One week later…

"Wow…" Elliot gasped in awe at his surroundings.

"Wow, indeed." Gaius took a whiff of the cool, mountain air. "The air is pristine as can be."

"So this is Ymir…" Morgan muttered. "Rean's hometown."

While his classmates were admiring the view, Rean finally stepped out of the cable car with his tachi wrapped in cloth and slung over his shoulder, just like how it was when he first departed for Thors. The temperature had gotten a bit cooler and the townsfolk were preparing for the winter ahead. But other than that? Everything was just as he had left it.

"I'm home."

…

In recognition of their achievements at the Sachsen Iron Mine, everyone in Class VII had been invited by the Imperial family to a brief respite at the town of Ymir, well known throughout the empire for its hot springs. Instructor Sara and the second-year students who had assisted in bringing the crisis to a close were also extended the same invitation.

Ymir, as it so happened, was also Rean's hometown, so when the group made it to the hot springs paradise, they unanimously elected to have him show them the way to their lodgings. The swordsman had expressed an odd apprehension about returning to his childhood home, but those feelings looked like they were immediately put to the wayside once he stepped off the cable car.

And then there came the huge crowd of townspeople, all clamoring to welcome back the son of their reigning lord.

"Rean! Is that you?"

"Hi Masha! How's the family?"

"Rean, my boy! Welcome back!"

"Thank you, Father Bernard! I'll be sure to come by the chapel later."

"Hi, Rean! Long time no see!"

"Whoa! Kiki! Did you grow a little taller?"

"Haha! Pretty popular, isn't he?" Angelica snickered with a grin. "Looks like all that worrying about being adopted was for nothing."

"Come on, Angie." Towa looked up at her friend with a pout. "You know better than to bring that up."

"Sorry, my darling Towa." Angelica clapped her hands together and gave the diminutive president a small wink. "Forgive me?"

Towa gave a relenting sigh. "Only this time. Just remember that I'm only doing this because-"

"Uh, uh, uh!" The purple-haired noble clamped a hand over Towa's mouth. "Remember what we said? No raining on this parade."

Morgan perked up upon seeing Angelica's gesture. "What about raining?"

"Nothing, nothing! Hey! Looks like Rean's back."

"Sorry, guys…" Rean laughed apologetically. "Had to make a dozen promises to visit them all later."

"Haha. There's no need to apologize, Rean," Gaius said. "Everyone is just excited to see you."

"I remember receiving a similar welcome when I returned to Legram a couple of months ago as well," Laura recalled. "I'm sure our concert meeting can wait."

"Thanks for the consideration, Laura. But really, we should get going. Let's get us all situated into our lodgings, shall we?"

Rean continued guiding his classmates through the town while also waving and greeting several of the townsfolk. The group eventually reached a large, three-story building, where a man wearing a manager's outfit bowed respectfully as they approached.

"Welcome back, Master Rean."

"Hello, Baggins. Long time no see. Everyone, this is Baggins. He's the manager of the Phoenix Wings, the building that we'll be staying at behind us. If you need any special accommodations during your stay, you can count on him."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all, ladies and gentlemen of Class VII and our other esteemed guests," Baggins said. "Our institution has quite a storied history, having been given to this village by a former emperor of the Imperial family. Rest assured, we will do our utmost to cater to your needs during your stay."

"An emperor?" Machias gasped. "Really?!"

Jusis also expressed his surprise with a raise of his eyebrow. "I had heard that the Imperial and Schwarzer families were on good terms, but I'm surprised to see your relationship extends THIS far."

Rean laughed. "Haha. It was ages ago, though. Care to do the honors, Baggins?"

"Of course, Master Rean…is what I would like to say. Seeing as how today is a special occasion, I have enlisted the help of some esteemed guides."

"Esteemed…in what way?"

The manager chuckled, a twinkle in his eye. "Walk through those doors and all will be explained, Master Rean."

Rean had his suspicions, but nevertheless, he opened the doors to the Phoenix Wings. As soon as he set foot into the lobby, he had to stifle a gasp.

"Dad? Mom? Elise?"

Standing before the group was Rean's adoptive family, consisting of three members. The father, Baron Teo Schwarzer, stood in the front. His wife, Baroness Lucia Schwarzer, stood to his right. Their daughter, Elise Schwarzer, stood on the left side.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Class VII, as well as our other esteemed guests, welcome to Ymir." Baron Schwarzer then smiled at Rean in particular. "And to you, Rean, welcome home."

"It's good to see you home, Rean," Lucia Schwarzer said. "We've all missed you."

Rean felt a little embarrassed as the two parents practically ran forward to give their son a big hug. Even if his parents were acting as they always had, it was another thing entirely when his friends were present. "You didn't have to do all this…" he mumbled against his father's chest.

"Hahaha! Nonsense. What sort of father would I be if I didn't welcome my son home?" Baron Schwarzer then released his hold on Rean to look at the last member of the family who had abstained from partaking in the family hug. "Although, I will have to give credit where it is due: it was Elise who proposed we keep this a surprise."

"F-Father!" Elise said with a slight blush. "I thought you said you wouldn't bring that up!"

Rean couldn't stop himself from smiling at his adoptive sister. "I'm glad to see you doing well too, Elise. Especially with what I heard happen during that school trip to Ordis."

"It was thanks to Class VII I was able to return safely," she responded, nodding at the other students. "All of our other classmates and friends are safe as well."

With introductions out of the way, the Schwarzer family split up to lead the group to their living spaces on the second floor. Teo led the boys, Elise the girls, and Lucia the older members. Once they all got situated, the Schwarzer parents took their leave to let the group settle down on their own.

"What are your plans for the evening, Rean?" Elise asked.

"My classmates and I need to meet up to discuss our school festival activities," Rean replied. "After that, well, I promised some of the townsfolk that I'd drop by and say hi. There's a lot of faces, but I think I can make it before dinner at the Phoenix Wings."

"I…see…"

Rean took note of the dejected look his sister was giving him. Had he said something wrong? "Did you want to stay behind? Morgan told me that you're pretty good at Blade."

His younger sister shook her head. "It's not that. I was wondering…" Elise shot a glance at the direction the direction their parents had left in.

"Ah…" Finally understanding the hint Elise was giving him, Rean walked over and placed his hand on her head as a sign of reassurance. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to swing by the mansion to say hi to Mom and Dad. It's the least I can do, seeing as I didn't come back to visit over the summer."

Elise sighed as her brother continued rubbing her hair. "You're still selling yourself short…" she muttered under her breath.

"Hm? What did you say, Elise?"

"I-It's nothing!" Elise blurted out, prying her brother's hand from her head. "Regardless, I should get out of your way and let you get on with what you need to. I'll see you later, Rean!"

Rean stretched out his hand to try and stop Elise, but she had already run out of sight. He dejectedly looked down at his hand. "Just when I thought we were getting along better…"

"You sure? I thought that was already an improvement over last time."

Rean turned around to find Morgan leaning against the wall with a small smile on her face. It wasn't entirely happy, however, as he detected a bit of wistfulness in the tactician's expression. The swordsman felt a small twinge of guilt in his heart, knowing that compared to Morgan's own situation, the things he was fretting over was small in scale.

"Hey, don't give me that look. We talked about this, remember?" She walked over to him and pointed her index finger at his chest. "You have a good family, Rean. Trust me. So don't take them for granted."

Rean nodded his head. "Thanks, Morgan. I just think they're almost too good sometimes, you know?"

"Rean…" Morgan shot him a disapproving look.

"Haha. Sorry, sorry. Old habits. But really, is there any other way to describe them? Not many other families would take in an outsider and treat him like one of their own."

"Hmm, I dunno…" Morgan took her finger and tapped it on her chin. "For one, I heard that the most important family in the empire once took in an amnesiac and hired her as their staff."

Rean then laughed for real this time. "Touché."

The pair started walking down the stairs together. "It's a shame Crow and Millium couldn't be here with us as well," Rean said.

"At least for Millium, it was because of work. The Intelligence Division needed all the help they could get so they could dig up everything left behind by the ILF. But as for Crow…" Morgan shook her head and groaned. "More remedial lessons? It's almost like the notes I gave him didn't even matter!"

"They're helping him, trust me," Rean assured her. He then leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "Between the two of us, he said he likes reading those more than the textbooks."

Morgan coughed. "Well, he could stand to try a little harder is all I'm saying!"

Rean snickered to himself. Somehow, he had a feeling that the rose coloring that appeared on Morgan's cheeks wasn't just because of the lighting.

The two of them were the first to arrive in the communal lobby that Rean had requested be reserved for the class so they could hold their concert meeting. One by one, the rest of their classmates came downstairs and took their seats around a large rectangular table. Once everyone was present, Rean stood up from his chair to commence the meeting.

"Sorry this took so long. Originally, the plan was to tell everyone as soon as we got back from our field study. But then this whole thing ended up happening and it kind of threw us off. Crow said that since the majority of us are in the same place, we might as well go over the basics of what we've planned so far now and any suggestions for changes can wait until after we get back. Are there any objections?"

Most of the class murmured in agreement, with others responding with silent nods.

"Perfect. Then Elliot, if you will?"

The red-haired musician's eyes practically lit up when it was his turn. He evidently had been waiting a long time to talk about this passion project. "Let's start with the set list. We've decided we'll be doing two songs, and to do them, we're going to need musicians, male and female vocalists, and backup dancers."

"This is already sounding a lot more professional than I was expecting," Gaius said.

"And we're doing TWO songs? I thought we'd be doing one…" Machias admitted. "Then again, I didn't think we'd be needing backup dancers, either."

"I don't think just the one song will be enough to satisfy people, really," Elliot explained. "It'll feel like the show's ending right when it's getting started, you know? And if we want our performance to have some sort of impact on them, backup dancers are a must."

Fie grunted. "Well, you're the expert."

"I see no reason to object thus far," Jusis agreed.

"Good. Cause this next part's the most important one…" Elliot brought out a piece of paper that was rolled and bound together with string. "This is where we tell you what parts you all are going to play."

"Wait, so we aren't going to choose what we're going to do?" Alisa asked, a slight panic in her voice.

"Any suggestions for changes can wait until after we get back," Rean reiterated. "Everything we talk about here is still subject to change, but I think once we start explaining, you'll understand."

After another nod from Rean, Elliot unfurled the paper for all of Class VII to see. Everyone leaned in to take a look at the contents and were immediately shocked by what they saw.

Instruments:

Lead Guitar - Rean
Rhythm Guitar - Alisa
Bass - Gaius
Drums - Laura
Violin and Keyboard - Elliot

Performers:

Vocalists, First Song - Jusis, Machias
Vocalists, Second Song - Emma, Morgan
Backup Dancers - Fie, Millium

"Wait just a damn minute!" Both Jusis and Machias both slammed their hands onto the table.

Morgan let out a whistle. "Whoa. Not even a second and they're already in sync."

"I-Is this some kind of a sick joke?!" Machias continued. "You want me to sing with HIM?!"

"I would much rather play an instrument," said Jusis. "I don't doubt your musical prowess, Elliot, but surely two instruments is a bit excessive."

"Figured you two wouldn't be inclined to agree, so…"

Elliot nodded at Rean, who stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Machias, you mentioned to me once that you've never picked up an instrument before, so that limited your options. And as for you, Jusis, I know you have experience with playing classical instruments, but the fact of the matter is that Elliot is just a lot better than you in that regard. We need to maximize each other's strengths if we want to take one over Class I…and you DO want to beat them, right?"

"Ugh…" Jusis couldn't find it in himself to deny Rean's claim, much to his dismay. "This reminds me of the talk we had on the way to Bareahard."

"Hey, it's not all bad," Morgan spoke up. "There's one area where you can shine better than anyone else in this room, Jusis, and that's stage presence. You're the most important person status wise in our class; it'd be a waste to have you standing in the back. With all the other instrument spots taken, that just leaves Machias with the other vocalist position. And honestly, we can't ask for a better matching pair."

"You think we match?!" Jusis and Machias shouted at the same time, only for both of them to realize what they had done and see the various smirks that were coming from all their other classmates.

Morgan bowed with one arm raised in a curtsy motion, carrying a satisfied smirk of her own. "I rest my case."

"It's so crazy that it might just work," Fie commented. "As expected of you, Morgan."

"Maybe that strategy would've worked for the first song, but the second?" Emma's voice began to quiver with nervousness. "I don't know if I have stage presence. This seems like a bad joke to me."

"Actually, that was Crow's idea," Morgan responded. "I know you don't like being in the spotlight, Emma, but he gave me this crazy suggestion, and now I'm inclined to agree with him."

Laura gasped. "Pardon my rudeness, but did I hear that correctly? Crow convinced you?"

Just as easily as Fie was quick to give Morgan support, so too was she ready to point her finger at her and say, "Someone get her some help. She's been hanging around him for too long."

"Let me finish, let me finish!" Morgan groaned. "Urgh, you know what? Never mind. It's best if I just show you. Alisa, could you give me a hand?"

"Huh? What do you need me for?"

Morgan leaned in and whispered into Alisa's ear. The blonde archer widened her eyes, took one look at the quivering Emma, and grinned. "Gotcha."

"U-Umm… What are you two planning on doing?"

"Nothing harmless," Alisa assured her with a smile. "Isn't that right, Celine?"

"Wh-What?!" Emma turned around, only to find that the cat was nowhere to be seen.

"Yoink!" Morgan, taking advantage of that brief window of opportunity, took Emma's glasses off and put them on her own face in one swift motion. "Wow, Emma! How do you see through these?"

"M-Morgan?! Please, give those back!"

"Hold still, Emma." Alisa, meanwhile, was holding the class president in place. "Sorry for doing that, but you know how Morgan can't lie for the love of her. This'll only take a minute."

"What are you…?"

Alisa gently began unbraiding Emma's long hair and brushing it with her hands. After about a minute, she turned Emma around to show her off to the rest of the class. "Aaall done. See? I barely did a thing, and she's still like an entirely new Emma. What do you guys think?"

The boys were all stunned into silence. Meanwhile, Laura and Fie were applauding in approval.

"This is what Crow calls the 'gap' effect," Morgan explained, still wearing Emma's glasses. "You all - and by extension, the academy - have gotten so used to seeing Emma with her hair tied up and her eyes hiding behind her glasses that you can't picture her doing anything else. As such, the moment she subverts those expectations and changes her style, you all can't help but notice it, and once you do, you can't get it out of your mind."

"Th-There's no way that's an actual thing…" Emma whimpered.

"Well, it's certainly working right now, isn't it?" Alisa pointed out. "Honestly, even I think you'd turn a lot more heads if you looked like this all the time."

"I-I couldn't possibly! Don't be silly!"

"Well, that right there's the caveat…" Morgan finally handed Emma back her glasses. "If she does adopt this as her new look, then the novelty of the change will wear off quickly. That's why a change as radical as this has to be used sparingly. This, paired with the outfits we're going to be wearing, is going to be our secret weapon for the second song."

Gaius raised his hand. "Are those still being decided on? The outfits, I mean."

"No, we've got that taken care of, too. Which brings us nicely to our next action item…" Morgan then procured her own sheet of paper and unfurled it for the class to see. "Boom! What do you think?"

On the paper that Morgan had unfurled were the final designs for their stage outfits. The boys' outfit was a white and gold suit with a long red tie and golden adornments. Meanwhile, the girls' outfit consisted of a sleeveless top, black corset, plaid skirt, and red ribbon, with a few golden chains to be worn around the neck to tie to the boys' outfit.

The reaction to the outfits were, needless to say, just as chaotic as the one for the parts.

"Daraen! Isn't this just the outfit I had to wear in Ordis?"

"Glad you recognized it, Jusis!" Morgan rubbed the back of her head and stuck out her tongue. "I couldn't help it! As soon as I saw that, I knew it was the perfect outfit!"

"But why do WE have to wear that, too?!" Machias questioned. "I mean, seriously? Singing with him? While wearing FRILLS?!"

"W-Well, I thought they'd look good on you…" Elliot said, nervously raising his hand. "They're kind of regal and all."

"I think the girls in the audience would love them," Alisa approved.

Morgan puffed out her chest and let out a prideful snort. "See? I knew I wouldn't be alone in this."

"Hmm…" Laura stared intensely at the girls' outfit design, scrutinizing every little detail. "Our outfit is a bit more revealing than I would have liked, particularly the open top that exposes the midriff. I will concede at least that the design itself is within the realms of good taste."

"If you think THIS is revealing, you should've seen the original drafts…" Morgan shook her head into her open palm. Not only were the designs that Crow had initially proposed on the verge of being too risque for school, Crow had even written little comments like "optimal bounce vectors" and "show dem titties" in the margins to show just what he was really thinking about the entire time. Morgan was fortunate that both Rean and Elliot also gave the hard veto as soon as they saw that.

"I'll give you that they're probably a little more flashy than your everyday wear…" Rean conceded. "But they'll work perfectly with the kind of music we'll be doing, and the outfits themselves might come out differently than they initially appear on paper."

Laura nodded her head. "If that is what you believe, then I will not press any further. Although, would you mind if I took a look at the original drafts? I'm rather curious after the way you put it."

Rean, Morgan, and Elliot all started sweating profusely. Fortunately for the three's collective sanity and Laura's innocence, the rough drafts were all with Crow back at the academy. With luck, Laura would forget about them entirely once they returned from their trip.

"Anyway, that about does it for our concert details," Rean closed. "Clearly, we're in for a ton of practice if we want to pull this off and walk away proud, so we're going to need to get started on that as soon as we get back to the academy...buuut that's back at the academy. For now, I want everyone to make the most of the next two days and rest as much as possible. There's nothing in particular planned until dinner later on, so everyone's welcome to go and do whatever they want until then."

The meeting adjourned shortly after, and the students went their separate ways. As he had promised earlier, Rean left to go visit his friends in the town and his family at their mansion. Meanwhile, Morgan and Elliot volunteered to clean up the space.

"Hey, Elliot?"

"Yeah, Morgan?"

"I didn't bring it up since I figured you would cover it but… Have we decided on what we're actually going to sing?"

Elliot silently responded with a conflicted look on his face, a far cry from how he acted during the meeting.

"Is that a no?"

"No, we have the set list ready. It's just…" He breathed in and out to calm his nerves. "It's going to be two songs that have been growing in popularity lately. Crow sent me a list of some suggestions, and I chose based on that."

Morgan frowned. "What's wrong with that? It saves us time from having to decide as a group."

"That's what Crow said, too. But still…" Elliot started sulking and nearly dropped the papers he was carrying. "I'm just…not sure if that represents us as Class VII, you know? Like, compare us to Class I; they're doing their own operetta! You get what I'm saying?"

"So it's a matter of identity…" Morgan hummed to herself. "Does that mean you have something in mind?"

"Well, I did have this one song in mind. But it's not completed yet, so…"

"I'm open to new ideas," Morgan quickly said. She could sense that Elliot was beginning to lose heart, and after the passion he had displayed earlier during the meeting, she was not about to let him lose momentum like that. "It's not like things are set in stone already. Crow said that he would give us guidance, but the final decision is on us. Once we get back to Trista, you can run it by us-"

"Actually…" Elliot tentatively raised his hand. "I sort of brought it with me…"

Morgan's eyes widened. "Well, let's see it, then!"

Elliot motioned for Morgan to come with him upstairs to the boys' room, where all of his belongings were. He rummaged through his backpack before pulling out a binder, and from the binder he pulled out some sheet music. "Rean told me I could use the piano downstairs to see if I could finish it. Here's what I have so far."

"You wrote all of this?" Morgan asked as she perused the pages.

"Everything except the chorus and part of the first verse."

Morgan looked up from the sheet music, puzzled. "Then who did those?"

"...My mother," the musician responded softly. "This piece…it was something she had been composing before she passed."

Morgan let out a small gasp. The weight of the papers felt like they had increased exponentially in a single second.

"I-It's not the actual thing! I just copied what I remembered from memory. Anyways, it was one of the few music-related things that Dad let me bring from home when I left for Thors, and every so often, I'd try and fill in the gaps. But every time I sit down to try and complete it, I end up stopping midway. It's kind of hard to explain, but…"

"...You want to honor her memory, but the farther you progressed, the more you felt that you couldn't live up to her standard."

Elliot blinked. "How did you…?"

It was a feeling that Morgan knew all too well. It reminded her of her own dance practices, how she would piece together the full routine little by little away but always from prying eyes. She took another look at the lyrics, which were on their own page.

"Long ago, far away… on that day when the stars turned into music
The moment the wind swept through our hair, you and I wrote that beat into a song.
And now our dreams open the door
To the end of a world we've never seen before…

Yes, just believe; we'll create history with a light unknown to even God.
The shower of backlight shines upon the future
Shall we fly there together?"

There was something about the lyrics that resonated with her. The message of moving to the future with your friends, making a history that not even the heavens could predict… It made her feel like a radical rebelling against the norm.

"Arise, O youth, and become the foundation of the world…" Morgan muttered to herself. "I like it. It suits Class VII to a T."

"Y-You really think so?"

"I do. And Elliot?" Morgan's black eyes met Elliot's green. "The fact that you chose to pick up where your mother left off is proof enough that you have what it takes to complete it. So here's what we're going to do: we're going to go downstairs, get permission to use that piano, and we're going to finish this song. Good?"

"Yeah…yeah!" Elliot, having regained much of his lost confidence, smiled right back. "Thanks, Morgan. I feel better already!"

"Always a pleasure to serve."

The two of them raced downstairs to ask Baggins if they could borrow the piano on the first floor. Once they received his approval, Elliot and Morgan made their way over to the instrument, where they immediately went to work on rehearsing and revising Elliot's song to better fit the duet that Morgan would have to perform with Emma all the way until dinnertime.

"Hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm, hmm…"

"You've been humming that song ever since dinner, Morgan," Fie remarked.

"It's a good song," Morgan replied back. "It's our piece for the concert, so you'd better get used to hearing it a lot."

"It's already pretty catchy, so it gets a pass from me. Don't think I've ever done dancing before, though."

"Never? You're missing out. I think you'll pick up on it quickly."

"You think so?"

"Think of it as a combination of moving quickly and memorizing patterns, which are two things that you're already trained to do extremely well. Buuut let's save that for when we get back, yeah?" Morgan sighed as she let her body sink deeper into the hot spring water. "Ahh… It's like my worries are floating away with the steam…"

Fie snorted. "You sound like an old lady, Morgan."

"Well, excuuuuse me! We can't all be little fairies."

"Pfft. You're one to talk. You're just as little as I am."

Before the two could start arguing, the door to the changing room opened.

"Hi, you two," Alisa greeted. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"No, not at all," Morgan replied back. "You're looking as fabulous as ever, Alisa."

"Solid nine out of ten."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Fie." Alisa slowly dipped her feet into the water. "It's been a while since I've been here…"

"Oh?" Morgan raised an eyebrow. "You've been here before, Alisa?"

"Once with my family, back when my father was still alive." Alisa gradually lowered the rest of her body into the spring until the water came up to her shoulders. "I think it was around…nine years ago. Of course, a lot's changed since then. What about you, Morgan? Did you ever come here with the royal family?"

"No, actually. This is my first time in a hot spring."

"Really? Like, ever?"

"Well, at least in Erebonia. I don't know if my homeland had any hot springs." Morgan frowned. "Actually, wait. I'm pretty sure there was a volcano somewhere, so if that existed, then there had to have been a hot spring. Where was it again? Argh, I can't remember!"

"Think about it later," Fie chastised her. "Now is relaxing time."

"Right, right. I am one with the steam…"

The door to the changing room opened again, and this time, Laura was the one who stepped out. She had elected to let her blue hair run loose, making it resemble a waterfall cascading down her shoulders and tall, statuesque frame.

"Eight out of ten," Fie muttered. "Maybe eight and a half if you're into muscles."

Laura looked quizzically at Fie. "And what exactly is it that we are rating, Fie?"

The former jaeger avoided the swordswoman's gaze. "Mm. Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Believe me, Laura; it's not important," Alisa insisted.

"If you insist…" Laura sat with her legs positioned sideways in the water. "This area is really quite spacious, and everything seems to be well-maintained. Rean has always told me how great his hometown's hot springs were, and I have to say it more than lives up to those expectations."

"Have you visited any hot springs before, Laura?" Alisa asked.

"I have, Alisa. Father knows a few locations for natural hot springs. One time, when he took me to a remote town called Alster, he showed me a hidden hot spring that was tucked away in some ruins in the forest."

"Really? There are hot springs all the way out there?"

"I think I heard of those before," Fie spoke up. "The locals call them 'Hidden Spirit Springs.'"

"Have you been there as well, Fie?" Laura inquired.

The silver-haired girl shook her head. "Just relaying what Xeno and Leo told me. They were two senior members of Zephyr. Kind of like my uncles."

The changing room door opened a third time, and Class VII's class president stepped into view. She had removed her glasses so they wouldn't get foggy from the steam, and her hair was tied into an elaborate bun. The gap effect was still at full power, accentuating all of the womanly charms that Emma had been hiding behind her modest clothing.

"What's the verdict, Judge Fie?" Morgan whispered to Fie.

"Does it even need to be said?" the silver-haired girl whistled. "A bombshell out of ten."

"Th-This is why I was hesitant to come out here…" Emma uncomfortably hugged her body with her arms, which only made her appear more erotic than usual.

Even Alisa, who up until now had been staying away from such discussions about comparing bodies, couldn't stop herself from staring. She eventually realized her mistake and shook her head furiously.

"Don't try to resist." Fie gave her a teasing smirk.

"Fie…" Alisa growled.

Morgan giggled to herself. "There's nothing wrong with being true to your feelings every once in a while, Alisa. It's girls with your kind of personality that are always in high demand!" Morgan winked at the blonde. "Especially with the boys~"

"A-And just what do you mean by that?" Alisa stuttered, her face flushed. "You might want to pick your next words carefully, Morgan Daraen!"

"I'm talking about being tough as nails on the outside, but also having an ooey, gooey damsel-in-distress core. Always cross and short tempered, making every smile shine like a rare gem. Think of it like…how a sunny day after a long stretch of rain is super refreshing! Or maybe how a nice, hot meal tastes even better when you're really, really hungry!"

"I DON'T act like that all the time," Alisa rebutted. "And I'm not sure how to feel about being compared to floods and starvation."

"No, no," Fie hummed to herself. "She's onto something."

"They do say that first impressions are lasting impressions…" Emma added worriedly.

Realizing she was losing her hold on the conversation, Alisa stood up and pointed her finger at Morgan. "W-Well, I could say the same about you, Morgan!"

Morgan stood up in response. "Yeah? What about me?"

"I've seen how you interact with a certain…trickster. You say you dismiss him, but you're always looking out for him, too! Like how you take notes for him!"

"Well, we can't exactly have him failing his classes, can we?" Morgan pointed. "He's incompetent, lustful, and a pain in the arse sometimes, but he's still a reliable ally when it counts. He's a good partner to have."

"And what, pray tell, might being a good partner entail?" Laura raised an eyebrow. "Pardon my curiosity, but I must admit that even I have harbored my own questions as to the nature of your relationship."

"The two of you have known each other since the beginning of the year, right?" Emma recalled. "Of all of us here, you're probably the closest with him and the other second years."

"Right! Exactly what I was saying!" Alisa nodded in agreement. "Not to mention, there's that little pet name she always calls him by!"

"Alisa, I've been doing that since the beginning of the year. It's the same thing as a nickname; it's not like it's a secret-"

"But he's not just any Trickster anymore, right?" Fie grinned devilishly, almost like she was leaping at the chance to throw more fuel into the fire. "You've already marked him as yours."

Emma gasped. "I-Is that true?"

Morgan gulped. She wasn't sure if the sweat coming from her brow was her own perspiration or a side effect from the steam. "I, uh, have no idea what you're talking about?"

"It used to be 'Trickster' in the past; now you call him 'My Trickster,'" Fie noted. "I think it started from around…Garrelia Fortress?"

"I thought I was the only one to have noticed." Laura briefly nodded at Fie before directing her attention back at Morgan. "The change in the way you address him was so subtle, even I failed to pick up on it initially."

Alisa stared at Morgan with her mouth half-open. Evidently, she had not picked up on the change and was just learning about it herself. "Morgan… Be honest with us…" she said, trying to keep her breaths steady. "Can you say with absolute certainty that NOTHING has happened between you two? At all?"

Morgan racked her brain on her and Crow's previous interactions. It was true that her opinion of him certainly improved favorably after he saved her in Lohengrin Castle, and it was also true that she was spending more time around him ever since she started taking notes for him. But it wasn't like the two of them weren't already hanging out a lot beforehand, mostly because of Crow's persistence. She started to give her answer…

"Of course…not…"

And then she faltered. All the emotions she had felt up to that point finally slotted into place the more she thought about them. She was grateful for giving a shoulder to lean on when Rean showed his powered-up side, relieved to see him come back to rescue her, touched by his backstory, scared over what might happen if he joined the ILF.

And then there was the day after they had returned from their field study. The time when he saw her dance and later comforted her after she had vented her frustrations to him.

No, that wasn't entirely true, was it? SHE was the one who asked HIM to comfort her.

"A young maiden has just bared all of her feelings for you to see. Isn't it the gentleman's job to comfort her, my Trickster?"

By the gods. She really did sound like she was claiming him. She had been so caught up in her own emotions at that moment that she didn't think about how it might look to others out of context.

Unfortunately for Morgan, her long silence had acted as almost indisputable proof of her guilt, and now all the other girls were slowly beginning to encroach on her personal space.

"Morgan…"

"I believe we are all united when we say…"

"We would very much like to know…"

"How CLOSE have you two gotten?"

Morgan began to melt under the pressure of all her classmates' intense gazes. "W-We, I, uh…"

A loud wooden crack signaling the opening of the changing room door interrupted the awkward silence in the hot spring.

"Looks like the party was starting to heat up without me!"

Morgan breathed an internal sigh of relief. Never had she felt so happy to hear her instructor's voice.

"Wow, Mona!" Angelica's voice called out. "Look at you, being all popular! Save some for me, won't you~"

And Angelica was with her. Great.

"Sorry for intruding, everyone!" Towa called out.

At least Towa was there to act as the voice of reason.

The other Class VII girls made room and watched as Sara, Angelica, and Towa entered the spring. Though to be more specific, more eyes were focused on the former two.

"Oh my…" Emma marveled.

"So this is the difference between girls and women…" Laura muttered under her breath.

"An 'it's not even comparable' out of ten…" Fie rated.

Their instructor wasted no effort in basking in all the attention she was getting. "Ohhh, you're all too kind!"

Angelica likewise let out a loud guffaw. "Hahaha! All your reactions are just the cutest!" She then scooted over to the person seated closest to her. "Gotta say, it's been a while since we've bathed together, hasn't it, Lisa?"

"P-Personal space, Angelica…" the blonde stuttered.

"Haha! I can't help it! But you know what? Who knows when we'll get another opportunity, right?" The purple-haired noble put her arm around Alisa. "Come on! One more skinship session for old times' sake?"

"Absolutely not!" Alisa forcefully pushed Angelica's arm out from around her shoulder. It was especially impressive, considering that Angelica was a practiced martial artist.

"Well now! You're a lot stronger than you look," Angelica remarked. "Guess you have Lacrosse Club and archery to thank for that extra bit of arm muscle."

Morgan then noticed something peculiar. For a second, it looked like there was genuine sadness from Angelica's part as a result of Alisa's rejection. But that moment was fleeting, as Angelica went right back to trying her luck with the rest of the female Sevens.

Had she just imagined it?

"Angie…"

Morgan looked to Towa, who was seated next to her and gazing sorrowfully at her fellow second year.

"Psst. Hey, Towa."

"Hm? What is it, Morgan?"

"Is Angelica okay? Like actually. Is she okay?"

"O-Of course she's fine! She was just caught off guard by Alisa, that's all! Happens all the time! Ahahaha…"

Bless Towa's heart. She was just as earnest and bad at lying as Morgan, and yet she was still trying to cover for her friend.

Rean had given her the rundown on what happened in Roer. How the division of the Reinford Group headed by Angelica's uncle had been secretly dumping resources into the black market for an as-of-now unknown cause, how the ILF had taken over the Sachsen Iron Mine amidst the confusion, and how Angelica personally came to Roer after conducting her own investigations alongside Towa and George. The Rogner family heir had dared to stand up to her family to expose their injustices, and there was no way an action like that wouldn't have consequences once her father found out about everything.

"Maybe I should rephrase my question…" Morgan leaned in closer and whispered, "Is she GOING to be okay?"

The diminutive president looked at Morgan, then at Angelica, then back to Morgan. "It's not my place to say, but if you want the full picture, then you should ask her before this trip ends. Angie has actually been wanting to talk to you in private as well, you know."

"Duly noted, Towa."

Fortunately for Morgan, she would only have to wait a few hours before her next opportunity.

That night, Morgan had a dream of her past.

But for what felt like the first time in a long while, it was a scene that she had not experienced before.

She was lying on the ground in the middle of a forest clearing, the sky a pitch black. Her face was searing hot with pain. Something or someone must have struck her.

The culprit slowly walked into view. A beautiful young woman with blue hair wearing a tiara on her head.

"I won't pretend that I don't sympathize with your situation," the blue-haired woman spoke. "But your actions were still reprehensible."

The woman spoke a few more words, but they sounded unclear. Almost like an orbal radio message that was experiencing outside interference. The next thing Morgan knew, the woman was standing above her with her sword raised above her head. No matter how much Morgan tried to move her body, she couldn't. She was powerless to stop the blade's descent…straight into the ground next to her head.

"Out of respect for the bond we used to share, I will spare your life. " Before Morgan could open her mouth to speak, the woman sheathed her sword, which Morgan noted had a very unique design that resembled her own Mark of Naga. "Go, and do not appear before me again. Should you do so, I guarantee you that my blade will not miss its mark again."

The woman turned her back towards Morgan and said with finality, "This is goodbye."

Morgan futilely reached out her hand to the woman. "Don't…go…" her voice croaked. "B-Bi…"

…

Morgan woke up with a stir, her arm outstretched in front of her. She turned her head both ways to get her bearings. She was in the inn room she shared with Alisa, Emma, Fie, and Laura, all of whom were still sound asleep.

'A new dream…'

Morgan sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose, where her scar traveled up her face. There was no pain when she touched it.

"Big Sister Lucy…"

It felt like an eternity since the last time she had uttered those words from her mouth. Morgan didn't know how, but she was positive that that was what she had been trying to say right before her dream ended. But how could that be? Had she done something awful to her in the past?

Morgan quietly put on her robes and slipped out of the door. There was no way she was going back to bed after that nightmare, and she needed some air. Were the springs open at this hour? The idea of a midnight dip, or whatever hour of the day it was currently, sounded very enticing indeed. Alfin, Olivert, and Cedric had always wished that they could have taken her to Ymir while she was still Alfin's attendant, and she was going to make the most of her stay if it was the last thing she did.

On her way down into the lobby, however, she stopped when she came across a lone figure with purple hair, staring longingly at the moon by the window.

"Angie?"

Angelica whipped her head around, and her morose expression was quickly replaced by her trademark grin. "Hey there, Mona! This is a surprise. What's wrong? Couldn't sleep?"

"I could ask the same about you." As Morgan moved closer to Angelica, she could feel a layer of heat emanating from her body. "Did you just get out of the hot spring?" she guessed.

"Observant as ever, I see. There's nothing like a quiet nighttime dip to soothe the soul. I've had my fill, but if you're on your way in, I'm willing to go back. There's no one else in there at the moment."

Morgan hummed to herself. She heard from Towa that Angelica was looking for a chance to talk to her in private, and the hot spring was the perfect place for them to have a private discussion. But at the same time, Angelica had just come out. Morgan didn't want to make her feel dizzy.

"I think I'll pass on that offer, thanks."

"Aw, that's a shame…"

"...But you know, I am feeling a bit thirsty," Morgan quickly followed up. "You want to grab a drink?"

Angelica's eyes lit up. "That sounds like a wonderful idea! There's nothing like chugging a cold one after a good bath!"

"We're students, remember?"

"Milk. I was talking about milk."

Morgan patted around her robes and gasped, realizing that she had left her purse upstairs in her room.

"Forget your change?" Angelica smirked. "Don't your worry, little Mona. This one's on me. You can always repay me once we're both old enough for drinks."

Morgan couldn't find it in herself to mention that she was, in fact, already of legal drinking age as Angelica led her to the drinks booth. She ordered the both of them some flavored milk, and after clinking their milk bottles together, Angelica popped her bottle open and started gulping down the entire thing like it was nothing.

"Whew! That always hits the spot!"

Morgan also opened her milk bottle and started drinking it. It was sweet and fruity.

"So…" Angelica smirked at her. "You and Crow?"

Morgan nearly coughed out her milk mid-sip when she heard that. THIS was what she wanted to talk to her about? She swallowed her drink and gave Angelica an odd look. "What about us?"

"Just wanted to curb my curiosity." Angelica dexterously dangled her milk bottle in front of her face with just her fingers. "What do you see in that guy?"

"I don't know what my classmates have told you, but believe me when I say that we aren't going out."

"Oh, really?" Angelica playfully raised an eyebrow at her. "Then explain why I saw you two cuddling each other up last week."

The entire world seemed to slow to a crawl once Morgan heard that. Before she could realize it, an uncharacteristically high-pitched squeal had somehow made its way up from Morgan' throat and out her mouth.

"Hahaha!" Angelica started laughing uncontrollably. "I didn't know you could make such a cute sound!"

"B-B-But, I mean-what?! How did-? No… No, he didn't…!"

While Morgan was being reduced to a blubbering mess, Angelica wiped a tear from her eyes. "Relax, Mona. He didn't say a word of it to anyone."

"He…he didn't?"

"I was taking a walk around campus when I thought I saw this exotic looking bird," the purple-haired noble explained. "It was heading in the direction of the old schoolhouse, so I thought I could pin it down there. Unfortunately, I lost it, but that was when I bumped into you two. Crow was actually enough of a gentleman to ask me to keep it all a secret." Angelica gave a small huff. "Pretty rare, if you ask me."

"I…I see…"

Angelica then pointed her milk bottle at Morgan. "Right, so spill! What about him has caught the attention of your discerning eye, dear Mona?"

"W-Well…" Morgan took a few sips of her milk to buy herself some time. This was not the direction she was anticipating their conversation to go, especially when Morgan had just woken up. Also, she had managed to successfully evade her classmates' attempts to prod her brain thus far, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to outlast them for long. She had to formulate her own opinions sooner or later.

"He's…encouraging. I've come to appreciate how he supports everyone from afar in his own way, even if he ends up in trouble because of it. And yet, there's something about him that I can't help but worry over. He engages in such reckless behavior sometimes, but even though he always comes back smiling, there's always a 'what if' feeling that keeps nagging at my brain. What if this time the trouble he ends up getting himself ends up too much for him to handle? Or what if he ends up making some mistake that he can't reverse? He's become an integral part of our lives, so much so that it wouldn't feel right without him. That's why I feel like I have to make sure that he's okay."

Angelica hummed to herself, taking in every word that Morgan had to say. "That's a pretty loaded explanation."

"I didn't really know how to best describe it," Morgan admitted. "Honestly, I'm still trying to sort through everything myself."

"Let me tell you something…" Angelica said. "Your intuition isn't too off the mark. Crow acts like he wears his heart on his sleeve, but in truth, he always keeps his cards close to his chest. It's probably that gambling spirit of his. Never reveal your hand until the opportune moment and all that. But lately, I've been seeing him becoming more open. As someone who literally had to beat some sense into him, you guys in Class VII did a good job at doing things the civil way."

"Normal people wouldn't punch people just to prove a point."

"One, he deserved it. Two, I'm no ordinary noble." Angelica tossed her bottle into the disposal basket with pinpoint accuracy. "Here's the thing, though: Crow came from Jurai. And I think he's told you how he hasn't been back in so long. After he graduates, who knows where he's going next? All I know is if you feel like you've got something to tell him, that deadline's approaching real fast."

Angelica put a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "You only get one chance at youth, so make sure that you make the most of it."

Morgan blinked twice at Angelica. There was no hint of flirting in her eyes, despite their current arrangement. The discrepancy between Angelica's usual behavior and what she looked like now was so noticeable, the most that Morgan could let out was a single "Huh…"

Which caused Angelica to start guffawing again. "Haha! Sorry. Too cringeworthy for you?"

"N-No! Not at all! It's a good reminder." Morgan looked down at her milk bottle. "Actually, it just reminded me of a project I've been working on. The deadline is the end of the year, when Crow graduates."

"Ho? And does said project have anything to do with YOUR Trickster?"

"Yes… NO!"

"Heehee! Lisa might not be so off the mark either."

"What does she know, anyway?" Pouting, Morgan finished the rest of her milk and went over to the nearby basket to dispose of her bottle.

"Hey, Morgan?"

Morgan snapped to attention. This was the first time since they were introduced to one another that Angelica had called her by her real name. "Yeah, Angie?"

"I'm guessing Towa asked you to come find me, didn't she?"

"That's…uh…" Morgan's voice drifted off.

Angelica gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. I don't mind. Worrying for everyone's well being is one of the things I admire so much about my darling Towa. Since we're alone, I might as well lay it to you straight."

The purple-haired noble leaned against the window and gazed up at the moonlit night sky. "This little field trip…will be the last time I'll be seeing all of you for a while."

It was a confirmation of the inevitable outcome that Morgan had dreaded, even though a part of her wished that maybe, just maybe, things could turn out differently. Still, Morgan nodded for Angelica to continue.

"You've probably heard how I helped Rean's group rescue the miners from the terrorists. Thing is, my father oversees the Nortia Province, and once he found out I pulled that little stunt, he was not at all pleased. So, he went ahead and told the academy that I'll be dropping out. Without my permission, of course. I'm going to be grounded at home for a while.

"And the academy did nothing to defend you?"

"You know the power and influence that the Four Great Houses have. Even someone like Principal Vandyck can't stand up against Father without facing serious repercussions, and the needs of the many outweigh the few in this case. Still, the principal was kind enough to put me down as 'on leave' rather than actually 'dropped out,' but let's be real: there's no big difference between the two."

Morgan nodded her head again, this time more solemnly. "Have you told anyone else yet?"

Angelica shook her head. "I didn't want to bring down the mood. You all were looking forward to this trip for a long time, right? That's why I decided to quietly bow out now and have Towa make the announcement later."

The purple-haired noble gave Morgan a resigned but still uplifting smile. "Hey, don't look so sad! It's not like I didn't know something like this would happen. I knew going into it what the consequences were going to be, but I also knew that I was doing the right thing. With that on my side, I've got no regrets. That brings me to a very important matter. It concerns the project that George, Towa, Crow, and I have been working on for the past two years."

Morgan furrowed her eyebrows together. "...The bike."

"Yup. That bike is my baby, but if I bring it back home with me, my father's just going to take it away. The last thing I want is to have the thing we all put our hearts into making disappear into thin air. I'd rather give it to someone who can look after it. Maybe even get some use of it."

Angelica stood straight up and looked Morgan dead in the eye. "Morgan. Would you be willing to take my bike off my hands?"

Ever since Angelica brought her bike into the discussion, Morgan had a feeling that she knew where the discussion was heading. But that bike was like the physical manifestation of Angelica's rebellion. Against expectations, against society, against her father. To relinquish something so special to her...it wasn't hard to interpret that act as giving up a part of herself, consigning herself to the whims of others for the rest of her life.

So Morgan had to make absolute sure that she was making the right call. "Why choose me?"

Her upperclassman nodded understandingly. "I know. You're probably thinking, 'But Rean has more experience riding it than me!' Which is fair, but what can I say? I've got a bias and I'm not afraid to flaunt it. Sue me."

That aroused a laugh from Morgan. A welcome bit of levity in the middle of their serious conversation.

"In all seriousness, though? It's because you were just as much help to finishing it as the rest of us, even if you might not realize it. Those extra sepith you started giving George ever since you first set foot into the Engineering Building? They gave us the extra fuel we needed to stitch everything together. Not only that, I've seen how you treated the bike as something more than the sum of its parts. And when you actually rode it? It really felt like it came alive, you know? That's how I knew that you were the perfect candidate. Think of it as…getting early dibs at an inheritance."

Morgan looked down. "You can't just say something like that and expect me to be okay with it…"

"Sorry. I know it's a lot to take in. But I don't want to give it to anybody else. If I know it's in your hands, I'll be able to rest easy. So…would you?"

Morgan took a moment to gather her thoughts before opening her eyes to meet Angelica's expectant gaze. "Alright. I'll do it."

"Thank you, Morgan," Angelica said, looking relieved. "I won't forget-"

"But let me make one thing clear," Morgan interrupted her. "It's not going to be for good."

Angelica looked surprised at her. "What are you…"

"Because I know what kind of person you are, Angelica Rogner. You're not the type to experience one setback and take it lying down. You WILL find a way out, and maybe you could get your father to see reason along the way. I don't care if it takes a week, a month, or a year. But when that day finally arrives when you're able to roam free again, I'll be there to give the bike back to its rightful owner. Do I make myself clear?"

The purple-haired noble stared dumbfoundedly at her for a good few seconds before she threw her head back and laughed, harder yet more heartfelt than she had that entire night. "Hahahaha! You've got yourself a deal. Truthfully, I never intended on going down without a fight to begin with. But knowing that you're cheering me on from afar, Mona? Well, that just makes me even more motivated."

Morgan smiled back. "Well, it's your duty as a Thors student to become the foundation of the world, and you can't exactly do that when you're grounded."

"True, true! Ah, I feel a lot better now, almost like I could take on the world! Thanks for keeping me company, Mona. And…" Angelica winked. "Good luck with your project."

As Angelica started walking away towards the staircase, Morgan called out, "You were talking about the concert, right?"

"Heehee! I mean what I said!" With that vague response, Angelica stepped out of sight.

Morgan reclined into the nearest chair she could find. Despite her talk with Angelica ending on a relatively high note, the entire ordeal still left her mentally and physically drained. It truly was a lot to unpack in just one sitting regarding Angelica's current situation, and now there was the additional matter regarding the bike. In a few days' time, that bike would be hers, no strings attached.

And as if that wasn't enough, Morgan had finally put into words what made her gravitate towards Crow. On the bright side, it meant she finally had an answer for her other friends should they ever come asking again, but this presented a new issue: should she tell the man himself? Her first instincts told her not to bother trying. He was a well-known skirt chaser, after all; perhaps he was the type to be more interested in the act of hunting than actually doing something with his prey when he caught it. It would save her a lot of trouble, then, if she didn't do anything and went on with her day like nothing happened. At the same time, however, her fellow female Sevens seemed very intrigued at the possibility of them being together, and now even Angelica was egging her on to make a move. Morgan always used to consider herself fairly clueless when it came to matters of the heart, but now that all of the signs had been pointed out to her…

"Aaaaargh!" Morgan groaned, throwing her arms into the air and her head back past the chair. Why did matters of the heart have to be so complicated?

"Ah."

"...Ah."

From her upside down position, Morgan found Rean standing a short distance behind her wearing a casual tee and shorts. Judging from the awkward look in his eye, he had already been standing there for a while.

"H-Hey…" the black-haired boy awkwardly greeted.

"Hey…" Morgan replied in a similarly awkward fashion. "Can't sleep?"

"Pretty much. I thought walking around might get me to calm down. That's when I came downstairs and…" Rean scratched the back of his head apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Morgan gulped, her heart starting to panic. "H-How much did you hear?"

"Only the last part." That gave Morgan some much-needed relief, knowing that Rean at least hadn't been present when Angelica started grilling her on her relationship with Crow. But then Rean followed up with a forlorn look. "So Angelica's going to be dropping out…all because of us."

"She made her choice, and she doesn't regret it." Morgan stood up from her chair. "That aside, you look awful, Rean. Was it a nightmare, the bathroom, your hormones, or anxiety?"

Rean blinked. "...Pardon?"

"The reason you woke up. Nightmare, bathroom, hormones, or anxiety?"

"Uh, the last one." Rean heaved a big sigh. "I wish I had some of your confidence."

Morgan looked at him sadly. It was clear that returning home and saying hi to his friends and family didn't have the effect on Rean that she and the others had hoped for. In fact, Rean had somehow managed to find his way back to the downward spiral of low self-esteem that he was on at the beginning of the year. Granted, he had more emotional baggage to deal with than the average Erebonian, what with his adoption, his powers, wanting to find a path he could be proud of… It was ironic that the person who strived to help countless others on behalf of the student council was now reluctant to ask for help himself. The boy was too nice for his own good.

"Do you…want to talk about it?" Morgan asked him. "I've been told that keeping everything bottled up will lead to a flood of problems later on."

"I…" Rean hesitated, but eventually he relented. "You know what? Sure. We're both here already, and there's not much for me to lose."

It was faint, but Morgan could see a bit of relief in Rean's eyes after she posed the question to him. But before Rean could grab a seat, she stopped her. "Actually, wait! Let's move someplace else. There's a chance someone might listen in on us again."

Rean looked around him. "I didn't sense anyone else coming from upstairs, but with hindsight? Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Where were you thinking we should go?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Morgan smirked as she lunged forward to take Rean by the hands.

"Wha-?!" Rean cheeks flushed at the sudden gesture.

"I'm guessing there was a reason you were coming this way in the first place, right?" Morgan presumed. "Well, I was thinking the same thing earlier. We can kill two birds with one stone!"

"Y-You're not seriously suggesting-!"

"Onward, Rean! To the hot springs!"

Rean could barely get another word out before Morgan pulled him down the hallway to the changing rooms.

Author's note: Watch Symphogear.

Finally made it to Ymir. The trip was cut from the first game, but the contents were preserved in a drama CD that was later uploaded onto the official Trails of Cold Steel II website. The content for this version will be a mix of original lines from the drama CD script and my own additions.

Several changes off the bat. First, I gave Rean's entire family their first appearance here seeing as I didn't want to just follow his story (that's mostly covered in the aforementioned drama CD anyways) and there wouldn't be a more opportune time to introduce them to the rest of Class VII. You can assume that everything that transpired on Rean's end still occurred in this canon.

Second, Morgan will take temporary ownership of Angelica's bike instead of Rean. I was initially going to have Morgan come downstairs after Rean and Angelica had finished their talk in the drama CD, but's let be real: Angelica would totally have given her bike to another girl instead of Rean if she had the option. I always presumed that in canon, she probably didn't have many other options outside of her immediate friend group to turn to, especially with the limited time she had left. But in this universe, Morgan exists, so that solves everything.

Lastly, the point at which this chapter ends leads to a very...clichéd scene in the drama CD. Yeah, it was a self-confessed blunder on all fronts with virtually zero payoff, so nope! I'm going to be doing my own thing. Tune in next time to see how everything goes down. Peace!