Chapter 25 - Oh Captain! My Captain!
12.26.1204 - Sunday (Bareahard Stopover Day)
Towa was glad to see that the tide of war was starting to shift. The Courageous was able to arrest Duke Albarea, Prince Olivert's reports suggested that the Noble Alliance's hold on the western front was starting to show signs of weakening, and if their next plan were to move forward, then the Courageous would finally be able to take back Trista.
Unfortunately, not everyone was celebrating. It was difficult to enjoy their recent victory considering it had started when Duke Albarea sent his jagers to attack Celdic. The town was more or less destroyed. The majority of the population had faced some sort of injury, and one civilian was dead.
Towa couldn't help but blame herself for not keeping a closer eye on Celdic. It should have been obvious by how close it was to Bareahard that it was an easy target for the Noble Alliance to take back. She knew that if Viscount Arseid and Prince Olivert had stayed they would have realized sooner the danger Celdic was in, and would have done something sooner before the attack.
All she could really do now was sulk on a bench in Bareahard with her captain hat in her lap. She had managed to put on a brave face while ordering everyone to relax while in Bareahard.
Of course one person had managed to look past the brave face she had put on, and had made their way to console their distraught captain.
"Captain Towa? Is something wrong?"
Towa looked up to spot Rean in front of her.
"Oh… No, it's nothing. I was just thinking about Bareahard finally being freed from the duke's clutches and… ended up spaced out. You know how when you finish something you're really nervous about and all the exhaustion washes over you at once? That's what I'm going through. But don't worry about me! I'll be back on the ship by the time everyone else is." Towa lied.
"Umm… Mind if I sit with you for a while? There's a really nice breeze here, so I figured it might be a good spot to relax." Rean asked.
"Oh… Sure. Go ahead." Towa responded.
Rean quickly took a seat next to Towa on the bench.
"I don't want to sound pushy here, but, well if you have something on your mind, Captain Towa, I'm more than willing to listen." Rean told Towa.
"Huh?" Towa questioned. It seemed as if Rean caught on to how distraught she was.
"I realize that I might not be able to offer any real help, but you've done so much for everyone and me personally, both at Thors and on the Courageous. That's why I want to do whatever I can for you in return." Rean continued.
"That's… really sweet of you, Rean. Haha. Thanks." Towa responded.
Towa knew that she needed to tell someone how she felt. And seeing as Rean was there offering his help, she decided to confide in him.
"To tell the truth, I'm not really sure if I'm the best fit to be the Courageous' captain anymore… Part of me wishes I declined back when Viscount Arseid asked me." Towa admitted.
"Can I ask why?" Rean asked.
"Well, we managed to set Bareahard free and have Duke Albarea arrested, right? But when you think about it, that won't do much to ease the pain for those in Celdic. It won't bring back those that we've lost, either…" Towa continued.
Both stayed silent as they recalled the attack on Celdic.
"And it's not just that. Think back to when Fiona was taken hostage or what happened with Angie. In the end, I just stood there uselessly waiting for you guys to solve everything. All while having the Courageous at our disposal, too. I also can't help but feel that I'm wasting your time. You've spent so much time helping me improve how I use my orbal gun, but I'm always too busy with the Courageous to actually put it to use helping you battle. That's why I can't help but wonder what a more capable captain would've been able to accomplish." Towa continued.
"Have you been bottling this stuff up all this time?" Rean asked.
"Heehee. Sorry for unloading on you. I promised myself I'd become a much stronger person, and yet here I am fretting over every little thing. I'm really not suited to be your captain at all, am I?" Towa responded.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew away Towa's captain hat.
Rean quickly chased after it and quickly caught it before it got too far away.
"Trust me when I say that your worries couldn't be further from the truth. I can't think of a single person more suited to be our captain than you." Rean said as he walked back to Towa.
"B-But, Rean-" Towa tried to object before getting interrupted by Rean.
"In the end, we're still students. We don't have the kind of experience Prince Olivert and Viscount Arseid do. There's no way anyone expects you to be able to do what they can. But despite that, you took it upon yourself to accept such a crucial position in Viscount Arseid's place. You're doing everything you can to fulfill that role, even when you're just a student. Seeing you work like that is what's inspired all of us, you know. We wouldn't be the same team without you." Rean interrupted.
"Th-That's not tr-" Towa tried to object again before getting interrupted by Rean again.
Rean simply placed Towa's captain hat on her head. It was a loose fit, but it fit regardless.
"I'm certain that everything we've done so far is bringing us one step closer to taking back our school. Accomplishing that will probably be our biggest challenge yet, though. And that's exactly why we need you. Having you alongside us is the greatest motivation we could ever ask for. Of course, I have no intention of letting this be one-sided. I'll be there for you as much as you are for us." Rean continued.
Towa could only look in awe of the person in front of her. To think that the person in front of her now was the same nervous boy she had helped a few months ago. The same person she had fallen for.
"Y-You mean it, Rean?" Towa asked.
Without much thought Rean had given Towa a reassuring smile.
"Boy, you're awfully convincing, huh? You're right. We should be using our worries as a means to better ourselves, shouldn't we? Heehee. I'm such a dummy for forgetting something as simple as that." Towa responded.
"Hey, we all have our moments." Rean teased.
"It won't be long now until we can finally take back Thors. We're gonna go all out and make it a reality! Right?" Towa announced.
"Right!" Rean said in agreement.
Rean quickly sat back down next to Towa. He couldn't be happier to finally be able to repay Towa for what she did for him in Ymir.
Both enjoyed the other's presence as they sat silently together for a few more minutes. Something about hearing people walking around and enjoying themselves was exactly what Rean and Towa needed to hear to know they were fighting the good fight. They couldn't wait for Trista to be liberated as well. To hear children playing outside, their classmates returning to their club activities, and they could go back to do things like they used to. Towa would go back to being the Student Council President and Rean would go back to being her helper.
Soon they both realized what the current state of the war was. Outside of Heimdallr the Noble Alliance was rapidly losing support. Both from nobles and the population at large. It seemed as if the attack on Celdic had backfired in the Noble Alliance's face. If the Courageous could take back Trista then the Imperial Army and Prince Olivert would have the advantage, and if things continue to go smoothly then the war would be finished sooner rather than later.
It was a thought that comforted both Rean and Towa. However, both couldn't help but get flustered upon recalling what would change between them once they take back Trista.
Once things calmed down they wouldn't be able to go back to how things used to be.
They wouldn't be able to be just Student Council President and helper anymore. No, Towa still had to give a proper response to Rean's confession.
It was something both weren't really sure how it would play out, but it was something they would have to face eventually.
For now however, they were content just being Captain Towa Herschel and her right hand man Rean Schwarzer.
"Say Captain Towa, what do you say we go grab a bite to eat? My treat." Rean asked.
"Heehee, sure Rean. Now that I think about it, I am rather famished." Towa responded.
Rean led Towa to the Sorciere Restaurant. Upon entering they were seated at a table outside.
"Are you sure you want to pay for my meal? Some of this stuff looks pretty expensive." Towa asked while skimming the menu.
"Don't worry, no price is too high for my captain. Oh… um I uh advise against looking at the seafood section." Rean assured her while checking all the prices.
After making their orders, Rean and Towa got to talking about more casual things. The more they could keep their mind off what they would have to do soon, the better.
Unbeknownst to Rean and Towa however, a few members of Class VII spotted them from a distance and quickly questioned if their leader and captain were out on a date.
"Rean and Captain Towa huh? Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised." Elliot commented.
"They have been spending a lot of time together recently." Gaius noted.
"You say that as if they didn't spend lots of time together before." Machias retorted.
"Still, it doesn't look like they're an actual couple yet." Jusis brought up.
"What do you mean?" Elliot asked.
"I see what you mean, you're right." Gaius commented.
"No seriously, what do you see?" Machias questioned.
"Look at how Rean and Captain Towa are fidgeting in their seats. It's clear that they're both nervous. It would seem as if they are both aware that they care for each other more than just friends, but neither wants to cross that line." Jusis explained.
"I see now." Machias responded.
"Still, I imagine Rean liking Captain Towa as more than just friends probably means Alisa, Laura, Fie, and Emma don't have a chance." Elliot pointed out.
"So uh… which one of us is going to tell the girls that Captain Towa already won?" Machias questioned.
"Not me!" all four boys yelled at the same time.
All four knew the destruction that would result when the girls realized that Rean had fallen for their Captain.
Suddenly another person forced themselves into the conversation.
"What are you kiddos talking about?" Instructor Sara asked casually.
"O-Oh nothing! Yup, definitely not fearing what's going to happen to our class!" Elliot responded.
"Wait, something's going to happen to our group?" Alisa asked.
The boys watched in horror as all the Class VII girls and Instructor Sara made their way towards them.
"Nothing! Nothing is going to happen between us!" Machias tried to answer.
"Oh hey look! Captain Towa and Rean are out on a date!" Millium yelled.
Alisa, Laura, Fie, and Emma turned to where Millium pointed and were horrified at the sight of Rean and Towa out on a date. While they had known that their leader and Student Council President spent lots of time together, they liked to think that it was only ever as friends. But, the way both of them kept on sneaking glances at each other while eating and blushing the moment they got caught made it clear that there was no other way they could deny that the two mutually loved each other.
"I should've known Rean and Towa would've ended up like this. I suppose it was the reason why I sent Rean to be her helper. Sure he didn't have a club and he needed something to do, but now that I think about it there might've been more to it. The moment I saw him he just reminded me of Towa for some reason. Now that I think about it, Towa did start off her work in the Student Council as their helper last year. Although I don't think Rean plans to rise through the ranks like Towa did. I'm sure the moment Towa walks out of Thors as a free woman Rean will follow close behind and become too busy taking his older girlfriend off on dates to help with the Student Council anymore." Instructor Sara thought to herself.
"If it makes you ladies happy, I doubt that they're an actual couple. Both of them are way too fidgety by eating lunch together to be anything other than two people crushing on each other." Jusis informed the girls.
Class VII made their way elsewhere to give Rean and Towa some privacy. They also started to brainstorm how they could help their leader confess to their captain. It was clear to them that Rean wasn't going to confess to Towa how he feels without a little push.
Angelica and George watched on from a safe distance, as Rean and Towa's date got more and more embarrassing as time went on. They both felt nothing other than second hand embarrassment towards Towa. They knew that she liked Rean, but they had expected her not to become such a nervous wreck at this point considering how many times she and Rean had been alone together.
"I can't just stand by and watch them like this anymore! We need to do something George! At this rate they'll start up a family and still think that they're just friends!" Angelica announced.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" George asked.
"It's showtime!" Angelica yelled.
Angelica and George both knew that Towa wasn't going to confess to Rean without a little push.
"You hear something Rean?" Towa asked Rean as she started eating her plate of shrimp.
"I don't hear anything Towa." Rean responded as he took a bite out of his sandwich.
Rean hadn't originally intended to order just a sandwich, but Towa's order was enough to take a large bite out of his wallet that he had to go with something simple so as to not go bankrupt.
Author's Note
I hope you don't mind me not really changing Towa's Bonding Event in Bareahard that much. I felt that it fit right in as is, especially after last chapter. Admittedly this chapter was going to just be Towa's Bonding Event, but luckily I thought up of a way to include Class VII and Proto Class VII into the chapter. Think of it as way to lead into the next chapter.
Preview - "The faster you cooperate, the faster we'll untie you." _ explained.
