Chapter 65 - Proto Class VII Reunion

8.22.1206 - Tuesday

"Good morning you guys." Towa greeted as she sat down with Angelica and Crow so that the three of them could have breakfast together.

"Morning, I'm surprised Rean didn't tag along with you." Crow greeted.

"Rean's still asleep. I figured that I shouldn't wake him yet so that he can get some more rest." Towa explained.

"Don't you still need some rest too?" Angelica pointed out.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I plan to go ask Rosine and Gaius if they'll let me access the orbal computer terminal later." Towa revealed.

"Weren't you told not to use your hand too much?" Crow questioned.

"While I may be right handed, my left hand is just as good at typing as my right hand." Towa said in her defense.

"Speaking of your right hand, how's it feeling?" Angelica nervously asked, still blaming herself for Towa's injury.

"It's feeling fine. That healing spell Rosine casted has really helped." Towa answered. "Angie, please understand that it wasn't your fault. It was…"

The three friends fell silent as they turned to look at the empty spot at their table. Even after everything he'd done, none of them were sure if it was fit to call this a proper reunion without George present.

"Still, there was more I could've done when he confronted me. I could've booked it out of the graveyard the second I saw him point that orbal pistol at me. Heck, I should've called you and Rean beforehand to provide me with back up while I checked on Crow's grave." Angelica commented.

"Stopped by there a while ago. That quote you guys chose for me was boring as hell, you guys should've picked something more fun. Like 'Make sure to delete my hard drives.' or 'Suck it, Osborne!'. Now that would've made for a unique tombstone, I'll tell you what." Crow quipped in an attempt to ease the atmosphere.

"We'll bring him back. Whether he likes it or not!" Towa declared.

"Yeah, I'll drag him kicking and screaming back to the ship myself." Angelica added on.

"I call dibs on throwing the first welcome back punch! Need to pay him back for that whole Azure Siegfried crap." Crow commented as he cracked his knuckles.

"I'll throw the second punch then to make up for the Red Rossweisse stuff." Angelica said in agreement as she cracked her knuckles.

Towa couldn't help but giggle as she saw her friends' spirits reignite at the thought of having a proper reunion.

"C'mon guys, he won't be able to treat us to a large, and expensive, apology meal if he has to spend most of his time back in the emergency room." Towa joked in an attempt to calm them down.

Rean couldn't help but smile as he stood outside the dining area, listening closely to Towa and her friends' conversation. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop on them, but by the time he had gotten up and was ready to join everyone in the dining area they were well into their conversation. He quickly concluded that it would've been rude to enter at such a personal point for them so he stayed by the doorway where they couldn't see him.


After giving Towa and her friends a few minutes to themselves, Rean finally joined them inside the dining area and grabbed his breakfast from the counter. Taking a seat next to Towa as he greeted them.

"Teehee, morning sleepyhead." Towa greeted as she scooted closer to Rean.

"Sleepyhead? You're the one who told me that we should both go back to sleep for another ten minutes after we woke up together. Imagine my shock when I woke up and saw that a certain someone had jumped out of bed and started their day while I was still asleep." Rean responded.

"I swear, you would complain about getting ten extra minutes of sleep. Hmph. I figured that you needed more rest than me." Towa pouted in an attempt to make Rean move past the subject.

"I see how it is. Don't be surprised when your ARCUS alarm clock gets turned off tomorrow. One or two hours should be enough time for me to get done reviewing things on the orbal computer." Rean humorously threatened.

"R-Rean! D-Don't you dare!" Towa responded as she began to look flustered.

"Haha, I'm kidding. I'd never do such a thing." Rean assured Towa as he began to pat her head in an attempt to calm her down.

Crow and Angelica silently stared at the pair, unsure if they had somehow forgotten the fact that they weren't alone in the dining room.

"Jeez, what happened to the first-year who was anxious about having a crush on their Student Council President? Or the second-year too anxious to try and hook up with a noble? They'd both be dying of embarrassment if they saw how mushy you two act now." Crow teased.

"Whatever happened to shame?" Angelica jokingly noted.

"G-Guys!" Towa flusteredly responded, her and Rean's face now blushing brightly.

"Ahem. Neither of you are exactly in any position to act high and mighty over Towa and I's behavior, you know." Rean said in his and Towa's defense.

"Hey now, at least I know when to stop headpatting a fair maiden." Angelica teased.

Rean and Towa suddenly realized that he hadn't stopped patting her head, even while conversing with Crow and Angelica.

"Muscle memory." Rean bluntly stated as he pulled away from Towa.

Crow began to laugh at the couple in front of him as it was obvious by Towa's expression that she was annoyed that Rean had stopped patting her head.

"Oh man, I really missed out on seeing these two dorks go through the early stages of being in a relationship." Crow lamented once he was done laughing. "When did you two start dating anyway?"

"I-It depends on what you consider a relationship starting point." Rean nervously answered.

"Heh, keeping things professional I see." Angelica noted.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Crow questioned.

"You see as a noble, it's expected of Rean to handle his and Towa's relationship with the utmost of tradition. As far as I know they didn't start their relationship until they got both their parents' blessings right before Rean got sent out to North Ambria late last year. Along with my seal of approval, of course. Not just as the representative of House Rogner, but also as Towa's best friend." Angelica explained.

"Yes. Officially, that's when Rean started courting me." Towa shyly confirmed.

"Officially? Oh, I see how it is. Damn, and here I thought Rean-Bean was one of those stick-in-the-muds who'd insist on waiting for marriage." Crow joked. "Unless… Towa, don't tell me you corrupted your dear little gofer, did you?"

"W-What!?" Rean and Towa responded simultaneously. Their faces now heated up as if they had been hit with a burning status condition.

"Gasp. Rean, a noble like you surely hasn't partaken in something so lewd with their lover before marriage have you? Like dare I say… holding hands!?" Angelica teased, acting like one of the many more traditional noblewomen she'd seen at events her father held.

"What about hugging?" Crow added on, a mischievous smile clearly growing on his face.

"Towa, have you shown Rean your ankles yet? For that matter, how much skin has he gotten a look at?" Angelica continued.

"A-Angie! Crow!" Towa nervously shouted as her friends continued to ask more and more about very mild displays of affection between herself and Rean.

Choosing to show mercy to the couple, Angelica and Crow stopped their teasing so that they could all eat their breakfast. Of course, they planned to continue where they had left off once all of their plates were empty.


Being the gentleman he was, Rean volunteered to drop everyone's plates by the sink. Leaving the members of Proto Class VII to themselves again.

"Knowing Rean he's probably going to wash all the plates himself." Angelica noted.

"Aw man, I still had a few more questions for him." Crow lamented after giving an exaggerated sigh.

"Guess you'll have to direct all of your questions to the future Lady Schwarzer." Angelica suggested.

"You guys sure are persistent…" Towa commented, unsure what her friends gained from teasing her about her and Rean's relationship now that they were all adults.

"So how's it been?" Crow asked.

"What do you mean?" Towa questioned.

"Life in general. That applies to you too, Gelica. I've been gone for about two years, so I need to catch up on things. Sure I remember things here and there thanks to my Siegfried day, but I figured I'd ask you two how things have been to get a better idea of what I missed." Crow explained.

"I see, that makes sense." Angelica noted.

Crow listened carefully as Towa and Angelica told him about everything that had happened to them after the Civil War concluded. From their graduation, Angelica's failed tour of Zemuria, to Towa becoming an instructor at Thors' branch campus.

"So you really coincidently wound up working at the same place as Rean, huh? You didn't shred all of the other job applications so that Le Guin would hire Rean, did ya?" Crow joked.

"I-I would never do something so unprofessional!" Towa responded.

"Crow, you can't just straight up ask her if she sabotaged Rean's competition so that she could have him all to herself. She'd get written up if their boss finds out, and we all know how Towa here feels about getting bad marks." Angelica commented.

"Angie! Not you too!" Towa loudly replied.

"Well then, how else do you explain the odds of landing the same gig as your boyfriend?" Crow asked.

"Principal Le Guin hired us at the same time. Rean had been staying with me at my family's place when she dropped by to interview me and interviewed him too then and there since he was already on her radar for the job." Towa nervously explained, hoping that it cleared the air about the professionalism regarding her and Rean being coworkers.

"Hey wait, Rean was staying at your family's place?" Angelica questioned.

"Yep, he decided to stay there after graduating from Thors so we could have some time to ourselves. My room was a little cramped since his suitcase took up a corner, but we made it work. Even if I admittedly tended to hog the blankets at night." Towa answered, not realizing that she had said too much.

"Oh, so you and Rean shared a room then?" Angelica responded.

Towa watched as Angelica and Crow turned to each other and nodded as if they were proud of her, she wasn't exactly sure what she and Rean had done to garner such a reaction.


Soon the three friends dispersed to go do their own things around the Merkabah.

Despite Rean's protests, Towa went ahead and offered to look over the Merkabah's orbal computer. Of course despite her protests, he grabbed a chair and sat down next to her so that they could do it together. In the end, neither could complain about spending time together again.

Angelica decided to check in with Alisa in the backroom in regards to any updates regarding the orbal bikes they had brought onboard the ship with them

Crow had originally planned to go train in the Merkabah's small training hall, but put his plans on hold after receiving a message from a certain duchess he had some history with.

She wanted to meet with him privately.

"My, it seems you're once again working with a member of the Cayenne family, Mr. Armbrust." Musse greeted as Crow joined her outside on the Merkabah's outer deck.

"Cut the formalities, I ain't calling you Lady Mildine." Crow responded. "Even though I briefly stayed at the Cayenne residence, I believe this is the first time properly meeting with you, Musse. The real you."

If there was one thing Crow was certain of, it was that he should never take a member of the Cayenne family at face value.

"Haha, you can thank my no good uncle for that. It sure was awfully cruel of him to send his dear niece to St. Astraia the first chance he got." Musse noted.

"Yeah, Ol' Cayenne wasn't exactly a pleasant person to be around. Consider yourself lucky." Crow commented. "So why'd you call me up here? I hold no ill will towards your family if that's what you were worried about. My trigger finger only aims at specific people that have wronged me."

"Oh? Like how you've never laid a finger on Instructor Rean even though he's the son of Chancellor Osborne?" Musse sarcastically noted.

"In my defense, I didn't know Rean was the guy's son until recently. Aidios can be a cruel god sometimes." Crow said in his defense.

"Careful, Gaius and Sister Rosine might kick you off the ship if they hear you." Musse teased.

Crow felt a shiver go down his spine. Not because of potentially angering Gaius and Rosine, but because he feared that they'd inform Scarlet of what he said. If there was one thing he learned during his time leading the ILF, it was to not get on the reformed nun's bad side.

"Anyway, why did you ask to meet with me?" Crow questioned.

"I simply wished to help you out with all of the things you missed while you were gone." Musse explained as she handed Crow a memory quartz. "As the person behind the Weissland Army, I took it upon myself to archive as many newspapers as I could to make sure to always be up to date on the ongoing politics surrounding Erebonia. Along with some tabloids, for fun of course. I decided to be generous and had Vita prepare a document for you containing only the most important events that you missed so as to best get you up to speed."

"Huh, thanks." Crow replied as he connected the memory quartz to his ARCUS.

Musse walked past Crow as he started to look through the document, a mischievous smile subtly forming on her face.

The first few pages were the standard things Crow expected to see, headlines regarding the end of the Civil War and things seemingly returning to normal. But as he continued, the headlines became more scandalous. Perhaps as a result of things slowing down after the war, a new national hero with a mysterious love life had been put under a spotlight. He felt his eyes twitch every time he scrolled past a headline speculating on Rean's relationships with some of the Old Class VII girls along with a few others. His eyes widened as he got to the last page. There at the end was a picture of Rean, bending down to kiss an unknown light-blue haired woman on what seemed like a dance floor. Crow didn't know the context, but he knew for sure that the woman being so lovingly embraced by the Ashen Chevalier wasn't Towa.

"That son of a-" Crow loudly responded before Musse went back inside. She made sure to close the door behind her so that the rest of the crew didn't hear the storm of profanity currently being said outside on the outer deck.

"Teehee. Do forgive me Instructor Rean, Instructor Towa. But I figured that I'd have some fun while we wait to rescue Princess Alfin and Elise." Musse said to herself.


Author's Note

Hope you all enjoy this breather chapter! Looks like Rean's got some explaining to do about that "mysterious" light-blue haired woman.

Seeing as with after everything before this, they really needed a nice chapter to just relax. Hopefully none of you mind the shorter chapter this time around.

Special thanks to ZetianWu for beta-reading this chapter for me!