"We've been doing a lot of backtracking today, haven't we?" Alisa remarked.

"I think it's almost poetic, in a sense," Emma said with a giggle. "We started the day in the Sankt District, and now we're going to end it in the same place."

Having finished all their field study tasks and written their reports for the day, the girls were now waiting outside St. Astraia Girls' School for the time to hit five o'clock.

"Honestly, this morning felt like it happened a month ago…" Morgan quipped. "Am I the only one who thinks that?"

"Oh, you're all here already?" a familiar voice called from behind them.

The girls of Class VII turned in surprise to find their male classmates walking up the road to the school.

"Oh! Hey, guys!" Alisa greeted them.

"This is a surprise," Laura remarked. "I suppose you being here means that you received an invitation as well?"

"Umm, I guess?" Rean scratched his head. "Instructor Sara told us to come here at five o'clock. We assumed that she told you the same thing."

Fie squinted her eyes. "Sara did?"

"This just keeps getting more suspicious…" Alisa agreed.

"Is something the matter?" asked Gaius.

"We received a handwritten letter notifying us of this," Emma explained. "It didn't say that Group B was invited, too."

Morgan shook her head. "I'm guessing Instructor Sara was probably told after the fact. They were probably planning this for a long time…"

"They?" Fie stared at Morgan. "You know what's going on?"

"As a matter of fact, Fie, I think I do!" Morgan procured the letter she received from Fauna. "Let me break it down for the boys…"

Morgan then proceeded to recount the events of what happened earlier that day to Group B, starting from how they received an anonymous call that told them to go to the Vander School headquarters, how Aurier Vander was conveniently waiting for them when they got to the Leica District as told by some 'friends', and how Fauna was told to give Class VII a letter when she was conveniently already on the way to pick up Matteus Vander.

"...And that brings us to right now!" Morgan finished. "Sounds pretty convenient and planned out, wouldn't you guys say?"

"You guys visited the Vander School?!" Rean's voice was dripping with envy.

"Vander…" Gaius recognized the name. "I see. So you met with the lieutenant general's brother."

"Wait, who?"

"And you call yourself the governor's son?" Jusis scoffed at Machias. "Matteus Vander, widely known as the 'Thunder God.' He is another of the Imperial Army's finest generals, though he is more widely known for being the personal bodyguard of Emperor Eugent."

"Y-Yeah, I knew that!" Machias snapped back. "I was talking about the lieutenant general! Maybe you should think before jumping at the chance to belittle me!"

"Well, then perhaps you should be more clear next time!"

Class VII groaned at the sight of another quarrel between Machias and Jusis.

"Um, they weren't like this the whole time, were they?"

"Nothing to worry about, Emma!" Elliot responded. "Actually, this is only the second time they're doing this today!"

Fie raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "So what happened during the first?"

"Let's just say that you girls weren't the only ones who had an eventful afternoon…"

Before Rean could elaborate, the bell from the Heimdallr Cathedral rang five times. Even Jusis and Machias ceased their bickering to take in the solemn, stately sound reverberating through the district.

"That bell ringing must mean it's five o'clock…" Rean noted. "Which means it's almost the time we were supposed to meet here."

As if on cue, the gate to the school opened behind Class VII, followed by a lovely voice that said, "Rean…?"

The students turned their heads and saw a very familiar face waiting for them by the gate.

"Elise? What are you doing here?!" Rean had asked that question without thinking, and as soon as the words left his mouth, he shook his head. "Wait, this IS your school. Where else would you be?"

"Umm, yes." Elise was wearing the same black uniform she had on when she visited Thors a week prior. "I see all of your classmates are with you, too. Hello again."

Alisa giggled as she waved her hand. "It's only been a week since we saw you, hasn't it?"

Elliot scratched his cheek. "Well, we were told to meet here…"

"Meet here…?" Elise mulled over Elliot's response before widening her eyes. "Ah, I see what's going on. Yes, I was told to expect ten guests waiting by the front gate at five o'clock sharp."

Now it was Class VII's turn to be surprised by her response. "Were you the one that we were told wanted us to come here?" Gaius asked.

Elise shook her head in exasperation. "Actually, I suspect that would be a friend of mine…"

"That friend's name wouldn't happen to be 'Alastor Finnigan,' would it?" Alisa said.

Elise turned to the side to mutter something under her breath before clearing her throat. "You presume correctly, Alisa. But putting that aside, does anyone here have a letter that was addressed to them? I would like that person to step forward."

Morgan raised the envelope in her hand. "That would be me."

"Please follow me. The rest of you, wait out here for a moment."

"Morgan?" Rean looked puzzled. "What's going on?"

"Alastor's a close friend of mine," Morgan responded. "Elise is probably taking me inside so I can catch up with her first. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, that's right." Elise nodded her head. "She asked me to do this."

"I'll see you guys later, don't worry. Be nice to each other while I'm gone!"

With one final wave of her hand, Morgan followed Elise into the school, leaving the rest of Class VII behind.

"This day just keeps getting more surprising…" Machias mumbled.

"Whoever this Alastor person is, she must have considerable social standing," Jusis remarked. "Although, I do harbor my own suspicions as to who it is…"

"Seeing as we will likely be here for a little while…" Laura turned to Rean. "I believe you were about to recount what occurred during your afternoon?"

Rean nodded. "Yeah, it's kind of a long story…"

…

"She's still as mischievous as ever, isn't she?"

"Honestly…" Elise huffed. "She told me to wait out there without so much as a warning."

"And yet despite that…" Morgan eased her expression. "We can't help but go along with her, just to see what lies at the end."

Elise sighed. "...Also true."

As Elise took Morgan around the corner, a few St. Astraia students popped their heads from the windows and doors to get a closer look at Morgan.

"That girl with Elise…" "It's her! We saw her this morning!" "Now that I have a closer look, isn't she…?"

"I apologize for making you the center of attention," said Elise.

"Nah, it's fine." Morgan looked around at the various students as she walked. "If this is how they react to one student, just wait till they see the rest of us."

"Have you been here before?"

"My group helped to set up the charity bazaar. Or at least, one half of my group did. I wasn't in it, though."

"...And what about beyond that?" Elise spoke in a hesitant tone.

"Ah…" Morgan lowered her voice. "I've only visited a few times. Her Highness was gracious enough to let me accompany her on a few special occasions, but for the most part I stayed at Valflame Palace. My duties were largely relegated to tending to her while she was there; if she wasn't, then I'd help around the palace until she came back."

"But she told me that you were her attendant," Elise added. "Pardon my curiosity, but I was under the assumption that you followed her everywhere she went."

"Well, you're not wrong…" Morgan condeded. "But St. Astraia is one of the exceptions. You know how there are guards stationed around the school while Her Highness is attending class? Bringing someone else along would have made things pretty redundant in terms of security, not to mention that having someone follow her around everywhere would make her stand out a lot."

"Ohhh." Elise nodded in understanding. "That does makes sense."

"Still, I'm familiar with the general layout of the school. This was all before you came here, though."

"I figured as much. I first enrolled here in the year 1203."

"And I was released from service in late 1202. We just barely missed each other."

Elise fidgeted with her hands. "Was it, um…"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me. You could say I was discharged honorably. And besides…" Morgan smiled. "You're with her most of the time now, right?"

Elise gave a smile of her own. "I was lucky. People kept their distance from me initially because of my family, but Her Highness… She didn't waste a moment to put all those rumors to rest. The Schwarzer family has ties to the Imperial family, of course, but she didn't care for that. She saw someone in need, and she was ready to lay down everything to help them. I'm forever grateful to her for that."

"I know what you mean." Morgan closed her eyes. "When they first found me, I was just some nameless girl that was lying in a meadow. And despite that, she persuaded her family to take me in…"

When she came to, her mind was a complete blank save for three things: her name, her father's name, and her mother's name. Everything else, whether it was her age, where she came from, or even what she was doing before she woke up, completely eluded her.

"Sister, I don't think this is such a good idea…"

"But we have to do something! What if the monsters come?"

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

She was fully roused from her slumber by a trio of voices. The first seemed like it belonged to a young boy, the second to a young girl, and the third to an older man. As her vision cleared up, she found herself face-to-face three individuals who all shared the same color of hair.

"Hey! She's waking up!"

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I think there are better places to take a nap than on the ground, young lady."

The boy, girl, and man said those things in that order. The blonde girl in the center held out her hand. She groggily took it, and she was hoisted off the ground.

"Thank...you…" she managed to croak out. For some reason, her voice was raspy and dry. "Where…am I?"

"You mean you don't know?" The blonde girl looked concerned. "You're in the outskirts of Heimdallr, near Karel Imperial Villa."

She tilted her head in confusion. Even though she couldn't remember anything, she immediately felt that there was something off about the words the other girl used. "Where is...Heimdallr?"

"Heimdallr is the capital of the Erebonian Empire," the boy responded. "Everyone knows that."

"Clearly, we appear to have found the exception," the man quipped drily.

The blonde girl shook her head. "I don't understand! Olivert, what does this mean? How can someone not know?"

The man named Olivert pursed his lips. "I've heard of this phenomenon before, and I have to say that I don't like it one bit."

There was something about Olivert that immediately struck a chord within her, which was odd considering they had just met. Maybe it was his voice? Either way, he noticed her staring back at him and eased his expression to a friendly smile.

"Can you tell us your name?" he asked.

"...Morgan."

Olivert cupped his chin. "So you remember your name, at least. That's better than what most people say. Tell me, Morgan. What were you doing before we found you?"

"I…" She couldn't remember, so she simply shook her head. "I don't know…"

"What year is it currently?"

Morgan didn't know the answer to that question either, so she answered with a few random numbers. "2...6...2...9?"

"Have you ever heard of a country called Erebonia before?"

There it was again. That odd feeling that where she felt that something was off about the words he said. Once again, she shook her head.

With each question that he asked, Olivert's expression grew more and more concerned. "It's as I feared…" he eventually said. "She has amnesia. Though she remembers her name, she has forgotten everything else."

The blonde girl covered her mouth. "That's horrible…"

The blonde boy also looked concerned. Now that Morgan looked more closely, he and the blonde girl had strikingly similar facial features. Maybe they were twins?

"We should hurry back to the villa," the boy warned. "If we wait any longer, we could run into some monsters."

"Why don't you come with us?" the girl asked.

Morgan once again tilted her head in confusion.

"Sister, do you realize what you're saying?" the boy said. "We can't bring strangers to the villa! How would Mother and Father react?"

"But we can't just leave her here, Cedric!" the girl snapped back. "You think so too, don't you, Olivert?"

The girl turned to the eldest of the three for some support, though he was more wary than she was. "There is the possibility that she is lying…" Eventually, he heaved a sigh. "But I suppose you're right. We can't stay here for too long, and we can't leave a lonely maiden all by her lonesome, can't we?"

The blonde girl took Morgan's hand. "My name is Alfin! Alfin Reise Arnor! And these two are my brothers, Cedric and Olivert! It's nice to meet you!"

"Now that I think about it…" Morgan said. "Between you and me, I'm wondering if she has a type for soft-spoken, dark-haired girls."

Elise tilted her head. "I don't think you're soft-spoken."

"Now I'm not. I was back then."

"Interesting…" Elise muttered. "Unfortunately, as much as I would like to hear more about that story, we have arrived."

Elise and Morgan stopped in front of a spacious building with the words "Rosen Garten" etched into the top of the doorway.

"The Rose Garden, huh?" Morgan remarked.

Elise knocked on the door. "Your Highness, I've brought Morgan here, as you instructed."

"Thank you!" a cheery voice called from inside. "You can leave now, Elise."

Morgan had grown so accustomed to hearing that voice over an orbment that listening to it in person after so long gave her goosebumps.

"I will go back to retrieve Rean and the others," said Elise. "I should return in about five minutes."

"Five minutes. Got it." Morgan nodded. "Thanks, Elise."

Elise flashed a small smile before leaving. Gathering her nerves, Morgan entered the rose garden and closed the doors behind her.

In the middle of the rose garden was a set of three polygonal tables arranged in a triangle formation with three tea sets, one for each table, and twelve seats surrounding them. And standing in front of the tables was a girl with long, flowing blonde hair that reached her waist and a face that looked like it was taken straight from a classical painting. Though she was currently wearing a St. Astraia school uniform, her likeness resembled that of an angel.

Morgan placed both her hands at the hems of her skirt and curtsied, all the while keeping her head low.

She heard footsteps coming closer. "Raise your head, Morgan."

She slowly opened her eyes. A small hand entered her field of vision. The blonde girl had a bright smile on her face.

Morgan took the hand and shook it. A second later, the blonde girl stretched her arms wide to give Morgan a great, big hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you again!"

"Yes!" Morgan allowed herself to wrap her arms around the girl's body. "It feels like it's been forever. You look well, Princess Alfin."

"Now, now!" The princess released her hold and wagged her index finger at Morgan. "What did I say about being so formal when it's only the two of us?"

Morgan couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you know me! I can be VERY forgetful sometimes."

"Come right this way!" Princess Alfin took Morgan's hand, beckoning her to come sit with her. "We don't have much time, and there is much we have to talk about!"

The princess sat at the chair furthest away from the front entrance. Morgan claimed the seat at her immediate right.

"You know, under normal circumstances, I should be the one pouring you tea," Morgan noted as the princess poured some tea into their teacups.

"Oh, hush!" Princess Alfin said playfully. "It's just the two of us, and YOU'RE the guest of honor this time around. So please, I must insist."

Morgan gave a relenting smirk. "As you wish."

After both girls took a sip of tea, the princess clapped her hands together. "Now, then! For the first order of business…" She reached down to grab a familiar-looking folder. "I would like to give you this back to you."

"Dorothee's draft!" Morgan recognized. "I'm surprised you read through it already."

"It was such an amazing page-turner! I almost forgot that I was asked to give feedback on it on multiple occasions!"

"It looks pretty full…" Morgan weighed the folder in her hands. "How much feedback did you put in it?"

"Oh, I'd say about...ten pages' worth or so?"

"Seriously?!"

Princess Alfin puffed out her chest. "Ahem! As a proud connoisseur of this genre, this is nothing to me."

"And you didn't think of putting your comments in the margins?"

"But Morgan! A rough draft is like a holy grail! Even I wouldn't dare tread on it!"

"Well, okay…" Morgan put the folder underneath her chair. "You ARE the expert here."

"Oooh, I KNEW I should have accompanied Elise to Thors!" Princess Alfin grumbled to herself. "If I had known that some of my kin were there, I would have come up with a reason to tag along with her!"

"You would shirk your duties as a princess just for a chance to read boys' love?" Morgan quipped.

"Oh, come on, Morgan!" Princess Alfin said. "I was only joking."

"And I'm more concerned that one of these days, your jokes will start coming true." Morgan replied bluntly, adopting a more authoritative tone. "You're going to make your debut into high society next year; poking fun at your friends is fine, but you need to learn where to draw the line."

The princess let out a reluctant whimper. "Fiiine. I shall relent for now… But in exchange!" She immediately did a 180 and energetically leaned in close. "Tell me about YOUR side of the story. How has your return to Heimdallr fared so far? I want to hear all the details!"

Morgan chuckled to herself. She playfully poked a finger at the princess's forehead and gently nudged it away. "Where do I even start…"

And so, Morgan began to recount all that had occurred during their field study thus far, from the events that transpired yesterday to this morning's happenings. Eventually, the topic began to shift towards their daily school lives, talking about their favorite classes and what they usually did on the weekends. The two friends were lost in their own world, content with sharing their own stories to each other.

However, all fun times had to eventually come to an end.

"Your Highness?" Elise's voice called out from outside. "I have returned with the other guests."

"Oh! Yes! Give me one moment please!" The princess's expression became crestfallen. "What a shame. It would appear that our time is already up."

"Looks like it." Morgan tried her best to give a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't look like that! We can always talk again later."

"It doesn't mean that I have to like it." Alfin pouted. "I miss the days when we could talk more freely. Do you remember how I would talk about my day at school while you combed my hair before bedtime?"

Morgan nodded and closed her eyes. "Those were simpler times…" She stretched her arms over her shoulders. "Okay. Let's go."

"Are you sure about this?" the princess inquired. "Once they walk through those doors, there will be no turning back. Our relationship will be laid bare for them to see."

"I stopped looking back a while ago," Morgan responded. "If they're going to find out about us eventually, we might as well get it over with now."

Alfin nodded as she stood up from her chair. "This will just take a moment." She then walked over to the spot where Morgan first saw her. "Please show them in, Elise!"

Morgan took note of how the princess was twiddling her thumbs as the doors to the garden opened.

"Are you feeling nervous, Morgan?"

Alfin had caught wind of Morgan's trembling hands as the latter was tidying up her dress. "Y-Yes…" Morgan admitted. "I still can't believe that I'm...going to do this."

"So long as you remember what Fauna instructed, you should be fine. Just follow my lead."

Morgan nodded her head as she made the finishing touches to Alfin's dress. "You're right… My worries feel so minimal compared to...what you have to do."

"It's natural for you to act this way the first time. Even I'm not exempt from this."

"You...get nervous too?" Morgan was understandably confused. Alfin always had a beaming smile on her face; how could such a radiant girl like her be nervous?

"Sometimes when I feel anxious, I start twiddling my thumbs like this…" She gave a demonstration. The movements were so subtle that Morgan wouldn't have noticed otherwise. "The leaders of the Four Great Houses can have such overwhelming presences. What's a twelve-year-old girl like me to do?" The princess sighed. "But in the end I have to do what I must for the sake of my family, and no one ever said the road would be easy."

"Mmm…" Morgan brushed Alfin's bangs aside. "There. Everything is finished."

"Thank you, Morgan. Oh! And before I forget…" Alfin reached into a cabinet and took out a peculiar object. "Wear this when we arrive."

"A...mask?"

"Do you like it? Cedric and I chose it so you can cover your scar! Don't worry; this is in line with the dress code…" Alfin tilted her head. "Morgan?"

Morgan just stood there, staring at the mask for what felt like an eternity. Then, she put the mask on then and there. A perfect fit.

"It feels...empowering," she muttered. "I also have to do what I must...for my lady."

Class VII had seen their fair share of surprises today. For Group A, it was their impromptu training session with the Vanders. For Group B, it was being led on a treasure hunt by the infamous (and appropriately named, given their group) Phantom Thief B. It was saying something, then, that something as deceptively simple as a tea party with the Imperial princess managed to outdo both of them, if only for the revelation that the Alastor Finnigan they had heard so much about ended up being one of the most important people in the country.

"Alastor Finnigan…" Machias muttered under his breath. "I feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner."

"Ahaha…" Elliot chuckled nervously. "I totally understand why she'd want to use a pseudonym, though.

The princess, meanwhile, was taking the time to talk to each one of the students. She exchanged greetings with Jusis and Laura, the two other prominent nobles in attendance, before shifting her attention towards Rean. For some reason, she seemed VERY enthused by the idea of viewing Rean as an older brother after having heard many stories about him from Elise. This, naturally, left the Schwarzer siblings in a state of disarray. Though it came at their classmate's expense, Class VII could appreciate Princess Alfin trying to break the ice so they could ease up around her.

It was after all the initial greetings were exchanged that the conversation began moving towards the elephant in the room.

"So…" Rean said. "I can understand Elise, but how did YOU become close friends with Her Highness, Morgan?"

Morgan, who had been taking a sip of tea at that moment, set her cup down. "You really want to know?"

"Yes, please!" Princess Alfin readily responded, eliciting a laugh from the others.

"Well, it's actually really simple…" Morgan began. "I told you guys before that I was found and taken in by a local family, didn't I? Well, that family was the Imperial family."

"No. Way."

Rean nodded in agreement with Alisa's comment. "Yeah. You can't exactly get any more local than the most important family in Erebonia."

It was indeed a simple answer, but perhaps it was BECAUSE of its sheer simplicity that the answer also proved very effective.

"It was during the summer of 1201…" Princess Alfin recounted. "My brothers and I had gone out to explore the area north of the Imperial Villa. When we reached a particular field, we found Morgan lying there, almost as if she were sleeping. We didn't know what to do, but we couldn't leave someone unattended, so we took her with us back to the villa."

"That explains why she looked kind of nostalgic when we were there…" Fie muttered to herself.

"It wasn't all smooth sailing, though," Morgan added. "Foreign tensions were rising at that time, so people thought I was a spy at first. It was only thanks to Her Highness's insistence that I was able to stick around after the summer recess ended. I stayed behind at the villa for little while, and eventually, I was allowed to take up residence at the palace as a domestic servant."

"'Domestic servant' would be putting it lightly," Princess Alfin remarked with a giggle. "I chose Morgan to be my personal attendant."

"Personal...attendant?" Gaius was confused by the title.

"Her handmaiden, essentially," Morgan explained. "I was her personal servant while she was in Valflame Palace. I even accompanied her to various social events, whenever the situation allowed for it."

"It can't be…" Jusis's eyebrows furrowed. "That servant who wore a mask everywhere…!"

"Wait, a mask?" asked Machias.

"It was an eye mask with a veil attached to the bottom," Jusis described. "The design was what stood out in my mind, since the outline resembled a butterfly's wings."

"You have a sharp memory, Jusis! In fact…" Alfin brought out the object in question from behind her. "I have it right here with me! Ta-da!"

The mask that the princess held in her hands was colored a deep shade of indigo, with small slits covering the eyes and bright gold patterns embroidered on the outer edges. Attached to the bottom was a piece of lace that acted as a veil to cover the mouth. As Jusis had described, the outline of the mask greatly resembled a butterfly's wings when they were outstretched.

"Um, Your Highness?" Morgan queried. "Do you just...have that on you at all times?"

"Was it not you who told me to keep it close so I didn't have to feel lonely?"

"That's not an excuse to just carry it with you wherever you go!"

The princess giggled. "You're right; I jest. I brought it along just for this occasion."

As Morgan pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, Alisa muttered, "Looking at them, you can tell that the two of them are close."

Laura chuckled to herself. "They're almost like sisters, in a way."

"Sisters…" Emma raised her hand. "If I can ask a question, why is it that Morgan had to wear a mask?"

"Because it looks cool, obviously!"

The students collectively sweatdropped at Princess Alfin's enthusiastic response.

"As for the real reason…" Morgan pointed to her scar. "It's cause of this."

"Ah…" Jusis nodded his head. "Yes, there are some nobles who are especially prickly about facial markings on women."

"I assume makeup couldn't cover it completely?" Laura asked.

"If it could, I wouldn't have needed the mask," Morgan retorted.

Machias raised his hand. "Morgan, you said before that you lived in the Kunst District, and now you say that you were Her Highness's attendant. Being in that position would essentially make you set for life, so if both are true, then why did you leave? And why did you decide to come to Thors in the first place?"

Machias presented an apt pair of questions, and his groupmates in Group B mumbled in agreement. The members of Group A, meanwhile, already knew the answer to his question.

"It started with the Assault on the Imperial Guilds in 1202," Morgan responded. "Do any of you remember the fires?"

"The ones by the guild buildings?" Elliot gasped. "So they were caused by…?"

Machias nodded. "Yeah. And after the incident was resolved, the Bracer Guild was forced to leave the capital. They tried to turn those old buildings into government-affiliated agencies, but they faced lots of backlash."

"The terms of my contract were that I was allowed to remain at Valflame Palace until I became more mentally stable. Long story short, after the Bracer Guild left the capital, I was released from service so I could help reconnect the community in their stead. It let me get my foot in the door, try to make a name for myself…" Morgan paused. "...As the Vermillion Deliverer."

Machias's jaw dropped. "So it's true!"

"YOU'RE the Vermillion Deliverer?!" Elliot half-exclaimed.

"...And quite the actress, too," Morgan quipped drily. "Honestly, I'm surprised some of you hadn't figured it out until now."

"Morgan made quite the splash in the populace," said Princess Alfin. "It was a shame having to say good-bye to her, but it yielded a lot of good for Heimdallr. That continued until she was asked to join the Class VII program. After that, she studied for the entrance exam, took the affinity test for the ARCUS, passed both with flying colors, and the rest, as they say, is history!"

"She was asked to join Class VII?" Rean looked confused. "Even though it didn't exist until this year?"

"Returning to Machias's other question…" Morgan began. "That's because the person who sought me out was also the person who devised the Class VII project in the first place."

"I'm guessing this person was also the one who wrote you a letter of recommendation, right?" Elliot remembered. "I don't think you told us his name yet."

Morgan turned to Princess Alfin. "Should I tell them or should you?"

The students collectively wondered what the princess had to do with this.

"Actually, this works out perfectly," Princess Alfin remarked. "Because as it so happens, the reason I called you here today was actually so you all could meet him for yourself."

"Really?" Rean half-exclaimed. "Then who-?"

Before Rean could finish his sentence, the sound of a lute played through the air.

"Heehee!" the princess giggled. "Oh, it seems he's arrived!"

Everyone turned their heads towards the entrance of the rose garden, where a man with a lute was walking towards them. Most notably, the color of his hair matched that of Princess Alfin's.

'And there he is…' Morgan thought. 'Olivert Reise Arnor. Imperial prince, and Thors' ornamental chairman of the board.'

"Thank you for coming to see me on such short notice, Morgan."

"No, it's fine! Today's a slow day anyways."

It was a few days after the end of the Summer Festival. Most of the post-festival highs had left Heimdallr, and the city once again moved back to its everyday life. Likely as a result of that, Morgan's load of requests that day was significantly lighter than what it had been during the festival. But just when she thought she could have some time to herself, Morgan received a summon from the Vander School headquarters. This being the Vanders, she naturally made her over there as soon as possible.

Imagine her surprise, then, when she was brought to one of the meeting rooms and found herself face-to-face with Prince Olivert, garbed in his traveling clothes as a means to blend in with the crowds.

"So what's up?" Morgan asked, having gotten over her initial surprise. "If you needed the Vanders to reach out to me, it must be something important."

"You could say that, but it won't be so readily obvious at first," the prince answered vaguely. "Tell me, Morgan: what are your thoughts on getting an education?"

"Education?" That was something she hadn't considered a while. Barring an occasional visit to Sunday School to help Maia chaperone the day care children, the last time she had visited a school was when she accompanied the princess to St. Astraia's last year. "I never really thought about it, to be honest. I've never attended a proper school before. At least, not that I remember, anyways."

"What would you say if I were to invite you to attend an academy?"

"An academy? Are you talking about St. Astraia's?"

Olivert shook his head. "Not this time, I'm afraid. Have you ever heard of Thors Military Academy?"

"Thors Military Academy…" she muttered. "I've heard about it a few times. It's located east of Heimdallr, right?"

"Correct. Located in the quaint town of Trista, Thors Military Academy is one of the most prestigious academies in the empire. Many of their alumni go on to enlist in the army, but there is a sizable amount who branch off to other disciplines as well." The prince then smiled. "And it just so happens that I sit as the Thors ornamental chairman of the board."

"What?!" Morgan exclaimed before covering her mouth. "S-Sorry, it's just… How come I wasn't aware of this?"

"Yes, well…" Olivert scratched the back of his head. "Considering my reputation as the Debaucherous Prince, it wouldn't exactly be great for the school's image if word got out. But it's always been a tradition that a member of the Imperial family serves as the chairman of the board, given that it was founded by our ancestor, Emperor Dreichels. At first, I wore the title in name only, but that all changed after my vacation in Liberl last year. Ever since my return, I have set a number of plans in motion, with one of them bringing a gust of fresh air to Thors Military Academy."

"A gust of fresh air, Prince Olivert?"

He walked over to the window. "You are well aware of the divide between nobles and commoners, yes? I would imagine that you have encountered such things during your work."

Morgan grimaced. "Yes. I have."

"Much of what makes up Erebonia today is created through conflict, whether it is between the Noble and Reformist Factions, or between the capital and the provinces. If this continues, Erebonia may very well become at war itself. That is the epiphany that I had over in Liberl, and that is why I have made my decision."

The prince turned around, a look of earnest determination etched on his face. He slowly walked towards Morgan. "I wish to create a new faction, a light that can break through the storm clouds that continue to build over our nation day by day. This faction will aim to do as my group of comrades and I did and unite people from all backgrounds, regardless of status, ability, or even country, to push back the impending darkness. But in order to do that, I must first change the foundations of the world from the inside. In cultivating new minds who can think and act independently to face tomorrow's challenges head-on, they will become the ones who can push this philosophy into the future and turn a divided nation into a united one."

His smile then grew wider. "And I am inviting you to become a part of my little project."

"Me?" Truth be told, Morgan was half-expecting for things to come to this, but even still, she had to make sure. "I don't mean any offense when I say this, but I don't think I've had a formal education before. Is it really okay for a no-name like me to attend such a...prestigious school?

"You needn't worry about having credentials," Olivert said reassuringly. "Every year, the chairman of the board is allowed to write one letter of recommendation for a prospective student, and as it so happens, I already have one prepared for you. You will still need take the entrance exam, of course, but that can be overcome if you start preparing now."

Morgan was stunned by the amount of preparation the prince had going into this negotiation. "You really want me to be a part of this."

"I understand that you may have some reservations, given that this is a MILITARY school; you will no doubt have to face your fear of weapons head-on. But…" He put his hand on her shoulder. "I truly believe that out of all the people that I know, you are the best fit for this. Your level of practical knowledge will prove crucial to making this project work."

The prince then stepped away and stretched out his hand. "So what do you say? Will you not lend your aid and join me in this idealistic quest of mine?"

It was an offer she couldn't refuse, but it was also one that she was happy to accept.

Those memories ran through Morgan's head as Prince Olivert explained the vision he had for Class VII during dinner. After getting over their initial surprise at the prince's forthrightness, they were renewed with a desire to fulfill the prince's expectations.

Eventually, dinner came to a close, and Class VII was escorted out of the communion room. Morgan, however, elected to stay behind so she could talk to one of the servants.

"...I see. So you were in on this all along?"

"Quite right," Fauna replied. "I do apologize for not disclosing this to you, but Her Highness insisted that I keep mum for as long as possible. She, in her words, wanted to see the look on your face once you pieced everything together."

"That's understandable." Morgan cupped her chin. "Then I'm guessing that the person who called us to the Vander School headquarters was…"

"...His Highness, Prince Cedric. That is correct."

"I don't mean to sound presumptuous when I say this, but is there a reason they didn't contact my ARCUS?"

"Princess Alfin believed that Prince Cedric needed some practice talking to others before the opening ceremony tomorrow," Fauna explained. "Even something as small as a conversation over an orbment can be used as practice. With that in mind, contacting you would have confined him to his comfort zone, which is the exact opposite of what she had in mind. Please understand."

Morgan nodded, the maid's argument proving sound. "Has he been doing well?"

Fauna smiled. "I think you will be pleased to know that his academic pursuits have been flourishing. He has become invested in the realm of politics lately, even expressing interest in the upcoming trade conference."

"That's good to hear! Politics definitely sounds like something he'd be interested in."

"Yes, although…" Fauna's smile vanished. "If I am being completely honest, I can't help but worry that he is beginning to look towards...less-than-ideal examples."

Morgan tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Lately, he has become interested in dissecting the ideals of the Reformist Faction, namely the views of Chancellor Osborne." Fauna grimaced at the mention of the Reformist Faction's leader. "It has gotten to the point where I think the prince respects him far more than is own blood family."

"The Blood and Iron Chancellor…" Morgan muttered to herself. She had encountered the man on a few occasions before, and he was as stern and iron-willed as his title suggested. "Well, there are worse role models, right? Besides, advancement can't occur unless a thesis and antithesis come together to make a synthesis. At least, I THINK that's what one of my textbooks said…"

"That may be true…" Fauna sighed. "Well, it is merely the ramblings of an old nursing maid. Don't think too much of it."

"You were with Alfin and Cedric since they were infants. It's only natural that you'd worry about them."

"I cannot deny that," Fauna conceded. "However, they are not the only ones I have come to worry about."

"They aren't?" Morgan pondered over the maid's words. "Oh, yeah. I guess you'd be worried about the emperor and-"

"I was referring to you."

"...Heh?"

"Is that so surprising?" The corners of Fauna's mouth crept upwards. "As the person who was tasked to oversee your training as Her Highness's attendant, I witnessed firsthand your growth from a confused and lost child to a more self-assured individual. When you look after someone for as long as I have, you start to liken those experiences to that of a parent preparing their child for their first job."

"I guess I see your point…" Morgan's eyebrow twitched a little bit. "But I'm not a child, Miss Fauna."

"And yet you cannot deny that those first few weeks were the most challenging," Fauna fired back. "Be it through your detached way of speaking, your cluelessness to Erebonian culture, your constant failures at cooking even the most basic of foods… Should I go on?"

Morgan slumped her shoulders. She knew there was no way she could ever win an argument with her old superior.

"The road was filled with many bumps and worries, but it paid off in the end. Look at where you are now." Fauna's mouth was now smiling in full. "You were like a caterpillar back then, constantly taking in and feeding yourself information that would help you moving forward. Now you are like a butterfly, spreading your wings and showing the fruits of your growth. Whenever I had the opportunity to talk with the Vanders, I always looked forward to hearing about what you did last."

"Miss Fauna…"

"With this, you have nothing left to hide from your classmates. I will be more transparent in my attempts to contact you-oh!"

The maid's sentence was cut off abruptly; Morgan had spontaneously dove forward and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again…" Morgan said. "My loyalties lie with the royal family. If anything goes wrong, just say the word, and I'll come running. I owe them a lot, and I owe you just as much."

Fauna was stunned by Morgan's sudden change in behavior, but she eventually accepted it and wrapped her arms around her. "I may have been a bit harsh with your training back then, but I hope you understand it was for your own good."

"I know," Morgan replied. "And I also knew that you'd never give me something that I couldn't handle. So thank you, Fauna. For giving me a chance.

"You're very welcome, Morgan."

Morgan stepped out of the front gate and joined her classmates in front of the school. "Hey! Sorry to keep you all waiting."

"Not at all." Gaius was the first to acknowledge her presence. "Have you said all of your good-byes?"

"Yeah…" Morgan took note of how her classmates were huddling around Rean. "Were you guys in the middle of something? What were you talking about? I wanna know!"

"We were just discussing the princess's invitation to Rean," Alisa responded, eyeing Rean with a smug glare. "He's becoming really popular these days."

"And I fail to see how any of it is my fault!" Rean tried to defend himself.

At the tail end of dinner, Princess Alfin had shocked the entirety of Class VII, Morgan included, by spontaneously extending an invitation to Rean. The occasion? He was to be her dance partner for the garden party that she would be attending tomorrow. Seeing as the princess was close to making her debut into high society, the press was rampant over who she would choose as her dance partner, and Rean seemed very much aware of this fact. However, he was so flustered by the princess's sudden proposal that he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Eventually, the princess rescinded her offer, but not without implying that there could be some possible openings in the foreseeable future.

"Incidentally, we were curious as to what you thought about the whole thing, Daraen," said Jusis.

"Hmm…" Morgan thought about the idea of Rean dancing with Alfin in the middle of the Crystal Garden. "Honestly, I think she just said that for the laughs."

Rean pointed both his hands at Morgan. "THANK you!"

"But you know…" Morgan added. "If Rean were to get on good terms with the princess, that would effectively clear up any worries about the Schwarzers. It'd let your family reclaim its favor with the nobles…"

"Okay, this just got real serious, real fast." Any amount of gratitude that was on Rean's face quickly vanished. "Even for you, that was low."

Morgan raised both her hands in apology. "All I'm saying is that there's almost no downside. Although, I think the main benefit Her Highness would get out of all of this is having Elise as a sister-in-law."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here…" Gaius quipped. "They're both still young."

"Gaius, you're not helping!" Rean complained.

"Still, I never would have imagined that you were acquainted with the Imperial family," Machias said in an attempt to switch the topic. "That would explain why you seemed to know more about Class VII than you let on."

Morgan frowned. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you guys, even when I said I'd be more honest. But I had a good reason this time! If word got out that a commoner like me knows the Imperial family, then I'd be painting a big target on my back."

"Hearing about the instructor's background kind of threw me for a loop, too," Elliot added. "I wouldn't have imagined she used to be a bracer… Maybe because you don't really see them around anymore to begin with."

While Olivert was explaining the creation of Class VII, he also mentioned the difficulty of convincing Sara to leave her old job, which led him to reveal that before she was an instructor, she was one of Erebonia's best bracers.

"A-rank is more or less the highest you can be, too." Laura turned to Fie. "I assume you already knew about her history, Fie?"

Fie nodded her head. "Yup. The guild is every jaeger corps' main competition, after all. Probably even ran into her a few times during our operations."

"Ah, I'd almost forgotten about those good old days…"

As if on cue, their homeroom teacher appeared behind them.

"H-How long have you been there?" Alisa stammered.

"So, looks like you finally found out about my work history, huh?" Sara bemoaned. "I guess that kinda tarnishes my ravishing adult charm a bit, then…"

Machias tried to keep himself from snorting with minimal success. "I hate to break it to you, but you didn't have any to begin with…"

"Shhh." Fie put a hand to her ear. "Did you hear an old maid sighing?"

Needless to say, Sara was not happy. "What was that?!"

"Heehee…" a voice chuckled from behind the violet-haired instructor. "I should count myself lucky I didn't sigh there, otherwise I would have taken offense to that."

Stepping into view was another woman, though her hair color was a light blue.

"Captain Claire?" Rean recognized.

"This is quite the unusual combination," Laura remarked.

"Let me be the first to assure you that this wasn't my idea." Instructor Sara gave the RMP captain the stink eye, her disdain for her plainly written on her face. "But the governor's asked me to tell you that tomorrow's field study is being put on hold. Instead, you - and by extension, me - get the EXCITING opportunity to help this lady and her goons with their evil schemes."

This time, Claire couldn't resist sighing. "Sara, could you maybe not try to put them off entirely before I've even had a chance to explain?"

Despite Claire's attempts to sound respectful, it was clear that the relationship between the two was strained. At first, the students chalked it up to a one-sided personal distaste on their instructor's part, but after learning that Sara was a bracer who essentially lost her job after the government closed the guild branches? It now made sense why she treated Claire, herself a government agent, with such vitriol.

"Actually, there is a matter I'd like all of you to help us with," Claire said. "I've discussed this with the governor, and he decided that this would be the best way to handle the issue."

She made a gesture behind her. At the bottom of the slope leading to St. Astraia Girls' School, the students saw a pair of armored RMP vehicles.

"If you'd be so kind as to get on board…" the captain continued. "I'll explain everything to you at the command post in Heimdallr Central Station."

Author's note: And the second day of the field study comes to a close! Compared to the most recent chapters, this one was fairly low-key in terms of story beats, so I decided to double down and finish it earlier than I normally would as a way to send off 2020.

In this chapter, I chose to gloss over a lot of the major story beats that occurred during the evening, such as the entirety of Olivert's discussion with Class VII during dinner. The reason for that is because there wasn't a whole lot I could add to those scenes without making it seem like a retread of how events played out in the game, which was one of the criticisms I received starting out. So from this point forward, if certain events are glossed over or just partially described, you can assume that they played out the same way as they did in the game. It saves me a lot of time writing and it saves the audience a lot of time reading what could be old material. Instead, I will try and prioritize original content and sections that have Morgan at the helm, which is probably what the large majority of you are here for anyways.

And speaking of which, it has finally been revealed to Class VII that Morgan is friends with the Imperial princess, Alfin Reise Arnor. I tried to keep the relationship as vague as possible in-universe, even though it would still be fairly obvious to the audience. With this, a large part Morgan's past in Erebonia has been firmly established, with additional details being explained through flashback sequences. There is still a lot that can be explored, and there is definitely going to be an intermission chapter to elaborate on that; however, the bulk of it has been touched upon as far as the rest of Class VII are concerned, so it will no longer be as big of a deal in the main story moving forward.

Next time, we enter the final day of the field study, and things are definitely going to start picking up again. See you next year!