"..."

"RIIIIING!"

"Aaand that's time!" Instructor Sara loudly announced. "Everyone, pass your tests forward!"

A huge cry of relief elapsed from every student's mouth, some louder than others. The sight alone was enough to make Sara snicker.

Once all of the test forms were gathered in Sara's hands, she cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Well, congratulations on making it through four days of exams!" She looked to the side. "And what do you know? It looks like the rain ended right along with them. Clearly, this is the Goddess's way of rewarding you all for your hard work."

"I don't think that reasoning would stand up to scrutiny…" Alisa retorted with squinted eyes.

Elliot slumped backwards into his chair. "Phew. I'm totally spent."

"It's finally over…" Fie sprawled her arms over the desk like an exhausted cat. "Can someone pinch me just to make sure I'm not dreaming?"

Morgan, who was seated to Fie's left, immediately took the opportunity to pinch the younger girl on the cheek.

"...Yup," Fie drily remarked. "Not dreaming."

Instructor Sara chuckled at the sight. "Anyway, the good news is that you students have the rest of the day off, so take the chance to unwind and blow off all that pent-up exam stress! They'll post the results next Wednesday, so take it easy until then." She then folded her arms. "But don't relax TOO much, because you've got your next practical exam next Wednesday afternoon."

The feeling of relief was quickly swept away and replaced with feelings of dread.

"With all the intensive studying, I'd completely forgotten about that," Machias grumbled.

"You could stand to be a little more considerate with the timing of your announcement," Jusis agreed.

"And I'm guessing we'll also know where we're heading for our next field study?" Rean presumed.

Their violet-haired instructor smiled. "That's right. I'm glad to see that you've gotten all the patterns memorized." Sara then clapped her hands together. "Oh, but before I dismiss you, I should let you all know that I've got some business to take care of out of town. I won't be back until tomorrow night, so don't, like...burn the dorms while I'm gone or anything."

Morgan nodded. "Got it. I'll stay as far away from the kitchen as possible."

That aroused some much-desired laughter from the other students. Another hurdle in their lives as students had been cleared at last.

"I'm heading out first."

Morgan turned in time to see Fie moving towards the door. "Where to?"

"Replenishing supplies," was her terse answer before leaving the classroom.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Emma consoled her. "Fie worked really hard; I think she deserves a little bit of time to herself."

Morgan nodded. "Yeah. You're right."

"I think I'll also take my leave here."

Elliot blinked. "You too, Gaius?"

"Instructor Sara mentioned that the principal wanted to see me after the end of midterms," he explained. "It would be remiss of me to keep someone of his stature waiting."

"The principal?" Machias raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"

Gaius shrugged. "I suppose there's only one way to find out. That said, I do have a few guesses…"

Contrary to his usual behavior, Gaius refrained from speaking his thoughts and left the classroom shortly after.

"I should probably go too."

"And now there are three," Jusis counted. "Where might you be heading off to?"

"The Student Union," Rean answered. "I'm going to check and see if President Towa needs any help for the next few days."

"Really, Rean?" Morgan smirked. "Not even one day after midterms and you're already thinking about helping the Student Council?"

"Sometimes I can't help but imagine that you actually like the work," Jusis commented.

Rean chuckled. "Maybe I've just been studying for so long, I can't help but look forward to being their errand boy again."

"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose we can't blame you for wanting a change of pace." Laura then raised her hand. "Would you mind if I accompanied you, Rean?"

A look of surprise appeared on Rean's face. "No, not at all, but...mind if I ask why?"

"I'm curious as to how the Student Council President is able to juggle so many things at once," she said. "If at all possible, I want to see her skills firsthand so I can learn from her example."

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't do any special training, if that's what you're wondering," Rean responded. "You're still free to come, though."

"Gladly." With a nod, the two sword users left the class together.

"She's bolder than I expected…" Alisa murmured to herself.

Morgan's ears perked up. "Hm? What was that? Could you say that louder?"

Alisa shook her head furiously, her cheeks colored pink. "I-It's nothing! Anyways, is there anyone else who wants to leave?"

All of the remaining students shook their respective heads.

"Great! In that case, why don't the rest of us all walk back to the dorms as a group?"

"That sounds like a lovely idea," Emma supported. "We should enjoy the weather while we can."

"Now that I think about, this is the first time we're all going back like this," commented Elliot.

"Well, minus four people," Machias clarified. "But still, you have a point."

…

Elliot took a deep breath and exhaled. "Whew… Now that the exams are over, I feel as free as a bird! And I'm sure I'll keep on soaring…" His voice proceeded to lower into a whimper. "At least until the results come back."

Machias chuckled. "Yeah, I empathize completely, but personally, I've got a good feeling about these." He then directed his attention towards the other bespectacled student present. "How about you, Emma? How do you think you did?"

"W-Well…" Emma looked like she was thinking of how to best phrase her answer without hurting Machias's pride. "I don't think I did too badly, all things considered."

Unfortunately, Emma's attempts to downplay herself only seemed to trouble Machias further. "Mrrrg…"

Jusis shook his head and sighed. "Just...Just stop before you embarrass yourself."

Morgan, who was walking near the front of the group, turned her head to look at Machias's face. "Ooh, I think he already has…"

"We'll just have to wait and see what next week's results look like," Alisa interjected, trying to change the subject. "Anyway, what do you think that was all about, with Instructor Sara?"

"She said she had business to take care of out of town…" Morgan recalled. "She didn't specify what kind of business, though."

"Going out of town...won't be back until tomorrow night…" Elliot mumbled to himself. "It's almost as if…"

"She's going to meet a s-s-secret lover?" Emma suggested.

"Impossible," Jusis denied immediately. "The Empire hasn't yet turned out a man desperate enough to woo that alcoholic typhoon."

"You have a point," Machias agreed without hesitation. "I can't deny she's got the looks to snare a man, but with that personality…and that lifestyle…"

"Haha, you guys are terrible!" Morgan remarked. "I mean, I totally agree, but still…"

Jusis gave her an accusatory glare. "I suppose you're not so much better than us in that regard, Daraen."

She raised both her hands. "Guilty as charged!"

After some more walking, the group of students finally arrived at their dormitory.

"By the way…" Elliot piped up. "Why do you guys think the principal wants to see Gaius?"

"He's the last person I would picture getting in trouble," said Machias. "Maybe he wants to check in on how he's adjusting to Erebonia?"

"If that were the case, he wouldn't have needed to ask Gaius to speak with him directly," Jusis argued. "A simple greeting in the hallways would have sufficed."

"Right before he left, he mentioned that he had a few ideas as to why Principal Vandyck wanted to see him," Alisa recalled. "He didn't look keen on sharing them, though…"

"Maybe he and Instructor Sara planning a surprise?" Morgan guessed. "Something to celebrate all of us making it through midterms?"

"That does sound nice," Emma commented. "Albeit it seems rather unlikely."

The students took a moment to ponder over their Nordian friend's situation before Elliot interrupted the silence. "Hey, since we're all here, there's something I've been meaning to ask you guys…"

"What is it, Elliot?" Morgan asked.

"So, this just might be my imagination, but…' He looked behind him to make sure no one else was in the surrounding vicinity. "Do you think that Fie and Laura seem kind of...awkward around each other lately?"

Alisa shook her head. "No, you're not the only one. There seems to be a gap between them now."

"It feels like they've been trying to avoid each other since the beginning of the month," Emma admitted. "I wonder if something happened then."

"You say that," Jusis said, "but I did not take either as the type to dwell on petty issues or misunderstandings."

Machias raised his hand. "Actually, I think I might know when it all started."

Elliot looked surprised. "You do?"

"Well, do you remember the day we gave our group reports on what happened during last month's field study?" Machias began. "We gave a truthful account, including the part where Fie used an explosive to blast open the door to my cell."

"And that was when the rest of us found out that Fie used to be in the jaeger corps," Alisa remembered. "So what does that have to do with Laura?"

"The rest of Group B was looking at Fie at the time, so I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't notice, but when that came up…" Machias grimaced. "Laura had a rather...unpleasant expression. It flashed across her face for only a moment, though, so I wondered if I'd just imagined it."

Emma cupped her chin. "Even if we assume that's true, what reason would she have to be upset?"

Slowly, every person's gaze drifted towards Morgan.

"...Wh-What?"

"You're the closest to Fie out of all of us," said Machias. "What do you think about all of this, Morgan?"

Emma bowed in apology. "S-Sorry to put you on the spot all of a sudden."

Morgan scratched her cheek. "Ahaha… Well, like Machias said, it mostly started after Fie revealed to everyone that she was a jaeger, but I'm pretty sure Laura's been thinking about this for a lot longer. Unfortunately, I've only heard things from Fie's point of view, so I might be a bit biased, but I do have a theory as to why they're not interacting as much anymore."

Elliot gulped. "And that would be…?"

Morgan took a deep breath. "It's because the two of them are-"

Before Morgan could explain any further, the door to the Class VII dorm opened behind her.

"Welcome back, my lady," said a lovely voice.

Alisa's eyes widened as she abruptly turned to the direction of the voice. "...Huh?"

'Hey, I think I recognize that voice…' Morgan turned to the Class VII dormitory, as did the rest of the gathered students, to find a young woman wearing a maid's uniform standing in the doorway.

"Ah...uh...wha…" Alisa had been reduced to a stuttering mess. "Sh-Sharon?!"

"You…!" Morgan recognized her as the maid she had met earlier in the week.

The maid smiled, both at Alisa and at Morgan. "It's so delightful to see you again!"

"What are you doing here?!" shouted Alisa. "She didn't...no, Mother didn't…!"

Even at the sight of an angry Alisa, the maid simply giggled like it was nothing out of the ordinary. "Heehee. But of course! I was sent here at the behest of the chairman herself. Starting today, I will be assuming the position of caretaker for Class VII's dormitory."

'I knew it!' Morgan thought.

The maid directed her attention to the rest of the students gathered. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, everyone. My name is Sharon Kreuger. I am a servant in the employ of the Reinford Household, Lady Alisa's family." She held both sides of her dress and curtsied. "I will do all I can to be of service to you, so please, keep me informed of anything you might need."

"R-Reinford?!" Elliot exclaimed.

"So the 'R' stood for…" Emma began.

"Alisa Reinford, daughter of the Reinford company's CEO, Irina Reinford," Jusis finished. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

Her identity now laid bare for all to see, the Reinford heiress slumped her shoulders forward. "This wasn't how I wanted things to go…"

"...What are you all standing around here for?"

As soon as she returned to the dormitory, Fie was met with six of her classmates standing in the lobby and looking up at the second floor.

Morgan was the first to notice her. "Oh. Hey, Fie." She then looked past the entrance to see another student enter the building. "Oh! You too, Gaius."

"Is everything okay with the principal?" Elliot asked.

"There's nothing you need to worry about," Gaius answered. "More importantly, I'm also curious as to why you're all-"

"N-Not a chance!"

Gaius's question was promptly interrupted by the sound of Alisa's voice coming from the second floor.

"I thought I'd finally - FINALLY! - gotten away from her!" Alisa continued. "I'm not going to let her have her way this time!"

"My lady, please…" Sharon calmly responded.

Fie plugged her ears. "What's with her?"

"And who is she with?" Gaius asked.

Elliot scratched his cheek. "Okay, how do we explain this…"

He hastily explained the situation to Fie and Gaius over the sound of Alisa's ranting. Eventually, the doors opened again and two more students entered the building.

"I could hear someone shouting from outside," Rean remarked. "What's going on?"

"I see that everyone is gathered here…" Upon saying that, Laura's gaze drifted towards Fie, who tried not to make eye contact.

"I can take perfectly good care of myself, thank you very much!" Alisa grumbled furiously. "Fine! I'll take this up with her myself, then."

Now it was Rean and Laura's turn to be provided an explanation. Morgan mouthed the words "Her secret's out" to Rean.

"Ah…" Rean nodded in understanding.

Laura simply looked at him quizzically, prompting Rean to explain the situation as quickly as possible.

"Anyway, I'm not going to take this lying down! She's stuck her nose into things one too many times!"

The rest of Class VII was taken aback from hearing Alisa's voice reach new heights. Shortly after, they heard two sets of footsteps, one angrily ascending towards the third floor and the other softly descending to the first floor.

Rean squinted his eyes as Sharon came into view. "Hey, it's that maid from the other day…"

Laura turned to Rean. "Oh? Do you know her?"

"Only in passing," he replied in a hushed whisper. "She was here earlier in the week asking where the principal's office was. I guess she works here now?"

"I apologize for the disruption my lady and I have caused you," Sharon said once she stepped away from the stairs. "I see some new faces amongst you, so allow me to introduce myself once more. My name is Sharon Kreuger, a servant in the employ of the Lady Alisa's family. As of today, I will be assuming the position of caretaker for Class VII's dormitory." She proceeded to curtsy once more. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you."

"So she's Sharon…" Rean muttered. "I guess that explains how Alisa got her hands on that recipe."

"A caretaker?" Gaius asked. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that term."

"It essentially means that she will be taking care of our basic chores," Jusis explained. "That includes cleaning the building, replenishing our supplies, and preparing our meals, so we can do away with our rotating schedule."

"That's definitely one weight off our shoulders," Machias commented.

"It's weird, though…" said Elliot. "I think I'm actually going to miss it. Cooking for everyone made for a nice change of pace."

"I know what you mean," Rean agreed. "I had something planned for my next shift."

"You are welcome to assist me if you so desire," Sharon offered. "Though with that said, I regret imposing on you right after you completed your midterms, but I would recommend that you stay out of the dorms until the late afternoon." She looked upwards. "Unless you don't mind loud noises, that is."

The rest of Class VII all looked at each other.

"Now that I think about it, it IS a nice day outside…" Morgan muttered.

"Yeah, it'd be a shame if we were to stay holed up in our rooms all day long," Rean agreed.

A beat passed by without anyone uttering a single word.

"I think I'll head back to the academy after I grab my violin."

"You know, I've been hit with a sudden urge to play a game of chess."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to pay a visit to the Riding Club."

"I should probably go water the plants."

"Perhaps I should carry some extra supplies in case the art room doesn't have any."

"Maybe this'll be a good opportunity to start that book I've always wanted to read."

"I shall return to my training. Would you care to join me, Rean?"

"I thought you'd never ask. The usual spot okay?"

"I…"

Morgan's voice waned as all eyes were laid on her. "I want to take a day trip out of town," she finally said.

One twenty-minute train ride to the capital and one two and a half hour flight later, Morgan found herself seated in an airship that was within landing distance of Ordis, the Port City.

"What am I even doing…" she muttered to herself.

Technically, there was nothing wrong with what she was doing; Thors students were granted a lot of freedom when it came to how they spent their free days so long as: 1) it was legal, and 2) they were back in their dorms before curfew. It wasn't uncommon for students who arrived from Heimdallr to go back for a day to say hi to their families, and the fact that both today and tomorrow were free days meant that the students had more time on their hands to relax.

No, she was more concerned with the fact that after she had denied her intentions to visit Ordis just a few days earlier, she was now about to do it anyways.

Then again, a few days filled with midterms was a long enough time for anyone's mind to change. And as for the switch in the form of transportation? That was admittedly her own fault for not remembering a few days prior. Perhaps she had been so used to embarking on Class VII's field studies via train that she forgot there was another, more efficient way to get from one city to the next.

"If you want to go, then go! You only have one life, right?"

Perhaps if the subject of the summer festival hadn't been breached upon during her conversation with Crow earlier in the week, she never would have considered taking a day trip to Ordis. But alas, it continually ate away at her thoughts for the better part of a week until today, where she gave in to her urges.

Did she invite anyone to come along? Of course not. She didn't want to keep her classmates from doing the things they wanted to do, and if she were to approach Crow, she was sure that the second-year would rub the fact that she changed her mind in her face. For some odd reason, she was extremely against the idea of giving him any sort of satisfaction.

The airliner slowly began its descent.

Morgan remembered the first time she saw a commercial airliner. It had always been an ingrained thought that ships were meant to be sailing on top of water, so the sight of a giant cruiser flying through the air was almost mind-shattering. However, all of her fears were completely assuaged as soon as she set foot into one. From the moment the airliner began its ascent and soared above the clouds, Morgan had felt a strange sense of calm. Even now, as the view outside the window was obscured by the whiteness of clouds, she was overcome with a sense of nostalgia. Being surrounded by the bright blue sky high above the ground reminded her of when she rode a flying mount back in her homeland…

A jingle sounded over the intercom. "Please make sure that you are seated as we begin our descent to...Ordis. Thank you for flying with us today."

Morgan glanced down one last time at the newspaper that lay open in her lap. The page she was currently on read the following:

[Culture] The Man of the Moment to Appear in Ordis

"This year's Ordis Summer Festival is looking to attract even more attention than usual, as a spokesman for the Imperial family has announced that Prince Olivert will be making an appearance. Known for his refined tastes, his appearance is sure to increase expectations for the event. A source connected to the Imperial family suggests that he may have decided to attend in order to ease tensions between the Reformist and Noble Factions."

According to the recent census reports, Ordis boasted the second largest population in the empire after the capital, with a population of approximately 460,000 people, though the actual number of people staying in the city at any given time was always fluctuating. This is because of the city's status as a popular tourist attraction, particularly during the summertime when the seas are at their clearest and the city's famous summer festival is in full swing. Ordis was also the home of Cayenne duchy, the leading house of the Four Great Houses, and boasted its own naval force.

Morgan stepped off of the airship and took a whiff of the sea air. Immediately, she realized that all the rumors she had heard about Ordis's beauty didn't do it justice. The sky was a clear blue, with only a few clouds dotted around the horizon, and the sea was just as pristine. Both of these complemented the blue roofs of many buildings very nicely. It was to be expected given its population, but the city was massive, being divided into several districts with their own notable landmarks just like Heimdallr. Right off the bat, Morgan could detect a harbor area that was closest to the sea, a noble district as denoted by a bunch of fancy-looking buildings, and a collection of shops and taverns that appeared to make up a business district.

The festival, according to the newspaper, wasn't due to begin until the late afternoon, but looking at how crowded the streets were, one would be forgiven for believing that it had already been going on for at least a few hours. Most of the shops had special decorations draped over their doors and windows, employees were putting up signs for their respective restaurants, merchants were setting up their stalls along the harbor, and local children were playing tag out in the open. This was an event that only came once a year, and every person that was currently present in the city was there to make the most of it.

"Let's see…" Morgan cupped her chin. "If I was a debaucherous prince, where would I be spending my time right now?"

"Come try our seafood pancakes! Made to order!"

"Welcome to Granny's Ice Cream! Our famous recipe uses local milk and vanilla beans from Ored."

"Meat-and-seafood skewers! Only the freshest!"

Morgan's stomach grumbled. "It's been a while since I ate anything," she remarked. "Maybe I'll follow my nose first…"

…

It was a fortunate thing that Morgan decided to pack some extra funds in her wallet, because she ended up visiting nearly every food stall that she came across. By the time she reached the harbor area, she had already sunk her teeth into tasty skewers, savored the taste of seafood pancakes, enjoyed the crunch of fried vegetables, and stuffed herself with a stuffed meat pie. Now, she was seated on a bench overlooking the ocean while eating a vanilla ice cream crepe.

"Life is too good…" she sighed. "I could get used to this."

Her eyes scanned the horizon and caught a glimpse of a rock formation that was at least several hundred miles away from the mainland.

"A rock? No…" Morgan squinted her eyes. "It looks more like an island. I wonder if you can go there…"

"Haha! So you're interested in seeing Bryonia Island?"

Morgan nearly dropped her crepe. She stood up and turned around to find a familiar face from Bareahard.

"You're…" She had to take a moment to remember the blue-haired man's name. "Baron Bleublanc, right?"

"Correct!" The baron bowed in response. "I'm honored that you remember someone like me!"

'It's a bit difficult to forget someone as eccentric as you,' Morgan thought.

"Tell me: are you here to partake in the Ordis Summer Festival as well?" Bleublanc asked.

"Only for a little while," Morgan replied. "I'm guessing you're here for that too?"

The baron chuckled. "That is certainly one of two reasons. The port city of Ordis is exquisitely picturesque in this time of year, as I'm sure you're well aware, and the festival is most famous for the bonfires that are afloat on the bay at night. It was simply paramount that I see it for myself while on my quest to find true beauty."

"Uh huh…" Morgan took a moment to lick the ice cream on her crepe. "And your other reason?"

"Merely to catch a glimpse of my rival in beauty."

"Your...rival in beauty?"

"Why yes! A fellow connoisseur with fine tastes. Though are ideals may be different, I hold the utmost respect for his pursuit of beauty though love. In fact…" Bleublanc grinned slyly. "It's someone that you happen to know very well."

"!" Morgan's hand instinctively veered towards the orbment in her pouch.

"Oh, there's no need for that, young lady," the baron said calmly. "I am once again a voyeur at the moment. My grand debut in Erebonia will not come for a while, so feel free to enjoy this small respite while you can."

The ice cream was starting to melt and drip onto her hand, but Morgan paid that no mind. 'This guy…'

"If you wish to see more of the city, I would recommend that you visit North Street next. But if you want to visit the island…" He pointed you a small booth by the docks. "You can rent a small boat at that station over there. Though I have a feeling you'll be visiting it before long regardless…"

"And how do you know that?"

Bleublanc chuckled once again. "My, that look in your eye can be considered beautiful in its own right. So this is the gaze of an alien…"

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the blue-haired baron was right in her face. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "Do give my regards to the Severing Chains, will you?"

"Wh-Wha-?!"

There were about a million different things going on inside Morgan's mind. How did an unassuming, albeit still rather flamboyant, baron catch her by surprise? What did he mean by 'the Severing Chains'? How much longer was this conversation going to last before her ice cream completely melted? As all of those thoughts stormed about in her mind, however, one thing was certain: in the face of Baron Bleublanc, every single one of her impulses was telling her to run.

Then, just as quickly as he had advanced, so too did he retreat.

"I suppose we shall leave things here, then," Bleublanc decided. "Until the next time we meet." He bowed once again before turning around and leaving.

Morgan simply stood there, dumbfounded. 'I didn't notice him coming at all…'

She shook her head. It was clear from her encounter that the unassuming baron was more than what he appeared. Under certain circumstances, he could even prove to be a dangerous combatant in his own right. But if he was continuously hiding his true power, why, then, did he decide to present himself as he did to her just now? Was it because she was connected to his "rival in beauty"? Or perhaps…

"He called me an alien…"

Morgan looked to her crepe. The ice cream had melted, resulting in a cascade of white liquid that covered her hand and was nearing the sleeves of her uniform.

"...Crap." She looked around and made a beeline for the crepe stand. "Excuse me, but could I have a napkin please?"

The elderly lady that was running the crepe stand took one look at her hand and nodded in understanding.

"Thanks." Morgan took the tuft of napkins the vendor gave her. "Also, do you know how to get from here to North Street?"

As soon as she arrived at North Street, Morgan knew that something was up. For one, there seemed to be an unusually large number of people gathered around the local tavern, and the crowd looked far too clustered to be the line. Furthermore, the closer Morgan drew to the crowd, the more she could make out the sound of an instrument playing.

It wasn't just any instrument, however; it was a medieval lute. 'I know that sound anywhere…'

She deftly weaved in and around a number of people, hoping to catch a glimpse of the music's source. It took a while, but she eventually managed to sneak into the front of the crowd. It was then that she saw him: a middle-aged man with neck-length blonde hair wearing a fancy white-and-blue coat, green pants, knee-length brown boots, a red necktie scarf, and a pair of black sunglasses for extra incognito points.

For the second time that afternoon, Morgan simply stood there, dumbfounded.

The lute player gave one final flourish to end his tune. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Eventually, people started throwing coins at his feet.

"Now, now. I can't accept this!" said the blonde musician. "Whoever is the proud owner of this 100 mira coin, I ask that you please take it back!"

"Wha...What…"

The musician scanned the crowd and eventually locked eyes with Morgan. "Ah, now there's a face I haven't seen in a long time!" he shouted over the crowd. "It looks like you were able to make it after all."

Morgan couldn't hold herself in any longer. "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING, YOUR HIGHNESS?!"

Author's note: Hello everyone! Hope you're all doing okay. I wish I could say the same, but things IRL are just not going the way I want them to go recently. Sometimes a few power outages can do a lot for you.

Anyways, sorry if the switch to take the story to Ordis felt like it came out of nowhere, especially considering what Morgan herself said in the previous chapter, but with Ordis becoming a visitable location in Cold Steel III, I felt a compelling urge to feature it while also featuring some guest appearances from other prominent characters in the series. This will technically be the first part of the token free day segments featured in each month, but I'll be going about things in a different manner this time around to change things up. You'll see what I mean in the next chapter.

Thank you to all who left favorites and reviews for this story. I ask that you continue to be patient with this story moving forward.