Chapter Twenty Three – Advance! The Summer Festival Approaches!
"Is everyone ready to go?" Sara asked.
"I think so… Though, it's not like we're going very far anyway; if we do forget something, we can just come back to Trista, right?" Rean asked as Class VII all walked to the train station.
"Oho, no. This Field Study is just like the others; you can't just up and leave in the middle of it, just because you're going to Heimdallr," Sara stated.
"Why are you coming with us, Instructor? I thought you didn't come along on our Field Studies," Emma asked.
"Ah, well, this one is a little different; the Governor has requested to see Class VII, as he's the contact for this month's Field Study," Sara replied.
"Wait, seriously? Dad is our contact this month?" Machias blinked.
"Why are you so surprised? He is the Governor of Erebonia after all. It would make sense that he's the one in charge of assigning us with our tasks. You of all people should know that," Jusis muttered.
"Respond to that, Machias, and we're leaving you behind," Sara warned, a slight scowl on her face.
Machias simply growled as he stomped off and barged through the doors of Trista Train Station.
"Hmph, what a child," Jusis scoffed.
"Says the child who provoked him," Alisa sighed.
"Hey, uhh, Instructor… Where's Cyrus?" Elliot asked, trying to change the subject.
"He's currently busy with something… He's going to meet us in Heimdallr later," Sara responded, looking over towards the First Dormitory.
"Do you understand now, Ferris?" Cyrus asked, sitting on Ferris' bed.
"I… I do… But, you must obviously understand my perspective on the matter," Ferris stated moodily.
"All I asked was for you to obey," a third voice whispered from behind Ferris, causing her to tense up.
The third voiced belonged to the black apparition that had been tormenting Ferris for a while now. After it had been discovered that Alisa, Laura, and Sara all had a phantom of their own, Cyrus had gone to see Ferris in order to find out more about her own spectre; the one she had been terrified of since it first appeared.
As it turned out, the black phantom was called Hevnoraak, and was just like the three beings who were bound to the three Class VII girls. Somehow, Hevnoraak had become bound to Ferris, despite her never having set foot in the Old Schoolhouse, which now begged the question; just how did Hevnoraak become chained to Ferris?
"Hmph, perhaps you should work on your communication skills," Ferris huffed, staring at the black spectre, its white eyes glowing from behind it's stone mask.
"Apologies… My Aspect is Pride, and for the longest time, I've never had to communicate with my host, as my ability to influence their lives through my Aspect was enough. When you started to shut yourself off, you started to reject my Aspect, which meant I had to take drastic measures to get you to obey again," Hevnoraak stated.
"Tell me something, Pride… Gluttony tells me you are a hunter. Is this true?" Cyrus asked, remembering what Nahkriin had said about Hevnoraak when Tahlia was kidnapped by Archangel a couple of weeks ago.
"That is correct; I was a hunter when I still had a physical form and had no need to rely on a vessel to interact with the corporeal plane. I served my master as the head of his hunting party, and for my devotion, I was granted eternal life through my soul," Hevnoraak explained.
"Hmm, I can see why you're known as Pride… Only an arrogant fool would think being bound to someone is a reward," Cyrus muttered.
"Hi krilon wiiv zey, joor?!" Hevnoraak growled.
Hevnoraak flashed over towards Cyrus, his masked face mere inches from Cyrus' own. It was obvious that Hevnoraak had taken issue with what Cyrus had said, and was trying to intimidate him. Cyrus, however, seemed completely unfazed by the spectre's actions.
"You realise I live with three of your kind, right? Wrath is the biggest pain, and yet I am unperturbed by his ramblings. What makes you think you're any different? Ah, that's right… Pride," Cyrus stated, smirking at Hevnoraak.
"That's enough, both of you!" Ferris snapped. "Cyrus, I appreciate you coming her to help me understand what this ghost is and why it's following me, but I have to live with it. Provoking it is only going to cause me trouble."
"I don't think this one will cause you any trouble, Ferris," Cyrus stated, narrowing his eyes at Hevnoraak.
"Oh, and what makes you say that?" Hevnoraak snorted.
In response to Hevnoraak's challenge, Cyrus merely leaned forward and whispered into the spectre's ear. After taking in what Cyrus had said, Hevnoraak made his way back over to Ferris and floated behind her.
"What did you say to him?" Ferris asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not important. Look, I have to go, I have a Field Study in Heimdallr this weekend, and something is bothering me about it," Cyrus sighed as he stood up.
"What's bothering you, cousin?" Ferris began, hoping to get an answer out of Cyrus.
"I don't know, it… I just have a bad feeling that something is going to happen," Cyrus muttered as he left the room.
For the longest time, Ferris stood and stared at the door, trying to work out what could possibly be bothering Cyrus. There were very few things in the world that could pose a challenge to him, so if he was concerned about something, then Ferris knew whatever was bothering him had to be very important.
"Pay it no mind, child… You know he's not going to shake you with whatever dark thoughts his mind currently holds," Hevnoraak stated.
"I'm still worried about him… As the embodiment of Pride, you should know how I feel about my cousin, and because of that, you should know that seeing him like this concerns me," Ferris responded.
"I am well aware how proud you are of him, young one… But, for my Aspect to fully take root, you must have pride in yourself. Pride is arrogance, but arrogance is not Pride," Hevnoraak stated.
"Hmm… 'Pride is arrogance, but arrogance is not Pride' you say…?" Ferris murmured, tapping her chin in thought. "I think I understand what you mean."
"I made a good decision revealing myself to you, child… Together, I know we can do great things," Hevnoraak declared.
About an hour later, Class VII all found themselves inside a room within the Heimdallr Railway Station. In the room with them was Captain Claire Rieveldt of the RMP, and Governor Carl Regnitz. Both the Captain and the Governor had been waiting for Class VII to arrive, and had been standing on the platform when their train had entered the station.
Immediately, everyone who was on the train, including Sara, had been escorted into the room, which was an RMP Conference Room, outfitted with a large table with seating enough for a dozen people, and there was a large screen and giant projector at one end, the projector displaying the RMP Logo onto the screen.
"I apologise for the urgency and secrecy of this meeting, everyone," Carl began as the eight students of Class VII, along with Sara, all took a seat at the table. "Shouldn't there be ten of you?"
Carl was correct. Class VII was comprised of ten students, but as he did a quick head count, he found two were absent.
"Pardon me, Governor Regnitz, but…" Claire began, as she leaned in and whispered into Carl's ear. As the Governor's eyes widened, everyone present knew what Claire had told the Governor.
"By Aidios… You have my apologies, and my condolences, Class VII… In spite of that, it still doesn't explain the fact you are one short. Where is Cyrus Le Guin?" Carl asked, looking around the room.
"Forgive me, Governor, but I'm afraid we don't have the time," Claire stated as she pulled a remote out of her pocket and pointed it at the screen. "Please, everyone, listen to everything I have to say, as it is important."
As Claire pressed a button, the image on the screen flickered from the RMP insignia to a picture of a man clad in black, wearing a full faced helmet.
"Captain Rieveldt is right, you can explain everything to him later. Let us cut right to the chase; the image on screen is of a man known only as 'C'. He is the leader of a terrorist organisation known as the 'Imperial Liberation Front'," Carl began.
"Imperial Liberation Front? That must be the same group that 'G' guy said he was a part of when we faced him in Nord," Rean muttered.
"Yes, quite right. As of this moment, we have identified four of the group's leaders, who all go by a single letter. Along with C, and G, there is a woman known as 'S', and a man known as 'V'. It's not much to go on, but at this point in time, we're not concerned with their codenames or what have you. We're more concerned with this," Claire responded, changing the image on the screen again.
This time, the image was a surveillance photo that had been taken in such a way that made Class VII assume the person who had taken the picture was undercover. In the image, were C and G, and a shadowy black hand. In the picture, the hand was holding what appeared to be a small metal canister; about six inches long, and cylindrical in shape.
"Is that what I think it is?" Laura asked.
"The Imperial Liberation Front have met with the Concierge?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Quite right, Instructor. The officer of the Intelligence Division who took this picture was returned to us in several parcels, all arriving at different intervals. Even to this day, we haven't received his entire body," Carl stated, horrifying everyone in the room. "But that is just a small drop in the ocean as to the level of danger this mysterious criminal poses to the Empire."
"Well, if he's thrown in with the Imperial Liberation Front, then that goes without saying," Jusis muttered.
"Honestly, who he's aligned himself with here is secondary. The main threat here is what's in the man's hand," Carl responded, pointing to the metal canister that is being handed to C.
"Why? Is it a bomb of some kind? Looks way too small to do any serious damage," Alisa frowned.
"It's not a bomb in the sense you are thinking, Miss Reinford… That canister contains a powerful chemical agent, known as 'Ether'," Carl explained.
"Ether?" Elliot mumbled, feeling uneasy.
"Ether is an incredibly deadly toxin that kills within minutes. Just one breath of this chemical, and you're as good as dead. As of right now, there is no known antidote for it," Claire explained.
"An incredibly deadly toxin with no known antidote, you say? Your fearmongering tactics need better work, Claire," Cyrus snorted.
With a start, all of Class VII turned around to find themselves looking at Cyrus, who had a deep scowl etched onto his face.
"When did you get here?!" Machias cried.
"I've been here the whole time," Cyrus muttered, his gaze never leaving Claire, who shifted nervously on the spot, looking at her feet.
"No you haven't! Dad was just saying how you weren't even here a few minutes ago," Machias protested.
"That's because I didn't allow you to perceive my presence until just now. I've been here since before you guys even entered the room," Cyrus sighed, shaking his head.
"Another one of your Assassin skills, I presume?" Carl scowled.
"Why don't you ask the Chancellor's lapdog there? She should know all about what I'm capable of after last month," Cyrus growled.
"What is he talking about?" Gaius whispered.
"I don't know, but something tells me it's not good. I mean, look at Captain Claire; she hasn't been able to look at Cyrus since he spoke," Rean responded, gesturing to Claire, who had been looking at her feet the entire time since discovering Cyrus was present.
"Alright, enough! Do you think this is some kind of joke, Cyrus?! We're talking about a terrorist group being in possession of a chemical weapon!" Carl shouted.
"You know what, I'm going to humour you, Carl," Cyrus snorted as he pulled out his ARCUS Unit and placed it on the table in front of everyone, a dull ringing sound emitting from the device.
"Speak," Aurelia's voice commanded.
"Your experiences with the chemical weapon known as Ether. Tell me about it," Cyrus demanded, making everyone in the room tense up with the way Cyrus spoke to his sister.
"Hmph, is this some kind of joke? If it is, I do not appreciate you wasting my time like this," Aurelia scoffed.
"Pardon me, General Le Guin, Governor Regnitz here; what do you mean by a joke?" Carl asked.
"Exactly as I said, Governor. Calling Ether a chemical weapon is a joke," Aurelia responded, completely unfazed by the fact she was speaking to the Governor of Erebonia.
"Can you please elaborate for us?" Carl pressed.
"Let me explain it in such a way that even my little sister would understand, Governor. If Ether is supposed to be a chemical weapon, then it's a failure. It does not work," Aurelia stated firmly.
"What? That's ridiculous! We've received several reports from the Intelligence Division that proves Ether is a lethal weapon!" Claire shouted, surprising everyone in the room.
"Then your Intelligence Division needs better officers, Captain. I am telling you, from experience, that Ether is not as dangerous as you are claiming it to be," Aurelia responded harshly.
"Wait, what? You've been subjected to Ether, General?" Laura gasped.
"Indeed. Last year, both Cyrus and I were exposed to the gas, and nothing happened to either of us. If Ether is this lethal weapon the RMP are claiming it to be, how am I talking to you right now, through my brother's ARCUS, from the RMP offices in Heimdallr?" Aurelia asked.
"She knows where we are?!" Machias gasped.
"Oh, please. Where else could we possibly be to have both an RMP Captain and Ironblood, and the Governor of Erebonia in the same room with us?" Jusis sighed, rolling his eyes.
"That's all I needed, Aurelia," Cyrus stated and snapped his ARCUS shut before his sister could respond.
"You… You just hung up on her?!" Alisa gasped.
"Yes? That's usually how you end a phone call," Cyrus shrugged as he put his ARCUS away.
"Most people tend to say 'goodbye' and wait for the other person to respond before doing so, though," Rean muttered.
"You honestly think Aurelia has the time for pleasantries and goodbyes?" Cyrus laughed. "Believe me, she would have hung up at the exact same time as I did."
"Yeah, that actually makes sense…" Alisa sighed.
"Look, forget about phone etiquette for a second and let's get back to the topic at hand; Ether. You heard what Aurelia said, didn't you?" Cyrus stated.
"I suppose that's true; I don't think the General would lie about something like that… And, given how both her and her brother are still alive after being exposed to the gas makes me wonder…" Sara muttered. "What is your source, Captain?"
"Excuse me?" Claire blinked.
"Who told you that this Ether is lethal?" Sara asked.
"No… No-one… Our intel comes from North Ambria," Claire responded.
"North Ambria?" Elliot repeated, his face scrunched up in confusion.
"Yes… We've been keeping an eye on the region for some time now, due to the fact the Northern Jägers seem to be up to something in the Principality," Claire explained.
"What do Jägers have to do with this?" Laura asked.
"Well, according to our sources, one of the leaders of the Northern Jägers, a woman by the name of Jayna Storm, procured several large crates of Ether from the Concierge and used it on a small settlement that was the base of operations for a rival Corps. According to the reports, once the Ether was released, not a single living organism survived," Claire explained.
At the mention of Jayna's name, Sara tensed up. Fortunately for her, only Cyrus had noticed her response, but he chose to say nothing.
"Well… This creates some issues for us… On one hand, we have General Le Guin, who insists that Ether is non-lethal, and has said she and Cyrus have a first-hand experience with it, but on the other hand, we have a report from North Ambria that says it does work, and with lethal efficiency," Gaius muttered, tapping his chin. "So, that begs the question; who's information is accurate?"
"I'd think first-hand experience trumps any sort of written report. We don't even know if the stuff the Northern Jägers were given is the same chemical agent," Jusis stated matter-of-factly.
"H-How do we know it's not an improved compound? What if Cyrus and the General were test subjects and the chemical compound has been altered since then?" Machias asked.
"Machias makes a valid point. It's common sense to alter a chemical compound if it doesn't work properly the first time," Emma added.
"Note to self; don't piss off Emma," Rean muttered, feeling slightly unsettled by how Emma referred to working with poisons as 'common sense'.
"Look I think you're missing the point here; the Ether isn't the problem, it's C and his Imperial Liberation Front. Lethal or not, the ILF are planning to use a chemical weapon during the upcoming Summer Festival. That is why you have called us all here, isn't it?" Cyrus stated, looking at Carl with a blank expression.
"Yes. The Intelligence Division has it on good authority that the Imperial Liberation Front are indeed planning on using this chemical agent throughout the Capital at some point during the festival. As such, His Excellency has tasked you, Class VII, to investigate the city, root out the ILF forces, and stop them from releasing the Ether. Should you fail, there's no telling how many casualties there'll be. We've estimated there could be up to one hundred thousand deaths if the Ether is released," Carl responded.
"A hundred thousand?" Laura gasped.
"Tell me something, are you idiots just pulling numbers out of your arse, or what?" Cyrus laughed.
"Is this some kind of joke to you?!" Carl shouted.
"No, but you two certainly are. Nothing you're saying makes any sense. Ok, it's no secret that C and the Imperial Liberation Front have partnered with the Concierge in order to achieve their goals. However, that's about as much factual information you've given us. The rest is bullshit," Cyrus stated.
"What are you talking about?" Alisa asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Think about it. They're claiming that the ILF have gotten their hands on Ether, a supposedly dangerous chemical weapon. Fine, let's assume that's true. Now, the Intelligence Division have stated that it was used in North Ambria and it decimated all forms of organic biomass in the area in which it was released. Keep in mind that this is supposed to be a gaseous substance, as that's what was used on Aurelia and myself, and they're telling us that that same chemical weapon only has the potential to kill about twelve percent of the city's population? In the grand scheme of things, that's not a hell of a lot of casualties, especially for something that's supposedly got no antidote. They're hiding something," Cyrus explained, glaring at Carl and Claire.
"I… I think you're reading too much into this, Cyrus," Rean mumbled.
"Ok, who cares about all that anyway? The point is, we have to stop the Imperial Liberation Front from releasing this gas; that's the main priority here," Machias stated.
"Machias is right, as far as we are concerned, even one casualty is one too many," Claire nodded, placing a stack of manila folders down on the table.
"Well, that's an interesting mindset you have there, Captain. Tell me, did this change come before or after what happened last month?" Cyrus grunted, as he reached over Elliot's head and grabbed a folder from the pile.
"Give it a rest, Cyrus. Whatever axe you have to grind with Captain Rieveldt, or His Excellency, can wait until after the Imperial Liberation Front has been stopped," Carl sighed.
"Oh, indeed. I very much look forward to dealing with Osborne myself after all this is over," Cyrus nodded, glaring at Claire.
"Right, now if that's settled, can we move on to what it is we're supposed to be doing here?" Jusis sighed, opening the folder he had taken off the pile.
"Quite right; you're all here to do a job, and those folders have all the relevant information in them. You'll be split into two groups, and the city will be split in half between you. Group A will be tasked with patrolling the Eastern half of Heimdallr, and Group B will be tasked with the Western half," Carl stated.
"I assume it was you who came up with these groups, Governor?" Cyrus asked. "Looks like I'm not the only one with an axe to grind."
As Class VII read through the group selections, it was noted that Cyrus had been assigned to both groups, essentially being forced to patrol the whole city.
"Well, given there's nine of you, it'd be impossible to allocate an even spread for the groups. So, in order to balance that out, we decided it would be best for you to work with both groups, in order to maintain a fair level of commitment from each member of Class VII," Claire responded.
"You mean a fair level from everyone except me, right?" Cyrus snorted, throwing the folder back at Claire and turning to leave the room. "Tch, whatever. It's not like I couldn't do this by myself anyway."
"Ugh, what an arrogant prick he is," Machias muttered.
"I can see where he's coming from though. Heimdallr is a big city, and he's expected to patrol all of it with us?" Laura responded.
"Well, he's got that warp jump ability thing, doesn't he? I don't know why he's complaining," Machias scoffed.
"I'm sorry, 'warp jump ability'? What are you talking about?" Carl blinked.
"He's talking about my Flying Raijin ability," Cyrus stated, appearing behind Claire, causing her to cry out in shock.
"Wait, how did you–?" Carl gasped.
"Your son's voice is so loud I could hear him from down the corridor. If he wants to shoot his mouth off like that, he should at least use the proper name for my abilities," Cyrus responded, before vanishing again before Carl could react.
"And just like that, he's gone again…" Alisa sighed.
"Well, I suppose it's time for the rest of you to be making tracks yourselves. Off you go!" Sara beckoned.
"Wait, hold on! Take these; they're keys and addresses for your lodgings in the city whilst you're here," Carl called out, handing Rean and Emma an envelope each.
Once all of Class VII had left, Claire turned to Carl, and looked at him with a small frown.
"Captain, save it. I know what you're going to say, and I frankly don't want to hear it," Carl stated, holding up a hand to silence Claire.
"I'm sorry, Governor, but it must be said; provoking him is only going to make things worse," Claire said.
"Provoking him?!" Carl yelled. "He's nothing but a disrespectful little whelp who thinks he can hide behind the Le Guin name and not suffer consequences!"
"No, Governor, you're wrong. He might carry his family name with pride, but he never uses it as a shield. In fact, it's he himself that is the shield for his family's name," Claire responded.
"What in Thanatos' name are you harping on about?" Carl snapped.
"You know about his past as an Assassin, because His Excellency thought it prudent to share it with you. What you don't know is the lengths he has gone to in order to protect his family from learning about that secret," Claire stated, suddenly growing quiet.
"Captain, what aren't you telling me?" Carl asked, realising that Claire was wading into dangerous waters with the conversation.
"You are an ally of His Excellency, Governor, and that is the only reason I am going to share this information with you. It's about the job the Chancellor had Cyrus undertake for him last month," Claire began. "Under no circumstances are you to repeat what I am about to tell you to anyone. Understand?"
"Very well, Captain. Please, proceed," Carl responded as he took a seat, knowing he'd more than likely need to be sitting down for what he was about to hear.
After leaving the RMP offices in the railway station, Class VII had all convened outside in the plaza, before going their separate ways. Before departing, however, there were a couple of things that Class VII wanted to discuss.
"Is there a problem between you and Captain Claire, Cyrus? You treated her with disdain, and she could barely even look at you," Rean spoke, deciding he should be the one to broach the subject with Cyrus.
"Any animosity between me and Claire is strictly between us. You don't need to know about it," Cyrus stated coldly.
"Uhh, if you say so, I guess," Rean muttered.
"Hey, um, so how is this going to work? Cyrus can't be in two places at once, so what do we do?" Elliot asked.
"I'll just have to drop in between each group from time to time. It won't be particularly difficult, so don't worry about it. I'll go with Group B for now, and meet up with you guys later on, ok?" Cyrus responded.
"Yeah, sounds good," Elliot nodded, smiling at Cyrus.
"Alright then. I guess it's time we go our separate ways. Be careful out there, guys. It seems like this Imperial Liberation Front is a profoundly serious threat," Rean said as he and the rest of Group A walked off and climbed onto a tram.
"Hmph, serious threat… What nonsense," Cyrus snorted as Group B made their way across the plaza and boarded a tram of their own.
"I would think you of all people would take this Field Study seriously," Jusis muttered.
"Who says I'm not? I just hold no stock in what both the Governor or the Captain think. All their information is based on ifs and maybes; they have nothing solid other than the Imperial Liberation Front are up to something. So, sure, I'll make certain whatever they're planning doesn't come to fruition, but I'm not going to say it's going to be a difficult task," Cyrus shrugged.
Whilst Group B had set off for the West Side, someone had been watching them from the far side of the plaza, and had taken a keen interest in one member of the group.
"Huh, well I'll be… He's all grown up now. Looks like this is going to be a fun little reunion for me," the person laughed.
"Are… Are you sure this is the right place?" Alisa asked.
"Are you suggesting I don't know how to read an address, woman?" Jusis scoffed.
"I didn't mean it like that. I just… Well, this doesn't seem like the right place," Alisa mumbled.
"What gave it away? The dilapidation, or the stains of dried blood on the walls and floors?" Cyrus smirked as Group B entered the building. 'Alisa's right. Something is definitely amiss here.'
The topic of conversation amongst those in Group B was about the state of the lodgings they had been given. It was supposed to have been an old, unused building that had fallen into disrepair that was once owned by the Bracer Guild before Chancellor Osborne's crusade against the Guild ousted them from the Empire.
Cyrus knew that while the building had fallen into disrepair, it was far from being unused. While it might have once been the building that operated as the Bracer HQ in the Western part of Heimdallr, it was now something else entirely; the location of Walter Kron's Club Himinbjörg. What surprised Cyrus was the fact that there appeared to be absolutely no trace of Walter's operation in the building, save for the dried blood on the walls that had been a result of combatants getting into brawls before their actual fights in the arena. Did someone give him a heads up, or does he have agents in the Imperial Government that helped his little Fight Club operation from being discovered?
"Where do you think the blood came from?" Gaius asked.
"Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it's likely the result of a fight between a Bracer and a member of the Imperial Government when Chancellor Osborne gave the order to shut the Guild down," Jusis shrugged, not really caring either way.
"Nah this blood is more recent. If this was from a fight from back then, this would be a permanent stain in the wood by now. Look at it; it's dry and flaky, but it's not stained the woodwork," Cyrus stated, scraping a small spot of blood off the floor with his nail.
"Eww, gross! Why would you do that?! You don't know where that's been!" Alisa cried.
"Quit your griping, child! Blood is blood! I have seen more than my fair share in my previous life, when I was still of mortal flesh," Morokei snapped, making his presence known to Group B.
"Alright, that's enough. Admonishing Alisa doesn't do any good," Gaius stated, looking at the azure spectre, it's dark blue mask hiding any expression the apparition might have had.
"Gaius is right, griping isn't going to solve anything here. Look, it doesn't really matter where the blood came from; this is the place where the Imperial Governor has decided you'll be staying, so you'll just have to put up with it," Cyrus shrugged.
"What do you mean 'you'? Don't you mean 'we'?" Emma asked.
"Pfft, no. Even if this was some kind of set-up by the Governor, I never intended on staying wherever he sent us," Cyrus stated.
"Uhh, why?" Alisa asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
"There's someone staying in Heimdallr for the time being. I plan I go stay with her instead," Cyrus responded casually.
"'Her'?!" Alisa and Emma cried in unison.
"Isn't that against the rules of the Field Study though?" Gaius asked.
"Eh, I doubt it. Besides, it's not like the Governor or that Ironblood dog has people watching me; I can go where I like," Cyrus snorted.
"Hmph, well, instead of prattling on about who's staying where, how about we get our Field Study started? If this Imperial Liberation Front is really planning an attack, we need to stop them posthaste," Jusis stated as he marched over to Emma and held his hand out expectantly.
Still reeling from the thought of Cyrus staying with another woman, Emma stared at Jusis in confusion for a few moments before realising she was the one in possession of the day's tasks. Shaking her head, she took the folder out of her jacket and handed them to Jusis.
"Someone remind me to smack Machias for this…" Jusis scowled as he threw the folder back at Emma.
"What are you–?" Emma began, as she opened the folder herself and read what was printed on the page.
Patrol West Heimdallr. Investigate any signs of activity from the Imperial Liberation Front.
"Uhh, what are we supposed to do with this?" Alisa asked. "West Heimdallr is huge, and the Governor expects five of us to scour the entire area in hopes of finding… What?"
"Perhaps that idiot thinks we'll get lucky and stumble on a secret meeting for ILF forces in the city. Hey, if we're super lucky, we might even get given directions to their hideout!" Cyrus remarked, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"I agree that our task is quite broad, but the way I see it is that the Governor and Captain Rieveldt have essentially given us carte blanche to help out with any troubles that we come across in the city," Gaius commented.
"Hmph, I suppose you have a point. Though, I can imagine those fools in Group A will have been given a hand-picked selection of easy tasks, since someone's father was in charge of assigning us to both the groups we're currently in, and our respective tasks," Jusis huffed.
"So we just do as the task says and wander the city looking for anyone or anything suspicious. It's not a particularly hard job, is it?" Cyrus responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Come on; dump your shit here and let's get moving."
By lunchtime, Group B had achieved nothing. They had spent the majority of the morning wandering through the districts in West Heimdallr, looking for any signs that might point them towards any Imperial Liberation Front activity in the city. Unfortunately, they had turned up nothing. The only thing they had achieved was running into Group A not once, but twice; the first time at Dreichels' Plaza, and the second time on Vainqueur Street, albeit on opposite sides of the road.
After having lunch together in the Leica District, Group B set off again in hopes of finding a solid lead on the whereabouts of the Imperial Liberation Front. As they left Café Lucien, Cyrus felt a presence following the group, and stopped in his tracks.
"So, someone is following us," Gaius remarked, turning around to see if he could find the culprit.
"How long have you felt their presence, Gaius?" Cyrus asked, his eyes scanning his surroundings keenly.
"The last hour or so, I think? I noticed it properly when we were at the Cathedral, but I would imagine, based on your question, that they've been following us for longer," Gaius commented.
"Yeah, since we left the station this morning," Cyrus muttered.
"Well, I must say… I didn't think I was that bad at masking my presence, but it seems like I was found out from the word go," a voice from the alleyway behind Group B spoke.
Upon hearing this voice, Gaius tensed up. While it had been years since he last heard it, that voice was unmistakeable to him. There was only one person it could have been.
As everyone turned, Group B found themselves looking at a tall, muscular Nord man. He was wearing a suit; a white shirt and charcoal grey waistcoat and trousers. The shirt had the sleeves rolled up so everyone could see the tattoo on the man's entire arm, and the suit jacket was draped over the other arm. As the man approached Group B, the sound of his black leather shoes almost seemed to echo on the cobblestones beneath him. When he reached Group B, they realised just how large this man was; with the exception of Cyrus, who was a similar height to him, he towered over the rest of the group, a cold sense of intimidation lingering around him.
"Good day to you all, members of Thors' Class VII," the man spoke, a large grin appearing on his face as his words had elicited looks of shock and confusion from some of the students.
Whilst Alisa, Emma, and Jusis looked at the Nord man with confusion, Cyrus narrowed his eyes at the man. This action, however, was overlooked as Gaius stood there in shock before he balled his hand into a fist and punched the man square in the jaw.
"Gaius?!" Emma gasped.
"You bastard! I told you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again!" Gaius roared as he lunged at the man.
"What in the hell is going on?" Jusis blustered, demanding answers.
"Gaius is usually so calm and collected. Who is this man, that could cause such a reaction out of him?" Alisa asked as she watched Gaius and the man tumble about on the floor.
"So, you're just going to leave this up to me, huh?" Cyrus muttered; a deadpan expression on his face as he approached the tussle, grabbed Gaius by the collar and dragged him off the man.
"Let go of me! I'm going to kill him!" Gaius shouted, flailing about.
"Well, is that anyway to greet me, Little Gai? I know it's been about eight years since I last saw you, but I didn't think you were one to hold a grudge," the man muttered, moving his jaw to make sure nothing was broken.
"Do they know each other? He just referred to Gaius as 'Little Gai'… Sounds like they share history with one another," Alisa whispered.
"Go to hell, you bastard! After what you did to Mother and Father, did you ever think I'd forgive you, Tengri?" Gaius growled, trying to lunge at the man again, but was held in place by Cyrus.
"Enough! Just calm down will you?" Cyrus snapped.
"How do you know this man?" Jusis asked.
"This arsehole is Tengri Worzel; he's my older brother," Gaius spat.
"Older brother?!" Alisa and Jusis cried.
"Can someone fill me in here? I imagine this has something to do with your Field Study to Nord last month?" Emma asked, looking at Alisa and Jusis.
"Ahem, quite…" Jusis muttered, inwardly chastising himself for his outburst. "We met Gaius' family in Nord last month, but not a single one of them ever mentioned a third son. Or an older brother that wasn't Gaius."
Whilst the rest of Group B were talking amongst themselves about Gaius' family, Cyrus simply stood there and stared at the man with narrowed eyes. He already knew who this man was, so the 'who' didn't concern him. What did concern him was what this man was doing here.
"Given the fact you revealed yourself to us, I can only assume you want something from us, so what exactly are you doing here?" Cyrus asked, releasing Gaius, who had finally calmed down. "Your boss sent you, didn't he?"
"His boss?" Jusis looked at Cyrus with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, this man is the right hand to the criminal known as the Concierge of Crime," Cyrus responded.
"Ahh, good to see you again, young Master Le Guin. How is the General these days? I do hope she's not too sore about us beating her at her own game last year," Tengri smirked.
"You dog! You work for him now?!" Gaius growled. "It wasn't enough to steal from the family and the tribe, but now you're working with a man who arms criminals with deadly weapons?!"
"Dur bolno, Little Gai. You condemn what you do not understand. Yes, I fully admit that I stole from Father and the Elders, but my boss is not the evil villain you think he is. If that were the case, I would not be standing before you today. I would most likely be dead in a ditch somewhere in Liberl if it wasn't for that man and his generosity," Tengri stated.
"Ha, you must be joking. That man sells all sorts of illicit contraband on the black market, and weapons of mass destruction. He's not some saint; he's a villain who only cares about how much money he can make destroying lives," Alisa snapped.
"I see you've made some interesting friends, Little Gai. It's too bad they're so narrow-minded that they cannot see what the Concierge actually does. He's an honourable man, with good intentions, I assure you," Tengri responded.
"Hmph, what's that old saying; the road to hell is paved with good intentions?" Jusis scoffed.
"How sad; you've allowed yourself to be indoctrinated by a criminal who sells chemical weapons to terrorists. Whatever 'generosity' that man has shown to you, he does not show it to others," Emma stated.
"As much as I'd love to while away the day, waxing rhetoric with you children, that's not why I am here. Young Cyrus is right; I am here for a reason. My boss has some information he'd like to pass on to you," Tengri said, stunning Group B.
"I assume it has something to do with him working with the Imperial Liberation Front?" Alisa asked.
"Yes, that is correct. He knows you want to stop them, and he's interested in seeing if you'll be able to or not. So, I have come with some information from him. If you wish to find out more about the leaders of the group, head to the Golden Hind tonight at midnight. I would come armed, however," Tengri declared.
"Hm? Why would we need to do that?" Jusis asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It seems that the Imperial Liberation Front face an incredible challenge in order to achieve their goals. While their leader, C, has never openly admitted it to the boss, he and his allies are scared," Tengri smirked.
"How exactly would you know that?" Gaius asked through gritted teeth.
"Bi yuu gez namaig ach baigaa yum uu, Little Gai?" Tengri laughed.
"Uhh, what did he say?" Alisa asked.
"Who do you take me for," Cyrus translated, looking at the two brothers with intrigue.
"You… You can speak Nord?" Jusis blinked.
"I learned some of the language from a Nord traveller I met on my journey. The rest I've just sort of figured out. I can understand it better than I can speak it, mind you," Cyrus responded.
"Ugh, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this point," Alisa sighed.
"So, you say C is scared. Of what?" Jusis prodded, hoping Tengri wasn't just here to toy with them.
"Not what. Who. The answer is simple," Tengri smirked, looking at Cyrus. "It's you."
"Why him? He's never met any of the leaders of the Imperial Liberation Front, so why would C, or the rest of them for that matter, be afraid of Cyrus?" Gaius asked.
"You'd think that, but it doesn't change the fact they're afraid of him. That's why they've got the Society's attack dogs protecting them," Tengri stated.
Upon the mention of the Society, Cyrus sighed. After his meeting with Arianrhod and the Stahlritter in Saint-Arkh, it was obvious that the Imperial Liberation Front were aligned with them. While he didn't know the why, what mattered was the who.
"The Society? What's that?" Alisa asked.
"I'm afraid that's a little far out of my wheelhouse, bagana ardag," Tengri smiled.
"What did you call me?!" Alisa shouted.
"Relax, he just called you 'little princess'. Tengri likes to talk down to his juniors," Gaius responded, scowling at his brother.
"You wound me, Little Gai. You know I do it out of affection," Tengri chuckled, tussling his brother's hair, before Gaius stepped back and swatted his hand away.
"Try that again, and you'll lose a hand," Gaius snapped.
"Haha, poor little brother… You could never hope to best me with the spear. I would, however, very much like to see how much you've improved since I last saw you but…" Tengri stated before tucking a hand into the pocket of his waistcoat and pulled out a gold pocket watch. "Alas, I must be off. Remember, children; the Golden Hind, tonight at midnight."
As Tengri turned and walked off down the street, he stopped and turned back once more, and looked at Group B with intrigue.
"What is it? If you have something to say, then say it," Jusis snapped.
"I was asked not to tell you this, but I think it'll be fun. The reason I told you to go in armed is because among the Society's attack dogs, you'll find a man known as Direwolf. He recruits some of the continent's most lethal fighters, but there's one… being, that surpasses all others when it comes to the sheer brutality it displays," Tengri began.
"What? Some kind of war beast or something? Tch, I've faced them before," Jusis scoffed.
"Oh, no… You've not faced this creature before. I don't even think it's human, given by how it rips and tears anything that stands before it," Tengri responded.
"Does this creature have a name? Or are you just playing games?" Emma asked.
"I know only the name in which it fights as for Direwolf," Tengri stated as he turned and walked off.
"So, what is it?" Alisa asked.
"Crimson Yaksha."
After their meeting with Tengri, the Concierge's right hand and Gaius' older brother, Group B elected to find somewhere to sit and discuss everything the criminal had told them. Originally, Gaius and Jusis had wanted to go after Tengri and apprehend him, but they were immediately shut down by Cyrus, a decision that surprised everyone, given the relationship between Aurelia and Tengri's boss.
Cyrus wasn't interested in the feud Aurelia had going on, and made that point abundantly clear. Until such a time that the actions of the crime lord affect him, or those around him, it was Aurelia's problem, not his. There was also the fact Tengri had given them some useful information about how to find out more about the Imperial Liberation Front and their leaders, which was Class VII's main priority at that point. It was because of that, that Cyrus had decided to give him a 'free pass' and let him leave uninterrupted.
"I still think you made a poor choice," Jusis muttered.
"It doesn't matter what anyone thinks, the man gave us important information, and I can guarantee Group A won't have anything half as valuable as that," Cyrus responded gruffly.
"How do you know he's telling the truth?" Alisa asked.
"I detected no lie as he spoke, and even if he did, he doesn't strike me as the sort of person who'd put his family in danger," Cyrus answered, looking at Gaius, who had been silent the entire time.
"He's a liar and a thief, Cyrus. You cannot trust him," Gaius stated firmly.
"It's not about me trusting him or what he says; it's obvious none of you picked up on him following us since we left the station, which means that if he genuinely wanted to bring harm to any of you, he could have done so, and the way he carried himself told me all I need to know about his combat prowess," Cyrus shrugged.
"Actually, I am curious about something. He openly admitted that he stole from Lacan and the elders, but what did he steal from them, Gaius?" Emma asked.
"A sacred relic from the Church. Father Barkhorn left it with my tribe. I don't know why Tengri took it, but he had to know it was important, as it was the only thing he took," Gaius said.
"Why would a priest from the Church leave a Sacred Relic with a tribe of nomads?" Alisa asked.
"He was trying to hide it," Cyrus cut in.
"Why though?" Alisa asked.
"How should I know?" Cyrus shrugged. "All I know is, if I wanted to hide something, leaving it with a nomadic tribe that moves around often is a great way to make sure it can't be tracked. Doubly so when the Nord Highlands are such an expansive place, far away from what one would call civilisation."
"Curious… What could have possibly been so important that Tengri would consciously choose to steal it, without knowing what it was?" Emma mumbled.
"It doesn't matter; he's a thief and a bastard, and I'm going to kill him the next time I see him!" Gaius snapped.
"Take it easy, big guy. Your family problems are your own, and I shan't intervene, but let's dispense with the whole fratricide trope for now, ok?" Cyrus said, putting a hand on Gaius' shoulder.
"You're right. We have more important things to worry about at the moment," Gaius sighed. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologise to us, Gaius," Alisa said with a smile.
"Agreed; everyone has some obstacle they need to overcome. It's a part of life," Emma affirmed.
"Thank you, guys. I appreciate the sentiment," Gaius nodded.
"I hate to interrupt, but I do believe we have a more pressing concern at the moment," Jusis began, turning the topic of conversation.
"You mean what Tengri told us about the ILF?" Alisa asked.
"Yes, well, no, but, actually yes. However, what's more concerning is what Tengri said about who'll be at this meeting," Jusis responded.
"The Crimson Yaksha…" Emma whispered.
"Precisely… I'm sure I don't need to remind you of who he is," Jusis muttered, looking at Emma, who's hands were shaking.
"Whatever it is you're thinking, drop it. Now," Cyrus commanded, shocking everyone.
"I beg your pardon?!" Emma gasped.
"Don't treat me like I'm an idiot. You intend to try and go after the Crimson Yaksha in some misguided attempt to avenge Fie. I'm warning you right now; you do that, and you're as good as dead!" Cyrus shouted.
"Sounds to me like you're hiding something!" Emma protested.
"What?!" Cyrus snapped.
"Why would you prevent us from going to this meeting, knowing the Crimson Yaksha will be there?" Emma asked. "Is it because you're really him, and by letting us go, we'll find out the truth?"
"Have you lost your fucking mind?! You're willing to risk getting yourself killed over some petty squabble about the identity of the Yaksha?!" Cyrus yelled. "I'd expect this kind of behaviour from a child, not our Class President!"
"Is it so childish to want to find out who killed our friend? You trying to stop us from doing that just makes you look even more guilty!" Emma cried.
"Hey, uhh, guys…?" Alisa mumbled.
Unsurprisingly, the scene Cyrus and Emma were creating had started to draw a crowd. It was primarily comprised with onlookers, who had been going about their day, until they heard a commotion in the street.
"Let it go, Emma. I'm doing you a favour," Cyrus growled, becoming even more annoyed by the spectators around him.
"A favour? Do yourself a favour and stop trying to stonewall me! One would think you'd jump at the chance to exonerate yourself from a murder accusation!" Emma protested.
"A murder accusation?!" a bystander gasped.
"Murder?! Someone call the Police!" another cried.
Once Emma had uttered the word 'murder', the crowd of people began to panic. It didn't matter to them what the context was; as soon as the word was spoken, people started to draw their own conclusions, and it resulted in an uproar. The attention on Cyrus and Emma was starting to become more and more microscopic, and that was the last thing Cyrus wanted.
"ENOUGH!" Cyrus roared, thunder booming overhead as if the Gods themselves were growing tired of the farce he and Emma were embroiled in. "You dare throw an accusation like that around, you had better have the evidence to back it up!"
"Your refusal to let us go to that meeting is pretty solid evidence, wouldn't you say?" Emma responded as the crowd started to disperse.
"You know why I'm against you going? Because if you go, you'll be signing your own death warrant. The Yaksha isn't some two-bit criminal hiding in the shadows. The Yaksha is a soul born from pure evil. It knows not friend nor foe. It punishes with wicked malice. It will cut you down without a moment's hesitation, if it deems you a threat," Cyrus stated.
"How do you know so much about it? Sounds to me like you're scared of it," Jusis snorted.
"I am scared of it, Jusis. The idea that a soul stained black with nought but atrocities and evil exists is a frightening thought. If you aren't scared of it, then you're a damn fool," Cyrus said.
That took Group B by surprise. The very idea that there was something out there that scared Cyrus, a Divine Blade and Master of the Vander Style, was almost ludicrous. Just how powerful was this Crimson Yaksha that it could scare someone as strong as Cyrus?
"You haven't changed at all, have you, Cyrus? You still wear your heart on your sleeve," a voice from behind Group B spoke.
As Group B turned around, they found themselves looking at a woman. She appeared to be in her early to mid-forties, and was quite small in stature. Despite her age, the woman looked quite weak and frail. In her gloved hands was a parasol, used to shield her pale skin from the sun's rays. Her emerald green eyes seemed to be full of life, despite her delicate constitution, and her brown hair flowed freely behind her, with parts hanging over her shoulders.
Her outfit suggested she was either a Noble, or from a wealthy family, but she lacked the air of arrogance most Nobles or wealthy people seemed to carry. To Alisa and Emma, she seemed kind and approachable. Gaius simply stared at the woman, whilst Jusis could tell that the woman was from the Nobility without even having to question it. To Cyrus though, she was someone with whom he was very familiar with.
"My Lady?! My Lady, where are you?" a young girl called out, as she turned a corner and ran down the street. "Ah, there you are! Please, my Lady, don't disappear on me like that! You scared me."
"Saffron? You're here too?" Cyrus blinked.
"Hmph, of course we'd run into you here," Saffron huffed.
"Saffron, please… That is no way to greet your Patriarch, is it?" the woman interrupted, smiling at the young girl.
"No, but… My Lady, he is the one who took everything from you. How can you stand there and treat him like family after what he did to you and Lord Rupert?!" Saffron cried, pointing at Cyrus.
"Perhaps it's because you're young, or you've spent too much time listening to my eldest that you hold hostility towards Cyrus… It's a shame, especially since you don't understand why he did what he did," the woman responded.
"Who… Who's that?" Alisa whispered, getting a shrug from Emma.
"Hmph, no surprises you aren't familiar with her. She's Aerith Gainsborough. Former Viscountess of House Gainsborough of Ordis," Jusis responded matter-of-factly.
"Why does that name sound familiar?" Alisa mumbled.
"Isn't that the name of Cyrus' childhood friend, who's fiancé lost her family title to Cyrus in that poker game a couple of weeks ago?" Gaius asked.
"Holy crap, you're right!" Alisa cried.
"Auntie Aerith, what are you doing here? You should be back home in Ordis," Cyrus said, approaching the woman and escorting her to a nearby bench.
"I know, I know… Rupert told me not to come and bother you, but I'm afraid I cannot let this matter lie any longer," Aerith sighed.
"What has Amelia done this time?" Cyrus asked, almost rolling his eyes.
"What hasn't she done at this point? Alas, the issue is not with Amelia, but my second daughter, Jennifer," Aerith responded.
"Jenny? What's happened to her?" Cyrus queried, a puzzled look appearing on his face.
"Hmm, how should I put this…? Please, Cyrus, you must understand that her actions are in no way your fault. She's sixteen, and more than capable of thinking for herself, but…" Aerith muttered, looking at her knees.
"But…?" Cyrus encouraged, motioning with his hand to encourage Aerith to speak.
"But, like her older sister, she's not taken to the idea of you becoming our Patriarch, and has made some poor choices," Aerith stated.
"What do you mean 'poor choices', Auntie?" Cyrus asked.
"She's started to rebel against Rupert and I. She won't listen to anything we say, and she flagrantly disrespects Lords Michael and Regulus," Aerith began.
"I can't say I blame her; she's essentially lost her livelihood now that your family is under my peerage, and since I'm not there for her to take her frustrations out on, she'll do it to anyone she can. Though, I can understand what you mean about making 'poor choices'; disrespecting Grandfather is about as foolish a choice you can make," Cyrus snorted.
"I see you haven't lost your wit or sense of humour… That's good," Aerith smiled. "However, that's not what I meant. Now that House Gainsborough is no longer officially recognised as a Noble House, and since you are her Patriarch, she believes that her actions will reflect badly on you, and because of that, she has fallen in with some undesirables and is mixed up in something awful."
"What kind of something?" Cyrus asked.
"Vandalism, petty crime, drinking, thievery, fraudulent behaviour…" Aerith said with a frown. "That, however, isn't the worst of it… Rupert and I have reason to believe she's using drugs."
"What? Where the hell is she even getting them from?!" Cyrus cried.
"We don't know… Some nights she'll return to the manor, and Lady Dahlia has noticed that she seems to be completely unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes are bloodshot and glazed over. She can barely walk, and she struggles to form coherent sentences. She even tried to hit Lady Dahlia when she was confronted about her whereabouts and activities. Couple that with her other changes in behaviour, and the only thing we can think of is drug use. The only problem is we don't know where she's getting it from. Lord Michael has tried to get some of his staff to investigate, but all they've managed to turn up is the new group of people she frequently meets with," Aerith explained, becoming visibly agitated.
"Auntie, calm yourself. Your condition is only going to worsen if you work yourself up like this," Cyrus said softly, gently holding Aerith's free hand in his own.
"I'm sorry, Cyrus… I know you are busy with your schooling, but I don't know who else to turn to," Aerith whispered, a single tear running down her cheek.
"No, it's fine… I'm glad you came to me with this. I'll go and seek out Jenny and talk to her. Do you know where she is? If you can give me a rough location, I might be able to jump to her immediately," Cyrus responded, standing up.
"She's in Heimdallr with us for the Summer Festival. Rupert and I both decided that some time away from Ordis might do Jennifer some good, and hopefully confirm our suspicions about her drug use," Aerith said.
"Uncle Rupert is here too? I see… I'm going to assume the reason you've sought me out is because she's vanished and you have no idea where she's gone?" Cyrus asked.
"I'm afraid that is correct. It was only because of Sophie that I even knew you were here. She said you'd be spending the weekend here as a part of your studies at the academy," Aerith answered.
"Hmm, well that explains why you knew I was here… Leave it with me, Auntie; I'll hunt down Jenny and bring her back to you. You have my word," Cyrus nodded.
"Thank you, Cyrus. I know you will do everything in your power to bring Jennifer home to Rupert and I," Aerith smiled as she gingerly made it to her feet, swaying slightly.
"Ah! Are you alright, my Lady?!" Saffron cried as she clutched on to Aerith's arm.
"I'm fine, Saffron. I just got a bit of headrush when I stood up. You don't need to worry about me," Aerith responded as she and Saffron started walking off down the street before Saffron stopped and made her way back to Cyrus.
"You better bring Miss Jenny home safe, otherwise I'll make sure you regret it," Saffron warned.
"Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. You answer to me, not the other way around," Cyrus snapped.
"Saffron? What's wrong?" Aerith called out.
"N-Nothing, my Lady!" Saffron cried as she glared at Cyrus before turning and running off to walk with Aerith.
"What was that all about?" Alisa asked, pretending as if she and the rest of Group B hadn't already heard everything.
"Looks like I've got my own request to undertake. If you want to go to the Golden Hind and die at the hands of the Yaksha, then I won't stop you," Cyrus stated, turning to look at Emma. "This is more important to me."
"Wouldn't it just be easier to report this meeting to Captain Claire and the RMP?" Gaius asked.
"Perhaps, but we'd miss out on a golden opportunity to find out more about the Imperial Liberation Front," Jusis responded.
The rest of the first day in Heimdallr was spent aimlessly wandering around, trying to look for traces of the Imperial Liberation Front's activities. Their searches turned up nothing, and it was growing more and more likely that Group B's only lead on the Imperial Liberation Front was the information that had been given to them by Gaius' older brother and right hand of the Concierge of Crime, Tengri Worzel.
For Cyrus, this was something of a problem. Not the information about the secret meeting of the group's leaders, but the fact that Tengri had also told them that the Crimson Yaksha was going to be at the meeting. The problem Cyrus was now facing was simply that he could not allow Class VII, especially not Emma, to find out the truth about the Crimson Yaksha. He knew they were not ready to learn about the monster's origins, and the part he played in it all. For them to find out now would pose a problem that he could not simply avoid, but he also couldn't stop them, as he had already admitted that it was the Crimson Yaksha who had taken down Fie; trying to stop them from attempting to avenge Fie would only drive a wedge even further between him and the rest of Class VII, especially Emma.
"You're in quite a tight spot, Dragon," the individual chortled, after he had been brought up to speed by Cyrus.
"Don't remind me," Cyrus sighed. "Now, to add the icing on the cake, Auntie Aerith has asked me to search for Jenny, and make sure she's safe."
"What's more important to you, Dragon? Making sure the brats don't find out the truth, or running around after a child who is throwing a tantrum?" the individual asked.
"Give it a rest, will you? Tantrum or not, I am still the Gainsborough Family Patriarch; to not protect them would be a disgrace," Cyrus snapped.
"Perhaps, but do you know where to start looking for the girl? This city is quite large, and even with your Raijin technique, you'd struggle to search everywhere for her," the individual responded.
"Well, if it's sex, drugs, and alcohol, most of the clubs in Heimdallr would be a good place to start. Alas, that would be a problem in its own right, as there are dozens of clubs in the city, so I'd need to narrow it down further," Cyrus sighed.
"Ok, so narrow it down," the individual responded, tossing his head back.
"I don't have enough information to be able to do that; all I have is what Auntie Aerith told me about Jenny," Cyrus responded.
"There must have been something in that conversation that would serve as a good indicator," the individual pressed.
"Hmm, maybe… Hold on a second," Cyrus muttered, as he opened his ARCUS and made a call.
"Ah, you're calling her are you? A wise choice," the individual sniggered.
"She's the only one who I can call at this point," Cyrus whispered as his call was connected. "Hello, Grandmother, how are you? Yes, I'm alright, thank you. Look, Grandmother, the reason I've called you so late at night is I need to ask you something about Jennifer Gainsborough."
The individual sat in silence as he heard the voice of Dahlia Le Guin, Cyrus' grandmother, speak to him through the ARCUS Unit. It was around ten o'clock at night, and while the sun had set about two hours ago, the city of Heimdallr was finally starting to wake up. From their vantage point on the top of the Heimdallr Aqueduct, both Cyrus and his ally could see the entire skyline of the Empire's capital.
"You be careful, Cyrus. I know exactly what you were thinking when you made yourself a Patriarch, but I hope that this foolish little brat doesn't get in the way of your duties," Dahlia's voice spoke from within the ARCUS Unit.
"It'll be fine, Grandmother. Please, don't take Jenny's actions to heart. Her problem is with me, not you. However, the information you have given me has been very helpful, so I thank you for that," Cyrus responded. "Yes… Yes, Grandmother, of course I'm going to be home for Mother and Auntie Ophelia's birthday. You know there's no way I'd miss it. Yes… I understand. I love you too, Grandmother. Goodbye."
"So, did the old witch have anything to share with you?" the individual asked.
"I'm going to smack you," Cyrus growled.
"Hmph, I'd like to see you try, Dragon… Forget about that for a second, what did you learn?" the individual snapped.
"Based on what Grandmother told me about Jenny when she tried to attack her several days ago, there's really only one answer I can come to… She's using Velocity," Cyrus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Velocity? Kids these days and their foolish names… I assume you know what it does?" the individual muttered.
"Yeah, it's a new synthetic drug that's recently hit the black market. Aurelia picked up on it when she was investigating the Concierge last year. From her report, it seems like this drug packs one hell of a punch, but the side-effects are…" Cyrus said, trailing off as he looked over Heimdallr's skyline.
"Go on, what is it?" the individual asked.
"It's a 'not even once' drug," Cyrus stated.
"Meaning? Wake up, Dragon; you know I'm not well versed in illegal narcotics," the individual snapped.
"Right, sorry… Basically, the drug gives you an incredible high, a massive rush of euphoria and a sense of invincibility. However, the trade-offs are horrible. After just one use, the chemicals in the drug rewire your brain to want more of it, resulting in immediate addiction. The side-effects are severe depression, disorientation, paranoia, mood swings, and violent outbursts, and cotton mouth, resulting in an inability to speak coherently," Cyrus explained.
"Hmm… This sounds like a problem. If the brat is using this… Velocity, then who knows what state she might be in right now; especially if she became addicted to it after one use," the individual remarked.
"It might be too late for her… That's something I cannot tell Auntie Aerith. If the drug itself doesn't kill Jenny, the detoxification process from rehab might," Cyrus muttered.
"Hmph, so, what are we waiting for? I assume you know where this drug is sold in the capital?" the individual asked, standing up.
"Yeah… Aurelia's report did note a few places where it's being pushed by a bunch of low level street dealers. Come on; you and I are going on a hunting trip," Cyrus smirked.
Without another word, Cyrus and his mysterious ally vanished from the Heimdallr Aqueduct and made their way into the heart of the capital, and the dark underbelly it housed.
A/N; I just want to leave this here, just so everyone knows, but I've attached different cultures to the different nations in the lore and they are as follows;
Calvard; China/Japan (this should be obvious, based on some of the names of Calvardian characters in the game)
Crossbell; America (because 'Independence!')
Erebonia; England (primarily because Nobility and the desire to annex Crossbell) and Germany (because of all the Germanic words used in the games)
Liberl; Italy/Spain (the cultures and languages of both are quite similar to one another, so I thought I could just combine them in a North/South kinda thing)
Nord; Mongolia (I wanted to go with Samoa because Samoan culture is pretty cool, but Mongols were apparently Nomadic people at one point, so here we are)
Remiferia; France (I've been told that Calvard is actually quite representative of French culture, but since in Cold Steel it was primarily portrayed as China/Japan, that's what I'm going for here)