"I may as well be blunt: Why is it that you don't ever smile around others?"

The girl sitting across from him wore a guarded expression. "Is there a...an issue?"

"You act atypically of girls around your age," he explained. "You actively try to avoid conversation and only speak when spoken to, and even when you speak, you sometimes fumble around with your words, as you did just now. I had thought that it was just your personality, but then I saw you with your father the other day. You were smiling, conversing happily with him with no issue at all. It was at that moment that I realized something…" He clasped his hands together. "You don't actually know what you're doing, don't you?"

Her guard began to falter. "How, exactly?"

"You weren't raised as a noble for most of your life," he deduced, "so you lack the knowledge of the inner behaviors of social etiquette. As a result, you put up a stoic facade so you don't risk revealing yourself to Lord Voltaire and put your father under scrutiny for adopting a commoner. Am I not wrong?"

The girl closed her eyes, took a deep breath to calm herself, then reopened them. "I could ask the same about you."

"What?" He could only blink in response.

She squinted, all pretenses of politeness having been thrown out the window. "You're perceptive, I'll give you that, but that perception must've come from somewhere. The only reason you were able to tell was because it takes one to know one. So tell me…" She copied his hand-clasping gesture, as if to give him a taste of his own medicine. "Before you start asking a lady about her background, why don't you tell me a little bit about yours? Or have you become too accustomed to wearing your noble pride that you don't know how to take it off?"

"Th-That's…" Of all the responses he expected to receive, getting talked back to was not one of them. "That is none of your business!"

"Then my origins are none of your business as well." The girl sighed. "It's a shame. I thought that we could be kindred spirits."

"I...beg your pardon?"

"You don't look happy when you're in the presence of other nobles," she explained. "I thought it was because you hated the stuffiness, which is completely understandable, but I've also seen you playing with those children near Station Street occasionally, and…" Her expression softened a bit. "You looked very much at ease. You enjoy the commoner life far more than you should, almost as if you were returning to someplace simpler before everything was taken away from you. I'm guessing you don't have many friends among the nobility, don't you?"

He slammed the table with both his hands. "As if you are any different!"

The girl was taken aback by his sudden outburst. Realizing himself, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "My apologies. I did not wish to…"

She raised her hand to stop him as she calmly took a sip of the tea placed in front of her. He had only noticed recently, but the subtle contortions in her face indicated that she wasn't particularly used to the fragrances of the drink yet. Was she perhaps forcing herself to drink it?

"I understand," she said after she set down her cup. "The world can be so cruel. In order to gain, we must also lose; nothing ever comes for free. Both of us have gained status, but we also lost something in the process."

She looked around momentarily at the surrounding space. At the moment, the two of them had the entire second floor of the restaurant to themselves. "Is that why you wanted to talk with me in private? To see if what you observed was the truth?"

He couldn't find it in himself to be mad at her anymore. "...You're rather perceptive yourself."

"You learn to pick up a few things from the streets," she replied. "So? What do you want to do now? Keep talking? I'm willing to listen."

"I can't believe I'm getting consoled by someone three years younger than me…" he muttered to himself.

"You know, I remember reading in one of Ralph's books that girls mature earlier than boys. Maybe that's why things are like this?"

"Th-This and puberty have nothing to do with each other! Also, what sort of books are you even reading?"

"It also said that I should be understanding and supportive. My lord, do you think I'm doing a good job?"

"Don't change the subject!"

She playfully sneered and stuck her tongue out. It was hard to believe that just a few moments ago, her face was so guarded. Now, she was more willing to exhibit her emotions.

Likewise, he had acted cold and aloof. Now, he was more willing to speak his mind freely.

In just a short span of time, a mutualistic relationship was formed, one between two social pariahs that were hidden in plain sight.

By the time Jusis groggily woke from his slumber, the sun had barely begun peaking over the horizon. He began to wonder if what happened last night even occurred, but one look from Rean, who was already up and dressed, was all the confirmation he needed.

"Morning," Rean greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very." Jusis sat up in his bed. "How is your arm feeling?"

"Better." Rean rotated his right arm. "I checked it this morning, and the wound has closed up. I think I'm ready to rejoin the front lines today."

"Assuming we have another monster extermination request," Jusis reminded him.

"Which we do." He held up the familiar Thors envelope that Jusis surmised contained their field study tasks for the day. "The hotel manager slipped this through our door this morning. Since I was already up, I already took the liberty of looking through them. More importantly…" Rean reaches into the envelope and pulled out a white note. "There was a note attached saying that there's been a change of plans for breakfast. We are to head to Sorciere at our earliest convenience."

Jusis was mildly surprised, but at the same time, he wasn't about to complain anytime soon. He was practically raised on Sorciere's food, so a bite of nostalgia would certainly start his day in the best way possible. He immediately got out of bed and started getting himself ready.

A grumble to the right of them indicated that their last classmate had also woken up.

"Morning, Machias."

"Ugh…" Machias rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses. "Morning, Rean. And I guess morning to you, too, Albarea."

Perhaps it was just Jusis's imagination, but Machias looked strangely out of it today. Not just because he had just woken up, but his comment towards Jusis just now had substantially less bite to it compared to yesterday. He looked to Rean for clarification, and it appeared he had the exact same thought.

No, he couldn't have…

"Oh, yeah!" Rean said. "We should let Morgan and Fie know about breakfast. I'll head over to their rooms right now."

With that, Rean left the room, leaving Machias and Jusis to themselves.

"Jusis Albarea."

"What is it, Machias Regnitz?"

Machias got out of bed and marched over to him. "I will accept no more failures," he stated. "Today, we WILL form a combat link."

Jusis had to momentarily take a moment to process what Machias had just said. "What…?"

"As much as I may dislike you," Machias began, "I'm ashamed that we were unable to do what every other member of our class has accomplished or, in Morgan and Fie's case, surpassed. By the end of today, we will make up for what happened to Rean. What do you say?"

Jusis sighed. It seems his and Rean's suspicions were correct after all; why else would Regnitz act so cordially all of a sudden? "You really are simple-minded, aren't you?" he said. "I suppose you overheard our conversation last night and feel some kind of affinity toward me now?"

"N-Nonsense! I did no such thing!" Machias refuted. "I was fast asleep while you yammered on about your family and Rean and…" Upon noticing himself, Machias put his hand over his mouth.

"I suppose now is a better time than ever," Jusis decided. "We ARE going to see Hammond, after all."

Machias blinked. "Beg your pardon?"

"If you did listen to us last night, then you would understand why. It's best to just get it over with now." Jusis briefly looked in the mirror to straighten his tie. "But in regards to your proposal, I accept. I'll be happy to show you what a proper combat link looks like."

"H-Hah! We'll see about that!" Machias straightened his glasses by the bridge. "Fortunately, I have more than enough generosity of spirit to endure being paired with an arrogant noble like you!"

Jusis snorted, amused. "Not while you're wearing that, I hope."

Machias looked down at his nightclothes and growled. "Oh, you little…"

The door opened at that moment, with Rean entering the room soon after.

"Ah, you're back," Jusis greeted him. "Were you able to let them know?"

Rean scratched his cheek. "Let's just say they'll be running a bit...late."

From further down the hallway, the boys could hear two muffled female voices.

"Wake up, Fie! The sun has risen, so you should too!"

"What do you want me to do? Photosynthesis?"

A bead of uneasy sweat collectively dropped from each male's forehead.

"Maybe we should let them be for a few minutes…" Rean suggested.

Both Jusis and Machias nodded their heads. "Agreed."

After five minutes or so, the girls finally emerged from their room dressed and ready to go for the day, though it was clear that they had quite the scuffle in the process. Fie's tie managed to look even more unkempt than it usually did, and Morgan amusedly had a small cowlick in the center of her head that was curving upwards.

"Don't ask," Morgan said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Rean replied.

The students exited the hotel and walked across the central plaza to Sorciere. The sign by the door indicated that the restaurant wouldn't be open for another few hours for weekend brunch, but the students paid it no mind and simply walked in. Seeing the restaurant that had been so lively the night before devoid of any customers was a jarring sight to say the least.

Group A made their way to the far end of the dining floor, where a tall mustached man with a chef's hat was expecting them. He also had name tag pinned to his uniform that read "Hammond."

Hammond bowed at the sight of the students. "Greetings and welcome."

"We have returned, Hammond," Jusis replied, returning the gesture. "Thank you once again for the meal you prepared for us last night."

The other students likewise thanked the chef for the meal.

"I'm glad you all enjoyed it," Hammond said, smiling. "As Manager Richelieu informed you, I will be taking care of your morning meal today. I shall begin preparing your dish immediately, so feel free to take a seat anywhere."

"Does that mean we can use the second floor?" Morgan wondered aloud.

"Unfortunately, that won't do," Jusis denied. "The second floor is reserved for nobles, immediate relatives, and others of similar status only. Rean and I are the only ones here qualified to use it."

"Even though I'm adopted?" Rean asked.

"Even though my immediate father is the governor of Heimdallr?" Machias reminded him.

"Even though people called me 'Little Princess' when I was younger?" Fie chimed in.

"Even though I'm a descendant of foreign royalty?" Morgan added blatantly.

"There is a point where we needed to stop and we have clearly passed it." Jusis was unamused by his classmates' antics.

"Agreed," Hammond cut in. "So please; feel free to use the second floor."

Jusis turned in surprise. "Hammond?"

The owner smirked at Lord Jusis. "With all due respect, Lord Jusis, I AM the current owner of this establishment, and whatever I say goes. There isn't anyone else present, as you can observe, so for the moment, we can afford to keep playing along and see what happens."

Jusis sighed. "Very well, then. With your graciousness, we will occupy one of the tables on the second floor."

"Wonderful." Hammond clapped his hands together. "I will bring your food to you shortly." With that, he disappeared behind the kitchen doors.

The students went up the stairs to the second floor of Sorciere. Just as Jusis had indicated earlier, the second floor seemed tailor-made for nobles and other important people. Most of the tables were smaller but fancier and more spread out, there was small foliage growing for visual pleasure, and there was even a piano in the back for live music.

"It's nice that he let us use this space," Morgan commented as she sat down. "I'm surprised you went along with him."

"I reckon he recognized the downsides of going against the majority," Jusis groaned. "I do hope you all are content with yourselves."

"The view from here is pretty nice." Fie looked across the railings at the view of the entire restaurant. It didn't leave too much of an impact since there were no current occupants, but during business hours, it definitely would have been a sight to see the space bustling with life.

While his classmates looked towards the first floor, Jusis's gaze wandered to a certain table near the far corner of the second floor. It was smaller than the other tables, only able to sit two people, but it also provided just enough space between the two ends of the tabletop for a plate of food and a cup of tea.

"Have you become too accustomed to wearing your noble pride that you don't know how to take it off?"

Even now, Jusis still couldn't find an answer to that question. It was difficult to simply take off something as vague a concept as "noble pride" when he didn't even know what it meant to him outside of "bringing honor to the family name." That was one of the foremost reasons why he applied to Thors and ultimately went along with the Class VII project; he hoped that by spending time away from his hometown and doing some soul-searching amongst other like-minded students, he would be able to find his own pride in being part of the elite. Unfortunately, no matter where he went, he was always singled out by account of his name. Jusis knew he was much more than just the second son of House Albarea, but when it came to getting that point across to others...well, some things were easier said than done.

"...what do you think, Jusis?"

Jusis snapped back to reality at the sound of his name. "My apologies. I was thinking to myself. What were we talking about?"

"We were talking about Morgan's comment earlier," Rean said. "About being a 'descendant of foreign royalty.'"

"I told you, I was just following the trend!" Morgan insisted. "I mean, that would totally be amazing if that were the case, I'll admit."

"That still doesn't explain how you were able to say that with a straight face," Machias pointed out.

"Smells fishy." Fie pinched her nose to prove her point.

"Even if Daraen was telling the truth," Jusis spoke, "there's no way to verify without asking the royal families of other countries to provide genetic samples, and they would almost certainly never agree to that."

"Thank you!" Morgan pointed both his hands at him.

"But even still…" Jusis raised his index finger, indicating he wasn't finished yet. "Claiming that you are royalty, even as a joke, can be considered a serious offense. As a member of the Four Great Houses, I'm afraid I can't let this one slide. So are you or are you not?"

"Well…" Morgan tugged at her collar. "My mother may or may not have been a descendant of a legendary hero-king…but hey! We don't have any way to confirm that or anything! Besides, it's not like I'm suddenly a different person now; I'm still the same old Morgan!"

"I acknowledge your persistence in the art of equivocation…" Jusis admitted. "Even if your attempts at lying are subpar at best."

The black-haired girl tilted her head quizzically. "Oh, I've never been great at telling lies."

Machias started ruffling his hair. "Come on! Which is it?"

A low chuckle came from the stairs. "Hehe. Already so lively in the morning, are we?"

The students directed their attention to Hammond, who was carrying a small foldable table and a large platter with five bowls containing soup and one bread basket on it.

As impressive as the chef looked, however, it was the smell of the dish that caught Jusis's attention. It had been ages since he last whiffed that scent.

"Here is your morning meal." Hammond set down the foldable table and put the large platter down on top of it. He handed each student a bowl of soup and placed the bread basket in the middle of the table.

"This is called Deluxe Herb Chowder," Hammond said, "paired with our fresh bread, all made in-house. Enjoy."

"So THIS is the deluxe herb chowder," Morgan remarked. "I've heard about it."

"You have?" Hammond raised an eyebrow. "Color me surprised. The dish isn't even on our menu. In fact, it's only reserved for certain occasions where we have special guests over for supper." He knowingly glanced towards Jusis as he said that, to which the younger Albarea tried not to make contact.

"Special guests…?" Morgan started mumbling to herself. "So how did...she must've heard it from someone else."

The students began eating shortly after. Despite the chowder's rich appearance, the broth was light and complemented well with the abundance of chopped vegetables placed throughout the dish. The bread also had the perfect balance between soft dough and crunchy crust, and dipping it into the soup only made it taste better.

"It's delicious," Rean commented. "If I may ask, how did you make this?"

"The cooking process isn't too difficult, but there are two ingredients that make the gathering process a bit challenging," Hammond answered. "The first is a healing herb used by the Septian Church to synthesize medicine. I use that as a base for the broth before adding the second ingredient, which is five pieces of Globby Fat."

"Globby Fat?" Morgan repeated. "But wait, doesn't that usually come from…"

"Monsters," Fie finished. "Like the ones you can find on the highway."

Machias coughed. "Monster parts in soup? Why would you do that?"

"Is that really so surprising, Regnitz?" Jusis raised an eyebrow. "Monster parts have been a staple ingredient in medicine since the beginning of time. When paired with the herb, the fat dissolves and gives the liquid its rich appearance. Furthermore, any harmful components from the fat are neutralized by the herb's rejuvenating properties, so it's perfectly consumable."

The other students were surprised that Jusis, of all people, was the one to deliver such information.

Noticing his classmates' stares, Jusis cleared his throat. "It's a common substitute for dairy. Every resident of Bareahard knows about it."

"Well, monster parts or no monster parts," Morgan spoke, "I wouldn't mind having some of this if I caught a cold."

"I suppose." Machias straightened his glasses. "Being able to combine different ingredients to make something delicious is the hallmark of any great chef. Something like this must not have come easy." He looked to Hammond. "I apologize for my outburst; you have my compliments for creating this dish."

The chef chuckled lowly. "There's no need to apologize. However, I must correct you on one part. By all technicalities, this isn't my recipe."

"It isn't?" Fie asked.

Hammond nodded. "The one who created this dish was none other than my sister herself...in other words, Lord Jusis's mother."

Rean and Machias, having already known, only nodded in understanding. Morgan and Fie, on the other hand, were very surprised.

"Wait, sister?" Morgan pointed to Hammond, then to Jusis. "So, you're his…?"

Fie squinted and pointed two fingers at Rean and Machias. "You two already knew?"

"Oh, oops," Rean gulped. "We didn't tell you two about that, did we?"

Hammond looked to Jusis with a crestfallen expression. "I am so sorry. I was under the impression that you already told all of them."

"It's fine." Jusis shook his head. "It was about time to tell everyone anyways. Thank you for your concern, though…Uncle."

He looked to each of his classmates and began to talk. "It's true. My brother and I have different mothers. He was born of my father's legal wife, a noble who still lives to this day. My own mother, however, was a commoner. In other words, I am my father's bastard son.

"Initially, my mother raised me by herself. She was busy most of the time, being a single mother, and she frequently assisted this restaurant during its early years. However, she always had me at the forefront of her mind. When I fell ill once as a child, she set out to create a dish that was easily digestible like medicine but with none of the bitter flavors, and thus this dish was the outcome. That was over eight years ago, before she eventually passed away.

"After that, my father took me in. Whether it was because of my mother or because he didn't want a scandal, I can't say, but he made sure that I never forgot my place among the noble elite. I was raised as a noble from that point onwards, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Jusis took a deep breath afterwards. This wasn't the first time he disclosed this information to other people, nor would this likely be the last, but it was always a difficult subject for him to talk about.

Silence hung in the air for a few moments longer until it was broken unceremoniously by the crackle of bread.

Fie handed Morgan one half of the small loaf. "Guess we've all got our problems, huh?"

Morgan hummed as she nodded. "Hear, hear, Little Princess."

Machias's eyebrow twitched as the two females dipped their bread halves into their soup in unison. "Can the two of you at least...try to read the mood?"

"How else am I supposed to react?" Morgan asked. "I grieve for your mother, don't get me wrong, and it sounded like she was an amazing woman. But at least she left us something to remember her by, and that's all we can ask for." She raised her bread loaf like a glass, the top covered in chowder. "To Jusis's mother."

"I'll drink to that." Fie raised her loaf, which was similarly topped with chowder. The two females clinked their bread halves together and took a bite.

Machias put his palm to his face and sighed. "You're not supposed to say that when you're eating…"

Rean couldn't help but give an amused laugh.

"It warms my heart to see that you've been blessed with many friends, Lord Jusis," Hammond said to Jusis, also chuckling. "I'm certain your mother is thinking the same."

"They aren't my friends," Jusis insisted. 'But I suppose this isn't so bad…'

As Jusis moved to finish his chowder, the sound of Sorciere's doors opening was heard, followed by a voice that called out, "Lord Jusis? Where are you?"

Alerted at the sound of his name, Jusis stood up and looked over the railings of the second floor. Standing by the entrance was Arnauld, the Albarea family's head butler.

"Is that you, Arnauld? Please give me one moment." Jusis hastily wiped his mouth and went down the stairs, with his classmates and Hammond following him.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your morning meal," Arnauld apologized. "However, I have come today in the capacity of an escort."

"An escort?" Jusis raised his eyebrow. "I'm sure you must be aware that I returned to Bareahard purely as part of a field study for my academy work."

"But of course," the butler responded. "However, His Grace has directly requested that I escort you to the mansion, so I would be most appreciative if you'd accompany me without delay."

"F-Father did…?" That surprised Jusis, partly because it was his father who issued the request but mostly because his behavior yesterday denoted that he didn't desire his company in the slightest.

Then again, his father did say that he would be contacted if anything was required of him…

"Go with him."

Jusis turned to the direction of a certain bespectacled teenager.

"We can attempt to form a combat link another time," Machias said. "It would be a shame to come all the way to your hometown and not visit your own manor, correct?"

For once, Machias had managed to say that in a way that didn't sound abrasive.

"We'll be able to handle the morning's tasks just fine on our own," Rean followed up. "Don't worry about us."

"Agreed." Fie nodded her head.

"Go have fun with your dad!" Morgan gave a thumbs up.

"Even you lot…" Jusis tried to find words of protest but couldn't. "Very well. But to be on the safe side, I'll return this afternoon. Though I will worry as to how you'll fare without me, I know you'll at least give it your best."

Machias snorted. "Of course we will."

"Then let's all meet back in the hotel lobby around noon," Rean finalized. "If something comes up, just leave a message at the front desk."

"Understood." Jusis turned to Hammond and bowed. "Thank you again for the meal, Hammond. It was delicious, as always."

"The pleasure is all mine." Hammond returned the gesture. "Take care, Lord Jusis."

With that, Jusis followed Arnauld out of the restaurant and towards the Albarea family car that was parked by the curb. After being seated in, Arnauld drove Jusis to the Albarea mansion.

Of all the houses in the Noble District, the Albarea mansion was notable for being separated from the main road by a gate and guarded by two provincial officers. As the limousine drew near, the guards saluted and pulled levers on either side to open the gate. The car drove further in and parked at the entrance to the mansion. It was by and far the largest and most imposing house in the district, as deserving of one of the Four Great Houses, but to Jusis, it was home. A home with tall ceilings, hollow halls, and servants at every corner waiting to attend his needs.

Jusis was escorted from the car by Arnauld to the front entrance, where two servants were waiting. They bowed in respect to their lord and opened the doors.

As soon as he set foot in the mansion, however, Jusis could tell that something was wrong. Where he had expected to find his father waiting for his return, there were instead a row of provincial army soldiers.

"Lord Jusis," the commanding officer greeted with a salute. "We have been expecting you."

The doors closed ominously behind Jusis. He turned to Arnauld, who was looking away with a dejected expression.

"By the orders of Duke Albarea…" The commanding officer raised his hand, giving his men the order to encircle Jusis. "You are hereby placed under house arrest. Come quietly with us, if you know what's good for you."

Jusis blinked. "...What?!"

After Jusis left, Rean went over the field study tasks for the morning. First on their list was another request from Aurochs Fort, although instead of monsters, it was an escort mission. Two men by the names of Anton and Ricky had been picked up by the provincial army soldiers on their way back from attempting and failing to locate yesterday's intruder. As it turns out, the two men were on their way to Bareahard when they were surrounded by monsters, at which point they ran all the way to Aurochs Fort. Since they hadn't made a reservation at a nearby hotel, they were instead offered to stay overnight at the fort for convenience's sake.

"Sounds like a pain," Fie commented. "How come they couldn't just drive them over themselves?"

"Apparently, they took all the cars to try and find that intruder," Machias said, reading the request further. "Everyone else was already stationed in other areas for the day."

"So they just leave it to a bunch of students?" Fie snorted. "That's dumb."

"Dumb or not, we don't have any reason to refuse," Rean replied. "Looks like we're going back to Aurochs Canyon again."

The students began their long trek through the canyon and towards the fort. A few aggressive monsters blocked their path, including a Zwordar, one of the monsters Rean and Morgan had encountered in Celdic. Fortunately, with Machias and Fie using their firearms to keep it from flying away, the students had an easier time in taking it down.

Group A finally arrived at Aurochs Fort to pick up Anton and Ricky and escorted them back to Bareahard. It took longer than expected, as Anton would frequently take stops to enjoy the scenery and whatnot, so Group A had to constantly be on the lookout for any monsters that could blindside them. Ricky also revealed that they were currently travelling around Erebonia and were visitors from Liberl, a country south of the empire. After their safe arrival in Bareahard, the pair rewarded the students with something they purchased in Crossbell: a plushy of the Crossbell mascot Mishy that Rean and Morgan figured Laura would greatly appreciate.

With that, the students moved on to their second and final task, which was a monster extermination request from the manager of the hotel they were staying at. After conferring with the manager about the location and description of the monster, the students moved to the North Kreuzen Highway, where they found it lurking near the far end of the road.

"That's definitely it," Rean observed from a distance.

"He wasn't kidding when he said it was a 'Venus Man-trap,'" Morgan remarked.

Indeed, the best way the monster could be described was a venus flytrap, except it was as large as an automobile and had three heads instead of one. It also walked around on four legs and had wild foliage growing off of its body.

"I don't doubt that it could swallow a human whole," Machias said, shuddering. "If that thing gets near any of us, we're done for."

"So just don't get hit," Fie suggested.

"Easier said than done, Fie."

"It's still a plant," Morgan pointed out, "so it should be susceptible to fire. That's actually perfect for us; Rean and I have fire arts, Machias and Fie have firearms. Assuming that it isn't the maneuverable type, we can all keep it in one position without having to go near it."

"And if it does charge at us?" Machias asked.

"Then, as Fie said, don't get hit. We all have our ways of damaging it from a distance, so we should try to maintain that as much as possible. But just to be on the safe side…"

Morgan brought out her ARCUS and began casting an art. "Crest." She held her orbment in Rean's direction, causing a brown, earthly glow to surround him. She then proceeded to do the same for herself and Fie. "I've used an art that raises our defense temporarily. Wouldn't want a repeat of last time."

Machias raised his hand. "Wait, you forgot about me."

Morgan pointed to Machias's ARCUS, located in his pocket. "Your master quartz's special ability already increases your defense, so I don't need to. Besides, I need to conserve my energy points."

Machias blinked. "Oh, yeah. Right."

"Can't believe you forgot about your own quartz."

"Be quiet, Fie."

Rean cleared his throat. "Okay. Are we ready?"

The students nodded.

"Then let's get into formation."

The four students created two pairs of ARCUS links, one between Rean and Machias, another between Morgan and Fie. Rean and Morgan began preparing their fire arts, and upon a successful casting, Machias and Fie jumped forward to ambush the monster with their firearms. Fortunately for the students, the Venus Man-Trap was not as maneuverable compared to yesterday's monster, so they had plenty of time to move out of harm's way. From there, it was a matter of attacking from afar, attracting the monster's attention, and avoid its predictable attack patterns.

However, progress was slow. Though the students were doing damage, the monster made up for its sluggish movement with durability. As it currently was, the students would inevitably run out of resources for their long-range attacks, so they needed to find a way to get up close without having their heads bitten off by the monstrous plant's jaws.

At that moment, Morgan looked to Fie. "You trust me, right?"

Fie nodded and said, "Ja."

Last night, Fie had taught her a few of the common terminologies used by jaegers for fun. Morgan wouldn't consider herself an expert at jaeger language quite yet, but she did know that "Ja" was their word for "Yes".

Morgan put away her ARCUS and retrieved her personal orbment from her pouch. "Then get ready to jump!"

Morgan began to focus her mind on her own orbment rather than her ARCUS, and in doing so, the link between Fie and her broke. Because Morgan could only synchronize with one orbment at a time, it meant that the orbment that wasn't being used would return to a standby state that used minimal energy. This lack of energy reduced a number of key functions, which, in the case of the ARCUS, included the ability to link. It was a risky move, but in return, it allowed for the pursuit of a greater reward.

She began preparing a simple wind art, Air Strike. Right before her art was finished, she slid it across the ground so that it landed at Fie's feet. "Now!"

Just as Fie's feet left the ground, the orbment fired a burst of compressed air at the ground, causing a small gust that pushed Fie even more skyward. The sudden shift in momentum shocked the younger girl, but in the process, she was now positioned right above the monster's body. Now understanding what she needed to do, Fie performed a flip and landed on the monster. Before its heads could turn to see what had just landed on its back, Fie stabbed her weapons at the base of their necks and pulled the trigger with each stab. One, two, three. The monstrous plant shrieked as Fie leapt off of it and back to solid ground.

With the monster agitated, Machias made his move. Taking aim, the green lights on the receiver of his shotgun whirred to life. He pulled the trigger, firing a high-speed bullet that blew off one of the plant's heads.

"Flames, gather on my blade!" Rean had taken the opportunity to prepare his ultimate technique. With his tachi wreathed in fire, he dashed forward, cutting off the monster's remaining heads before sealing its fate with a final overhead slash. The Venus Man-trap's smoldering body dissipated into the wind soon after.

"Whoo! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Morgan cheered.

"Guess that means we've redeemed ourselves," Fie agreed.

Machias had an elated look on his face. His strength gave out, and he slumped to the ground.

"M-Machias?" Rean sheathed his weapon and ran over to his teammate.

"Don't worry about me," Machias said, panting. "I'm just glad I didn't drag you all down this time. Especially you, Rean. I owe you double the apology." Then, to everyone's surprise, he bent over and prostrated before him. "I'M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

"It's all right, Machias. Don't worry about it!" Rean knelt down to face him. "If I'd just told you I was a noble from the start, all of this could have been avoided. So if anything, I should be the one apologizing for misleading you."

Machias got up. "No, I insist…"

"Boys, boys…" Morgan tried to use her best authoritative voice to address them, but was stopped short by Fie lightly kicking her leg. "Ow! Fie, what was that for?"

"For using that art on me," Fie replied. "Have I mentioned that you're crazy yet?"

"Well, it was crazy enough to work, right?" Morgan shrugged. "I had complete faith in your capabilities."

"I'm not sure if I have faith in you anymore."

"Fiiieee!"

Fie wore a small smirk on her face, which likely meant that she was kidding for the most part, but regardless Morgan started to chase her around the small area where they had fought the monster. Meanwhile, Rean and Machias laughed together for what was probably the first time since before the first field study.

Judging from the sun's position in the sky, it was almost noon, so Group A decided it was best to head over to the hotel and hopefully meet up with Jusis. There weren't any other tasks that needed to be completed, so they had the rest of the afternoon to write their reports and relax.

Nothing else of note happened on their way back to Bareahard, not even a random monster encounter. It was when they approached the entrance to the city, however, that something significant happened. Right as they set foot into Bareahard, the students were stopped by two provincial army soldiers who ran out to meet them.

"Hold it right there!" one of them said.

"You're those students from Thors Military Academy, aren't you?" said the other. "The ones who've come for a 'field study'?"

"Yes, that's us…" Rean hesitantly replied.

"Is there some kind of problem?" questioned Morgan.

The soldiers walked over to Machias and inspected his face. "...He's a perfect match for the photo," one of them muttered.

"Huh?" Machias was understandably confused.

Before the students could ask any more questions, the other soldier pulled out a whistle and blew hardly into it. At once, four armed soldiers who were hiding behind the buildings came out to encircle the students.

"First-year student Machias Regnitz, correct?" asked the soldier with the whistle. "You're under arrest. Don't try to resist, if you know what's good for you."

Machias, Rean, Morgan, and Fie all blinked. "...WHAT?!"

To the readers left reviews: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope I can continue to meet your expectations moving forward. (ง •̀ω•́)ง✧
To Warmach1ne32: The length of an insert song in respect to the length of the scene was something I didn't consider. Truth be told, it was more or less a testing ground for the new format and I simply chose the first song that came to mind. Regardless, I will definitely be sure to keep that in mind from now on. (＾ω＾)
To the Guest: I'm just as excited for the Cold Steel III localization! I am certainly interested in the idea of rotating perspectives around the other characters, though I am still experimenting, as you can see in this chapter. As for continuing onwards, I currently have a story structure planned out that takes into account certain events that will happen in the future. That's all I'll say on the matter though. (^_-)~