Chapter Twenty Five – Ensuing Chaos
The next morning, Cyrus left Group B and travelled to the East Side of Heimdallr to meet up with Group A. After the events of the previous night, he had decided there was no longer any reason to stay and babysit the group.
His secret as the Crimson Yaksha was successfully buried, along with the stand-in Walter Kron had given Cyrus as his reward for winning the latest Fight Club tournament he hosted, and now he had to keep up appearances.
To Group B, it had to appear that Cyrus was furious with them for defying his orders, seeking out the Crimson Yaksha, and almost dying in the process. In reality, once he had gotten over his initial anger at Emma accepting her fate at the hands of the false Yaksha and offering herself up to die, he had no problems with those in Group B. They had played their parts, and that was that.
After killing the stand-in, who had actually been Ouroboros' Enforcer Number XIII, the 'Black Fang', Joshua Bright, Cyrus knew no-one was going to question him about the Crimson Yaksha again… At least, not for the time being. Whilst he had created the illusion of him not being the monster that attacked Fie on Bryonia Island, he now had a new problem that could possibly crawl up from the depths. The Crimson Yaksha.
When he was searching for the middle child of the Gainsborough Family, Jennifer, there was a moment where he hesitated on how to act. As he was watching the people hold Jennifer down and attempt to violate the poor girl, he stood and watched for longer than he normally did for one reason; did he really want to use the Crimson Yaksha's power?
Ever since Giliath Osborne had sent Cyrus to murder the innocent refugees from North Ambria, he had used the Crimson Yaksha persona as an outlet for the evil act he was forced to unknowingly commit. Ever since then, he had used a forbidden technique, taught to him by both Yun Ka-Fai and Shizuna, as a way to channel corrupted energy through the mind in an attempt to cleanse the soul of any despicable acts. Through this technique, Cyrus was able to forcibly purge the experience from his mind, and into an object, in order to attain a clear mind and a focused hand.
The downside to this was the object would then take on the corruption, and become something akin to what the Septian Church would call a 'Cursed Object'. Repeated interaction with a cursed object would result in the person taking back the corruption, blackening their souls and ultimately destroying them.
That was now the problem Cyrus was faced with. Through the mask, Cyrus had channelled all the evil he committed as the Crimson Yaksha, and forced the mask to bear it all. By repeatedly using it, the corruption was starting to plague Cyrus, which acted similarly to a drug, wherein he started to develop a dependency on the cursed object's power in order to punish 'Sinners'; those who committed reprehensible acts.
Due to all the time he had spent fighting in Walter Kron's arena since becoming the Crimson Yaksha, there was a small itch in the back of his mind, desperate to put the mask back on and punish the truly wicked. As he watched the vile thugs attempt to rape Jennifer in the club last night, he had to decide whether or not putting the mask on was the right thing to do. In the end, Cyrus gave in, put the mask on, and decimated the would-be rapists before they could commit their disgusting crime.
"I warned you, Dragon…" the individual murmured, looking at the sun rising over Heimdallr. "I warned you that using such a technique would be the architect of your destruction."
"Spare me the melodrama, will you?" Cyrus sighed. "I have it under control. I just… Need to use the mask more sparingly going forward."
"Hmph, famous last words," the individual grunted. "As you are now, you cannot hope to stand against the power of Corruption. The more you use the mask, the more damage it'll do to you."
"I'll be fine," Cyrus responded firmly, looking at his ally. "In a few months' time, this won't even be a problem."
"Assuming you can survive that long," the individual muttered.
"What was that?" Cyrus turned, looking directly at his companion.
"Hmm, pay it no heed, Dragon. You need to focus. This Imperial Liberation Front are planning some kind of attack today. Do you know when and where it'll be?" the individual asked.
"No, but given their goal is to kill Chancellor Osborne, it'll likely have something to do with invading the Imperial Government," Cyrus stated.
"Well then… The board is set, and the pieces are beginning to move. How will you counter?" the individual queried.
"By tossing the board in the air and seeing where the pieces land," Cyrus responded before vanishing.
"Crush them, Dragon…"
Meanwhile, in another one of the Imperial Liberation Front's secret hideouts in Heimdallr, Crow had arranged to meet with Vita once again, in response to what happened at the Golden Hind last night. It was clear that Cyrus' presence at the meeting, and defeating the monster Crow thought to be the Crimson Yaksha had rattled him, despite his outward appearances around the other leaders of the terrorist organisation.
"I need another day, Vita," Crow said.
"Are you crazy? You've spent how long conducting this plan, and now you want to hold off for another day?" Vita asked, raising her voice slightly.
"I told you, it's Cyrus! I can't hope to compete against his power, and I can't pull Ordine out of my ass just yet. You were the one who said to wait for the Noble Alliance to finish manufacturing those knock-off copies before I do that," Crow shouted.
"Those 'knock-off copies' you're referring to are called 'Panzer Soldats', Crow," a voice from behind the young boy spoke.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. They're still no match for Ordine, so a knock-off is a knock-off; no matter what kind of fancy name you want to give them. More's the point; does anyone know you're here?" Crow asked, tilting his head back to look at the person who had spoken.
"No, they don't. Professor Schmidt doesn't care what I do, and Cyrus is too arrogant to notice my actions. How else do you think my involvement in sabotaging his Cauldron Projects have been hidden thus far? Without me, and my Spectres, we'd have been found out the moment I handed over the plans for Project Blackstone," the person responded.
"Y'know something, that's one thing that's always bugged me about you, Miss Collins. Why did you give me the plans to Blackstone, only to tell me to give them to ZCF in Liberl?" Crow asked, still looking upside down at Cyrus' Chief Technical Officer, Levana.
"Simply because it threw the suspicion off of both you and me," Levana shrugged. "It wasn't going to take long before I had to at least give Cyrus the footage of you at Cauldron Alpha, so having ZCF, Verne, and the Institute 'collaborate' on a weapon's project was the best thing I could think of at the time."
"I still don't know why you're helping me, but at this point, I don't really care. Cyrus doesn't suspect a thing, and trusts you implicitly, and you being friends with Alisa helps too. Then there's Vita's connection to Emma, but…" Crow responded, trailing off at the end.
"What? You still think we can't crush Cyrus like the arrogant prick he is?" Levana snorted.
"In a word, no. His power is too great. He's like one of them protagonists of a major comic book series you'd read as a kid. An unstoppable force that can smash through an immovable object," Crow sighed. "Vita, you said you'd handle him."
"I did, and I will. I've already got three of the Society's best Enforcers to ambush him when the time comes. Numbers one, two, and fifteen have been assigned to stopping him," Vita responded.
"Good… Good… I've met that McBurn guy before, and I think I'm more afraid of him than Cyrus," Crow chuckled. "His Storm God, though… That could be a problem."
"Storm God?" Levana blinked. This was new information to her.
"Typical you wouldn't know," Vita sighed, rolling her eyes. "It seems that Cyrus has the ability to summon a powerful phantasm that can be used as either an offensive powerhouse, or an absolute defence in battle. I would imagine this power was imparted on him from his training and subsequent title as 'Dragon of the West'. I have yet to verify the validity of that information, mind you."
"Tch, 'Dragon of the West'? He just gets more and more arrogant the more I learn about him," Levana scowled.
"You'd do well not to underestimate Cyrus," Crow responded. "He can be very dangerous when he wants to be."
"No offense, Crow, but why don't you just focus on your ILF nonsense? You leave Cyrus to me. As it stands, he has no idea that I'm the one stealing his weapons projects and selling them to the highest bidder, and there's no way he'll find out either," Levana huffed.
"Oh? Why are you so sure about that?" Vita blinked, sounding quite amused.
"I've set everything up in such a way that someone else will be my scapegoat," Levana shrugged.
"Hmm, interesting… I wonder how this little scenario is going to play out…" Vita muttered, tapping her chin.
Over on Alto Street, Group A were just about to leave Elliot's house after having breakfast, kindly prepared by Elliot's older sister, Fiona, when they ran into Cyrus.
"You guys ready to go?" Cyrus asked.
"Yep, let's get started," Rean nodded.
"Hold on… Before we get underway, catch me up on what happened yesterday," Cyrus commanded.
"Ah, right… Well, long story short, we wandered around the city, headed over to Mater Park, wandered through the catacombs, killed a few monsters, and that was about it, I think…?" Rean responded, trying to wrack his brain to see if he had forgotten anything.
"We also met the Azure Diva!" Machias cried.
"Heh, you met Vita Clotilde? I find that hard to believe…" Cyrus smirked, which only served to annoy Machias.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Machias shouted.
"Exactly what you think it means; I highly doubt one of Erebonia's top songstresses would have time to meet a group of students on what is essentially a field trip," Cyrus responded.
"No, he's telling the truth. For some reason, Miss Clotilde was the one who approached us," Laura remarked.
"There is something I don't trust about that woman… She seems too… 'Sanitised'…" Vahlok muttered, making his presence known.
"You keep saying that, yet refusing to elaborate," Laura responded with a heavy sigh.
"Do not question me, vessel!" Vahlok snapped.
"Shut it, Wrath. So, you met Vita. Anything else?" Cyrus asked, frowning.
"Tch, you speak as if you know her," Machias scoffed.
"That's because I do know her, genius. Or, have you perhaps forgotten who helped Vita become the star she is today?" Cyrus responded blankly.
"Oh, that's right! Your mum was the person who trained Vita in the art of opera singing!" Elliot cried.
"Correct. Apparently, Mother saw potential in Vita and decided to train her. Though, I was quite surprised when I found out about it. Mother hardly ever takes students on, especially when they seek her out," Cyrus said.
"Hmm? Are you guys still here?" a voice called out as the front door to Elliot's house opened.
Group A turned to look at who the voice belonged to, and found themselves looking at Fiona Craig, Elliot's older sister.
"Oh, hey sis! We were just heading out, but got sidetracked a little," Elliot laughed sheepishly.
"Nice to see you again, Fiona. Keeping well, I hope?" Cyrus spoke, waving to the elder Craig child.
"Oh, hi, Cyrus! It's been a while! How have you been?" Fiona responded, smiling at Cyrus.
"Well, I'm quickly learning how tiring babysitting is, so I'm hoping that I'll have more luck with these four," Cyrus snorted, looking at Group A.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Machias snapped.
"It means, I hope you're better behaved than Group B and know how to follow orders," Cyrus responded, scowling at Machias.
"What makes you think I'm going to take orders from a Noble like you?!" Machias yelled.
"Oh, so does that mean you'll listen to Laura or Rean then? Very well, Rean; you're in charge today," Cyrus stated, looking at the black haired boy.
"Wait, what? Seriously?" Rean blinked.
"Why not? You did a satisfactory job yesterday leading Group A," Laure declared.
"Laura's right, Rean. I thought you were great!" Elliot smiled.
"There you have it then. Come, let us away," Cyrus said, stepping aside and beckoning Rean to take the lead.
Hesitating slightly, Rean slowly moved to the front of the group and started to lead Group A to their first task of the day.
"We'll see you later, sis! Have a good day!" Elliot called out, waving to Fiona as he walked down the street.
Now that Cyrus was with Group A, he wanted to see how the 'other side of the coin' worked. The reason for this was two-fold. The first was that he had never actually worked with Rean on a Field Study, and wanted to see how he did with leading a group, and the second reason was simply that it made him invisible.
Truthfully, Cyrus had no intentions of actually working with Group A for any longer than was necessary, and by making Rean the group leader, it would allow him to simply slip away and focus on more important things; Project Emerald Sentinel chief among those things.
Cyrus had seen the prototype firearm in V's hands when he arrived at the Golden Hind, and knew that someone had given it to him. The fact that the leak had not yet been patched and was further expanding to other Cauldrons was starting to become concerning. After last night, he knew he could no longer leave the investigation to Levana, and decided that it was time to take a hands on approach with the matter.
He knew that his presence would be missed eventually, so Cyrus made sure to underline the fact that he was only here in an observational capacity and he would in no way be helping Group A for the first half of the day, and that they would not be able to perceive his presence for the duration of the morning. This wasn't a lie, although he did omit the fact that he wouldn't actually be present either. Without giving Group A any chance to respond, he vanished, leaving Group A to assume he was there, but they just could not sense him.
"You're starting to disappoint me, Levana," Cyrus stated as the two descended underground.
"Why is that, exactly? I can't be in several places at once, and I don't have the ability to move as quickly as you do," Levana huffed.
"No, but I have given you a job; one you seem to be failing at. Since I lost Blackstone, three other projects have been pilfered from their Cauldrons, and you have provided me with nothing but a couple of pictures of C being inside Cauldron Alpha. Why haven't the Spectres returned with any conclusive evidence of who the traitor is?" Cyrus responded.
"Are you joking? You must know how many people are working on these projects; it's going to take time to find a correlation between the missing projects," Levana snapped.
"Stolen," Cyrus stated coldly.
"Excuse me?" Levana said, raising an eyebrow.
"Stolen projects. Missing implies they have been put aside somewhere and no-one knows their whereabouts. No, my dear, my projects have been stolen, and given to enemy combatants," Cyrus stated.
"E-Enemy combatants?!" Levana gasped, trying to feign shock. "What makes you say that?"
"Drop the act, will you? You and I both know my projects were created primarily to satisfy the conditions of Operation Spearhead. Blackstone was supposed to be a weapon that could effortlessly shred tank divisions, which it appears to have been successfully tested for, under its new name of Anzu. Who else would benefit from having my creations?" Cyrus asked.
"What about Project Silverlight? You… You told me that Reinford used it to help manufacture their ARCUS Units," Levana countered.
"Hmph, you apprenticed under Professor Schmidt; you can't honestly think that the people in the Institute or Reinford couldn't find a way to rework Silverlight into something else," Cyrus said, looking at her with an odd look.
"W-Well… I didn't want to have to say this, but have you considered why the Spectres haven't found you any leads?" Levana asked.
"I know why, Miss Collins. They've been tampered with," Cyrus responded, making Levana tense up.
"H-How did…?" Levana whispered.
"Oh, please; that fact was as clear to me as the nose on your face. I just wanted to see how long it'd take for you to come clean about it," Cyrus stated.
"So… So you knew this whole time?!" Levana shouted.
"Just who do you take me for?" Cyrus asked, now standing behind Levana.
"What are you–?" Levana gasped, as she felt something hard press into the back of her head.
"Now, I'm going to ask you one more question; lie or try and deceive me, and I'll make sure the cold sting of Mercy is the last thing you'll ever feel," Cyrus stated calmly, pressing Mercy into the back of Levana's skull for added effect.
"You want to know if I'm the traitor, don't you?" Levana asked, letting out a shallow breath.
"Correct. There are only three people who have intimate knowledge of the Spectres and how they work; myself, you, and a certain Dr. Masters," Cyrus nodded. "Since I would not sabotage my own projects, that really only leaves me with two options; you, and Dominic."
Levana tensed up, trying to find a way out of the situation she was in. She knew that Cyrus wasn't bluffing, and would absolutely kill her if he deemed her to be an enemy, which she was. There was only one way she was getting out of this predicament, and that was to use her trump card.
"Project Sky Ripper," Levana began.
"What about it?" Cyrus asked.
"You visited Cauldron Omega a few months ago, did you not? After Opal Phoenix was stolen?" Levana asked.
"Get to the point, Miss Collins. At this rate, those working in Cauldron Zeta are going to watch me blow your brains out, and no-one wants that," Cyrus stated, further chilling Levana to the bone.
"Ha-Haven't you wondered why it's taken so long for Sky Ripper to get to where it is now? Dr. Masters is overseeing the project, but with his capabilities, it should be well ahead of schedule by now," Levana explained.
"Time's ticking, Miss Collins," Cyrus said, pulling the hammer back on Mercy, the soft clicking sound deafening in Levana's ears.
"Why is it that he specifically requested materials from Project Silverlight the moment it was shut down?! The blast furnace and Raritanium ore wasn't needed for Sky Ripper; your plans specifically said it needed lightweight metals, and Raritanium is anything but! So, why would Dr. Masters need the ore for the project?!" Levana cried.
For several moments, Cyrus said nothing. He simply looked at the back of Levana's head and watched her tremble with fear. One thing he was certain of; the fear in Levana's words and actions was entirely real. Nodding to himself, he lowered Mercy and put it away.
"So, let me be clear here, Miss Collins; are you accusing Dr. Masters of being the traitor to Operation Spearhead?" Cyrus asked.
"Y… Yes, Overseer, I am," Levana mumbled.
"Alright then… Answer me this; if Dr. Masters is indeed the traitor, and doesn't actually need the Raritanium ore I have supplied him with, then what exactly is he doing with it?" Cyrus asked as the elevator reached the bottom of the Cauldron and the doors to the facility opened.
"Overseer on deck!" a voice called out.
"My guess; he's selling it and lining his own pockets with the profits," Levana responded.
"Hmm… There's only one person I can think of who'd be interested in such a large amount of Raritanium ore," Cyrus muttered.
"You don't mean…?" Levana gasped, turning to look at Cyrus, who had a dark scowl on his face.
"I do… The Concierge of Crime," Cyrus stated.
"Tengri, are you ready to go?" the Concierge asked as his right hand approached him.
"Yes, Pakhan, I am ready when you are," Tengri stated as he bowed to his boss.
"The marvels of this world never cease to amaze, do they?" the Concierge chuckled as he pulled a small blue crystal out of his jacket pocket. "That mystical woman, with all her charms and trinkets; I never once thought I'd enjoy something as simple as this."
The 'this' in which the criminal was referring to was none other than a Warp Crystal, created by the Hexen Clan. The Concierge had been gifted it by Vita Clotilde after coming to an agreement to sell weapons to Crow and his gang of terrorists. After using it once, the international crime lord had taken a liking to how quickly the crystals had made travelling, and procured a massive shipment of them from Vita, who could create them as easily as she could breathe. For this specific Warp Crystal, the Concierge and Tengri had only one place in mind.
"Are we sure this is a good idea, sir? You know how heavily armed the soldiers are," Tengri warned.
"I appreciate your desire for caution, Tengri, but you know this is not something we can keep putting off. You did excellent work yesterday, feeding that information about the so-called 'Imperial Liberation Front' to those Thors brats, but this is something we've been sitting on for a while. One of my agents is in danger, and I must save them…" the Concierge responded, turning the blue gem over in his hand.
"Is that why you wanted that artefact from Viscount Rupert Gainsborough?" Tengri asked.
"Yes, how fortunate that Countess Ophelia was able to take it from her nephew's collection for us. Otherwise I'd have had to take matters into my own hands, and I could not allow myself to be discovered there," the Concierge muttered, as he removed a small object from another pocket in his jacket. "With this, we shall be able to save the young girl…"
"Then, if you are ready, Pakhan, I will stand with you," Tengri declared, bowing to the Concierge.
"Very good. Come, it is time…" the Concierge whispered as he stood up.
Without another word, the Concierge smashed the Warp Crystal on the floor and was cloaked in a tornado of blue flames. When the flames subsided, he and Tengri found themselves no longer in the sewers under Heimdallr, but instead in a courtyard, surrounded by high brick walls and various towers and spires. The sky overhead was a dark shade of crimson, and a blood moon was peeking out from behind black clouds.
The moment the Concierge and Tengri stepped into the courtyard, loud ringing from the bell towers could be heard, and the sound of armour clad soldiers could be heard rushing to their location. Within moments, the two men were surrounded by dozens of armed warriors, all pointing swords and spears at them, ready to kill.
"Halt, intruders! How dare you trespass on sacred ground!" a knight shouted, raising his Greatsword at the two men.
"Trespassing? Perish the thought! I thought that the Septian Church welcomed all visitors. Is that not true?" the Concierge mocked.
"None may enter the Holy City of Arteria without authorisation. How in the Goddess' name did you get here?!" the knight shouted.
"Well, that's a silly question, isn't it?" the Concierge laughed. "I used magic."
"Heretic! You shall burn for your sins!" the knight shouted as he charged at the two men.
"Allow me, sir," Tengri muttered, bringing his spear up to bear.
"Hold, Tengri… I'll deal with this fool," the Concierge stated as he pulled a small stick-looking object out of his pocket. "Shred him… Scorn."
As soon as the word 'Scorn' left the shadowy figure's mouth, an explosion of purple light emanated from the object in the Concierge's hand. The charging knight faltered in his stride for barely a second, and paid dearly for it.
From behind the purple barrier, a long, barbed whip flew towards the armoured warrior, coiling around his entire body, trapping him in place. With the flick of his wrist, the Concierge pulled the whip back towards him, shredding through the metal plate armour, and cutting the knight to ribbons, an explosion of blood escaping from the fissures in the armour.
The rest of the soldiers looked on in horror as the knight fell to the floor, dead in a pool of his own flesh and blood. Some of the Squires and fresh recruits had no idea what kind of weapon they were dealing with, but to the veteran warriors of the Septian Church, they knew exactly what kind of hell stood before them.
They were facing one of the Balance-Keeper's Weapons; The Protector's Scorn.
"Do I have your attention now, dear warriors of Aidios?" the Concierge muttered, holding Scorn in his shadowy hand.
"Blasphemer! You dare bring a cursed object such as The Protector's Scorn here?!" a voice cried from amongst the crowd.
As soon as the voice cut through the atmosphere, the crowd of knights split in two, revealing a young woman walking towards the two criminals. The woman was Knight Commander Celis Ortesia, leader of the Septian Templars.
"Ah, good to see you again, Knight Commander, how long has it been?" the Concierge remarked, looking from the young woman to the demonic looking whip in his hand.
"Not long enough, vile blasphemer!" Celis snarled, reaching for the giant sword strapped to her back.
"Come now, my dear Knight Commander… Is that any way for a Dominion to act?" the Concierge asked, a dark grin covering his face, which was hidden in shadow.
"How… How do you know that title?" Celis whispered, freezing in place.
"Surely you jest? I know all about the Gralsritter and their Twelve Dominions," the Concierge chuckled. "I assure you, Miss Ortesia, you are no threat to me. I would be weary if The Partitioner was here, but he is currently frolicking about, playing teacher in the Empire, and don't even get me started on what The Heretic Hunter is up to! Ah, but I suppose he doesn't go by that name anymore, does he?"
"Why are you here, bastard?" Celis hissed, grinding her teeth together.
"I assure you, Knight Commander, I am not here for a battle. I am only here to collect an associate of mine that you are forcibly detaining," the Concierge stated, taking a step towards Celis, making her flinch.
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Celis whispered.
"Yes, I expected as much… Typical of Carnelia and the Black Archbishop. You have no idea, do you?" the Concierge asked, taking another step towards Celis.
As Celis blinked, she found herself staring at Tengri, who simply pointed at her with a smile on his face. Initially confused, Celis quickly understood that Tengri wasn't pointing at her; he was pointing behind her. Immediately, she turned around and found herself face to face with a swathe of shadow.
"Knight Commander!" a Squire cried out as the Concierge grabbed Celis by the throat and lifted her off the ground.
"You Gralsritter try my patience at the best of times, and it is starting to wear thin. I am going to ask this once, and once only, so listen closely; where can I find Carnelia and the Black Archbishop?" the Concierge asked, the shadows around the crime lord's face creating a horrific mask of nothingness as Celis struggled for breath.
"Th-There…" Celis rasped, pointing to a tower on the opposite side of the courtyard.
"Wonderful! That wasn't hard at all, was it? Best of all; you get to keep your brain inside your skull as a reward!" the Concierge laughed as he dropped Celis, who collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath; her neck already starting to bruise.
"Let… Let him through," Celis whispered, her voice sounding like sandpaper.
Bewildered, the Knights and Squires did as commanded by the Fourth Dominion, and allowed the two criminals to pass, and make their way up the tower where both Keyes and Ein were supposed to be.
"What insult is this?" Keyes spat as he found himself looking at a Nord man, and another man, wrapped in shadow. "Your pathetic spells will do nothing here!"
With a wave of a thin, pale hand, Keyes dispelled the shadows surrounding the Concierge of Crime, and got a proper look at his true identity.
"Hmph, you never were one for secrets, were you Keyes?" the Concierge snorted.
"Hmmhmm, so this is what you've chosen to do. You disappoint me, child…" Keyes laughed.
"Child? Ah, I suppose anyone would be a child in your eyes, given your advanced , it is not your approval I seek, Keyes, merely information. Where are you hiding Sister Rosaria? It is time she returned to my service," the Concierge stated, brandishing Scorn for added effect.
"So, you've come for her, have you? When did you manage to tempt her?" Keyes asked, sizing up the man standing before him.
"The day I first met her," the Concierge responded, his amber eyes locking with Keyes' black eyes.
"Bah! Such arrogance! I don't know what the Reignbow Arbiter sees in you, child, but that arrogance will be your undoing!" Keyes shouted, slamming a hand down on his desk.
"So, you have come for her, have you?" a voice from behind the two men spoke.
"Hello, Ein… How nice to see you again," the Concierge responded, tipping his hat to the First Dominion.
"Your Excellency?" Ein looked past the Concierge and towards the Black Archbishop, who merely waved a dismissive hand.
"Let the stripling go. It's obvious Thanatos has work for her," Keyes sighed, standing up.
"Yes, Your Excellency. Come with me…" Ein commanded, turning and walking down the corridor.
The four walked in silence, taking a narrow staircase up towards the top of the tower, where a large wooden door was waiting for them. Without hesitating, Ein presented a large iron key from within her sleeve and unlocked the door, before stepping aside to allow the Concierge access to the room.
Inside the room was a large wooden table full of sharp instruments of torture, all covered with blood that had long since dried. On the far end of the room was a torture rack, with a young, bloodied woman attached to it.
"You have gone too far this time, Black Archbishop…" the Concierge muttered as he approached Rosaria, who was barely alive.
"Hmph, she needed to learn her place in the Sect. I have little patience for heretics," Keyes grumbled.
"That's where you're wrong, 'Your Excellency'… She is no heretic, but a vital agent to my plans…" the Concierge muttered as he broke the locks on the rack and caught Rosaria as she fell.
"I beg your pardon? Thanatos be merciful, as I am starting to lose my patience with you!" Keyes shouted.
"Rosaria…? Rosaria…? Wake up, dear…" the Concierge whispered, gently tapping the young woman's cheek.
"M… Master…?" Rosaria whispered, slowly opening her eyes.
"Good, you still recognise me… That'll make things easier," the Concierge smiled as he helped Rosaria to her feet.
"Pakhan…?" Tengri whispered.
"Take her, Tengri. I want you to care for her and when she has recovered, inform me so I can send her on her next task," the Concierge commanded, handing the broken young woman to Tengri.
"Yes, Pakhan," Tengri nodded, taking a Warp Crystal out of his own pocket and using it.
"Now, Black Archbishop, Lady First… My work here is done. Please, do me a favour and stay out of my way in future… Unless you wish to invoke his wrath…" the Concierge muttered darkly, glaring at the two members of the Church.
"What do you intend to do with… That?" Ein asked, pointing to Scorn.
"You are no fool, Ein. You know exactly what I intend to do with this artefact," the Concierge responded.
"You know it's useless… How are you going to succeed?" Ein asked.
"Fish all you want, First Dominion, but you will get no answer from me," the Concierge laughed.
Before Ein or Keyes could say anything else, the Concierge vanished in a flash of blue fire.
"Your Excellency, what will you do?" Ein asked, looking at the ancient man standing next to her.
"For now, nothing. I have known all along that brat was a servant to him. I wonder, can he do as the Reignbow Arbiter foresaw so long ago?" Keyes pondered.
It was now lunchtime in Heimdallr, and Group A had just finished dealing with a monster that had taken up residence in the underground area of the Heimdallr Port. As they were making their way back, they came across a secret passageway. Deciding the follow it, Group A found that the route they had taken ended up leading to the Ost District; the place where Machis and his dad lived. Deciding it was best to take a break, Group A ordered four servings of Gamgee's famous fish and chips at his pub, and returned to Machias' house for lunch.
At the same time, Cyrus had finished his duties with Operation Spearhead for the time being, and decided to rejoin Group A, only to stumble upon the four of them discussing something interesting. Standing out in the hallway of Machias' house, he elected to stay where he was and listen.
"D'awww… Look at cute, little Machias there!" Elliot gushed. It was obvious to Cyrus they were looking at a picture of Machias as a child.
"He looks like he had such a sweet disposition," Laura remarked with a smile.
"Hmph, still as feeble as ever, clearly," Vahlok scoffed, oddly taking an interest in the picture.
"Excuse me?! No-one asked for your opinion, ghost!" Machias shouted.
"Haha, the Governor looks the same as ever, though," Rean laughed, trying to ease the tension. "Is that woman next to you your older sister or something?"
"Close enough. She was a cousin on my father's side of the family. Since she lived quite close, she often came to visit," Machias nodded. "Our family was just my father and I, so having her around was a big help."
"The way you speak about her seems to imply you no longer see her… Did she get married and move away?" Laura asked, noticing how Machias was speaking of her in the past tense.
Machias paused for a moment, trying to decide how best to answer Laura's question.
"She… She died. Around six years ago," Machias finally said, shocking the others.
"Oh…" Laura mumbled.
"I see…" Rean whispered. "And that has something to do with why you hate the Nobility, right?"
At that statement, Cyrus started to take proper notice of the conversation. While he wasn't too proud of the fact he was eavesdropping, he knew that if he was present in the room, there's no way Machias would open up the way he was currently. In order to discover more about Machias and why he hated the Nobility, Cyrus chose to stay in the hallway, and continued to listen.
"I'd never really planned on telling anyone about this…" Machias sighed. "But considering all we've been through; I suppose it's time I told you a little more about me. It's a long story, but… Would you hear me out?"
"O-Of course!" Elliot cried.
"Absolutely," Laura nodded.
"Glad to," Rean affirmed.
"Thanks… Sis was nine years my senior. Beautiful, kind… To me, she was in every sense the ideal woman," Machias began. "Now, as I said earlier; we're a family of Commoners through and through. But my father proved to be a very capable Government Official and eventually, he was promoted to an important Government position, where he started to make a name for himself. Honesty and integrity are a core part of his work ethic, so of course he made his fair share of enemies."
'Tch, 'honesty and integrity'… I wonder what happened to all of that?' Cyrus thought, inwardly scoffing.
"But after seeing success in a number of major projects, he gained a reputation both inside and outside the Government," Machias continued. "My mother died when I was still young, but Sis happened to live around here and ended up helping us out in more ways than I can count. Since she was his niece, my father always made a fuss over her, and even though she didn't live in the same house, she was like a real sister to me, and a real daughter to my father. I was always so proud of her. As a child, she was practically my idol."
"She sounds incredible, Machias," Elliot smiled.
"She was… and as you'd expect, she had countless admirers among the men of the city. But for all her popularity, she was always level headed and sensible, so I never felt I had anything to worry about… Until he appeared," Machias said, a dark scowl appearing on his face. "He was one of my father's subordinates at City Hall… Though, unlike him, he was a Noble by birth. A man of high rank too – the heir of a Count. However, he had none of the arrogance or haughtiness one usually associates with the Nobility."
'Pretty sure you're the only one who thinks that here, Machias…' Cyrus sighed, shaking his head as he continued to listen.
"When I met him myself, he came across as an honest and loyal man. He met Sis when Dad introduced him to her one day, and the two of them fell in love and began a relationship, despite the difference in their social status," Machias carried on. "As a child, I was frustrated beyond words, but even I had to admit that the two of them made a good couple. Sis seemed so happy when she was with him that I had no choice but to let it go and accept their relationship. Time went on and they became engaged, with Dad acting as the go-between… And that's when everything started to fall apart."
'Ahh, I see where this is going… Something must have happened to prevent the marriage from happening… My guess, the Noble got cold feet about marrying a Commoner, and broke it off…' Cyrus thought, starting to get a clearer idea as to why Machias hated the Nobility so much.
"His family couldn't have been more blatant in their attempts to undermine the relationship," Machias growled, clenching his fists. "Apparently, one of the Four Great Houses, House Cayenne, proposed an arranged marriage on short notice, and the Count's family were up in arms at the thought he might choose to take a mere Commoner as his wife."
'Wait, House Cayenne? So, he's from Lamare…? Machias said that this happened around six years ago… It couldn't be…?' Cyrus perked up, making a worrying connection, dearly hoping he was wrong.
"Since my father held an important post, they were limited in how shamelessly they could try to sabotage the marriage, but they began to harass and threaten her in secret, every way they could think of. They made her life a living hell," Machias carried on, his anger rising. "Maybe she didn't want to cause trouble for the man she loved, or perhaps she did it out of consideration for my father, but all that time, she chose to endure it alone. She never discussed it or asked for help. And finally… It became so crushing that she took her own life."
"Machias…" Elliot whispered, trying his best not to cry.
"It was only afterward that my father and I learned about what had really happened. It seems that, at the very last, he had chosen to betray her love for him…" Machias breathed shakily. "… 'But I told her!' he said. 'I told her I'd treasure her as my mistress instead, if she'd just accept that we couldn't be married! I… I just don't understand it! Why would she take her own life?!'"
A loud bang came from the corridor, which shocked everyone in the house. When Machias went to investigate, all he found was a smashed wall, with shards of brick and plaster scattered on the floor. Before Machias could respond, he heard the sound of the front door slamming, and deduced what had happened.
"Looks like he really was here the whole time…" Rean whispered as the rest of Group A joined Machias in the corridor.
Outside, Cyrus marched through the Ost District, unimaginable blind fury controlling his every action. As he stormed past a couple of trash cans and scared some of the neighbourhood cats away, he dug his ARCUS out of his pocket and made a phone call.
"Reginald, it's me. I have a job for you, and this takes priority. No, I don't care what Mother has you doing at the moment, you are to drop everything and come meet me in the Garnier District, now!" Cyrus seethed, slamming his ARCUS shut and making his way into the city.
After Cyrus had left the Regnitz residence, Machias finished telling the rest of Group A the story, about how his father had gone into overdrive, sided with Chancellor Osborne and ousted all the Nobles from the Imperial Government, and eventually became the Imperial Governor.
The most surprising take Group A got from the conclusion of his story, was that Machias knew his hatred towards the Nobility was unjust, and he was only angry at the situation in which his cousin had lost her life. While he did make a comment about how both Cyrus and Jusis had done little to change his opinion of the Nobility, he acknowledged that both Laura and Rean had helped change his view of 'all Nobles are unworthy of respect', which surprised them.
"Hmm… Even I wish to see justice slake its thirst on that coward," Vahlok growled.
"You, ghost? Why?" Machias blinked.
"Cowards and scoundrels have no place amongst us. In my previous life, I executed thousands of them for my Lord; all for the betterment of His world," Vahlok responded.
"You sound like quite the fanatic, Vahlok…" Laura mumbled.
"Everything my brothers and I do, is for our great Lord!" Vahlok proclaimed.
"Riiiight… Moving on, then," Rean muttered.
As Group A were about to set out to report on the completion of the task of exterminating a monster that had taken up residence at the Heimdallr Port, Rean got a call on his ARCUS.
"Huh? Who could that be?" Machias muttered as Rean opened his ARCUS and accepted the call.
"Hello? This is Class VII, Group A, Rean Schwarzer speaking. G-Governor Regnitz?!" Rean gasped.
"Wait, Dad? Why is he calling?" Machias asked.
"Yes… Yes, sir. No, of course not sir, we'll head right over," Rean responded as he put his ARCUS away. "There's been a robbery in the Garnier District, and the Governor has asked us to investigate."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Elliot cried as Group A rushed off to complete the Governor's request.
When Group A arrived in the Garnier District, they found the scene of the crime was the San Corries Jewellers, which had a large crowd of people standing outside, whilst the Heimdallr Military Police had set up a cordon around the store, and were currently working on crowd control.
"Oh, are you the Thors students the Governor said would be coming?" the Captain overseeing the crime scene asked.
"Yes, that's correct. He said only we could complete this task?" Rean responded, still confused by why that Governor had said that.
"Ah, very good. We've already let one of your group in, so please head inside and join him," the Captain stated, lifting the crime scene tape and allowing Group A to enter the building.
Inside, they found Cyrus, who was crouched down and investigating a large glass display case. Next to him was Reginald, who was trying to gather information from the Store Manager.
"Tch, why am I not surprised you're already here?" Machias muttered, looking at Cyrus.
"It's just coincidence; I was meeting with Reginald when the commotion inside the store caught our attention, so we headed inside. I was surprised that the Captain outside was expecting me, but now I see why," Cyrus responded.
What surprised Group A was how straightforward Cyrus had been to Machias. There was no condescension, or forked quips from him. He simply answered the question, without trying to push Machias' buttons.
"So, what's the problem?" Rean asked, trying to find evidence of a crime that had been committed.
"Here," Cyrus responded, standing up and holding a small card out to Rean.
The card was about the size of a playing card, and on the back was the letter 'B'. Turning it over in his hand, Rean found there was a message on it.
Salutations, Lady and Gentlemen of Thors Military Academy's Class VII, Group A. Should you wish to recover the treasure you seek, accept and overcome the trials I have placed before you. All of the keys lie within the Vermillion Capital. The first key is… 'At the feet of the conqueror with the heart of a lion'.
"How'd he manage to fit so much horse crap on such a small card…?" Machias muttered, looking at the card, squinting at it.
"Leave it to a master thief to somehow manage to violate the laws of physics," Rean sighed.
"Still though, this seems like nothing more than a treasure hunt…" Laura muttered, looking at the clue left on the card.
"I would be weary, vessel… This seems too easy," Vahlok grunted.
"What makes you say that?" Elliot asked, trying to carefully respond to the question in such a way that his response would make sense to what Laura said as well.
"It's obviously talking about the statue of Emperor Dreichels in Dreichels Plaza. What else could it be referring to?" Laura shrugged.
"Precisely. Why would a thief go to all that trouble, just to make it a simple scavenger hunt?" Vahlok asked.
"I suppose we'll have to head over there and see what it's all about," Machias shrugged.
"Hey, Cyrus, are you coming?" Rean asked as Group A took their leave.
"No, I'm going to stay here. I'd like to do a little bit of questioning here first," Cyrus responded.
"Alright, suit yourself. Let's go everyone," Rean said, leading the rest of Group A out of the building.
"You have something of a problem on your hands, Miss Cordelia," Cyrus declared, approaching the owner of San Corries.
"Wh-Whatever do you mean?" Cordelia asked, looking bewildered.
"Well, the instructions left by the Phantom Thief were quite clear; do not contact the Railway Military Police. I know those are not RMP Officers standing outside, but I doubt this guy cares too much about the distinction," Cyrus stated.
"Th-That wasn't our doing. Besides, how would you react if something worth a hundred million got stolen from you?!" Cordelia cried.
"Me, personally? Whether it was a hundred Mira or a hundred million Mira, the result would be the same," Cyrus shrugged as he walked off. "I'd cut the fucker's hand off."
"H-Hey?! Where… Where are you going?" Cordelia asked.
"I'm going to get you your centrepiece back," Cyrus declared as he left the store. "Now… That first clue is obviously the start of a scavenger hunt, so… Where would a Phantom Thief hide the stolen goods?"
"It's not about the where; it's about the how," a voice spoke.
Raising an eyebrow, Cyrus turned and looked towards the direction the voice had come from. The voice belonged to none other than Tengri Worzel.
"Hmph, Tengri. You wouldn't have anything to do with this nonsense, would you?" Cyrus asked.
"Certainly not; we just returned from Arteria not too long ago. I'm afraid that we're innocent, this time," Tengri responded.
"Alright, I'll bite; what do you mean 'it's about the how'?" Cyrus frowned.
"Well, think about it. Most thieves would steal the treasure, then hightail it to wherever they came from. This guy doesn't operate like that; this is just a game to him. So, you shouldn't be asking where the Phantom Thief hid the treasure; you should be asking how he hid it," Tengri explained.
"Ohh, you've gotta be shitting me…" Cyrus groaned, as he put two and two together.
"Heh, there's that sharp Le Guin intellect the boss enjoys so much. Might I join you on this little quest? I think it could be rather fun," Tengri smirked.
"Far be it from me to stop you. At least Gaius isn't here to try and kill you this time," Cyrus shrugged.
"Ahh, Little Gai is just upset because he doesn't understand. It's not a bother to me," Tengri responded.
"Well, you and your brother can sort your differences out another time," Cyrus said. "Come on."
After reaching Dreichels Plaza, Group A found another calling card from Phantom Thief B at the foot of the statue of Dreichels the Lionheart. That specific calling card led Group A to Mater Park, specifically inside the Crystal Garden, where the next clue was attached to a bench in the Northeastern corner of the building.
From there, Group A had discovered that Phantom Thief B had managed to infiltrate their lodgings in the Bracer Guild's former East Heimdallr HQ, and left yet another calling card attached to the leg of the table up on the first floor of the building, which made the group feel slightly uncomfortable.
After leaving the old Bracer HQ, the clues took them to Heimdallr Port, where the Phantom Thief had somehow managed to hide the key to the next clue underneath one of the many shipping containers housed in the port, which managed to be a feat in and of itself, given the average weight of a fully loaded shipping container was around thirty tonnes.
Finally, the clues led Group A to a nearby Orbal Tram that was parked up just outside the port. The driver nowhere to be seen, Group A decided to forego asking for permission, and boarded the tram in order to search it.
Much to the surprise of Group A, there was a single black briefcase on the floor at the back of the tram. While it felt anti-climactic, the students were just happy to have recovered the prized object. Slowly, Rean knelt down and unlocked the suitcase, only to recoil in shock at the contents.
"It's empty!" Rean cried.
"What?! How could it be empty? That last calling card said that this was the final key!" Machias yelled, approaching the briefcase before examining it.
"Hey, Machias!" Rean cried as he watched Machias lift up the briefcase and violently shake it.
"Hold on, look!" Laura pointed, as she watched another calling card fall out of the briefcase and onto the floor.
Rean quickly picked up the card and read what had been put on it.
Congratulations, Lady and Gentlemen of Thors Military Academy's Class VII, Group A. You successfully solved all my riddles. However, if you are reading this, then it means the rules of my game have been broken, so now I am forced to exact punishment upon you. I have reclaimed the Crimson Tiara, and will decide what to do with it post haste. Unfortunately for you, you must return empty handed. Alas, this is the price one must pay when the rules are not adhered to.
"This is bullshit!" Machias shouted, kicking the briefcase across the tram.
"What rule did we break?" Elliot asked, starting to panic.
"I don't know. But since there are no more clues, the Crimson Tiara could be anywhere in the city by now. Hell, it might not even be in the city anymore… I don't think there's anything more we can do…" Rean muttered, dropping the card, a wave of defeat crashing over him.
"I… I suppose all we can do is return to San Corries and tell them that we failed…" Laura whispered.
"Hmph! I warned you that this was a trick!" Vahlok shouted.
"Yeah, yeah, good for you. Fat lot of good that does for us though," Machias scowled as he stomped off.
"Come on, everyone, let's go…" Rean sighed.
"Well now, this most certainly is a surprise!" Bleublanc cried. "Cyrus Le Guin and Tengri Worzel?! What an interesting duo!"
"Cut the crap, Bleublanc, I know you have the Crimson Tiara. You had always intended on sending Group A on a wild goose chase, didn't you?" Cyrus snapped.
"Oh, perish the thought. Why would I do something so heinous?" Bleublanc chuckled.
"I don't know. Why would you specifically order those people not to call the authorities, then do it yourself anyway?" Tengri asked.
"Ahh, so you caught me doing that, eh? I must say, working for that man has made you quite the sneak; even I wasn't aware of your presence when I made that call," Bleublanc mused.
"You weren't playing fair from the start, now it's my turn to do the same," Cyrus grunted, summoning Redemption. "Hand over the Crimson Tiara."
"Oh, my! What makes you think I have it on me?" Bleublanc exclaimed, despite being relaxed.
"It's not where you hide your treasure, it's how you hide it, Bleublanc… Of course you have it on you; quite literally, in fact," Cyrus muttered, looking at the red stone firmly affixed in Bleublanc's mask.
"Oh… I assume Tengri was the one who told you?" Bleublanc frowned.
"He gave me a push in the right direction. I figured out that you dismantled the tiara and affixed the gems to your outfit," Cyrus stated. "You're quite clever; hiding the treasure in plain sight like that."
"Oho! Nothing gets by you, does it?" Bleublanc chuckled. "I do, however, have one more question, before I surrender your prize."
"What is it?" Cyrus muttered, still pointing Redemption at Bleublanc.
"How in Aidios' name did you find me?" Bleublanc asked.
"Well, that, Bleublanc, is an easy question to answer; you have your calling cards, and I have my mine," Cyrus said, pulling a card out of his pocket and sliding it across the table to the Phantom Thief.
As Bleublanc's gaze fell upon the card, his complexion paled significantly. He had only seen this card once before, but he knew of its origins, and what it meant when he saw it.
"Oh, good heavens…" Bleublanc mumbled, fanning his face with a gloved hand.
"You understand now, Bleublanc? Hand it over," Cyrus commanded, retrieving the card he had handed to Bleublanc.
Tengri watched on in silent fascination as Bleublanc stripped his outfit of all the gems from the Crimson Tiara and affixed them back into the headdress and handed the precious item over to Cyrus in complete silence. While Tengri had decent knowledge of The Society, thanks to his position as the Right Hand of the Concierge, he had no idea what the card Cyrus had in his possession was, and he had no idea what it meant. Whatever meaning the card carried, Tengri concluded it had nothing to do with The Society, and must have something to do with Bleublanc's past. What impressed him the most, was the simple fact that Cyrus had completely crushed Bleublanc without ever having to lift a finger.
"I have to hand it to you; you certainly know what you're doing, young Master Le Guin," Tengri laughed as he left the building Bleublanc was hiding in alongside Cyrus.
"Well, someone has to. I mean, if you're going to stack the deck, make sure you do it in such a way that nothing can topple the house of cards you're trying to build," Cyrus shrugged, carrying the tiara in a black briefcase identical to the one Bleublanc had left on the tram for Group A to find.
"As much as I hate to admit it, if it were you chasing after the boss, we'd be in trouble," Tengri smirked.
"Don't give me that shit. I have what I came for, but what about you?" Cyrus asked, stopping and staring at the Nord man.
"What about me?" Tengri replied, raising an eyebrow.
"You came here for a reason, didn't you? What was it?" Cyrus pressed.
"Nothing gets by you, huh?" Tengri muttered as he pulled out a manila folder from his suit jacket. "Here; for your eyes only."
"Is this what I think it is?" Cyrus asked, looking at the man suspiciously.
"I don't know. I was instructed to give this to you should I ever run into you. Orders came straight from the boss," Tengri responded, shrugging slightly.
"I see… Thank you, Tengri," Cyrus muttered, placing the folder inside his own jacket.
"You've been good to my brother, that much I can tell. This is the least I can do for you," Tengri stated as he took his leave.
'I'd better get this back to San Corries before I look into the contents of that folder. Sometimes, even the dirtiest jobs can provide beneficial results…' Cyrus thought as he wandered through the streets of Heimdallr.
"You FAILED?!" Cordelia yelled after Group A returned to San Corries empty handed.
"It wasn't our fault! The Phantom Thief said we broke the rules, but never told us what the rules were! We were cheated!" Machias shouted back.
"This is just great! Governor Regnitz told me you kids would be the right ones for this job, but he was clearly wrong," Cordelia snapped.
"Leave them alone, Miss Cordelia… Machias is right; they were cheated…" Cyrus sighed as he entered the building and handed the owner the briefcase he was carrying. "Here; I have it."
"Wait, what?!" Group A gasped as they saw the contents of the briefcase.
"The Phantom Thief sent you guys on a wild goose chase after all. He left specific instructions not to call the authorities, but did it himself in order to 'fairly' keep the treasure by accusing you of breaking the rules," Cyrus explained.
"So, how did you manage to find him?" Laura asked.
"I had a little help from someone… Besides, I wasn't about to let that dandy, Bleublanc, cheat you guys after the work you put in solving his no doubt tedious riddles," Cyrus shrugged.
"Hold on, did you say Bleublanc? As in Baron Bleublanc?" Rean blinked.
"The very same; have you met him before?" Cyrus asked.
"Yeah… Machias and I met him back in Bareahard, and we even ran into him today at Mater Park. We had no idea he was the Phantom Thief!" Rean gasped.
"Hmm, obviously, he was checking in on you, to see what kind of progress you were making. Be weary the next time you see him, whenever that might be," Cyrus warned.
"We'll keep that in mind. Thank you," Machias nodded, getting weird looks from the others. "What?!"
"Moving on… Thank you so much for recovering the Crimson Tiara, Master Le Guin! You have done me a great service in doing so," Cordelia bowed.
"Nonsense, I didn't do anything. If you must thank someone, thank these guys for putting in all the legwork, rushing around Heimdallr, looking for the damn thing. They did more than me, and they certainly weren't to blame for not being able to recover the treasure initially," Cyrus shrugged.
"Yes, of course. Please, Thors Military Academy's Class VII, Group A, accept both my apologies, and my thanks for your work!" Cordelia cried, bowing to the group.
"Did, uh… Did I hit my head or something when I woke up this morning?" Rean whispered to Elliot.
"I don't think so, but Cyrus definitely seems different than usual. Maybe… Maybe listening to Machias' story about his family today changed something in him?" Elliot responded with a weak shrug.
"Hmph, the child shows great humility, it would seem. My Lord would have liked him," Vahlok stated.
"I think we can all agree that he's done a good job today," Laura nodded.
"Hmph, I wouldn't go that far… But, I suppose I can admit he did something to at least help us recover the Crimson Tiara," Machias muttered.
As Group A were leaving San Corries along with Cyrus, Rean got a call on his ARCUS Unit.
"Hello? This is Class VII, Group A, Rean Schwarzer speaking," Rean answered.
"Hello, Rean! How's everything been? Having fun in the big city?" Sara's voice rang out from the ARCUS.
"I wouldn't personally use the word 'fun', but it's been… Something. Is there something you need, Instructor?" Rean asked, sighing slightly.
"Oh, I guess you could say that. Once you guys are all finished with your Field Study tasks, I'd like you all to meet up outside St. Astraia Girls' School by five o'clock. Group B will be joining you there as well," Sara said.
"Hold on, what?" Rean blinked.
"Ah, before I forget, can someone let Cyrus know he is to join us as well. I'm afraid his attendance is non-negotiable. Someone has specifically requested his presence," Sara added.
"No need, Instructor; I'm already here," Cyrus sighed, finding the whole affair to be an inconvenience.
"Wait, seriously? I thought you'd be off on your own doing… Ah, doesn't matter. I'm glad you're with one of the groups, at least. Anyway, remember; St. Astria Girls' School, five o'clock. Toodles!" Sara beamed as she hung up.
"Hey, wait a – aaaaaaaannnnnnnnnd, she's gone," Rean sighed, pocketing his ARCUS.
"What do you think is waiting for us at St. Astraia?" Elliot asked.
"Not what, who," Cyrus sighed.
"Who?" Laura repeated.
"Think about it; who do we know that attends St. Astraia?" Cyrus asked.
"Uhh… My… Sister?" Rean suggested.
"Well, yes… But I didn't mean her. Who else?" Cyrus pressed.
"Ohh, that's right! Princess Alfin is supposed to be a student there!" Elliot gasped.
"Circle gets the square. Although…" Cyrus muttered.
"What is it?" Laura asked.
"Something tells me that Princess Alfin isn't the reason I've been summoned there," Cyrus frowned. 'This had better not be another one of Mildine's games…'
"Well, let's stop speculating and just find out, shall we?" Machias suggested.
"Yeah, you're right. The only way we'll find out is by heading over to the Sankt District," Rean added.
With that, Group A set off and boarded an Orbal Tram bound for Heimdallr's Sankt District.
It was almost five o'clock when Group A arrived at the gates of St. Astraia. Machias and Elliot were a little apprehensive about stepping onto the grounds of an all-girls school, which resulted in them being berated for cowardice by Vahlok.
In an attempt to ease the tension, Laura made a comment about how her father, Viscount Arseid, had wanted to send Laura to the school, but after finding out there were no martial arts classes offered by the prestigious institute, she turned her father's offer down, and elected to enrol at Thors instead.
Cyrus was unsurprised by this, but did agree that St. Astraia was indeed an excellent school for young girls, and even remarked about how his younger sister, Tahlia, would one day enrol in the school. When asked by the rest of Group A if he would have preferred if Tahlia went to Thors, Cyrus said he would be happy if one of the Le Guin children actually took more after Countess Mirellia, rather than Count Michael.
As Group A were standing outside the gates of St. Astraia, Group B had finally arrived to join them. The quartet of Group B were initially in a pleasant mood, but that changed when they saw Cyrus. As far as they were concerned, he was still furious with them for going to the Golden Hind.
Noticing the tension, Laura decided to ask what the issue was. When Alisa finally came clean about it, Group A were understandably shocked.
"What?! You went after the Crimson Yaksha?!" Rean gasped.
"That's correct. Though, it didn't really go to plan," Jusis muttered.
"That's putting it mildly…" Cyrus scowled.
"Well, if anything, the excursion proved to be helpful in some capacity," Alisa mumbled.
"How so?" Machias asked.
"Well… We… We kinda learned that Cyrus was right about Ether; it's a dud," Alisa shrugged.
"How do you mean?" Laura asked.
"Long story short, the ILF laid a trap by way of a canister of Ether that hit Alisa directly in the face, but she is, as you can see, completely unharmed," Gaius stated.
"Wait, what?!" Rean cried.
"Relax, I'm fine. It seems that Captain Claire's intel was wrong," Alisa said, trying to calm Group A down.
"I still wouldn't recommend any of you go rushing head-first into a cloud of it, if you can help it, mind you," Cyrus stated as the bell tower in Heimdallr Cathedral began to ring.
"Rean…?" a small voice spoke from behind Class VII.
Turning around, Class VII found themselves staring at Elise, Rean's little sister.
"E-Elise?! What are you doing here?" Rean gasped.
"I go to school here, Rean. You know that," Elise responded, sighing slightly at her brother's question.
"Err, right… I know that, I just meant… Why are you here, at the gate?" Rean asked.
"I was told to expect visitors at five o'clock. Judging by the time, and everyone's presence here, I am going to assume that Class VII are those visitors," Elise commented, looking at everyone.
"Seems like it, although, even we don't know what we're doing here, but it's nice to see you again, Elise," Alisa smiled before waving at the young girl.
"Ah, y-yes… It's nice to see all of you again as well, Class VII," Elise smiled as her gaze fell upon Cyrus, and she tensed up. "O-Oh… He-Hello, Master Cyrus. It's nice to see you again too."
"Master?" Cyrus and Rean muttered in unison.
"Yes, well… I was told about how you saved me from that terrifying monster when I last visited Thors. I apologise for putting you out in such a way," Elise mumbled, bowing to Cyrus.
"You needn't bow, young lady. I just happened to come across you before anyone else did. Every single one of us would have stepped in to try and save you," Cyrus stated, getting nods from the rest of Class VII. "Hmph, finally; something everyone in the class can agree on."
"All the same, I would be remiss if I did not at the very least show my appreciation for saving my life. I can understand why Her Highness chose you to be her Guardian," Elise smiled.
"Actually, speaking of the Royal Family, who's idea was this; Alfin's, or Olivier's?" Cyrus asked. "Alfin, I can kinda see wanting to meet Class VII, but given that Class VII was actually Olivier's idea, it'd make more sense for this to be his doing."
"Wait, Class VII was created by Prince Olivert?!" Elliot gasped.
"Ah, right… I forgot you didn't know about that little titbit… Whoops," Cyrus shrugged. "C'mon, Miss Elise… Better to take us to where we're supposed to go before the rabid dogs behind me attack me for answers."
While she knew Cyrus was joking, Elise did feel a little uneasy about the fact he had referred to the rest of Class VII as 'rabid dogs'. Smiling uncomfortably, Elise turned and guided Class VII through the grounds of St. Astraia.
As Class VII were escorted through the St. Astraia grounds, they found themselves being the subject of gossip amongst the young ladies who attended the school. Whether it was comments about the noble Jusis Albarea, or the 'cute redhead boy', to comments about the perfect Lady Laura, or the 'tall foreigner boy', Class VII all started to feel uncomfortable about being stared at like a sideshow act in the circus.
Elise took particular issue to a group of girls who had commented about how cute and handsome Rean looked. After asking if Elise knew any of the girls, and the young Schwarzer girl responded with a curt 'I don't know, and I don't care', Rean became confused. Why was Elise so mad?
As the group carried on, they quickly came to the conclusion that a certain member of the group was absent. The reason they discovered this was because several of the girls had commented about how the 'eight strangers' must be important if they're on school grounds.
"Thanatos damn that bastard…" Machias muttered, feeling very uncomfortable about being stared at.
"Eh, can you blame him? Some of these comments I'm hearing are ridiculous, and even Elise is starting to get annoyed," Rean sighed.
"Hmph!" Elise huffed as she turned a corner and continued to lead Class VII through the school grounds.
After what felt like an age, Class VII arrived at their destination; a large building at the back of the school. Above the entrance to the building, the words 'Rosen Garten' were displayed on a finely crafted wooden sign.
"Rose Garden?" Alisa mumbled.
"That's correct. Welcome to St. Astraia's Rose Garden. Princess Alfin is waiting for you inside," Elise stated. "Please, everyone follow me."
Once inside the Rosen Garten, Class VII found themselves surrounded by a whole host of different coloured rose bushes; red, pink, yellow, and even white roses surrounded them. Awestruck, Class VII didn't even know where to look.
"Whoooooooaaaaaah! This place is amazing!" Elliot gasped.
"I know, it's so beautiful in here," Emma chirped.
"Welcome, Thors Military Academy's Class VII. It's a pleasure to meet you all," Princess Alfin said, directing everyone's attention to her.
At the centre of the garden, Princess Alfin stood behind a large table, with enough seats for all of Class VII, and then some. Along with Princess Alfin stood three other girls. Two of them Class VII had seen before, and quite recently too. After all, one of them had managed to leave a lasting impression on the students.
"BIG BROTHER!" Tahlia cried as she ran across the room and jumped at Cyrus.
"Oof! Hello there, little one. I wasn't expecting to see you and Sophie here," Cyrus laughed, picking up his little sister and putting her on his shoulders.
"Big Sister was asked to come here by… Uhh… I forget," Tahlia mumbled, looking at the third girl; the one Class VII didn't recognise.
"Aww, Tahlia is just so adorable. I could've been your cute little sister too, if you didn't go on a quest all over the continent," Mildine purred.
"Err, 'cute' might be stretching it a little, Mildine…" Cyrus muttered, getting a giggle from Tahlia.
"Hmph, you're so cruel, Cyrus. My heart can't take it!" Mildine gasped, feigning injury.
"Getting back to the actual point… Sophie; I imagine you're here because of Mildine?" Cyrus asked, rolling his eyes at Mildine's melodramatic actions.
"Not quite… It was in fact Princess Alfin who invited me to join her and Millie. Lady Dahlia decided to stay in the capital, since the Summer Festival was almost ready to begin here, and so Tahlia has been with me ever since we saw you last week," Sophie explained.
"Huh… I see…" Cyrus nodded. 'I thought the background noise I heard when speaking to Grandmother last night wasn't that of Ordis. I wonder why she didn't tell me…?'
"I hate to interrupt, but would Her Highness like to get to the real reason you've all been asked to come here?" a male voice spoke, followed by the sound of a lute being strummed.
"Wh-What's going on…?" Alisa asked, looking around.
"I think we're about to find out…" Rean whispered.
As soon as Rean had said that, the doors on the far side of the Rosen Garten opened, and out strolled a young man with blonde hair, and a lute in his hands. His long white coat, accented with azure blue fabric wafted behind him as he walked.
"Greetings, all! It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. I serve as an instructor in the hallowed halls of this fine institution. In truth, I am ever on the hunt for that elusive mayfly we call 'love'… But that might raise eyebrows at a girls' school," the young man laughed. "Ah, but whose pulse would not quicken; wandering into this untainted cloister of dew-eyed maidens? Ah, the romance!"
"Good to see His Highness hasn't let the slow march of time change him," Cyrus muttered. "Although… I wonder where Müller is; he's usually here by now to subdue the Prince with an oversized novelty object…"
"Ahem, that's quite enough out of you!" Alfin exclaimed, slapping the young man over the back of the head with a giant paper fan.
"Ah, there it is," Cyrus nodded.
"Please, accept my apologies on behalf of my older brother; etiquette never was his strong suit," Alfin huffed.
"So, this is His Highness, Prince Olivert Reise Arnor?" Laura remarked.
"He's certainly different than what I have heard," Alisa whispered.
"Ah, leave it to my dear sister to keep me in line. Forgive me, allow me to properly introduce myself; I am Olivert Reise Arnor, and token it may be, I also serve as the Executive Chairman of the Board at Thors Military Academy," Olivert stated, bowing to everyone before him.
"The Executive Chairman?!" Elliot gasped.
"I had no idea His Highness served on Thors' Board of Directors…" Rean responded.
"Oh, please… Thors was founded by Emperor Dreichels himself. At what point did you think the Royal Family didn't have a seat on the Board of Directors?" Cyrus sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I see you haven't changed a bit, young Master Le Guin; still as short tempered as ever," Olivert smirked.
"Tch, I'm starting to understand how Müller must feel, chasing after you all day, Your Highness," Cyrus said, returning the Prince's smirk with one of his own.
The initial apprehension from Class VII dissolved almost immediately when they watched as Cyrus and Olivert embraced one another, as if they were old friends. Which they very much were.
"It's good to see you again, Olivier. I heard you made quite the show of your return to the Empire from Liberl. A giant fanfare from aboard the Kingdom's newest airship, the Arseille. You never do anything by half-measures, do you?" Cyrus laughed.
"Witnessing beauty is but a fleeting moment of life. I intend to capture it for all to see, so that it may live on in their hearts for eternity," Olivert smiled. "After all, beauty must always be shared, not hoarded."
As the evening carried on, Class VII were treated to a memorable night with Prince Olivert, and Princess Alfin, along with Elise, and Cyrus' friends and family. It was here that Prince Olivert told Class VII that he was the brainchild behind the creation of the class, and its purpose.
By the end of the night, once things had finally wound down and everyone was talking amongst themselves, Cyrus took the opportunity to slip out the back of St. Astraia's Communion Room. Silently, he made his way up to the school's bell tower, sat down in the belfry and opened his ARCUS Unit.
"You have need of me, Dragon?" the individual asked.
"Tengri paid me another visit today, and handed me something interesting…" Cyrus began, pulling the manila folder out of his jacket and broke the seal on it.
"Hmm? What is it?" the individual queried.
"The assassination contract Heiyue received for Sylphid," Cyrus responded, flicking through the pages before stopping. "Ahh, so this is why you made it a free-for-all… You piece of shit, Cao…"
"Go on, Dragon…" the individual muttered.
"The payment Heiyue was due to receive was a hundred million… Can't say I'm surprised by this though; greed is a powerful tool," Cyrus said.
"Does it say who issued the contract?" the individual pressed.
"Hold on…" Cyrus muttered, flicking through the pages. "Wait, what?"
"What is it?" the individual asked, sounding concerned.
"There are two parties who issued the kill command… One looks to be an… 'Ellroy Harwood', if this signature is anything to go by, and the second… What the fuck?" Cyrus breathed.
"Dispense with the melodrama, Dragon! Who is the other authoriser?" the individual snapped.
"Rutger Clausell…" Cyrus responded.
"What…? But, I thought he was dead?" the individual said after a moment of silence.
"Yeah, he's supposed to be. Died at the hands of the War God recently…" Cyrus whispered.
"Well, it must be an imposter… If the Jäger King was still alive, why would he sign his daughter's death warrant?" the individual pondered.
"I don't know…" Cyrus growled, standing up.
"What are you going to do now? Tell the others?" the individual asked as Cyrus picked up his ARCUS Unit.
"Not yet… I need to verify this information, because if this is legit, we've got another problem on our hands," Cyrus grunted.
"Which would be…?" the individual began, trying to coax the answer out of Cyrus.
"If the Jäger King is still alive, then there's a good chance the War God is still alive too," Cyrus stated.
"Hmm, that would be most problematic. If the War God is indeed alive, it means the Red Constellation are up to something, given how deep underground they've gone," the individual remarked. "Leave it with me, Dragon. I'll see what I can dig up."
Without any response, Cyrus closed his ARCUS and returned to the Communion Room.
When Cyrus returned, it seemed that his presence was required to resolve some kind of issue. While he had arrived at the tail end of a conversation, he could tell there was some sort of awkwardness and tension hanging around the room.
"Your Highness, what are you up to?" Cyrus sighed, as he noticed a smirk on Alfin's face that was almost identical to the smirk Mildine would wear when she was teasing someone.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing… I was just asking Rean here if he'd like to be my dance partner at tomorrow's party in the Crystal Garden, which is going to be held in order to signal the start of Heimdallr's Summer Festival," Alfin responded.
"Did you put her up to this?" Cyrus asked, looking at the green haired girl.
"Moi? Why on earth would you think that? You're a meanie," Mildine gasped.
"You're always up to something, missy. This has your fingerprints all over it," Cyrus responded.
"Might as well give it up, Millie. I told you he's too sharp for such tricks," Sophie smiled, looking at Mildine.
"Aww, no fair…" Mildine huffed.
"Hey, Soph, when are you taking Tahlia back to Grandmother?" Cyrus asked, looking at the sleeping child on Sophie's lap.
"I was just about ready to leave, actually. I was waiting for you to return before I left," Sophie said, standing up.
"Yes, I'll be there later, don't worry," Cyrus nodded.
"I knew I didn't even have to ask," Sophie smiled as she walked over to Cyrus and kissed him before leaving.
"What was that about?" Elliot whispered.
"I'm not sure…" Gaius muttered, stroking his chin in thought.
"Oooh, so you're staying with Sissy tonight, huuuuuh?" Mildine smirked.
"WHAT?!" Alisa and Emma cried, before looking at one another.
"Hehe, good to see my Aspect can still make you my puppet," Morokei sniggered.
"Shut up…" Alisa hissed through gritted teeth.
"Still as popular with the ladies as ever, I see," Olivert winked. "I see some of my 'debauchery' has rubbed off on you."
"Quite haughty for a man-whore, aren't you Olivier?" Cyrus smirked. "How's Schera these days, by the way?"
"Ah, touché, my good man," Olivert laughed heartily.
"Who?" Rean asked, leaning over towards Machias who just shrugged.
"Hmph, he has some nerve, talking to a Prince like that," Jusis muttered, sounding quite amused by the exchange between Cyrus and Olivert.
"It seems like they share some kind of history together. Not at all surprising, given Cyrus' past has ties to the Royal Family," Emma mumbled.
"Very true. Though, it is quite odd to see him like this. He seems more… Personable," Laura mused.
"Oh, Cyrus. I almost forgot to tell you; we'll need your help with the festivities tomorrow," Olivert began.
"You mean as Princess Alfin's Guardian?" Cyrus asked.
"Quite right. You are to escort her to the Crystal Garden, and I am told that both Elise and Mildine will be accompanying her," Olivert said, winking at Cyrus.
"Yaaay. That means I get to watch out for threats against Her Highness, and be pestered by Mildine about my personal life," Cyrus sighed, rolling his eyes whilst Mildine smiled and waved at him. "That aside, I'll make sure Her Highness is safe."
"I know you will. Woe unto those who try to cross you," Olivert smiled.
"So, we actually doing this?" McBurn muttered.
"Yep… Orders are orders, so…" Renne shrugged.
"That bastard is going to pay for what he did to Joshua," Löwe growled, holding Kernviter in his hand.
"Don't make this personal, Löwe," Renne muttered. "You do that, and you're as good as dead."
"Whatever… As long as I get to kill him in the end, it doesn't matter to me," Löwe grunted as the three Enforcers crossed the boundary between the Society's hideout and the skies above Heimdallr.
"Hey! You only get to kill him once I've finished playing with him. That asshole, Campanella, said he's really powerful now, and will only get stronger. If that's the case, I won't let you kill him until I've decided I've had enough!" McBurn growled, glaring at Löwe.
"Cut it out, you two. The Grandmaster gave us a job to do; stop Cyrus Le Guin from interfering with the Imperial Liberation Front, and the Phantasmal Blaze Plan. Everything else is secondary," Renne stated.
"Yeah, yeah… C'mon, we have an ambush to prepare…" Löwe muttered.