Contrary to her greatest fears, the invasion of Crossbell ended up being a relatively bloodless affair. Thanks to Instructor Sara's bracer contacts in the now occupied city all of Class VII learned about recent events in that troubled territory before the general populace did. According to their teacher the Imperial Army had completely ruined any defensive plans that the Crossbell military might have had by simply flying the Pantagruel over the mountains before unloading a group of Achtzehn tanks and Panzer Soldats outside of the city itself. Forced into choosing between a hopeless battle or a peaceful capitulation the mayor of Crossbell had chosen the latter, thus ending the conflict as quickly as it began.
That news should have been the most important thing to happen to Laura this day, but it quickly found itself secondary to what she and the rest of Class VII had just been told, "I'm sorry, but are you saying that..."
Principal Vandyck must have expected her confusion as he let out a short laugh, "Like I said, the faculty – with support from the board of directors – have unanimously agreed that given Class VII's contributions in the recent conflict that you will all be allowed the opportunity to take accelerated courses so that you may graduate this spring alongside the second year students."
With his message said the principal turned and exited the classroom. Instructor Sara clapped her hands, causing the stunned students to focus on her, "It's a big decision, so you've got a couple of days to think it over. And..." The teacher trailed off for a moment as she appeared to mull over her words, "...I don't want this to influence your decision at all, but I've decided to resign my post at this school at the end of the year. I can't leave Toval to handle everything in the guild by himself."
She followed the principal out of the door leaving the assembled students to quietly think over her words. Classes were at an end for the day but neither Laura nor anyone else appeared to be in any rush to leave.
The opportunity to graduate a year early was an extremely generous one and by all logical reasoning was one they should accept without hesitation. With everything going on in Erebonia it was hard to find the same joy in their school lives that they had before. Classes almost felt stifling in a way. So the chance to get out there and try to do some good was a very tempting one...
But doing so would mean the end of the Class VII she had come to cherish so dearly. To leave all of her precious friends after everything they had done together was almost too painful to think about. It was a choice as cruel as it was beneficial.
That Instructor Sara was already leaving meant that no matter what choice they made things around the school were already changing drastically. B-But that didn't mean they needed to give it all up. There had to be a way they could preserve something of the lives they had formed together, right?
Realizing how disjointed and messy her thoughts were becoming Laura bit down on her lip. The jolt of pain gave her something to focus on, but provided little clarity to her rapidly spinning brain. She needed to quickly come up with an answer to this conundrum, but no answer was springing to mind.
As was oft the case whenever she found herself feeling directionless the Arseid turned to her classmates for inspiration.
Rean wore a thoughtful frown on his face. Fie had her eyes closed, but her breathing did not resemble someone who was asleep. Alisa's hands were tapping nervously on her desktop. Emma was staring thoughtfully at the glasses she held in her hands.
Millium wore an uncharacteristic frown as she looked around mindlessly. Gaius appeared calm as he tilted his head in deep thought. Elliot let out a pitiful groan as his head fell onto the desk. Machias seemed to be trying to keep his composure as befitting the class vice-president, but given the way he was sagging in his seat made it clear he wasn't entirely successful. As for Jusis...
"I haven't mentioned this yet, but I was able to briefly speak with my brother a couple of days ago. Given what we know now it is obvious that he was busy planning the invasion of Crossbell, so I didn't get to speak to him about many things I wished I could have. That being said, one of the few topics we were able to discuss was the future of Bareahard."
The noble boy let out a tired sigh, "As the eldest and as father's only true-born son he is the obvious fit to succeed father as the next Duke Albarea, but Rufus made it quite clear that he held no interest in the position. I was planning on doing what I could to run our family's territory from here while Arnauld handled the day to day operations, but given everything that has happened I am uncomfortable leaving the territory without a ruler for so long."
"What I am trying to say is that come this spring I will be graduating from Thors Military Academy so that I can return home."
Laura watched as the blonde-haired swordsman stood from his desk before silently leaving the classroom. Was that decision so painful to him that he couldn't bear to be around them any longer? Did he feel like he betrayed the class by electing to leave? Laura certainly hoped not. His decision – borne out of a desire to care for his subjects – was an honorable and respectable one.
Still, even if Jusis' choice was the right one, it still stung painfully. They had already lost Crow, were losing Instructor Sara, and now Jusis...? It was like watching everything they had spent a long time building up begin to crumble away into nothing.
And as was the case with most things, what began as a slow crumble quickly cascaded into something greater, "I-I don't want to leave here, but I need to find out what happened to Vita. And to do that I think I'll need Grandmother's help..."
"I am worried about Nord. If tensions between Erebonia and Calvard continue to ramp up I fear my home could once again turn into a battlefield. If that does then I need to be there. I need to use the lessons I've learned here to protect my family."
"I told mother that when I finally had some answers I would show her how to run our company the right way. I'm still not sure I have all those answers just yet, but I think Reinford needs my help now more than ever..."
A painful sensation stung at Laura's eyes, one which she quickly brushed away. Emma, Gaius, and Alisa. While none of them had fully committed to leaving, one didn't need to be a Nord to tell how the winds were blowing on that front. Like Jusis all three of them would certainly be leaving the class at the end of the year.
And she had little doubt that the others would follow suit. Millium had her duties as an Ironblood. Elliot has gained his father's approval to pursue a music career. Machias' sense of justice wouldn't allow him to sit idly by while injustice gripped the continent.
In just a few short months Class VII would be finished. It was a terrible thought to consider, but it was one that was all but set in stone at this point.
"Have you thought about what you plan on doing after we graduate?"
Rean's question caused the Arseid to slowly nod her head, "I suppose I shall return to Legram. Father was hopeful that I would attain mastery before I graduated. That might be out of the question now, but I still wish to get stronger."
Her fellow swordsman laughed out loud, "Of that I have no doubt. I'm sure mastery will come quickly once your father sees how skilled you've become."
The two of them were walking back to the dorms together. Often when they walked together they would be accompanied by Fie, but even with no club activities that day the younger girl had insisted on making sure her plants were in good shape to endure the late January frost. Laura had offered her assistance, but the girl had waved her off.
"Thank you. I don't know how long it will take, but I swear that I will grow strong. Strong enough to protect you and the others from whatever is coming in the future."
Rean looked away with a tint of pink on his cheeks, "...I know you will. Thanks."
"What about you?" Laura asked at last, "I know you originally were planning on joining the Imperial Army, but..."
"That's definitely not happening now." He finished for her, "Still... I haven't really decided what I want to do in the future." The Schwarzer heir frowned, "...Or more like I'm not sure what I can do. Not many options open for someone with a Divine Knight."
His words caused Laura to wince at the reminder. Already things around the Academy were changing as they were in the middle of constructing a hangar bay attached to the Engineering Club for next year's Panzer Soldat classes. While the building wasn't complete just yet, it was built enough to house Valimar while Rean finished up this year.
His reminder also caused her to gather the courage to ask a question that had been on her mind for the past few days, "...Has anything changed? Since that day, I mean."
She didn't need to specify, but both teens understood 'that day' to mean the day of the announcement. The day that Rean officially became the Ashen Chevalier in the eyes of Erebonia. Naturally she had been keeping a close eye on him since that time, but to her eyes things seemed to have mostly been the same. And she was certain that Fie was doing the same – probably more successfully given her stealthy nature.
"It hasn't been too different." He admitted, confirming the results of their scouting, "I think it's because most of us students fought together at the end, but everyone at school has treated me about the same. Patrick has been a little less hostile, I think...?"
Laura lacked the heart to tell her boyfriend that the reason for that change in attitude probably had less to do with his newfound title and moreso that Patrick had a crush on Elise.
"Trista has been mostly the same as well." He added as they walked through the town in question, "A few odd looks here and there, and I keep having to turn down requests to do a radio interview, but other than that it's been alright."
"And what of your family?"
"Ah..." Laura narrowed her eyes as he hesitated. She knew he had been hurt by his parents withholding information on him, but surely not to such an extent as to not want to hear from them... right? He must have noticed her icy look as he raised his arms in mock surrender, "Elise sent me a letter a few days ago. It didn't say much, but she wasn't very subtle in her desire for me to visit Heimdallr as soon as possible."
That was good, but Elise wasn't the one he had a problem with, "Your parents?" This time she didn't keep silent as Rean looked away sheepishly, "Rean..."
"Father sent me a letter yesterday, actually." He cut her off quickly.
"And...?"
The black-haired sword user opened his mouth before pausing and closing it again, clearly struggling to find whatever words he was looking for. After repeating the gesture three times he finally allowed his shoulders to slump, "...I haven't looked at it yet."
"Rean!"
"I know! I know! I'll read it, I promise! I just... need some time."
"You have until this evening." Her statement caused him to nearly trip over his feet as he stared at her in shocked confusion, "Tonight I will go to your room and if you haven't yet read the letter I'll read it for myself."
The flummoxed boy needed a moment to formulate a response, "...Isn't that a violation of my privacy?"
It totally was, and yet... "Tell that to someone who gives a damn."
Laura could only wonder if she had always been this blunt or if a certain unscrupulous individual she had been spending much of the last year with had caused this change. Either way the direct approach seemed to be the right one as Rean looked away before mumbling something that sounded like acceptance to her.
"As for your earlier question..." On one hand she knew he was changing the subject to get away from her threats – not that this would stop her from carrying them out - but it was true that they had gotten distracted, "There's one upcoming problem that I'm not looking forward to at all."
"...And what would that be?" His vagueness was obnoxious, but given the sour look on his face she allowed him to have it. Whatever he was about to say was destined to be bad.
"The Imperial Chronicle." Rean muttered at last.
It wasn't hard for her to fill in the blanks, "They're writing an article about you, aren't they?"
"An article?" He let out a snort of derision, "More like an entire special episode all about the Ashen Chevalier. Only reason it's taken them so long is because they were completely caught off guard by the announcement and had nothing prepared, but it sounds like the Imperial Government has been providing them with all the info they need, including pictures of myself and Valimar."
Rean was a hero. This she firmly believed. It was the way he acted and the kindness he always exuded that led her to believe that. Having him get praised by the world as a whole for what she had long known should have been a cause for celebration.
Except she knew that the story the Imperial Chronicle was going to tell was not Rean's story at all. It would be the version of Rean's story that the government wanted the world to know. The Ashen Chevalier that would be written about would be an unbreakable figure that fearlessly brought Erebonia victory after victory against its myriad foes atop his unbeatable Divine Knight with no hesitation.
The Ashen Chevalier's story would be about war and never-ending victory. Rean's story was anything but.
"Just... try to ignore what they write." She responded lamely. Maybe her father would have had better advice to give, but sadly she wasn't him.
"I know." The reassuring smile he sent her was somewhat effective at calming her down, "It'll be awkward for sure, but everyone I care about knows the truth. I'm sure eventually the excitement will die down and people will forget about me soon enough. My biggest fear is that the articles won't just stop at me. If they start writing about you, or Fie, or my family..."
"I hope they do!" Laura's words came out of her mouth before she even had time to contemplate them, but seeing the stunned look on Rean's face made her glad for it, "Were it possible for me to take this burden off your shoulders I would do so without hesitation, but since it isn't I will settle for sharing the load with you. That's what it means to be in a relationship. If they want to write about me than so be it. As a matter of fact..."
She glanced around. Their legs had carried them to the middle of Trista. Like Rean had said the people of the town and few students in the area were going about their lives as usual, but more than a handful were glancing at the couple out of the corner of their eyes.
Perfect.
None of them – Fie included – were very fond of being overly affectionate in public. It was awkward, impolite, and would usually end with them getting teased mercilessly by their friends. Thus they usually limited their public intimacy to walking together and occasionally holding hands.
All of this would explain why Rean was too stunned to act when she grabbed hold of the swordsman before smashing her lips against his. Laura could feel the eyes of half of Trista upon her, but didn't care as the entirety of her being was focused on plundering the boy's mouth like a conquering army. The taste of his lips, the feeling of his firm chest pressed against her, the sensations of her tongue inside her mouth. All of it threatened to drive her mad.
A feeling which only grew further in intensity once the boy regained enough of his wits to begin responding to her actions. She wasn't sure when he first started making those delightful moans or when his hands first reached her butt, but she was too busy enjoying herself to really care. Nothing else mattered except doing whatever she could to feed the fire growing within her.
Or at least that had been her singular goal until the weakness of the human body's need for oxygen made itself known. With a growl of frustration she pulled herself away. She couldn't help but admire the glistening sheen of his lips or the trail of saliva that kept them connected even as their lips were separated.
Nor could she miss just how crimson her boyfriend was looking at that moment. Whether it was because of what they had done or because they were currently in the middle of Trista with all... eyes... upon... them.
Reality sank in quickly and Laura found herself glowing a far greater crimson than what Rean was displaying. P-Perhaps she had gotten a little carried away again? Still, despite how awkward as she was feeling in that moment she had absolutely no regrets about what had just happened. If they wanted to attach her name to his story than she would gladly accept it. Whatever portion of his burden she could carry she would.
That didn't stop her from coughing awkwardly in a vain attempt at recomposing herself as embarrassment crept up on her, "I-I'm going to go on ahead. I'll see you in the dorms."
Breaking into a brisk walk she quickly began to vacate the scene. Despite being completely motionless she could practically feel Rean's gaze locked onto her backside. She couldn't help but put a little extra sway into her steps as she made her exit.
Only once Laura was back in her dorm and away from the eyes of Trista did she allow herself the luxury of exhaling. Despite being late in the month of January she found herself feeling rather hot inside her room so she opened a window. Perhaps she should allow herself the luxury of a few minutes to cool down a bit. Only after that would she dare risk seeking out Rean again.
She still needed to make sure he read that letter after all.
Rean had never found himself so grateful towards Angelica as he did while riding his orbal bike that day. Sure, riding it had always been a fun experience and it had proven invaluable during the war, but now he had another reason to love the bike:
It allowed the Ashen Chevalier the luxury of avoiding public transportation.
As promised, the Imperial Chronicle had released their special on him, featuring enough pictures to make his face recognizable to anyone who paid much attention to him. In time the images would probably fade from their memories, but right now he was so glad to not be on the train as he rode the short journey to the capital.
Thankfully the article itself wasn't nearly as bad as he had feared. Sure reading the stories had been painfully awkward and he didn't feel like the portrayal of him had been accurate in the slightest, but at least the paper refrained from mentioning his family or his status as a student at Thors. Anyone who was willing to do a little sleuthing probably could have figured it all out given the name Schwarzer or from the many people who he had met during the year, but the article also mentioning that he wasn't doing any interviews seemed to have done a good job of warding them off for now.
He wasn't sure if the government was feeling generous with that gesture or if they simply didn't want him presenting his side of the story, but either way he wasn't going to complain about the peace.
As the swordsman drove into Erebonia's largest metropolis he mentally reviewed his directions. He had originally thought he would be visiting the Sankt District, but Elise's message told him that she would be meeting him at Mater Park instead. A surprise, but not a wholly unwelcome one as the park was a lot less crowded than the city streets, hopefully allowing him to meet his sister in peace.
Luckily he was able to find his way to the park without incident, but as he dismounted from his bike he noticed a few peculiarities. First was the presence of a pair of RMP soldiers standing at the entrance to the place. They both eyed him briefly, but one nodded their head as if to confirm he was alright to pass through.
The next thing he noticed was just how devoid of life Heimdallr's biggest park was. It was still early enough in the day that the place should have been filled with tourists, musicians, and food stands, but none of that was currently present. In fact, the only people in the park beyond himself was the second pair of RMP guards standing in front of the Crystal Garden – the place where Elise told him to go.
All those points led Rean to a seemingly likely conclusion, and so he paused to briefly make sure he was presentable before approaching the building. Once he was sure he was ready to meet Erebonia's princess he passed the second line of security and entered the building.
"Rean!"
He smiled at the expected sight of the two girls, "Elise! Your Highness! It's good to... Oh!" Eyes widened in surprise. There was a third person standing there alongside the two girls, and it wasn't one he expected to see at all, "Prince Cedric!"
"Rean Schwarzer. It is good to see you again." Unlike the two girls who were currently wearing their St. Astraia attire, the crown prince was wearing his usual outfit.
Deciding to ignore the two girls for a moment he gave a quick appraisal of the younger boy, "I think that should be my line. The last time I saw you was..." Rean shook his head, "How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thanks to you. I'm sorry for interrupting your time with our sisters, but when I heard that you would be in the capital today I insisted I be allowed to meet with you. I wanted to thank you in person for everything you did for me back at the Infernal Castle."
It was a good thing that the building was empty save for his friends as the sight of the Crown Prince of Erebonia bowing to Rean could have been a huge deal. As it was the swordsman could only stare in shock.
After a moment Cedric raised his head back up, "I would have liked to thank your classmates as well, but sadly I doubt I will have the opportunity anytime soon. Please, convey my gratitude to them for me, would you?"
"I-I will." He quickly recovered, "But it's not like we did anything out of the ordinary. I'm sure anyone would have done the same had they been in our position."
"I'm... not so sure about that." Prince Cedric countered with a pained grimace, "Still, even if others might have, that doesn't change the fact that it was Class VII who came to my aid. I know how hard you all fought, and I know what you had to give up to rescue me."
"Oh..." Rean thought back to Crow's funeral a week prior. It wasn't the first funeral he had been to, but it was the most difficult by far. Even now he could recall the somber affair of his friend being laid to rest just outside the capital with crystal clarity.
The young prince beamed at him, "I am glad that Chancellor Osborne named you as the Ashen Chevalier. Had he not done so I would have pushed father to do the same in his stead."
"I... am honored that you would say that." While the swordsman's feelings on the title were mixed to say the least he didn't want to offend the prince who seemed genuine with his praise.
"I plan on following in your footsteps, actually. I've already informed Thors that I intend on enrolling this spring, if my health permits it." Cedric looked up at him with determination in his eyes, "I refuse to continue being the weak little prince that the likes of Duke Cayenne can freely manipulate. I refuse to sit back and watch as others die to protect me again..."
Cedric balled his hand into a fist, "...I refuse to ever be weak again."
"That's an admirable goal. I know you can pull it off." Despite that Rean couldn't help but feel a chill behind the prince's words. There was something unsettling about the way he said it...
"Anyway..." And yet the moment passed with Cedric's face returning to the previous smile, "I think I've said everything I intended on saying, so I shall make my leave now. I hope the three of you have a wonderful time together."
It was only after the crown prince departed the garden did Rean refocus his attention back on the two girls who had silently observed the exchange, "How are you feeling, Rean?"
While the question itself was normal, he knew his sister meant more than just how was he feeling in that moment, "I'm fine. Honestly. Most people back at the academy have been treating me the same as before. If anything I'm more worried about you."
"Oh..." Elise trailed off thoughtfully, "The last few weeks have been a surprise, but it hasn't been too bad."
"I think your sister has become more popular than me." Alfin quipped with a smile, "Everyone wants to get close to the sister of the Ashen Chevalier. I try to tell them that I saw you first, but it seems like the other girls have finally decided to stop listening to me." She finished with a playful pout, "And this was the only time I've wanted to abuse my authority as princess, too!"
"Your Highness!"
Ignoring Elise's cry, Alfin leaned in closer to whisper loudly, "I'm trying to convince Elise to run for Student Council President next spring. I know she'd win in a landslide."
Seeing his sister's pout only reinforced the need to tease her more, "Do you think an endorsement from the Ashen Chevalier would help her candidacy?" He asked with a straight face.
"Rean!" The younger Schwarzer's face positively glowed as he and the princess laughed.
"Alright. Alright. Enough teasing." The smile on Alfin's face proved a stark contrast to that declaration. "Let's go do something fun!"
Her attitude was infectious and he found himself nodding along, "Sure. I have some time before I need to get back. What do you want to do?"
"Why don't we walk around the city together? Sure we aren't the two lovely ladies who would be your first choice for a day out, but I'm sure we can have plenty of fun!"
Rean's smile faded slightly, "Walking around the city..." With loads of people who would recognize him. Hopefully his presence wouldn't make things too weird for them.
"Oh! Right! I have just the thing for you!" And yet the princess wasn't deterred in the slightest. Instead she grabbed something from her pocket. He didn't have time to identify the object before she slid it onto his face, "Ta-da!"
"...Fake glasses?"
The young princess held up a finger as she explained, "You would be surprised just how easy it is to blend in with just the tiniest change in appearance."
Considering everything she was able to do with just a school uniform, he couldn't help but buy into her words a little. With a laugh he turned towards his sister, "How about it, Elise? Want to spend some time with your brother?"
"Of course. I would love to!" She smiled beatifically at him, "There is so much I want to talk about."
"Like your love life." Alfin chimed in with a perverse smile, "You should have seen her face when I told her about all your exploits during the war."
"Your Highness!"
Rean smiled. Alfin was such a good friend for Elise.
"...I'm trying to convince her that we should find a hunk to recreate what you have going on. Find some hunk of a guy and work our magic on him."
Rean frowned. Maybe her friendship wasn't such a good thing after all...?
"So you've decided to enroll at the Music Academy?" Rean asked Elliot as he and Machias sat together while waiting for homeroom to begin.
"Yep. When I contacted them they seemed to react positively. I just need to prepare some sample music to send with my application. Is it the same with you, Machias?"
"While I certainly don't need to record any samples like you my admission does require me to submit an essay, and I'll have to take an entrance exam as soon as I arrive."
Elliot laughed nervously, "I doubt you'll have much trouble with that. Still, I'm glad that someone will be in Heimdallr with me. We should meet up whenever we have the chance."
"You didn't hear this from me..." Rean whispered quietly enough to not be overheard by the others in the room, "...but Fie's decided to become a bracer. I'm sure she'll be in the capital a lot, too."
With her decision made up that just left a singular member of Class VII without a plan for the future: Himself. As expected there just weren't many possible career paths for someone in possession of a legendary seven arge tall Divine Knight. Try as he might no appealing idea would come to mind. Maybe he should-
"Oh...?" Machias' confused look drew him from his thoughts. Following the gunner's gaze Rean saw their scowling instructor walk in alongside Principal Vandyck. But what was really surprising was the man just behind them, looking completely at ease despite being out of place.
"Lechter!" Millium cheered to her fellow Ironblood, "Did you miss me!?"
"Haha. Always, kiddo." The laid-back Captain walked over to the beaming girl before giving her an affectionate head rub, "Buuuut I'm actually here on business today."
The intelligence agent glanced around the room, but Rean noticed his gaze lingered on his face for just a moment, causing the black-haired youth to stiffen. Whatever he was here for had something to do with him and Valimar.
"Come to find out the Republic of Calvard really wasn't happy with our decision to occupy Crossbell." Lechter's words held the same nonchalance one would use when discussing the weather, "Somehow they managed to sort out their internal problems and are already beginning to invade."
"Amazing how quickly people come together when you give them a common threat."
Lechter gave an easy shrug at Instructor Sara's words, "Can't argue with that one. Still, right now we're looking at the prospect of a long war right outside of Crossbell. Some of the fighting has even reached the city itself. We were kinda hoping that Rean and his Divine Knight would lend us a hand."
Rean barely heard the mutterings of his classmate as he allowed himself a tired sigh. On one hand the possibility of open warfare taking place near Erebonia's newest metropolis promised endless tragedy that he could help prevent. That being said... "I don't want to kill anyone."
"Fine by me." Lechter's quick reply surprised him, "We just need you to drive the Calvardian Army out of Crossbell. If you can do that without killing anyone than that'll show them just how outclassed they really are against your Divine Knight. Will make the peace treaty afterwords a lot easier, too."
"I see..." While the idea of fighting for Osborne's cause still held no appeal to him, if he could use his power to protect lives then perhaps...
"There is one caveat with this mission, however." The deep voice of Principal Vandyck broke him from his thoughts, "We've already had to cut so much curriculum so that Class VII can graduate a year early. I'm afraid that if you miss out on any more classes that we will have to rescind that opportunity, instead forcing you to remain for a second year."
"That's bullshit!" Fie hissed immediately.
He... would have to stay behind?
Alisa was quick to join Fie, "After everything Rean's done for you this is how you repay him!?"
The mere idea of being left behind while everyone else left...
"While I appreciate the value of a thorough education more than most, isn't this a little extreme?" Machias followed suit.
...It was too painful to even think of.
"Please, won't you reconsider?" As did Emma.
And yet...
Jusis growled angrily, "This whole scheme reeks of my brother and the chancellor."
Could he really live with himself if he did nothing and let innocent people get hurt?
"Heh... Yeah, Lechter. Can't you do something to bend the rules a bit?" Millium pleaded to the captain.
And... It wasn't like he currently had any plans, did he?
"The Imperial Army has plenty of strong people in it. I'm sure Father and the others can hang on without you." Elliot pleaded to him.
Everyone else already had a plan for the future. Maybe...
"Just know that we will support any decision you make." Gaius gave a reassuring smile.
Maybe... This was for the best.
"Alright." All arguments died as soon as he opened his mouth, "I'll help."
"Rean, no!" Laura protested, "You don't have to do this! It's alright for you to be a little selfish once in your life! None of us will think any less of you! So please..."
He did his best to give the girl a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
How could his gesture possibly hope to reassure her when it did little to reassure himself that this was the right move to make?
"Whew. Alright then. Let's get this show on the road." Lechter reached into his jacket before pulling out a sheet of paper and presenting it to him, "Ashen Chevalier, Rean Schwarzer – the following orders are on behalf of the Imperial government. Head to Crossbell and assist the occupying force against any force that threatens the peace and stability of the region, whether they be from the Republic of Calvard or from domestic insurgents."
With heart pounding in his chest and the gaze of all his classmates upon him, Rean reached out and grabbed the paper with his orders, thus denying himself the chance to graduate, "...Understood."