If someone were to ask Morgan what her favorite kind of meat was, she would respond with bear meat without even thinking. It was deciding which order of meats she liked after bear that she often had trouble with. She had her fair share of fowl and poultry, but she also couldn't say no to a beef steak. Her excursions to Ordis and Bryonia Island had also awakened an appreciation for seafood, but she still had a lingering soft spot for those strange slices of salted meat called "pepperoni" that The Don liked to put on his pizzas.
However, the moment she inserted a slice of Legram-style roasted boar meat into her mouth, Morgan knew that she had found a new definitive placement in her rankings.
"I take it the meat is to your liking, Morgan?"
"Oh, yes~" Morgan responded with delight, her previous knowledge of social etiquette practically thrown out the window. "This boar is out of this world! Mmm, that texture…"
Laura couldn't help but smile at the sight of Morgan gorging herself with meat. "I'm impressed that you could tell. Roast wild boar has been a staple in many local dishes for generations."
Across the table, Crow was scarfing down his portions just as easily. "Mmph! Man, forget seconds! I'm already thinking all the way to thirds here!"
Seated at the head of the dinner table, a tall man with sharp features, a well-built figure, and a long blue coat chuckled. He was Victor S. Arseid, the fabled Radiant Blademaster and father of Laura.
The group had met him by sheer coincidence. After their bout against Klaus, the students returned to the Bracer Guild to report their progress to Toval. It was there that they came face-to-face with the viscount himself, who had just been finishing up some small talk with the blond bracer. Considering that they had just heard this morning that Viscount Arseid was away for business, to see him show up after all was an unexpected but welcome surprise, and no person in the group was more surprised than the viscount's own daughter. Despite her attempts to maintain her composure, Laura was visibly elated to see her father again. Likewise, the viscount momentarily discarded his commanding presence to embrace his only daughter just minutes after she stepped into the building. For a moment, they weren't just the strongest swordsman in the Empire and the strongest first year at Thors; they were just like any other father and child.
After that, the rest of Group A took turns in introducing themselves to the viscount. Much like with Klaus, Viscount Arseid seemed to have a rough idea of who each person was and what each of them were capable of in combat. He then led the students back to the mansion, where Klaus was dutifully waiting. Upon greeting his master, the Arseid family steward escorted everyone inside to have dinner.
"You've made quite the unique group of friends, haven't you, Laura?" Viscount Arseid asked.
Laura nodded her head at her father and smiled. "Indeed. They have pushed me to attain greater heights as a swordsman."
"Yes. I even heard that you fought Klaus this afternoon...and emerged victorious, at that!"
"We did…" Laura's smile grew even wider. Even though she was currently savoring the nostalgic bites of her favorite childhood dishes, the sweetness of Group A's victory still lingered in her mouth. "Though to be more specific, Klaus fought against myself and three others. I doubt I would have achieved the same result if I fought him alone."
"With all due respect, my lady…" Klaus interjected with a bow. "You sell yourself short. I dare say, you and your classmates fought with the boldness of young lions.
"I only regret that I did not return earlier to witness it myself…" Viscount Arseid mourned. "I did have my hopes that you might choose to attend that girls' school in the capital, but perhaps this is how things were meant to be."
"I feel the same, Father."
...
As dinner began to wind down and everyone was eating their dessert, Viscount Arseid once again examined each of the students that accompanied his daughter for this field study. He was able to put faces to the names mentioned in Laura's letters, and while some acted more casually than one would expect from military school students, they all seemed amicable.
However, he also noted that there was one person who was probably quieter than they should have been. Though he did not like to flaunt his epithet of "Radiant Blademaster" very much, he knew that he was held in high regard by all swordsmen and swordswomen across the Empire. People would come from all over just for a chance to see or even talk to him. However, the swordsman who was seated to the left from him and across from Laura didn't seem keen on meeting his gaze. Was he perhaps nervous?
No… there was something else, wasn't there? Klaus had also made similar suspicions after sparring against him, if he recalled correctly. His name was…
"...Rean, was it? I'm curious. I can sense fear in your swordsmanship. A certain...hesitation."
The boy blinked, surprised by the viscount's sudden comment. "What?"
"Truth be told, I had hoped that we would be able to cross paths one day. Not only was your name mentioned alongside many others in my daughter's letters, I had heard about you from your master, Yun Ka-Fai."
"You know my master?"
Viscount Arseid nodded. "In addition to being your master and the founder of the Eight Leaves One Blade school, he's also a personal acquaintance of mine."
"Master didn't mention this to me. If I may ask, have the two of you dueled before?"
The viscount chuckled. "Haha. Oh, yes. On numerous occasions. Unfortunately, the winner has yet to be decided, in case you're wondering. Pitting our respective philosophies against one another is such an engaging experience, we always lose track of time."
"To think there's a swordsman out there capable of fighting on equal terms with you…" Laura muttered in amazement. "The world truly is a vast place."
"Yeah. I can hardly imagine what a duel like that would be like."
The mention of his master reinvigorated Rean's mood. Content with this, the viscount continued. "But getting back to what I was saying, the Eight Leaves One Blade school draws its influence from elements of several other Eastern schools of swordsmanship. The style's philosophy has such depth, it's not difficult to see why one who masters it is known as a Divine Blade.
"But there's something about you, Rean. Something that terrifies you so much that its mere shadow pins you in place."
Rean stared at the viscount in complete silence. Laura, Gaius, and Emma started muttering among themselves. Morgan and Crow silently looked at Rean before exchanging a knowing glance with each other.
"...You have me at a loss," Rean eventually replied. "I never would've imagined you'd be able to tell so much about me so easily. But thanks to that, I've made up my mind."
Rean paid the confusion of his friends no mind as he stood up from his seat and lowered his posture respectfully to the viscount. "My Lord… I ask of you, as the Radiant Blademaster: would you grant me the honor of a duel?"
Everyone looked at Rean like he had gone mad. The room went silent, but it didn't take long for the rest of Group A to replace it with their collective confusion.
"WHAAAAAT?!"
Morgan's voice was perhaps the loudest among the students. Laura, though not as loud, immediately placed her hands on the dining table and stood up for emphasis. Crow started waving his dessert spoon at Rean in disbelief. Even Emma and Gaius, normally the most level-headed of the Class VII students, were overcome with concern.
And yet, all of their comments were hushed when the viscount simply held up his hand and responded, "I don't see why not."
"F-Father?!"
"I can't very well deny a young swordsman such as Rean this once-in-a-lifetime chance, can I? I'm sure you also understand how he feels, Laura."
"Th-That's…"
Laura couldn't come up with a counterargument. She knew that testing the limits of one's own strength was a fundamental desire for any up-and-coming swordsman. As the daughter of one, one could even say that it was something she felt in her blood. And a chance to spar against a master like her father didn't come every day. To that end, she could understand Rean's sudden desire to measure his strength against one of the Empire's best.
But if that was all, then why was special emphasis placed on Rean's hesitation with the sword?
"But let us not fret over that at the moment," Victor continued. "We have just finished supper, and it is also to my understanding that each of you have to complete special reports for your field study. Let us table this discussion until after you have filled out your reports for the day; that way, our stomachs would have had enough time to digest our meal. Once you have completed your tasks, we can all meet at the training hall. Will that suffice?"
Rean bowed again, a look of relief and satisfaction adorning his face. "Thank you very much, sir."
"You're serious about doing this…" Laura quietly muttered.
"I am." Rean rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry to spring this up out of the blue, but please, Laura. Don't try and stop me."
"You needn't apologize…" the swordswoman sighed. "I just hope you realize what it is you're getting yourself into."
As Laura reluctantly sat back down, Morgan, Crow, Emma, and Gaius all looked at each other worriedly. Their first day in Legram was far from over, it seemed.
"...So how much you guys wanna bet that he's not gonna get a single hit in?"
Laura, Morgan, Gaius, and Emma all glanced tiredly at Crow.
Crow threw up both his hands in concession. "Just trying to dissolve the tension here!"
"You could stand to be a little more supportive, Crow!" Morgan hissed.
An hour had passed and the group had reconvened at the Arseid school training hall, as proposed by Laura's father. Both he and Klaus were already waiting for them when the students arrived, and Rean wasted no effort in stepping forward to meet them in the center of the building. The rest of Group A stood to the side.
"Come on, I know Rean's not exactly weak, but you can't seriously think that he stands a chance against him, right?"
Morgan shook her head and muttered to herself, "Why do you choose now of all times to be logical…?"
"I'd be more worried about yourself, if I were you."
"What…?"
Before Crow could elaborate, Klaus stepped forward with a large brown briefcase and opened it. Viscount Arseid reached into it and effortlessly pulled out a colossal greatsword with one hand.
"U-Unbelievable…" Emma gasped.
"He can wield such a massive blade so deftly with just one hand?" Gaius said, looking just as surprised as his classmate.
"Whoo!" Crow whistled. "Now THAT'S what I call a big effin' sword!"
"That's Galland-Sharl, a greatsword that's been passed down in the Arseid family for generations," explained Laura. "It was once wielded by the ancestor of our house, the second-in-command of the Eisenritter."
Rean took a deep breath to calm himself. Though he retained his focus for the most part, his classmates could tell that he was beginning to reconsider charging headfirst into a duel. Nevertheless, he steeled himself and drew his tachi; after all, it would be remiss of him to back out now after coming this far.
"Are you certain this is what you want?" the Radiant Blademaster asked.
"I am. It's an honor to have the opportunity to test my mettle against the renowned Radiant Blademaster. Thank you for accepting."
"I admire your spirit. Now, show me what a swordsman of the Eight Leaves is capable of."
Klaus, who offered to act as the officiator, stepped a distance away from the two duelists. "Are both combatants ready to begin?"
"Rean Schwarzer of the Eight Leaves One Blade school, beginner rank. I stand ready."
"Victor S. Arseid, master and successor of the Arseid school. Ready."
"Very well. Then… Begin!"
Despite Klaus giving the word to begin, both combatants did not immediately rush in to confront each other. Instead, they opted to observe each other from a distance, assessing their respective stances and looking for any visible weak spots. This decision from Rean seemed to gain Victor's approval, as the latter then altered his standing position so that he left himself open on one side, beckoning Rean to take the first move. Rean, however, must have figured that a swordsman as experienced as the viscount would know how to defend that blind spot regardless, so he chose to sheathe his weapon to make his next move more ambiguous.
Focusing his energy into his tachi, he drew it quickly to use Arc Slash, firing a crescent-shaped wave at the viscount. The blademaster effortlessly blocked the incoming attack by holding his sword in front of him, but not a moment later, Rean got into position to use his Gale technique. Dashing at blistering speed, Rean stepped to face the spot where the viscount had left his flank open and charged forward. However, the viscount was faster; having anticipated that Rean would strike from that area, he preemptively turned around and blocked Rean's attack, once again with one hand. The Radiant Blademaster was like a stone wall, unmoving and stalwart even when a harsh tempest blew against it.
"An admirable attempt," he said. "Now it is my turn." The viscount pushed Rean aside and finally started going on the offensive.
Compared to the Vander school, the Arseid school was more grounded in regards to its approach to combat. Whereas the former focused on augmenting a sword's reach with fleet footwork to achieve an overwhelming offense, the latter emphasized greater control of the weapon itself, exerting the necessary amount of force to overwhelm an opponent without overextending so that ripostes were more easily doable. However, just because one school was more offensively or defensively inclined than the other does not necessarily mean that they couldn't visit the other end of the spectrum, something that Viscount Arseid displayed most impressively. Because he was strong enough to wield a greatsword with one hand, he was free to show his full mastery of the blade, reaping the benefits from having a larger blade without feeling the drawbacks typically associated with two-handed weapons. His opponent would then have to weave in and out of his attacks to find an opening, which was easier said than done considering how much space the viscount's attacks took up even with a single swing.
Rean grit his teeth. If he didn't do something quick, he would lose the duel without getting a single hit in. Placing both hands on his tachi, he breathed out and concentrated some of his power onto his weapon. "Flames, gather on my blade!"
His classmates gasped. "He's already using his Flame Slash technique?" Morgan exclaimed.
The Eight Leaves swordsman leapt forward with his tachi, now wreathed in flames, raised above his head.
The Radiant Blademaster stepped backwards and leveled his sword close to his face. The moment Rean's tachi clanged against the Galland-Sharl, he rotated his body counterclockwise, pushing aside Rean's attack and retaliating with a fierce one-handed spin. This caused Rean to be blown halfway across the arena and land on the floor. The rest of Group A winced.
"Ooh, that one looked like it hurt…" Crow mumbled.
Laura sighed. "And this is why I tried to stop them…"
Rean coughed as he sat up. Deep down, he felt that he was probably looking like a complete fool in front of his friends, let alone the Radiant Blademaster. Perhaps this really was the best that he could do…
"What are you doing? This duel is not yet over. To your feet, at once."
"Father?!"
Laura was startled by her father's words, as were the others. Rean was clearly out of his league, and the fact that his most powerful technique was pushed aside so effortlessly was proof of that. If this duel kept going on…
"I know you're capable of more than this," Viscount Arseid continued. "But if you're still too afraid to assert your true strength, then I have no choice but to force your hand."
The blademaster raised his sword above his head and began to gather energy. "Now, show me!"
Morgan closed her eyes preemptively, unable to watch.
But instead of the sound of steel cutting flesh, she only heard the striking of empty ground.
"He...disappeared?" she heard Emma gasp.
"No…!" Gaius refuted.
As Morgan was about to open her eyes, she felt two hands suddenly cover them again. "Wh-Wha?! Hey!"
"I'd keep 'em closed, Morgs," Crow's voice whispered into her ear. "You're not gonna like what happens next."
Morgan wasn't sure if she was more creeped out or annoyed about the way her lecherous upperclassman had entered her personal space. "Crow, what-?"
"Too slow!" the Radiant Blademaster shouted, followed by the heavy clanging of steel against steel.
To the left of her, she could hear her classmates gasping in shock. Something had just happened, and it involved…
"Rean…?" Laura muttered.
"Grr…"
Morgan froze in her attempts to pry Crow's hands off her face. The voice she had just heard belonged to Rean, but at the same time, it didn't sound like him. It had a darker, almost demon-like echo to it. It was a growl that she had heard once before. Which meant that on the other side of Crow's fingers…
"Excellent. This is as it must be," Viscount Arseid said. "This is the power that slumbers deep within you. As long as you continue to cower in the face of it, you'll remain forever at a standstill. I want to see your full potential!"
"Hrrraaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Any lingering doubts that Morgan might have had were washed away by the wave that was Rean's scream. Just the sound was enough to send shivers down her spine, and the image of her friend with white hair and red eyes resurfaced in her mind. Her legs started shaking and her knees were growing weak.
"Hey. Easy there." Crow's voice was calm and steady, not like how it was most of the time. "Laura's old man's got him covered. You've got nothing to worry about."
Morgan was surprised by the sudden shift in the trickster's behavior. Was he...trying to help her?
She was reminded of that fateful day in the old schoolhouse, when Rean had first transformed in front of her. She had been petrified, unable to do anything but cower in fear. That was when Crow stepped in and took control of the situation, supporting Rean where she could not. Morgan felt that same feeling of helplessness as she did back then, like a small chick having its eyes covered by the protectful watch of its parent.
Was she really satisfied with this? After all the effort she and Rean had gone through to get their relationship back to where it used to be?
Her thoughts turned to Rean. How must he have felt to have to reveal this side of himself to the others? What would his reaction be upon turning back? If she continued to have her eyes closed to the trouble that was going on in front of her, wouldn't everything they had gone through have been for nothing?
Morgan quietly made up her mind. "I'll be fine. You can put them down."
"You don't have to force yourself to look," Crow told her.
"I know. But I…I need to see this. I told him...that I needed to get reacquainted with him. That also means having to see this, to. If I can't confront this now…" She clenched her fist. "If I keep holding on to this, then things won't change!"
Rean continued to scream on the other side. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't afraid at all. But she also knew that she couldn't just stand idly by while her friend was suffering.
Not to mention, she also had that promise to keep.
"Why do I always get stuck with these kinds of jobs…" Crow sighed. "Fine. Suit yourself. But if you want a shoulder to hide behind, just let me know."
Morgan secretly hoped that things would not resort to that. "Alright…"
And so, Crow lowered his hands. With her sight returned to her, Morgan looked to her left. The eyes of Gaius, Emma, and Laura were all glued to the action and didn't seem to have noticed what had occurred between herself and Crow. She unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that.
Then, she looked ahead. Rean, with his white hair and red eyes, had a malevolent aura surrounding him that caused every sword strike to leave behind a dark-colored trail. Victor, meanwhile, had started to take the match a little more seriously, as evidenced by a blue aura of power emanating from his body. There was no doubt that Rean's transformation had given him an immense, almost inhuman boost to his strength, but even that was not enough to fully break the Radiant Blademaster's defense. The longer this went on, the more Rean's movements became akin to mindless flailing compared to the poised sword strikes of the viscount.
"Fall to ruin!"
"I think not." A careless swing from Rean met the perfect guard of the Radiant Blademaster, causing the former to stagger.
"It's time to finish this! Radiant Phoenix Slash!"
The viscount's sword glowed with a saint-like aura, similar to when Laura used her Radiant Blade Dance technique. However, the magnitude of the glow was clearly on a whole different level. He then slashed vigorously, moving faster than the eye can see. Rean attempted to block the attack, but to no avail; the sword swings came too quickly for him to react, and he was easily overwhelmed by the Radiant Blademaster's fabled technique. The transformed swordsman was sent sprawling onto the floor, dropping his tachi in the process.
"Ugh…"
The malevolent aura that was surrounding Rean began to subside until there were no traces of it left. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal, and his hair color reverted to its original black.
"Rean!"
The rest of Group A ran into the arena where their friend lay. Emma retrieved her orbal staff and silently began casting healing arts on Rean's wounds.
"That duel was craaazy," said Crow.
"Yeah…" Gaius retrieved Rean's tachi from the ground. "Though now it makes sense why Rean asked the viscount for a duel in the first place."
"You fool…" Laura shook her head. "Were you shouldering such a burden alone all this time…?"
Morgan slowly knelt next to Emma. She knew that Rean wouldn't be in danger of transforming again after the beating he just received, but the sight of him looking like...THAT still left her a little shaky. She hoped that she could keep her voice level as she talked.
"H-Hey. You okay?"
"I'm...fine…" Rean sat up from the ground and looked at Morgan. Upon noticing the shaken look in her eyes, the realization dawned on him. "You saw...didn't you?"
"Y-Yeah…"
He looked away, ashamed. "You weren't supposed to see… Especially not after...last time."
"Rean…"
"It's alright if you're still scared of me. I'm used to it…"
"Rean. Look at me."
He reluctantly did, naturally expecting the worst.
"I'm…I'm not going to be afraid of you."
"What…?" Rean slowly widened his eyes.
"It's true that your power scares me. When you change like that...it makes me remember things I'd rather forget. But that's not your fault. My fear doesn't have anything to do with you, so don't feel that you have to be responsible for me. Don't think that your appearance makes you any less worthy of my trust. And I'm sure that…" Morgan lowered her voice. "I'm sure that Elise would feel the same way."
"Morgan…"
"I think you're finally starting to understand."
The students turned to Viscount Arseid, who made his way over to wear Rean and Morgan were. "What we call power is simply a measure of one's raw strength. Without knowing how to properly apply it, it has no real meaning. However, when you deny the power you already possess, you're only shortchanging yourself."
Rean digested those words for a short while before nodding his head. "You're right. I feel like I finally get what my master was trying to teach me about the laws of nature, but… I'm afraid understanding that is only going to make me even more uncertain."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of," the viscount assured him. "And this goes for you as well, Morgan. Stand up, dust yourself off, and step forward. Grapple with your fear each day, if that's what it takes. Uncertainty weighs on the hearts of all people, but it's far preferable to standing still."
The group decided to turn in for the night after that eventful duel. While Rean was prepared to explain his secret to the rest of his classmates, the viscount insisted that everyone get some rest. After all, it wasn't like Rean was the only one who had a lot to think about after that.
It was fortunate that they had all finished their daily reports beforehand, because Rean passed out as soon as his head hit his pillow.
"Out like a light," Crow snickered.
Gaius nodded. "Not surprising, considering the ordeal he just went through." The Nordian then adopted a more serious expression. "I know this isn't my place to pry, but since you were with Rean and Morgan last month in the old schoolhouse, I assume you were already aware of Rean's power?"
"Bingo. He wanted us to keep it a secret." Crow pointed his thumb at their classmate. "Course, considering how his sister and Morgan reacted, you can't really blame the poor guy. What about you, Gaius? Surprised?"
"I will be the first to admit that I never anticipated Rean's fears to turn out like this…" Gaius closed his eyes. "With that said, I had sensed that something was off about him after getting to know him in the first few months, and looking back in hindsight, this was probably on his mind ever since he first came to Thors. The fact that his sister knew about this beforehand also explains why he kept her at arm's length when she visited last month."
"What, your wind sense can sense stuff like that, too? What else can it do? Read minds?"
Gaius chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing like that. Having attuned my senses to nature for so long, I am able to discern whether there are disturbances in the air. This extends to people's behavior as well, provided that I know them well enough."
"Hehhh…" Crow put his hands behind his head. "Makes me wish the winds would give me their blessing or something like that."
"I'm sure you can develop a sense too, provided you are willing to discipline yourself."
"Eh, discipline's never really been my thing. But if I can use it to eavesdrop on people without them knowing, then maybe…"
That was a situation that Gaius had not considered before. "That...would be difficult. In open spaces where the wind is able to travel unfettered from one place to the next, then perhaps it could be possible. I believe indoor conversations would be out of the question, however."
"Shame. I was hoping you could use that wind sense to tell us what the girls are talking about next door."
"Perhaps that might explain why the winds have not given you their blessing."
"Ouch, man."
Gaius let out a lighthearted chuckle. Crow was half-surprised, half-entertained to see that for how nice Gaius was most of the time, he was also capable of showing some bite when he wanted to.
Afterwards, Gaius retrieved some spare clothes and left to go use the washroom. Crow debilitated over what to do now that he was alone in the room with a sleeping classmate. Should he turn in for the night? Maybe walk around and explore the Arseid mansion? He also thought about calling some of his friends to pass the time.
"Hey. Crow?"
The silver-haired student glanced in surprise over at Rean's bed. "Whoa, you're still up? I thought you would've been all tuckered out after the beating you just got."
"Yeah, keep rubbing it in my face, why don't you…"
Crow couldn't help but chuckle in response. "Hehe. Still got the energy to snark. You'll be fine."
Rean groggily sat up in his bed. Though Laura's father had taken care to hold back while performing his last attack, that didn't mean that Rean walked away unscathed. But thanks to Emma's healing arts, his body was now only sore all over as opposed to feeling like he had broken a few bones. "I just wanted to say thanks for looking after Morgan like I asked."
"Oh, that?" Crow waved his hand like it was no big deal. "I mean, it didn't really amount to much in the end, right? You can just forget about that-"
"She made you let her see," said Rean. "Had a feeling that was the case."
"If you already know, then why you gotta-?"
"Because knowing that you would be there for her still gave me peace of mind. Even when I...transformed." Rean bowed his head. "So thanks again, Crow. I hope I can keep relying on you more in the future."
"..."
Crow was taken aback by Rean's statement of gratitude. He had been approached by him before the duel began and was asked to keep an eye on Morgan, just in case he was forced to use his power during the fight. If Crow was being completely honest, he himself wasn't totally sure why he agreed to go along with it in the first place. Was it because he felt responsible for looking after the two after the last time? Or was it to entertain the idea that he himself could actually be trustworthy for once?
Getting close to others was dangerous, after all.
"Well, damn. Can't say I've experienced this before." Crow rubbed the back of his head. "You always gotta act this seriously?"
"But I AM being serious!" Rean said. "The least you can do is say you're welcome."
"Fine, fine…" Crow conceded. "Well, now you know! Anytime you need help with girl trouble, you can always rely on good ol' Crow here!"
Rean smirked. "Yeah, I dunno about that specifically. Morgan would beg to differ."
"Hey, did you see how she was acting around me? She's totally warming up to me!"
"Sure. And one of these days, you'll finally give me back that fifty mira from the beginning of the school year."
"I thought you said not to worry about that!"
Rean smugly pulled over the covers without uttering another word, leaving Crow to wonder whether his underclassman was serious or not.
"THIS IS THE PRICE FOR FAILURE. BEGONE!"
Morgan woke up from the nightmare gasping for air.
"That was…"
It had been a while since she had that nightmare. If she recalled correctly, the last time was at the beginning of the school year, the morning of the entrance ceremony. The fire that threatened to burn her alive still felt so real.
Why did that nightmare pop up now after all this time?
"Rean…"
Morgan uttered her friend's name unconsciously before immediately shaking her head. No. She had already said that Rean had nothing to do with her fear, and she was going to hold herself to that word. For the sake of the Schwarzer siblings as well as her own.
Still, that didn't change the fact that Rean's appearance when in his transformed state was uncannily similar to her father. It couldn't have been just a coincidence, right? At the very least, she didn't wake up from her nightmare screaming, so that was at least an improvement. Especially since she and Emma were sharing a room tonight…
...Wait, where WAS Emma?
Morgan had looked over at her classmate's bed to check if she had accidentally woken her up, only to find that it was empty. Looking slightly up from the bed, Morgan saw that the door to the terrace was slightly ajar, letting in a cool breeze.
'What's she doing awake at this hour?' Morgan wondered. 'Maybe she can't sleep? Then again, it's not like I'm any better…'
Morgan decided that it was probably in her best interests to leave Emma to her own devices. She was the class president; she could take care of herself. Thus, Morgan laid back down and closed her eyes again, hoping that her next dream would be more pleasant…
*jingle*
Her eyes bolted back open. It was the unmistakable sound of a bell jingling. But more importantly…
'That bell sounds kinda familiar…'
"Well? What do you think?" a high-pitched voice asked. "I'm not sure how much we can count on the boy."
'And that didn't sound like Emma!'
Her fight or flight instincts kicking in, Morgan softly crept out of bed and began sneaking her way to the door. Her sneaking skills weren't quite at the same levels as Fie or even some of her old friends in Ylisse, but she thought she could be stealthy when she wanted to.
The closer she got to the door, the more she could make out Emma's figure in the night. For some reason, there was something about seeing Emma with the moon as a backdrop that made things seem…mystifying. Like those strange arts that she casted during the practical exam. They reminded her of something from her homeland. Could it be that…?
Morgan shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. As she scanned the terrace, she was unable to locate the other entity that her friend was speaking to. She crept closer so she could make out more of the conversation.
"That's not for us to decide…" Emma sighed. "Our role is to watch over and guide him, nothing more. I don't want you to do anything like that ever again."
"Fine, fine…" the other voice said. "Setting that aside for now, I'm sure you've already sensed it, but there's definitely something inside that castle. That place is out of our jurisdiction, but...I have a bad feeling about this one."
"Me, too. I suppose all we can do is point Laura toward it and hope she notices, too. And…"
"Yes, there's the matter of her…" Morgan could have sworn that she heard a small cat-like hiss added to that word. "You were right about her; she is most definitely cursed. But it's not just that. She's got the smell of your sister all over her, too."
"J-Just because you saw her drinking lavender tea that one time with Elise doesn't imply anything!"
Morgan froze mid-crawl. Was the person that Emma and the mystery person were talking about...herself? Were they...spying on her? How much did they know?
"Well, if there's one thing we need to know…" the other voice continued, almost like it read Morgan's mind. "It's whether or not she's truly on our side. Even if it turns out that she doesn't have a connection with them, she's too much of an anomaly to let roam free. How does a girl with no memories know how magic works? It's pretty obvious that she's hiding something."
"You aren't insinuating that she's...feigning her amnesia, are you? Morgan would never tell a lie."
"We won't know for sure until we confirm it for ourselves. Now that the Awakener's trial has begun, we can't let anything get in the way of its completion."
Emma let out a conflicted hum. "...So we have no choice but to subdue her ourselves?"
The other voice scoffed. "Just be prepared for the worst. Like how that stubborn bookworm friend of yours says: a criminal party is guilty until they are proven innocent."
"Actually, it's the other way around. They're innocent until they are proven guilty, at least in Erebonia."
"No, no, I'm pretty sure your grandmother would agree with me on this one..."
The jingling sound of the bell started coming closer. Morgan held her breath as the mystery person came into view.
...Only to be utterly confounded when a familiar black cat with a blue ribbon tied to its tail made its appearance instead.
"Celine?!"
"Ah."
Morgan covered her mouth. In her surprise to see the cat from Trista all the way in Legram, she had blown her cover. Now both it and Emma were staring at her, visibly alarmed.
At least now she realized why the bell had sounded so familiar.
"I think we've been found out," Emma whispered.
"Gee, you think?!" Celine harshly and very clearly retorted.
Author's note: Remember when I said that this one would be short? Well, while I wasn't lying about the chapter length, the wait for it certainly was anything but. In my defense, work became extra busy and left me without any creative juices to finish this chapter. At least I got that important story beat out of the way and both Rean and Morgan can start working on getting over their fears.
More importantly, after much anticipation, the two magically-inclined members of Class VII are finally going to have a talk! Some of you have been asking for this, and I aim to deliver. Find out what happens next time, whenever it comes out!