[IS]: Insert song - "The Wise One (Tales of Vesperia)"
[ISE]: Insert song end
St. Coraline's Academy, 9:00 AM
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
"...She's not answering. I thought for sure I entered the correct number."
Alfin Reise Arnor frowned at the ARCUS orbment in her hands. Thanks to her brother's connections with the Reinford Group, St. Astraia was able to acquire a set of brand new, state-of-the-art ARCUS units for their group. They were identical to the models that Class VII used for their field studies, save for the fact that they were devoid of all quartz and had the unicorn symbol of St. Astraia's on the cover. Personally, Alfin found the dark red colors of Class VII's ARCUS units much more palatable than the pastel teals of her current St. Astraia orbment, but oh well. Beggars can't afford to be choosers.
"Are you still trying to figure out how your ARCUS works, Your Highness?"
The Imperial princess quickly replaced her frown with a smile. "You could say that, Elise. It's certainly more intricate than the artifact Olivert has."
"Would you like to try calling each other?" Elise opened her own ARCUS device. "I've already verified that mine works with Lea."
"Heehee! I can't resist an offer from you, Elise. Let's see, I believe your number was…"
The two of them called each other's numbers, and within a few seconds, they were able to establish a connection.
"So it works with us. I wonder if it's because you weren't close enough to anyone else? Lea did mention that noble cities like Ordis tend to lag behind suburban cities like the capital when it comes to adapting orbal technology…"
"You two have been getting along swimmingly as of late. Teehee! It's almost enough to make me feel jealous."
"Please, Your Highness…" Elise said to counter her friend's teasing. "It's nothing to be jealous over."
Alfin continued to giggle to herself. But deep down, the princess was delighted to see that Elise had found another person to call a friend. Though it wasn't as bad as last year, there were still some upper class students who continued to be wary of Elise due to the controversies surrounding the Schwarzers. Lea, despite hailing from Bareahard, didn't seem to care about it one way or the other, and ever since their first encounter at the book club, she and Elise would exchange friendly greetings whenever they passed each other in the hallways. It also helped that, according to Mildine, Lea was something of a loner in her own class due to her frankness and honesty, so perhaps Elise was able to empathize with the red-haired girl on a deeper level.
From across the hall, President Carmine started ringing a bell to get everyone's attention. The opening ceremony of the exchange program was about to begin.
"That's our cue. We can talk later, Your Highness. If you want me for anything, don't be afraid to call me."
"Thank you, Elise. You'll be the first person to know."
Elise smiled and left to follow the rest of their group, leaving the princess alone.
"In truth…" Alfin said softly as she put her orbment away. "What I really wanted was for the first call of my new ARCUS to have been with her…"
A set of footsteps came and took their place behind the princess. "You will have your chance, Your Highness. Good things come to those who wait."
Alfin turned to the direction of the newcomer and smiled. "I suppose you're right. How are you faring? It's been quite some time since the last time you visited Ordis, has it not?"
The girl next to her nodded her head. With her short black hair, servant's uniform, and butterfly mask covering her face, no one had been able to guess her true identity ever since they landed in Ordis.
"A lot has indeed changed on the surface. But as they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same. There's something going on beneath it all, and I intend to find out everything before our time here is up."
"So far, everything is going perfectly according to plan." Alfin giggled to herself. "Now then. Shall we be off… 'Morgan'?"
Juno Naval Fortress, 8:00 AM
After experiencing the full scale of Garrelia Fortress one month prior, the students of Class VII believed that any other military facility they would encounter in the future would feel small in comparison. However, their doubts would be proven unfounded when they neared Juno Naval Fortress from their naval escort. It was undoubtedly smaller, but as the Lamare Province's oldest military installation, it didn't disappoint in the presentation department. A large stone fort with towering structures built on top of a large body of water, with the gray stone almost appearing white as the morning sun peeked over the horizon. Those of Group B who had gone to Legram were reminded of Lohengrin Castle, another medieval structure constructed on the water's surface. Juno Naval Fortress carried its own sense of grandeur and majesty that no other building could hope to match; it was fitting, then, that its commander was none other than the Noble Faction's finest warrior.
"Instructor Sara Valestein of Thors Military Academy, reporting the arrival of myself and the students of Class VII currently in my care."
"Well met. I acknowledge your arrival."
Aurelia Le Guin, clad in the same general's uniform that she wore yesterday, sized up each of the individuals that stood before her with her purple, calculating eyes. With a single flick of her wrist, the provincial army soldiers that had escorted the group to the main command room left their side to stand watch at the entrance.
Morgan steeled herself even more when the silver-haired general's gaze lingered on her. She had already consigned herself to the reality that Her Highness' safety was beyond her control. As a result, she was determined to pour one-hundred percent of her focus into completing whatever assignments the general had prepared for them. General Le Guin was another face she was all too familiar with from being Princess Alfin's attendant, but did she remember her?
"Allow me to get straight to your first order of business," the general said. "I would like all of you to assist the provincial army in routing a few uninvited creatures that have decided to make the Lamare Province their home."
"We just woke up and you want us to exterminate monsters right away?" Machias asked.
"Is that so surprising?" Aurelia countered. "I believed that something of this level would be a sufficient enough warm up for students of your caliber. Or perhaps you now believe that the safety of the citizens of Ordis is beneath you, after all the time you spent attending to their needs yesterday?"
Machias decided to do the sensible thing and keep his mouth shut.
"I may have granted you permission to move about freely while within the Port City, but I am not so charitable as to let you do the same within the halls of this illustrious stronghold. From this point on, you will be treated like many of our new recruits, and you will be expected to follow the orders of your superiors diligently and efficiently. In return, you are welcome to use whatever resources are available in the fortress to prepare for the road ahead. Complete the objectives given to you, and maybe you will live to see the afternoon with all of your limbs intact. Are there any questions about your directives?"
"N-No, ma'am…" the students replied weakly, too overwhelmed by the general's commanding presence.
"And you call yourselves students of Thors Academy?" the general scoffed. "I shall ask again: ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?"
"NO, MA'AM!" the students responded more strongly.
"That's better. Never forget your place in the chain of command." General Le Guin gave herself a small, satisfied smirk before procuring a folder with the Thors logo on it. "The details of the targets are enclosed here. Once you have made your preparations, talk to the guards stationed at the entrance. They will take you to the locations of the monsters. Instructor Valestein, I will meet you in the training grounds later as previously discussed. Dismissed!"
She passed the folder to Sara before she confidently strode out of the command room, her silver hair and purple cape flowing behind her.
"She was way more intense here than she was yesterday…" Machias breathed a miniscule sigh of relief once General Le Guin was out of earshot.
"We are in her home turf, after all," Sara pointed out. "And the general's had a lot of time to perfect her image as a badass. From what I've heard, she had to succeed her father as countess during the Hundred Days War, back when she was still in her first year at Thors. After the fighting was over, the academy gave her special permission to graduate in one year, and she hasn't stopped since."
"You can do that?" Gaius looked surprised. "Graduate in a single year?"
"It's not an impossibility," said Jusis. "I've heard that Thors offers an option for an accelerated curriculum, but that option is typically reserved for nobles whose filial obligations prevent them from staying away for long periods of time. It's a rather pragmatic option, all things considered."
"Filial obligations…" Emma muttered. "So if, for example, Jusis' father gets really sick and can't perform his duties…"
"No! A Class VII without Jusis would be a lot less fun!" Millium complained.
Jusis heaved a sigh. "You're both blowing it out of proportion. If that were to occur, then my brother would be next in line to take over my father's duties. But on the off chance that both of them would become indisposed… Then I suppose I would have no other option but to follow in the general's footsteps. It's more preferable than dropping out entirely."
"Jusis…"
The mood of the room started to take a more serious turn, but fortunately, Instructor Sara was able to quickly gather everyone's attention. "Hey, what's with those faces? It's too early for you guys to be worrying over these important decisions. There's a time and place for everything, I always say. We don't have a lot of time, so I'd like to keep the debriefing short."
Morgan nodded. "Right. So what's on the agenda, Instructor?"
"Like the general said, you'll be assisting the provincial army with monster extermination. There are three targets, each one requiring you to traverse through difficult terrain. From what I can tell, though, you'll only have to worry about this one." Instructor Sara took out three files, each with a picture and description of the monster as well as its general location, and passed one file to Morgan. "There's a group of primate monsters led by this bad boy, called the Bozuonga. They're hiding out in a grotto in southwestern Lamare. Your first priority is to make sure that none of these monsters go past the given boundaries. Don't let a single one escape."
"It looks like it'll be a tough one," Machias remarked. "Not to mention there's two others we need to worry about."
"But that also means if we succeed, we'll earn our keep around here, right?"
"Right on the money, Morgan! The general's giving you guys a chance, so cheer up! If you guys were able to beat me in groups of three during our practical exam last week, then three little monsters between the six of you should be a cakewalk by comparison!"
"What will you be doing in the meantime, Instructor?" Emma questioned.
"The general asked me to give a practical demonstration of tactical orbments. Who knows? Maybe if you're fast enough, you might be able to catch me kicking ass in front of their new recruits!"
"Understood. We'll be sure to take our time, then."
"Hey!"
Morgan snickered to herself. "Okay, everyone! It's still early hours. Now let's show these guys what Class VII's made of!"
The rest of Group B grunted in affirmation and followed their young tactician out of the command room.
"...Hard to believe that just a few months ago, she was worried about playing the middleman between Fie and Laura," Instructor Sara murmured to herself, a small smile on her face. "Garrelia Fortress really gave her the push she needed to come into her own as a leader."
It wasn't just limited to Morgan, either; practically all of the Sevens that started at the beginning of the year had changed after their visit to Garrelia Fortress. Granted, a surprise attack from a group of terrorists and witnessing the death of soldiers firsthand could do that to a lot of students, and Sara was ready to step in and do her job as their responsible authority figure. But instead, the experience gave them the push to prove themselves even more. She felt that firsthand when Rean, Jusis, and Machias, the three boys she had utterly trounced in the beginning of the year, were able to bring her to her knees when she called them up to face her during their practical exam this month. And while it did sting at the time knowing that she was getting her butt handed to her by a bunch of teens, she couldn't have been prouder of their growth.
"...Is this what it feels like to be a parent?"
That horrifying thought soon dawned on the violet-haired instructor's mind, causing her to cringe visibly. "No, no, no! I'm not that old yet! I just gotta keep believing! There's gotta be someone else out there, or my last name's not Valestein!"
After leaving the command room, the students arrived at the main entrance to the force to find that the general had arranged for an armored vehicle to chauffeur them around the Lamare Province so they could complete their extermination requests. This did mean that they would be under the surveillance of some provincial army officers while they were out on the field, but the only other alternative was walking, so they decided to make do with the accommodations provided to them.
The first monster the students were asked to take down was a large bull monster that was terrorizing the West Lamare Highway, in an area that the provincial army had allocated to set up an exercise camp. The fight was relatively straightforward for the most part; the frenzied bull would choose one of the students and hurtle itself towards them, forcing the group to surround it to keep it confused. With smart, effective use of their ARCUS links, the students dispatched it with efficiency.
The second monster was located by the shores of the Sheelin Bay east of the fortress. It was an ugly sight to behold, being a mutated seaweed with writhing tentacles all over its body and awful-smelling breath coming out of its large gaping mouth. Fortunately for Class VII, they had a solution: have Morgan ride with Millium and Airgetlam, position themselves above and away from the monster's reach, and start blasting arts like no tomorrow. Then, after the monster was stunned, the rest of the group would move in and finish the job. This variation of Morgan's "Operation Air Strike" tactic trivialized what was supposed to be a fight that would cause a number of headaches, and when the group came back with not one sick person in sight,
it made their escort feel foolish for bringing so many medical supplies with him.
The third monster (or rather, group of monsters, as specified by Instructor Sara) was hiding away in a maze-like grotto situated past the Auros Coastal Road near Ordis. Thankfully, they were provided with a map detailing the interior of the grotto, but just to make sure they weren't walking into an ambush, Millium offered to scout ahead using Airgetlam.
"Well, the good news is that the coast seems to be clear…" Millium said when she came back. "There's a path to the southeast that leads to a dead end. Two monsters are stationed at the entrance while the rest are chiling all the way in the back. I counted five, including the big bazonga leader."
"It's called a Bozuonga," Jusis corrected.
That didn't stop Morgan from letting out a loud snort.
"Is something wrong, Morgan?" Gaius asked inoffensively.
"N-Nothing, Gaius!" Morgan recovered quickly. 'Gaius, you innocent soul…'
"Why did they have to name it THAT of all things?" Machias muttered, looking less amused than Morgan. "Any bad news?"
"Bad news is that the tide's already starting to come in from the shore. So if you don't like getting your socks wet, well, sucks to be you!"
"Only you would think that's a bad thing."
"No, she's got a point," Morgan said, completely serious. "Treading through the water will give away our positions. We'll need to be careful so we don't attract the sentries' attention."
Jusis hummed to himself. "If only there was a way for us to hover above the water without making a splash…"
He not-so-subtly looked at Millium, who was still sitting on one of her floating puppet's arms. The rest of the class followed suit.
"Oh. Ahaha, right…" the blue-haired girl chuckled nervously. "Then I guess it's all aboard the Millium express!"
After reaffirming their plan to dispatch the monsters, the students walked past the beach and set foot into the grotto proper.
"!" Morgan started clutching her forehead after walking a few steps, almost as if something had struck her in the head.
"Morgan? Is something the matter?"
"No. I'm good. Just felt a little funny all of a sudden."
In all honesty, she wasn't feeling good at all. Despite initially feeling confident that she and her friends could take on anything the general threw at them, now she was overcome with an odd sensation that she couldn't quite shake off.
"This place…"
Looking around at the grotto, it was certainly a pretty location. There was enough sunlight peering through the overhanging rocks that they could see their way through and avoid the seawater that had made it past the shoreline. In places where the water separated two parts of the sand, Millium would ferry them across two at a time.
"Morgan…"
Morgan noticed that Emma was pointing to her ARCUS, implying that she wanted to continue the conversation through their ARCUS link. After double checking to make sure no one was looking, she linked up with her classmate, a line being drawn between their orbments to signal their connection.
"What's up, Emma?"
"I just wanted to check in on you. This place is situated on top of a large gathering of septium veins. The amount of spiritual energy present is so vast that even I was taken aback at first."
"Septium veins?"
"Most people know them as ley lines. They are the essence of septium ore running below Zemuria…"
"I know what they are," Morgan interrupted. "One of our requests on Bryonia Island was to fetch some special Zemurian ore influenced by the veins. But it's weird; I didn't feel anything strange back then."
"Well, Grandmother did tell me that there are different kinds of septium veins. Some are more connected to the earth, so they are sometimes referred to as earth veins. Then there are others that we call spirit veins because they're connected to areas where animism has had a strong hold. Either way, I'd wager the reason you're having a reaction to them now is because of the magic training we underwent last month. After being exposed to the supernatural, you're beginning to pick up things that are normally hidden to the human eye."
Morgan hummed to herself. The points that Emma proposed did make sense. And yet, something in her felt that it was too simple of an explanation. She couldn't see changes in the air the same way Emma could, and it felt too limited in scope to be compared to the sensing abilities of Rean and Gaius. What she felt was more akin to a sudden jolt, like someone shocked her with electricity for a brief moment to get her attention. The feeling at the back of her head only continued to grow stronger when she and the group entered combat against their targets. After luring away and snuffing out the two sentries keeping watch to the monsters' hideout, Morgan once again took to the air alongside Millium and Airgetlam, the area in the grotto being just big enough to allow Morgan to cast her spells while out of harm's way.
"Uh oh! Trouble at four o'clock!" Millium shouted.
Morgan quickly surveyed the battlefield. The large Bozuonga monster was putting up a fight against Jusis and Gaius. Meanwhile, Machias and Emma were on the verge of getting surrounded by its underlings.
"Should've figured his shotgun would make him the center of attention…" Morgan grumbled. "Okay, Millium. Change of plans. Go and protect Machias. I'll switch with Emma."
"You got it! Hold on!"
Morgan almost screamed as Airgetlam suddenly dropped at a high velocity, crushing one of the lesser monsters in an instant and knocking the rest off balance. Machias and Emma were then able to capitalize on the opening with their own combination attack. Emma charged Machias' orbal shotgun with magical energy, and when he fired, the rounds all homed in on the enemies rather than fanning out in a spread.
"All the mobs are down!" said Machias. "Thanks a lot for the boost, Emma."
"Glad to be of help." Emma smiles at the bespectacled boy. "And Morgan and Millium! You really helped us out of a sticky situation."
"D-Don't mention it…" Morgan tried her best to keep her composure after the fright Millium and Airgetlam gave her from the sudden drop. "Ahem! Right. Let's switch it up, just like we rehearsed. Millium and Machias, take point and draw the aggro. Emma, you'll be with me."
Her friends nodded in understanding and moved to their new positions. Machias fired several rounds from his shotgun at the Bozuonga, grabbing its attention away from Gaius and Jusis. It swung its giant stone axe at him, but Millium summoned Airgetlam to conjure a protective barrier to fend off the attack. Meanwhile, Gaius and Jusis briefly retreated to Morgan and Emma's position so they could be healed.
"La Forte!" Morgan pointed her ARCUS at Gaius and Jusis, causing both of their weapons to become coated in a bright red coat of energy. "Alright. You're all set. Now go get them!"
"Thanks again, Morgan." Gaius nodded at Jusis, and the two of them reentered the fray.
"Okay. While no one's looking at us…" Morgan turned around and gave Emma a thumbs-up, indicating that it was safe for her to use her magic spells. "Whenever you're ready, Emma."
Emma nodded and began muttering an incantation to herself. "Spirits, heed my call…"
Upon tapping the end of her orbal staff on the ground, a magic circle formed at her feet and several wisps of ghostly flame began to appear around her. She gave the order to fire, and the wisps swirled up into the air before homing in on the Bozuonga and interrupting its advances. Jusis and Gaius then performed their own combination attack, using their empowered weapons to deliver continuous thrusts at the monster's torso. Finally, Millium sealed the deal by having Airgetlam transform into a hammer and personally sending the monster flying into the nearest cave wall, ending the battle.
"And don't! Come! Back!" Millium called out.
Machias breathed out a sigh of relief. "That was close. Don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there to block all those attacks."
"Heehee! We make a pretty good team!" Millium let go of the Airgetlam hammer, allowing it to revert back to its default state. She and her puppet then raised their arms towards Machias. "High five!"
"Uh…" After a bit of hesitation, Machias eventually moved forward and made contact with Millium's hand.
"BEEP-BEEEEP!"
"Oh. Right." Machias stepped towards the impatient Airgetlam and pressed his hand against its raised appendage. Upon the completion of the gesture, the silver puppet gave a happy whirring sound. Soon, both it and its master were going around giving high fives to everyone.
"Technology really is fascinating…" Emma remarked. "Sometimes I can't tell if it has a mind of its own, like a familiar."
"Yeah…"
Emma turned to face Morgan, who was staring in a different direction. "What's wrong, Morgan? Are you still feeling unwell?"
"...A little," Morgan admitted. She was rubbing her forehead, almost like she was trying to massage the area that was ailing her. "You said this place is built on top of spirit veins, yeah? I think this is where all of the veins are converging…no, I'm almost certain of it."
Emma was surprised. Even though Morgan had practiced magic before, this was the first time she had exhibited such a strong reaction to a change in the surrounding atmosphere. This didn't happen during their trips to the old schoolhouse, where the lower floors had an increased density of the higher elements.
"How are you able to tell?"
"I don't know. But the feeling I had back at the entrance has only gotten stronger."
Morgan stretched out her hand towards nothing in particular, almost as if she was reaching out to something that should have been there in the very chamber.
"It's almost like…something is calling out to me…"
Juno Naval Fortress, 10:00 AM
"Hah… Hah…"
Sara was sweating hard, more than she was used to at this hour. Her coat and minidress were practically drenched in it, and not helping matters was that, keeping in line with proud bracer tradition, this was the only pair of traveling clothes she brought with her on the field study. Gross.
Meanwhile, her opponent looked like she hadn't even broken a sweat, brandishing her giant greatsword over her shoulder with just one-hand. Typical noble showing off.
"Let's see how well you can handle this…" General Le Guin lifted her sword from her shoulder with both hands and held it close to her face, the blade pointed directly at Sara. Then, she charged forward with a flurry of one-handed sword swings, as wild as a tempest but without losing a single iota of grace. Sara knew that she would never win in terms of brute strength, so her instincts instead shifted to evading. Roll away to dodge the first four swings, roll sideways to dodge the next two, then roll inwards to dodge the last swing and get a surprise attack. However, Aurelia reacted quickly by bringing her sword close to her body, guarding against Sara's attack before it could hit her. Her plan foiled, Sara jumped back several rege while firing several bullets from her orbal gun, all of which were blocked by the general. Both female warriors had returned to the same standstill they were just in, only with their positions reversed.
The silver-haired general gave a small hum of approval. "Excellent. The tales of the Purple Lightning weren't baseless rumors after all."
"Coming from the Golden Rakshasa, that's saying a lot." Sara chuckled weakly to herself, but she knew that the two of them were just being courteous to one another. If this were an actual battlefield, Sara would have been felled already. Clearly, she needed to step up her own training regimen. Maybe she could rope some of Class VII into it as well…
"And with that, I believe we shall end our mock battle here," the general said, easing up her stance. "Your cubs have returned from their hunt."
Sara turned around to see that Group B had indeed returned from their monster hunting expedition. There was no time for Sara to quickly check on her appearance, so she just decided to roll with it. "Hey! Welcome back! Looks like those monsters were a walk in the park!"
"Yup! It was easy peasy!" Millium replied happily. "And it looks like you've been getting your butt whooped!"
Sara could feel a vein starting to pop in the corner of her face. 'This little brat…'
Meanwhile, the provincial army officer who had been assigned to escort Class VII on their expedition gave his report to the general.
"Really? They didn't sustain a single casualty?"
"That's correct. I thought for sure they would run into trouble with the Malemone plant monster, but the girl from the Intelligence Division used her flying puppet to carry the black-haired girl so she could cast arts from afar. From the looks of things, the black-haired girl looks to be the group's leader."
"Is that so…" The general's gaze drifted briefly to the girl in question, who was still talking with Instructor Valestein. She eventually looked back at the awaiting officer and said to him, "Good work. Gather everyone who isn't on duty. I'm sure they will have much to learn from the infamous Class VII."
"Yes, General."
The officer saluted and went on his way. Aurelia then made her way to the students, who all stood to attention when she drew near. At least they knew manners.
"General Le Guin," Morgan spoke as the representative of the class. "We dispatched the monsters like you asked. What's next on your agenda?"
"All of our military personnel will be joining us momentarily. I will have you give us a practical demonstration of your combat capabilities."
"A practical demonstration…" Jusis echoed. "What do you propose we do?"
"Initially, I was going to have you all partake in our warm up drills and exercises, but seeing as you're already warmed up…" Aurelia turned to Sara. "Valestein, I must ask you to stand to the side. I wish to test the mettle of these cubs myself."
It didn't take long for the students to put two and two together and realize just what she was implying. A variety of emotions were displayed on their young faces. Surprise. Fear. Anguish.
"Ohhh no! I protest!" The violet-haired instructor immediately turned defensive. "With all due respect, General, they're only students!"
"And yet they considered the assignment I had given them to be 'easy peasy,'" General Le Guin countered. "All three monsters were classified as Level 2 to Level 3 threats; that already makes them passable marks. But fighting against mindless creatures and fighting against a human are two separate ordeals. I simply wish to personally assess them on the latter."
"Easy for you to say…"
Already, the troops were beginning to file in. The students could hear some of the snippets of dialogue that was interspersed among them.
"Look! It's those students that came in today!"
"What is the general planning on doing with them? Have they not lived up to her standards?"
"Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll teach them a lesson they won't soon forget."
"She's making a show out of this…" Machias grumbled. "And it looks like we're the entertainment."
Jusis eyed Millium with an accusatory glare. "Look at where your mouth has led us."
"Hey, I didn't think she was going to take us seriously!"
Sara gritted her teeth. This wasn't good. "There's still time to back out of this, you know," she said. "Or better yet, I can step in and give you a hand."
"Instructor." Morgan held up her hand. "It's okay. We're military students. This is what we're trained to do."
"But still…"
"The general has a point. It's true that we haven't had many opportunities to test out our ARCUS links against people outside of Thors. It's not every day that someone as distinguished as the Golden Rakshasa is willing to give us a chance to prove ourselves." Morgan grimaced. "I'm certain that the ILF won't be so merciful the next time we meet. If there's a chance that we can learn something about ourselves here, we have to take it. For the sake of the Empire as well as ourselves."
"Morgan…"
"...I also share her sentiment."
"Gaius?"
"I can't deny that a small part of me is only interested in witnessing her strength firsthand after the stories I have heard from my friends and family. But with the terrorists still at large, I am continuously reminded of my homeland and how close they were to setting it ablaze with war. More than anything, I strive to get stronger so I can protect my family in Nord. That's why the chance to measure my strength against one of the Empire's most distinguished generals is something I cannot afford to pass up."
One by one, the other members of the group joined Morgan and Gaius until they all were united in their decision to accept the general's challenge. Sara had no choice but to yield, and while she was still concerned for their safety (as all responsible adults would), she also couldn't help but feel proud at how far they've come since the beginning of the school year.
'They're all growing up.' The violet-haired instructor nodded. "Alright. Let me give you a piece of advice: stay coordinated as a group, and don't hold back on your ARCUS links just because your opponent is a noble. Figure out a way to maximize each of your own strengths, and you'll be able to survive long enough to earn her respect." She looked each one of them in the eye, acting the most like an instructor that entire morning. "It's fine if you can't win. Just don't lose."
With that, Sara left her students to strategize for their upcoming challenge.
"It's fine if we can't win, but we can't lose?" Machias repeated. "Why does she like to speak to us in odd metaphors in times like these?"
"So what's the plan, Morgan?" Millium inquired. "Maybe we could use Operation Air Strike again?"
"It pains me to agree with you on something…" Jusis said. "But I fear those unconventional tactics may be our only shot at evening the playing field."
"No."
That surprised the rest of Group B. Using unconventional tactics to get the upper hand was Morgan's bread and butter; why was she suggesting an alternative course of action now?
"Instructor Sara told us to stay coordinated as a group if we want to survive. If we used Operation Air Strike, there'd be two less people on the ground. The general could easily make quick work of us before we can get the opportunity to set up; against a powerful foe like her, we can't risk whittling down our numbers for whatever reason."
"She's really that strong?"
"Remember, she studied under both the Vander and Arseid schools of swordsmanship. That's the offensive power of the Vanders paired with the defense of the Arseids. It's just like Instructor Sara said: fighting against another human isn't the same as fighting a monster."
"Then what do you propose we do? I doubt we'll be able to safely encircle her in the time allotted."
"I would advise you not to keep me waiting," General Le Guin interrupted. "You have one more minute to assemble your plan of attack."
The pressure was beginning to mount on all of them, so Morgan quickly ran through her strategy. "Remember the teams we were in during the last fight? Let's do that again. Millium and Machias, you two take point. Gaius and Jusis, you'll be in the wings, alternating between supporting the front attackers and keeping the general away from me and Emma. And as for you, Emma, I want you to stand more towards the center."
"Are you sure that would be wise?" Jusis protested. "I mean no conceit when I say that Millstein is the least athletic of our group; wouldn't it be more prudent if she is stationed further from the front lines?"
"Under normal circumstances, yes. But when it comes to long-range bombardment, Emma is way better at it than I am. Like Instructor Sara said, we also need to maximize each of our respective strengths. It's risky, but if she's closer to the action, her area of effect will also be more likely to consistently hit the opponent. And it's not like Emma was moving around much to begin with."
"Um…" Emma tentatively raised her hand. "I'm on board with Morgan's plan."
"Are you sure, Emma?"
"Thank you for your concern, Machias. Jusis as well. But if you really think about it, our main objective remains the same: Morgan and I provide long-range support while the rest of you engage the enemy up close. It's just that now, we're going to be counting on you more than ever to keep them away from us. So…haha. No pressure, I guess?"
Machias coughed. "Well, if you're alright with that, then I won't protest any further. We're almost out of time, and I don't think the general's going to give us another grace period."
"Just don't be complacent now that you're in the back, Daraen."
"Hey, I'll still be pulling my weight!" Morgan gave a small huff. "Hmph! I'm not like some slacker."
With their one minute grace period over, Class VII took their positions on the field. They drew their weapons, while General Aurelia opted to continue wielding the colossal sword she had been using previously against Sara.
"The six of you will come forward with every technique that you have to offer. I will give you five minutes to land a single blow against me. If any of you can manage that before time runs out or before I collectively dispatch all of you to the wayside, your class will be declared the winner."
"Urgh. I know she's a commander, but she's so full of herself…"
"Having second thoughts about being in the front, Regnitz?"
"Oh, zip it! If you think you can do a better job, I seriously invite you to try!"
"Save the bickering for later, you two!"
For what it was worth, General Aurelia found herself slightly amused at the students' display as she rested her greatsword across her shoulder. Not just at their banter, but also at their formation.
'Regnitz is stationed at the very front. Millstein, the group's least athletic member according to their files, is closer to the front lines than their tactician.' There were about ten other criticisms that Aurelia could find with their formation. Of course, she also knew better than to underestimate them just because they were students, especially when they had access to superior technology.
"ARCUS, was it?" the general muttered. "Very well. Let us see what these links of yours can do."
[IS] Aurelia wasted no time in making the first move. She lunged forward with a stab at Machias, but her attack was intercepted by the sudden appearance of Airgetlam. Her sword clanged against the puppet's metal appendage, and Airgetlam quickly retaliated by swinging its other arm. Aurelia dodged to the side to try and approach from a different angle, but her attempt was thwarted by Machias, who was already aiming his shotgun from Millium's blind spot. Aurelia was forced to hold up her sword defensively to prevent herself from getting hit. Sensing a coordinated attack from both her sides, she then took a step back and held up her sword again, blocking a wind art from Jusis and then a direct assault from Gaius's lance. Before she could return the attack with a riposte of her own, Aurelia saw a bright light shining from above her. She quickly retreated, and several mirage thorns cast by Emma pinned the ground at which she was standing.
'Their coordination is indeed impressive. In that case…' Remaining undeterred by the counteroffensive, Aurelia rushed forward once more. This time, she put more force into her swings, knocking aside another attack from Gaius and honing in on Jusis. Jusis tried to back away, but Aurelia pursued him relentlessly with the trademark combination of one-handed sword swings and footwork of the Vander School. Before long, she had him cornered and separated from Gaius.
"Many apologies, Lord Jusis." Aurelia raised her sword to deliver the finishing blow.
"I've got you!"
Something wrapped around Jusis's waist and pulled him out of harm's way.
"Oh?" Aurelia's gaze followed Jusis, who landed safely next to Morgan. She noted that the black-haired girl's weapon was glowing and had a stream of energy connecting it to Jusis.
"Ragna Bind," Aurelia recognized. "But used as a defensive maneuver. How curious…"
"You're gonna pay for that one!"
"Wait! Millium!"
"Hmm…" Aurelia nonchalantly backstepped from a retaliation from Airgetlam. Millium then threw a forward punch, with Airgetlam mirroring her motions. Noting the straightforward trajectory of the attack, the general entered a defensive Arseid School stance and parried the blow with little effort. With Airgetlam briefly stunned, the path was clear for Aurelia to attack Emma, who was preparing an art. But right as she was about to land a decisive blow, Gaius stepped in once again to intercept her attack.
"You hail from Nord, don't you? I can tell. You have the same eyes as Wallace."
"It's an honor to cross weapons with you. I've heard a lot about you from my elders as well as General Zechs."
"Well-mannered and a good head on your shoulders. Why don't you join the provincial army after you graduate? I'm sure Wallace would love to mentor someone from his homeland."
It was taking all of Gaius's effort to keep the general at bay. Meanwhile, she had been wielding her greatsword one-handed the entire time and wasn't even breaking a sweat. Despite being pushed back by his opponent's strength, Gaius couldn't help but chuckle at how he was effectively being scouted mid-battle. "As great of an opportunity as that sounds, I'm afraid I must abstain for the time being. I don't think now is the best time to be considering my career path."
"The call of the hunt waits for no one. Surely you would know that by now." Aurelia broke off from her hold on Gaius to defend against Jusis, who rejoined the fray after being healed by Morgan. She then realized that she had placed herself in a precarious position, as Jusis, Gaius, Millium with Airgetlam, and Machias had managed to surround her on all sides. Meanwhile, Emma finished casting her art, and a set of glowing swords appeared directly above the general, poised to strike.
"So you have some bite after all…" she muttered. "Very well. I have given all of you courtesy enough."
Right as the first of Emma's swords rained down, Aurelia put both her hands on her sword's handle for greater control and deflected each sword that descended from the sky. Gaius, Jusis, Machias, and Millium tried their best to attack in tandem with Emma's swords, but every time they tried, the silver-haired general would quickly turn around with a roundhouse swing before returning to defending. Though they had managed to corner Aurelia, Class VII was unable to find a way to move past the wall that was her defense.
Eventually, all of the blades were expended, meaning that Aurelia was free to go on the offensive. She leapt high into the air, struck a pose, and descended while swinging her sword rapidly, combining the wild ferocity of the Vander School with the wide, controlled swings of the Arseid School.
'Millium Orion. Despite her diminutive nature, she has proven a valuable asset to their group's defense. But she is still a child in the end.'
The first few hits of Aurelia's onslaught connected with and broke through Airgetlam's barrier. Another swing with the flat of her blade was enough to smack Millium aside with minimal effort.
'Machias Regnitz. He paired better with Orion than I had expected, but without his partner, there is nothing a gunner like him can do to stop me.'
She leapt towards the bespectacled boy and swung twice, one to knock his shotgun out of his hands and another to send him reeling to the floor.
'Gaius Worzel. A skilled spearman like Wallace, and their instincts are similar. Unfortunately, it is precisely because they are similar in discipline that I know exactly what to do.'
The general placed her left hand on the flat of her blade as Gaius tried to attack from another angle. Instead of waiting to parry the blow, she took the initiative by charging forward, crashing into the young Nordian and surprising him a great deal. Then, she jumped from side to side before sweeping at Gaius's feet, sending him tumbling clumsily to the ground.
'Jusis Albarea. You may have the advantage when it comes to versatility and speed, but I will not allow you to escape a second time.'
Jusis cast another wind art before following up with a wide sweep with his saber coated in light. Aurelia lifted her sword up with two hands to deflect the art, then let herself get carried upwards by the momentum to evade Jusis's followup attack. Jusis preemptively held his blade up to defend himself as the general descended, but she herself had anticipated this. When her feet touched the ground, she struck at Jusis's sword from the area he had left exposed, causing his sword to be knocked out of his hand.
'Emma Millstein. The least athletic member of Class VII, yet her affinity for orbal arts cannot go unnoticed. One strike shall suffice.'
With Morgan's assistance, Emma had summoned her purple wisps and ordered them to surround the general. Concentrating her power onto her blade, Aurelia rotated her body three hundred and sixty degrees, swiftly cutting through all of the wisps with minimal effort. Then, just as quickly, she put herself between Emma and Morgan and deflected a Ragna Bind meant to rescue the latter.
"What?"
"Too slow, I'm afraid." The general turned around and swatted Emma away with a single strike, just as she had promised.
"Tch!" Morgan readied her axe and ARCUS. "We just need one attack…"
She began preparing an orbal art. Just as she had anticipated, the general began moving forward to stop her.
"Okay. Here goes!" Morgan ducked and rolled twice to the side to evade Aurelia's attack. In between the first and second rolls, she flung her ARCUS and gave the order to fire, creating a small fireball right in front of the general's face that exploded and obscured her figure in smoke. Returning to an upright position, Morgan darted forward, concentrated all of her magical energy, and waved her left hand to ensnare something with Ragna Bind.
"Did I get her?" Morgan was unsure, as the clouds of smoke from before were still present.
Her answer came as a firm hand that grabbed her from behind and lifted her by the collar of her blazer.
"Not quite."
"H-How did…?"
The dust cleared, and Morgan widened her eyes. The target she had ensnared was instead the general's own greatsword, having been planted into the ground to act as a decoy.
Morgan could only gasp as her world suddenly turned upside down. The general lifted her into the air and slammed her onto her back with a painful thud. [ISE]
"Oof!"
Morgan was swept off her feet and landed on her back, her wooden spear falling out of her hands.
"On your feet, Morgan. There is still much left to be done."
"G-Give me a moment..."
"That's 'Yes, ma'am.'"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Morgan clumsily picked up her practice spear and assumed a battle ready stance opposite to her commanding officer.
"Just because you are Robin's daughter doesn't mean that I will go easy on you," she said. "We will not leave this field until you land a blow or disarm me."
'Easier said than done. Heck, she's probably tougher on me BECAUSE he's my father.'
But Morgan would never dare utter those words in front of her, and so she opted to try again, this time coming in from a different angle. She lost track of the number of times she and the captain sparred, and not once did she feel like she was getting closer to breaking through that perfect defensive wall.
She thought to her father's teachings. When faced with a barrier, how do you overcome it? Do you break it through sheer force? Go around it? Above it?
The answer was neither of those things. Rather than attack from another angle, Morgan chose to disengage and observe her opponent's behavior from a distance.
'There is no shame in retreating from a fight you feel you can't win. If you take a step back and look at things from a different perspective, you may find a solution you never would have found otherwise.'
Morgan and her commanding officer circled around each other, anticipation high in the air. Now that Morgan thought about it, she never saw her captain throw out an attack of her own, did she? She was always reactive, never proactive. Maybe if she were to bait her into making the first move...
It looked like the captain also realized what she was trying to do, but instead of waiting patiently, she entered her own battle stance to signal her intention to strike.
'Judging from her eyes and the trajectory of the staff, the attack should come from...there!'
Her captain swung from the left, and Morgan responded by holding her spear laterally to block the attack. The force was a lot stronger than she had anticipated from the captain's rather slender figure, enough to push Morgan back a good distance.
"I'm not...giving up!" Morgan forcefully rotated her spear against her commander, dislodging both of their weapons from their hands.
'Did I...do it?'
But before she could think about her next move, the captain already moved once more, pushing her to the ground.
"...or not."
"A battle is not yet over even when you are disarmed. It's best that you remember that now."
Morgan noted that the captain's voice was a lot softer than it was just a few moments ago. She looked up at her perfect face to see... Was she smiling?
"Why is it that you didn't you do anything afterwards?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"I, er..." Morgan fumbled over her words, trying not to think about how she was essentially being pinned down by her friend's mother. Well, former friend now. "Honestly, I didn't think I would make it this far. I put in all my focus into getting your weapon out of your hands that I didn't think about what would happen after if I succeeded."
"Hehehe..."
Now Morgan knew she was dreaming. Cordelia, the infallible captain of the pegasus knights, was laughing.
"It was a bold move regardless. Next time, let's see if you can disarm me while still having your spear in hand."
Captain Cordelia finally got off her, which allowed Morgan an opportunity to rub her pained back.
"Another day on land. When can I start jousting in the air?"
"As soon as you master the basics of using a spear. You only just committed to becoming a pegasus knight, so your proficiency with our weapon of choice is still lacking compared to the average recruit. Learn to walk before you can run, as they say."
"Yes, ma'am..." Morgan replied, disheartened that she was stuck with playing catch up to everyone else.
"Do not be discouraged. Everyone starts somewhere. And anyone can keep improving so long as they put their mind to it. Our only limits are the ones we place on ourselves."
"I know. It's just..."
"You feel the need to work harder because Cynthia placed her and my daughter's hopes onto you. So that their sacrifices won't be in vain."
Morgan gasped. "H-How did...?"
Cordelia placed a hand over her armored breastplate. "It is a feeling I am all too familiar with. There is nothing wrong with striving to be the best you can be, but know that nothing good lies at the end of the road to absolute perfection. A feeling of wanting more once you reach the top. A lifetime of indentured servitude to the expectations of others. It's not exactly the healthiest of lifestyles for those unprepared to walk it."
She placed the same hand on Morgan's shoulder. "That's why I'm going to let you in on a little secret of mine. Promise to keep this between us?"
"O-Okay..."
The captain opened her mouth to speak...
"...Morgan!"
Morgan gasped. She had momentarily blanked out. "What was I...?"
"You suffered a rather nasty fall courtesy of the general herself," Jusis reminded her.
She tried to sit up straight. That's right. She had been in the middle of a fight and-
"Ow!" A jolt of pain ran up her spine, causing her to slump back down to the ground.
"Hey, using that special move of yours against a group of students is one thing, but that last attack was too much!" Instructor Sara called out to the general.
"I see no reason to hold back against my alma mater," Aurelia replied. "In a real battle, they would be lucky enough to escape with their lives."
The rest of the provincial army was erupting into cheers and applause, awed by the flawless victory of their commander. That only made the sting of defeat hurt even more for Class VII, knowing that after the expectations the general had for them, they were ultimately unable to meet them.
"Take these students to the infirmary and tend to their wounds," Aurelia told another soldier. "Their tasks for the afternoon will be sent to them shortly."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You may have failed in your objective this time, students of Class VII, but don't let it dishearten you. So long as you never forget the pain you have just felt, you can use that as fuel to better perfect yourselves. You have been tasked with the burden of creating the foundation of the world. Therefore, you must strive to become the best Thors has to yield, or else you will become nothing at all. Aidios will not wait for you to decide."
The general hoisted her weapon across her shoulder and began to walk away from them, feeling quite satisfied with the exercise they provided.
"Wait, General? Can I ask a question?"
She stopped in her tracks and turned her head. "Speak, Daraen."
"What motivates you to perfect yourself?" the girl asked while being hoisted from the ground by her classmates.
"Strength itself," Aurelia replied unflichingly. "I had decided from before you were born that I would dedicate myself to the art of battle. I will not stop until I am the strongest warrior in the empire. Stronger than both of my masters, and stronger than even the legendary Saint Sandlot."
"...And what about afterwards?"
"Hm?"
"Do you know what lies at the end of the road to absolute perfection?"
The general raised an eyebrow. Not just because a schoolgirl had asked her such a profound question, but the manner in which she spoke. For in that moment, Morgan Daraen wore an expression that was weary with age. Eyes that looked so old for someone so young.
But that did not deter the general from giving her response. "Trivial concerns. Whatever challenges come forward in life, I shall overcome with blade in hand. That is the simple beauty of the way of the sword. It is how I will live, and it is how I will die should I ever meet my end."
With that response, the Golden Rakshasa walked away from the students, leaving them in the care of some of the other soldiers in the army.
"Morgan Daraen..." she muttered under her breath.
"That was an outstanding display, wouldn't you agree?"
Aurelia stopped, catching wind of a passing group of officers that had been in the crowd watching the mock battle.
"What were they expecting, challenging the Golden Rakshasa? They had to have known they wouldn't stand a chance."
"Dare I say, I think she should have been more harsh on that girl. What a dirty trick…"
The general stabbed her sword into the ground, creating a loud sound that spooked the gossipers. "You would do well not to speak behind people's backs. If you think you can put up a better fight than those students, then we can put your mettle to the test here and now."
"N-No! That won't be necessary, General!" one of the officers hurriedly responded.
She directed her steely gaze at them. "You may think that by joining the provincial army, you fight to uphold the noble ideals. But I meant it when I said that you should strive to be the best, lest you become nothing. The harsh reality is that ideals have little place on the battlefield, and things like honor can be just as easily cast aside as a leaf in the wind. When you are left alone, your first instinct is to survive. There is no shame in that. To continue persevering in spite of the overwhelming odds, that is where true courage blooms on the battlefield."
Aurelia picked up her sword, which was still planted firmly in the ground, and pointed it at the officers, who were all quaking in their boots. "Ah, yes. I would like the three of you to be the first to know that starting tomorrow, we will build off of the groundwork laid by Instructor Valestein and commence our own exercises focusing on formations. I will not tolerate the pride of the navy being surpassed by a group of students. Dismissed!"
The officers quickly scurried away with their tails tucked between their legs.
The general sighed once they were out of sight. The previous Duke Cayenne would be rolling in his grave if he knew the current state of the provincial army. Augmented by superior technology or not, the students of Class VII fought together and trusted one another with their lives. That alone was more than what could be said for some nobles and their alliances.
Upon looking down, she noticed a small black stain on her purple cape, left behind from Morgan's last-ditch effort to seize victory for her class.
"What lies at the end of the road to absolute perfection?"
"Morgan Daraen…" Aurelia muttered as she brushed away the stain with her hand. "Her strategy needs some refinement, but her mind will only continue to improve with time. A pity that she has already sworn its fealty to the crown."
Aurelia Le Guin frowned, for the stain was not coming off no matter how hard she brushed it.