"Go! Get into the portal! Go now! Please, while I've still...got a hold of myself…!"

Morgan gazed confusedly at her surroundings. She was back at the castle tower, with her father in front of her contorting in pain. Hadn't she already escaped this nightmare?

"But what about you?" she asked aloud. "And where will this take me?"

"A better place. A better...time. It's the least I can do for...having to put up with a father like me."

"Please don't say that, Father." Tears started streaming from her eyes. "I don't consider you a burden, and I don't want to leave you behind!"

"Tell me...do you still have the book I gave you? The one we used to read together?"

Morgan reached into her clothes where the book usually was, only to find that it was no longer there. Even in this nightmare, she could feel her heart drop. The one time she had to relive this nightmare, it was after she lost her father's book. The one link she had left to Ylisse.

"So long as you have that, I'm sure that you'll be able to find your way back," her father continued as if nothing had happened. "Now quickly! Before he comes-"

Before he could finish, a black aura began to manifest around him. In a voice that wasn't his own, he roared, "FOOL! I WILL BANISH HER MYSELF!"

"Don't you...lay a finger on her!" His father fought back. "Please, my daughter. Go!"

"Father…" Morgan closed her eyes. This is the part where she would run towards the portal, her father would attack her, and she would be sent into the world of Zemuria.

However, a long time had passed since then. "No."

Her father replied with a horrified, "What…?"

The look of betrayal that flashed on her father's face crushed her on the inside. However, Morgan remained resolute. "I told you before. I'm not leaving you alone anymore. I've made my choice to stay!"

"Morgan…" Her father regretfully closed his eyes, almost as if resigning himself to his fate. A moment later, his eyes opened to reveal orbs of red staring into her soul. "Then what are you waiting for? Come over and give your M◾◾◾◾◾ a big hug."

Morgan stumbled forward a bit as she clutched her forehead with her hand. For a moment, it felt like static had been going one ear and out the other. Moreover, the voice that came out of her father's mouth wasn't his own, yet it was one she was familiar with all the same. It was the same voice she had heard while she was trapped in the nightmare, and it was also the same one that would often taunt her in her dreams.

Eventually, she felt something catch her before she could slump to the floor, wrapping its arms around her like a protective cocoon.

"The gap in your memories remains sizable indeed," the voice whispered into her ear. "Alas, you are so close to the truth yet so far away…"

"What…do you mean?"

"If your desire to know the truth still burns bright, then go out into the empire and seek your scattered memories. Until then, live your last day of that blissful, sinful ignorance in peace. We will surely meet again at Judgment's crossroads…"

The floor they were standing on suddenly dissolved, sending Morgan into free fall.

*THUD*

"…Ow."

Morgan found herself staring at the ceiling of her dorm room, her body entangled in a mess of sheets.

"I suppose that saves me the trouble of having to wake you."

Morgan groggily turned her head to the side to find a black cat sitting across from her at ground level. "Morning, Celine. How did you get into my room?"

Celine nodded to the slightly ajar door on the other side of the room. "I opened the door, obviously."

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain HOW you opened the door."

"Don't sweat the smaller details," the black cat dismissed. "What do you remember from what happened last night?"

Morgan lifted herself to a seated position, which caused her bedsheets to droop and reveal that she was dressed in nothing but her undergarments. That's right; she had been so exhausted that she went to bed before she could clean herself up!

"…Do you think we can continue this conversation in the shower?"

…

"…After we defeated the shadow and looked totally awesome while doing it, we were transported back to the old schoolhouse. Sara, Towa, and George all came down to meet with us, and then the wall we were facing collapsed to reveal a giant gray knight. Does that sound about right?"

"Ashen, to be specific," Celine said from the other side of the shower stall.

Morgan perked her ears up. "Pardon?"

"The color of the knight. It's ashen."

"Eh, don't sweat the smaller details," Morgan echoed. "What ISN'T so small, though, is that I now have a broken weapon that needs fixing." She clapped her hands together in an apologetic fashion and said, "Don't you worry! I promise to bring you to Otto once this festival is over!"

"Why are you apologizing to a weapon?" Celine shook her head in exasperation. "It's not like it can hear you."

"Hey! Your weapon is an extension of yourself, so you've got to treat it well! Or something along those lines. I remember Emma saying that wands and staves choose their wielders; think of it like that!"

"That and this are two separate things!" the cat snapped. "At any rate, I went back down there to check if the layout of the building changed now that the trial has ended."

Morgan held her breath "And what did you find?"

"I don't know what you expected me to find there, but you'll be happy to hear that everything was just as we left it. Both the building and the knight at the bottom."

That gave Morgan a sense of relief. She had asked Celine the previous night to continue monitoring the old schoolhouse, just in case someone wanted to steal the Divine Knight from its resting place. For the moment, though, it would appear that whoever was searching for these Divine Knights had not found out about this ashen one that was just unearthed.

"What I'm more concerned with is that while I was on my way out, I noticed faint traces of magic outside the schoolhouse that didn't belong to me or Emma. Unfortunately, whoever this unknown person was, they were clever enough to cover their tracks."

"Do you think they were trying to interfere with the trial?"

"That's what Emma thought as well. Do YOU have any ideas on who that could be?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because their interference could explain why the mana signature became so different in the Realm of the Great Shadow. This, therefore, would then tie in to you, since you recognized it as the same one from your home world. If that was the case, then they possess knowledge that could interrupt the balance of the world as we know it. So, let me ask again: do you know anyone else who can use magic?"

Morgan reached her right hand forward to turn off the shower while her left reached for her towel. She wanted to talk about Vita and what she had learned about the Divine Knights. Having one witch was helpful enough, but having two of them would surely lead to them unraveling the secrets of the old schoolhouse in no time.

However…

…

Vita uttered an incantation to lock the door leading to the underground passage from the Cayenne Mansion. Once she was done, she turned to Morgan, who was putting her mask back on. "Say, Morgan?"

"Yes, Vita?"

"This should go without saying, but could you keep my identity as a witch a secret from everyone?"

"Of course! Like I said before, your secret's safe with me."

Vita half-smiled. "I know it is, but I want to clarify that when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE." The older woman leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "Including other witches from the clan."

"Is it because…you left on bad terms with them?"

"That's part of the reason," Vita admitted, "but it's also because once certain people realize what it is I'm searching for, I know that they will use everything in their power to track me down and stop me. For both of our sakes, I hope you choose your friends wisely."

Morgan instinctively took a step back. With the witch looming over her with that mystifying expression, it wasn't hard to get the message: cross that line, and their deal would be called off, along with other untold consequences. She was glad she had put her mask back on, otherwise she would have revealed her newfound fear of what lay behind Vita's own mask.

…

"…No, I don't. Sorry."

"I see."

Even if Morgan had to cover her face with her towel to hide the fact that she was lying, she didn't need to see Celine's face to hear the cat's disappointment. "Well, it was worth a shot, at least. I'll let Emma know what we discussed. But before that, could you meet me outside once you're finished drying?"

Morgan became half-curious, half-scared of what Celine wanted to do to her. After all, in their previous encounters, the cat had made it abundantly clear that she was monitoring Morgan because she viewed her as a possible danger. But as she opened the shower stall, Morgan noticed that Celine was no longer displaying any of that inherent animosity, so she wrapped her towel around herself and followed Celine back to her room.

"Sit down on your bed." Morgan did as Celine asked. The cat then came over, placed a paw on her leg, and chanted, "Lux solis medicuri eam."

A warm light began to emit from Celine's paws, which caused the sudden aching in Morgan's legs to gradually go away. "Guess it makes sense that you can do it too," Morgan remarked.

"You used up quite a bit of energy last night. I'm just ensuring that you don't collapse from exhaustion before your performance tonight."

Morgan giggled softly. "Hehe. You're actually pretty nice when you want to be."

The cat gave a small huff once she was done healing. "Hmph! I'm only doing this because you did your part last night. And besides, I'm sure that even if we told you to stay in bed, you wouldn't listen, would you?"

"Guilty as charged, haha…" Morgan laughed sheepishly.

"That isn't something you should be proud of," the cat snarked. "At the very least, I've made it so that you can walk around with no issue. Do keep in mind that our magic, though potent, can only do so much to heal your fatigue. If it ever comes back, go see the head nurse or the clergy."

"Will do. Thanks, Celine."

The cat started making her way across the room, but before she stuck a paw through the door, she turned around and added, "And one more thing: get something to freshen up your room. Like some scented candles or herbs."

"Does it really smell that bad?" Morgan wondered. Just to make sure, she lifted her bed sheets to her face and started sniffing like a dog. "Celine, what do you-?"

Morgan's voice drifted off upon realizing that the talking cat had already vacated the room.

"See you around, I guess…"

Morgan checked the time. Eight hours and fourteen minutes. The rest of Class VII was probably already up and about, given how so many of them had family and friends visiting today for their concert. Morgan didn't have any of her friends from Heimdallr coming over to visit, so she COULD spend the entire morning relaxing in her dorm, but that wouldn't be so fun, would it? So, she put on her red blazer and walked down the stairs, seeing if she could catch any stragglers that were still in the dorm.

"Good morning, Lady Morgan. I left your breakfast in the kitchen."

"Thanks, Sharon. Are you and Alisa going to meet her grandfather at the station?"

"We are. Would you care to join us? Your friend Sharl will be joining him, as well as Gaius's younger brother from the highlands."

"Really?" That piqued Morgan's interest. "The infamous Thoma? Sharl's new boyfriend?"

Sharon giggled. "Teehee! Shall I take your raised eyebrow as confirmation of your interest?"

"Of course! I'll be right there!"

"Excellent. Oh, and before I forget…" Sharon handed Morgan a letter before she could race to the kitchen. "Michael from Radio Trista asked me to send this to you. I would suggest you read it while you eat breakfast."

Morgan inquisitively took the letter from Sharon's hands. She and Michael had met occasionally in the past, but it was mostly updating Morgan on Misty's hectic schedule so that the two of them could catch up. This was the first time Michael ever reached out to Morgan with paper. And even more puzzling was that when Morgan opened the envelope, its contents consisted of a small note alongside yet another envelope that was addressed to her.

"Misty sent this to us first thing in the morning. Didn't say much else other than to deliver it to you ASAP. Swing by Radio Trista later if you want me to get in contact with her."

-Michael, Radio Trista

"From Misty?" Morgan muttered after reading the note from Michael. She then turned her attention to the other envelope. It was indeed addressed to her, with her name written in lovely cursive that Morgan assumed was Vita's handwriting alongside the following directions:

"To Morgan: Open this when you're alone."

"...Hey, Sharon? On second thought, I think I need to take a rain check on the morning festivities."

"Oh my. Did something happen, Lady Morgan?"

"You could say that." Morgan waved Vita's letter in front of Sharon. "One of my reporter friends wants me to reply to this ASAP."

Upon seeing the handwritten words on the letter, Sharon's expression unexpectedly turned from pleasant to guarded.

"Sharon?"

"Nothing, Lady Morgan. By all means, take all the time you need." The Reinford maid bowed respectfully. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

'I've never seen Sharon make that face before…' Morgan thought as Sharon shuffled out of the dining area. Desiring a more private place to open Vita's letter, Morgan stuffed the letter into her blazer pocket and took her breakfast back up to her room. Once there, she locked the door and opened the envelope. To her surprise, she picked up the floral scent of lavender perfume on the letter, which brought to mind a conversation Morgan had with Sharon several months prior…

"I met quite a number of colorful characters in the past, and one of them happened to favor lavender as her blend of choice."

"There's no way, right?" Despite the workings of a theory beginning to formulate in her head, Morgan ultimately brushed those thoughts aside. After all, it's not like she had any proof. She dumped the contents of the envelope into her hand: a piece of paper, and a bright blue feather. Morgan looked at the feather with disdain, recognizing it as Grianos's, before reading the contents of the letter.

"To Morgan,

If you are reading this, then I assume that whatever happened in the old schoolhouse last night was resolved peacefully. Congrats on not dying a horrible death!

I'd love to hear about your experiences, but I also know you probably want to relax for the morning. So, if you want to reach out to me between now and your concert, then take Grianos's feather, call out my name three times, and I'll be there in a jiffy. Otherwise, I'll see you later tonight."

-Misty

"…What does she mean, she'll be here in a jiffy?" Morgan held Grianos's feather like a writing quill and spun it by rubbing her fingers together. She had half a mind to ignore the letter and relax as Vita had suggested, but there was still one thing that remained on her mind: where did Grianos take her father's book? She had to know, and the mistress was the only one with answers.

So, she held the feather to her head, closed her eyes, and whispered, "Vita, Vita, Vita."

Suddenly, the feather began to glow with a bright light, which startled Morgan enough to drop the feather on the ground. A moment later, the shape of the feather began to expand until it took on the shape of an adult woman wearing a casual news reporter garb.

"That took less time than I anticipated," the projection of the woman remarked. "You're always just so full of surprises, aren't you, Morgan?"

"V-Vita…?"

"The one and only." Vita smirked as she twirled around in place. "So this is what a dorm room looks like? Not bad, not bad. Ever thought of doing home remodeling for a living? I think you wouldn't be half bad, given your background as an Imperial maid."

"I DID receive a commission once to organize an apartment room for a showcase…" Morgan shook her head. "But that's not the point! How are you here?"

"Physically, I'm not. This is a spell that can project my likeness across long distances. It's sort of like a witch's version of a long distance call. Of course, it does use up quite a bit of magic, so I used one of Grianos's feathers as a medium."

"That sounds like a really handy spell," Morgan agreed. "But speaking of Grianos, I-"

"I'm sure you have questions of your own, but unfortunately, I'm a bit pressed for time; I can only maintain this form for so long." Vita clapped her hands together. "So! How's about we skip the formalities and get right down to business? Did you find anything down there?"

Morgan took in a deep breath before giving her answer. "Your hunch was right. There was a Divine Knight in the lowest level of the old schoolhouse."

"What was its color?"

That was certainly an odd question. However, Vita did mention that seven knights were created in total, so perhaps each one was made with a distinct color? She echoed the response Celine gave earlier. "Ashen."

"And who was the lucky Awakener?"

Awakener. In other words, the person who becomes worthy of piloting a Divine Knight after passing a series of trials. "It's not me, that's for sure."

"Oh?" Vita raised an eyebrow. "And how are you so sure?"

According to Vita, a Divine Knight was supposed to choose its Awakener after the completion of a series of trials. After they defeated the shadow titan and woke up in the depths of the old schoolhouse, however, all Morgan could feel was exhaustion. And maybe a sense of accomplishment for finally reaching the bottom of the old schoolhouse. Bottom line was, Morgan still wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to know if she was chosen, but the fact that she was even asking these questions in the first place probably meant that she wasn't the chosen Awakener in the first place. "Just a gut feeling."

Vita nodded her head. "Well, no worries if you can't deduce who it is now. I'm sure they will reveal themselves in time. What about the rest of the trial? What was the experience like?"

Morgan gave a quick summary of the events that transpired the previous night, from when they first set foot into the old schoolhouse to the strange appearance of the Realm of the Great Shadow to their final battle against a large shadow knight that put everything that had to the test. All throughout her retellings, Vita sat down on the edge of Morgan's bed and listened intently with a serious expression.

"Impressive…" Vita remarked once Morgan finished her story. "From the way you described them, it sounds like the trial grounds have a mind of their own."

"Is that even possible?"

"It could if the gnomes were involved." A noticeable frown appeared on Vita's face when she said that. "Whereas the Hexen Clan practices magic, the gnomes boast immense technological prowess. Their ancient creations far exceed anything made today. At their peak, they were even capable of creating artificial life."

"Gnomes…" Morgan muttered. "Are the Divine Knights made by them? But then, why does the Hexen Clan know what they are?"

"That all requires a history lesson that we lack the time to go into right now," Vita said, waving her hand. "In any case, I'm glad that you and your class made it out alright. You've upheld your end of the bargain; now, it's time for me to do my part."

"What are you planning on doing?"

"Did you forget already?" Vita gave a teasing smirk. "The one where I'd find a way to lift your curse if you figured out what was beneath the old schoolhouse."

Morgan blinked twice. "Oh yeah. That."

"You know, most people would stop at nothing to get rid of their curse once they found out they had one."

Morgan sheepishly scratched her cheek. "What can I say? I was busy. So… how are things going?"

"Well, I think I might have just hit a breakthrough last night. That's another reason why I wanted to contact you. I trust you recognize this?"

Vita snapped her fingers, and the shadowy image of a familiar looking book appeared in the witch's hands.

"That's my father's book!" Morgan exclaimed.

"First off, I want to apologize on behalf of Grianos for taking this without your consent. However, he told me of something…interesting that happened when he tried taking it from you."

Morgan nodded her head. She recalled the glowing symbol that had appeared in front of her when she tried to keep the bird from snatching it out of her hands.

"After looking through the book, I began to form my own theories on what might be going on. The only way I'll know for certain, however, is if we meet in person. Think we can meet later today?"

"Yes! Of course!" Anything to make sure that her father's book was back in her arms again. "I'll meet with you after the concert!"

Vita nodded her head in affirmation. "Excellent. Then I'll see you later."

With a final wave of her hand, the projection of Vita dissipated, and Grianos's feather, which was used as the medium, disintegrated into magic particles. Morgan stretched her arms up, laid flat on her back on her bed, and sighed loudly. "This is gonna be another long day, isn't it?"

Valimar.

Even after a whole night to sleep it off, Rean couldn't get the image of those ethereal letters floating in front of him out of his head. Was it someone's name? Or maybe a command? At this point, Rean was getting tired of getting to the bottom of a mystery only to be met with more questions than before. At least he could say that the old schoolhouse was nothing if not consistent.

"...Rean?"

The swordsman blinked. "Sorry. Could you repeat that, Elise?"

His younger sister looked at him worriedly. "I was asking if you could take me to Class IV's teahouse after this. I'm feeling rather parched."

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" Rean took Elise by the hand and led her out of Class II's Stella Garten. Thankfully, the line for Class IV's classroom was on the shorter end, so the Schwarzer siblings didn't have to wait long before acquiring their tea and snacks.

"You chose a good spot, Elise," Rean complimented his sister. "This tea hits the spot…"

Elise smiled. "Good. You're relaxing more," she muttered softly.

"What was that?"

"I mean, these snacks remind me of the ones Master Ka-Fai would bring! Do you remember?"

"Of course I do! He'd bring some junmai-shu for Dad and Mom, and then distract us with snacks so we wouldn't think about sneaking in a sip. I tended to favor the salty snacks while you preferred the sweet ones." Rean chuckled. "Course, when it came to pairing the snacks with tea…"

"H-Hey! My taste buds have changed since then, I'll have you know!"

"Really? I haven't seen you touch your tea cup at all since we sat down."

"I-I was just getting to that!" Elise took the teacup that was placed on her tray and stared at the dark green liquid with a look of apprehension. After taking a few more seconds to compose herself, she raised the cup to her lips to drink the tea. Gradually, her expression shifted from tense to confused. "This…isn't as bitter as I remember."

"They added extra sugar to make it more palatable to the average customer," Rean explained. "Small baby steps, I guess?"

His sister replied with an adorable pout. "Hmph! I'll let that comment slide, if only because, as an average customer, I do find it palatable." She raised her cup to take another sip, to which Rean tried very hard not to let out a chuckle.

"Hey, Rean!" a perky female voice called out to him. "Coming back here with a different girl? Thanks for your continued patronage, I guess!"

Gulping, Rean looked up to find the culprit walking towards him and Elise. "Vivi, I'd appreciate it if you didn't frame it that way in front of my sister."

The pink-haired girl oo-ed at Elise. "Wow! This cutie is your sister? I never would've realized it at first glance! Then again, with a face as cute as that, I bet she's as popular with the boys as you are with the girls, Rean!"

Elise squinted her eyes at Rean. "Would you care to elaborate on that last part, Rean?"

Thankfully, Rean was spared the headache of having to prove his innocence when Vivi's twin sister Linde stepped in to bonk her on the head.

"Oww! Come on, Linde! It's all in good fun."

"Please don't take what my twin sister says at face value," Linde said to Elise. "Your brother has been nothing but kind to anyone he meets, so he has my vote of confidence."

"Thank you, Linde," Rean graciously thanked the calmer twin. "These two are in charge of handing out fortune slips to everyone who visits the teahouse today."

"Fortunes?" Elise echoed. "Are these just like how they work in the East?"

"Cute AND smart! I love it!" Vivi remarked. "But to answer your question, yes! We're taking a page straight out of the book that is Eastern culture. My sister Linde has the luck fortunes, while I hold the relationship fortunes. You can only select one per visit, though, so choose wisely!"

Rean pondered for a moment before making his choice. "I'll take…a relationship one."

"Y-You're really going for that one?" Elise asked, surprised.

"Well, you can't blame me for being curious, can you?"

Vivi was positively beaming at him. "Wow, Rean! And right in front of your sister! I've always admired that boldness. Rowr~"

"Vivi, don't try to make this any more awkward for them!" Linde hissed.

"Well, if my brother is taking one…" Elise raised her hand. "Miss Vivi, I would like to take a relationship fortune as well!"

"Two relationship fortunes coming up for the Schwarzer siblings!"

Rean reached into Vivi's box and took out a fortune, followed by Elise. Unfolding the piece of paper he chose, he read its contents out loud.

"You are compatible with those whose passions you share. Build a relationship in which you complement each other's strengths while pushing one another to greater heights."

Rean nodded his head, feeling satisfied with his fortune. Romance was among the furthest things from his mind when he first enrolled into Thors, but as the school year progressed, he started considering it more and more. "What does yours say, Elise?"

Elise, meanwhile, didn't appear so enthusiastic while looking at her fortune. Nevertheless, she showed her fortune to Rean.

"The one you are searching is still a ways away. Use this opportunity to improve yourself so that when you meet them, you can use your experience to support each other."

"Whoa…" Even Rean felt himself being taken aback by the fortune's contents. It certainly wasn't the most terrible response you could receive from a fortune, but to hear that your significant other was still a long way off wasn't reassuring in the least. "If you're not satisfied with yours, we can swap."

"I appreciate the concern, but we both know that would be going against the point of fortunes," Elise swiftly replied. "Don't worry, Rean; I'm not terribly bothered by it."

"Are you sure?" Rean couldn't help but be concerned, as well as curious as to why Elise opted to follow his lead. "Wait, could it be that…you had someone in mind already?"

Elise's gaze ventured back and forth between Rean and the fortune paper for an inordinate amount of time. Eventually, she shook her head and responded, "Honestly, I've…I've never had the time to properly think about it these days. It's justifiable, considering St. Astraia's doesn't exactly provide the most prime environment for these sorts of affairs."

Rean wordlessly nodded his head, remembering some of the surprised looks that Class VII earned from the St. Astraia students' faces, simply because some of them were male.

"Still, I WILL be turning sixteen next year," Elise continued, her gaze beginning to lower. "Time is a luxury I can scarcely afford now, and considering how our family is viewed by the rest of the nobility, I need to redouble my efforts in finding a suitable partner."

Rean suddenly felt pangs of guilt rising from within him. This was yet another unintended consequence that his status as an adopted child brought to the Schwarzers. "I'm sor-" he began to apologize, but he stopped himself.

"We talked about this, remember? You have a good family, Rean. Trust me. So don't take them for granted."

Upon recalling Morgan's words of warning, Rean took a deep breath to calm himself before asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Elise looked like she was caught off guard by Rean's sudden offer. "I appreciate the offer, Rean, but I'm managing on my own. Working alongside Her Highness has improved my public image and allowed me to build connections. Additionally, I'm hardly the only person at school who has encountered this dilemma."

"If you say so…" Rean felt hesitant on letting the issue go, however. After all, it wasn't just Elise who would be affected by her debut; there was also his parents' future to consider. If anyone was going to take care of his sister and parents, he had to make sure that their kindness wouldn't be placed with the wrong person. "Still, I've got my own share of connections among the nobility," he continued. "Heck, some of them are even my classmates. If you want me to run any background checks on anyone, just let me know."

"I appreciate the offer, Rean. Thank you." Elise then lifted her index finger and pointed it at Rean. "But you have to also promise me that you wouldn't let yourself be tied down for our sake. It would give me, as well as Mother and Father, some peace of mind if you also found yourself a partner."

"I thought we were talking about matchmaking for you, not the other way around."

Elise giggled. "Teehee! Who says we cannot do both ways?"

"I'm starting to think Her Highness is rubbing off on you."

The two siblings proceeded to finish their tea and snacks before tying their fortunes to a set of bamboo racks at the side of the room. From there, they continued their grand tour of the festival, stopping by the rest of the big class attractions while also bumping into Rean's classmates and their families.

The hours seemed to fly by until it was close to noon, the time when Class VII agreed to begin their final preparations for their concert. Rean and Elise found themselves accompanying an unusual combination of Jusis, Millium, Rufus, and Lea after a chance encounter at Mishy Panic.

"Man, Mishy Panic always works up an appetite!" Millium said. "Hey, Jusis! Let's go get some meat skewers!"

"Orion, we are due on stage in less than half an hour. Now is not the time to fill our stomachs."

The blue-haired girl practically pounced at Jusis, wrapping both her arms around his one. "Aw, don't be such a stickler!"

Upon seeing Millium cling onto Jusis's arm, Lea's expression soured, almost as if she had swallowed some bitter herbs. Not a moment later, she stepped forward, took Jusis by the hand, and said, "Lord Jusis needs to conserve his energy. I say we make Class IV's teahouse our next destination."

Millium and Lea started leering at each other, the former looking more carefree than the latter. Either way, neither side was showing signs of backing off even as they dragged an unwilling Jusis away.

"I can't say I expected to see this when I decided to come to today's festival…" Rufus muttered, looking very much amused at the sight of his younger brother with a lady on each arm. "At least I don't have to worry about my brother being starved of partners at the academy."

"This is the first time I've seen Lea be so confrontational," Elise commented. "Not that she was ever a stranger to speaking her mind before, but she's usually much more reserved at school."

Rufus chuckled. "The festival IS a time for everyone to wind down and relax. Although, in young Lea's case, perhaps what she needed was a push to become more proactive." He then turned his attention to Rean and said, "I'm certain you must also have your own desires, Rean. I would invite you to act on them before the day is out, so that you may leave today behind with no regrets. There is no reason for you to hold back on anyone's account."

Rean nodded his head. "Mm. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you, Rufus."

"Excellent. Now, I should probably follow them, otherwise Ralph might never forgive me for losing his daughter in the crowd." Rufus bowed courteously to Rean and Elise. "Give my regards to your father, scions of House Schwarzer."

Rean and Elise bid farewell to Rufus. When he was out of earshot, Rean muttered, "But I'm not even a scion."

"Yet Rufus still treats you with the dignity of one. " Elise unflinchingly looked up at him and said, "He recognizes you as being deserving of that title."

Rean rubbed the back of his head, feeling rather conscientious.

"You know, Rean…" Elise walked a few steps forward, hands behind her back. "It's so nice to see all these places that you mentioned in your letters. But do you know what was even better? Seeing you lead me everywhere with such a bright smile on your face. I can see that a weight has been lifted from your shoulders."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes. I do." She turned around, revealing a warm smile. "It reminded me of when we were kids, back when we were still getting used to calling each other Brother and Sister. I didn't think I'd ever get to experience that feeling again now that we've gotten older. I guess you really did make the right decision coming here after all."

"Elise…" Rean nodded his head. "Yeah. I really did. I feel lucky to have been chosen for Class VII. They can be an odd bunch, but I couldn't imagine my life without them now."

"Say, do you remember our conversation the last time I was here? Between Class VII and Master Ka-Fai elevating you to the Intermediate level, would you say you're closer to finding your answer?"

Rean closed his eyes. A long time had passed since that conversation, and both he and the rest of Class VII had had quite the journey since then. From preventing a terrorist group from overthrowing the empire on multiple occasions to taking on the supernatural in the old schoolhouse… Rean's family troubles felt so small in comparison now.

"I think…I think I am," he replied. "While I still feel like I'm a ways off from settling on my future career, I can say for certain now that I'm feeling optimistic about what comes next. I've got classmates who can watch my back and a family who's there to support me. What more can a teenager want?"

*RING* *RING*

"The noontime bell," Elise observed. "Thanks again for showing me around, Rean. It was fun getting to catch up with everyone in Class VII…" Her smile faded and her eyes widened, almost as if she had just realized she forgot something. "By the way, I just realized something. I know this isn't my place to ask, but do you happen to know where Morgan is? I've seen all of your other classmates thus far, but not her."

Rean fell silent. The last he heard of Morgan, it was that she was still in bed, resting after the ordeal they went through last night. However, he couldn't say that to Elise without telling her about the ordeal their class went through. "That's a good question," he said. "Sharon said that she was awake when she left the dorm this morning. Maybe I should go check on her just in case…"

"Actually…" Elise politely raised her hand. "I can go check on her. You need to start getting ready for your concert."

"I can't ask you to do that for me," Rean responded immediately.

"And why not?" Elise frowned. "Are you concerned that I'll get lost? I'm not a child anymore."

"It's not that. It's the 'leaving you on your own' part that I'm more worried about. How many other well-heeled nobles are going to crawl out of the woodwork to 'escort' you?"

"Other? Are you referring to when Lord Patrick of Four Great Houses approached us earlier? He seemed genuine about wanting to establish friendly relations with us…"

"Believe me, he's the least offensive noble of his clique. There are others that can be a lot more forceful. You said it before; you haven't turned sixteen yet, so you should be extra careful."

Elise's frown deepened into a noticeable, adorable pout. "Just because I am one year away from sixteen does not mean I require constant supervision. I'm not a child anymore."

Rean crossed his arms. "Alright! It's decided! I'll go with you then."

"But you were the one who suggested it in the first place…" Elise muttered to the side.

"That won't be necessary, you two."

The two Schwarzer siblings turned to the side to see Morgan waving at them from the entrance. "Morning! Or I guess, afternoon!"

"Morgan! You're…you're awake!" Rean was almost taken aback by how energetic Morgan seemed to be feeling. "Are you feeling alright? You're not feeling fatigued, are you?"

"Aww, thanks for being concerned!" Morgan responded playfully. "But as you can see, I'm feeling as right as rain, as they say!"

A high-pitched voice giggled from behind her. "Teehee! Rean is living proof that chivalry is still going strong!"

"I know that voice anywhere…" Elise's face stretched with horror. "Your Highness?!"

A head of long blonde hair and an angelic smile poked out from behind Morgan. "Surprise, Elise! I hope we weren't interrupting an intimate conversation between adopted siblings."

And the surprises didn't stop there. Walking through the front gate in dramatic fashion was Prince Olivert, accompanied by Captain Claire and two other officers of the RMP. The sudden arrival of royalty and top law enforcement caused the environment of the festival to shift dramatically, as everyone stumbled to appear on their best behavior.

Though Rean was also caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, he was able to keep his cool and respond in an affable tone. "It's good to see you too, Princess Alfin. So were you giving Her Highness a tour of the town, Morgan?"

"The truth is a bit more complex than that…" Morgan rubbed the back of her head. "I was actually planning on resting in my dorm room until it was time for rehearsal, but after I finished eating breakfast…" She pointed a thumb at the princess standing beside her. "I caught THIS little rascal trying to sneak into the building."

"It's the living space of the famous Class VII!" Alfin said. "Besides, Elise got to spend the night; I can't see why I can't pay a visit as well!"

"Please kindly refrain from treating our dormitory like a tourist attraction," Morgan responded in a deadpan manner. "So yeah. Since that was out of the question, she wanted to see what the rest of Trista was like, so I decided to show her around."

Rean could make out a few restless murmurs from some bystanders that were close enough to hear their conversation. He could understand their sentiment; after all, he and the rest of Class VII had a similar reaction when they first found out about Morgan's close friendship with Princess Alfin. Although, with such an informal attitude on display, Rean wondered if Morgan had forgotten her conviction to keep their prior relationship a secret. Or perhaps it was Alfin or Olivert's idea to forgo such pretenses?

"Haha! Well, I couldn't deny my little sister a chance to satiate her curiosity." Prince Olivert approached the small group, wearing his signature friendly smile. "She was practically begging to take me along while also keeping it a secret from her friends. It was only thanks to Captain Claire agreeing to come along on such short notice that we were able to make this work."

"Just doing my job, Your Highnesses." Captain Claire saluted, with her fellow officers wordlessly following suit.

"It's a pleasure seeing you as well, Captain Claire," Rean said. "If you were hoping to see Millium, though, I'm afraid you just missed her."

"I'm sure we'll have ample opportunity to meet before the end of the day," the blue-haired captain assured him. "Incidentally, I've been told Class VII is performing a concert this afternoon? Best of luck with that. We'll have no issues looking after your sister in the meantime."

The knowledge that Icy Maiden would be there to look after his sister gave Rean a huge sense of relief. "Sounds like a plan. I'll leave Elise in your care, then."

"I'll join you in the auditorium in a little bit," Morgan said. Her eyes turned to the princess, who was looking quite satisfied with how Elise was reacting to her sudden appearance. "I promised Her Highness that I'd take her to the Literature Club, and I'm sure Dorothee would love to finally meet Alastor Finnigan in person."

"S-Sure thing…" A beat of sweat fell from Rean's forehead upon remembering the…particular genre that Dorothee specialized in writing.

The crowd gave a standing ovation as Patrick and Ferris gave their final flourishes, closing the curtain on Class I's operetta. Class VII, clad in their performance attire, watched from the second floor in stunned silence.

"Another round of applause for Class I and their operetta based on Maria and Draco!" Towa addressed the audience with a microphone. "We will now enter a thirty-minute intermission period, after which Class VII will take the stage with a live concert! We hope to see you back here shortly!"

"How are we supposed to follow up on something like that?" Emma gulped.

Morgan tilted her head to look up at her fellow vocalist and grinned. "Feeling nervous?"

"Aren't you?"

"Why would I? I mean, we have the best crew…" Morgan spread out her arms towards her classmates. "We learned from one of the best musicians in the school…" Morgan nodded at Elliot, who sheepishly scratched his cheek. "And we have the best support from some of the best supporters we can ask for!" Morgan pointed at three members of the board of directors, the Thors ornamental chairman, and the Imperial princess seated near the front of the audience.

Crow let out a whistle of approval. "You should take a page from that book your tactician's always reading out of! Seriously, our concert packs more than enough impact. Don't overthink this too much. You all just gotta believe!"

Fie let out a small snort. "Can't believe how low we've fallen if we're getting cheered up by Morgan and Crow together."

Even as she led her classmates to the backstage area, Morgan could understand Emma's concerns. As expected of the students belonging to the most affluent class, Class I had a production value that far exceeded everything that was normally expected for a military academy. More than anything, though, it was an issue of challenge to Class VII. If they couldn't generate half the amount of excitement that Class I could, it would sour their chances of taking the first place finish.

Morgan gulped. Suddenly, the image of her standing in front of the audience with the spotlight shining solely on her flashed in her mind. The thought made her feel so isolated from the classmates she spent so much time with, even though they had practiced so much already.

She shook her head. Now wasn't the time for that. She followed her classmates to the backstage area, where they double checked to make sure their mics and equipment were in order.

"Instruments, check. Mics, check…" Elliot listed. "Vocalists, do you have your ARCUSes?"

"Present and accounted for," Jusis said.

"I still can't believe we're using them like this…" Machias muttered, patting his ARCUS in his back pocket.

Alisa smirked. "If it works, right? An orbment used for combat can be used for something more peaceful and positive!"

"You're looking motivated, Alisa," Rean noted. laughing to himself.

The blonde nodded, her red eyes practically lighting up with fire. "I can't wait to see the look on Mom's face, hehe…"

"Excuse me…"

The class turned around to see Towa and George entering through the backstage door. "Hope we aren't interrupting anything!" the Student Council president said.

"What's up, Towa? George?" Crow responded. "Here to give a little comfort to the weary soldiers fighting the good fight?"

George chuckled. "Haha. I'll let you be the judge of that."

Towa also giggled. The two of them were evidently in on something. "Actually, we have a special guest who insisted on seeing you!"

Each of the students had their own idea of who this special guest could have been, Morgan included. However, nothing could have prepared them for the truth.

"Comin' in," a familiar husky voice called out.

Everyone stared dumbfoundedly as Angelica Rogner waltzed through the door, clad in an uncharacteristically elegant purple dress. "Looks like I made it just in time for the main event! Kinda disappointed I missed the operetta, though. Heard Class I was really on fire."

Crow let out a flirty whistle. "Man, when did you get to be such a babe?"

"You like what you see, Armbrust?" Angelica teased right back, flicking her hair and posing confidently. "A good suit and tie are more to my taste, but this was part of the deal I made with my dad to let me come. He said I could visit the festival if I agreed to meet a few prospective candidates for an arranged marriage. You'd better get a good look now; who knows when I'll wear something like this again?"

Laura couldn't help but chuckle. "Haha. Well, if that's your aim, you're certainly dressed for victory."

"Yeah, but I think it might draw out your charm a little TOO well," Alisa quipped. "Most normal people would take one look at you and think you're completely out of their league."

"You do look lovely, though," Emma complimented.

"Aw, thanks! But honestly? I've got nothing on the rest of you fair maidens." Before anyone could react, Angelica started making her way through the crowd and giving each female member of Class VII their own dedicated bear hug. Some, like Alisa, were surprised but reluctantly resigned themselves to the embrace. Others, like Millium, were more receptive to the hug and had no issues with hugging back.

When the time came for Morgan's turn, she almost had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. Their conversation in Ymir felt like so long ago. "You actually made it," she half-whispered.

Angelica laughed like it was no big deal. "Well, I couldn't keep you and my bike waiting forever. It's a bit earlier than what both of us were probably expecting, but I guess miracles really can happen!"

"Does that mean I have to give it back to you now?" Morgan asked, sounding a bit sad.

"Shoot, no," Angelica laughed again. "I'm expected to go straight back to Roer after this with Alisa's mom. My battle with my father isn't over by a long shot, so I'll need you to keep an eye on my baby for a little while longer."

"If you're going with Alisa's mom, you could try negotiating a business deal with her. It's already got Sharon's seal of approval."

"Now why didn't I think of that? I'll be sure to hit her up with that later."

The purple-haired noble leaned forward to give Morgan a big hug, and Morgan happily returned the gesture. "It's my turn to cheer you on, Mona. Just remember what you've practiced, put your all into it, and I'm sure the audience will be right there along with you."

Morgan nodded her head. A small weight felt like it was lifted from her shoulders. "Thanks. I needed this. Really."

"Ooh, is that a hint of vulnerability I see?" Angelica teased. "Does that mean I've finally won you over?"

A hand placed itself on Angelica's bare shoulders. Surprisingly, the hand belonged to Crow, who was wearing an annoyed look on his face. "Hey, give the leading lady her space to focus."

The purple-haired noble smirked. "Aww, is someone feeling JEALOUS that I stole his thunder again?"

Crow made a gagging motion. "You're always gonna be a thorn in my side until the day I die."

Morgan giggled. "Show's about to start, so why don't you direct our VIP to her spot in the audience, my Trickster? And remember, not a word of our trump card to anyone."

"Aye aye, ma'am." Crow made a saluting motion with his left hand. "Ready to knock everyone's socks off?"

Turning around momentarily, Morgan closed her eyes and clapped both her hands on her cheeks. Then, she rotated her head to give her upperclassman the most confident smirk she could muster. "Just watch us."

Author's note: Hi all. Apologies for the long wait in between chapters...again. I had initially wanted Day 2 of the festival to be one big chapter, but as time went on and the gap between updates grew larger, I decided to cut it into two parts. Hope this will keep you sufficiently occupied until then.