Maybe you should forget about the Eight Leaves and take up Blade full time. I think you might already be a master." She teased as they recovered their decks.

"Haha, very funny. If I really wanted to do that I would need to be able to beat Crow first. Or this so-called Blade Master... who's Sharon, apparently." He finished as he saw the super maid enter the room with her usual smile and a deck of cards in her hand.

After seeing what he saw Laura couldn't help but shake her head in amusement. "We really need to stop being surprised at these things." Vacating her seat she instead circled around the table and took up a spot standing behind Rean, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "I trust you'll prevail?"

He wasn't sure if he could, but her encouragement gave him a boost of confidence and a desire to live up to her expectations. "I will."

"Master Rean, Lady Laura." The maid greeted as she took her seat in the spot Laura had vacated from. "As you have already surmised, Master Crow has appointed me the Blade Master for the duration of this festival. Bear in mind that I have no intention of holding back against you. I wouldn't be much of a Blade Master if I did. Are you prepared, Master Rean?" To add more pressure, many of the occupants of the room had moved over to get a better look at the battle that was about to unfold.

He wasn't sure if anyone could be prepared for a duel of this magnitude, but he would do his best regardless. "Let's get started!"

What followed was one of the most intense battles of his life. His hand was strong, but the Blade Maid matched him at every point. Each card used felt like a critical decision where one misstep would spell disaster for him. Every bolt a decisive weapon and each mirror a critical lifeline.

To make it worse the placid smile never once left his opponent's face. The same could not be said for him as sweat began to drip down his face from how intense he was focusing. A reassuring squeeze from the hand on his shoulder was the only thing allowing him to keep his composure as he played card after card.

Eventually it came down to their final cards. He was up by one point and had a four in his hand. If Sharon played a six or a seven she would win. A five would force the game to be decided by a draw form their decks. Anything less and he would win...

She played a four.

He stared, uncomprehending, at the final card played. It wasn't until the maid congratulated him on his victory that it finally began to sink in. He vaguely recalled the excited whispers of the crowd as the Blade Master handed him a special card to commemorate his victory and Laura approaching Sharon after for lessons on Blade, but that was about all he could remember.

"Looks like you are closer to that goal than you realize, oh master of Blade." Laura teased once Sharon had left and the crowd had dispersed.

"...Shut up." He moaned in embarrassment as he finally rose from his seat.

She laughed lightly at his reaction. "Still, it was a remarkable duel. You should be proud of yourself."

"I am." He admitted easily enough. "Just a bit exhausted after all that." He didn't think a card game could be so mentally taxing, but now that it was over he was certainly feeling the exertion.

"I'm sure. Would you like to sit and rest somewhere?"

He shook his head. "I'll be fine. But more importantly, isn't it about time for you to meet up with Fie?"

Checking the clock confirmed that Rean was indeed correct. "Hmm... Indeed it is. In that case I shall take my leave." She paused, thinking about her next move. Deciding to act upon it she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you Rean, I had a wonderful time." After that she made her exit.

To his credit he didn't freeze up due to her actions, but he did stiffen a little as some of the bystanders giggled and whistled after that display. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor he made a quick escape from that room while wondering what he was going to do for the next few hours.

Fie relaxed on the rooftop bench as she consumed a pie from the nearby stall. It probably wasn't a proper lunch, but the pastry looked too good to pass up on. And it wasn't like she could sit down for a full meal anyways as Laura had just called her and was only a minute or so away. A shame, it was a nice day for a nap.

"Fie!" Speak of the devil. Her partner for the afternoon had just arrived.

"Sup?" She greeted as she polished off the last bite of her snack.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." Laura apologized needlessly. "Do you know what you want to do?"

Fie shrugged in answer. "I want to check out Mishy Panic, but outside of that not really."

"Mishy, huh?" Laura muttered, recalling the silly little cat mascot she had in her room. "Sure, that sounds fun."

Much to Fie's dismay, Laura did not think that jumping off the rooftop was a viable path to the Gymnasium. A shame that, would have saved a lot of time. Instead they began the long trek down the stairs and out the front door.

As they were making their way over they came across a scene. A small boy was looking up at a balloon caught in the tree near the pathway to the academy field. He appeared quite distraught and they correctly surmised that the balloon had been his.

"You want to help him, don't you?" Clearly Laura's thoughts were plainly visible on her face as Fie was quick to call out her intentions.

"It's the right thing to do. Is that a problem?"

The silver-hair girl shot her a mischievous grin. "Nah, not a problem. But how much of it is that it's the right thing to do and how much of it is you just wanting to beat Rean to the punch?

She stiffened. "I do not know what you are talking about..." She wilted as Fie continued to stare. "Maybe a little bit, alright?"

Her grin widened at getting such an admission. "Perfect. Let's see what we can do."

With that said the two moved in to investigate further. Laura talked with the boy and his parent confirming that their initial suspicion was correct. Fie ignored them instead focusing the entirety of her attention on the tree and the balloon in question.

"I suppose we should go see about borrowing a ladder from the janitor's office." The Arseid student muttered once she was finished with her discussion.

"Nah, that won't be needed."

"Fie?"

The younger girl pointed upwards. "It's only a few arge away. You're strong and I'm agile. We can do this."

It took a few seconds before she realized what Fie was implying. "You want me to throw you?"

"Yup. I think we can make it."

Laura wasn't sure if she shared in her confidence, as tossing another human being wasn't something she had any experience with, but Fie was definitely light enough... "Alright, let's give it a shot."

What followed was an awkward minute as the agile girl climbed up her as they struggled to get into position. Eventually they managed, with Laura holding onto the bottom of Fie's feet while the younger girl used Laura's head to keep her balance. It wasn't the most stable position at all, but they were confident that they could hold it for long enough.

"All set?" She couldn't see Fie's nod as the smaller girl now towered above her, but the fact she didn't say anything probably meant she was ready. "Alright, on three. Three... Two... One... Hup!" Using her considerable strength she launched her arms upward and sent her friend flying away.

It was obvious that her toss had the distance, but it appeared to be off the mark. At least it would have been if Fie hadn't used her considerable dexterity to catch onto the tree's limb as she passed by, halting her momentum as she gamely held on. Once she regained her bearing the girl shimmied down the length of the tree limb to where the balloon was. Mission successful she allowed gravity to do it's work, bringing her and the toy back down to earth.

"Wow! You ladies are so cool!" The boy gushed as she returned his balloon to him. The parent, while somewhat less enthusiastic, was equally as grateful and thanked the two profusely before leading the child away.

"Hurray." Fie muttered lamely at the success of their mission, earning herself a teasing nudge from her friend. With that unexpected task completed the duo continued their journey to the gym where Mishy awaited them.

The game looked interesting. There were nine holes in the ground arrayed in a three by three square, and at random one of three different Mishys could pop out of any hole. The objective was to smack the Evil Mishy with a provided hammer while not harming the regular Mishy or Mishettes that would appear.

Laura went first. Physically the swordmistress was well suited for this kind of activity. Reality, however, was somewhat different. So trained was she in the use of a greatsword that all of her hammer swings were done in the same way, making them slower in a game where you needed speed. It was actually impressive that nothing broke despite her best attempts. To add to her troubles she was very cautious as to not hit any of the innocent cats. Thus, while her score wasn't bad, it wasn't all that impressive.

Fie ended up being quite a bit more successful at killing the Evil Mishys, as her natural speed and agility made this game perfect for her. Her problem however, was that she went a little too fast. Two innocent Mishys and one sad Mishette lost their lives in her grand crusade, much to Laura's secret horror. She would later blame it all on her jaeger instincts. Thus her final score was actually less than that of Laura.

"I'd heard that you were good, but you're about as threatening as a baby chick." Came a female voice to the side, catching the attention of both Class VII members.

"Oh, hello Friedel." Laura greeted normally despite those words. The captain of the fencing club was joined, as always, by her vice-captain Loggins.

Unlike her friend, Fie was not so willing to let those words slide. "Care to repeat that?" She asked the second-year noble dangerously.

Friedel giggled as she returned the look with a challenging one of her own. "You heard me. You couldn't beat us in a million years!"

Beside her Loggins shook his head in mild exasperation. "You're wayyy too into this, Friedel."

They had intended on only playing the game once so they had more time to explore the festival, but...

The two girls shared a look and the silent message was shared and agreed upon. Laura was naturally a competitive person and while Fie would claim she wasn't, such an insult only served to fan her own competitive flames. So the decision was made to try again.

But just being competitive wasn't enough to win, not in something like this. Although they didn't witness the performance of the second-year students it was undoubtedly impressive. They needed a plan.

"Be faster with your swings." Fie told her companion. Try to stay in a spot where you can see all nine holes at once and try to target the Mishys that appear first as they will drop down the quickest."

"Understood. From my observations you can slow down by a significant amount and still have time to be successful. The penalty for hitting the wrong target is steep so even if it means missing on a hit or two make sure to avoid the innocent ones."

"Got it."

The second attempt was superior in every way. Laura valiantly protected Mishy and Mishette from the Evil Mishys, earning herself a very good score of 270. Fie, mixing a little patience in with her blazing speed landed a 280. Both scores were so far above the reward time that they knew they had the win with that performance.

They totally weren't planning on being sore winners as they turned to where the second-year challengers were... only to find the pair weren't there anymore. "Friedel and Loggins? They left when you two got started. She was laughing pretty hard." Came the deep voice of the student in charge of the event... Munk if they recalled correctly.

"Crap... They totally tricked us into playing again before escaping."

"Maybe so." Laura agreed. "But it was still a fun experience."

Munk proceeded to hand each of them a matching Mishy plush. "Gotta say, you Class VII people never fail to entertain. You two showed up to get the highest combined score just a few minutes after your classmate got a perfect 300. Should make for a good story..."

The two shared a glance, already knowing who that certain classmate was, but still wanting to confirm it anyways. "Who got the 300?"

"It was Rean, of course." Replied the creepy boy to Fie's question. "He was in here with Millium just before you showed up."

"Figures..."

"I know I shouldn't be bothered by the accomplishments of someone so dear to me, but I cannot help but feel slightly put out at just how successful he can be at just about everything..."

The stoic silver-haired girl nodded in agreement. "Same. I'll be sure to chew him out when I meet up with him. Speaking of..."

Right, the time. They hadn't intended on spending most of the afternoon at this one game, but they had. Not that it was a bad experience or anything. "Right, you go have fun with Rean."

The two girls shared a quick hug before they left the building together. Fie in search of their shared boyfriend while Laura decided to go and see what their other friends were up to.

Rean couldn't help but feel that something was amiss as he stared down at his ARCUS. He had been trying to contact Fie so the two could meet up, but she wasn't answering his calls. That was unusual as she was the one who pushed the hardest for the current schedule. Something was definitely wrong with the situation.

But he felt he had a good understanding of Fie. She wouldn't ignore his calls unless she had a good reason. While he didn't know the reason for certain, his instincts were screaming at him that he was in danger. Given how many people were still around the odds of him sensing the stealthy girl were slim to nil, but if he was right...

She was hunting him.

A part of him wanted to just stand there and let her catch him, but he didn't want to ruin her fun. Plus, if she was challenging him he wasn't the kind of person to back down without a fight. But if he wanted to have a chance against the skilled jaeger he needed to get away from the large crowds filling the school. He needed a place that was secluded and he had just such a place in mind.

From a distance Fie watched as her victim fled down the path towards the Old Schoolhouse. A smart idea, but unfortunately for him she was already on his tail. With a predatorial smirk on her face she set off in pursuit of her helpless prey.

As confident as she was in her abilities, she knew that if he managed to get inside the abandoned building she would have serious trouble ambushing him, even if she didn't believe he would risk using the elevator. Instead she put on the speed as she rushed to intercept him before he could reach his destination, while still remaining quiet enough to stay undetected. He had strong senses so she knew that she needed to be quick when she struck.

Something which proved to be accurate. She made her move just as Rean entered the clearing in front of the building, breaking into a dead sprint and launching herself at him. He sensed her presence at the last second and turned to face her, but wasn't able to do much more as she collided with him at full speed, sending both of them to the ground.

She grinned down at the bewildered swordsman, enjoying the unexpected benefits of her successful hunt. There he was, on the ground, with her straddling him. They were completely alone, too...

Actually, scratch that. They both sensed the presence of a third person at about the same time. Annoyed at the unexpected person she frowned as she reluctantly removed herself from what could have been an awesome moment and got to her feet, extending a hand to help Rean do the same. Once that was finished they looked to the intruder.

To their surprise, they recognized the woman who had yet to notice them in return. The name slipped their minds, but it was the lady they helped back in Roer, the one related to Mint and Instructor Makarov. After sharing a confused glance the duo approached the woman to see why she was hanging out at the Old Schoolhouse.

Come to find out, the lady, Vanilla, had decided to visit the festival and told Instructor Makarov that she would meet him at the front of the school, but somehow she ended up all the way here instead. Not wanting to be there with the eccentric lady any longer than possible, Fie managed to beat Rean in offering their services in locating her younger brother for her, which she gratefully accepted.

Finding the lackadaisical teacher wasn't hard, but he straightened up in a hurry once they relayed the situation to him. Rean thought about following to make sure the two met up alright, but Fie managed to dissuade them from that idea so the two could enjoy the evening together.

"Any ideas what we should do?" He asked his partner for the evening.

Fie sighed miserably. "Vivi made me promise that we would visit her class at some point today. I mean I would rather skip it, but I would never hear the end of it..." The conflict was real. "After that? Whatever."

Rean laughed at her expression. "I'm terrified at what Vivi has in store for us, but I am curious about Class IV's Eastern Teahouse, so that's fine. I've heard good things about Class II's display too, so how about we check that one out after?" That sounded reasonable enough to Fie and so she nodded in agreement.

Destination in mind the two made the short trek to the classroom where the teahouse 'Miyabi' was located. After giving their ticket to Linde, who worried them by giving the two pitying looks, the pair entered the classroom. After taking a second to admire the eastern décor the pair made their way to a seat to enjoy the green tea and sweets provided.

"This isn't half bad." Fie admitted as she drank the tea. While she certainly preferred the snacks, the tea was better than she expected and she could see why Rean was such a dork for eastern culture.

"My master used to bring stuff like this to Ymir when he visited. You should try the manju there some day."

Fie stifled a yawn. "This place is making me sleepy..."

Rean laughed, thinking she was joking, but paled considerably when the girl started to make sleeping noises. "Fie!?"

"Just kidding." She grinned slightly in response at having tricked him, even if for only a second.

"I hate to interrupt while you're sleeping together, but it's fortune time~!" Came the not really unexpected voice of Vivi, interrupting the pair.

Approaching was not only the prankster, but her sister as well. The two twins were holding boxes and explained that they were fortunes. The box Linde held had fortunes related to luck, while Vivi's were related to romance.

"Vivi was up most of the night making special fortunes for the two of you." Linde supplied helpfully.

Much to the annoyance of her twin. "Hey! You weren't supposed to say that! It was gonna be super funny when they read them!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Linde did not look at all sorry at ruining her prank. Perhaps Vivi should consider not pranking her sister all the time, but that would be impossible.

"Well now that my traitorous sister has ruined the fun, the two of you are gonna pick my romantic luck fortunes, right?"

The young couple shared a glance. While they were worried about whatever Vivi had in mind when she wrote fortunes for them, she did go out of her way to make them and they couldn't deny they were curious... "Alright, I'll try one the romance ones."

"Me too." Fie agreed easily enough despite her own reservations.

With great trepidation the two reached into Vivi's box for their fortunes. It didn't help that the mischievous girl was practically bouncing from excitement. Out came a sheet of paper for each of them, fortunes written on them.

"Huh." Fie muttered as she read hers. " 'Many obstacles stand in your way, but you have the strength to persevere and achieve true happiness with the ones you hold dear'. That's... surprisingly not bad. You sure you wrote this? What does yours say... Rean?"

The reason for her pause was seeing the sour look on the boy's face. "'Threesomes await you, you lucky stud.' Seriously?"

"Hehe, what can I say? I'm a stinker." Vivi admitted with absolutely no remorse.

"That's what I was expecting." Linde agreed sadly. "But wait, how did you make sure they got the specific fortunes you wrote for them?" Now that she mentioned it, Fie and Rean turned their curious gazes to the pink-haired demon.

"That's a trade secret~"

Odd, but not something they could figure out in that moment, although Fie did make a mental note to steal that box to investigate for hidden switches and compartments at a later date. The two were then instructed to hang their fortunes up, which they did (albeit very reluctantly on the part of Rean). After a few more minutes enjoying the scenery of Miyabi the duo departed.

Their final destination for the day was just down the hallway at the classroom for Class II. After handing off his final ticket to Bridget, the duo entered the noble's room. Rean had heard that the classroom was spectacularly designed, and seeing the Stella Garten paid truth to those rumors.

As the name implied, it was an indoor garden set under a fake night sky. The garden was arranged in such a way as to create a path around the outside of the room and there were a few other people in the room with them.

"Apparently, it gets better if you turn on some device farther in." The silver-haired girl muttered as she enjoyed the night sky.

The two followed the path around the room as they enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, despite the clear falseness of it. Eventually the path led them to the center of the room. There they found a large projector and a bench.

"You don't think that's the device you were talking about, do you?" The swordsman asked as he gazed upon the large machine. Fie's answering shrug wasn't very helpful, so the duo instead approached the machine to inspect it more thoroughly.

Seeing a very large button practically calling out to them, Fie was unable to resist the temptation and pushed it in. The results were immediate as the night sky lit up even further illuminating the entire room in the shining radiance of fake stars.

"...Woah." Her breathless response spoke for both of them.

Silently he agreed with that sentiment. It truly was a breathtaking spectacle. Wordlessly they decided to take advantage of the nearby bench and seated themselves to further appreciate the sights around them.

"One of the mansions we had to infiltrate had a garden like this." Fie muttered, seemingly lost in thought. "We did it at night too. Brings back memories."

Rean looked over curiously. While he had little interest in the jaeger lifestyle, he was always willing to hear more about the experiences that shaped Fie into the girl she has become. "That must be an important memory for you."

"I guess... It was fun traveling around with them." She paused as a stray thought came to mind. "A few members left before we disbanded, though."

"Weird, really?" That news wasn't the most surprising, but Rean felt like he needed to say something to fill the empty space.

"There was one man with a face like a bear's. Everyone was sad when he left. He had a strong sense of duty and was always looking out for everyone. He got along pretty well with the leader, too. I heard he got scouted by a trading company... I wonder what he's doing now."

It was a simple question, but Rean could hear the wistful tone despite the fact that her voice barely gave anything away. "You mentioned that everyone in your corps has gone their separate ways... Are you worried about them?"

She shook her head. "Not really. They're all pretty tough, so I'm sure they're fine..." This time the hint of sadness was plainly apparently as the younger girl trailed off.

"...You miss them, don't you?" He accurately guessed.

"Mm... a bit." Her somber tone faded as she gave a small smile. "But it's okay. I've got Class VII now. And I've got you."

What was he supposed to say to something like that? "...Haha, that you do." That answer seemed to be sufficient as Fie let out a yawn and proceeded to lie down on the bench they were on, something that didn't at all surprise him. Still... "C'mon Fie, we can't be napping in here. The festival is about over for today so let's just head back to the dorm. You can sleep after dinner, I promise."

He really should not have promised that, as events were in motion that would ensure that no member of Class VII would be getting a restful sleep that night...