Morgan found herself in Ordis once again. The sun was shining overhead with nary a cloud in the sky. The sea was still and pristine. Morgan could make out the shape of Bryonia Island in the distance.

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

She quickly turned behind her to find Baron Bleublanc. Even in her dreams, the baron wore his glamorous white outfit.

"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…" Baron Bleublanc pointed to 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?"

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

Without warning, Bleublanc rushed at her. Morgan closed her eyes and braced herself for impact, but none came. Steadily reopening her eyes, she found that her surroundings had changed. The sky was now dark and cloudy with a tinge of red. The shape of Bryonia island on the sea had been warped into an unrecognizable blob.

Most different of all, however, was that in the place where the baron once stood, there were now

two individuals standing in front of her: one girl with long blue hair, another girl with short silver hair.

"A person who chases two hares won't catch either," a low voice that didn't belong to the baron warned her. "If you give in to your greed, you will fail."

"What?" Just as Morgan was contemplating who the voice belonged to, the two girls turned their backs on her and started walking away.

Morgan tried running after them, but her legs were sluggish. She futilely reached out her hands to try and make it to them, but no matter how hard she tried, the girls kept getting farther and farther away.

The low voice chuckled. "How do you plan to challenge your fate now?"

"...Morgan?"

Morgan blinked her eyes and groggily woke from her slumber. She was sitting upright with her head slightly cocked to her right.

'Ah, that's right,' she remembered. She was on the train to Ordis with her classmates. "Are we there already?"

"Not yet," replied Machias. "We're making a brief stop in Raquel first. Ordis is still a few hours away."

"Oh." Morgan yawned. "Then why'd you wake me up?"

"It's been a while since the last time we ate anything, so we were thinking of buying something at the station," Elliot explained. "We're actually a bit ahead of schedule, too, so the conductor offered to hold the train for us."

"Is that right?" Morgan looked to the basket sitting beside her in the booth. Sharon had been kind enough to pack them breakfast when they left that morning. All the food that was in the basket was now resting in their stomachs.

Morgan poked the sleeping face that was resting on her lap. "Hey. Morning, sleepyhead."

Fie stirred and opened an eye to look at her surroundings. "Morning?" she grumbled. "It should be past noon."

"I said 'good morning' because if I said 'good night', you'd just keep on sleeping," Morgan reasoned.

"It's not even nighttime either."

"We're stopping at Raquel to get some food. Want to come with?"

Morgan wasn't sure why, but Fie's eyes bolted open when she said the word 'Raquel'. Either way, Fie was wide awake now.

The train pulled into the station and gradually slowed to a halt. The conductor announced over the speakers that there will be a 15-minute layover to accommodate the train being ahead of schedule. Taking that as their cue to leave, Morgan and the other members of Group B quickly exited the train car. Fortunately for them, there was a shop selling pre-packed lunches just outside the ticket gate.

"Hmm, decisions, decisions…" Morgan muttered to herself as she scanned the menu. "Do I want a sandwich with meat or without meat? Or maybe I should try something else? That tuna melt does look good...but wait, Bryonia Island's on the ocean, so we're probably going to eat seafood later…"

Morgan decided that she needed a second opinion. "Fie, what do you think?"

For once, the girl in question wasn't paying attention to what was in front of her. Instead, her face was turned towards a window right next to the shop that allowed them a view of the city. Raquel was located at the heart of the Lamarre Province, acting as a central hub that connected a host highways and railway lines, ranging from Ordis in the west to North Ambria and Jurai in the north. Such a prime location naturally led to the creation of an entertainment district filled with theatres, casinos, and other high class clubs to attract travelers. Even the small snapshot of the city that the window provided was enough to show that Raquel was deserving of its nickname "The Entertainment City".

Fie, however, didn't seem to be enamored at the sight of the bustling streets of Raquel. Rather, the look she had could best be described as wistful, as if she were reminiscing of experiences that had long since past.

"Fie."

The silver-haired girl faced her at last. "What?"

"What do you want for lunch?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever's cheapest."

"One kid's meal it is."

"Not a chance."

Giving a small smirk, Fie grabbed a tuna sandwich and a bag of fish crackers and got in line. Morgan decided to get a meat-and-tomato sandwich.

"Have you been here before?" she asked Fie.

"A few times," she responded softly. "We would always stop by here to get supplies from the pawn shop. The boss, Xeno, and Leonidas liked to hit up the casino whenever we visited."

Morgan assumed Xeno and Leonidas were the names of people she knew from Zephyr. "Did you ever tag along?"

"I wish." Fie snorted. "They didn't allow minors on the casino floor, so I just did whatever in the meantime."

"What else is there to do in Raquel?"

Fie opened her mouth to respond, but she closed it just as quickly and turned around.

Morgan looked behind her to find that their classmates had joined them in line. Laura in particular had been staring at Fie for what was likely the entire conversation.

"Next customer in line?"

Fie walked up to the cashier to pay for her lunch.

"If you wanted to join our conversation, you should've said something," Morgan said.

Laura shook her head. "I don't think I would have contributed much anyways."

"So now that we're getting closer to Bryonia Island…" Elliot spoke up. "Maybe we can talk about what we know about it?"

"All I know about it is that it holds some sort of ancient ruins," Machias admitted. "I'm not certain what to expect."

"Ah! That reminds me…" Morgan set aside her sandwich momentarily and bent over to reach for her lute case. Placing the lute case on her lap, she opened it and retrieved a small flyer with pictures on it.

"Bryonia Island…" she read, showing the flyer to her classmates. "Located 150 selge off the shore of Ordis, this island was once home to the ancient Bryonians until the Middle Ages. Today, the ruins of ancient times stand as a testament to the practice of animism and continue to be a popular spot for tourists and worshippers alike. From a large stone colossus embedded into the side of the mountain to picturesque beaches untainted by human hands, there are no shortages of places to see on the island. See more information about maritime travel to and from the island on the back of the brochure."

"Both man-made and natural structures alike…" Laura muttered. "Now that I think about it, this shall be my first time seeing the ocean."

"Really?" Elliot asked. "This'll be my first time, too!"

"I guess that makes three of us," Machias added. "Morgan...right, you were just there. What about you, Fie?"

"I've seen it."

Laura decided that this was an opportune moment to begin conversing with the younger girl. "Really? When?"

"During a landing operation in the corps."

And just like that, Laura's desire to make small talk was nipped in the bud.

"H-Hey, Morgan?" Elliot piped up, trying to take the conversation elsewhere. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a while: do you play the lute?"

Morgan shook her head as she closed her lute case. "Not really. I can play, like, one song on the piano, but the lute's beyond me. Actually, I only brought the case with me to Thors; I left the lute itself back home."

"Then why bring a lute case if you aren't going to carry a lute?"

"It was the right fit for my weapon," she reasoned. "How else was I going to lug an axe around without people looking at me funny?"

"I guess that makes sense…" Elliot scratched his cheek. "I just didn't think that they could be used that way."

"This sort of thing happens more than you think."

Everyone turned to Fie.

"Musical instrument cases come in all shapes and sizes, so it's easy to stash hidden weapons in them," the former jaeger explained. "They're useful for smuggling and espionage work."

A beat of dry silence passed without anyone saying anything.

"Is it going to be this awkward the whole time?" Machias asked.

Fie shrugged nonchalantly. "Probably."

A second later, a paper fan hit Fie in the back of the head. "Ow!" she squealed surprisedly.

"Now, now, Fie…" Morgan scolded the younger girl. Much to the surprise of the rest of the group, she had folded the brochure into the shape of a paper fan without them knowing. "Remember our agreement for this weekend?"

Fie sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, yeah…"

"Would you like to share it with the rest of the group?"

"..."

"I'll say it if you don't."

"...Fine." For the first time that day, Fie locked eyes with Laura. "By the end of the field study, I'm going to form an ARCUS link with Laura."

"Aaaaand?"

"I'm not going to bring everyone down like Machias and Jusis."

"Huh?! Wait a-"

Morgan quickly silenced Machias's complaint with a raise of her hand. "Becaaauuuse?"

"Because if we don't learn how to understand each other now, it's going to bring down our group's grade for the field study," Fie finished quickly. "There. You happy?"

Morgan nodded before pointing her fan at Laura. "Aaaaand what does Laura have to say about this?"

"I will work to fulfill these objectives to the best of my ability," the swordswoman responded immediately and efficiently. "Though our differences are numerous, I am willing to cast those aside for the sake of the group."

"Well, there you have it." Morgan outstretched her arms. "Anyone who has an issue with these agreements, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The two men of the group took a moment to comprehend what had just occurred.

Machias sulked into his seat. "Well, I would've appreciated it if you didn't use me as an example…"

"You're really taking the lead here, aren't you?" Elliot said with a nervous chuckle.

"Someone's got to do it while Rean's not here," Morgan remarked. "Besides, I wouldn't want our private discussion from a few days ago to have been for nothing."

"A few days ago?" Machias's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean the reason you three showed up late to dinner on Thursday was because…?"

"Mhmm."

"You...actually locked them up in a room together?" Elliot queried.

"Uh-huh."

"And how did you get them to listen to you…"

Fie and Laura looked away from each other and especially away from Morgan.

Morgan, meanwhile, playfully winked and put her index finger to her lips. "Haha. Just a little secret between women."

A few hours and many rounds of playing Blade later, the train arrived at the end of the line.

"We are now arriving at...Ordis," a voice announced over the intercom. "When disembarking, please ensure no belongings are left behind."

"Guess that's the end of that," Elliot remarked.

"Looks that way." Morgan sighed as she put down her cards. Just a little bit longer and she could have put down a winning hand.

After they had finished packing up all their cards, the train slowed to a halt. Gathering their belongings, Group B followed the crowd out of the train car and onto the station platform.

"Now then…" Morgan looked behind her to make sure everyone in their group was accounted for. "What do we do?"

"Ah, excuse me! You're the students from Thors, yes?"

The students looked at the other side of the platform to find a man wearing a blue polo shirt and khakis holding a sign above his head that read "Thors Military Academy". He looked to be in his mid-30s, his hair was in a crew cut, and a pair of sunglasses hung from the collar of his shirt. Group B walked over to the man to greet him.

"Yes, yes, you all seem to fit the description," the man commented, nodding his head. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is Tom, and I'm the senior manager of operations at Bryonia Island. The academy has asked me to take care of your lodgings for this week."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Morgan and her classmates returned the gesture and each took turns to briefly introduce themselves.

"Right. Now that we've established that, please come right this way." Tom made a beckoning gesture. "We'll need to head to the docks before we can reach the island, so I hope you're ready to take quite the walk! But then again, I'm sure you all are feeling rather cramped after that long train ride, so this should be a convenient way to relieve those muscles, hm?"

Morgan smirked. "Oooh, two birds with one stone! I like it!"

Tom and Morgan shared a laugh as they led the way out of the station.

"Those two are certainly hitting it off…" Elliot remarked.

"I'll say," Machias agreed.

Fie and Laura looked at each other, as if they were each daring the other to make a comment. When neither of them did, they broke off eye contact and picked up the pace to catch up with the group.

Ordis looked considerably less festive since the last time Morgan was here, but it was still bustling with people in the early evening. Because she had already been in Ordis before, Morgan wasn't as invested in looking at the sights as her fellow classmates, but even she couldn't help but hold her breath as the ocean came into view with the sun setting over it. Such a sight may have been normal to the people of Ordis, but to the students, it left an impactful impression.

Eventually, the group reached the docks, where an agent wearing a uniform was watching over a small boat. Upon seeing them approaching, the agent waved at them. He and Tom briefly exchanged pleasantries before the agent motioned for the group to enter the boat. After Tom and the students were neatly nestled into the back, the agent stepped into the front seat and started the engine, causing the boat to propel itself forward across the ocean.

"As we're approaching the island, I suppose I should pose this question for all of you…" Tom spoke once the boat was moving at a steady pace. "Have any of you visited Bryonia Island before?"

None of the students raised their hands.

"None?" Tom scratched the back of his head. "Hm, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. In that case, what is the extent of your current knowledge about the island?"

"Only that it's known for its ruins," Morgan answered. "It's also supposed to be connected to animism."

"You are correct on both accounts. I assume you all are familiar with the practice of animism, yes?"

Group B collectively nodded their heads, which prompted Tom to explain further. "Animism, as you know, is the oldest form of religion native to Erebonia. In times when the Septian Church had not yet set foot into Erebonia, the people had only the natural world to lead them. They knew the power that Mother Nature held and chose to revere it just as followers of the church worship the goddess Aidios. These days, however, many have noted that despite the two being largely disconnected with each other, they share some similarities in regards to their openness of others' beliefs. This is why many animist traditions, such as the holding of the Summer Festival, continue to this day even in regions that predominantly follow the church.

"In any case, Bryonia Island stands as a testament to the oldest forms of animism. While it serves as a tourist attraction, its main purpose is to serve as the converging point for those who continue to practice animism to this day. Every year around the summer festival season, worshippers from across the empire come to visit the island, which is precisely where you all come in."

"Us, sir?" Machias inquired.

Tom nodded. "In precisely two days from now, on Sunday, the staff will be hosting a traditional animist ritual. Most people show up on the day of, but we also have a number of people who stay at the inn for this event. It is our obligation to ensure that everyone has the best possible experience when they come to visit the island, regardless of what reason they have, and our team does our best to accommodate all of the visitors' needs. Occasionally, however, some visitors will place requests that fall outside of our area of expertise, such as asking to procure a lost item from somewhere in the island or notifying us of a hostile creature that needs addressing. In such cases, we would like your assistance in dealing with these issues during this time. Does that make sense?"

Laura raised her hand. "Correct me if I am mistaken, sir, but if such troubles such as monsters were to arise, wouldn't you be able to contact the provincial army for assistance? Juno Naval Fortress is reachable via boat if I recall."

"Ah, yes." Tom's expression fell. "Unfortunately, the situation in the Lamarre Province hasn't been all that well as of late. I'm sure you're all aware of the happenings that occurred regarding the Albarea family in the Kreuzen Province last month, yes?"

Class VII grimly nodded their heads, with Morgan, Fie, and Machias in particular wearing especially troubled expressions.

"Ever since then, the reigning lord of the Lamarre Province, Duke Cayenne, has been on edge. He recalled a majority of his forces to the mainland, including ones who used to be stationed nearby in case we needed to reach out to them. The city may look well and all that thanks to the summer festival, but the truth is that we are in a constant state of unrest. The duke himself has supposedly been going in and out of town frequently for 'official business', but aside from that, we know very little of what goes on behind the scenes. Thus, we can't rely on them."

"That's horrible…"

Morgan silently agreed with Elliot's sentiment. This wasn't the first time she had witnessed the consequences of the provincial army neglecting the people whose peace they were meant to protect; the whole situation reeked of Celdic all over again. Furthermore, given what she had learned from Count Egret a week prior, all the pieces seemed to be lining up for Duke Cayenne to stage something big in the future.

Tom cut in with a nervous laugh. "Ah, I apologize for that. I didn't mean to bring down the mood when you're all here for a field study! Rest assured, even if you're here on official school business, my team and I will do everything in our power to assist you. In fact…" He looked over his shoulder. "You can see the island coming into view now!"

The students looked ahead at the island that was growing imminently larger by the moment. Even from a distance, they could immediately spot some of Bryonia Island's most notable features, the most prominent of which was a high rocky mountain that towered above the natural formations below it. As the boat drew nearer, clusters of trees became visible on top of some of the rock formations with nary a sight of human industrialization. The exception to this was a pier that was protruding outwards, connecting the sea to a stone platform that led the way to a large house-like structure that presumably was the inn they were going to be staying in for the weekend.

The boat gradually came to a stop at the end of the pier, where a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair was waiting. She wore a simple white top, light brown khakis, and brown slip-on shoes.

"Welcome back, Manager!" she cheerily greeted. "Good to see your safe return."

"I'm back, Brittany," Tom answered back, standing up from the boat. "Everyone, this is Brittany, my co-manager of operations at the island. She's also the person who will be taking care of your field study tasks, so do take the time to get to know her, yes?"

Brittany lowered her posture. "It's very nice to meet you all, ladies and gentlemen of Class VII. I can help with unloading your belongings, if you want."

The students stepped out of the boat one by one while Tom and Brittany helped gather their belongings. Once everything was out of the boat, Tom saluted the agent that ferried them. "Thank you once again, Eston. Stay safe on the way back."

"Just doing my job, Tom," the agent replied. "Hope everything goes smoothly on your end."

With a tip of his hat, the agent started the boat engine and went on his way back to Ordis.

When the boat was a fair distance away, Tom cleared his throat. "On behalf of all of the staff here, allow us to formally welcome you all to Bryonia Island! I hope the next few days will prove to be an enriching experience for all of us."

Tom and Brittany led Group B to the inn, where they were shown to their rooms on the second floor. The students' rooms were adjacent to each other, with one for the boys and one for the girls.

Morgan took a deep breath to calm herself. "Now then…"

"..." "..."

Fie and Laura were standing on either side of her, with the former deliberately keeping herself from looking at the latter by staring at the beds. The layout of the room was similar to the one Morgan and Laura had inhabited in Celdic, with three beds spaced evenly apart on the left side, a door leading to the bathroom on the right side, and furniture like a table and chairs in the space between. Additionally, the room was situated at the corner of the inn, which meant that it had one window facing the ocean and another facing away from it in the direction of a stone path that led further inland.

Clearing her throat, Morgan decided to just get things over with. "We can discuss how things are going to play out in greater detail once we get back. For now, just focus on choosing a bed and unpacking your stuff. Although…" She directed her gaze at the beds. "Given the layout we currently have, I don't think you two have an issue with me taking the middle bed."

Fie gave her assent by making a beeline for the rightmost bed, which was closest to the window facing the ocean. Laura, meanwhile, went to claim the leftmost bed.

After they had settled down and made sure their equipment was in order, the three of them went downstairs to meet with the rest of their group in front of the inn.

"Any idea what they want from us right off the bat?" Machias inquired.

"I don't know," Elliot nervously confessed, "but it has to be something important, considering they told us to bring our equipment."

Fie let out a small yawn. "I just want to go to bed."

Morgan snorted. "Come on, Fie. You slept for most of the day already."

"Hmm…"

Morgan noticed that Laura was staring intently at something. "What's up, Laura?"

"Hm? Oh, I was simply looking at the tent over there."

"You mean that one?" Morgan pointed to a medium-sized rectangular tent located on the side opposite to the inn. The tent itself was made from modest purple cloth with a crescent moon pattern sewn onto the front and was surrounded by a metal fence on all sides save for a pathway that led into the tent. There was also a wooden bench just outside the tent, where two people were currently sitting and conversing with each other.

Before Class VII could start hypothesizing what the purpose of the tent was, a cheery voice called out, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

The students turned their heads to find Brittany emerging from a small house next to the inn that was reserved for the management staff. Accompanying her was a young man decked out in hiking gear. Morgan's eyes squinted at the man; for some reason, he looked strikingly familiar…

"Everyone? I'd like you to meet Bengt." Brittany held her hand out, prompting Bengt to nod his head. "He'll be your tour guide for today."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Just as Bengt finished his introductions, he got a better look at the students and blinked. "Hm? Wait, I think I know some of you…"

"Oh? You've met them before?" Brittany asked.

"You're the guy who issued the jewel request in Bareahard," Fie recognized.

"That's right. I remember now." Machias scowled briefly, having reminded himself of the way the request had ended, but he quickly regained his composure. "So you work here?"

"That's right. I work as one of the island's tour guides. The manager was kind enough to let me take some time off so I could make the trip to Bareahard. I don't think I could thank you enough for all that you did."

"But we couldn't get you the jewel that you wanted," Machias said.

"It's quite alright," Bengt insisted. "Everything worked out in the end."

Fie raised an eyebrow. "It did?"

"Yes. Just after you left, the jeweler revealed that there was an anonymous patron who happened to come across another Dryad's Tear! I purchased it on the spot and still had plenty of mira to spare!"

"Really?" Morgan clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful!"

"It truly is! I hope that I'll be able to find that person one day."

Brittany loudly cleared her throat.

Bengt got the message and apologized. "R-Right. Sorry for getting off track. Anyways, we're on a tight schedule for your tour, so we should probably get going now."

"Right, the tour." Morgan nodded. "We're going to get a tour of the island. I'm guessing that's why you asked us to bring our equipment?"

"Right on the mark," Bengt affirmed. "We'll be circling the island's perimeter while also pointing out some of the major hotspots along the way."

"N-Now?" Elliot half-exclaimed. "But we just got here. Do we even have time to go around the island?"

"An entire lap around the island takes about an hour," explained Bengt. "Maybe around two if you want to look at every nook and cranny. By the time we get back, assuming we don't run into any trouble, we should return just in time for dinner."

"I know it's a lot to ask of you, considering you just arrived," Brittany said apologetically. "But believe me, if you want to complete your field study tasks on time tomorrow, you're going to want to have an idea of the island's general layout first."

"Will we not have a map to guide us?" Laura asked.

"You will, but that's not the point. There's an old Bryonian proverb that roughly translates to 'the quickest way to learn is to experience something firsthand'. Once you learn where everything is by directly going to those places, the map will start to make a lot more sense. That's just how we roll around here."

Fie nodded. "Makes sense. It's always important to scout enemy territory first."

Her comment was met with several stares from the rest of her group.

Bengt, however, laughed it off. "Well, we may not be fighting a war, but it's always important to be prepared, right? Okay, everyone. Let's move out!"

The students and Brittany followed their tour guide up the stone path that Morgan, Fie, and Laura saw from their window. Bengt gave a brief history of Bryonia Island as they walked, retreading most of the information they had heard earlier from Tom about the island's importance to the practice of animism. Eventually, the group reached a fork in the road, with the left path continuing along the man-made road and the right path diverging to a dirt road. Bengt hung a left to continue walking on the stone path, which eventually led to a clearing with a shrine at the far end.

"This is where the Bryonians held their ceremonial rituals," Bengt explained. "Paleontologists have been working to ensure that the site is well-preserved."

"Incidentally, this site is also where we hold our rituals, including the one two days from now," Brittany added. "It's a tradition for us to hold one during the summer festival periods just as the animists of old did."

"What sorts of things do you do for the ritual?" asked Morgan.

"Well, first, we light the two torches at the back of the shrine. Then, all of the participants gather in a line and give their thanks by offering up a possession of theirs and placing it on the altar. This represents us giving up our worldly possessions so we can commune with each other and the nature surrounding us. After everyone has had their turn, a dancer takes a torch and lights the other four torches around the dais. Once all four torches are lit, the ceremony is pretty much over."

"A dancer?" That piqued Morgan's interest. "You have one of those?"

Brittany nodded. "We sure do! Well, granted, it's more of a ceremonial title than anything. Theoretically, anyone can volunteer to play the role, but you have to undergo a series of 'cleansing rituals' before you can take part for the sake of spiritual purity and all that, so not a lot of people volunteer."

"Interesting. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"

Once their time at the shrine was over, Bengt led the group back the way they came until they arrived back at the fork in the road, where they turned left to go in the other direction and progress further into the island.

"I know it's pretty predictable to say this…" Machias said as they walked. "But I wish the others in Group A were here to see this."

"I know what you mean," Elliot agreed. "Rean's been telling me how he's been getting into fishing lately, so all this open sea would make him feel right at home. And after looking at that waterfall and the beach back there, I bet Gaius would probably have had a field day painting some of the landscapes."

"I must admit, I had my reservations when I initially heard our group would be traveling to Bryonia Island," Laura confessed. "However, now that I have seen the breadth of what the island has to offer, I can confidently say that I have no regrets with our location."

Bengt let out a laugh. "Haha! Well, I'm glad we could change your mind. Anyways, as we're approaching the right side of the island, the focus is going to start shifting from nature's wonders to more man-made structures, starting with what is often considered the island's greatest landmark."

"And that would be…?"

The tour guide smirked in response. "You guys might want to start watching your step. The terrain's a bit uneven up ahead, and we wouldn't want you falling over from looking up."

"Up?" Upon turning the corner, Morgan looked up, as did her other classmates. "Oh. OH."

Towering above them was a giant stone colossus embedded into the side of the mountain. It was humanoid in shape, though only the body above the pelvis was visible, and the various arrangements of stone seemed to convey the image that the statue was some form of armored knight, with shoulder platings, a breastplate with the outline for a jewel in the middle, and a V-shaped helmet with a thin visor. While there were signs of moss growing on it to show the passage of time, words could not adequately describe the sheer presence the statue managed to achieve by simply existing. All the students in Group B hung their mouths wide open in awe.

Bengt chuckled to himself. "Yep. That's just about the reaction I've come to expect."

"Mhm! It's almost like every first-timer has the same default expression." Brittany commemorated the occasion by taking a quick snapshot with a small orbal camera. The students were too focused on the colossus in front of them to notice.

"This here is Bryonia's famous Guardian," Bengt introduced. "It stands at 80 arge high, and while it may not look like it up close, it's actually confirmed by researchers to have been made from a different material than the rocks surrounding it. Additionally, this is actually one of two giant statues in the empire. The other is in the Nord Highlands, way out to the east."

Morgan broke out of her awe-inspired trance and cocked her head in the tour guide's direction. "The Nord Highlands?!" she exclaimed.

"That's right," Brittany affirmed. "Nord, the place where Emperor Dreichels first started amassing his army during the War of the Lions. Seeing that you're all students at the school the emperor helped to found, I'm sure you're all familiar with it."

"We're not just familiar with it," said Morgan. "The Nord Highlands are where the rest of our class went for their field study. One of the members in that group even comes from there."

"Really?" Bengt looked pleasantly surprised. "Goodness, today is just full of coincidences."

"Do you happen to know anything else about the statue, sir?" Machias questioned.

Bengt breathed through his teeth. "Mm, unfortunately, no one knows any more about the statue in Nord than they do about this one aside from them being made from different materials. At the very least, this one has been around for a long time. Old Bryonian texts mentioned that the statue was here long before they made the island their home; that's why they called it their 'Guardian'."

"Old texts…" Laura murmured to herself. "Speaking of old tales, looking at this statue reminded me of the legend of the Great Knight."

"Great...Knight?"

"An old tale originating from the Dark Ages," she elaborated to Elliot. "Each region has its own variant on the tale, but there is one recurring theme: the appearance of a large knight as the central figure." Laura looked up at the stone colossus. "'When the land roils with the tide of war, a colossal knight, wreathed in flame, will come forth to quell the conflict.' That is the gist of the legend as I've come to know."

"What does that mean?"

She shook her head. "I cannot say. Unfortunately, the true meaning of the tale has been lost to time." Laura then stopped herself and blinked. It had just occurred to her that the voice who asked the question belonged not to Elliot, but to Fie. Was she actually taking part in a conversation for once? Laura quickly darted a glance at her just to be sure, but the former jaeger had already gone back to looking at the Guardian.

"Do you want to take a closer look at it?" Bengt pointed to a series of large stone protrusions that resembled a ladder. "If you want, you can climb up using that. It's a rather tall climb, but if you pace yourself…"

"Bengt?" Brittany shot him a cautionary look.

The tour guide coughed. "Right. I'm kidding, of course. It's actually against certain regulations if you climb up without the necessary gear unless you have a supervisor to accompany you."

"...Darn."

Everyone turned in surprise to Fie, who, unbeknownst to the rest of the group, had already snuck her way to the base of the stone ladder. If her body posture was to be of any indication, she looked ready to scale the cliff at any moment.

"Don't try it, Fie," Morgan warned.

The younger girl relented and returned to the group. "It was his idea," she said, pointing to Bengt.

"I didn't mean for you to take it literally," the tour guide apologized. "Me and my big mouth…"

"Let's just be glad no one got hurt," Brittany pointed out. "Should we move on?"

The group continued onwards on their trek around the island. They encountered some ruins of houses that the ancient Bryonians lived in, took the time to gaze at some more natural rock formations, and came across an excavation site where a team was unearthing a large fossil. Eventually, the group made their way back to the waterfall they had encountered near the beginning of the tour.

"Say, Brittany?" Morgan asked as they walked. "Would you mind if I asked a question?"

"Not at all," she replied.

"You're the co-manager of operations, right?" Morgan began. "And if Tom is the senior manager, why isn't he the one handling our field study tasks?"

"I've been wondering about that myself," Machias piped up. "In our past field studies, it was usually the job of the highest ranking person in the location to assist us with our accommodations unless those duties were explicitly confirmed to have been delegated to another person. If we were looking at titles, Tom would fulfill that role for Bryonia Island."

"And you'd be right," Brittany affirmed. "In fact, Tom was the one that Thors reached out to when talks about the field study first began. As of right now, however, he's pouring all his time and efforts into preparing and overseeing the ceremony on Sunday. I wanted to help ease his load, so I convinced him to let me handle the field study."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Elliot remarked.

"Hehe. Thanks. You know, I first started out as Tom's secretary. Maybe that's why I still sometimes treat him like he's my superior. Over time, though, we came to rely on each other as equals; that's when he proposed that I be given the title of co-manager. Tom is a good negotiator and tries not to let the little things bother him, which makes him a perfect fit as the face of our island operations team. I lean more towards supporting others, so I stay in the background while making sure everyone in our team gives it their all. We're both managers, but we manage different things."

"Different leaders do different things…" Morgan murmured to herself. 'If Rean is like the glue connecting Class VII at the center, what can someone like me do to support everyone?'

As Morgan began to contemplate this question, a loud shriek snapped her out of her reverie.

"Wh-What was that?" Elliot asked nervously.

"Sounded like something big." Fie instinctively reached for her weapons, only for Bengt to hold out his hand.

"Don't draw your weapons," he told her. "They'll only give it the wrong idea if it spots you. Just act natural."

"It?"

A large shadow streaked across the ground, prompting everyone to look up. Flying high up in the sky was a bipedal dragon with wings for arms and a long pointed tail. Its appearance was rather thin and wiry for something of its size, but it still made quite the impression with the amount of ease through which it sailed through the air.

Morgan gasped with realization. "Is that...a wyvern?"

"That's a Scalyptera," Bengt clarified. "They're a race of flying reptilians that date back to ancient times. They get very territorial sometimes, but otherwise they're pretty docile. You do NOT want to get on their bad side, let me tell you."

"I assume that you had some sort of previous experience?" Laura wondered.

The tour guide laughed sheepishly. "Sure did. Nearly lost a leg from trying to run away from it."

"Impressive…"

"Morgan, what did you call that thing? A 'wyvern'?" Fie spoke up. "What's the difference between that and a dragon?"

"Wyverns only have two legs while dragons have four," answered Morgan. "They're both large winged reptiles of death at the end of the day, so a lot of people just put them under the 'dragon' label and call it a day, but there IS a difference. All wyverns are dragons, but not all dragons are wyverns."

"I never would have expected you to express an interest in Erebonian folklore, Morgan," Laura remarked.

"I've got my own interests on the side. It's not like I do homework or study tactics all the time."

"Or eat a lot," Fie snarked.

"That's just taking in daily supplements!"

As if on cue, her stomach growled.

"Oooh, and speaking of taking in daily supplements…"

Brittany chuckled. "Hehe. Well, fortunately for you, we're pretty much in the home stretch. Just hold out a little longer, okay?"

Morgan gave a salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Everyone shared a laugh at that.

When the group finally made it back to the inn area, the students thanked Bengt for his guidance and promised to see him again sometime. Brittany then escorted the students into the inn for dinner, where they were served a local dish called a paella for dinner. The dish consisted of a mix of rice, vegetables, and blue marlin fish that, according to the chefs, was caught by an angler that was currently staying at the inn.

"I'll hand you your field study tasks tomorrow morning, so feel free to take it easy tonight. If there's anything that isn't clear or you need a step in the right direction, you can come find me in the house next door."

"Sure thing." "Good night!"

Brittany waved good-bye and left the inn, leaving Machias and Morgan by themselves on the first floor.

"So the rest of the night is ours…" Morgan turned her head to face her classmate. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. See you tomorrow. And, um…" Machias leaned in closer. "Good luck with those two. If there's anything Elliot and I can do to help, please let us know."

"Of course. I'll be counting on you two these next few days. Let's make this field study a success!"

Morgan held out her fist, which Machias bumped with his own. The two then walked up the stairs together and parted for the night in front of the boys' room. Morgan went a little further down the hall to arrive at the girls' room. Upon opening it, she was surprised to see that the room was currently occupied by only one person.

"Where's Fie?" Morgan asked. "I thought she went up with you."

Laura, who was sitting on her bed, shook her head. "Fie said that she wanted to get some air. She hasn't come back since."

"She did?" Morgan was puzzled. "Weird. I was on the first floor the whole time and I didn't see her step out."

"Now that is peculiar."

Morgan walked over to her bed and sat on the side facing her classmate. "Well, I'm sure she'll be back sooner or later."

"Then when will she be open to negotiations?" Laura continued to press. "If not tonight, then when?"

"Whenever Fie feels like she's willing to give you a chance."

The normally calm swordswoman looked like she was about to start flying into a tirade, but she promptly forced herself to rein in her emotions. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "I've been trying to improve on my tendency to act 'straightforward', but then I think of how little time we really have to solve this issue, and…"

Morgan's expression softened. "Well, I can't exactly say that your worries are unfounded. I can see that you've been trying to take the initiative, which is good. It's just that…" She paused for a moment. "Even if we get you two to form an ARCUS link, it doesn't really solve the root of the problem."

"You're talking of our differences in ideals, correct?" Laura guessed. "It is the same as with Machias and Jusis; we must ensure that we can continue working together in the long run."

"Pretty much, but the issue here is more than just, 'I can't tolerate you because you're one of them.' One of you is willing to come forward, so it's up to the other to make the next step, and right now Fie is deliberately trying not to take that step."

"How can you tell?"

"You know how Fie likes to push people's buttons?" Morgan pointed out, remembering her conversation with Instructor Sara. "That's her way of testing people. Ever since we left this morning, I've noticed that she's been pushing yours a bit too frequently. Now that you two are in the same group together, I'm guessing she's trying to see what makes you squirm."

"But why? Does she not recognize the situation we are in?" Laura untied her hair ribbon, allowing her long blue hair to cascade down her shoulders. "Frankly, sometimes I don't know what I should be doing anymore."

At her classmate's honest confession, Morgan decided to drop her optimism. "I wish I could say, 'it's fine, don't worry about it.' But…" She hunched over and clasped her hands together. "Even though I made you two promise that you'll find some way to fix this by the end of this weekend, there's a limit to how much I can interfere. Right now, the only thing you can do is keep trying and hoping that you'll get through to her. Sooner or later, Fie will realize that trying to dissuade you is useless; when that happens, you've already passed the first test."

"Which returns to my previous question: why is Fie refusing to talk with me?"

Truth be told, Morgan had come up with a few theories in her mind, but at the moment, they were just that: theories. She didn't want to risk getting Laura's hopes up only for them to fall in the off chance that she could be proven wrong.

She fell backwards, sprawling her upper body on her bed. "I don't know," she eventually replied.

Unbeknownst to Morgan and Laura, Fie had been listening to their entire conversation from her seated position on the roof of the inn.

She was no stranger to eavesdropping on important conversations. Heck, this wasn't even the first time she listened in on something where the topic was centered around her.

But for some reason, after listening to her classmates, Fie began to feel a twinge of guilt.

She knew that things couldn't stay like this forever. Being in the same group as Machias and Jusis for the past two field studies was proof enough that a fractured party didn't lead to anything good.

In her endeavors to become more honest with others, Fie began by revealing some of her darker secrets so her classmates wouldn't have to find out later. Since they had to put up with her every day, it worked for most of them; Laura was the notable exception to the rule. Despite that, for the first few days since she came back, she felt like she had a chance to settle down and catch her breath.

Then she started hearing rumors behind her back. She paid them no mind at first, but upon closer inspection, she realized that those rumors were starting to bring out the negative outlooks that people were holding back regarding her other classmates. Even Sara was subject to criticisms from the upper-class students, since she was the one who brought Fie here in the first place. Fie had tried to figure out where they originated from, but there was no such luck. Hearing Patrick list all those awful things was essentially the final nail in the coffin. Everything he said? They were all the things that had been festering over the past month.

Was she really satisfied with this? Did she really want a selfish chance to grow at the cost of everyone else's well being?

And just when she thought she didn't have any more problems to worry about, Laura suddenly came forward, willing to give her a chance. When Fie found out, she couldn't comprehend it at first. Laura was one of the few people who seemed exempt from all the rumors. She was so direct. So honest. She was the knight to Fie's jaeger. To Laura, someone like her should be the farthest thing away on her radar.

But here she was: willing to become one of the derided just for a chance to get to know her.

It was no wonder, then, that Fie started to slip back into her old habits. The last thing that she needed was for even more people to take the fall that was originally meant for her. She would work with Laura for the duration of the field study, get a passable grade, and pretend like nothing ever happened.

But was she really satisfied with this?

Fie tucked her legs in closer with her arms, curling into a ball. Deep down, she knew the real answer.

"I just…"

Her contemplation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a window opening. Curious, Fie stood up and carefully crawled over to the right side of the roof. Peering her head over the ledge, she saw it: a hooded figure slowly poking its head from the window to look around. Fie immediately retreated her head and stayed completely still.

'This smells like trouble…'

She heard a small wire sound coming from below, prompting her to carefully look over the edge of the roof again. The figure was in possession of a grappling hook and was currently using it to quickly and quietly descend to the lowest level. Whoever this person was, they were clearly professional. The window was open ever so slightly so that it wouldn't draw much attention to it from the outside and the figure could easily relatch from below. Eventually, the mysterious figure reached the bottom, reeled their hand back, and recalled the grappling hook. After one last look around to ensure that there was no one around, they darted up the slope that led further into the island.

Fie checked her equipment. She still had her gunswords and ARCUS on her person, as well as her personal grappling hook with a new wire to replace the one Sara broke on the first day of school (she still didn't forgive her for that; it was a gift from the boss). She didn't have any stun grenades or smoke bombs with her, and with how quickly the hooded figure was moving, it looked like she would have to make do without them for now.

Perching up like a cat, Fie leapt off the roof of the building toward the rocky cliffside. When her feet touched the surface, she crouched and leapt again, redirecting her momentum towards the ground. She landed on the ground with a somersault.

'Here we go.'

Fie darted up the slope, hoping that she would be able to catch up to the mysterious figure in time.

Author's note: Hello everyone! As of this writing, it's almost been two months since I last updated this fic. Thank you for being patient with the release of this chapter, especially with how crazy everything is these days regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm currently quarantined at home, and I hope you all are too. I know sheltering in place can be boring and inconvenient, but please do whatever it takes to stay healthy out there.

Also, have you heard? Trails of Cold Steel IV has been confirmed to receive a localization in the near future! How will everything play out in the end? I can't wait to find out! (Even though I've heard some rather negative sentiments overseas...)