Chapter Twenty Nine – Harvester
After leaving the office in which the Zemurian crime lord, the Concierge of Crime, had been using as a place to do business, Crow set out trying to figure out what exactly made a pair of small farming sickles so appealing to the international criminal.
From the piece of paper he had taken, the items looked to be incredibly old, and practically useless for their intended purpose, so why did this criminal want them? Crow had no idea, but he decided it would be best to find out. In order to expedite the process, Crow decided to use the most powerful tool at his disposal; the connections of Duke Cayenne.
After contacting the leader of the Noble Alliance and telling him about the arrangement he had made with the Concierge, the Duke was more than willing to lend Crow all the resources he'd need in order to find the tools. After parting ways with the other three leaders of the Imperial Liberation Front, Crow returned to Trista in order to get to work.
His first port of call would be the man who was well versed in events and objects from the past; Thors' Historical Studies teacher, Instructor Thomas Lysander. When Crow approached Instructor Thomas the following morning, the bespectacled man was quite surprised to see the resident slouch in his classroom.
"Mr. Armbrust? Are my glasses playing tricks on me, or is that actually you standing at my door?" Thomas gasped.
"Heh, no, it's actually me. I was hoping you could help me with something?" Crow asked, astounding Instructor Thomas further.
"By Aidios, it looks like your transfer to Class VII has really motivated you to learn. Come in, come in! Please, ask me whatever you like, and I'll do my best to assist," Thomas beamed.
"I would imagine you're an expert in all things old, so I was wondering if you could possibly tell me how old these look to you," Crow asked as he presented the sheet of paper to the Instructor.
"Hmm… Difficult to say, but based on the colourisation of the wooden handles in this image… No, that can't be possible…" Thomas muttered, adjusting his glasses.
"Is something wrong, Instructor?" Crow asked.
"Mr. Armbrust, where in Aidios' name did you get this?" Instructor Thomas queried, looking at the grey haired boy.
"Oh, this? Uhh, I was given it by someone who said they were a collector of old objects. They were offering huge stacks to Mira to anyone who could help find out any information about them, and ya boy's gotta eat, y'know," Crow laughed.
"Yes, indeed… Well, all I can say is that these objects are incredibly old. Very hard to give you an estimated time period, but I'd hazard a guess that they've been around since before the Great Collapse," Thomas explained.
"That old, huh? Now I'm confused…" Crow muttered, letting out a lackadaisical half-laugh.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help, young man. I wish you well in your search though," Thomas declared with a wave as Crow left his classroom. When Crow was gone, Thomas reached for a drawer in his desk and pulled out a communication device. "Ein, it's Thomas. I need to speak to the Knight Commander at the earliest convenience. Yes, it's about The Executioner."
"Alright, everyone! Field Studies will be happening in two days' time, and since you all passed your Practical Assessment yesterday, I thought now would be a good time for a 'progress check' of sorts, to see how your skills are actually developing," Sara exclaimed as she entered the classroom.
"I thought our Practical Exam was a progress check, Instructor," Rean said, putting his hand up.
"Well, yes, but I've found something that'll make things much more fun," Sara smiled as she presented a crystal orb to Class VII.
"What, you're gonna read our fortunes or something?" Crow asked with a smirk.
"Oooh, that sounds like fun! Lammy! Let's get our fortunes read!" Millum cried, as she summoned Airgetlam, her combat shell.
"No, no! This isn't that kind of crystal ball, you guys. This is what's known as a 'Resonance Orb'," Sara stated.
"A what now?" Elliot mumbled, looking from Gaius to Rean, who both shrugged.
"A Resonance Orb is a device that provides a numerical reading of one's abilities. By simply holding the orb and concentrating, the orb will be able to examine your potential and convert it into a number so you can physically see how strong you've become," Sara explained. "When you were all picked to participate in this class, Thors used this device, albeit in a more roundabout and complex way, in order to register your aptitudes across a range of parameters. With the exceptions of Crow, Cyrus, and Millium, I have a copy of your scores from then, and will be comparing them to now."
"Wait, I get why you don't have a record of Crow and Millium, but what about Cyrus? He's been with us since the beginning, so you should have his score too, right?" Alisa asked.
"I am here in this class because of the Emperor. As such, I was exempt from taking any entrance examinations and aptitude scores, as I was always going to be placed in this class," Cyrus explained.
"Exactly right. Now, I'm going to call you all up in the order in which you entered the academy, starting with Elliot," Sara said, prompting Elliot to stand up and approach the orb. "Now, keep in mind that this orb doesn't just record inherent physical strength, it calculates your aptitudes over multiple parameters, so it's not a 'Test of Strength; or anything like that."
As Elliot placed his hand on the orb, the orb started to glow a bright blue colour. When the light subsided, a number appeared inside the orb, showing Elliot's current ability level. 108,000.
"Nice, Elliot! You've practically tripled your score since the start of the year! Well done!" Sara smiled as she wrote down Elliot's new score.
"Woooow! That looks like fun! We're next, we're next! Let's go, Lammy!" Millium cried rushing to the front of the class.
"Hey, hold on just a second–!" Machias shouted, but was subsequently ignored by Millium, who grabbed the orb and started shaking it like a Magic 8-Ball.
"Somehow this does not surprise me…" Jusis muttered.
As Millium aggressively shook the orb, a white light within it flashed before displaying her own score. 347,800.
"Whoooo! That's cool! Is that a good number?" Millium asked, looking at Sara.
"It's hard to say with zero information to compare it to, but it's still way higher than I was expecting," Sara muttered, writing down Millium's score. "Gaius, you're next."
"Hey, what about Lammy! He's a student here too!" Millium protested.
"Sorry, but this only works on organic lifeforms. Since your Airgetlam is a combat shell, it won't register anything," Sara stated.
"Boooo! That's unfair! Justice for Lammy!" Millium shouted.
"Hush, you pest. Go sit down," Jusis snapped, pointing to Millium's seat.
"Boooo! Don't hate on Lammy because he's awesome!" Millium pouted.
Once Millium had sat down and Airgetlam had disappeared, Gaius stood up and approached the orb. When he touched it, a green light appeared, and once it had died down, Gaius' number was revealed. 350,000.
"Whoa, that's awesome! Gaius, you're so strong!" Elliot gasped.
"No way! You can't be stronger than me and Lammy! I want a do-over!" Millium cried, pounding her desk.
"You can have as many do-overs as you want, you won't get a different score, Millium," Sara responded, silencing the small girl. "Next is Machias."
When Machias went up, he was a little sceptical about the whole thing. It wasn't so much that he didn't believe the Resonance Orb was wrong, but more that he didn't like the idea of his abilities being given a numerical value that could be ranked. All the same though, when he touched the orb and the bright orange light subsided, his number was displayed for all to see. 319,500.
"Hahahaha! You're weaker than me and Lammy!" Millium laughed, which only served to infuriate Machias.
"Is she going to do this every time someone goes up?" Alisa asked, looking at Laura.
"I think it's a safe bet to make," Laura nodded.
As Millium was laughing away at Machias, Cyrus stood up and walked up to Millium, and conked her on the head with his fist.
"Oww! That was mean! Why did you do that?!" Millium cried, rubbing her hat in the place Cyrus had smacked her.
"You do realise that a lower score doesn't mean they're weaker than you, right? This thing displays a person's growth in a range of many difference facets. It's meant to read how quickly a person's potential can grow," Cyrus stated, looking at the Ironblood with disdain. "Sara, what was Machias' original score?"
"About thirty two thousand, give or take," Sara replied, looking at the list.
"There, see? Since coming here, Machias' abilities have increased tenfold. Wow, even I'm impressed by that," Cyrus blinked.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Machias snapped.
"It means you're improving far better than I had anticipated. Don't read into it too much, jeez," Cyrus sighed, returning to his seat.
"Alright, moving on… Laura, you're up," Sara smiled.
"Before I do, I'm curious about something, Instructor," Laura began. "I know we don't have to necessarily compare our scores, but when we have nothing to reference them with, it's hard to actually understand what they mean."
"Hmm, a fair point," Sara nodded. "Ok, how about this; I'll check my score, and let you guys work out where you are in comparison. Remember, I'm much more experienced than everyone here, so don't be discouraged by what you see."
As Class VII nodded in agreement, Sara picked up the Resonance Orb and held it in her hand. A deep purple light flashed inside the orb, and when it vanished, it left a number that astounded most people in the class. 82,000,000.
"Holy crap! Eighty two million?! That's insane!" Crow shouted.
"Well, like I said, I'm much more experienced than you guys, so of course my aptitude would be much higher," Sara repeated.
"Hold on, how can we be sure that Nahkriin isn't influencing your score?" Alisa asked, looking at the purple phantom next to Sara.
"Who?" Millium asked, looking around but seeing no-one else.
"I understand the logic behind your reasoning. But I am, like my brothers, not an organic lifeform. We are spectres, which means this tool will be unable to register our powers. The number Sara displayed is her own," Nahkriin stated.
"Hey, what's going on?! Why is no-one saying anything?!" Millium shouted, looking around in confusion.
"Ah, right… She wouldn't be able to see them…" Alisa mumbled. "How do I say this…?"
"Hush, child. The grown-ups are talking," Jusis snapped.
"Boooo! You're mean, Jusis!" Millium cried.
"Right, well, moving on. Laura?" Sara spoke, looking to the blue haired girl.
Satisfied that her innate abilities wouldn't be skewed by the presence of Vahlok, Laura took her turn and approached the Resonance Orb. A bright red light flashed inside, and when it subsided, it displayed an astounding number. 1,200,000.
"Whoa, Laura! That's an amazing score!" Alisa cried.
"It would seem like my training is paying off," Laura commented, clearly satisfied with her score.
"Bah! If that trinket could react to my power, you'd be ten, no, twenty times stronger!" Vahlok shouted.
"Yeah, well, it can't. Jusis, you're next!" Sara called out.
With all the enthusiasm of a sloth, Jusis stood up and walked over to the orb. A pale green light flashed from within when he touched it, showing a very surprising score. 800,000.
"Hmph, a matter of course," Jusis scoffed, turning and walking back to his seat.
"Wait, what?! Jusis is that strong?!" Millium gasped. "I thought Nobles had servants to do things for them? Jusis, are you sure you're a real Noble?"
"I beg your pardon?!" Jusis blustered. "A true Noble has a keen grasp on all of their abilities. I would kindly suggest you refrain from making such asinine comments in the future!"
"Wow, looks like we found the one person who can get under Jusis' skin without any actual effort," Rean muttered, chuckling at Millium's antics.
"Enough commentary, Rean; you're up!" Sara pointed, gesturing for Rean to make his way towards her.
Slowly, Rean stood up and made his way to the front of the classroom. Upon touching the orb, a dark red flame ignited inside it, showing a… Rather surprising score. 50,000.
"Wait, that can't be right…" Elliot blinked.
"The Resonance Orb is never wrong, Elliot… Which means this is problematic. Rean, you've regressed since the start of the year," Sara stated, taking Class VII by surprise.
"How is that possible? Rean's one of the hardest working people in the class! He's always helping others, and even takes on extra work from Towa on his Free Days!" Alisa protested.
"It's because his mind is clouded with doubt, and fear," Cyrus stated, getting looks from everyone in the room.
"Wh-What do you mean?" Elliot asked.
"As I said; Rean's abilities are getting weaker, because he's consumed with self-doubt, and fear of that monstrous power that lies within him. You all remember what happened in the Old Schoolhouse and Heimdallr last month, right? It doesn't take a Divine Blade to work out that Rean is scared that the power within him has the ability to take over if he's not careful, and because of that, he's starting to doubt whether or not his own power is actually his own, or the beast that lies dormant in his heart," Cyrus explained.
"Rean, is that true?" Alisa asked, looking worried.
"I mean… It's not not true," Rean shrugged weakly.
"I think there's a way to get Rean's true potential to come out for a reading. Come here, Schwarzer," Cyrus commanded.
With a look of concern, Rean slowly made his way to the back of the class and stood before Cyrus, feeling slightly unnerved.
"What's he doing?" Alisa asked, turning to Laura.
"I'm not sure… I would imagine it's a skill he picked up when training with Yun Ka-Fai," Laura muttered.
With a sharp jerk, Cyrus turned Rean around so he was facing the front of the class again. Pressing down on his shoulders, Cyrus forced Rean to kneel down. Rean had a general idea of where Cyrus was going with his actions, so he closed his eyes without having to be told, and awaited further instructions.
"Now, Rean… You're going to start by breathing, and enter a meditative state, clear?" Cyrus spoke, causing Rean to nod. "Good. Begin."
At that cue, Rean started to breathe deep and slowly; inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again for four seconds at each step. It didn't take long for Rean to slip into a meditative state, and when he did, Cyrus motioned for Sara to throw him the Resonance Orb.
As Sara threw the orb at him, Cyrus caught it and placed it in Rean's hand. Once again the orb was ingulfed by a dark red flame, and this time Rean's true potential was displayed for everyone to see. 1,450,000.
"That's better," Cyrus nodded, as the rest of Class VII gasped in awe.
"That's amazing! He's so strong!" Alisa smiled.
"I am impressed. His potential is higher than even my own," Laura nodded.
"Nice work, Cyrus. I never would have thought to do that," Sara smirked, clearly impressed with her student's level of insight.
"Not bad, Schwarzer. I think Master Ka-Fai would be proud," Cyrus stated, pulling Rean to his feet when the young man opened his eyes again.
"Nice work, Rean. Looks like all my advice is paying off, huh?" Crow grinned, giving Rean a thumbs up.
"Your advice? I'd like to see you do better," Alisa huffed, glaring at Crow.
"Alright, I guess I'll give it a whirl," Crow shrugged. "Say, Sara… There's no way to cheat this thing and get a better score, right?"
"Not in the slightest. It would seem, however, that you can lower your score if you're clouded with self-doubt and fear though," Sara responded, looking at Rean.
As Crow got up and stood at the front of the class, he looked out of the corner of his eye at Cyrus. An action the young man didn't miss. Cyrus merely sat in his seat, fingers interlocked and covering the lower half of his face, his gold-tinted azure eyes giving nothing away.
'Let's see what you do here, C…' Cyrus thought.
Swallowing hard, Crow placed a hand on the Resonance Orb, which glowed a dark purple. Inside the orb, a most astonishing number glowed, taking everyone aback. 2,468,000.
"Wait, you scored almost two and a half million?!" Machias cried.
"Please, hold your applause," Crow said, bowing before the class.
"Eh, don't be discouraged. Crow is meant to be a Second Year, after all. Compared to other Second Years, I'd say this is below average," Sara shrugged, smirking as she watched Crow deflate. "If I had to guess, someone like Angelica or Freidel would probably score around five million."
"Aw, c'mon, Sara! Why d'ya gotta go say that?" Crow frowned.
"I can't have that ego of yours reaching Lusitania-sized proportions, can I?" Sara responded, her smile never leaving her face. "Alright, speaking of the Lusitania; Alisa, you're up."
"I have a bad feeling about this…" Alisa sighed.
"Don't worry about it, Alisa. You'll be just fine," Emma whispered, giving her friend a supportive smile.
Sighing harder, Alisa approached the orb and touched it. After a golden light shone within it, Alisa's score flashed from the Orb. 500,000.
"Hey, that's not too bad!" Alisa smiled.
"That's very good, Alisa. You're growth is on par with that of Machias' growth; tenfold!" Sara smiled.
"Wait, really?!" Alisa cried, her eyes lighting up in joy.
"Very impressive, child. Is it perhaps my Aspect that has driven you to grow stronger?" Morokei chuckled, causing Alisa to scowl.
"Hmm, well… I suppose Envy can be a powerful tool for getting stronger," Sara reasoned.
"The same can be said for Wrath…" Cyrus muttered, but went unheard by the class.
"Alrighty… Let's see how our Class President stacks up," Sara smiled, encouraging Emma to get up.
Letting out a deep breath, Emma approached the orb and placed a hand on it. A bright pink light shone within the orb, and once it had subsided, an almost unbelievable number remained. 3,333,333.
"Damn, girl! Look at you with all them threes! I think I should make three my lucky number from now on," Crow drawled.
"How did you manage to make something so normal sound so gross?" Alisa asked, making a gagging sound for added effect.
"Y'know, you keep saying harsh things, but it still makes me hard," Crow winked, much to the sheer horror of Alisa, Emma, and Laura.
"That's enough out of you!" Cyrus shouted, whacking Crow on the head in the same way he did to Millium, only much harder.
"Blargh!" Crow grunted as he hit the desk, out cold.
"Oof… He's gonna feel that in the morning," Rean grimaced.
"Ignore that moron, Emma. Your growth is astounding," Cyrus commented, as he walked to the front of the class.
"O-Oh… Th-Thank you…" Emma mumbled, looking at her feet.
"Well, Emma did score the highest on the aptitude test at the start of the year, but it seems her ability with that Orbal Staff is no joke!" Sara smiled. "Ok, now for the pièce de résistance. I'm sure everyone is eager to see this."
"Wow, way to show impartiality, Instructor," Machias sighed, shaking his head.
"I understand what you mean, but even I am intrigued to see what his score is," Gaius said.
Sighing, Cyrus looked at the Resonance Orb with concern. Would the Corruption within him influence his score? He knew the power from the Mask of the Destroyer wasn't like Morokei, Nahkriin, or Vahlok. He had been able to surmise that the power from the Corruption was similar to that of Rean's inner power. Not identical in the slightest, but he knew it was a dark power that had a hold over him. Though, something Sara had said earlier had been sitting in the back of his mind.
Watching closely, Sara could tell what Cyrus was thinking about, and she was having the same thought. Whenever Cyrus put on the cursed mask, she felt an immense pressure emanating from him. She knew that it was overwhelming power that was so absolute, it had the ability to crush those exposed to it.
Shaking his head, Cyrus grabbed the orb in his right hand, and immediately a pitch black flame erupted out of the orb, like an uncontrolled wildfire, causing the room to quake. Everyone in the class cried out, covering their heads in the event something from the ceiling fell on them. After several seconds, the light vanished, and the quaking subsided, leaving a number inside the orb that left everyone feeling flabbergasted.
Zero.
"That's impossible! After what we just saw and felt, how can his score be a zero?!" Machias shouted.
"I… I don't know… A zero is not physically possible. All organic lifeforms have an innate ability score. The lowest should be a one," Sara responded, staring at the flaming zero in shock, unable to comprehend what she was looking at.
"Wait, so are you saying he's not an organic lifeform?" Rean asked.
"Of course he is! He's not a robot; he's real flesh and blood, just like everyone else!" Emma protested, before realising her outburst, and shrank back into her seat.
At that point, Sara had realised what had happened, and quickly took the orb off Cyrus.
"Stay behind after class. We need to talk," Sara whispered.
At the end of the class, Cyrus had done as he was asked and waited behind. Once Rean and Gaius had dragged the still unconscious Crow out of the room and down to the Infirmary, Sara closed the door and locked it.
"I see you worked out my deception," Cyrus began. "Tell me, who gave it away; Emma, or Rean?"
"Let me start by saying how impressed I am. Leave it to you to find a way to cheat this thing and hide your true power," Sara stated, holding the Resonance Orb in her hand. "At first, I thought you were worried the Crimson Yaksha's power was going to influence your own base power, but I see that's not the case at all."
"Well, the thought had crossed my mind, but it was something you said to Millium that didn't sit right with me. Nahkriin mentioned that the orb worked only on 'organic lifeforms'. At first, I thought it was just to shut Millium up, but I like to think I know how to read between the lines," Cyrus said, holding up his bandaged right arm. "You're the only one who knows that underneath this bandage lies dead, necrotic flesh. That thing can't register a reading from dead matter, can it?"
"No, it can't. Which is why I asked you to stay behind," Sara responded, throwing the orb to Cyrus. "I want you to do it properly this time."
"Well, since it's just you here, I think I can allow that," Cyrus muttered, as he placed the orb on his left index finger and spun it, like a basketball.
Since the Resonance Orb was no longer trying to read dead matter, the room didn't quake like it did before. A dark black flame still erupted out of the orb, but when the flame subsided, it left an actual number behind.
Whilst Sara had expected a stupidly high number, she had expected something between forty and fifty million. She knew how powerful Cyrus was, which meant his aptitude should have been off the charts compared to the rest of the class, but nothing could have prepared her for the amount of digits that were attached to Cyrus' score. 3,333,333,000.
"Th-Th-Three billion?!" Sara exclaimed, far louder than she had meant to. "Your innate ability is exactly one thousand times higher than Emma?!"
"That's not exactly shocking. I'd hazard a guess that Aurelia is probably sitting at around one and a half billion. Do you want to know something funny? That isn't even my full power," Cyrus laughed darkly.
"You're saying it's higher?!" Sara gasped. "How though? You shouldn't be able to reduce your potential unless you're drowning in self-doubt, and even I know that's not the case."
"Correct, but there are other ways to restrict power. To seal it away," Cyrus responded.
"Yun Ka-Fai… That's right, I heard he mentioned something about you 'breaking seals' when he told you not to," Sara nodded, remembering a conversation she had overheard between Laura and Emma after their Field Study to Saint Arkh.
"Correct again. Master Ka-Fai sealed my true power away, as I was struggling to control it after the attack by the Red Constellation. He said that during that fight, a wellspring of power was unleashed, and my inability to control it was what fuelled my explosive temper. Throughout the year, I have been breaking each seal, one by one, in order to access more of my locked potential," Cyrus explained.
"How many seals have you broken?" Sara asked, almost too afraid to hear the answer.
"Mmm, only four out of seven. I do hope you're not around in the event I have to break the seventh seal. The results could be… Catastrophic," Cyrus smirked.
"Meaning?" Sara mumbled.
"Hard to say. Think of the seals as a sort of restrictor valve on a hosepipe, with each one more powerful than the last. While the first seal isn't holding back a lot of pressure, breaking it will increase the flow of water, or in this case, energy. The seventh, however? Well, that's the one that's put the pipe in a near complete chokehold, heavily restricting the flow. What do you think will happen, once that seal is undone, and the energy within me can flow freely?" Cyrus asked.
"I… I don't think I want to know," Sara responded, paling slightly.
"Which is why I hope you aren't around to witness it," Cyrus stated, handing the orb back to Sara. "Now then, with that in mind, I'm leaving."
After hitting a dead-end with Instructor Thomas, Crow turned to books in an attempt to find out more about the tool the Concierge asked him to find. The criminal's words still rolled around his head as he dug through all the history books he took from the academy's Library.
Sometimes, the answer is usually staring you in the face.
The way the man had said those words had bothered Crow, although he couldn't figure out why. He knew from his dealing with the Concierge that the man had a specific vocabulary, and chose his words carefully, almost deliberately. It was then that Crow had a revelation. One that pissed him off more than bringing him a feeling of triumph.
Stifling a low growl, Crow stood up and left his room in the Third Dormitory, and almost bumped into Emma, who had been standing at his door, debating whether or not she should knock.
"Hey, uhh… What are you doing here? You know this is my room now, right?" Crow asked, looking at Emma with confusion.
What Crow had said was correct. When Cyrus had been placed in Blackthorn, and Crow was transferred to Class VII, he was given Cyrus' room, since the latter never really had need of it anyway. A circumstance that hardly bothered Cyrus, since it turned out that Sara had taken a hold of his possessions for safekeeping. As it was, he trusted Sara, and had no real use for a bedroom, so the situation was fine for him.
"Yes, I know that. I was looking for you," Emma responded, swallowing hard.
"Uhh, ok… Why?" Crow asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You seem to know Cyrus better than the rest of us. So, I was hoping you'd know what's going on with him," Emma said, shifting nervously.
At that, Crow couldn't help but smirk. He knew all about how Emma felt when it came to Cyrus, and he knew this was his chance to turn the tables on Cyrus and get back at the Noble for forcing him to work with him. The only question would be if Cyrus could figure out that Emma had been used to work against him.
"Well, I'm not one for gossip, but…" Crow began in an almost teasing manner.
"Give over, Crow. You love gossip, either being the centre of it, or the one stirring it. You know something, don't you?" Emma responded, scowling.
Emma's insight was incredibly sharp, and Crow knew that. Her aptitude score in class earlier wasn't just brute strength, or weapon proficiency. Intelligence was another major facet. After observing his now-fellow Class VII members, he worked out that Emma had scored highest on the entrance exams, and her scoring third in the Midterms meant her intelligence was ridiculously high, which meant that she could be a boon for Crow.
"Alright, alright, fine… But you gotta know I'm a 'Man of the Deal', right?" Crow smirked.
"What are you talking about? I'm starting to think Alisa was right and coming to talk to a pervert alone was a bad idea," Emma sighed as she turned to leave.
"Pervert?! Whoa, hold up, Prez! I didn't mean it like that. I know you only have eyes for my boy, and I respect that. In all seriousness, he'd probably cut my arm off if I made him mad, and upsetting you is probably the fastest way to do that. Man, my head still hurts from him clobbering me in class today," Crow laughed, rubbing his head. "All I meant was that if you want something from me, then you gotta do something for me first."
"That doesn't make me feel any less uncomfortable, you know," Emma muttered.
"No, it's nothing like that, trust me," Crow began, as he shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "You're really smart, right? Of course you are. So, with that in mind, do you know anything about this?"
The piece of paper Crow had handed to Emma was the same piece of paper he had received from the Concierge of Crime last night. The piece of paper that had the object that Crow was supposed to find for the criminal.
When Emma looked at it, her eyes glowed bright orange, and she fell to her knees almost immediately. Crow stepped back in shock, as he hadn't anticipated such a reaction from Emma. As she fell to her knees, she dropped the piece of paper, and covered her ears as she screamed in pain.
As soon as Emma had laid eyes upon the paper, she had felt all her strength leave her body, which caused her to fall to her knees. An explosive roar erupted in her head, causing her to cover her ears and scream. Inside her head, all she could see were flames, and a single orange eye.
With Emma on the floor screaming, Crow started to panic. He had no idea what had happened, and he didn't want to be accused of doing something inappropriate to Emma, so he grabbed the piece of paper and took off. He wasn't proud of his cowardice, but if he wanted the Concierge's deal to kill both Chancellor Osborne, and Cyrus, he needed to find what the man was searching for, and standing there, playing Twenty Questions with everyone in the Third Dormitory was only going to delay what little time he had left.
By the time Alisa had found Emma, Crow was long gone, and there was no proof he had ever been present when Emma collapsed.
"So, Mr. Armbrust… Do you have an answer for me?" the Concierge asked.
"I do, and the answer is I have no need to find these sickles for you," Crow responded, surprising his allies and the Concierge alike.
"Oho, is that right? Why is that, pray tell?" the Concierge laughed, a single amber eye locked onto Crow.
"Well, it's very simple. You already own them," Crow declared, eliciting no response from the man in the shadows, so he continued. "You told me not to overthink it, as 'the answer is usually staring you in the face.' I know from dealing with you that you don't just say things for the hell of it. You were telling me that you already possessed the sickles and you were just trying to test me and my desire to kill Osborne and Cyrus."
"That's a very sound deduction, and I applaud you for reaching such a conclusion," the Concierge nodded, slowly applauding Crow. "But you're wrong."
Upon hearing those three words, Crow felt like the rug beneath his feet had been yanked out from under him, causing the floor to swallow him up. He was wrong? He couldn't understand how that could be.
"Impossible! You specifically used that phrase to clue me in to where I'm meant to look! You were the only person who was looking at me when you said that!" Crow shouted, losing his cool.
The other three leaders of the Imperial Liberation Front stood in silence and watched Crow with astonishment. They had never seen him make such an outburst before, not even when he found out he had lost his arm to the Crimson Yaksha. They deduced that Crow's desire to kill Cyrus was greater than that of their combined desire to kill Giliath Osborne, and that was a problem.
"I was the only person you saw looking at you when I said that… Except, I was never looking at you when I said that. Isn't that right, Scarlet?" the Concierge muttered, looking through Crow to the only woman in the room.
"What the hell is he talking about?" Crow asked, turning to look at Scarlet, who had an equally surprised look on her face.
"I… I don't know," Scarlet mumbled.
"Darling, please. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Those 'farming instruments' I'm looking for? Your family has owned them for almost a thousand years, haven't they?" the Concierge declared, surprising everyone in the room.
"How did you…?" Scarlet gasped.
"You come from a long line of pious individuals, Scarlet. Ones who are dedicated to protecting Arteria's secrets from their enemies. You weren't selected to join the Congregation of the Sacraments because of your piety or your skill," the Concierge laughed. "You were chosen because your family has guarded the Executioner's Harvester since he disappeared after the Great Collapse. No, I shouldn't say 'disappeared', should I? I think 'gone to sleep' is the correct term."
"Comrade S?" Gideon whispered.
"You'll never get your hands on those scythes! I won't allow it!" Scarlet shouted.
"Well, that's not really your choice to make, is it?" the Concierge stated, directing his attention back at Crow. "But let me be clear on something, Crow Armbrust; you have every right to renege on our agreement to employ my services to kill both Giliath Osborne and Cyrus Le Guin. I will still help you gain access to the West Zemuria Trade Conference, but I'm sure you know that whoever gets sent to Orchis Tower will be massacred by Cyrus, the 'good Chancellor' will survive, and you will have failed not once, but twice, to make a real impact. So, I'll ask again; will you surrender Harvester to me?"
"Comrade S, you will surrender those things to him, otherwise I will be sending you to Crossbell. Make no mistake, Cyrus Le Guin has marked you for death, and he will succeed. So, what's more important to you; some ancient relics, or completing the mission?" Crow asked, not even looking at Scarlet.
At Crow's harsh words, Scarlet was livid. All her life, she had been told how important it was to protect the Executioner's Harvester, and that in return for her devotion, the Church would protect her, as one of Aidios' children. Yet here she was, in a room full of criminals, who expected her to just abandon her family's sacred duty just to kill some kid that Crow was scared of. It was madness.
"Time's ticking, Scarlet. Let me give you a bit of advice, free of charge, in order to help sway your decision. In the end, I always get what I want. Now, I know that can appear to sound arrogant, and a little bit childish, but I'm afraid that's the reality of things. If you refuse me now, you will die in Crossbell, and I will still recover Harvester. It's really only a choice of whether or not you want to live long enough to see what it's really capable of," the Concierge explained.
"What makes you so sure you know anything about those scythes?" Scarlet snapped through gritted teeth.
"Telling you that would ruin the game, but I assure you, if Harvester is exactly as the legends say, then it makes the Scorn that I hold in my hand look like a toothpick," the Concierge muttered, placing a gloved hand on the table, revealing the handle of Scorn in the half-light.
"You wield Scorn?!" Scarlet gasped.
"For now, yes… And I know who wields Mercy and Redemption, and who wields the better Chaoseater…" the Concierge responded.
"No… You can't mean–" Scarlet whispered.
"The Armageddon Blade? Oh, I do. The fear in your eye is palpable, my dear. Yet, all four of these weapons pale in comparison to Gungnir," the Concierge chuckled.
"Harvester, Scorn, Gungnir… Enough with your bullshit!" Vulcan shouted, smashing his massive arm through a nearby cabinet. "I thought we came here to make this motherfucker help us–!"
As soon as the word 'motherfucker' left Vulcan's mouth, Scorn was pulled back into the shadow, and replaced with a gun, which fired a bullet right into the Jäger's skull. Yet, the bullet didn't stop there. Upon making impact, the bullet started to increase its rotational force, ultimately drilling itself through Vulcan's brain, and exploding, blowing the back of his head to pieces.
"Comrade V!" Gideon cried, removing his glasses which had been dusted with Vulcan's blood and brains.
"Tengri, did I not warn that fool what would happen if he ever spoke ill of my mother again?" the Concierge asked.
"You did, Pakhan. You said you would shoot him in the head," Tengri stated, not even blinking.
"Well, the silver lining here is that my new bullets work a treat. They're far more impressive than what Dr. Masters had theorised," the Concierge laughed. "What do you think, members of the Imperial Liberation Front? Raritanium-tipped, high-velocity bullets designed to drill through anything it comes into contact with. I call them Nemesis rounds. Perfect for dealing 'explosive' damage to an enemy, and perfect for torture too, I might add."
"You son of a–" Crow began, before stopping upon hearing the sound of a hammer being pulled back.
"Ah, ah, ah… Come now, Crow… You just saw what happened to the last person who spoke ill of my mother. Surely you don't think I wouldn't offer the same service to you?" the Concierge muttered. "I'm something of an 'equal opportunity killer', if you catch my drift."
"We're done here! If you think you can just kill one of my comrades in cold blood and not expect retaliation, then you're out of your fucking mind!" Crow shouted, turning to leave.
"Alright then… How would you like to have him back?" the Concierge asked, stressing the last three words, stopping Crow in his tracks.
"You must think I'm fucking stupid. He's dead! Not even Vita can fix that!" Crow yelled.
"No… But Harvester can," the Concierge declared quietly. "So then, Scarlet, what'll it be? Refuse to grant my request to possess Harvester, and lose not only Vulcan's life, but your own as well, or hand Harvester over to me, and save both?"
Scarlet was now finally starting to see just how this man came to control Zemuria's Black Market. His ability to anticipate and shift focus in order to always keep the upper hand was terrifying. She knew that, against this man, Giliath Osborne had indeed met his match, and that it would be better to side with the Concierge, rather than try to oppose him.
"Fine… I yield. I will take you to where Harvester is," Scarlet responded flatly, realising she had been soundly beaten.
"Looks like intelligence wins out in the end. You're a smart girl, and I'm sure your comrades know that," the Concierge grunted as he stood up. "As for you two, leave Vulcan here, I'll have one of my associates clean this mess up, and once Harvester is in my possession, I will show you why it was that the Executioner really held power over death."
"Tch, fine. I need to go back to Thors anyway. I imagine there's going to be no shortage of drama waiting upon my return," Crow muttered, referring to the situation with Emma.
"Ah, yes… About the young girl you cursed…" the Concierge began, getting a wide-eyed look from Crow. "Oh, please. You think I don't know who Emma is? Vita has mentioned her several times in the past. I knew you'd take the opportunity to try and access her highly intellectual mind, which is why I had the page I gave to you inscribed with a curse. She will be fine, once the Knight Commander sees to her…"
"Knight Commander?" Crow repeated.
"Oh, and… Do not think Cyrus Le Guin won't seek retribution for what you did to her. I have a feeling that losing your arm will seem like a lesser punishment for afflicting the young girl with a curse," the Concierge warned.
When Crow returned to Trista, he did his best to stay clear of the Third Dormitory. There was only one more day before everyone set out on their next Field Study, and with him going to Jurai alongside Alisa, Elliot, Gaius, and Machias, he knew he could hide from any possible consequences over what happened with Emma. As it turned out, Gaius had been a last minute addition to Group B, since Cyrus had been tasked with accompanying Towa and Osborne on their visit to Crossbell which, after what had happened, almost relieved Crow.
"Hey, Crow. Are you lost, dude?" Munk asked as Crow entered the Second Dormitory – The Commoner Dormitory.
"Huh? No, why?" Crow responded, looking at Munk with confusion.
"Well, you're a part of Class VII now, so don't you live over at the Third Dormitory?" Munk queried.
"Oh, yeah, right. Heh, guess I just forgot. It's been one of those days, my man," Crow laughed, scratching the back of his head.
"I know that feeling. When I have days like that, I like to sit in my room and listen to Abend Time with Misty," Munk chuckled.
"Misty? Who's that? Did you score yourself a girlfriend when I wasn't looking. Nice, man!" Crow laughed, slapping Munk on the back.
"Heh, I wish. No, Misty is the host of Abend Time, a radio show produced right here in Trista. It's awesome, and she does it every night for a couple hours after the sun sets. C'mon, you should listen to it, it'll be starting soon," Munk said, grabbing Crow's prosthetic arm and pulling it.
The sudden jerk caused Crow to cry out in pain. It had only been a day since Cyrus had ripped it off when wearing the Yaksha Mask, and it was only just starting to reattach itself. Needless to say, Munk started to freak out when Crow cried out and fell to his knees.
"Oh, Aidios! Are you alright, Crow?!" Munk gasped.
"Yeah, no… I'm alright. Just an injury I picked up in Heimdallr last month. It's still a bit tender, so it hurts when you pull on it. It's cool though. You weren't to know," Crow groaned, standing up.
"Damn, I'm sorry, Crow. I never meant to hurt you," Munk mumbled, looking upset.
"Nah, don't sweat it, pal. C'mon; you were going to introduce me to Misty and Abend Time?" Crow beckoned, trying to divert Munk's attention away from him and his arm.
Munk didn't need to be told twice. He immediately rushed upstairs to his room, and flicked the radio on, and just as Crow walked into the room, Abend Time started.
"Hello to all my loyal listeners out there! I'm Misty, and welcome to tonight's episode of Abend Time. I bet you've all had a long day, so now it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!" Misty's voice rang out from the radio, and Crow immediately recognised who it was.
'Wait, that's Vita. What the hell is she doing, playing 'Radio Host' in Trista?' Crow thought, taking a seat on the chair at Munk's desk.
"She's great right? She's got a voice that's as soft as silk, but reinvigorating like jumping into a cold stream," Munk chuckled.
"I hope you brought an appetite for musical arts tonight, because we have some big news coming out of Heimdallr! After her record-braking show during the capital's Summer Festival, Countess Mirellia Le Guin announced that she would be doing a special performance in Ordis for her fiftieth birthday, alongside her prodigious student, the one and only Azure Diva herself; Vita Clotilde!" Misty exclaimed, making no attempt to hide the excitement of talking about herself.
'Way to go at being humble there, Vita…' Crow thought as he shook his head.
"Not only that, but I've also heard that we'll be getting a rare appearance from the mysterious Corvo Octavius at the Countess' birthday celebration as well. Music is well and truly alive in the Empire, and we'll have the rare opportunity to broadcast the performance to you all, live from Ordis Amphitheatre!" Misty continued, much to Munk's excitement.
"No way! That's awesome! Now I don't have to worry about trying to find a way to get to Ordis in September for the show!" Munk cheered.
"Uhh, yeah… That… That's awesome, man!" Crow responded, trying his best to sound happy, despite not giving a shit. 'What are you planning, Vita…?'
The following morning, Trista was abuzz with excitement, and it didn't take long for people to find out why. After Instructor Thomas had contacted Ein, and requested an audience with Celis with the utmost urgency, it didn't take long for word to spread that a Templar Knight was in the sleepy town.
For Celis Ortesia, finding out what had Thomas' feathers ruffled was the most important thing. As Second Dominion of the Gralsritter, there was very little that could rattle the man known as 'The Partitioner'. In order to keep their meeting a secret, Celis had told any passersby that she was here to inspect the local chapel, as an order from the Pope. As such, everyone knew that the chapel in Trista was going to be off-limits until her inspection was complete.
"Father Thomas. Is the barrier up?" Celis asked, as she entered the chapel.
"It most certainly is, Knight Commander. Thank you for coming with such haste," Thomas responded, bowing his head in thanks.
"Save the bullshit, Thomas. I need to know what's going on. Carnelia told me that you have information pertaining to The Executioner?" Celis snapped, collapsing on a pew and dropping her sword to the ground with a clang.
"Yes and no. One of my students came to me yesterday, asking questions about the Harvester. It seems that someone is trying to find it," Thomas stated.
"Yes, I am aware. He paid the Black Sect a visit not too long ago, and took one of the Sect's Sisters. He already possess Scorn, and Knight Captain Claudel paid the ultimate price for trying to stop him," Celis responded, biting her bottom lip in anger. "Dammit, Thomas! What the fuck is going on?!"
"It seems the next phase of the Nemesis Project is being brought forward. I don't know the ins and outs of it, but His Excellency the Archbishop and Ein seem to know what they're doing. I just… I don't know how that gangster fits into all of this," Thomas muttered.
"What of the Chalice?" Celis asked, taking Thomas by surprise.
"I'm sorry, Knight Commander, I don't follow," Thomas blinked.
"Grr, Cyrus Le Guin!" Celis shouted. "That bastard has the Chalice of Beginnings, but doesn't have a fucking clue what to do with it!"
"Wait, young Cyrus has the Chalice?!" Thomas cried.
"How did you not know?!" Celis snapped.
"Celis, you know full well that my job is not to look after the Chalice; that is up to you and Barkhorn. My job is to make sure that the truth of the Great Collapse, and the Black Records are kept safe from the forces of evil," Thomas responded calmly.
"Then I need to go and get the fucking Chalice back from that prick, because he has no knowledge of Project Nemesis!" Celis growled.
"But… But, he has the Chalice. The entirety of Project Nemesis rests on the Chalice! At least, that's what the Black Records say," Thomas cried.
"Well, your precious books are obviously missing an important piece of information, you fucking nerd!" Celis shouted, picking up her Templar Sword, as if to throw it at Thomas, before stopping herself. "Look, Thomas… Just… Just go back over all the notes you have from the Black Records we own, and see if you missed anything. If we wish to save the world from impending decimation, we need to see Project Nemesis through."
"Very well, Knight Commander. There must be a reason the Chalice fell into Cyrus' possession, but what could it be? Aside from terrifying strength and levels of intelligence I haven't seen in all my years, there's nothing 'special' about him," Thomas muttered.
"Maybe that's why His Excellency was so keen to extract what information he could from the brat who gave Cyrus the Chalice to begin with. If he has no latent magical abilities, like the people of old, then why does he have it?" Celis asked.
"I'll leave that line of investigation to you. If you wish to speak to Cyrus Le Guin, you'll find him in the Third Dormitory, just a stone's throw away from the Train Station," Thomas said, as he dropped his barrier.
"Hmph, fine. Let's see what the arsehole has to say for himself," Celis growled, as she left the chapel.
When Celis entered the Third Dormitory, she was surprised to see that no-one was surprised to see her. It was as if they knew she was coming, and when Celis realised what that was, she was furious.
"Fuck you, Thomas…" Celis hissed as Sharon approached her.
"Are you Lady Celis, from Arteria? Master Thomas said you'd be coming by to help," Sharon stated, bowing to the Templar.
"Help? Can someone fill me in on what the hell is going on? You clearly all know something I don't," Celis stated, looking at everyone, before her gaze settled on Cyrus.
"You, as a Templar, are a Cursebreaker. I've seen it myself, so don't pretend you aren't. One of our own has been inflicted with a curse, and I want you to break it," Cyrus commanded, staring at Celis.
"Thanatos help me if you don't drop that fucking attitude, you bastard," Celis hissed.
"Oh, please. You don't stack against me, you petulant little child. You are a Templar Knight Commander of the Septian Church. You are duty bound to help the populace where required. You are required to help here, and that is what you will do," Cyrus stated, standing up and using Shadow Step to close the gap between him and Celis before she could react.
"Abrasive words aside, Cyrus is right, Knight Commander. Our friend needs your help, and as a member of the Church, you cannot turn away a help from a citizen," Gaius stated.
"Hmph, fine. But you and I will be having words. Come with me," Celis growled, glaring up at Cyrus.
"Stay here, all of you… And if anyone sees Crow, let me know. I want to know how Emma was cursed outside of his room," Cyrus muttered, as he turned to escort Celis to Emma's room.
Upon inspecting Emma, Celis could tell she was dealing with an incredibly powerful form of curse magic. It was a specific target curse, meant to only affect one person, and the effects were less than pleasant. According to Celis, it was a form of torture curse, used by the Nightingales of the Church's Black Sect in order to break the hardest criminals during an interrogation. Such a curse should never have been put on someone like Emma.
"I didn't ask for a fucking synopsis, Celis. Can you release it?" Cyrus snapped, looking at the Knight Commander.
"It's Nightingale Magic; of course I can fucking crack it," Celis shouted, turning to Emma, who was laid out on her bed, eyes wide open and her body trembling. "Eximo!"
That single command, spoken in Magician's Tongue, was enough to break the curse's hold over Emma, who immediately ceased trembling and her eyes returned from the bright orange to her usual mint-blue colour.
Once the curse's hold on Emma had been lifted, she sat up and took in her surroundings. Seeing Cyrus standing next to a short, crimson-haired woman understandably confused her.
"Cyrus? What's going on? Who's that?" Emma asked, looking at Celis.
"She's the one who broke the curse that was holding you," Cyrus stated.
"Curse? I don't… I don't understand. Why would Crow want to curse me, and how do you know about curses?" Emma asked, looking around frantically.
"Peace, child. I am Celis Ortesia; Knight Commander for the Septian Church's Templars. I have to be versed in cursebreaking," Celis explained, showing something akin to genuine concern for the first time since Cyrus had first met her.
"So, it was Crow…" Cyrus muttered, turning around and leaving the room.
Downstairs, the rest of Class VII were sat around waiting. It had only been about fifteen minutes since Cyrus had taken Celis up to Emma's room, but they were all understandably nervous.
"Man, what's taking so long? I hope Emma's ok," Rean sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
"Just be patient, Rean. The Knight Commander will be able to help. You don't become a Templar Commander if you can't break curses and impart Holy Blessings," Gaius reassured.
"Holy Blessings? Sounds… Interesting," Machias muttered. "Can they absolve sins as well?"
"For minor sins, yes. A Knight Commander has the authority from His Holiness to absolve some of the 'lesser sins', such as gluttony and jealousy," Gaius responded.
"Hmph, maybe she can help those two," Jusis scoffed, looking at Alisa and Sara.
"Joke all you want, child, but a mere Cursebreaker cannot wash away the influence of our Aspects," Nahkriin responded.
"They don't look fat, so are they perhaps jealous of Emma's boobies?" Millium pondered, looking at the two women. "Hmm… Maybe Blondie is, but the Instructor shouldn't be jealous."
"Millium, please! That's just not inappropriate!" Alisa shouted, covering her chest.
"Well you're hiding something from me, and since you won't tell me what that secret is, I'm just gonna keep guessing!" Millium cried, waving her arms as she threw a mini-tantrum.
"We're not hiding anything from you, Millium… It's just that… Well, seeing is believing with this scenario… Morokei, will you cut it out?!" Alisa shouted, glaring at the azure spectre, who seemed to be having fun taunting Millium for her inability to perceive him and the others.
"Might I offer a suggestion? With the exception of our Ring-Bearers, none of you were able to perceive our presence until you all entered the Old Schoolhouse together and overcame one of the trials there. Perhaps, all that is needed for this child to be able to perceive us like the rest of you, she needs to enter the Old Schoolhouse and undertake a trial," Nahkriin suggested.
"That's a great idea, Nahkriin! Oh, but wait… Cyrus already cleared this month's floor the other day… So, looks like you'll have to wait until next month," Sara responded, shrugging.
"Wait, he what?! You're telling me that – Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he cleared a floor all by himself," Machias groaned, giving up on being surprised by anything Cyrus did.
"Hey guys, what's going on? Did we have a Class VII meeting I forgot about?" Crow said as he entered the building.
"Crow! Where have you been?!" Rean cried. "We thought something bad had happened to you."
"Heh, nah, it's chill. I just kinda forgot I live here now, so I went back to my old room last night. By the time I realised I was in the wrong building, I just decided to crash there and come back in the morning. Is everything alright?" Crow asked, looking at the worried looks on everyone's faces, and knowing it had to do with Emma.
"Crow… You wouldn't happen to–" Elliot began, before being interrupted.
"CROW! YOU HAVE SOME FUCKING EXPLAINING TO DO!" Cyrus roared as he bounded down the stairs, grabbed Crow by the collar and shoved him into the wall.
"Cyrus, don't–!" Emma cried as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs next to Celis.
"Hey, whoa, dude… Whatever you think, it's not–" Crow began.
"Why the fuck did you put a curse on Emma?! What has she ever done to you?!" Cyrus shouted, demanding answers.
"Wait, it was Crow who did that?!" Alisa gasped.
"Crow… What in Aidios' name possessed you to do such a thing?" Laura asked.
"Wait, wait, wait… I didn't mean to – It was an accident!" Crow stammered, looking at Class VII with panic in his eyes.
"BULLSHIT!" Cyrus yelled, slamming Crow into the wall again. "Celis; tell them what you told me."
"The curse the child was under was meant to target a specific person, and was a very powerful torture curse, used primarily by Nightingales to extract information from their enemies," Celis explained. "This was no accident; whoever scripted that curse, they wanted it to affect her, and only her."
"A Nightingale Curse? Hold on, but that doesn't make any sense. Crow isn't a Nightingale, and he certainly doesn't have the proficiency to craft a curse like that," Gaius stated.
"Gaius, my man! Oww!" Crow smiled before being pressed into the wall even harder.
"Let him go, Cyrus! Why is this so important to you?" Machias shouted.
"Important?! Why wouldn't it be important, Machias? Emma was cursed, by a curse designed to target her! I want to know why she was targeted!" Cyrus growled.
"Hmph, don't tell me you actually care about her after–" Jusis snorted.
"Of course I do! She is everything! Without her, I cannot–" Cyrus shouted, stopping himself before he could reveal too much. "Look, I just want to know why he cursed her. The reasons are secondary."
After what Class VII had just heard, they knew Cyrus was hiding something from them. To explode over something that happened to someone, and then follow up with what he had said before catching himself, Class VII knew there was far more going on than they knew.
Any chance of Question Time with Cyrus evaporated the moment he vanished with his Flying Raijin ability, much to the annoyance of Celis.
"Hey! Where the fuck did he go?! I'm not finished with him!" Celis shouted, running out of the building.
"What the hell just happened?" Alisa asked, blinking in shock.
"That, uh… That was the last thing I was expecting to hear from him," Rean whispered.
"Hey, Emma? Are you alright?" Elliot asked, turning to look at Emma, who simply stood where she was, her mouth slightly agape.
'Yeah, I'd have that reaction too if I heard someone I love say that about me…' Sara thought with a frown.
"So, did they buy it?" the individual asked, sitting next to Cyrus on the rooftop of the Third Dormitory. It was now night time, and almost everyone had gone home for the night, with the exception of a few people still milling about down below.
"There was nothing for them to buy. I meant exactly what I said, and I said exactly what I meant to say. I believe she is now ready," Cyrus responded, looking at the ring in his hand.
"Good… Good… I'm impressed with how you managed to turn this around, Dragon. A few months ago, I thought you had lost your opportunity for good," the individual muttered, looking up at the moon.
"Once again, you underestimate me, old friend," Cyrus responded, looking down at Trista Park, and seeing a familiar couple. "We'll be running into your grandson soon, won't we? I wonder how that will turn out."
"Hmph, the pup knows what respect is. No matter what happens, he will not be an issue, should his new friends prove to be a barrier," the individual remarked. "What about… Him? Will you tell him the truth about what happened back then?"
"No sense in letting him know the truth; it won't do him any good. Besides, if we want this to work in our favour, I can't go overplaying my hand before the grand finale, can I?" Cyrus smirked. "No… I am going to make the conclusion to this little façade a big one… Then we can finally get started on our true objective."
"Hmm, then I will leave it in your hands, Dragon," the individual nodded. "I trust you will know what to do when the time comes."