"Morgan…"

"Rrgh…"

"Morgan!"

"Five more minutes, Mother…"

"Urgh, of all the days to sleep in, why did she have to choose today?"

"Stand back, you two! I've got just the cure for sleepyheads like her!"

"Um, Millium? I don't think now is the best time for-"

"MILLIUM FOREHEAD PUNCH!"

"Wait, Millium! Don't-!"

Alisa tried to stop the younger girl, but it was too late. Millium dove headfirst into Morgan's abdomen.

Those in the dormitory who were still asleep were rudely awoken by a terrifying, blood-curdling shriek. It was so loud, in fact, that some adults claimed they heard it all the way from the park area.

…

"Damn! You're packing some pretty impressive pipes, Morgs!"

"I thought it was the cry of a banshee."

Morgan shook her head and sighed, all the while gingerly rubbing her stomach. "Let's just forget that ever happened, okay?"

"The four of you were up late last night planning for our festival performance, weren't you?" Gaius guessed.

"Yeah. Sorry if we kept any of you up…" Elliot let out a small yawn. "But Morgan's the only one who's in a different group this month. There's no telling when we'll get her opinion on things again; that's why we need to make sure we get as much done before the field study."

"So were you able to get everything done?" Alisa asked.

"Not to worry," Rean assured her. "We've decided on the set list, which was the main hurdle of the prep phase. Everything else about the performance can be planned around that, and we're also making some good headway. Really, it's just the small things that we're still sorting out."

"I'm not worried about you and Elliot. It's just…I don't exactly have as much faith in Crow's creative decisions."

"I'm right here, you know!" the silver-haired student complained. "I'm pulling my weight! Hey, Morgs! Back me up here!"

"Zzz…"

"She's already asleep?!"

"Lady Morgan, there are better times to take a nap than while standing up!"

Morgan jerked up from her microsleep. "Snrk! Huh? Oh. It's just you, Sharon. Almost thought you were a manakete. Weird."

"A mana…what?"

"A race of people who turn into dragons where I come from. Don't worry about it. We're all here, so maybe we should get going to the academy field."

"Yeah, I wonder why Instructor Sara told us to head there this morning…" Rean thought aloud. "Normally, we'd be on the first train out of Trista."

The rest of Class VII followed Rean and Morgan's lead and left the dormitory with their belongings in tow.

"So…are we just going to ignore the part about people being able to turn into dragons?" Machias muttered to himself, confused by the apparent nonchalance of his other classmates.

Morgan closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the sound of the rushing wind blowing past her.

"This feels incredible…" she whispered. "If it weren't for the engines, I'd say it almost feels like I'm riding a pegasus again."

Her eyes opened to the expansive blue sky surrounding her on all sides. She was currently standing alone on the front deck of an airship, which had been called by the academy to pick them up and fly the groups to their respective field study locations. But this wasn't just any old airship; if it had been, then the students would have taken a train to the capital so they could depart from the Heimdallr Airport.

No, this high-speed cruiser had another purpose for flying above the skies of Erebonia.

The doors to the front deck opened and closed. "Ah, so this is where you were, Morgan!"

Morgan leaned away from the railing and bowed her head respectfully. "Your Highness. It's good to see you again."

"Please, enough with the formalities," the prince laughed. "It's only us two at the moment."

"I know." Morgan smiled. "I'm doing it because I want to."

The airship that Morgan and her class were flying on belonged to none other than Prince Olivert himself. Developed from the combined efforts of the Roer Institute of Technology in Erebonia, the Zeiss Central Factory in Liberl, and the Epstein Foundation in Leman, this crimson airship was to be the physical representation of the neutral third power the prince championed, separate from the other two factions. The plans had been laid out ever since Prince Olivert had returned from Liberl, and now that it was completed, it was making its maiden voyage all across the Empire. The fact that Class VII was allowed to come along for the ride so they could reach their field study locations was just a cherry on top. Seeing the crimson airship descend from above onto the academy field brought to mind Prince Olivert's famous return to Erebonia aboard the Arseille. Morgan had been in the crowd right outside the Heimdallr Airport when the white airship landed.

"I must say, you're quite the daredevil!" Prince Olivert commented. "Everyone else in your class has elected to remain inside the ship."

"I'm used to heights like these. Or rather…" Morgan looked out at the sea of clouds, stretching out as far as the eye could see. "I think it's more accurate to say I remembered I was used to heights."

"So your memories are returning, then?"

"Slowly but steadily. They still come to a stop after a certain point, but I'm beginning to fill in the blanks."

Prince Olivert nodded and moved closer to her spot on the deck. "That's wonderful news! You must have been quite the adventurer, if you have such an affinity for the skies. Perhaps you were a pilot, charting a course towards lands unknown?"

Morgan giggled. "Hehe! All I'll say is that I've seen things that you can't even begin to imagine."

"That's quite the bold claim, Morgan. I've seen more than a few fantastical things myself in Liberl."

"Right. You and Mueller boarded that giant floating city and stopped the Orbal Shutdown Phenomenon."

"That and much more…" Olivert muttered to himself. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. The main reason I wanted to find you was so I could thank you for persuading the viscount to accept my proposal."

"Laura's father was already planning on taking a neutral stance in the upcoming conflict," Morgan responded modestly. "All I did was point him to other people who shared his views."

"Yes, but thanks to that, we were able to quickly get him instated as captain. Had he not been so eager to join beforehand, we would've had to jump over many more hurdles. The path to get the Courageous off the ground was already arduous enough as is."

"Well, in the end, we all got what we wanted! The Courageous has the crew of its dreams, and it's set to have a successful maiden voyage!"

"Indeed! We couldn't have asked for a better turn of events. The activities of Class VII and the completion of the Courageous are but the first of many hurdles to overcome in order to fulfill my dream."

Prince Olivert then stepped closer to the edge of the deck, resting his hand on the railing. "Still, we mustn't neglect the importance of exercising caution. The political situation across the Empire seems to grow more ominous by the day, and I'm certain Class VII will have their hands full again this weekend. That goes double for your group; I heard that you will be in the group traveling to Ordis, correct?"

"That's right. It's hard to believe the Ordis Summer Festival was only a few months ago. Who knows what has changed since then?"

The prince hummed to himself. "Tell me, Morgan. Did you, by any chance, run into Duke Cayenne when you were in Legram?"

Morgan blinked. "How did you…oh. Right. Laura's father was there, too."

"Ordis is Duke Cayenne's stronghold. And given that he is the leader of the Noble Faction, it would be appropriate to say that you will be heading into the belly of the beast. One thing you should note is that security across the entire empire has increased in the wake of the Liberation Front's attack on Garrelia Fortress, and Ordis is no exception."

"Are you going to tell us to be careful? Don't worry. We'll be on the lookout for the ILF."

The prince shook his head. "Quite the opposite, actually. It's best if your group stays put this month."

Morgan almost couldn't believe the words that had just come out of the prince's mouth. "Pardon, sir?"

"A level of vigilance is required, that much is to be expected. But don't be surprised if nothing happens at all, either."

"What are you saying, Olivert?" Morgan asked, disregarding the prince's title. "We're five for five when it comes to crazy stuff happening during our field studies. You can't just expect us to wait around while the terrorists could be out there. Not to mention…" She lowered her voice. "Alfin and Elise are going to be in town for that exchange program."

"She's told you about that? I will admit, my brotherly instincts cannot help but make me anxious for her safety."

"So then…"

"At the same time, I doubt the Imperial Liberation Front will make any moves in the heart of the Noble Faction. Simply put, it isn't within their best interests."

Morgan realized the point that the prince was leaning towards, which immediately gave her a cause for concern. "You're not suggesting…!"

"I trust you've heard more than a few rumors connecting the Imperial Liberation Front to the Noble Faction. Believe me, the Intelligence Division has been trying to find some validation to that theory for some time now, but every trail comes up cold. Still, I have more than enough sources to make an educated guess about their plans. Also, I happen to know the commander of the Lamare Provincial Army, and she isn't one to let people like them run free."

Morgan shuddered. Even she knew of the martial prowess that the current leader of the Lamare Provincial Army possessed. "The Golden Rakshasa…" she muttered.

"My advice to you is to keep a low profile. The security surrounding Ordis will be intense, and yet the city has deemed it acceptable for your class to enter its walls. This presents us a unique opportunity to see what exactly is going on behind the scenes. Keep an eye out for trouble, but don't go actively searching for it. In situations like these, it's better to let the enemy make the first move."

Morgan nodded. It was a good strategy, she couldn't deny that. Trouble seemed to gravitate towards Class VII rather than the other way around.

"Alright. We'll keep your suggestion in mind. In the meantime, we'll play the part of unassuming students accompanying their bumbling instructor on a field trip."

"Haha! Good, good!" Prince Olivert laughed. "Work hard, but don't forget to play hard! There are plenty of things to see and eat in Ordis! You may have been there twice before, but I'll bet there are things you haven't yet seen."

"You wouldn't happen to have any recommendations, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I would! But if you don't mind…" The prince shivered. "Could we perhaps take this indoors? The winds are starting to get a little chilly for dear old me."

"With all due respect, Your Highness…" Morgan twirled around. "I'm the one wearing a skirt here! And I'm perfectly fine!"

Olivert sneezed into his right sleeve. "Perhaps the uniform you wore in your homeland also had a skirt…"

"Excuse me, but are you the students from Thors who will be staying here for the weekend?"

After disembarking the Courageous at the airport in Ordis, Group B was stopped by a young man wearing the provincial army uniform.

"Yes…?" Machias replied tentatively.

The rest of the students were more than a little apprehensive at the soldier's approach, mostly due to their previous run-ins with the provincial army. They had been caught and reprimanded by those swearing allegiance to the Four Great Houses enough times for it to be a regular occurrence for their field studies, and it was looking to be the same in Ordis. But fortunately, they weren't the only ones representing Class VII on this trip.

"That's right." Sara stepped forward. "I'm one of the instructors at Thors, and these are my students. If you're here to check our IDs, then you can verify with the captain on board the Courageous. Otherwise, we'll be on our way."

"Not at all, ma'am," the soldier responded cordially. "I was asked to lead you and your students to your ride."

"A ride? I don't recall ordering a cab."

"Our ruling lord has prepared a limousine that will drive you to your lodgings this week. Unless you and your class are content with walking all the way there, of course…"

Instructor Sara turned around. "You heard him. We can take the highway, or we can take the scenic route. It's your field study, so I'll let you make the decision."

Just as Sara had told them beforehand, she was only going to intervene in situations that absolutely required an adult's presence. Other than that, she was going to remain hands-off for the majority of the field study. That was acceptable for the students; compared to how things started out at the beginning of the year, they were much more cohesive and capable of acting as a group. Even Machias and Jusis, who were on each other's nerves ninety-nine percent of the time, had learned to put their grudges aside for the sake of the group.

In the end, the students elected to take the limo, since it was already waiting for them. With their decision made, the soldier escorted the entire group out of the airport, where they saw the limousine parked outside.

"There's only one person in this entire city who would ride in a vehicle that expensive…" Machias muttered.

"Do you think you can handle this, Jusis?"

"Of course, Gaius. This is why I was placed in this group, no doubt."

Jusis took the lead as the soldier opened the doors to the limousine. The sole occupant of the vehicle then stepped out of it.

"Welcome, students of Thors Military Academy! That must've been quite the splendid ride you had there!"

"…Huh?"

The man that was standing in front of them was most certainly not the head of the Cayenne duchy. Whereas Duke Cayenne was slim and had orange hair, this man was more portly and was bald, save for some remnants of white hair at the back of his head.

Machias looked over at his mortal enemy and whispered, "Hey, Jusis, do you know this guy?"

"I'm afraid I do…" Jusis shook off his feelings of discomfort and bowed. "Greetings, Marquis Ballad. My classmates and I readily accept your salutations. We weren't aware that you would be greeting us in place of Duke Cayenne."

"If it isn't the second son of House Albarea! Yes, that is a completely understandable reaction. But never fear, my boy! All will be explained in due time! Now come! Please come inside. Ladies first."

The marquis motioned for the group to come inside. Despite their apprehensions, they handed their belongings to the chauffeur so he could put them in the trunk. They then entered the vehicle itself, which was only barely able to fit all of them plus the marquis. Part of the compartment was taken up by a small table in the middle, which had an assortment of snacks on it. Only Millium was carefree enough to dig in, though.

"Mm! Hey! This stuff is-mmph-really good!"

"Those candied nuts are some of my favorites! Please, children, feel free to help yourselves. It is an honor to welcome you to this port city, yes."

Ballad's affable reception didn't make Group B feel any less at ease as the limousine started driving through the streets of Ordis.

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir," Sara said professionally. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go over the itinerary for the day…"

"Yes, that. You will be staying at the inn on North Street, at which point you will start this field study of yours. Quite the odd choice, I must say. North Street is on the quieter side of town. Not the sort of place that I would say encapsulates the better qualities of Ordis. But oh well! Your main confidant in the city knows better than I do, I suppose."

"If I may interject, my lord…" Jusis said. "Are you not going to be our point of contact?"

Marquis Ballad laughed. "Hoho! Jusis, my boy! I am a busy man! I have enough on my plate as is, looking after Ordis while the duke is out of town."

"Duke Cayenne is…"

"…Not in town?"

"Yes. It's been happening quite often these days. He will disappear for days at a time, and while he's doing who knows what, he designates me to look after the city! We negotiated this, of course, so don't view this as him forcing work upon me. But between you and me, I think he's enjoying his time abroad."

Emma leaned over to her classmates and whispered, "Do you think…?"

"Yeah. He's on one of THOSE business trips."

"The same as in Legram…"

She, Morgan, and Gaius all nodded amongst themselves. If the duke wasn't in town, then that could only mean one thing: he was traveling across the empire recruiting more nobles to his cause, just like how he had approached Viscount Arseid one month prior. It only made them wonder how many nobles the duke had already recruited to his cause.

Eventually, the limousine came to a stop in front of a building with the sign "Sea Breeze Inn" hanging overhead. The students noticed that there was a small crowd gathering around the vehicle, almost like they were a group of celebrities. Clearly, a visit from one of the Cayenne duchy's limousines was not a common occurrence in these parts.

"Ah, yes. Before I forget…" Marquis Ballad said. "His Lordship instructed me to pass along a message to your group."

"What sort of message?" Jusis inquired.

The balding noble procured a piece of paper from his lavish coat and cleared his throat. "'The provincial army will be on high alert for any signs of the buffoons that call themselves the Imperial Liberation Front. Anyone who gets caught trying to interfere with them will result in immediate and severe penalties against your entire group. And if a certain rabbit gets caught sniffing its nose where it doesn't belong, the army will not hesitate to send you all packing where you stand.'"

He let out a hearty laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, I, for one, don't know what he might be talking about! I don't see a single rabbit in our midst! Unless one of you happens to be hiding rabbit ears? Hohoho!"

The other passengers in the limousine didn't share his enthusiasm, however. To them, the message the duke provided was as clear as the sky. Their autonomy as a group was being threatened by a figurehead who wasn't even present in his own city, and there would be no room for negotiations.

The limousine doors were finally opened by the chauffeur, and all the passengers exited the vehicle. The members Group B thanked Marquis Ballad for the ride and bid him farewell for the time being, but given his negligence to their field study, they were uncertain if they would ever see him again for the remainder of the weekend.

"He was certainly a…colorful character," Machias muttered after the limousine was out of sight. "But I wouldn't exactly call him the sort of person I would picture looking after the second-largest city in the Empire."

"I will ignore your derogatory remarks if only to say that I agree with your sentiments, Regnitz," Jusis responded. "Marquis Ballad has long had a reputation for being lazy and arrogant, always ready to shirk his duties at the drop of a hat. His reputation, even among other nobles in Ordis, is less than stellar, but his seniority is without question. If Duke Cayenne were to ever be indisposed, Marquis Ballad would most likely be the first in line to become provisional ruler of the entire Lamarre Province."

"So in this area of the Empire, seniority matters as much as one's ranking…" Gaius said. "He also mentioned that he was getting something in return. I can't imagine what that might be, if he isn't interested in fulfilling his duties."

"Money," Instructor Sara succinctly answered. "When you're in that position of power, all the money in the entire province becomes your direct pocketbook. And if there's one thing that nobles have a habit of doing, it's being able to spend extravagant amounts of money. What they spend that money on depends on the person calling the shots, though."

"It's easy to forget that there are people like Marquis Hyarms in Saint-Arkh, who uses his tax money to support the community and fund events pertaining to the arts," Emma added.

"And on the other end, you have people like my father, who spends all his money on military fortification…" Jusis grumbled. "Instructor, did you know something like this would happen?"

"Well, I can't say I was expecting the duke to be out of town. I mean, we wouldn't even be able to hold our field study here if he didn't say so; the least he could do is say hi. But there's limits to what the academy is able to find out. So more often than not, we have to rely on…" Sara glanced knowingly at Millium. "OTHER sources to fill in the blanks."

The blue-haired girl looked at the instructor in an inquisitive manner. "Huh? What're you looking at me for? I haven't even done anything yet!"

"The duke himself may not be present in the city, but his message was clear. We need to make sure she stays on a leash if we wish to keep our stake in Ordis."

"You worry too much, Jusis! The provincial army's got this entire place locked tight! There's no way I'd be able to sneak into the duke's mansion at this rate!"

"So you WERE thinking of sneaking in?" Morgan exclaimed.

"Aidios, help us…" Machias groaned.

Sara clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, okay. I'm sure we're all interested in seeing what nefarious plans our almighty duke has in store, but we've got better things to do than standing around here. Let's drop off our luggage at the inn. Then, we'll meet up with our contact for this weekend."

"Speaking of, Instructor, I don't believe you've actually told us who it is yet," Emma pointed out.

"Yeah, so here's the thing…" Sara said. "There's actually two parties that'll be acting as our contacts for this weekend."

"TWO?!" the students exclaimed.

"I'll explain once we're settled in," Sara said. "But basically, the person who's responsible for your field study tasks is normally stationed outside of the city, so they enrolled the help of another party to make reaching them more convenient. Your work will be divided up into activities performed inside and outside the city, so you'll be reporting to different people depending on your location."

"We've never had to do this before. Is this part of the new security measures, too?" Morgan asked.

"It'll make more sense once you meet them." Sara winked at Morgan, which made her wonder if there was a detail she was missing. "For now, let's go in and grab some lunch! I'm starving!"

With no other choice but to follow their instructor's lead, the rest of Group B entered the Sea Breeze Inn so they could get situated in their rooms. The inn provided three rooms for them: one for the boys, one for the girls, and one exclusively for Sara. Afterwards, they reconvened on the first floor for an early lunch, provided for them by the family who owned the inn.

"Ahh, I could get used to a place like this! The view's nice, the seafood's great, and there's even a place to fix up my gear right around the corner!" Instructor Sara raised her hand at the waitress. "Marina! One beer, please!"

"Oh, no. We are NOT doing this again!" Morgan reprimanded their instructor. "You still haven't told us where we'll be meeting our contacts for the field study."

"Yeah! We didn't come to Ordis just so you could get plastered on booze!" Machias added.

"Hey, Instructor? Can I take a sip of beer, too?" Millium asked innocently.

"Absolutely not!" Jusis shouted.

"Fine, fine…" Sara waved her hand at the waitress named Marina to cancel her order. "Old habits die hard, you know? Follow me, kids."

The students followed their instructor out of the inn and continued going further into North Street.

"No. Way." Morgan gasped as the group stopped in front of a building at the end of the residential area.

"Do you know this place, Morgan?" Emma asked.

"I do. I also know the people who live here." Morgan looked at their instructor. "You're saying that…?"

"I had a feeling you'd catch on sooner or later." Sara smirked at Morgan. "You wanna do the honors?"

"Sure thing, Instructor!"

Morgan stepped forward and tapped on the front door three times. The door slowly opened to reveal the smiling face of the Egret family maid.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of Class VII. We've been expecting you."

"She already knew who we were?"

"It's almost like knowing everything is par for the course for maids."

Ignoring the whispers of her classmates, Morgan nodded her head and smiled back. "Hi, Setsuna! It's been a while. Are you and the Egrets doing alright?"

"We're doing perfectly fine, thank you." Setsuna stepped to the side and motioned for them to enter the building. "Please, come right this way."

"Thank you for inviting us."

Morgan and the others stepped inside the Egret residence, where they found three people already present in the lounge area. Morgan immediately recognized two of them as the two tenants of the building, Count Egret and Lady Suzanne. Seeing their faces made her feel assured that their field study was in capable hands. But before she could relax, her eyes looked upon the third person in the room, and she immediately stopped dead in her tracks. Standing alongside the count and countess was a tall, well-endowed woman with long, silver hair.

'Oh, gods…' Morgan gulped. 'It's HER.'

"So you've arrived." the woman said. "Young lions of Class VII, we bid you welcome to the port city of Ordis!"

Everything about the woman screamed that she was a commander. Her uniform indicating her high-ranking status in the provincial army, her calm yet composed visage that was honed through years of combat, her loud voice that immediately made her the center of attention. For the students of Class VII, it was not unlike looking at an older Laura, if the Arseid heiress possessed an overwhelming amount of confidence in her abilities and none of the insecurities that came with being a teenage girl. The eyes they were looking into belonged to that of a veteran warrior.

"Thank you, General. Class, let me introduce you to your main contacts for this weekend…" Sara began by pointing her hand at the silver-haired woman. "This woman right here is General Aurelia Le Guin, who commands the Lamare Provincial Army. She's the main supervisor of the field study and the one in charge of choosing your field study tasks."

"So the leader of the duke's provincial army is gonna be monitoring our every move…" Machias mumbled. "As if things couldn't get any more worse for us."

General Le Guin chuckled to herself. "I assure you, son of Governor Regnitz, it most certainly could. If I gave the command, I could have the entire army monitor your activities 24/7 and confiscate your belongings to check for explosives. The fact that not a single officer is stationed outside this building is proof enough of the lengths I'm willing to go to ensure your field study goes as intended."

"W-Wow…" Emma almost took a step back, being stunned speechless by the general's claim.

"Still the same as ever, I see…" Jusis muttered.

Count Egret cleared his throat. "Now, now, Your Ladyship. These students have only just arrived in Ordis. It's a bit early for exaggerations, don't you think?"

"I only speak the truth," General Le Guin bluntly responded.

"...Aaand the couple over there are Count Theodore Egret and his wife, Lady Suzanne," Sara hurriedly said to get back on track. "They've volunteered to be your acting guides to the city, since General Le Guin is usually stationed at Juno Naval Fortress. Count Egret used to be the advisor to the previous Duke Cayenne, so if you have any questions about how Ordis is run, you can ask him."

"It is an honor to meet you, ladies and gentlemen of Class VII," Count Egret said. "I understand that you have just eaten lunch, but please come and join us. We have prepared some tea and scones for you."

"...So the Egrets were a last-minute addition to the field study?"

"When I caught wind that the illustrious Class VII would be coming to Ordis, I knew I had to see the fruits of Prince Olivert's pet project for myself." Count Egret chuckled to himself. "I remember having to convince General Le Guin for the better part of an afternoon."

"Now look who is the one exaggerating," the general said. "But still, I will concede that I find this arrangement more preferable than taking the students with me to the naval fortress. With His Lordship away from Ordis, I can't afford to divert too much time and attention away from my post."

"If I may ask, General…" Jusis spoke up. "Do you happen to know when the duke might return to Ordis?"

General Le Guin shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to disclose that information. Even to someone such as yourself, Jusis Albarea. All I will say is that the chances of your group and the duke crossing paths is close to nil."

"Then what about the Imperial Liberation Front?" Machias asked. "Are there any updates on what they've been up to?"

"The men and women of the provincial army are monitoring the situation as we speak. Of course, as far as actual information is concerned, I believe there is someone already in your group who is better equipped to answer your question."

The general's steely gaze drifted towards Millium, who was too busy indulging in tea and scones to notice.

"But I digress. His Lordship may have suggested that I keep a close eye on you, but if you ask me, it is a waste of effort and time. It is difficult to tame a lion with preserved meat when it has already experienced the thrill of the hunt."

The students looked at one another, confused by the general's words.

"In other words…" Sara spoke to break the silence. "She's saying that she supports letting you guys do your own thing."

"R-Really?" Emma gasped.

"That's surprising, considering the message we heard from the duke on the way here," Machias added.

The silver-haired woman grunted. "Hmph. Then let me ask you this, Class VII: is the creed of Thors Military Academy not 'Arise, o youth, and become the foundation of the world?' How, then, can a new foundation be forged if they blindly follow the statutes of those that came before them?"

"That's…"

The students were unable to come up with an answer to the general's steely question.

"You're all still cubs, trying to find your place in the world," the general continued. "But the call of the hunt waits for no one. If you continue to let yourselves be bound by chains, you won't survive for very long in the wild. So take a hold of the path set in front of you, and see it through in the way you know best. Your pride as students of Thors Military Academy dictates that you act as such. That is the only thing you should be concerned with."

"It's refreshing to hear you say that, General Le Guin," Morgan responded, feeling more reassured that their field study won't be as restrictive as she had hoped. Her other classmates also showed signs of hope where there was once skepticism.

"Unlike the duke, I'm not so forgetful of my roots," General Le Guin stated. "Now, then. It's almost time for me to return to the fortress. Before I go, I believe you will be needing this…"

The general procured a folder with the Thors emblem of a lion on it and gave it to Morgan, the person sitting closest to her. "Your primary focus today will be to familiarize yourselves with the layout of the city and its immediate surroundings. Tomorrow, you will be spending the majority of your day at Juno Naval Fortress, one of the longest standing military facilities on this side of the Empire. Be at the harbor at precisely eight in the morning. I will arrange for your transportation."

"Tomorrow…morning…"

Le Guin took note of Morgan's frown, despite the latter's attempt to hide it. "Is there something you find unsatisfactory, girl?"

Morgan quickly shook her head, feeling embarrassed that she was being singled out. "No, it's nothing. Thank you for your time, General. We won't let you down."

The general's gaze remained on her for a few more seconds. She had become so silent, her visage so impassive, that it was difficult to ascertain the emotions that lay behind her stare.

Ultimately, General Le Guin stood up from her seat, sparing Morgan any further inquiries about how she truly felt. "Theodore. Suzanne. I will leave them in your care."

"Of course."

"Have a safe trip back."

"And thank you once again for the scones, Setsuna. They were delightful as always."

"You honor me with your praise, my lady."

The general strode out of the Egret residence with her head held high, not once looking back.

After Setsuna closed the doors behind the general, the students collectively breathed a sigh of relief that none of them realized they were holding in. Aurelia Le Guin's presence had made the class want to put on their best behavior, and with her gone, it was like a weight lifted from each of their shoulders.

"Wow! She's way more intense than what the rumors say!"

"M-Millium…!"

Both Count Egret and his wife, however, simply laughed at Millium's comment. "Haha! Your honesty is refreshing, Millium," the former remarked. "General Le Guin has always had that effect on others, even when she was a young girl. And I would know; I was close acquaintances with the previous Count Le Guin. Not once has Aurelia's tenacity faded over the years."

"Her fearsome reputation certainly pales in comparison to the woman herself," said Jusis. "I suppose that's to be expected from the only person to have studied under both the Vander and Arseid schools of swordsmanship."

"R-Really?! Both schools?" Emma gasped in awe.

"Whoooaaa!" Millium's eyes widened. "So is she, like, stronger than Laura's dad?"

"She's definitely up there, that's for sure," Instructor Sara said. "Even the bracers know about her. Her mastery over both schools of Erebonian swordsmanship earned her the nickname of 'Golden Rakshasa', because she's basically the closest thing the nobles have to a war demon on their side."

"The air around her was overwhelming, to say the least," Gaius remarked. "Yet at the same time, I couldn't detect any malicious intent behind her words. Even when she was threatening to strip us of our autonomy."

"I was worried when she started threatening to send in her troops to monitor us…" Morgan confessed. "But I guess it all worked out, in the end!"

"She's definitely not the sort of person you'd wanna meet in a dark alley, that's for sure…" Machias shuddered. "But Gaius brought up a good point. I'm surprised at how easily she was willing to let us go off the hook. It's like the message we received from the duke was for a different group."

Count Egret chuckled. "Aurelia may be stern, but don't let her position dissuade you from trusting her. She holds nothing but the highest of expectations for your class. The unsung heroes of the siege on Garrelia Fortress."

That comment shocked the students. As far as they were told by the academy, only certain military and academy personnel were aware that Class VII had contributed to Garrelia Fortress' defense last month. Even Instructor Sara expressed her surprise with a raise of her eyebrows; evidently, Count Egret was not among the list of people who should have been in the know.

"How did you…?"

"That information wasn't released to the public, was it?"

But the count brushed all of their questions aside with another chuckle. "Hoho! I have my sources. Of course, I would also like to think that the general has own reasons for supporting your field study."

His wife smiled. "She always did have a soft spot for students attending her alma mater."

"Alma mater? Wait, so she's-?"

"She graduated from Thors, too?"

"At this point, I shouldn't be surprised to find out who's graduated from Thors, anymore…"

With the introductions to their contacts out of the way and their field study tasks in hand, the members of Group B thanked the Egrets for their hospitality and got to work. In almost no time at all, they scanned through their tasks and charted the most efficient route through the city so they could take care of them in one go.

For Sara, that meant that she could spend the rest of the afternoon indulging in one of her favorite pastimes: drinking a mug of the local beer.

"You sure you want to be drinking? What if your students need help?"

"Nahhh. They'll be fine. They're strong kids."

The waitress reluctantly left the instructor to her devices.

It was funny how much could change in just a few months. Sara still remembered the first time she led her students into the old schoolhouse. All of them looked so green, many of them were skeptical and hostile towards each other, and some looked like they didn't even want to be there. But as time went on, they were all able to grow closer as a group. Conflicts that threatened to tear apart the class were resolved. The days of having to hold their hands every step of the way were like a far-off memory.

"They don't need me to tell them what to do anymore…" Sara whispered.

And she couldn't have been prouder.

"Where is…a-ha! There she is!"

"I'm sorry, hon! I tried to stop her."

"No, it's fine! I knew she'd be here."

Sara perked up her head, recognizing Morgan's voice. Maybe she left something in her room?

"Hey, Instructor?"

Nope. She had a question. "Whassup, Morgs? Having fun out there?"

"We're fine. Oh, and please don't call me Morgs."

"But you let Crow call you that!"

"He's an…exception."

"Sure, sure…" Sara took another swig of beer to hide the smile that was forming on her face. "Anyway, didja need something?"

"I want to ask you a favor. There's this girl's school in the academic district, and I heard through the grapevine that there's going to be an exchange program there tomorrow. Students from other girls' schools across the empire are gonna be there. Is there any chance you could go over there to see if they need help setting up?"

"Does this have to do with your field study in any way?"

"W-Well, technically, no…"

"Then I fail to see how that's my problem."

"But maybe they need help with security! It can't hurt to at least take a look, would it?"

"What's gotten you interested in this all of a sudden? This should be a private event, right?" Sara narrowed her eyes at the black-haired girl. "Is there a reason you can't just go and check it out yourself?"

"Well…" Morgan looked like she was trying really hard to come up with a good excuse, but to no avail. Eventually, she clapped her hands together above her head. "It's just that the academic district is off the beaten path! None of our field study tasks are taking us there today, and the entire district is gonna be closed to the public tomorrow afternoon! I thought I could go and check it out tomorrow, but then we have to be at the naval fortress in the morning!"

Sara hummed to herself. Clearly, Morgan really wanted to be there for this exchange program, even though it had nothing to do with the field study. It was all too clear that there was something she wasn't telling her. Why would she be so riled up about this one event?

She briefly went over the facts again in her head. There was going to be an exchange program at a girls' school, and students from other schools were going to be there. Morgan knew about it beforehand, which meant that she heard about it from an attendee. Someone who was close enough to Morgan to let her know about the exchange program in advance, right as she was going to be in Ordis for a field study…

"Hm. So that's it."

"I-Instructor?"

After standing up to stretch, Sara put down the bill for her beer. "Thanks for the beer! I'm heading out."

"Wait, Instructor!"

"I don't think we need to worry about security with the Golden Rakshasa at the helm, but in a city this big, there's bound to be a few blind spots." She turned around and ruffled Morgan's hair. "It'd be pretty bad if something got the jump on Her Highness while we were out of town, right?"

"Instructor…!" Morgan was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes were filled with gratitude.

"You leave that part of town to me. In the meantime, get back out there. Don't keep your classmates waiting."

"I won't! Thanks!"

Morgan took a few steps away from Sara's hand before turning around and saying, "Oh, by the way! Prince Olivert said there's a place around the harbor where you can customize your own martinis! You should go check it out before it gets packed."

Hmm. Martinis. Maybe taking a walk around Ordis wasn't just a bad idea after all.

Author's note: The field study has commenced! This chapter more or less exists to provide exposition; the real meat will be shown in the following chapter.

I have to say that writing Aurelia Le Guin was actually more challenging than I had anticipated. Despite being introduced in Cold Steel II, she doesn't interact with Class VII a whole lot while they're still students, so it's difficult to imagine how someone like her will have reacted upon meeting them for the first time. On the one hand, she has her own code of honor and only really cares about bettering herself in combat. If people can prove themselves to her, then she'll offer them her support. But on the other, she's still the leader of the provincial army and works under Duke Cayenne, so the students have to be careful not to trust her too easily. I hope to find a good balance between showing Aurelia's straightforward personality while still maintaining her loyalty to her faction.