Rean Schwarzer was one confused young man.

His assumption that the first day after their return home would be a relatively normal school day lasted right up until they left their house and Fie shoved a rather sizable pack into his hands, "Take this, grab your sword, and follow me."

It was then that he noticed she too had a pack slung behind her back. And when they met up with Laura a minute later she held an even larger one. Both girls had their weapons on them.

Just what was going on?

Asking that question aloud yielded no results, as neither of his girls seemed inclined to answer. Laura at least appeared a little apologetic about that fact, but that still didn't help him any.

While he trusted both of them with his life, he had to put his foot down once they led him towards the train station, "...Why are we going to the station?"

He waited patiently as Fie shared a look with Laura before giving a lazy shrug, "We're going on a trip?"

Rean couldn't help but roll his eyes. Of course they were going on a trip. Why else would they be bringing him to a train station?

"In case you're wondering we have already secured permission from the principal."

He was so confused that he hadn't got around to wondering that yet, but Laura's words were at least a little reassuring.

While the young swordsman was no fan of being kept in the dark like this and was tempted to refuse this mysterious trip out of principle, curiosity was a powerful motivator. And he trusted that Laura at least wouldn't be forcing him on a trip like this without a good reason.

The first leg of the journey was a short one as they ended up back in Heimdallr. Unlike the previous day, however, their stay in the capital was brief as they simply led him to another train.

Of course it was impossible to keep their destination a secret when the trains were very vocal about where they were going, "...Why are we going to Roer?"

Should he be a little concerned that they were dragging him halfway across the country without warning or explanation?

"We will explain everything once we get there, I promise." He couldn't help but roll his eyes at Laura's statement, but given he had already committed himself to this strange journey he simply sat back in his seat and allowed his thoughts to wander.

The swordsman had a sinking feeling this trip was because of him. He wasn't blind – he knew they were still worried about him even after they'd done a fairly good job of cheering him up the previous day. But that still left him confused as to what crazy plan they had come up with together.

His first thought was that they were taking him to Ymir, which was an unsettling one. While he loved his hometown dearly and a part of him really wanted to pay it a visit, he'd kept himself away from his childhood home for nearly a year by this point. Sure he still kept in contact with his parents thanks to the occasional letter, but the thought of speaking with them face to face after everything that had happened since was still a prospect he wasn't sure he was prepared for.

But the more he thought about it the likelihood of Ymir being their destination seemed rather low, based on the large packs they had with them. They wouldn't need this much stuff if they were simply visiting his parents... right?

There was a brief moment during the long train ride where both girls were distracted by something out the window allowing him to chance a quick peek at the contents of his bag. Plenty of food, his travel clothes, fishing rod. There was more things too, but he didn't dare risk digging deeper into the pack to investigate, lest he get caught in the act. Even still, all the clues were pointing towards the same thing:

They were going on a trip away from town. A lengthy one too, based on the amount of supplies they were bringing with them.

Rean wasn't sure what he was supposed to think about all this, but at the same time the mere act of doing so meant he wasn't thinking about the events of the past week. By that metric along this trip was already a successful one.

Rolling into Roer hours later was a surprise for him. Unlike the girls this was his first time visiting Erebonia's industrial capital since war's end and the city was looking quite different, with more factories dotting the landscape and more military weapons plainly visible as they were loaded onto a freight train. From what they'd relayed of their conversation with Alisa the city – like much of the rest of the country – was changing in ways he wasn't all too comfortable with.

But that was a problem for the future. For the present he simply allowed himself to be led off the train with the others. Even if he had already reached the conclusion they were going on a trip together the where and why still eluded him and he was looking forward to getting that information.

"Wanna make a quick stop at the orbal shop before we get going." Sadly for him it seemed he needed to wait a little longer based on Fie's request.

"I see no problem with that. What do you think, Rean?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but Fie beat him to it, "I thought you were banned from that store?"

"I'm not! Why do you keep spreading that lie!?"

Despite himself Rean couldn't help but chuckle, much to the apparent annoyance of the Arseid. Fie constantly tormenting Laura about that one disastrous visit during the war was something that would never get old.

"Keep an eye on her." Fie warned him with a stern look on her face, "If you see her reaching out to touch something, just tackle her or something."

With a fuming Laura in tow the three of them entered the city proper and made their way to the shop in question. Upon entering Fie darted off to look at something she refused to elaborate on, leaving the two sword practitioners to browse on their own. A seemingly simple task that proved to be far more dangerous than he could've possibly imagined.

"What is this object?" That simple sounding question caused the swordsman to stiffen as dread filled his body.

Despite his growing trepidation Rean read the sign in front of the object, "It says it's an orbal microwave, capable of heating up food quickly."

"How curious. I wonder how it works?" Once again the question itself was innocent enough, but why was the Arseid's hand reaching out towards it!?

"O-Oh! Would you look at that!?" To prevent a potential catastrophe the swordsman did the first thing he could think of – he used a distraction. Unfortunately that distraction just so happened to be another machine, "A laptop computer. It says it can be used anywhere, and if there's an orbal network available it can connect to that wirelessly."

The blue-haired girl stared at him for a long moment with eyes narrowed in thought. Rean gulped, but thankfully her natural curiosity proved more than any suspicions she held towards his impulsive action, "That is fascinating. How can something so small achieve the same things the machines in the computer lab can do? And how does one even connect to a network without a cable?"

Did Laura even realize her hands were reaching out to it or was it merely a subconscious reaction? Either way this was a dilemma and Rean knew it. Should she grab hold of that machine...

A hasty glance around confirmed that another distraction was out of the cards as there were no other displays in range – plus she was already too suspicious thanks to that first attempt. But what else could he possibly do? Fie had told him to tackle her, and in his panic he almost considered it, but a slightly better idea came to mind at the last moment.

"R-Rean!?" Laura shrieked as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, "What are you doing!?"

His actions had initially been a simple restraining move, but the swordsman brilliantly disguised the action as a hug once she was in his grasp, "I just wanted to show how much I appreciate what you've done for me these last few days?"

He exulted when he felt her relax a little into his embrace, "Of course. I'll always be there to look out for you." Unfortunately, after saying that she stiffened once again, "...And yet I get the feeling you have an ulterior motive for hugging me."

"I love you?"

"Let me go, Rean."

This left the Ymir native facing an impossible choice, equally as grim as the one that led him to accepting the title of 'Ashen Chevalier' in the first place. He could spare himself by releasing his grip upon Laura, but already his mind was conjuring images of fire, destruction, and the complete devastation of Roer. Hundreds dead and thousands homeless. Alisa may never forgive him for the destruction of her family business.. But if he didn't let go that would earn the ire of Laura. And she would break him.

Rean gave a silent prayer to Aidios for the innocent people of Roer even as he allowed his grip to slacken.

"I'm back." It seemed his prayers were immediately answered as Fie chose that moment to return, thus saving untold people from a calamity that they would never know about it.

...Although he couldn't help but think her timing was a little too perfect. Almost as if she had been watching their antics from afar and was only intervening now that he was out of options. That innocent smirk on her face led credence to those suspicions.

"Are you finished?" Laura asked curiously, earlier annoyance and urge to touch things seemingly forgotten, "What did you get, anyways?"

"Just a few little somethings to make this trip a little easier."

He couldn't see into the bag, but he could hazard a guess based on what he knew, "What, like a camping heater or something?"

"How did you figure out that we were going camping?" The blue-haired girl asked.

Rean gave a shrug, "It wasn't all that hard to put the clues together. I just needed to-"

"He looked into his bag when he thought we were distracted."

The swordsman wasn't sure what was worse: That he didn't get the chance to explain how he came to his conclusion or the disappointed look Laura was giving him at being accused of cheating like that. Regardless, Fie would pay for that comment.

"Well, you're half right." Said girl continued without hesitation, "Got a few other things too. Just because we've all learned how to live off the land doesn't mean we can't make our lives easier with technology, right? I'm sure you're still curious, but I promise we'll explain the rest once we're out of town. Wanna get away from any prying eyes first."

Why she was being so secretive with this mysterious trip continued to elude Rean, but he trusted both girls enough to bite his tongue. Leaving Roer would only take a few minutes, after all.

He was a little surprised when her promise of leaving Roer simply entailed them walking out the exit that would lead them to the iron mines, especially as it was also the same path to Ymir. Had he been wrong when he initially discounted that possibility...? But if so why were they doing it on foot?

"I am certain you still have many questions, Rean. Allow us to explain what we have planned." A simple grateful nod was his reply to Laura's statement, prompting her to continue, "Yesterday you asked me what you should do about that power of yours, and I didn't have the answer then. I still don't have it now, but this is the best we could come up with."

"Since Emma won't be able to visit us for a little while we're going on a training trip." Fie answered succinctly. It was true, too. Emma had left a way for them to contact her which the girls had made use of the previous evening. The young witch was currently in the middle of a trip, but promised to stop in once she had finished her current mission and conferred with her grandmother about his situation.

Still, a training trip? As confusing as it was Rean could see where they were going with this, something which Laura confirmed with her next words, "We will be facing more battles in the future, and I know you won't shy away from your Spirit Unification if you think it is needed, so if we can just get you strong enough that you don't need it..."

"It's not just for you, either. We both wanna get stronger too." Fie added, "Laura has her test with her dad in a few months. I don't have anything like that, but I'm not gonna sit around and let myself fall behind you guys either."

"Plus, the stronger we are the more of your burden we will be able to carry in the future."

Alright. He could believe that. Truth be told he was kinda excited at the prospect. It had been many years since he and Master Ka-fai went into the mountains together. Hard times, but fond memories. He had been content to simply learn the other forms of his chosen style, but perhaps he could accomplish more with these two pushing him.

Still, even if it came in smaller increments of time this wasn't anything they couldn't do on the academy field or in the Old Schoolhouse. He had a feeling that tied into his next question, "So why all the secrecy?"

This time it was Fie who took command of the conversation, "It's 'cause I didn't want anyone to know where you are." She grinned at his confused look, "You saw how it is. Right now everyone is talking about the Ashen Chevalier and his exploits. There's no way you'll be getting any peace or quiet back at school right now. By the time we get back a lot of that excitement will have died down and things can hopefully get back to normal."

"Plus," She continued without pause, "while I doubt it'd happen again so soon, the government can't call on you to clean up their next mess if they don't know where you are. The Intelligence Division and the RMP have eyes everywhere, but not even they can keep track of the wilderness. At best they know you've just walked out of Roer, but I bet even those geniuses will come to the wrong conclusion."

"...They'll think I'm headed back home." Rean finished in realization. He was in awe at how much thought they'd put into this idea. While he still had a few lingering reservations about just skipping out of town like they had...

Well, the prospects of not being the Ashen Chevalier for a little while was too good to pass up.

"In case you're wondering we did inform Principal Vandyck and Instructor Sara that you'd be taking some time off to rest and recover from North Ambria, but not even they know where we're heading."

He nodded in acceptance. It was good that at least a couple people knew they were on this trip. But Laura's statement left him with one final question, "So where exactly are we heading?"

The Arseid gave a smile, "You've probably forgotten by now, but back during the war you offered to bring me to the place where you trained with your master. While we didn't have the time then..."

Rean followed her gaze towards the mountains not far from their position, and that told him everything he needed to know.

They were going to the Eisengard Range.

Entering one of Zemuria's largest mountain ranges from the south instead of the west was a new experience for the local boy, and more than once did he fear his leadership was going to get them lost. But each time he began to doubt their location an old memory would surface from his younger years of either his father or Master Ka-fai giving advice on how to navigate the range that served as Erebonia's northern border.

Climb higher for a better vantage point.

Try to identify the tallest mountains and other such natural landmarks.

Ascertain where he stood in relation to those places.

Had Rean known about this trip in advance he would've brought a map for insurance, but in all honesty it wasn't needed. He knew these mountains extremely well and as soon as he began to identify distant peaks it was easy for him to visualize himself a map and estimate their location onto it.

Luckily - despite it being late in the year - the snows still hadn't arrived to blanket the land, making their hike as safe as it could be. And unlike the previous times he had been in this range during the civil war the monsters weren't nearly as agitated and were mostly content to let the three travelers pass in peace.

Still, despite all the advantages he possessed it was still a slow ascent and night was beginning when he finally found himself on familiar grounds, "Just down that path is where Valimar was using the Spirit Paths to teleport us around the country. That's also where the closest river is if we need to catch some fish."

"Oh, right. The hijacked airship was near here too." Fie pointed out, causing Rean to nod. While he hadn't been on that mission he was fairly certain he knew where it had taken place from her report.

Now that they were on familiar ground the final stretch of their hike went smoothly. Perhaps it was dangerous of them to continue up the mountain face in the darkness, but the girls had at least made sure to prepare a couple lights for such an occasion.

While it was tempting to climb all the way to the place where he and Valimar had slept, in the end his suggestion they halted in a rather large flat area just shy of the peak was accepted by his companions. While Laura took the reins on preparing their tent and Fie patrolled around the area while gathering up enough of the scant brush and grass needed for a fire, Rean found himself finally free to rummage through his pack to find some food for the three of them.

Half an hour later and they found themselves sitting around a meager fire eating an unfulfilling meal of field rations. And yet for the first time in what felt like years but was actually just a little over a week Rean was relaxed. There was something special about being in the wilderness and away from everything.

Rean couldn't help but chuckle. They were right. He really needed this.

Unsurprisingly that opinion didn't seem to be shared by everyone, "Bah. I know we've been through worse, but couldn't we have brought some better food?" She scooted a little closer to the flickering flame between them, "And why is it so cold?"

"You guys were the one who chose one of Erebonia's coldest places this late in the year." His point only served to earn the swordsman the ire of his silver-haired lover, which in turn caused him to raise his hands in mock surrender, "...But we can definitely go into the valley tomorrow to catch some fish and other things we can forage. Actual firewood will help too."

"Fie's pointless complaints aside..." Her glare shifted away from him and towards Laura for her remark, "This is nice, don't you think? I'm quite looking forward to the next two weeks. I think we can improve a lot if we set our minds to it."

Rean hummed in agreement before asking a question that had been lurking in the back of his mind for some time, "What exactly does the Arseid mastery test entail? A trial of some kind? A battle against the Viscount? Or something else?"

"I'm not exactly sure of the details." She admitted, "But I do know that I will be facing my father in combat. All I know for certain is that I will be expected to showcase the soul of Arseid in its purest form."

The blue-haired woman's look made it plain she wasn't exactly sure what that was supposed to mean, but Rean was confident she'd pull it off regardless.

"Don't see why martial schools have to make everything so vague and cryptic. I remember Boss told Xeno to delay an armored column that was dangerously close to our camp. Instead he ended up blowing the entire formation up. Boss made him a Regimental Commander the next day."

Both sword users stared blankly at Fie's blunt statement, before Rean awkwardly coughed, "I know you'll pull it off Laura, but still. I remember when I faced off against your father. Even with my power flowing through me he swatted me aside like a bug." Subconsciously he found himself rubbing one of the spots where he got struck during that duel – even if the bruise had long since vanished, the pain of that encounter still lived fresh in his memories.

"And this is why I avoid hits instead of taking them head on." Fie bragged with a smirk on her face.

"And what if you meet someone faster than you?"

"No such person exists."

Rean shared a glance with Laura, "What about Duvalie the Swift?"

"First of all she's totally not faster than me. And secondly we all know she hates you more than anyone else. As long as I stick near you she'll focus on you and not me."

Laura opened her mouth to refute that statement, but paused before she could speak. A furrowed brow and a few seconds of silence later and she closed it with a huff, "Just because that's true doesn't mean you can be complacent. It seems like the society has a lot of powerful individuals. There could easily be another one who can match your agility."

"Nope." Fie's denial was as expected as it was quick. But the silver-haired girl did tilt her head thoughtfully after a moment, "Although... I told you guys about Shirley Orlando, right? The Red Constellation jaeger about my age who was stronger and way more terrifying than Xeno or Leo? Sara told me there's a rumor that that psychopath has joined Ouroboros. If true then that probably means I have my own overpowered rival to deal with, although this is less Duvalie's 'I hate the Arseids and will best you in a duel!' and more of a 'Wouldn't it be funny if I chopped off your legs so you can't run around anymore, Sylphid?' kinda rival."

"Uh..." Try as he might Rean wasn't sure if he'd ever get accustomed to Fie's occasional bouts of morbid humor.

…Although he wasn't sure if it actually was humor.

"She's still not as quick as me, for the records." The Zephyr girl finished with a proud smirk.

"R-Regardless..." Laura too seemed to struggle to respond to Fie's strange and unsettling tangent, "I think it would be best to turn in early tonight, especially if we plan on foraging in the morning."

The mention of sleep was enough for Rean to let out a yawn. It wasn't entirely surprising given how challenging the past few nights had been for him, "Yeah. That's a good idea, I think. At least the tent should be quite warm now."

He could already tell that Fie's purchase of that tiny little orbal heater would prove to be one of the smartest ones she'd ever made. Technology truly was a marvel when it wasn't being used to hurt people.

And yet despite sleep being one of her favorite hobbies Fie had a small frown on her face, "...Yeah. Alright. I had another thing planned, but it'd probably suck while we're all so tired. Look forward to tomorrow."

Rean glanced towards Laura, but the other girl seemed just as confused as he was. Just what was Fie planning?

In hindsight he should've considered fishing long before this moment, as it once again proved the perfect way to relax his mind and soul.

"You seem quite pleased this morning." Laura observed from beside him as she too had her own line in the water.

"Rean's just being smug 'cause he caught more fish than us." Came the third voice from the other side of the Arseid, "One of these days we'll beat you at fishing and you'll be left with nothing!"

Rean rolled his eyes. Why did Fie always see things in a competitive light. He absolutely wasn't keeping track of the fact that Laura had only caught two fish since their early arrival at Ymir Valley, with Fie having three, and he himself having caught seven. A number which just so happened to be greater than three plus two combined.

And he definitely wasn't intentionally leaving the largest of his catches on display to remind the others that he could match quantity with quality.

"...I think you may be right." Laura stated with the tiniest hint of spite at his continued silence.

"I-It's not like that at all!" He hastily answered before he found himself in actual trouble, "I'm just happy, that's all. Feels like it's been ages since I've allowed myself to sit back and relax like this." Fishing truly was a miracle from Aidios and he was mentally kicking himself for not taking advantage of the opportunity those past few days.

It didn't hurt at all that they were doing it in this location. While the very notion of visiting Ymir still left the swordsman feeling distinctly uncomfortable there was no denying how comfortable he was in the valley outside his home. There was just something special about the area, especially in the late autumn.

A tug on his line only served to reinforce that point. With a smile Rean reeled in yet another fish. It was no Arch Tyrant, but the Noble Carp on the line was still a majestic fish, one he couldn't help but hold up for the others to see. Plus that made eight. A truly magnificent number.

"Definitely showing off."

"Indeed."

With an embarrassed flush he hurriedly rushed to correct his folly.

By noon they were back at camp. The foraging session had been quite successful. Alongside the plentiful fish they'd caught the three of them had taken advantage of his knowledge of the area to acquire a sizable amount of fruits and berries that were safe to eat. On their own it wasn't enough to survive on, but they'd be a great supplement to the canned good and field rations that had been packed away for the trip.

They'd also made a second briefer trip to ensure they had bountiful fresh water and firewood to last for at least a few days. With the monsters leaving them in peace the most interesting part of that trip was watching Laura ascend the mountain with a bundle of firewood taller and heavier than her without missing a step.

Rean winced when an elbow jabbed him in the side, "You're staring." He hastily tried to come up with a defense as he turned to respond, but stopped cold when he noticed Fie wasn't looking at him.

"You're staring too!" He whispered out harshly in response.

"Can't help myself. As annoying as it is to see you drooling over her there's something hot about seeing Laura like that. She could break us in half with her bare hands if she wanted."

Even though he absolutely had not been drooling he found himself nodding along regardless. Maybe it was the swordsman inside him, but Fie's words held an appeal he didn't fully understand.

"Just because my hands are full doesn't mean I can't hear you two!" Both Rean and Fie shared a panicked look at the exasperated comment from ahead before rushing to catch up and save what little remained of their dignity.

Silently the two chastised teens followed Laura back to camp where they proceeded to unload their cargo and sit down for a quick lunch of grilled fish. The Eisengard Range was so quiet and peaceful that for a brief moment Rean forgot why they were up there, instead opting to take in the scenery as he finished off his fish.

The sound of a large sword being drawn forced him back to reality, however.

"You want to begin this soon?" He curiously asked the Arseid who was standing there, in a combat stance, with her blade pointed at him.

"I see no reason to hesitate." She answered with a kind smile as she waited for him to get to his feet, "...After all you would inform us if there was something amiss to prevent us from sparring at our full strength, wouldn't you?"

Something about the way she asked that question and the eerie smile on her face left the swordsman wary, but he answered regardless, "O-Of Course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought as much. I refuse to believe you would ever withhold such details from us. You would always tell us if you were nursing an injury, weren't feeling good... or were noticing abnormalities with your Spirit Unification."

Oh.

Oh no.

"Haha..." He could only laugh nervously as horrified realization set in. He hadn't understood just how badly he had messed up until that very moment. That terrifying smile that refused to go away. The whiteness of her hands as she gripped her greatsword with far too much force. The steadily growing battle aura around her?

W-Was this a training trip or an excuse for Laura to get him far enough away from civilization that they'd never find his body!?

A small hand landed on its back. What might've been a reassuring gesture was done with so much force that he nearly lost his balance. Turning he bore witness to the heavy frown on Fie's face, "I'd wish you good luck, but... you know. Try not to die, I guess?"

The soon-to-be murdered boy watched as the other girl retreated to a safe distance. Although Fie didn't express it as much as Laura did he got the feeling she was just as angry.

Rean would hopefully have the chance to reflect upon his mistakes later, as it was that moment that Laura released a war cry and charged in.