Chapter Seventeen – Mercy and Redemption
The recent events in Heimdallr had managed to spread like wildfire throughout the city, and beyond. A group of people had attempted to kidnap Princess Alfin, and no explanation was given, and no-one came forward to take responsibility for the attempt. This made the citizens of Heimdallr very uneasy; if someone was willing to attempt a kidnapping of Princess Alfin in broad daylight, what else were they planning from the shadows?
Once the Imperial Defence Force had arrived on the scene and taken Princess Alfin away, Cyrus took Mildine back to Aurelia's home in the capital, and waited for the General to return from her other duties. Naturally, Aurelia had already heard of the attempted kidnapping, and was quick to question her younger brother about how it had gotten so out of hand.
While Cyrus had no words to offer his sister, Mildine did. She explained everything to the General, and made it very clear that Cyrus was not to blame for not being there when things became chaotic. It was, after all, Mildine's idea for Cyrus to spend time with Sophie, and Aurelia had agreed to letting it happen. Realistically, the General couldn't solely blame Cyrus, as he wasn't omniscient, and couldn't have known Alfin was going to be in danger just from wandering about the city like she had done countless times in the past by herself. In the end, Aurelia simply remarked at how she was impressed that Cyrus had reacted so swiftly, and so decisively to keep Alfin safe.
Once Cyrus and Mildine had left Aurelia's home, Cyrus took Mildine back to Sophie, who was horrified at seeing the sight of Mildine covered in a now dried layer of mud and blood. Sophie's reaction had managed to make Mildine cry a little, as the weight of everything she had witnessed started to bear down on her. Knowing he was of no help at that particular point in time, Cyrus returned to Trista.
When he returned to the Third Dormitory, he saw Edel and Theresia sitting outside, and judging by how they stood up when they saw him, it was obvious they were waiting for him.
"Can I help you two?" Cyrus asked with a frown.
"We would like to talk to you about your cousin," Edel stated, as Theresia stood behind her.
"Go on…" Cyrus muttered, looking directly at Theresia.
"Go on, honey… I'm right here," Edel encouraged.
"Umm, yeah, so… I kinda might know something about what happened to Ferris," Theresia began, but received no response from Cyrus. "I… Well, I knew she wasn't well the last time I saw her at Lacrosse Club, but didn't think anything of it. More concerning, I overheard Patrick discussing something with his friends that involved Ferris and the Midterms. I don't know what it was specifically, but I'm starting to think he had something to do with your cousin's health scare."
"She was poisoned," Cyrus stated.
"What?" Edel and Theresia gasped.
"Ferris had been ingesting a mild poison, which was slowly killing her. She says she was doing it herself, but that's a very obvious lie. Yet, I don't think Patrick is involved, if that's what you came here to tell me," Cyrus sighed.
"You're sure about that?" Edel asked, looking at Cyrus with intrigue.
"He's an idiot, Edel. He and his moronic friends wouldn't know where to get poison from, let alone have the knowledge to give it to Ferris without her knowing. Someone else is responsible for it, but I don't know who," Cyrus responded.
"I assume your sister had something to do with this change in attitude towards the situation?" Edel mused.
"You could say that… Though, there was one other who reminded me that threatening to lynch people is not the right way to go about getting things done. As far as it stands, I'm sure you know all about what happened here a couple of weeks ago," Cyrus muttered.
"Yes, we saw what happened, and if anyone who saw what we did that night says they aren't petrified of you after seeing that, then they're a bold-faced liar," Edel nodded.
"Then I'm correct in assuming that's why you're here, Edel? You're acting as a support person for Theresia here," Cyrus said, looking at Theresia.
"That's right. She's done a good job coming here and telling you about Ferris, especially after your 'warning' you gave to everyone last week," Edel stated.
"Yes, well… Like I said, I have been reminded that threatening people who have done nothing wrong isn't fair, so I apologise for that. As far as things go, you leave Ferris to me; I'll make sure she's safe and those who tried to harm her are punished, and only those who have tried to harm her," Cyrus said.
"Thank you, Cyrus. I'm sure the rest of the Nobles appreciate that sentiment," Edel smiled. "We won't keep you from your other duties then. Have a pleasant night."
Cyrus said nothing as he watched Edel and Theresia make their way through Trista Park and back towards the First Dormitory. He knew no-one in the First Dormitory was hiding anything from him now, and whatever little plan Patrick had been trying to stir up before the Midterm Exams had failed. As far as he was concerned, it was time to look elsewhere for the culprit. Fortunately, he had one route of inquiry, which was unwittingly revealed to him by Sophie.
The Imperial Liberation Front had managed to secure the services of the criminal known as the Concierge of Crime. That, in and of itself, wasn't too surprising, since the man will sell anything to anyone, especially criminals. The real piece of information was the fact they had purchased a weapons cache that was designed for highly destructive siege warfare; a favourite of Jägers. From this seemingly innocuous piece of information, Cyrus knew that someone within the ILF was a Jäger.
"Oh, you're back. Did you have fun in Heimdallr?" Sara asked as Cyrus walked through the door of the Third Dormitory.
"I wouldn't exactly call it fun…" Cyrus muttered, looking around.
"Hmm? What happened?" Sara queried, looking at Cyrus with a cocked head.
"You'll find out soon. Where's Rean?" Cyrus asked, finding only Sara in the living area.
"He's upstairs with Emma and Fie. Why the sudden interest in Rean?" Sara blinked as she watched Cyrus stride towards the staircase.
"You're about to find out," Cyrus sighed, marching up that staircase.
Raising an eyebrow, Sara sat up, got off the couch, and slowly walked over to the staircase and tried to listen to the sounds that were coming from upstairs. For a good few minutes, she heard nothing, then a loud thud came from the floor above.
Growing concerned, Sara took a step forward, and the moment she made contact with the first step, a loud crash came from the landing above, followed by a body tumbling down the stairs like a ragdoll.
"What in the hell?!" Sara exclaimed, looking at the lump of human that was Rean.
"Cyrus! That was totally uncalled for!" Emma cried as she watched Cyrus stamp down the staircase and kick Rean in the stomach.
"Get up! You think I'd simply allow you to get away with striking me?!" Cyrus roared, grabbing Rean by his hair. "That fucking sister complex of yours is going to get you killed one day!"
"Emma, what the hell happened?" Sara asked.
"I don't know. Cyrus told Rean that something had happened to his sister in Heimdallr, Rean started to panic and wanted to go see her, but he was told to wait until the morning. More words were exchanged, which somehow resulted in Rean blaming Cyrus for whatever happened to his sister, then Rean hit him. Cyrus hit him back, way harder, and threw him down the stairs," Emma explained, flapping about in a panic.
"Oh, for the love of… Cut it out, you two!" Sara cried, grabbing Cyrus from behind and pulling his arms back over his shoulders.
"Release me, Sara… This Novice has much to learn about respect and discipline," Cyrus growled, remaining motionless as Sara held onto him.
"Nuh-uh, not a chance. I'm not letting you go until you promise me you'll let Rean go. I don't know what happened between you two, but I will not have more fighting in this building!" Sara shouted.
"Hmph, fine. But let me make one thing perfectly clear, Schwarzer; raise a hand to me in this manner again, and I will fucking bury you. I don't care if we both studied under Master Ka-Fai; I'll kill you just as soon as I would Shizuna," Cyrus glowered, looking at the heap on the floor.
"Can we not go a single day in this class without some kind of ridiculous argument?" Jusis sighed, watching everything from the top of the staircase.
"Hmph, I must be feeling unwell, as I'm inclined to agree with you," Machias stated, scowling at Cyrus.
"Can't you guys just get along? You've barely interacted with one another since we got back from our last Field Study. I thought being taught under the same master would bring you both closer together," Elliot mumbled as the rest of Class VII all gathered at the top of the staircase.
"Let me go, Sara… Unless you wish to accompany me to my next destination," Cyrus muttered.
The moment Sara released Cyrus, he vanished. Such was the power of his Flying Raijin ability, it appeared as if something had stopped time, and just removed Cyrus from the space where he was standing. One moment he was there, the next he simply wasn't.
"Instructor, I know you said we can't do anything about Cyrus, but surely you can. Can't you speak to Principal Vandyck? I feel like your words would carry more weight than ours," Laura asked.
"You really don't want him here, do you?" Sara frowned.
"I don't claim to speak for the rest of the class, but I've certainly had enough. Maybe if he leaves, we can return to normal," Laura stated.
"Drop the act, Laura. I know you can see it," Sara sighed in exasperation.
"What are you talking about?" Laura scoffed, looking at Sara incredulously.
"Wrath. It's changed you, and not for the better. Cyrus might have a short temper, but you just as easily fly off the handle at people, or need I remind you about what you did at the Swimming Club recently?" Sara scowled.
"That wasn't… I mean, I didn't…" Laura mumbled.
"What? Are you going to say it wasn't your fault? Or are you going to make excuses and blame someone else for your actions?" Sara asked.
"If you ask me, you're just as bad. You're supposed to be our Instructor, and yet all you do is laze about and drink alcohol like a glutton. If you bothered to actually do your job, maybe none of this would have happened!" Laura shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Sara.
"Don't make me laugh, you petulant little brat. I have my vices like everyone else, but I can't control what you all choose to do. I can't control you when you decide trying to fucking drown someone because you are full of wrath. I'm not your fucking babysitter, and it's about time you all realise that!" Sara shouted back.
"So, what then; you're just going to allow Cyrus to get away with attacking Rean?" Emma scowled.
"No, I never said that. However, from what you told me, it sounds like Rean was the one who started it, and Cyrus ended it," Sara responded.
"He's supposed to be a Master of the Eight Leaves School! A Master doesn't strike their students, they help them to strengthen and grow as a person!" Laura cried.
"A student shouldn't strike their Master either though…" Alisa muttered.
"Tch, you're just saying that because you're in love with the guy," Machias scoffed.
"Shut up! That has nothing to do with this. Besides, why should I love someone who won't show me the same affection he does for others," Alisa huffed.
"Hmph, still envious, I see," Jusis snorted.
"I think we all need to take a breath here," Gaius began. "I don't think Cyrus can be blamed for everything that's happened here. Yes, he was wrong to attack Rean, but Rean shouldn't have hit Cyrus to begin with. That being said, it's completely unreasonable to think all our problems will simply vanish if Cyrus leaves."
"It'll at the very least solve the Fie problem," Machias muttered.
"The what now?" Fie turned, looking at Machias with narrowed eyes.
"Tch, you utter fool…" Jusis sighed.
"I'll… I'll explain it to you later, Fie…" Emma muttered, shooting Machias a scowl, as Fie was still oblivious to the fact she had an assassination contract on her head.
"Ok, fine. Say that problem does go away and there is no sort of retribution or comeuppance from Cyrus lying about that. How will that fix you three?" Gaius pondered, looking at Alisa, Laura, and Sara.
"I don't follow you, Gaius," Elliot mumbled.
"You three have definitely changed since the start of the school year, with Laura's change being the most obvious and concerning. Say, just for arguments sake, that Cyrus does leave Class VII; will that make any difference to how you've been acting as of late?" Gaius asked.
"He makes a fair point. Kicking Cyrus out of the class won't change Laura's thirst for destruction. Did we not say that the most likely culprit of Laura's change was the Old Schoolhouse?" Rean groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head.
"I never expected you to run to Cyrus' defence," Machias scoffed.
"I'm not, but I have to agree with Gaius that a single person isn't responsible for the changes in other people," Rean muttered. "Which also means it's unfair for Laura to blame Sara for anything that's happened here too."
"Aww, you do have a soft spot for me after all!" Sara smiled.
"Not the time, Instructor…" Emma frowned.
"No, I've had enough of this! Vahlok and I will put a stop to that monster. I won't let what happened to my mother happen again," Laura declared.
"You seriously think you can go toe-to-toe with an Assassin like me?" Cyrus whispered, standing behind Laura, with a blade pressed to her throat.
"Where the fuck did you come from?!" Machias cried.
Machias' reaction was indeed justified. Everyone had watched Laura stand there, in the middle of the Common Area, and then watched as Cyrus simply appeared behind her. There were no signals to suggest he had entered the building, he just appeared. It was as if a cloak of invisibility had been wrapped around Cyrus and he had chosen then to shed it.
"That little trick won't work on me twice!" Laura growled as she turned around and swung a fist at Cyrus.
Krumah, Vahlok…
The two words echoed deafeningly in Laura's mind. She had no idea where the voice came from, but she seemed compelled to obey. Stopping mid-swing, Laura dropped her fist before bending the knee and kneeling before Cyrus, head down.
"What just happened?" Elliot whispered.
"I… I have no idea…" Rean muttered.
Her head still bowed, Laura tried to force herself to stand up, but found she wasn't in control of her body. She was fully conscious, but no matter what she did, she was unable to move. Slowly, she opened her mouth and words started to tumble out.
"Zu'u aam ahst aaz do faal Vozah–" Laura droned before vomiting onto the floor.
"Oh, Aidios! What kind of voodoo bullshit is this?!" Machias cried.
"It's a curse…" Emma breathed, a chill going down her spine as she watched everything unfold.
"What did you do to her, you rogue?!" Jusis shouted, grabbing Cyrus by the collar.
"I did nothing to her. She acted of her own volition. There is no poison on my blade, and even if there was, it wouldn't make her become some mindless, vomiting drone!" Cyrus snapped, swatting away Jusis' hand.
"Cyrus is right; there's no way he's responsible for this," Emma stated.
"How can you be so sure?" Fie asked, silently intrigued by what happened.
"Uh, well… Think about it; how could he force Laura to bow to him, and make her speak a strange language like that without even touching her or speaking to her? It didn't sound like any language I've heard before, yet Laura was clearly speaking it like it was second nature to her. Even if it was a language Cyrus did know; how could he teach it to Laura right there and then?" Emma explained.
"Emma's right. That goes beyond the bounds of human ability. I'm starting to think a curse has been placed upon Laura," Gaius added.
"A curse? From the Old Schoolhouse?" Elliot whimpered, panic starting to creep into his voice.
"I can't see it coming from anywhere else, but why only Laura?" Gaius frowned.
"I think the better question is; if it is a curse, who's going to suffer from it next?" Rean said.
The following morning, all of Class VII were on edge from the events of the previous night. At breakfast, no-one dared to so much as speak to each other, and it seemed that Laura had no recollection of anything that happened to her. The very idea that a curse was afflicting Laura was so terrifying to everyone, that no-one had the heart to tell Laura about what happened to her, or the affliction she had been plagued with.
Cyrus had decided it wasn't worth his time to try and fix things with Laura. Instead, he turned his attention towards other things, which meant holding yet another conversation with his ever-mysterious ally. With his ARCUS Unit in his hand, Cyrus paced up and down the length of his room as he spoke to his ally about what his next steps were.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" the individual queried.
"Yes. She has served her purpose. For now, I shall simply let her exist. She will not bother me, nor will she try to interfere any further," Cyrus muttered coldly, staring out of his bedroom window.
"Perhaps we were wrong about her… Hmph, to think the daughter of the Radiant Blademaster was so… Fragile…" the individual whispered.
"Cast it from your mind; I have more important things to attend to at the moment," Cyrus commanded.
"Ahh, yes… The Jäger Baby you are tasked with killing. Is everything ready?" the individual asked.
"Yes. This item will be instrumental in satisfying Heiyue's contract, and furthering my goal here," Cyrus stated, looking at a small object in his hand.
"With that, you'll make it seven, correct? What will you do about the Death Diviner and the Crux of Fate?" the individual questioned.
"You leave the Death Diviner to me. I know exactly what to do about her," Cyrus responded. "The Crux of Fate, however… He might just be useful."
"Are you sure that's wise? You know how dangerous the Crux of Fate can be in the wrong hands," the individual warned.
"You know what they say; what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Am I taking a big risk with him? Yes, I am. Which is why I'm banking on the Death Diviner to reign him in. I see how they get along by themselves… They were meant to be a 'pair', after all, so this course of action makes sense," Cyrus stated.
"The Death Diviner… Isn't your plan for her a little… Cruel?" the individual asked.
"Hmph, since when did you grow a heart? Did you forget her wishes? I'll see to it that they are fulfilled, cruel or not," Cyrus said.
"Tread with caution, Dragon…" the individual warned.
Without another word, Cyrus snapped his ARCUS Unit shut and went about his day.
Since it was now a Monday, school was now open again, and all the students were slowly making their way towards the Thors Campus. As Cyrus was walking to the campus by himself, he saw Crow was approaching him looking very pleased with himself.
"Hey, buddy! How's it going? Man, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Crow beamed, slapping Cyrus on the back.
"That look on your face tells me you're up to no good. Out with it," Cyrus sighed, rolling his eyes at Crow's jovial antics.
"See, this is why we're friends, Cyrus. You just get me, y'know?" Crow smirked. "I think I've finally solved our casino problem!"
"You're still parroting on about that? Thanatos above, you're like a dog with a bone," Cyrus snorted.
"If you were offered a solid gold bone, would you turn it down?" Crow asked.
"That's not…" Cyrus sighed. "Fine, lay it on me."
"Ok, so, long story short, but I know a guy, and he's been nice enough to let us use one of his warehouses in Heimdallr's Racetrack Plaza. It's perfect! Think about it; it's right next to the Racecourse, so people who have finished betting on the ponies can come to us and bet more at our casino!" Crow explained.
"Right, and where exactly did you manage to find someone gracious enough to let us use their warehouse?" Cyrus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't sweat the small stuff, man. All you gotta know is that I've sorted everything!" Crow declared.
After what his father had said to him, Cyrus was starting to see why Crow wasn't someone whom one should trust explicitly. His response was very evasive and didn't answer anything. It was almost as if Crow had entered into some sort of shady deal with someone, and knew there would be consequences if he told anyone. Cyrus knew Crow was an idiot, yet his response was too dismissive; as if he had been told to make sure people didn't pry too much, and could simply brush Crow off as being a moron.
"Fine… You're still in charge of setting everything up though. I have more important things to worry about at the moment," Cyrus stated. "Go find Reginald after school and have him take you to Heimdallr."
"What could be more important than making huge stacks of cash?" Crow asked.
"That, you nosy little bird, is none of your business," Cyrus snorted as he left Crow behind.
Once Class VII had gathered for Home Room, Sara went about her usual announcements of the upcoming Practical Exam, and the month's Field Study at the end of the week. None of this was of any interest to Cyrus, as he had something else he'd been tasked with; working as an Assassin for Chancellor Osborne.
The rest of the class knew nothing about this, of course. Only Sara had any idea about what Cyrus was going to be doing, and she wanted to keep it that way. Even if the mission wasn't highly classified, if the rest of Class VII knew Cyrus was going to be going out and slaughtering people for the Chancellor, that would further strain the already fractured relationship he had with Class VII.
Despite her attitude towards Laura the night before, it was obvious Sara had taken Laura's comments personally about her inability to look after the students she had been tasked with looking after. While she knew they were all practically adults (with Fie being the only exception at almost fifteen), it was still her duty as their Instructor to guide them and help them grow whilst at Thors. Laura's scathing comments about her being nothing more than a lazy, alcoholic glutton had hurt Sara and her pride, but she wasn't about to prove Laura right.
"Ok, you guys are all dismissed for the day's lessons! Oh, except for you Cyrus. I want to speak with you," Sara smiled as she ushered everyone out of the classroom.
"Yeah, of course you do…" Cyrus sighed, standing up.
"Don't think you're going to be getting off without punishment for what you did to Rean last night, mister," Sara began, causing Cyrus to roll his eyes.
"Why should I face punishment for something he started?" Cyrus asked.
"Fair question, and if you had stopped at simply hitting Rean back, I might have let it go, but throwing him down a flight of stairs, kicking him in the gut and then threatening to kill him was just going way too far, and that's not acceptable," Sara explained.
"Would you say the same if the roles were reversed?" Cyrus scowled.
"Ha-ha, no. You know there's no way Rean would be able to put you in a position like that, so the point is moot," Sara stated.
"Tch, fine… So, what's the punishment? A month of being stuck as your drinking buddy?" Cyrus snorted.
"Well, that would be a reward, now wouldn't it? No, you and Rean are going to get along, even if it kills you," Sara began. "On your first Free Day after this month's Field Studies, you are going to accompany him on his rounds and fulfil the requests the Student Council filters out for him. One of those requests will undoubtedly come for Principal Vandyck, and will ask you to explore the Old Schoolhouse. You two will be going there together and investigating the layout once more."
"You're going to force us to cooperate by making us work together? Hmph, alright then… Perhaps he can learn a thing or two from me about what it means to be a student of the Eight Leaves School," Cyrus scoffed.
"That's not all. You're going to spend time with everyone in the class and try and repair your damaged relationships with them," Sara declared.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Cyrus shouted. "I'd rather go out on a date with Levana than become friends with those ingrates!"
"Sorry, Cyrus, but this is non-negotiable. Half of them want you to be expelled for causing so much chaos. Naturally, that cannot happen unless you do something to tarnish the Emperor's reputation, so you're going to have to learn to work with them and become friends with them if you want your time in Class VII to go smoothly," Sara stated. "Actually, that reminds me; where is Levana these days? I haven't seen her in a while."
"Probably off gallivanting about the country… If you honestly expected her to stay here the whole time, then I have some bad news for you," Cyrus muttered.
The fact of the matter was, was that Cyrus knew where Levana had been, as it was he who had sent her away. His Cauldron Projects needed tending to, and since Levana was his Chief Technical Officer, it was her job to keep all projects running smoothly while he was dealing with other tasks. She would be back in Trista just in time to see Class VII off for their Field Study, thought he wasn't about to tell Sara that.
"Well, anyway, these are my terms, and no matter how much you try to bribe or sweet-talk me, I won't be backing down," Sara said firmly.
"Grr, fine. Not like I've been given a choice here. I'm going to class now," Cyrus muttered.
"Hey, hold on! You're not even going to bother trying to bribe me or something?!" Sara cried as Cyrus left the room. "Well, there goes my chance of scoring free booze out of him…"
The rest of the school day went by quickly enough, and it was now evening. Everyone in Class VII was back at the Third Dormitory, and it was almost time for dinner. As Class VII's official maid, Sharon had assumed all the responsibilities of that role, and was in the middle of preparing a usually large spread for the residents of the Third Dormitory.
Cyrus, after spending most of the day pondering Sara's words from that morning decided to take some initiative and go speak to Rean. He reasoned that if the two were going to be forced to work together, then he might as well make an effort to extend an olive branch sooner rather than later.
"Schwarzer, you in there?" Cyrus called out, knocking on Rean's door.
"Did you need something?" Rean asked, opening his door slightly to look at Cyrus.
"Has Sara spoken to you today?" Cyrus answered as he entered Rean's room.
"Uhh, nope. Why? Was she supposed to?" Rean raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I mean, she should have, given she's forcing us to work together starting next week," Cyrus grunted as he sat on Rean's desk.
"She's what?" Rean blinked.
"Yes, I can understand why you'd respond in that manner, given how I kicked the shit out of you last night," Cyrus muttered.
"Yeah, about that… I've been meaning to apologise to you for starting that," Rean began.
"Hmph, you're apologising?" Cyrus snorted. "Sure, you probably shouldn't have punched me after I saved your sister's life, but I'll admit I went a little too far myself… I also probably shouldn't have threatened to kill you."
"I know I shouldn't have hit you, but… Well, Elise means the world to me, and I guess when you told me I wasn't allowed to go and see her, I just kinda flipped," Rean responded.
"I told you that for Elise's own good. She was unharmed, but very shaken up. Seeing you would have only made things worse. I'm not saying you couldn't have gone to see her, but you should at least wait a few days before making sure she's alright," Cyrus stated.
"I don't expect you to understand what it's like to have a little sister, Cyrus. I mean, I know you have the General as your big sister, but having a younger sister is so much different," Rean mumbled.
"Yeah, I know… Kinda makes me wonder what going back to Ordis in September is going to be like for me…" Cyrus frowned.
"What's so special about going to Ordis in September?" Rean asked.
"My mother and auntie are going to be fifty. So, naturally, there's going to be a big celebration for it. I'll be nineteen myself then, but that's not what's important. Then there's the wedding…" Cyrus sighed.
"A wedding? You're getting married?" Rean blinked.
"Tch, fuck no. I haven't got time for that nonsense," Cyrus snorted. "It's a… Family friend, I guess you could say."
"Wait a sec, are you seriously saying you don't see yourself getting married one day?" Rean asked.
"Eh, not really. I wear far too many hats as it is to play the role of loving husband and eventually father…" Cyrus shrugged. "Besides, I'm sure Aurelia will one day settle down and get married, so it's not like the Le Guin family will die with me. Why, are you saying you have thought of getting married yourself?"
"Well, I mean, I guess Elise has brought it up a couple of times in the past," Rean muttered.
"Ok, I'm going now," Cyrus sighed as he stood up and walked out.
"What? Ok, I guess…?" Rean responded, giving Cyrus a puzzled look as he stopped at the doorway.
"Schwarzer… Look after Alisa for me. I'm not asking you as a member of Class VII, but as a Divine Blade. Make sure no harm comes to her," Cyrus commanded.
"Uhh… Yeah, sure…" Rean replied as Cyrus left the room.
Cyrus knew that Rean wouldn't refuse his request if he used his status as a Divine Blade. It wasn't something he regularly did, but he was concerned about Alisa and her wellbeing. The envious streak she was on at the moment was starting to affect her own relationships with Class VII, and it wasn't fair on her, given that he was responsible for it. So, as a way to 'atone' for his involvement with how Alisa was acting, he decided that it was better for her to divert her attention to someone who could actually care for her. Even if that someone was a 'siscon' like Rean.
Dinnertime came and went without incident, although the mood was much the same as it was at breakfast. No-one really spoke to each other, and that made the food that Sharon had spent hours making less enjoyable. As Cyrus finished his food, he stood up and left the dining table.
"Thank you for the food, Sharon. Now, I have somewhere I need to be," Cyrus stated as he walked towards the main entrance of the building.
"Where could you possibly need to go at this hour?" Jusis scoffed.
"Why, the First Dormitory, of course. I've been waiting all day and Patrick still hasn't given me the money he owes me," Cyrus responded, vanished from sight without allowing anyone to respond.
"Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?" Machias asked.
"Have a little faith in him… Once he gets his money from Patrick, their feud will be over. Instigating another fight wouldn't make any sense, and Cyrus is a very logical person," Gaius replied.
"Gaius does have a point, although, I don't really see Patrick parting with fifty million Mira like it's no big deal…" Elliot mumbled.
"Maybe one of us should go to the First Dormitory and check on him?" Rena suggested.
"How about you, Fie? You were pretty interested in going to see what happened at the First Dormitory last time he went there," Alisa looked over at Fie.
"Meh, no thanks. I kinda lost interest after finding out he wants to kill me," Fie scowled.
"Yeah, but he hasn't killed you yet, and he even saved your life when that other Assassin came for you, didn't he?" Elliot said.
"Yet? So you're saying he's still planning on doing it?" Fie responded, her scowl darkening considerably.
"O-oh… I, uhh… Well, that is to say…" Elliot stammered.
"Forget this. I'm going to bed," Fie snapped as she stood up and stomped off to her room.
"Ah, geez… I'm sorry, Fie!" Elliot cried.
"Don't worry about it, Elliot. She'll calm down and realise you meant well," Emma said with a smile.
"Well, that was far more complicated than it needed to be…" Cyrus sighed as he reappeared behind Alisa.
"What in the hell did you do?!" Machias shouted, pointed at Cyrus' hands.
Machias' outburst was met with confusion until everyone all turned to look at Cyrus and saw his hands were dripping with copious amounts of blood, and in his hands was a large briefcase.
"Before you all start to scream bloody murder, let me explain…" Cyrus sighed.
After leaving the Third Dormitory, Cyrus had appeared outside the First Dormitory, thanks to the Raijin Mark he had left at the entrance some time ago. Wasting no time, Cyrus entered the building, and was met with several familiar faces.
"Oh, what now…" Lambert frowned.
"Calm yourself, Lambert. I am only here for the money Patrick owes me. Once I have that, my business with the little Hyarms boy will be finished… Unless he decides to stoke my wrath again," Cyrus responded as he went and sat in a nearby chair. "Ah, Reginald. Good to see you."
"You as well, sir. I have been keeping an eye on Lady Ferris, as instructed; her health seems to be improving, but she seems to be quite jumpy," Regniald stated as he bowed to Cyrus.
"Hmm, to be expected, I suppose… Is Celestin around? I'll need him to summon Patrick," Cyrus asked.
"Good to see you again, Master Cyrus. I shall go and inform Master Patrick that you are here to collect your winnings," Celestin bowed as he appeared from the kitchen and swiftly made his way upstairs.
"So, that's it? Once Patrick pays you your money, it's all over?" Friedel asked.
"As long as he or his friends don't do anything to Ferris or anyone else in Class VII, yes. I learned business from my father; it's bad practice to carry on a feud with someone once all debts have been settled, and once I get my money, our debt will be settled," Cyrus nodded.
"Huh, I guess Edel was right… You're different now than when you were last here… Also, where are your shoes?" Fidelio asked, pointed at Cyrus's bare feet.
"Oh, well, since I was entering a space that was not my own, I decided to remove them, out of respect for those around me," Cyrus stated.
"Really?" Fidelio blinked.
"No, not really. Truth is, I have no need for them; I feel much more comfortable without them," Cyrus responded.
"Hmph, I was wondering when you were going to show up," Patrick scoffed as he and his entourage strolled down the stairs, a black briefcase in hand.
"I got sick of waiting. I do believe I told you to have my money ready for me by the time I got back from Heimdallr yesterday. Unfortunately, some things came up, so I decided to give you until today to hand me what you owe. Since you failed to do that, I thought it was better to come here in person. You can't duck me if I come to you," Cyrus stated, standing up.
"Hmph, still so arrogant… Here's your blasted money. Take it and begone," Patrick snapped as he shoved the briefcase into Cyrus' chest.
Cyrus' narrowed his eyes at Patrick and his friends. He was now incredibly suspicious of Patrick, as he seemed to give up the money far too easily. He looked from Patrick, to his right hand, Eric, and then over to Hans. Both boys were smirking as Cyrus took the briefcase. That wasn't all, however, Cyrus could feel their heartrates spike as he took the briefcase. Something was definitely amiss here.
"You. Open it for me," Cyrus commanded, looking at Eric.
"Why in Adios' name would I do that?" Eric snapped.
"Because you're underhanded little cunts and I don't trust you as far as I could throw you… And I could throw you a very long way," Cyrus growled as he slammed the briefcase down on a table and turned it towards Patrick and his lackeys.
As the briefcase hit the table, Hans inadvertently flinched. That was all Cyrus needed to know the briefcase had been boobytrapped.
"There's no way any of us are opening that damn thing!" Eric declared.
"No? Then the rest of you might want to stand back… I have no idea what's about to happen," Cyrus muttered as he undid the clasps on the briefcase.
"No, don't–!" Hans cried as Cyrus opened the case in their direction.
As soon as the case clicked and was opened to a certain degree, a small pop came from inside it, followed by a large blast of what appeared to be red paint. Since it had been pointed directly at Patrick and his cronies, they were immediately covered from head to toe in the red liquid.
A couple of the girls in the room screamed as the watched the torrent of red douse Patrick and his friends, at the same time as splashing back all over Cyrus' hands. Out of curiosity, Cyrus lifted a hand to his nose and smelled the red liquid, and came to a disgusting conclusion.
"Fucking pig's blood… Hmph, you're pathetic," Cyrus scoffed. "It really seems like you want this feud to continue, don't you?"
"Patrick, you fucking imbecile…" Theresia groaned. She knew this was only going to make things worse.
Patrick, on the other hand, was too stunned to say anything. All he could do was stand there, soaked in the foul-smelling pig's blood, embarrassed and horrified by what had happened to him. Even Celestin, who usually had all the answers, was at a loss on what to say or do in the moment.
"Well, it looks like the money is untarnished, and real… As a showing of generosity to the rest of the residents of the First Dormitory, I will forgo any sort of punishment for trying to trick me and say that your own attempt at a prank backfiring on you is punishment enough. Let's be honest here, no-one is going to forget this sight anytime soon," Cyrus smirked as he snapped the briefcase shut and vanished.
For a good few minutes, no-one spoke. Most of the Nobles were flabbergasted by the fact Cyrus had simply vanished, whilst the others were too shocked at what happened to Patrick to say anything. After a few more tense moments, Celestin approached Patrick and offered help.
"Here, Master Patrick, let's get you out of those clothes," Celestin whispered.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Patrick screamed. "THAT DOG IS GOING TO REGRET HIS ACTIONS HERE! MARK MY WORDS, AS A SON OF THE PRESTIGIOUS HYARMS FAMILY, I WILL MAKE HIM PAY!"
Patrick ran off before anyone could respond. The pig's blood was still dripping off him and leaving a trail behind him as he charged up the stairs. Eric and Hans quickly ran off after him, both doing their best to stifle a gag as the awful smell started to permeate into their noses.
"Sariffa, help me get this cleaned up," Reginald commanded as he removed a pair of gloves and a mask from his coat pocket.
"At once, Father," Sariffa nodded as she disappeared to fetch a mop, bucket, and several cleaning supplies.
"Young Masters and Ladies, I would kindly request you all return to your rooms until Sariffa and I have cleaned this mess up. The smell is only bound to get worse," Reginald stated as he put the mask on over his mouth and nose, making him look as if he was prepping himself for surgery.
"I am ready, Father," Sariffa muttered as she returned with everything she needed, including her own pair of gloves and face mask.
"Then I suggest we get to it," Reginald nodded as he grabbed the mop and prepared to clean.
While all of that was going on, Ferris had been hiding away in her room. While it was true that she had been improving health wise, she still couldn't bring herself to leave her room, and when she did, people noticed she was constantly on edge and appeared to be jumping at shadows.
She had heard Patrick screaming downstairs and was now hiding under her blanket on her bed. The reason she was hiding wasn't because Patrick had been screaming… She was hiding because she wasn't sure if what she had heard was real.
It was dark outside by this point, and another summer storm had arrived to pummel Trista with even more rain and thunder. The rain was pelting against her window and the lightning in the sky was illuminating her room every few seconds. As the thunder roared above at the lightning flashed in the sky, Ferris whimpered and curled up even more tightly. It wasn't the storm that had Ferris hiding away like a small child.
It was the fact that every time the lighting lit up the sky outside, it revealed the tall, black phantom that was floating in her room by the window, watching her.
"Hmph, so you turned Patrick's prank back on him, did you?" Jusis scoffed. "Can't say he didn't deserve it."
"I'm more amazed at the fact you didn't kick his head in," Rean mused.
"Well, if I had fallen for his prank, then I'd have probably killed him, but his idiot friends couldn't hide the fact they were up to something, so I decided to turn the tables on him. The look on Patrick's face was worth way more than the fifty million in this briefcase," Cyrus smirked.
"Can you please go wash up. The smell is stupefying," Machias gagged, pointing at Cyrus' bloody hands.
"Mmm, I agree… I'm starting to get light headed," Emma sighed, wafting her hand in front of her nose to try and get rid of the smell.
With a nod, Cyrus dropped the briefcase and walked over to the sink and washed his hands. After a few minutes of scrubbing, his hands were now clean and smelled of apricots, thanks to the hand soap Sharon had left by the sink.
"Ahh, much better," Cyrus remarked.
"So, what are you going to do with all that money? Fifty million Mira is a hell of a lot to just carry around," Rean commented.
"True… I have no real need for it, to be honest. Fifty million is, quite frankly, nothing to me," Cyrus shrugged.
"How can you say that with a straight face?! That's maybe ten percent of what Reinford makes annually!" Alisa cried.
"The biggest heavy industry company in Erebonia only makes half a billion a year?" Cyrus snorted, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, no, that's just the net income after all our taxes and expenditures had been covered," Alisa stated.
"So, in other words, you make half a billion Mira a year, just by being the owner," Cyrus responded.
"Well, Mother makes that much, but yes," Alisa nodded.
"It must be nice being so stupidly rich…" Machias muttered.
"Give over, you fool. How much does the Governor of Erebonia make a year, five million? Don't try and act like you're destitute," Jusis snapped. "It'll be these ones here that are destitute."
"C'mon, Jusis, that was uncalled for," Rean said, as Jusis had pointed at Elliot, Emma, and Gaius.
"What? I'm just explaining the reality of things," Jusis shrugged.
"That doesn't mean you can call them poor!" Machias shouted.
"You idiots just don't know when to stop, do you?" Cyrus sighed. "Who cares how much is in someone's bank account? I know I certainly don't."
"That's easy for you to say, given you're holding such an obscene amount of money," Laura muttered.
Cyrus ignored Laura's comment and placed the briefcase down on the table and opened it. The ten thousand Mira notes in the case were perfectly bundled together into lots of one million Mira. Everyone stared at the money in awe. Despite some of them being Nobles or rich Commoners, no-one had ever seen such a large sum of money before in their lives.
"Go on. Take it," Cyrus commanded.
"What?" Emma gasped.
"You can't be serious," Machias muttered.
"I honestly don't care. I have no need for such a pittance, so you all might as well make use of it," Cyrus shrugged. "Just make sure you leave some for Sara too. Aidios knows she'll have a cry if she gets left out."
"What's your angle here?" Jusis scowled.
"I don't have one. Don't even think of trying to lump me in with those shithead Nobles who think they can just buy people off. To me, having to carry this money around will just be a burden until I can go put it in the bank. It'll be better off in the hands of others," Cyrus stated.
"Five million Mira each is still a stupid amount of money. What would we even do with it?" Elliot asked.
"Not my concern. Put it in the bank, give it away to charity, spend it on blackjack and hookers for all I care," Cyrus responded as he walked out of the room, leaving the briefcase open on the table.
"What do we do? Do you think it's a trap?" Rean asked once Cyrus was gone.
"I don't think so… Cyrus doesn't seem like the sort of person to do something like that," Gaius said, tapping his chin in thought as he stared at the money.
"Hmph, five million is five million. Why should I care where it comes from?" Jusis shrugged as he approached the briefcase and took his share.
"I… I suppose it's alright to take… I mean, I could do something nice for Dad and Fiona with this money," Elliot mumbled as he also approached the briefcase and took his allowance.
Slowly, one by one, each member of Class VII approached the open briefcase and took five million Mira each. Emma took an extra five million for Fie, which only left Sara's share, which Rean decided he would take and give to her himself.
Meanwhile, Cyrus was lying on his bed in the dark, the only light in the room came from the screen of his ARCUS, which gently went up and down as it laid open on his chest.
"They took the bait then?" the individual chortled.
"Indeed. I'm surprised at a couple of them, but it all went according to plan," Cyrus muttered.
"You are a shrewd one, Dragon. Binding them to you through such base desires is going to make things that much easier for you now," the individual chuckled. "You play your part so well."
"I simply did what must be done. All my hats, and this one has been the most complicated to wear," Cyrus sighed.
"Oh? I thought you were enjoying your idyllic life as a student," the individual mused.
"If I were simply a student, and nothing else, perhaps this life would indeed by idyllic… Yet that life cannot exist for me. I am here for a purpose, and until that purpose has been realised, I need to be careful," Cyrus muttered.
"You're doing a fine job with this balancing act, Dragon. But don't think for a second my praise means you can get complacent. You walk on a knife edge; one slip-up, and it'll cut your head off," the individual warned.
"I know, I know… For now, I should focus on handling Fie… Having my identity as Yang being revealed was a problem, but I'll find a way around it," Cyrus muttered.
"Why couldn't you just lie to them? It's not that hard," the individual queried.
"Simple. If I keep an open and honest approach with them all, even my past as Yang and being attacked by the Red Constellation, it gives them more reason to trust me when it counts. If I keep telling lies or act evasively, people will start to think I have something to hide," Cyrus responded.
"But you do have something to hide. Lots of somethings, if we're being honest," the individual snickered.
"Yes… And in time, those secrets will inevitably come to the fore… I wonder, how will everyone react when they learn the truth about the real Cyrus Le Guin?" Cyrus muttered.
The next couple of days passed by and Cyrus' assumptions about Class VII had proven to be true. They were all much more cheerful and amicable with one another; even towards Laura, despite everything that had happened.
Despite him being right, Cyrus was inwardly disgusted with everyone. A small bribe was all it took to make people act like they're all friends? It was pathetic. Cyrus knew how powerful and influential money was, but even to those who didn't need it? In his mind, his opinions of everyone in Class VII had been lowered significantly… Except for Sara.
The morning after he had left the money out for Class VII to take, Sara had approached Cyrus before he left for school and returned the five million Mira that was supposed to be her share. In her own words, she said it was wrong of her to accept money that wasn't rightfully hers. When asked about it, Sara simply said that money should be earned honestly, and not given to someone just because the person felt like it.
Despite her outward appearance of a slovenly, lazy alcoholic, it seemed that Sara had a decent amount of pride and honour about her as well. Despite his best efforts to see if he could break those traits, Cyrus was unsuccessful in getting Sara to take the money. At that moment, his opinion of Sara changed dramatically, and he started to see Sara in a new light.
It was now time for Class VII's Practical Exam, but Cyrus had chosen to sit it out. He had no interest in working with the rest of Class VII, but instead wanted to see how they would now interact with each other, and how well they'd work together as a team.
The results, as it happened, were mixed. Everyone seemed to have a good form of cohesion with one another, until something went wrong. While no-one immediately started to blame one another, Cyrus and Sara could see the look of disdain in their eyes as they provided feedback to each other.
Another assumption Cyrus had made had been proven right. Their attitudes towards one another hadn't changed, merely the way they interacted with each other had changed. It was more conservative and restrained; it was as if they were all afraid of being the one responsible for creating a rift between each other in the class. Cyrus and Sara shared a look and that prompted Sara to bring Class VII's attention to her.
"Well, that was… Interesting," Sara said with a slight frown. "Rean, Jusis failed to cover you properly, yet you didn't say anything. Why?"
"O-oh… Well, you know… I guess I just didn't really pay it any attention," Rean shrugged, causing Cyrus to sigh in exasperation and turn his back to everyone.
"Something you'd like to share with us, Cyrus?" Sara asked.
"Perhaps… For now, just carry on, Instructor," Cyrus muttered.
"Alright then. Well, I'm a little concerned; you all seem to be plateauing and that's not good," Sara stated.
"Impossible. We've barely begun to reach our potential," Laura stated indignantly.
"No, Sara's right. You've made almost no improvement since last month. Your teamwork is fucking atrocious, and you all act like it's ok," Cyrus snapped.
"Hmph, that's rich coming from someone who outright refused to even take part in the exam," Machias scoffed.
"Why should I hold myself back just to be a fucking crutch for you all? It's either I take part and do all the work, or I hold back so you guys can do something, but then you'll all hold back because you know I'll be there to pick up the pieces." Cyrus responded.
"He has a point… It's unfair of us to rely on him for everything," Rean added.
"Then you guys are going to have to learn to stand on your own two feet, starting this weekend," Cyrus stated, confusing everyone.
"Hmph, are you saying you won't be doing anything on our next Field Study?" Jusis huffed.
"That's right, because he's not going," Sara clarified as she handed out the assignments for the month's Field Study.
Group A; Alisa, Emma, Gaius, Jusis, Rean – Nord Highlands
Group B; Elliot, Fie, Laura, Machias – Bryonia Island
"So where are you going to be?" Machias asked, glaring at Cyrus.
"Cyrus has something else he'll be doing that unfortunately cannot be avoided. As such, Principal Vandyck has seen fit to make him exempt from being a part of this Field Study, but it won't affect his overall grade. That would hardly be fair, would it?" Sara turned, smirking at Cyrus.
"Pfft, not like missing out on this Field Study is going to make a difference in my overall grade," Cyrus snorted arrogantly.
"He does have a point; he gets perfect scores on all his classwork, so missing out on one Field Study would hardly change things for him," Emma stated. Cyrus could see admitting that wounded her pride a little.
Cyrus and Sara shared a look with one another, which only resulted in Cyrus shaking his head. He was quickly growing tired of this ridiculous façade the class were putting on. Perhaps this time away from him would help them reset themselves and think about what's really important to them.
"Oh? What's this then? Class VII lazing around and doing nothing? Why am I not surprised?" Patrick preened as he and his friends watched Class VII from atop the stairs leading to the Practice Field.
"Excuse me, young man, but these guys have just finished an exam. What are you three doing here? You're supposed to be in class," Sara asked, narrowing her eyes at Patrick as the three boys walked over.
"You, be good and keep quiet. I have no interest in dealing with the likes of you," Patrick scoffed as he held up a hand at Sara. "If you must know, Instructor Thomas had to step out for a moment, so he changed the class to a 'self-study' session. I decided that it would be more interesting to show you that Class I is still the superior class."
"We already beat Class I on the Midterms, and by quite a large margin. Now you want to, what, make us jump through more hoops for your own entertainment? Hmph, no thanks," Jusis scoffed.
"I don't know why you think you're superior. How was your bath of pig's blood the other night? I can't believe you were stupid enough to think something like that would work," Alisa smirked.
"You hold your tongue when you speak to your betters, you bitch!" Patrick seethed, pulling his rapier out and pointed it at Alisa.
"Can I shoot him now, Sara?" Cyrus asked, looking at Patrick with the same bored look he always gave him when he chose to play up.
"No, you may not shoot him… As much as I'd pay to see that," Sara muttered. "Alright then. Since it seems you Class I students won't leave until you get what you want, I guess I have no choice but to let you guys fight it out."
"Instructor?!" Emma gasped.
"Heh, works for me…" Fie smirked.
"Alright, fine… How about Rean, Laura, and Jusis fight Patrick and his two friends?" Sara suggested.
"Are you stupid or something? We Nobles will not cross swords with our fellow Nobles, nor women," Patrick scoffed.
"So, in other words, the ones you want to fight are Elliot, Gaius, and Machias? The only three male Commoners in the class?" Cyrus sighed. "You really are a bunch of cowards."
"You stay out of this, you dog! Be grateful that His Lordship is acknowledging you as a Noble!" Hans shouted.
"Can this get any more pathetic?" Alisa whispered to Emma.
"Probably not…" Emma frowned.
"You do realise how embarrassing this is going to be for you three when you lose, right?" Cyrus asked. "See, you might have saved some face by letting someone like me or Laura fight you, but considering you've stacked the deck in what you think is your favour, everyone is going to know how cowardly and pathetic the youngest son of the Hyarms family is when you lose here."
"Let it be, Cyrus. He's clearly not going to listen to anything anyone has to say," Sara sighed. "Go on then; have at it."
Patrick genuinely believed that by simply being a Noble that it somehow meant he'd be better at everything than a Commoner would be. Yet the team of Elliot, Gaius, and Machias managed to thoroughly trounce Patrick and his bootlickers.
"Aaaaand, that's the match! Looks like Class VII wins… Again!" Sara grinned, adding the 'again' to rub salt into the wound.
"Well, that went about as well as expected…" Alisa sighed.
"Nice job with those Arts, Elliot! You're really starting to become more confident using them in battle!" Gaius smiled, patting Elliot on the back.
"Hehe, thanks, Gaius! Your spear work was really impressive too!" Elliot laughed.
"Well, I have Machias to thank for covering me with his shotgun. Without it, I'd have definitely struggled," Gaius said, turning to Machias.
"O-oh… Well… Thanks, I guess," Machias muttered, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, at the end of the day, I think we can all be proud of how we conducted ourselves in the battle," Rean said as he approached Patrick and held out a hand to him.
"DON'T YOU PITY US, YOU SCUM!" Patrick exploded.
"Whoa!" Alisa gasped as she watched Patrick slap Rean's hand away in disgust.
"Sara…?" Cyrus whispered.
"No, don't," Sara responded.
"YOU DOGS HAVE NO RIGHT TO LOOK DOWN ON US! WE ARE ALL GREAT NOBLES, BORN INTO A PRESTIGIOUS LINEAGE! WHO ARE YOU WORTHLESS PIECES OF TRASH?!" Patrick screamed.
"Uhh, Patrick?" Eric whispered.
"SILENCE! Class VII is nothing but a disgrace to this school! You're a ragtag bunch of losers who think that by simply being in a class with other Nobles that you're somehow better than everyone else?!" Patrick raved.
"Oh, boy…" Alisa sighed, shaking her head.
"You! Reinford brat! Don't for one second think you're better than us just because you come from a rich family! You're still Commoner scum!" Patrick yelled.
"Excuse you?!" Alisa cried.
"And you! I see how you act, just because your father is the Governor of Erebonia! Your family is so pathetic that they feel the need to tear the country down, just to pretend they hold the same power as the Nobility!" Patrick spat, pointing at Machias.
"Hey, fuck you! My dad is doing his best to change the country so it's better for everyone!" Machias shouted as Rean and Gaius held him back.
"And the rest of you are just as disgusting! Some poor wench from the boonies with no connections who had to no doubt grovel and beg just for a chance to take the entrance exams, a wild animal that lives off grass and insects, and a Jäger tot!" Patrick screamed.
"H-how dare you?!" Emma gasped, clearly at a loss for words.
"A 'Jäger tot'?" Fie repeated, scowling.
"Perhaps I don't understand…" Gaius began, walking over to Patrick, who flinched slightly. "What is it that makes the Nobility so special? Why does being born into a certain family dictate how someone should act or how they view others?"
"Gaius…" Elliot mumbled.
"Tch, well obviously a wild animal like you couldn't possibly understand proud Erebonian tradition," Patrick scoffed. "Being a Noble is all about having pride in one's lineage, and understanding that you were put on this earth to prove Nobles are the absolute pinnacle of humanity!"
"Hmph, 'the pinnacle of humanity'? Don't make me laugh…" Cyrus snorted. "You wouldn't even know what the pinnacle of humanity looks like, even if it was staring you in the face. For all your preening and bullshitting about how you think you're better than everyone else because of your family is a joke. Do you even know where Nobles came from?"
"Wh-what nonsense are you spouting now, dog?!" Patrick snapped.
"Nobles were vassals of a ruling lord; one who held real authority. Nobles were selected simply by being given titles and having edicts enforced by said ruling lord. They're no different from everyone else. Even in this day and age, most Noble Families can be traced back to the War of the Lions, where each vassal was given a title and a claim to land if they helped their prince claim legitimacy to the throne. All Nobles are, all they have ever been, are bargaining chips used in a bigger game of political warfare you wouldn't even begin to fathom," Cyrus growled. "All this shit you're spewing about having 'pride in one's lineage' is just as pathetic. If being proud of your family heritage is all it takes to be a Noble, then everyone in Class VII can be regarded as one!"
"Cyrus…" Alisa mumbled.
Despite his current feelings towards those in Class VII, Cyrus refused to let anyone, especially someone as vile as Patrick, spew vitriol and hate towards them. He had no right to speak to them as if he was their better, and as far as things went in Class VII, the line between Noble and Commoner did not exist.
"You… You would say that, wouldn't you?! A filthy dog from Lamare whose family bowed and scraped their way from the dregs of Nobility. Ohh, don't think I don't know who you really are! I know all about your grandfather; born to a filthy Calvardian whore who got pregnant by seducing a weak-minded sycophant who couldn't even take his mind off the bottle for more than a minute to rule over his people!" Patrick screamed.
No matter how many times he had been told, Patrick could never stop bringing up Cyrus' family and dragging them through the mud. This time, however, Patrick had overstepped a boundary that he should never have crossed. Even Eric and Hans knew Patrick had gone too far, as they slowly edged their way around towards Class VII and away from Cyrus and Patrick.
Pure fury burned inside Cyrus as he stepped towards Patrick and punched him square in the gut, dropping the boy to his knees. With his back to everyone, no-one saw the black gun that was in Cyrus' hand until he pressed it against Patrick's forehead. Eric and Hans cried out and took a step towards Cyrus with their swords up in an attempt to intervene, but were immediately halted by Cyrus who held up his free hand and raised it at them.
Before anyone could process what was happening, a second gun had appeared in Cyrus' hand. This gun was identical to the one that was pressed against' Patrick's skull, with the only difference being the colour. This one was white, and seemed to be the other half that made the two guns a pair. Without warning, Cyrus fired a single shot into the ground at the boys' feet before pointing the gun upwards, revealing the name that had been etched into the grip. Redemption.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you where you kneel," Cyrus seethed, pressing the gun harder into Patrick's head.
"Don't do it, Cyrus… He's not worth it," Sara whispered, trying to defuse the situation before it got worse.
"Why not? Mercy has been used to kill better people than this coward. He should be grateful," Cyrus hissed, gently putting a finger on the trigger.
You walk on a knife edge. One slip-up, and it'll cut your head off…
The warning from Cyrus' mysterious ally echoed in his head. Looking down at Patrick, who seemed to be praying as tears rolled down his cheeks, Cyrus sighed and lowered the black gun and held it at his side, which allowed everyone to see the name that was carved into the handle. Mercy.
All of Class VII breathed a collective sigh of relief as Cyrus lowered Mercy, and let the weight of it hang in his hand before flicking both of them, causing both Mercy and Redemption to vanish.
"Y-Your Lordship! Are you alright?!" Eric cried as he and Hans ran over to Patrick.
By this point, Patrick was a blubbering mess, so wrapped up in his crying and praying that he didn't even realise the gun had been pulled away from his head. Eric and Hans picked Patrick up and carried him away, stopping only so that Hans could turn to Cyrus and shout at him.
"This isn't over, scum! You'll regret what you did here today! Mark my words!" Hans yelled.
Cyrus and the rest of Class VII looked on as the three boys scurried away from the Practice Field. Once they were gone, Cyrus dropped to the ground and laughed, putting his head on his knee as he looked at the ground.
"Wow… I nearly made a fucking mess of things there, Teacher… What would you say, if you were here with me?" Cyrus whispered. "Would you be proud, or disappointed?"
"You guys go back to the dorm. I'll stay here and make sure he's ok," Sara whispered.
Without a word, all of Class VII left and returned to the dorm. Emma was the last one to leave, as she was staring at Cyrus intently, trying to process what she had just seen. Once she was gone, Sara approached Cyrus and sat down next to him.
"You alright, champ?" Sara asked quietly. "You did the right thing there… I know Patrick said some disgustingly abhorrent things, but killing him wouldn't have done any good."
"Yeah, I know… Ahh, I was this close to fucking everything up. That's going to do wonders for my reputation," Cyrus laughed.
"I don't know… I thought you were pretty amazing… The way you stood up for everyone, and backed up Gaius… It takes a strong man to stand up for justice, even when those who he is protecting don't always deserve it," Sara responded as she gently gabbed Cyrus and hugged him.
"Are you feeling unwell, Instructor?" Cyrus asked as he found his head pressed against Sara's chest.
"Shh… I'm just showing you my gratitude for making the right choice," Sara whispered.
For several minutes, both Sara and Cyrus sat on the Practice Field, both silently thankful they could rely on one another when they most needed it.