Upon arriving at the command outpost, Class VII was brought to the same room where they met with Machias's father. Captain Claire then proceeded to debrief them on the RMP's current state: they were operating under the assumption that a terrorist attack could happen on the first day of the Summer Festival tomorrow. This, naturally, alarmed the students, but aside from that, Claire didn't have any other information to give them; everything about the group's members, their motivations, or even their name was unknown.

It was after some input from the governor, a member of the Thors board of directors, that the RMP decided to ask Class VII to help with tomorrow's patrols, since it was very likely that the pair of individuals they encountered during last month's field studies, Scarlet at Bryonia Island and Gideon in the Nord Highlands, were part of this terrorist group. There was also the option to go about the day as they normally would, but after hearing about the terrorists, there was no way any of the students were going to say no. Thus, it was decided that Class VII would cooperate with the Railway Military Police.

The following morning, Sara entered the Bracer Guild building on Vesta Street, having already stopped by the branch on Alto Street. The Alto branch was one she frequently visited when she was still a bracer, and as it so happened, she even got to know Elliot's older sister, Fiona. The two of them were able to catch up a little bit over breakfast before Sara had to leave.

When the violet-haired instructor entered the guild building, she found Group A huddled over the reception desk. "Nice to see you ladies up and early!" she called out.

"Instructor!" Morgan waved her hand. "Did you come by to check on us?"

Sara looked at the map of Heimdallr that lay flat on the reception desk. "So what's the plan? You girls decided your routes yet?"

"We're planning on splitting up the districts among ourselves," Emma explained. "In addition, Morgan volunteered to pull double duty as mission control. We plan to check in every hour over the ARCUS to relay our findings. Then, we'll rendezvous at the guildhouse once everyone is finished."

Their instructor nodded. "Stay safe out there. Group B's already gotten a start on their patrols, so I'd suggest you start heading out now. In the meantime, I'm heading over to the RMP's command post. If you find anything during your patrols, just give me a call on your ARCUS."

"Got it. Ready to go, everyone?"

"Yeah. Let's do it!"

Morgan held out her right hand. Alisa, Laura, Emma, and Fie likewise placed their hands on top of hers.

"Group A! Move out!"

Upon stepping out of the tram and setting foot into the Sankt District, the first thing that Laura did was make her way over to the central plaza, where the St. Astraia Girls' School charity bazaar was being held.

The girls' school preached two main moral principles to its students: empathy towards those in poverty, and the importance of service towards others. To that end, the charity bazaar was one event that sought to uphold those beliefs, as all proceeds that were generated from it would later be donated to places in need. It was largely an informal event, with the items offered being small trinkets and items that the students made themselves, but it was the thought that counted the most.

As Laura drew nearer, she heard a familiar person beckoning passerby to come and look at their wares.

"Welcome, welcome! Feel free to look around!" Carmine was cupping her mouth with her hands. "All proceeds from today's bazaar will be donated to the day care center in the Westen District. Even a single 10 mira coin can make a difference in your community, so please! Don't be shy!"

Although Carmine's marketplace voice seemed out of place for a charity event, it was definitely working. More people were coming in and inspecting the wares that were on display. Laura decided to approach her friend.

"Welcome! Thank you for coming today-!" Carmine stopped herself upon realizing who she was talking to. "L-Laura! Fancy seeing you here this early."

Laura couldn't resist chuckling at her friend's attempts to recompose herself. "By all means, Carmine, don't let me stop you. I see your experience in your father's trading outpost has been useful in drawing in the crowds."

Carmine scratched her cheek. "Ahaha… Well, it's all part of my duties as president. And we have you and your classmates to thank for helping us set it up." She then looked from side to side. "Speaking of whom, I don't see them with you today. Are you by yourself?"

"Yes." Laura figured that since she was already engaged in a conversation, she might as well ask Carmine for information. "We are currently patrolling the west side of Heimdallr for any signs of suspicious activity. Incidentally, has anything seemed...off in this district since you came out here?"

"Off, you say?" Carmine put a finger to her forehead. "Hmm, I don't have any anecdotes of my own, but I think it would benefit you if you talked to one of the Heimdallr Military Police."

She pointed to the people wearing blue uniforms standing around the district's plaza. "They are stationed here to ensure no one attempts any thefts during our bazaar. Earlier this morning, one of them reported some loiterers outside the cathedral."

"The Heimdallr Cathedral?"

"That's right. The time of day was nothing too out of the ordinary; there are plenty of devout believers who venture here in the early morning. That, however, made it all the more unusual when the policeman saw that they DIDN'T enter the cathedral. He admitted later that he was perhaps reading too much into it, and the group dispersed before he could approach them anyways."

"Interesting…" Laura commented. "That does sound rather suspicious. I will be sure to keep this story in mind."

"Considering that you're out on patrol, Laura, I will be sure to tell the other students to remain vigilant. After all the hard work everyone put in yesterday, it would be a shame if something were to happen and put all our efforts to waste."

"On that, we cannot agree more."

"I must admit…" Holly gave a small, serene smile as the face of her next client entered into view. "I did not expect your name to appear on my list of clients today."

"Yes, well…" Emma sat down in the chair across from Holly. "I happened to be in the area, and since I was here, I figured I would stop by and say hi. Of course, the only way to do that was to sign up for a time slot…"

"I see. And what of your classmates? From the sounds of things, it seems that you came here alone."

Emma was surprised by the fortune-teller's perception. Regardless, she nodded her head. "To tell the truth, I didn't come here just to get my fortune told. I was hoping we could exchange information."

"Information?" Holly half-smirked. "I am a fortune-teller, not a knowledge broker."

"I understand that," Emma conceded, "but here's the thing…"

Emma proceeded to explain what she and her classmates were doing for the Summer Festival.

"Looking out for suspicious behavior…" Holly hummed to herself. "Actually, there IS one thing that comes to mind."

"Really?!"

Emma's sudden exclamation caused Holly to flinch and cover her ears.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"It's fine…" The fortune-teller gingerly massaged her ears. "My hearing is rather sensitive is all. But back to what I saw earlier. Last night, I caught wind of some suspicious-looking people wandering near the racetrack. They had just come from a back alley, which I thought was strange, and their faces were obscured by their hats. More importantly, I was able to overhear them talking about a 'plan' of some kind."

"A plan?" Emma gasped. "Were you able to hear anything else?"

Holly shook her head remorsefully. "Unfortunately, they dispersed before I could get a better reading on them. But if I had to hazard a guess…" She fiddled with her hair. "They plan to storm the racetrack later this afternoon."

"Why this afternoon?"

"At noon today, the Imperial family will begin their parade and visit various locations throughout the city. Prince Olivert will specifically be attending the Summer Races at this very plaza."

Emma's face turned pale. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together. "You believe they're planning on attacking the Imperial family."

"Well, this is all speculation at this point," Holly reminded her. "I apologize for not providing more concrete information."

"N-No! This helps me a lot!" Emma insisted. "Thank you so much for telling me this. I'll need to report this to Morgan."

Just as Emma was about to stand up, Holly held up her hand. "Wait a moment. Do you really think I'm going to let you off without telling you your fortune?"

"O-Oh, right. My mistake…" Emma's face flushed in embarrassment as she sat back down.

"Now, then…" Holly hovered her hands over her crystal ball. "Would you be so kind as to tell me your full name and blood type?"

"Um, Emma Millstein is my full name. There's nothing else to it. As for my blood type…"

Emma told Holly her blood type. With the knowledge in tow, Holly began to concentrate. The orb glowed a brilliant white color, followed by a burning red.

"Emma Millstein. Your major element is Mirage, while your minor element is Fire. When they are put together…" Holly's voice trailed off.

"Miss Holly?" Emma asked hesitantly.

"How interesting…" the fortune-teller muttered to herself. "You possess a kind heart and a desire to do what is right, but the truth is that you hide your true self from others. You are hesitant to reveal yourself, and you continuously cover it up with many layers. Despite this internal dissonance, however, you don't use it as an excuse to not help those closest to you."

"..." Emma was stunned into silence. Never had she felt so...exposed before.

"And most importantly…" Holly continued. "I now understand why you were curious about my fortune-telling. To recall a question you asked me a couple days ago, I can assure you that I am not like you. The same can be said for my master as well."

Now Emma was panicking underneath. 'Please don't ask, please don't ask!'

Holly frowned. "Your distress suggests that you didn't want me to see that. My apologies." She waved her hand over her crystal ball. "However, my orb measures one's elemental affinity, and considering that the average human alive isn't very attuned to the elements, it makes those who are stand out all the more."

"I suppose it can't be helped…" Emma was finally able to say. "But I have my reasons for doing this, so if you can…"

"This will be our secret," Holly affirmed. "If your classmates become privy to this, it won't be from me."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Now that that's out of the way…" Holly hovered her hands over the crystal orb. "Tell me what it is that you desire."

Emma briefly watched in wonder as she saw the fortune-teller's golden eyes glow in the dimly-lit room.

Truth be told, Fie had taken several detours before she arrived at the Leica District like she was supposed to. In her defense, though, she had noticed some suspicious behavior all around Vainqueur Street, even going as far as to tail some people into the alleyways. She didn't want to appear too conspicuous herself, hence why she decided to retreat, but it was definitely something worth noting. There weren't many partygoers who would venture into the alleys unless a) they were drunk, or b) they wanted to, and these guys were definitely too sober to be the former.

Fie figured that the Vander School was as good of a place as any to start searching for potential leads. Once she arrived at the Leica District and turned the corner at the music shop, she was fortunate enough to find Aurier Vander standing outside the building, sweeping the floor with a broom.

The blue-haired woman looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching. "My, I didn't expect to have any visitors today."

"Is it just you here?"

Aurier smiled and nodded. "The trainees have the day off for the festival. Meanwhile, my husband and both my sons will be accompanying the Imperial family today. That leaves me with the task of looking after the school headquarters."

Fie didn't expect to relate to Aurier's current position. Too often was she asked to look after the home base while the rest of Zephyr were out on missions. "Housesitting's boring, huh?"

"I can't deny that there are more exciting ways to spend one's day," Aurier admitted. "However, it is a responsibility I must attend to. The same can be said for the rest of the Vander household."

Fie groaned on the inside. Yet another example of how nobles need to "uphold their duty" and all that. True, she had a better understanding of WHY they felt the need to do it after her fight with Laura, but that didn't necessarily mean she wholeheartedly agreed with the idea...yet. That was the reason people like her existed: to take care of jobs that upstanding nobles and bracers otherwise wouldn't be capable of doing.

As she thought this, Aurier set her broom against the wall of the Vander School building. "But putting that aside, is there a reason you are by yourself, Fie?"

"Yup. I'm on patrol."

"Patrol? Interesting…" The Vander hummed to herself. "I assume the governor asked you to do it on his behalf?"

"...You're pretty sharp," Fie said. "I'm looking for leads. Can we talk inside?"

Aurier motioned for Fie to come inside the building. Once the doors were closed behind them, Fie explained what she and the rest of Class VII were doing and why they needed to do it.

"A terrorist attack…" Aurier's expression was considerably more serious now than it was just a minute ago. "That sounds troubling, indeed. And you are certain this information is valid?"

"One-hundred percent."

"Very well. Unfortunately, I don't have any leads at the moment, but I will see if I can pass along what you told me to my husband. I shall also contact our students; I hate asking them to do this on their free day, but we must be ready to defend ourselves at all cost."

Fie nodded her head. "Please do."

"What are you planning to do in the meantime?"

"Look for places where these terrorists might start popping up. They're not using the streets, so that only leaves the underground. Might need to pay a visit to the museum later…"

"Are you planning on braving the catacombs alone?" Aurier asked. "You won't get very far without a map, you know."

"Morgan said the same thing," Fie recalled. "I'm guessing you have one?"

"Let me go and retrieve it at once. Can you wait here until I return?"

"Sure." Fie brought out her orbment. "I'll phone Morgan while you're doing that."

"Be wary of the underground passageway, you say?"

"That's right," Alisa affirmed. "We don't know who's out there, but according to Morgan, Fie suggested that they could be using the catacombs to traverse the city undetected."

"That WOULD be the ideal form of travel." Omar rubbed his chin. "Alright. If I see anything, I'll be sure to call Morgan."

"Thanks, Omar. By the way, how's the orbal weapon coming along?"

"Very well." Omar motioned for Alisa to join him in the forging area, where he placed a wind quartz and a fire quartz next to each other inside a protective case. "As you can see here, I have successfully created a space where the two quartzes can generate electricity when activated, like so…"

He flipped a switch, and both wind and fire quartzes began to glow. After a few seconds, the familiar crackle of electricity became visible.

Alisa clapped her hands. "Nicely done."

Omar grunted as he flipped the switch off. "Even for someone like me, this is nothing."

Even though Omar tried to sound nonchalant when he said that, Alisa could tell that he appreciated the compliment. "So will you be able to put this into the lance?"

"Inserting them into the weapon is a trivial matter." Omar brought over a blueprint and laid it flat on the table for Alisa to see. "The bigger question here is what will be done in the event of overheating. Either a small cooling fan or exhaust pipe could be attached to the weapon…" He looked down at her. "Tell me, what do you think, young lady?"

Alisa was already studying the blueprints intently. Immediately, she was able to note that Omar wasn't just an average run-of-the-mill inventor, though that was to be expected, considering he used to work for the Epstein Foundation. Not only were there detailed sketches of how each circuit connected the quartzes to the rest of the device, he had drafted multiple sketches of the same weapon in order to incorporate add-ons like the aforementioned cooling fan and exhaust pipe. Nearly every possible scenario where the lance was applicable was accounted for. It was a wonder that Morgan still managed to find ways to break it despite that.

Once the black-haired girl entered her thoughts, Alisa started to look at things from a different angle. If Morgan were to wield the weapon in its current state, what would she think? Even though she had a tendency to be unpredictable, if the past few months had taught Class VII anything, it was that there was a method to Morgan's madness. With this newfound approach, Alisa began to see some potential flaws that she otherwise wouldn't have noticed before.

"Even if you used the smallest of each kind…" Alisa began. "A cooling fan would make the lance too bulky on the inside, and it'd add unnecessary weight to the body. An exhaust pipe would make it bulky on the outside; considering how much Morgan likes to swing that thing around, I can see her running into a few problems with that."

Omar grunted in response. "Then what do you propose I do?"

Alisa blinked. "Heh?"

"It is good that you pointed out the flaws in my design," Omar said, "but that is only the first step. Any well-meaning engineer has to not only diagnose, but also provide a solution. Fail to do that, and you're no better than a nitpicking customer."

Alisa thought back to her field study last month in the Nord Highlands. Though she was able to diagnose what caused a truck to malfunction, she lacked the know-how on how to repair it. Even though she was able to identify what went wrong, which was more than what could be said for the average Reinford employee these days, it still made her feel a tad useless on the inside when she realized she couldn't finish the job. It was just as Omar said; all she was doing was complaining about something she didn't understand and hoping things got better.

Well, that simply wouldn't do.

"A battery…" she muttered to herself. "Have you thought about using a battery?"

"An electric battery?" Omar asked to clarify. "Any additional voltage would result in the weapon imploding."

"No, I know that. I'm talking about making your own battery." Alisa pointed to the case with the quartzes and the switch. "You have everything you need here. If you let the quartzes charge themselves automatically, then connect a circuit to the output area, you could have easy access to the voltage when you need it."

"That...actually could work." Omar picked up the glass case that was covering the quartzes. "Yes, if all the energy is concentrated in a single area, it would reduce the need for complex circuitry. The issue of overheating can also be mitigated by using the right materials to cover the outer layer. However…" He set the glass case down. "It will be burdened with a usage limit. If there is no available voltage on hand, the weapon will need to recharge."

"I think it's worth the trade-off. Morgan can always adjust how much voltage she wants manually, and you can put a cap on the output to restrict her from going overboard. This is still the prototype, so we can get by with having a low capacity as long as the quartzes are constantly pumping out orbal energy."

Omar raised an eyebrow. "Since when did this become a weapon for Morgan?"

"I think that's the big thing you're missing, Omar," Alisa pointed out. "You're designing this so that anyone can use it, but Morgan isn't just anyone. I think by this point if you don't take her wackiness in mind while designing, you're gonna spend a lot more time repairing than innovating in the future. Once you have a working concept, THEN you can work on accessibility."

As soon as she said those words, Alisa worried that she was going to be on the receiving end of Omar's fury. It was clear that the inventor held a lot of pride in his work, and seeing it damaged was not something he looked forward to, no matter how prepared he was for it. For a moment, it certainly looked as though he was going to defend it.

Instead, he hung his head and sighed. "You may be right. My own pride made me reluctant to accept it. I didn't want to think I was making something for a specific person, especially not after my past with the Foundation, but it seems that very thing is what is necessary to complete my project."

Omar sat down on a stool overlooking the table. "Alisa, was it? I haven't seen ingenuity like yours in a long time. You remind me of a friend I used to have."

"A friend?"

"Yes. He always had a knack for thinking outside the box. Unfortunately, he's no longer with us." Omar grimaced. "He was taken from us far too soon."

"I know that feeling…" Alisa looked down. "I learned a lot about orbal technology from my dad, but then he died when I was nine. Our family practically fell apart after that."

"Ah." Omar had sympathy in his voice. "You have my deepest condolences."

She shook her head. "It's fine."

Morgan twirled a finger in her hair as she pressed the call button on her orbment. She was currently back in her apartment, just to make sure that she had some privacy for what was going to come next.

After a few tones, a serene voice that Morgan recognized as Oreja answered with, "You have reached the designated line for custom orders at Infaillible. How may we help you today?"

"So annoying."

There was a brief pause. Then, Oreja spoke again, but this time her tone was significantly lower. "Understood. Please wait while we direct you to the next line."

Morgan always found it a bit unsettling whenever Oreja did that. She sounded like she was a completely different person. It made her wonder which voice was her regular speaking tone. Only she and Ojo knew that, though.

After some more waiting, the line went live again. "This is the special orders line," Herman's voice spoke. "For security's sake, what's the password?"

Morgan groaned. "So. Annoying."

Herman chuckled. "That's just how this business rolls. So? What do you need, special customer?"

"I want to ask you a question." Morgan wanted to get straight to the point. "Have you or your crew noticed anything out of the ordinary either last night or this morning? I need to know if-"

"Hold it right there," Herman stopped her. "Before you go bossin' us around, we need to know what we'll get in return. You know how it is."

Morgan groaned internally this time. She didn't have money this time around, but fortunately, she had something else in mind. "I don't have enough mira to cover the full cost…"

"Well, then we have a problem-"

"But I can pay you with information," she continued. "Information that comes straight from the Railway Military Police command post. I'll even tell you up front."

Herman paused a bit to contemplate the offer. "...Go on."

Morgan grinned to herself; she knew it was an offer he couldn't refuse. She then proceeded to tell everything that Captain Claire had told her class the previous night, as well as what Class VII was doing now. Disclosing top-secret information so transparently was probably illegal, but considering that the government still couldn't pin down Infaillible's "side business", Morgan figured that her chances were pretty good.

"...That's everything I have," Morgan finished. "I said my piece; now I want yours."

Herman made a humming sound. "Where are you right now?"

"In my apartment. Vermillion Ziegel. You want me to come over?"

"Nah. Stay there. My next delivery's taking me there anyways. I'll make an exception this time and make it a house visit. I'll be there in a few."

"Gotcha. I'll let Hop know that you're coming."

After hanging up the call, Morgan immediately went to make another one, this time to the front desk. "Hey, Hop? Just wanna let you know, Herman's coming over soon…"

…

A few minutes later, Herman was inside Morgan's apartment, just as he promised. He whistled as he looked around the living room. "Pretty nice place you got here, kid. It'd be a shame if someone came in here and ransacked the place."

"If that ends up happening, whoever did it is gonna have to answer to the Vanders. They're the owners." That was a lie on Morgan's part; she said it to sound intimidating.

Herman didn't look fazed by her bluff. "So what, they just loan it to you or somethin'?"

"That's...not important right now."

"...Fair enough. Let's get to business." He sat down on the sofa. "I talked to my crew before I left. Let them know what's going on. You told anyone else yet?"

"You're the first to know," Morgan replied. "I wanted to give you guys an early heads-up, since you have that underground market and all. Just keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious people walking around town. And if you see anyone coming close to Kunst, well… You and your crew know what to do."

Herman grunted. "Nice to know we have such a GENEROUS client," he said sarcastically.

Morgan gave a mock bow in her seat. "You may thank me now."

Another grunt from Herman. "Right. As it so happens, Ojo and Oreja picked up some intel from the other side of town this morning…"

Herman proceeded to explain some of the happenings that were going on throughout the rest of Heimdallr. Tenants suddenly vacating their apartments without saying a word. Plumbers tending to the water pipes in the dead of night when no one else was around. People wandering near the entrances to the underground passageways with brooms in hand and disappearing for a good while afterwards. Workers at the Heimdallr Port quitting their jobs out of the blue.

"Definitely smells fishy, all right."

"Aye. It's got the rest of us on edge; the info you brought basically ties it all up in a bow." Herman reclined backwards on the sofa. "Anyway, that's all I've got. There anything else you need?"

"There's one other thing I'd like your input on," said Morgan. "These terrorists are clearly doing something behind the scenes. If we were part of their group, when would be the right time to strike?"

Herman made a face. "You really need to ask, Morgan?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking, Herman."

"Urgh…" He pinched his forehead and shook his head. "And here I thought you were clever…"

"Excuse me?" Morgan took offense to that.

Herman leaned forward. "You know what's gonna happen later today, don't you?"

"Later today?"

"The Summer Festival, kid. What's gonna happen at noon today?"

"Oh!" Morgan remembered. "The Imperial family is going to go to their respective places. So the terrorists are going to attack that time?"

"No, kid! Use your head." Herman pointed to his forehead in an exasperated fashion. "Whole world's gonna be watchin' that parade. You really think these terrorists are gonna take their chances with THAT much security roamin' around? Even the worst jaeger dropouts know better."

Morgan scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Right. Makes sense. So in that case, they'll probably wait until after the crowds disperse, right?"

"Bingo." Herman pointed the same finger at Morgan. "Wait until the event's almost over and everyone's gorged themselves on booze. Then, once their guard's down?" He snapped his fingers. "Boom."

Morgan let that thought sink in for a moment. There were still plenty of things that Class VII, Instructor Sara, and even the RMP didn't know about these terrorists, but one thing was certain: they were indubitably going to endanger the lives of the Imperial family. That alone was enough for them to get on her bad side. "So how are they going to do it?"

"That, kid, is something you're gonna need to find out for yourself." Herman stood up from the sofa. "I've said plenty enough as is."

"Yeah, you're right." Morgan also stood up so she could walk Herman back to the front door. "Thanks for coming to see me, Herman. And stay safe."

"That should be my line. Thors must be crazy, sending kids like you to do their dirty work."

"We chose to volunteer ourselves. It was a proposal from the government."

"Well, then that would explain the craziness." He rubbed his neck. "Damn, all this talking's makin' me need another lollipop."

At long last, Group A reconvened at the guildhouse. Each of them bought their own lunch to share with the rest of the group, so they sat at a large circular table to go over what each of them found out.

At noon, Morgan received a call from her ARCUS. She brought it out of her pocket and responded with, "This is Class VII, Group A, Morgan Daraen speaking."

"Hey, it's Sara. Give me an update."

Morgan took note of how the instructor's voice sounded more serious than usual before replying, "Understood. Here's what each of us got…"

Morgan set her ARCUS in the middle of the table so that each member of Group A could give their piece. Then, once the conversation circled back to Morgan, she retrieved her ARCUS and put it to her ear.

"Yup. Something sounds off, all right. If we add that to what Group B reported, it doesn't sound like the terrorists are actively wandering the streets."

"A majority of sightings happened either late last night or early this morning," Morgan added. "There's definitely something going on behind the scenes; we haven't figured out the exact what's and why's yet, though…"

"Keep sharpening that instinct of yours. It'll prove valuable to you. Now for the next order of business. It's almost time for the Imperial family's limousines to head out from Valflame Palace to their respective events. I'm guessing you already know where each of them are going?"

Morgan nodded her head. Alfin had disclosed this to her just the other day when they were by themselves. "Alfin is headed to Mater Park, Cedric to Heimdallr Cathedral, and Olivert to Heimdallr Racetrack. Each of them will also be accompanied by one other person. Emperor Eugent and Empress Priscilla will remain at the palace."

"Sounds about right. You know your stuff, Miss Former Royal Attendant."

Morgan wondered if her instructor had known about that all along. "So why're you asking? You want us to look after them?"

"Hit the nail on the head. Well, you actually only need to look after one, and that's the crown prince. I've tasked Group B with looking after Princess Alfin, and as for Prince Olivert…" Sara breathed in. "Well, I'm pretty sure you already know how capable his bodyguard is."

"Ah…" Morgan nodded her head. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"Just make sure the crown prince gets to the cathedral safely. After that, you girls can resume your patrol."

"Understood. We'll head to the cathedral at once. Over and out."

With that, she hung up and put her ARCUS back in her pocket.

"Does she have a new objective in mind?" Laura added.

"Yeeeup." Morgan checked the time. "You girls wanna see the crown prince?"

As the limousine departed from Valflame Palace, Crown Prince Cedric took in a few deep breaths to calm himself. His hands were laced together, and his thumbs were twirling around each other.

"Are you feeling unwell, Your Highness?"

"Hm?" Cedric looked up and smiled. "Oh, it's nothing, Kurt. I was just feeling a bit anxious is all."

"From what I heard, your rehearsal the other day was spot-on. So long as you remember what to say, I have no doubt that you will succeed."

"But I also don't doubt that there's a chance I may get tongue-tied," Cedric bemoaned. "What I wouldn't give to have a shred of your confidence…"

"Well, if I'm to be your bodyguard in the future, I need to be confident in my own capabilities. At least, that's what my father suggested." Kurt held up his index finger. "But you know, that does remind me of something my father once told me. When he was still in training, he often let his emotions get the better of him. One day, he approached his own father and asked him if there was a way to ease the burden of other people's expectations. Do you know his father told him?"

"What?"

Kurt answered in the most serious voice he could muster, "Bunnies."

"...Beg your pardon?"

"Whenever people's stares caused him to falter, he was told to imagine them as bunnies. Even the most chickenhearted person would never shrink from a bunny's stare, after all."

Cedric tried to keep a straight face. "So that's it, then? The God of Thunder's secret to keeping a straight face? He thinks of...bunnies?"

Finally, he couldn't contain himself any longer. "Ahahaha! Whoo! I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, but…" Cedric wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thank you, Kurt. I needed that. I feel much better now."

"Always a pleasure to serve." Kurt smiled and lowered his head. "And just so you know, that story's true."

"You were...serious?"

"I always have been, Prince Cedric."

"...Fair enough."

At last, their limousine arrived at their destination. The vehicle came to a complete stop, and the door on Kurt's side opened. He stepped out first after making sure that his equipment was in order. As the crown prince's bodyguard, he was the only one permitted to bring weapons into the cathedral.

Now it was Cedric's turn. The prince patted both his cheeks twice to mentally prepare himself, and he stepped out of the limousine to a large sea of people and cameras. At the sight of so many faces, he started to feel the nerves sinking in again. What did Kurt tell him to think about? Carrots?

He smiled and waved as he walked closer to the cathedral, scanning the crowd to make sure he looked at every direction at least once. And that was when he caught a glimpse of her.

A head of black hair, coupled with a youthful face that was marred by a scar travelling diagonally up her face. She was accompanied by four other girls who seemed close to her physical age save for one girl who looked to be the same age as him and Kurt.

They locked eyes for a brief moment, but that moment felt much longer to him. She smiled and gave him a nod of reassurance.

"Just because you lack something doesn't mean that you can't try to learn," her sister had said. "I'm sure if she were here, she'd want you to thrive in any area you set foot in."

Cedric smiled and nodded back. He was beginning to feel a lot more confident now.

…

"So that was Crown Prince Cedric…" Emma muttered.

"He's definitely Princess Alfin's twin brother, all right," Alisa commented. "The two practically have identical facial features."

"He's pretty cute," Fie remarked. "I was expecting him to be more like Olivert, but he reminds me more of Elliot instead. "

"To be fair, Fie, they are only half-siblings," Laura noted. "I haven't had the pleasure of interacting with him as much as Princess Alfin, but despite not being as outgoing as his siblings, he seems to be a well-mannered young man."

"His Highness never had the strongest constitution," Morgan explained. "It greatly limits his physical capabilities, and he doesn't have much self-confidence as a result. He still takes lessons in swordplay to defend himself, but he considers himself more of an academic."

"That explains why he has Kurt with him." Alisa remembered the blue-haired swordsman's display of skill from the preceding day. One thing he shared in common with Fie was that despite being two years younger than them, his swift attacks were not to be trifled with. "It makes sense that the prince's bodyguard is that strong."

"Technically, Kurt's not his official bodyguard yet," Morgan added, much to the group's confusion. "At least, not in the same way that his father and brother are to Emperor Eugent and Prince Olivert, respectively."

"But he will be in the future?"

"Yup. It's part of the family legacy, Fie. Kurt's basically been training his whole life for this; today is like a taste of what's in store for him."

"Then we can rest assured that the crown prince is in capable hands." Laura nodded in approval. "So what shall we do next? Resume our patrols?"

"Actually, before we do that…" Alisa pointed to the other side of the plaza. "Can we stop by the bazaar? I want to see what sorts of things they have."

Emma giggled to herself. "I think we've earned ourselves a little break, don't you agree?"

With the rest of the group giving their consent, the students made their way over to the St. Astraia charity bazaar. After a little while, they resumed their patrols.

"2:40 PM…" Morgan read the time. "Most of the opening ceremonies should be finishing up right about now."

She munched on a piece of bear jerky that she bought from a food vendor. Two hours had passed since Group A finished their last sweep through their assigned areas. Now, they were reconvened in the place where they started: right outside Heimdallr Cathedral.

"So are you guys sure about this?" Alisa asked. "They're going to attack now?"

"People will be more likely to let their guard down at this time," Laura replied. "And if we take into account the loiterers at the cathedral…"

"And the people talking about a 'plan'..."

"And the fact that nothing's been going on above ground…"

"...It stands to reason that now's the perfect time to make their move."

Alisa slumped her shoulders. "Wow. I can't help but feel like I did the least amount of work here."

"You let Group B know, Alisa," Emma consoled her. "That means all of Class VII is prepared."

"And hey! If it turns out we're wrong…" Morgan swallowed her final piece of meat. "Then at least we can say that we were able to see the crown prince out safely."

"HAAAH!"

"What was that?!"

"It sounded like it came from…" Emma pointed away from the cathedral. "Over there!"

"The bazaar!" Laura put a hand on her sword. "We should go and assess the situation at once!"

The girls all collectively nodded at each other before rushing to the main district plaza. Once they arrived…

"Angie! You really should know better! These girls are working!"

"...Huh?"

"I'm sorry! I can't help it!" A young woman with purple hair pleaded for mercy from a girl that was much shorter than her. "How could I resist seeing those innocent faces up close? Oh, this place is like paradise on earth!"

Morgan nervously scratched her cheek. "Um…"

The small girl turned around. "O-Oh! Hello, everyone! I didn't expect to meet all of you here."

"President Herschel?" Emma said with surprise. "This is unexpected. And you're with…"

"Mmm! The Goddess must be blessing me with her luck today!" Angelica squealed. "To think that I'd be able to see all the female Sevens in one place! Say, what do you say we all-"

"Hard pass!" All the members of Group A collectively took a step back upon saying that.

Angelica's shoulders slumped forward. "Laaame…"

"Same as ever, I see…" Alisa shook her head. "So that scream we heard earlier…"

"...It was Angie. Sorry to have worried you." Towa leaned in closer and whispered, "Especially since there's the threat of a terrorist attack hanging over us."

That shocked Group A. "How'd you know about that?" Morgan queried. "Did Instructor Sara tell you?"

Towa nodded. "Yup. I'm a Heimdallr resident myself, so Instructor Sara has been filling me in on what's been going on. Then I got pretty worried when I heard about the terrorists, which is when Angie offered to drive me over on her orbal bike. Though, it did also help that she was already planning on coming to the capital anyways…"

"And I think we know why…" Alisa eyed Angelica suspiciously. The rest of Group A followed her lead.

"H-Hey! What else was I supposed to do?" Angelica tried to defend herself. "Classes don't run back at the academy during the Summer Festival, and there's no way I was going to miss the first day. Even Crow's making the most of this free time."

"The trickster's here, too?" Morgan asked. "Did you come as a group?"

"Nah. We only bumped into him. Last we saw, he said he was going to go sulk in some bar on Vainqueur Street." Angelica snickered to himself. "I betcha right now he's crying to himself over this year's races."

Emma gave her a questionable look. "Isn't gambling prohibited for students, though?"

"There was a magazine that offered subscribers a shot at winning a fancy prize if you submitted your predictions. Anyone can join, minors included." Angelica then flashed a toothy grin. "And do you wanna know who won? None other than yours truly, of course!"

Fie arched an eyebrow. "For real?"

Towa giggled to herself. "Angie really does have scarily good luck with stuff like this."

"Well, her competition was Crow…" Morgan remarked. "With a name like that, it's no wonder that luck's never on his side."

Angelica guffawed. "True! Oh, I am SO gonna use that the next time I see him. Thanks, Mona!"

Fie tried and failed to suppress a snort. "Mona?"

"Yes." Morgan shot Fie a glare. "That's just her nickname for me. Don't think too hard on it."

"Angelica DOES like to give nicknames to people who catch her attention, even if they don't always make sense."

"Aw, you don't like the one I gave you, Lisa?"

Alisa hung her head. "Yeah, like that one."

"Do the two of you know each other, Alisa?" Laura inquired. "I must admit, I am a bit surprised."

"Well, her father's the marquis of the Nortia Province, which is where Roer is located, so yeah. We've known each other for a while. Although, things really started getting out of hand when she showed up out of the blue as a part-timer at the Sachsen Iron Mine…"

Morgan laughed at the thought of Angelica wearing a hard hat. It made her wonder if she did it because she was actually looking for work or because she wanted to make some sort of statement.

"Her full nickname used to be 'Li'l Lisa'," Angelica added. "Course, she's not so little anymore…"

"H-Hey! Watch where your eyes are going!"

"Aww, she caught me…"

The bell from the Heimdallr Cathedral rang three times.

"Sounds like the bell's chiming three o'clock," Fie noted. "It's showtime."

Morgan nodded. "Towa? Angelica? Since you're here, we might as well let you know: there's a chance things could get really hectic-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the ground beneath them started to shake violently.

"Y-You mean like th-that?!" The rumbling of the ground caused Towa's speech to be slightly impaired.

The students watched as the fountains in the main plaza began overflowing with water. The military police personnel stationed around the district tried to fix the situation, but before they could call for help, there was a loud bang coming from the Heimdallr Cathedral.

Morgan's face paled. "His Highness!"

A second later, the church doors swung open, and monsters began to crawl their way down the steps and into the district.

"Monsters from the underground?" Emma exclaimed in shock. "What are they-?"

"Look!" Laura pointed at a monster. "On their foreheads!"

Bringing their attention to the monsters, the students noticed that each one of them had a single glowing parasite attached to their heads.

"Tch…" Fie scowled as she drew her gunswords. "I think we know who we're dealing with here."

"They must've disguised themselves as regular people," Alisa added.

As the students drew their weapons, a loud shriek came from behind them. "KYAH! There's more over here!"

The students turned their heads to find another slew of monsters preventing people from escaping the district. The policemen tried to hold the line, but eventually one of the monsters broke through and made its way towards a St. Astraia student.

"Look out!"

"Hai...YAH!" Before the monster could pounce on the student, Angelica swooped in and knocked it aside with a flying kick. She then reached out her hand. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"U-Um, yes! Thank you!"

"W-Wow…" Emma was shocked by what she had just witnessed. "I've never seen someone kick that hard."

"Angie's an expert in martial arts!" Towa gave the group a thumbs-up. "Leave this area to us! You all head to the cathedral!"

"Are you sure, President Herschel?"

"Positive! We're military students too, after all!"

"Okay. We'll leave the evacuation to you. Morgan!"

Morgan already started running ahead. "Please be okay, please be okay…"

She was forced to come to a halt by a large, tortoise-like monster that blocked the path leading to the cathedral. Growling, Morgan drew her weapon. "Out of my way!"

Morgan slashed at the monster, but its defenses caused Morgan's attack to bounce right off. It snapped at her with its jaws, forcing her to retreat.

"Target locked!"

A full round of bullets fired at the monster, which was followed by Laura leaping into the air. "Shatter!"

Laura brought the full weight of her sword on the monster's head, cutting it off and ending its life immediately.

"Laura! Fie!"

"I understand your worries, Morgan…" said Laura. "But it is important that we go together."

"You're our tactician here." Fie stepped into Morgan's field of vision. "So set a better example."

Alisa readied an arrow. "We're here to back you up!"

Emma held her orbal staff close. "I'm ready whenever you all are!"

"Everyone…" Morgan closed her eyes and smiled. "Thanks. Now come on! Let's clean up this mess!"

With a cry of affirmation, Group A began the long trek to the Heimdallr Cathedral, cutting down any monster that got in their way.

Author's note: We have reached the final day of the field study! Heimdallr is under attack, and you can bet that Morgan is NOT happy about it. For the moment, the spotlight will be on Group A's side of the story, but you can expect their paths to cross with Group B's very soon. Additionally, I also amended one scene from the original game; in it, the group met Towa and Angelica in Dreichels Plaza, but in here, they are met in the Sankt District.

Since this is the chapter right before the climax, I wanted to give each district that the girls went to one last visit, and I got the idea to split them up individually to make the process quicker. Each of their respective placements was also done with purpose in mind: Laura, given her relationship with St. Astraia Girls' School, was a natural fit for the Sankt District; Emma would naturally be curious about Holly following their encounter at Racecourse Plaza, and it'd be a good excuse for her to get her fortune told; Alisa, with her expertise in orbal technology, would pair well with Omar in Westen District; finally, Morgan would have to be in the Kunst District since she lives there. Fie was the outlier in this case, since she doesn't have as much of a connection to the Leica District, but she DID have that one scene with Aurier a few chapters ago, which is why I felt comfortable with placing her there.

The last thing I want to highlight is the appearance of Crown Prince Cedric. In the original game, there was a brief scene with Alfin and Elise as they are escorted to Mater Park, and I thought it would only be fitting if Cedric received a similar scene. To my knowledge, I don't believe Kurt accompanies the prince on this particular event in canon, but since the other royal siblings are all accompanied by one other person, and it felt wrong to leave Cedric as the odd one out, I threw Kurt in there anyways. It also gives me an opportunity to delve into their relationship pre-Cold Steel III, which was something that went largely unexplored in the games proper.

Aside from that, this was a fairly straightforward chapter to write. Of course, that only means I have more time to make sure the events coming up next become even more polished. Hope to see you all next time! Stay safe and stay healthy!

"...It's finally time."

"You nervous, Severa?"

"N-No! Why would I be?"

"That scowl of yours says otherwise~"

"I don't need you to point that out, Cynthia."

"Ahaha! Well, break a leg, everyone!"

"Are you TRYING to get me to fail, Morgan?"

"No, no!" Morgan shook both her hands. "That's just theater talk! It's for good luck."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed…" Severa looked out the window. The sky was gray and very cloudy. "We're going to need a lot more than luck if we want to pass in these conditions."

"I'M excited, for one!" Cynthia said enthusiastically. "Against all overwhelming odds, a hero shall rise above the stormy sea of clouds!"

"Ahaha! Spoken like a true protagonist!" Morgan gave a mock bow. "I am blown away by your heroism, Your Highness!"

Severa rolled her eyes. "You girls know you basically just triggered your own flags, right?"

"Hey, no worries! If we fail, there's always next year!"

Severa grimaced. "Some of us have more at stake than you, Morgan…" she muttered under her breath.

Morgan tilted her head. "Huh? What was that?"

Before Severa could speak, the doors opened. Putting on their helmets, they followed a pegasus knight out to the field. The knights that were already there began whispering among themselves.

"Look! The captain's daughter!" "Oh, this should be fun to watch…" "Let's see if genius runs in the family."

Severa frowned. She was beginning to feel the expectations piling up on her. 'Tch! I'll show them… ALL of them.'