The first task of the morning was from a sister at the local chapel, who asked the students for help in gathering materials for an offering. Upon arriving at the chapel, the sister further explained that the offering was for a memorial service held each year for St. Sandlot and the Eisenritter, the same individuals who fought alongside Emperor Dreichels during the War of the Lions. As for the offering itself, the sister revealed that she would be making...pretzels? The students were surprised at the rather humble choice, but there was enough cultural significance behind them to warrant their acceptance. Namely, it was said that the Eisenritter carried pretzels with them into the battlefield as combat rations many centuries ago.

In order to obtain the ingredients, though, the students would have to trek all the way to a trading outpost at the end of the Ebel Highway, which marked the boundaries between the Arseid viscounty and the neighboring Baruna barony. Thanks to the lamps that they replaced yesterday, their walk was a leisurely one, and the students were able to take in the natural beauty of the highway without the fog impeding their vision.

"Hey, there's a new place we haven't been to before."

Morgan pointed to a path off to the side of the road that seemed to lead upwards into the wilderness.

"The mist has cleared today, which makes seeing paths through the area easier," Laura noted. "That one leads to the top of the hill. However, our current task takes precedence."

"Right." Morgan nodded. "We can explore later."

So Group A continued on their way until they made it to their destination. After moving past a checkpoint, they stepped into the small town of Karlorff.

"Right now, we have stepped into the lands of Baron Baruna," said Laura. "I can lead us to our destination."

"What sort of person is the baron?" Gaius asked. "Have you met him before?"

"On numerous occasions. Emma, Morgan, do you remember Carmine, the Student Council president for St. Astraia's?"

"I...think?" Morgan mulled over the name. "Fie and Alisa were the ones who went with you to set up the bazaar, though."

"The bazaar… Oh! Was she the girl with the auburn hair? The one who was shouting at the front ?"

"That's right, Emma. Carmine is the baron's daughter. I accompanied my father whenever he would meet with him, which is how we were acquainted. I have also spoken with the baron on a few occasions myself, and he has a way with words that naturally makes him the center of attention whenever he speaks. Carmine certainly took after him in that regard."

"So he and your dad are on good terms?" Crow questioned.

"For the most part. Though in the past few years, Father has said that his interactions with him have been rather…" Laura then lowered her voice and whispered, "Strained."

"Why's that?"

Laura stopped at the entrance of the trading outpost and waved her hand at the town behind them. "The town of Karlorff used to be a bustling hub for travelers coming to and from Legram, but ever since the construction of the Ebel Branch line directly connecting Legram to Bareahard, it has been on the decline. Hardly anyone comes by here anymore except for merchants and those looking for niche products not found in Bareahard, and the baron's influence has decreased as a result."

The other members of Group A took a better look at the town and saw that there was some truth to her words. The layout of the town resembled that of Celdic, another merchant town in the Kreuzen Province that some of the members visited for their first field study. However, much of the energy that saturated the atmosphere in that town was not present here. While still populated, Karlorff was comparatively much quieter, almost like a ghost town in comparison.

"Perhaps that is why Baron Baruna pushed Carmine to attend St. Astraia's instead of learning the merchant's trade, as he did with his sons," Laura wondered. "The only reason he hasn't lost his influence completely is because he is a shrewd negotiator. If he ever wants to restore his power, however, he needs to rely on Carmine to marry into a more prominent household."

Rean balled his fists. "He's using his own daughter as a bargaining chip."

"Wouldn't be the first time it's happened, though…" Crow remarked bluntly. "You have your back against the wall like that, and you'd start making desperate plays, too."

Laura sighed. "It pains me to admit it, but that is indeed the case. And not everyone carries the prestige that my father has."

After letting that statement sink in, the students then remembered that they were on the clock. They went into the trading outpost, gathered the ingredients they needed, and purchased them with the money that the sister provided them with.

"Is it just me, or has the sales tax gone up?" Rean noticed.

"The amount does seem to have risen since we were last in the Kreuzen Province," Gaius remembered.

"That'd be the work of the reigning lord, I reckon."

Laura looked at the trader with a confounded stare. "The baron decreed this?"

The trader could only nod his head sadly. "Afraid so. Don't know what's been going on in his head lately. Maybe he's finally startin' to crack from all that pressure the duke's been giving him."

That caught the students' attention. After all, the only duke in the Kreuzen Province was Duke Albarea, Jusis's father.

"Oh, I've spoken too much." The trader covered his hands with his mouth. "It's just a rumor I heard, is all. Take it with a grain of salt. Or sugar. Whatever floats your boat."

With the ingredients in hand, the students left the outpost in a more serious mood than when they entered.

"This isn't good…" Morgan muttered.

"Tell me about it." Crow put his hands behind his head. "Looks like Jusis's old man is at it again."

Rean grimaced at the mention of Duke Albarea. The events that occurred during the first two field studies had soured his perception of Jusis's father, and this was only reinforcing that opinion. What would Jusis think if he heard about what was going on in his father's province, if he even knew anything at all?

He shook his head. Class VII still had a job to fulfill, after all. "We got what we came here to get. Let's head back to Legram."

The trip back to Legram was as uneventful as the initial walk out, but the students' moods had shifted. The things they had witnessed in the town of Karlorff proved that the world around them was changing, and some of those changes were being felt very close to home. It was also a reminder that problems that thought they had resolved in the past didn't go away so easily.

At least when they finally gave the ingredients to the sister, she was more than happy to bake a fresh batch of pretzels as a token of her thanks. A few minutes of baking passed, and the sister produced six pretzels, each shaped like the cross-shaped animist statue in the center of the main plaza. The students were more than happy to take a few pretzel samples for their reward.

"Back out here again…" Crow groaned. "Why didn't we just take care of this the first time around?"

"And miss out on the fresh pretzels?" Morgan patted her stomach, visibly satisfied with the reward from their most recent request. "You wanted them too, Trickster. Don't try to deny it."

"Is food all you ever think about, Morgs?"

"Don't call me Morgs!"

"Come on, you two! Stop fighting." Rean admittedly had to hold back a chuckle as he said that. Seeing Morgan and Crow bicker among themselves never made for a boring experience.

"We didn't see any monsters with this description today, right?" Emma asked.

The monster that the students were asked to hunt down was sighted in the early morning, when there was still some fog. As such, the only clues that Group A had to go off of were the strange whirring sounds the creature made when it walked, the lights that were moving all over its body, and a silhouette that didn't resemble any of the local fauna.

"We went back and forth the length of the highway and didn't find anything out of the ordinary," Gaius confirmed. "It might be worth looking at places we didn't explore yesterday."

"Places we didn't explore…" Morgan hummed to herself. "Hey, what about that hill we passed by? Think we could take a look there?"

"It's worth a shot. Good thinking, Morgan."

"You see, Trickster? Rean gets me."

"Eh, big deal. The guy's the Student Council's gofer. Getting everyone is sort of his thing."

Rean's eyebrow twitched in a not-so-subtle manner. "Should I take that as a compliment, Crow?"

Group A retraced their steps until they were back at the foot of the path they encountered earlier that morning. Together, they walked up the incline and made it to the top of the hill, giving them a gorgeous view of the groves and forests surrounding the highway.

Or at least, it would have been gorgeous if there wasn't a conspicuously placed metal object in the center of the plateau.

"What's this piece of junk doing out here?" Morgan asked, pointing at the heap of metal.

"It looks like some sort of machine…" Rean guessed. "But yeah, I'm as confused as you are."

"Does Legram employ any maintenance machines, Laura?"

"If it did, Gaius, then this would be the first I have heard of it. Legram has never been one to experiment with complicated machinery such as this."

"Those arms look pretty dangerous, though. They look like little cannons."

"Hey, careful! We don't know if it's still active or not!"

Crow didn't heed Rean's warning and knocked on the machine's right appendage. Almost immediately after, lights began appearing all over the machine as it whirred to life.

"What did I tell you?"

"Not another word, Rean."

The machine located the students and pointed its appendages at them, clearly identifying them as hostile threats.

"Spread out!" Rean shouted.

The students dispersed, leaping out of harm's way as the machine fired ammo - actual live rounds! - out of its cannons at the spot where they were.

"Whirring sounds…"

"Lights moving all over its body…"

"A silhouette that doesn't resemble any of the local fauna…"

"I think it's safe to say that this is our target. Group A, commence attack!"

Everyone yelled in compliance with Rean's order and partnered up with the person nearest to them. Rean linked with Morgan, Gaius with Crow, and Laura with Emma. They surrounded the mechanical monster in a triangle formation and each pair took turns drawing its attention while the other two pairs attacked it from behind.

"Analyzing the enemy…" Emma aimed her orbal staff at the machine. Her staff then glowed, allowing her to see the enemy's weak points. "I've got it! It's weakest to striking attacks! Laura, wait for the right opportunity, then hit it with your strongest attack!"

"What of elemental weaknesses?" Laura asked back. "It's a machine, so it must be weak to water or electricity!"

Emma shook her head. "That's the problem; I don't think it has any!"

"What?!"

"Incoming!"

Crow fired an ice-charged bullet at the monster's feet, momentarily halting it in its tracks.

"Now I've got you!"

Gaius followed up by leaping into the air, then skewering the machine with great force. The speartip punctured through the monster's head, but it surprisingly shrugged off Gaius's and started moving around violently, forcing the lancer to leap off of it.

With the monster now targeting Gaius and Crow, Laura and Emma ran over to Rean and Morgan.

"Tear." Morgan held her orbment over a small wound Rean had sustained. "Hang in there, Rean."

"Thanks, Morgan." Rean stood back up. "That thing's made out of some sturdy stuff. Just who built it and why?"

"We can worry about that after it's down." Morgan turned to their companions. "Emma, what's the status on that thing?"

"It's physically weak to striking attacks, and the legs are more vulnerable than the rest of the body. As for elemental weaknesses… None to speak of."

"I see…" Pursing her lips, Morgan began to think. "Could really use a barrier from Airgetlam right around now."

"We can attempt to try that maneuver we pulled off last month," Laura suggested. "If we ensure that the monster is unable to move around, the rest of us can launch a coordinated assault."

"Ohhh. I see where you're coming from." Morgan nodded her head. "Okay. Here's what we'll do. Rean? Pair up with Laura and coordinate with Gaius and Crow. Emma? You're with me. We're gonna give everyone an opening."

Rean, Laura, and Emma nodded. The four of them cut off their current ARCUS links to form new ones with a different partner.

"Do you have a plan, Morgan?" Emma asked.

"I'm gonna bind it in its tracks. Remember what we talked about this morning?"

"Y-You want to do that now?!"

"I believe in you, Emma."

Emma looked like she was on the verge of whimpering for a moment, but that was quickly replaced by a look of determination. "Okay. But we only have one chance."

"Wouldn't have it any other way!"

With a final nod between the two, Morgan and Emma each began preparing their arts. "ARCUS, activate!" they both said.

"Flamma, transfigurare in sphaeram," Emma muttered softly. The tip of her orbal staff began to glow and conjured up an orb of fire not unlike the Fire Bolt art.

'So that's how she does it…' Morgan discerned. 'She activates the art first, then uses her own magic to augment it. That way, the art is powered up while retaining its original shape. Not bad, not bad.'

Emma waved her staff, shooting the flame orb forward. Morgan then pointed her ARCUS just a little bit ahead of the orb's trajectory and called out, "Hydro Cannon!"

A high-pressure current of water burst forth and collided with Emma's enhanced Fire Bolt art, causing them to explode in a cloud of mist that enveloped the machine.

"Going in!"

"Okay!"

Morgan got her axe ready and ran towards the monster. With the steam covering its vision, the monster was unable to track Morgan's movements. When she got close to it, she held up two fingers while still holding on to her axe and called upon her magic.

"And…bind!"

Channeling her magic through her weapon, she concentrated on restricting her magic output into a single condensed area in front of her. She exhaled sharply, and a small halo appeared around the machine, trapping it in place. It tried desperately to wrest free from her bind, but Morgan was able to keep her hold on it.

"Ugh! You're heavy!" she remarked. "But even still…"

She raised her right hand, still holding on to the bind. The machine, in turn, was being slowly lifted from the ground.

"I'm not going to lose to a machine…that has no will of its own!"

Morgan forcefully brought her hand downwards, causing the machine to slam into the ground. The force of the impact also damaged the machine's legs, preventing it from getting back up.

While everyone's attention was drawn to Morgan's new display, Emma had been preparing another orbal art. She quietly muttered some more words to herself before pointing her orbal staff towards the sky. "Silver Thorn!"

Morgan rolled out of the way, and a set of silver thorns rained down to pin the machine in place.

"Okay! It's down!" Rean called out. "Everyone else! Attack at will!"

Laura, Gaius, and Crow all yelled in compliance. As their thoughts were synchronized, a strong blue light began to shine from each of their ARCUS units. The four of them began moving as one cohesive unit, slashing, thrusting, and shooting the downed monster from all angles while still avoiding each other. In a single burst, the monster collapsed to the ground, and the lights that were once glowing brightly around turned off.

Rean cautiously walked over to the remains of the monster. "Is it...dead?"

"Nah, I think it's more appropriate to say we destroyed it." Crow kicked his foot against the machine's head to prove his point. "You know, this reminds me of one of those toys that George likes cooking up in his spare time. Except not as fancy and intelligent."

"A mechanical monster… Who could have left such a thing out here?"

"It doesn't look like anything the provincial or Imperial armies would use. It'd have a logo emblazoned on it if it belonged to either of them."

"Laura, you said that this was the first time you saw this, right?"

"That is correct."

"Maybe it's from the ILF?"

"Those terrorist jerks? You'd think they'd have enough sense to try and avoid knocking at the Radiant Blademaster's front door."

"It's not outside the realm of possibility. We still don't know how they operate yet."

The group continued to toss around theories but continuously came up empty. No matter which way they looked at it, how the mechanical monster was created and why it appeared in such a location was beyond their knowledge.

"If there's one thing we do know…" Rean sighed. "It's that we aren't getting any closer by just standing around here. We should hurry back and report this to Toval as soon as possible."

"Perhaps that is indeed for the best…" Laura agreed. "A professional's opinion might be what we need at this moment."

After double-checking to make sure that the mechanical monster was down for good, Group A made their way back down the hill.

"By the way, Morgan…" Rean said as they walked. "What was that thing you did to hold it in place?"

"Oh, you noticed that?" Morgan grinned and puffed out her chest. "Heehee! That was my new and improved Ragna Bind! Pretty cool, huh?"

"THAT was Ragna Bind?" Rean looked surprised. "It looked completely different from the last time!"

"The amount of time it took to use it was near instantaneous as well," Gaius added. "How were you able to improve it?"

"...I think it's more accurate to say that it's an altered version of it."

The students turned to Emma, who seemed to already have a basic understanding of the new technique. "The original craft was a long-ranged attack that is meant to draw enemies closer. This one appears to be the opposite; it's a close-ranged technique that can be used to push opponents in another direction. And since you only need to concentrate your energy in a single area, you're able to call upon your energy more quickly than before."

"Got it in one. It's still a work-in-progress, so I can only use it if I'm really up close and personal, but if I keep working on increasing my output, I think it'll be a good tool to have in the future." Morgan grinned at Emma. "I'm impressed you were able to tell how it worked from just the FIRST TIME, Emma."

"Oh, well. You know me…" Emma responded with a small smile of her own. "I sort of have an eye for these kinds of things…"

The two of them shared a giggle with each other.

Behind them, Crow whispered to Rean, "They're totally in on something."

"It's not every day I say this…" Rean responded. "But I'm gonna have to agree with you there."

"Right? Makes you wonder what sort of stuff they did last night. Alone…"

Rean coughed. "I, uh, hope you aren't insinuating anything specific when you say that."

"Hehhh?" Crow narrowed his eyes and arched an eyebrow. "And just what sort of things were you imagining in that young, adolescent brain of yours?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing!"

The second-year student grinned at his blushing underclassman and playfully poked him with his elbow. "Didn't know you were into that sort of thing, Reanster."

"Hm? What sort of thing?"

"M-Morgan!" Rean shouted.

"You guys were lagging behind, so I was wondering what was keeping you," the black-haired girl explained.

"Well, young Rean here was wondering…" Crow said in between snickers. "What sort of stuff were you and Emma up to last night?"

"We just talked a lot, that's all."

"You sure? Something else didn't happen?"

"Not…really…" Morgan tried to avert her gaze from the other two boys. Obviously, Emma had helped her get a better feel for her magic flow, but there was no way she could just mention that; she had a promise to keep to Emma and Celine.

Unfortunately her response appeared to send a mixed message to Crow. A devilish glint seemed to twinkle in his eyes. "Suspicious…" he muttered.

"I-It really isn't!" she insisted.

"You and Emma, all alone in a room together…"

"Trickster…?" Morgan's voice was getting dangerously low.

"Don't tell me that…"

"Trickster, I swear, if you finish that sentence-!"

"-Gelica's influence is rubbing off on you!"

Rean slapped his forehead with his hand. He was going to be in for it now.

"Alright, you two! You asked for it!" Morgan raised up her hand. "Ignis!"

Flames began to appear all over her body. Crow took that as his cue to bolt his way past the rest of the group, with Rean following close behind.

"Totally worth!" Crow yelled as he ducked under an Elwind, his expression harboring no regrets whatsoever.

"Wh-Why me, too?!" Rean complained.

As the girl enveloped in flames rushed past them, Emma, Gaius, and Laura all looked at each other with varying expressions.

"I am rather vexed," said Laura. "Why would Crow suddenly mention Angelica Rogner and...rubbing off?"

"I-I'm not sure that's a topic we need to delve into right now…" Emma stammered, her cheeks tinted red after listening to the earlier conversation.

Gaius nodded his head in agreement. "Perhaps there are some things in the world that we are not meant to know…"

It took a long while for the group to get back to Legram, mostly to rein Morgan back from potentially sending Crow and Rean into the following week with her magic. Fortunately, there was no one else besides the students around, and the highway itself had surprisingly come out of Morgan's rampage relatively unscathed.

When the group arrived back in town, though, they immediately recognized that something was amiss. The town wasn't usually very noisy even during the afternoons, and yet there was a commotion that could be heard from as far out as outside the main entrance.

"Hey! Look over there!"

Morgan pointed at the harbor, where a huge ship was docked by the pier.

Crow let out a whistle. "Whoo! Now THAT'S what I call a ride."

"That's not the only thing that's changed since we left," Gaius noted. "Those soldiers look like they belong to one of the provincial armies."

"White and purple…" Rean muttered to herself. "I seem to remember seeing those colors back in Heimdallr."

"I believe that combination of colors represents the Lamare Provincial Army," said Laura.

"But Lamare is on the other side of the Empire," Emma pointed out. "What business could their provincial army have in Legram?"

"Hey! Looks like you're back."

Group A turned to find a familiar face walking up to the town entrance to meet them.

"Hey, Toval," Rean greeted the bracer. "How long have things been like this?"

"I'd say a few minutes after you went back to the highway a second time. Word on the streets is, they requisitioned the liner from the wharf on the far shore. Why we're seeing the Lamare provincial army and not Sutherland's is still kind of a mystery, but apparently, some big-shot noble is visiting the viscount as we speak."

"Another noble visiting Father?" Laura looked a bit confused.

The rest of the group was just as puzzled. After all, Laura's father wasn't even in Legram until late yesterday, and given the viscount's transparency towards them, he most certainly would have told them ahead of time if he was expecting company during their field study. How, then, would a noble have been able to waltz into Legram out of the blue, knowing full well that the viscount would have been present?

"If you're that curious, why don't you all go take a look for yourselves?" Toval suggested. "Since you returned from the highway, that means you took care of that monster, right?"

"Oh, yeah. So, about that…"

Rean and the others recounted their monster encounter to Toval, including the fact that the "monster" ended up being mechanical in nature.

"A mechanical monster, you say?"

"You have some idea as to what it might be?" Rean asked.

The blonde bracer closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure, but I think I'll go have a look at what's left of it, just in case. Good work out there, guys. I left your reward in the guildhouse, so swing by and pick it up after you've checked out what's going on at the viscount's mansion."

"...Wait."

To the surprise of the students, Crow stepped forward and approached the bracer. "I think I'll come with, just in case."

"Crow…?"

"You're not using this as another excuse to skip out, are you?"

"Hell no." Crow found himself snickering at Rean and Morgan's looks of skepticism. "Hey, someone's gotta show him where that machine is. Also, I'd like to give George a couple samples if that's possible."

"Ohhh…" Morgan nodded. "Right. Makes sense. George might know what sort of material that thing's made out of."

"This George a friend of yours or something?" Toval asked.

"Yeah. Really knows his way around machines. So, uh, if you don't mind…"

"Not at all. I'd appreciate all the help I can get."

"Be careful out there, Crow."

"Ha! No sweat, Rean! I'll be back before you know you missed me!"

A bead of sweat dropped from Rean's forehead. "Yeah, I don't know if I'm going to miss you THAT much…"

"Oh, you wound me!" Crow said melodramatically. "Toval! Get me outta here so my bleeding heart doesn't stain my cute underclassman's clothes!"

Toval chuckled. "Sure, sure. Whatever…"

The rest of Group A bid farewell to their classmate and the bracer for the time being. They then turned around to the town behind them, setting their sights on the Arseid mansion.

"You're frowning pretty hard there, Morgan," Rean noticed. "You're still not mad about what happened earlier, are you?"

"I'm fine. It's not like I'm going to miss having him around."

"Uh, I wasn't talking about Crow specifically?"

"You didn't hear anything." Morgan cut him off before going back to thinking. "Soldiers from the Lamare Province escorting a big-shot noble to visit the viscount. I've got a bad feeling about all this…"

Unfortunately, that sinking feeling didn't improve the closer they got to the mansion. They talked to some of the populace beforehand and gained some more insight on the surprise visit, namely who exactly had come to meet the viscount in person.

As the group opened the doors to the Arseid estate, they were met with the sight of Viscount Arseid bidding farewell to the visiting noble. He was the big-shot noble in question: Duke Cayenne, head of the foremost of the Four Great Houses and ruler of the Port City of Ordis. After hearing so much about what he had been doing behind the scenes, Morgan finally had the opportunity to meet him in person. He was dressed as lavishly as one would expect from a high-ranking noble, with a long purple coat and a feathered cape covering his outer layers. When he noticed the students standing in the foyer, he greeted them with all the politeness and courtesy that was expected of noble behavior. However, his smile never fully reached his eyes, and he clearly didn't think much of the group aside from Laura. It was evident that, much like what Morgan and many others had predicted, he was up to no good.

Morgan was so caught up in her assessment of the extravagantly-dressed duke that she barely noticed the other two people following him like bodyguards. It wasn't until they spoke up that Morgan took a better look at them.

"So you're Thors Military Academy's Class VII, huh?" one of the bodyguards said. He was the shorter and lankier of the two, with white skin, hair tied in a ponytail, and a pair of combat shades on despite being indoors.

"...You know about us." Morgan didn't phrase that as a question. At this point, she was no longer surprised that their class's reputation preceded them.

"Oh, just happened to do a little leisure-time reading on your class." The bodyguard rubbed his chin and took a good look at each of the students. "Not a bad-lookin' bunch. Good, good."

His partner, a larger and more muscular man with tan skin, also seemed to be assessing the group on his own, except he was much more silent about it. Like the other bodyguard, he was also wearing sunglasses indoors, and his hair was tied into dreadlocks.

The two of them weren't provincial army soldiers, that much was apparent to the students; with the sort of casual combat gear they were wearing, they should have set off all of the duke's alarms over what was and wasn't appropriate in the face of nobility. But they WERE dressed for combat. While it wasn't unheard of for nobles to hire mercenaries for certain jobs, it was certainly jarring for one of the highest-ranking nobles in the empire to have such a motley pair accompanying him on official business.

"...Enough with the chitchat," the bodyguard with the tan skin finally said. "His Grace awaits. Excuse us."

"See ya, kids."

And with that, the two of them walked out of the mansion, following the duke.

Just as the students were about to wonder who the two men were, the viscount's voice acknowledged them from the second floor. "It seems they've finally begun to act."

Laura turned to face her father, who was walking down the steps to the first floor. "Father, what is going on? Why was the duke of the Lamare Province here?"

"And what do you mean by 'they'...?" Rean, the other noble present in the group, added.

Morgan, however, had already figured everything out. She stepped towards Laura's father with an air of professionalism and asked him, "Viscount Arseid. Has the Noble Faction approached you about joining their alliance?"

Her words shocked the other members of her group. "A-Alliance?" Rean reiterated. "Morgan, what are you…?"

"...They have indeed," the viscount affirmed with a solemn nod. "As expected of Princess Alfin's former attendant. You are very well-informed."

Morgan blinked with surprise. A moment later, she regained her composure and bowed out of courtesy, the same as she always did when she was a servant. "Your words fill me with gratitude."

Victor then addressed the rest of the students. "I'm sure the rest of you have questions. Come to my study. We can discuss everything there."

He guided the students to the second floor and through the main door in the center. The viscount's study, as the most important room in the mansion, was spacious and ornately decorated. Behind the viscount's desk was a large window that overlooked the entire town of Legram. Laura's father sat behind his desk with Klaus standing to his immediate right. He then told everyone everything that he and the duke had discussed, seeing no reason to hide the truth.

"The Noble Faction has begun acting in secret?!" Laura exclaimed.

Her father nodded. "For the past month, they've been quite active behind closed doors. Though, if what Morgan has said is correct, it is possible that they have been preparing for longer than that."

"So all the things we witnessed throughout our field studies have been leading up to this…" Rean glanced at Morgan. "And you didn't think of telling us?"

"I swear I'm not doing this on purpose!" Morgan clapped her hands together and bowed her head in apology. "This'll be the last time. Promise!"

"But, Father, you're not even a member of the Noble Faction…"

"Indeed. I have kept my distance from both the Noble and Reformist factions in the past, opting to remain neutral instead. However, they're convinced that all nobles should belong to the Noble Faction as a matter of course, and I've heard they've been quite forceful about bringing those nobles who don't support the faction into their ranks."

"Yes, Father. We've even seen it ourselves firsthand in Karlorff."

"If that is the case, then that saves me time to explain." Victor heaved a small sigh. "Dichter has acted neutral for as long as I have, though in his case, he rationalized it as being more beneficial from a business perspective. But ever since his territory has been on the decline, Duke Albarea has been mounting more pressure on him to swear his allegiance to the nobles.

"It's the situation in Celdic all over again…" Gaius muttered under his breath, a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"I wonder if Carmine will be alright…" Laura worried.

Rean then stepped forward and raised his hand. "If you don't mind my asking, do you happen to know where my family stands on the issue?"

"Ah, the Schwarzers…" The viscount smiled gently. "Haha. You need not worry about your family's allegiances. Lord Schwarzer is widely known as an even more obstinate man than I. I can't imagine that he'd have any interest in supporting the questionable actions of other nobles. And…" His expression turned more solemn. "Considering the backlash he endured years ago when he announced your adoption, I doubt he is first on their list of potential allies as well."

Rean nodded his head slowly.

"Rean…"

"I'm alright, guys. Actually, I'm relieved to hear about that. It's good to know that he hasn't changed since I left home."

The Radiant Blademaster also nodded his head. Then, he closed his eyes. "Hmm… Hold on a moment. Perhaps there's a move we can make after all."

The students were surprised at the viscount's sudden shift in demeanor. That surprise only amplified when he turned to Klaus and said, "I'm afraid I'll be leaving Legram again on another of my little trips. I apologize for the suddenness, but please tend to things in my absence."

The elderly butler bowed to his master. "As you wish, my lord."

"F-Father?!" It looked like even Laura was having trouble processing the speed at which her father was moving.

"That was definitely sudden, all right," Rean agreed.

"I believe in acting swiftly and decisively," Viscount Arseid explained. "I intend to establish contact with all of the nobles who have remained neutral in the ongoing factional conflict so as to prevent them being taken in by the Noble Faction's coercive methods. The first stop should most certainly be Karlorff. It has been quite some time since I've spoken with Dichter outside of business talks…"

Morgan was just as taken aback as the rest of her classmates, but she silently agreed that Laura's father made the right call. The tensions between the two factions were rising each day, and that made it all the more important for the parties that didn't ally with either faction to come together and support each other on their own.

'Perhaps the viscount may be the best person to talk to…'

Just as she was beginning to think, there came a knocking sound from the open door to the viscount's study, followed by a young man's voice that said, "In that case, I'd be happy to go with you."

The students turned around to see a familiar blonde bracer standing in the doorway.

"Toval!" Morgan then looked behind him and became confused. "Wait, where's Crow?"

"Back at the guildhouse. Said he wanted to make a call to his friend George."

She not-so-subtly groaned in response. "Even when he's not at school, why does he feel the need to go and do things on his own?"

Toval chuckled. "Haha. Guess even someone like him gets spooked from seeing the majestic Duke Cayenne. Can't really blame him, though."

That struck the others as a bit odd. Crow was never one to bother following social conventions, if his casual demeanor when speaking with the likes of Angelica, Jusis, and Patrick was anything to go by. Why would he suddenly feel self-conscious now?

"Oh, yeah. Speaking of the duke…" Toval's smile faded. "Did you know he left in a limousine that came all the way from Bareahard?"

Gaius arched an eyebrow. "Bareahard?"

Emma looked just as confused. "You mean he didn't go back on the liner?"

"If it was a limousine from Bareahard…" Rean's eyes then widened at the realization. "Did it belong to the Albarea family?"

"Well, Rufus Albarea got into it, so yeah, I'd say that's likely." Toval shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't ask for a classier escort."

"He IS the heir of the Albarea family," Viscount Arseid reminded everyone. "Considering our visitor was none other than Duke Cayenne, it's not at all surprising that Rufus would pick him up."

The students of Group A felt very fortunate that Jusis was not chosen to be one of their members for this field study. From the impact his father's actions had on neighboring towns to his older brother's apparent collusion with the Cayenne duchy, they could only imagine his reaction if he witnessed it all firsthand. As if he didn't like associating himself with his family any more than he already did. How were they going to break the news to him when they regrouped with the others tomorrow?

"But…" the viscount continued. "I know you didn't just come here to volunteer your company on my trip."

Toval nodded. "Well, it just so happens that these guys here brought me a curious story…"

He then went on to recount the students' report of the mechanical monster they encountered on the Ebel Highway, as well as his own observations following the matter. He and the viscount began to trade stories, noting that it was the first time one of its kind has appeared since a counteroffensive led by one Cassius Bright two years ago during the Assault on the Imperial Guilds. Morgan's breath hushed when she heard that little tidbit. In the end, Victor allowed Toval to accompany him on his journey. That, of course, meant that Group A was suddenly now without their civilian correspondent for their stay in Legram, so Toval offered to escort everyone to the guildhouse so that they could get Crow up to speed on what he had missed.

But just as they were about to leave the viscount's study, he spoke, "Ah. Just a moment. Before you leave, I would like a chance to speak with young Morgan."

Morgan nearly jumped upon hearing her name. "M-Me, sir?"

Her classmates were likewise also confused. But Toval continued to usher them out the door. "Take your time. I'll take the kids back to the Bracer Guild branch."

"See you later, Morgan."

"Y-Yeah. See you…" Morgan nervously waved good-bye to her other groupmates.

The viscount then turned to the Arseid family steward and said, "I would like you to leave us alone for a short time, Klaus."

"Understood," Klaus responded dutifully. "Then I will begin gathering your belongings, my lord."

Klaus left the viscount's study, leaving Morgan alone with the Radiant Blademaster.

Morgan took a deep breath to calm her nerves before stepping forward and looking the viscount in the eyes. "What is it that you needed to talk to me about, my lord?" she said politely.

"You needn't act so stiffly," he responded. "You are my daughter's classmate and friend now, not a servant."

Even with the viscount's explicit permission, Morgan found it difficult to completely drop her professional facade. Victor Arseid was an influential man despite his lower ranking in the nobility, and now that she was alone in the room with him, she could feel firsthand why he was held in such high regard. His tall, imposing figure combined with a calm, composed visage made the viscount appear virtually impenetrable. And powerful. His power was practically radiating from him like an aura, but it was a different kind compared to the likes of Matteus Vander. Whereas Matteus was like a sharp sword that commanded everyone's attention, Victor Arseid was like a greatshield with a coat of arms emblazoned on it. Strong enough to withstand any blow that comes its way, all the while proudly displaying its lineage for all to see.

How was Rean able to take on such a person by himself? Only now did Morgan realize just how much Rean had to steel himself beforehand. Thinking about the events that occurred last night made her shudder a little.

"May I presume that Laura mentioned about me to you?" she asked him.

"She has written about you in her letters, yes. However…" There was a familiar twinkle in the viscount's eyes. "If memory serves correctly, the two of us have crossed paths before. The first was shortly before Princess Alfin turned thirteen, if I recall."

Morgan was once again surprised by the viscount's memory. And despite her infamous amnesia problems, she also remembered that day well. It was the day she first accompanied Princess Alfin in public. The day that she first donned her mask as her new attendant. The viscount was one of the many nobles who approached and greeted the princess. Most of them didn't acknowledge Morgan directly, as was common for most servants, but she did feel their eyes glance towards her on occasion. Some were puzzled by her mask, others were shocked at the princess's odd choice for an attendant. The viscount, however, had stood out, for his gaze felt rather...different. Instead of surprise or condescension, he looked more intrigued by the new face. It was the right amount of subtlety to show that he acknowledged and welcomed her presence without outright violating the norms of high society.

Now he was giving Morgan the same look he gave back then. Under the weight of that very same gaze, Morgan humbly lowered her head. "I'm...honored that you remember me."

"Unfortunately, I was unable to bring Laura with me during those times…" The viscount chuckled to himself. "To think that if I had, the two of you would have been acquainted."

Morgan returned to an upright position. "With all due respect, sir, I was just a servant back then. I'm certain that none would have been able to talk with me even if they wanted to. And…" She placed her hand on her chest. "I believed that keeping my identity a secret from the other students at Thors was strategically the right thing to do. Both for my own sake as well as those of the royal family."

"Your reasons are perfectly justifiable," he responded with a nod. "Now as for why I wished to speak with you, well… I simply wanted to see the sort of person that would refer to my daughter as her 'mother.'"

"Oh."

Morgan cursed herself mentally. She had blurted that out without even realizing. Of all the topics that the Radiant Blademaster could have talked to her about, this one was not one that she expected, and all she had to say was "Oh"?

"Er, I mean…" she began to stammer. "I-It's nothing inappropriate, I assure you-"

The viscount gently held up his hand. "You needn't explain. Laura has already given me an explanation. I cannot deny that I was as surprised as she was, but at the same time, it was also the first time my daughter had ever been so emotional. I wanted to gauge what sort of person this Morgan Daraen was, as all single fathers do."

"Was she really that emotional?" Morgan thought about her classmate. Laura was certainly surprised the first time she had been mistaken for Morgan's mother, but it didn't look like anything resembling a strong response.

"Laura's training has given her control over her outward emotions. It is a necessary skill for a swordsman to have, but to compensate, it leaves her rather challenged when it comes to empathizing with others. And furthermore…" The viscount closed his eyes. "As you might have noticed, Laura very rarely mentions her own mother."

"Yes. I'm sorry for what happened to her."

"There's no need to apologize. That is simply how life is. It both giveth and taketh away whenever it sees fit." The Radiant Blademaster hummed to himself. "I take it you've seen the portrait of her downstairs. If I may prick your brain about something for a moment, what sort of person do you think Daphne was?"

Morgan's mind wandered to the portrait of Laura's mother in the library. The size of the painting helped to give it a sense of gravitas befitting a member of the Arseid family, but after thinking more about it, there was something...off about it. Like the portrait was making her look more commanding than she actually was.

In the end, Morgan took a shot in the dark so she didn't keep the viscount waiting. "I guess, maybe… Someone who could stand on equal grounds with you? Someone who was strong as you are?"

He chuckled in response. "That is the answer that everyone gives."

"So that means…"

"I will admit, I wish we had another one painted before her passing. That one didn't quite capture what made her so unique. The truth is a bit stranger than that."

Laura's father walked over to his desk and picked up a framed photo that was resting on it. He then returned to where Morgan was and showed it to her. "This was taken many years ago, back when Daphne and I first announced our engagement."

Morgan looked at the photo and immediately realized what was so strange about the late viscountess. It was not the fact that she was shorter, with the Radiant Blademaster easily towering over her. It was also not the fact that she looked more youthful and energetic than the calm and collected portrait of her in the library.

No, it was the fact that Daphne Arseid was seated in a wheelchair.

Suddenly, the height of the bookshelves in the library made a lot more sense.

"She lost the use of her legs at a young age due to an illness, and her health was never the same after that. In fact, some believed that she wouldn't be able to live past her mid-thirties. The fact that she passed away not long after giving birth was an inevitability, not an accident. There was the option to terminate the pregnancy, of course, but Daphne remained resolute. She said that before she died, she wanted to leave something behind to prove that she existed. And in giving birth to Laura, she succeeded."

Laura's father extended his hand to the entrance to the study. There were two small plants placed on opposite ends of the doorway.

"Laurel trees," Morgan recognized.

"She was the one who named Laura. To her, she was proof that she had emerged victorious over her weakness, if only for a moment. Sadly, her condition grew worse, and she passed away not long after. I raised Laura by myself after that."

"I see…" Morgan pointed at the photograph. "If it's possible, could I take a closer look at that?"

"By all means."

The viscount didn't hesitate in placing the framed photo in Morgan's hands. She examined the late viscountess's features and compared them to the image that was in the library in her head. Seeing her sit in a wheelchair made her look so small, so...weak. And yet, with the addition of the Radiant Blademaster by her side, she couldn't have looked any more alive.

"This may come across as being intrusive, but...how exactly did you decide to marry her?"

"Your curiosity is understandable. One of the Empire's most renowned swordsmen choosing to marry a wheelchair-bound woman? We were quite the unusual pair back in the day…" Victor chuckled fondly to himself. "Daphne's family was small compared to most other nobles, but they maintained important diplomatic relationships with prominent households in the Lamare Province. The Florald, Egret, and Le Guin families, just to name a few. On paper, the marriage was strategically sound, but there was more to it than that.

"To the public eye, Daphne appeared meek and submissive on account of her disability. They were quick to dismiss her, not knowing that she possessed the same diplomatic skills as the rest of her family. Her mind was also well-honed from all the time she spent reading books. The feeling of being cast aside should have discouraged her, but in actuality, it only made her stronger and more defiant. That unrelenting fire to make the most of what little time she had left was what drew me to her. As unseemly as this might sound, she was truly the brains to my brawn. Many of the policies I currently employ in governing Legram actually originated from her ideas. Truly, she was a candle that burned too brightly, yet faded too fast."

As he spoke that last sentence, Morgan could detect a hint of pining in his voice. In that moment, she didn't see the reigning lord of Legram, nor did she see the Radiant Blademaster; she saw a man who truly loved his wife, even all these years later. Victor, Daphne, and Laura. Morgan wondered how things might have been if all three of them were able to be a proper family together.

"If I could ask something about her illness…" Morgan said as she returned the framed photograph to the viscount. "Is Laura, well…?"

"The disease was not hereditary, if that is what you were implying. You and your friends have nothing to worry about. Laura is as healthy as can be."

Even if the outcome was to be expected, Morgan still felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Right. Because being able to swing a sword that big around should've been a good-enough indicator."

The viscount laughed at her comment. "Laura has come a long way since the first time she held a sword, and I could tell from a glance that she has improved even more since she left for Thors. Very soon, she will not need anyone to look after her, and yet a part of me still can't help but worry about her as her father. When she wrote to me of a friend who looked up to her as a mother, I was surprised at how confused she was. It made me realize that while I may have prepared her in mind and body, I did little to enhance her emotions. Truth be told, I even worry that her dedication to her training might ward off potential romantic partners…"

'Oh, I don't think you need to worry about that…' Morgan quipped in her head. She knew better than to say that in front of the Radiant Blademaster, though.

"So I ask this of you, as a worried father to her daughter's friend: do look after her, will you?"

Morgan smiled and bowed her head. "Class VII looks after each other. I would have done so regardless even without you telling me."

The viscount nodded. "Very good. Then I can embark from Legram without any regrets."

"Actually, before you go…" Morgan spoke up. "I know we are both running short on time, sir, but there's actually something I've been meaning to talk to you about as well."

"And what might that be?"

"It's regarding your current course of action. I agree completely that it's the way to go, but surely you understand the difficulty of it all, especially with the Noble Faction breathing under your neck."

"I am fully aware. But if we retreated every time we faced even the smallest bit of resistance, then mankind wouldn't be able to progress at all. Daphne always said that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."

"Yes. And that's why I believe it would be beneficial to seek out political allies who share your views right from the get-go. As it so happens, I know of a certain Imperial prince who has expressed a desire similar to yours. To seek a solution separate from the Noble and Reformist Factions. A 'third way', so to speak…"

Author's note: There are two things that I wanted to highlight in this chapter. The first is the town of Karlorff, which is an entirely original location. In the games, moving past the Ebel Highway would naturally transition to the Kreuzen Highway that leads to Bareahard. By extension, the reigning lord of Karlorff, Dichter Baruna, is also an original character. Admittedly, I didn't think too much into that name, but this is the same series with a character whose name is "Dieter", so I figured it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

The second is in regards to Laura's mother. To reiterate, details about her are scarce in the games, with the only tidbit we did receive being that she is deceased, so the scenario I came up with about her marriage with Victor is mostly original. This also extends to the decision to make her disabled, which I would imagine is a radical departure from how most fans would imagine Laura's mom to be like. But that is the point of fanfiction, isn't it? To explore new ideas? In this way, we get some plausible reasons as to why Laura doesn't talk about her mother all that often; not only did she pass away before she could get any meaningful connection to her, her mother's lack of a martial background means that Laura, with her one-track mindset, simply wouldn't have any reason to look to her mother for an example under normal circumstances.

And on a completely unrelated subject, I am finally able to reveal why I gave Laura's mother the name that I did. "Laura" is derived from "laurus", the Latin word for the bay laurel plant. "Daphne", meanwhile, is derived from the Greek word for laurel, and aside from there being a story in Greek mythology involving a character of the same name, laurels were famously seen as symbols of victory in both Greece and Rome, with laurel wreaths being bestowed upon the victor in the Olympic Games. See the connection?

Thanks again for being patient with this. I estimate that the final day in Legram will take around two more parts to complete, so we'll be here for a while. Until next time!