As much as Fie loved her naps she was a trained jaeger first and foremost, so the sound of someone being far too close for comfort was enough to jolt the girl from her rest. Despite her exhaustion her eyes were quick to take in all the pertinent details. She was currently resting up against the solitary tree in the school yard. The time was late in the afternoon – not a surprise since she had bolted over here as soon as classes had ended. And the person responsible for her early wake up was a student with bright red hair in a pair of ponytails.
And she was digging a hole into the ground?
"...What are you doing?" She blearily asked once she confirmed that that was indeed what the other girl was doing. Now that her brain was running at full process she recalled the other student as a member of Class IX, although the name eluded her.
The girl let out a startled yelp before turning towards her. "Oh! I'm so sorry! Did I wake you?! I didn't even notice you were there!"
"It's fine." It wasn't, but telling her that would only create unnecessary problems. "So?"
"Oh, right. Haha..." The girl laughed sheepishly as she looked between the hole and the unamused Fie. "Well, I've been thinking. Wouldn't this area be great for a garden?"
"A... garden?" Fie knew what they were, of course, but she was confused as to why this person wanted to make one.
If her confusion showed the other girl didn't seem to notice it. "Yup! I asked Instructor Towa for permission and she gave her approval. I don't have any seeds or anything and my gardening tools are still home in Alster, but I can at least check out the soil quality now, right?" She giggled happily. "I can't wait to plant some nice fruits and vegetables here!"
This girl seemed way too friendly for her own good. Maybe that positive attitude was why Fie continued questioning her, as troublesome as it might be. "But why a garden? Don't we already have plenty of food available to us?"
"I guess so?" She seemed confused by the question. "But that doesn't really matter! Fresh food is way tastier, especially when it's grown with your own two hands. Plus I haven't been able to find any strawberries anywhere in town and that's practically a crime!"
"Okay...?" She honestly had no idea if any of that was true or not. Sure she had seen plenty of farms in the past, but never had she cared enough to consider the art itself. A few members of Zephyr did grow some stuff during those rare long-term missions, but they tended to focus on essentials like medicinal herbs and the like.
"And plus!" The red-haired girl continued, once again ignoring her skepticism. "Club activities will be starting up soon. I want to at least have the garden ready to go by that time."
What did club activities have to do with anything? Sure Fie knew that mandatory clubs were soon to be a thing – something which she was dreading quite a lot – but the only way she could see a garden being needed is if she wanted to start a gardening club, but wouldn't that wait until after the club had been formed so the other potential members could partake in it?
Whatever. This was all too complicated for the former soldier.
"Ah! It's just as I thought!" The girl reached into her hole and pulled out a clump of dirt. "See? The soil quality here is fantastic. Things are going to grow super well here!"
"Um... Sure." Fie Claussell was many things, but what she wasn't was an expert in gardening. That thing in the other girls' hand? It was a clump of dirt. Nothing more.
"Heehee. This is going to be great! I should contact home and have them send me my tools right away..." The cheery girl mumbled to herself while Fie looked on in abject confusion. Something which the Class IX girl noticed, but seemingly got the wrong idea. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I never introduced myself, did I? I'm Sandy."
"...Fie."
Sandy bobbed her head in acknowledgment, even as she worked to fill in her hole. "It's good to meet you, Fie."
"Same, I suppose."
With the hole fully covered the happy girl wiped her brow. "Whew. I think I'm gonna head back to the dorms. It was nice chatting with you. Let's do it again some time!"
The silver-haired girl could only watch as she all but skipped away. That girl was way too happy for her own good. And was that really a conversation that could be considered nice?
She shook her head. This was way too much to think about. Just a random encounter that meant little in the grand scheme of things. Surely she didn't need to worry about some overly excited girl with an obsession with farming, right? Of course if she was going to keep coming back to work on her so-called farm that would surely become a nuisance down the line...
Fie let out a yawn. Whatever. Best to just return to her nap and try to forget about everything that had just happened.
Neinvalli Exchange.
That was what the sign said. Although the girl had spotted it during her initial tour of Leeves it still boggled the mind that a store with the same name as the infamous black market dealer was in this sleepy little suburb. Sure the small store was tucked away in the closest thing the place had to a back alley, but still. Maybe it was just another shop that coincidentally had the same-
"Arf."
...Was that a dog's bark? Why was there a dog in what might very well be a dangerous weapon shop? It sounded like a young puppy, too.
"Is that a customer you smell? Good job, Cerberus." And now there was another voice, but this one sounded almost as young as the dog. How mysterious. "Come on in. We're open for business!"
Giving a mental shrug the girl did as she was told. The inside of the shop certainly wasn't comparable to the infamous store in Crossbell. It was much too small for that. And the few display cases that were out weren't nearly as full. Still, what was there was very clearly the weapons and equipment of dubious legality that she expected from a place called Neinvalli.
Even the person manning the counter was a lot smaller than the one in Crossbell, but it was someone she recognized all the same. "...Jingo?" Suddenly everything made sense. A smaller second shop for the weapon dealer's daughter. And the puppy that was wagging it's tail happily by her feet, apparently.
Having her name called out caused the younger girl to narrow her eyes at her suspiciously. That only lasted for a few seconds until they widened in realization. "Is that you, Sylphid?" Clearly she was confident in her guess as her pause wasn't long enough for Fie to answer. "Well I'll be! Didn't expect to see you around here. Momma always wondered what happened to you after the Jaeger King bit it. Sorry bout that, by the way. He was a good client. Gonna miss him and his mira."
"...Thanks?" Sure the condolence was solely due to his status as a preferred client, but it still felt good to hear someone be genuinely remorseful for the death of the Boss. "Is this place what I think it is?"
"Yup. Welcome to the Neinvalli Exchange's Leeves branch store! Cerberus, greet our first customer."
"Arf!" She couldn't help herself. Crossing the store the former jaeger was quick to find just the right spot behind the little puppy's ears. One little scratch was enough for the mighty Cerberus to be putty in her hands.
Something which Jingo didn't seem to appreciate. "Hey! He's being trained to be the ultimate hunter! Don't go spoiling him like that! You here to buy something or what?"
"Sorry." She wasn't at all sorry. Even as she pulled away from the little puppy she shot him a wink. That dog was getting all the pats when she could sneak them in. Begrudgingly she focused her attention away from the dog and to Jingo's words. "I'm not really here to buy anything today. No mira."
"That's fine. Mama always told me to be flexible with my clients. You're a student, yeah? That means you're getting a stipend from the school. Maybe we can setup a payment plan. Or maybe you can find me some goods I'm looking for? Either way, I'm here to work with you."
Fie had to give Jingo credit. The young girl actually sounded like a professional businesswoman. And it was true that she could use some gear...
Whatever. Crippling debt wasn't the worst thing that has happened to her. And plus, she had a feeling that at the very least Randy would be a shopper here. Maybe she can get her stuff put on his tab.
Walking around the store a few things caught her eyes. Some HE bullets that her gunblades could fire, powerful quartz for an ARCUS II that were far above anything the school offered, and some neat little accessories. All were pretty useful. But for someone so used to living frugally the past few years she was willing to leave them be. For now, at least.
There was one thing however that she really couldn't pass up. "These flashbangs..."
"Uh huh. Finest non-lethal grenades you'll find this side of the capital! They flash a little brighter and bang a little louder compared to the junk you're used to. And while they might be non-lethal I wouldn't want to be standing close to one when it blows up."
It was a sales pitch and Fie knew it, but she couldn't help but buy into it. "They're that good?"
"Neinvalli guaranteed! Anyone dumb enough to get caught by one of those bad buys will be out of the fight or you'll get your mira back!" The young girl paused before looking away sheepishly. "Eer... But this store has a no refund policy. Don't want our goods getting tracked back to us. You understand, right?"
"Sure, I get you." She had expected that much at the very least. And it wasn't as if she doubted the quality of Neinvalli goods. Boss always spoke highly of the store and the owner. Really really highly, in fact...
She glanced towards the tiny shop owner. She knew Boss and the shop owner had been friends for many years. Given her apparent age it wouldn't be impossible. But still...
There was no possible way, right?
Shaking off those random and weird thoughts she refocused on the task at hand. "Like I said before, I have no mira right now, but how much are we talking...?"
"Two-fifty a pop. But for you I'll make a special offer. Every three you buy comes with one on the house. Good deal, yeah?"
In all honesty it was. She had been expecting a significantly higher number. It was tempting. Still, accepting it would ensure her first couple months at school were destined to be poor ones. Maybe she should consider a job...?
The pros battled against the cons, but in the end there was only one decision. Soon enough Jingo was celebrating her first sale with her dog while Fie made her exit with a bag of highly dangerous explosives.
Not too many, of course. She doubted her roommates would appreciate that. Or anyone else at the school, really.
She shook her head sadly. They just didn't understand the value of a good explosive.
"Hmm..." A bored Fie waited impatiently while her teacher read over the stupid task he had her do. "I gotta say, this is..."
Even though he trailed off the nervous smile on his face gave his thoughts away, much to her ire. "Wrong? You made me write stuff based on my opinions! How are they wrong?"
Under her glare he laughed sheepishly. "You're right. These answers aren't wrong. They just weren't what I was expecting when I asked the question."
"Well maybe you should have asked a different question? 'Write your opinions of all your classmates'. A dumb, tedious question, but I did it anyways."
"Sure. You did that. I was just expecting you to write about what you thought of them as people. Not... this." He waved the paper as if she didn't know what he was talking about, despite the fact she had just finished writing it. Seeing her pointed look the instructor cleared his throat before focusing his eyes on the words she had written.
"'Juna – Her weapons make her a very versatile fighter, capable of fighting at all ranges. Main weaknesses are her speed and observation skills. A good ambush would take her down easily. Could also engage her in a mid-ranged shooting duel before charging in and overwhelming her before she can shift her weapons from gunner mode and take a good stance.
Kurt – Light on his feet and pretty skilled with his swords. Hasn't shown much in the way of ranged combat. Would be easy pickings against someone equally as fast who fought primarily at a distance. Very straightforward fighter so explosives could probably work well too.
Altina – Needs more observation. How does her combat shell work? How well can it detect things? Does it react automatically or does it need some kind of command from her first? The obvious solution is to ignore the weapon and go straight for the girl, but without proper understanding that would be really risky.'"
After finishing reading the paper he glanced back up at her, causing her to scoff. "You asked for my observations. There they are."
"You're right. I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to write about them as if they were enemies for you to be prepared to fight." He glanced back down at the page before giving a thoughtful hum. "Still, while this isn't what I expected, I have to to say these are quite impressive observations from the one mission we did together, even if I think you're underestimating your classmates quite a bit."
"So? Are we done here?" The mandatory hour was almost up and she was ready to get out of there.
"Sure. Before you go, however, I want to ask." He paused as he glanced back at the paper in his hand. "Have you figured out my weaknesses yet?"
She blinked. What an odd question. She wanted to assume he was simply being cocky and wanted her to stroke his ego by failing to answer, but even she could tell from the curious look on his face that that was not the case. So why ask the question?
At the very least she could consider it. He definitely wasn't at the level of Boss and she doubted he could stand up to the likes of Xeno or Leo for long. That being said, unlike Kurt his sword style seemed a whole lot more versatile. Those crimson beams he was throwing around would make fighting at range tricky. He was pretty fast, too, and given the way he sensed her when she was trying to hide an ambush probably wasn't an option either.
Still, there was always one idea that was usually effective against a soft person like him: Take a hostage. It was a tried and true method of many lesser jaeger corps when fighting a superior foe. He would be a whole lot less impressive if he was too worried about a student who was being held captive.
"...Not yet." But she didn't say that. Zephyr never bothered with such a horrid tactic. They didn't need to. And while she might not be on the level of Boss and the others she still had her pride as a member of that corp.
"Well, keep at it. I'm sure you will figure something out eventually." The smile Rean gave was so strange. He really seemed to think there was something there, didn't he?
Whatever. Weird questions weren't worth thinking about right now. This torture session was over. Now was the time for her to get as far away from this room as possible. Freedom for a few days.
Still, even as Fie made her retreat she made a mental note to keep a closer eye on her instructor during the next fight. If there was an answer to be found she would find it.
If someone saw how Fie acted each and every morning they would wrongly assume that she was one of the more academically minded students in the school. Why else would she diligently leave the dorms and make the solitary trek to the campus so early every morning if not to get to class with plenty of time to spare?
The real answer was that going early meant she could avoid the crowds.
This day was no exception as the silver-haired student walked towards the dorm exit after a quick breakfast. Everyone else was still eating, hanging out with friends, or just too busy getting ready for class to pay her any mind. Just the way she liked-
"Hey, Fie! Come join us!"
Crap. With a long sigh the girl turned to deal with whatever annoyance life was about to throw her way. The caller was obviously Juna. Said girl was sitting at one of the tables. Opposite her was a bespectacled girl from another class. A few other students were hanging around them.
And on the table were a bunch of... cards?
As much as she wanted to just continue walking and act as if she didn't hear the call she knew it would only lead to more headaches in the future. With great reluctance the loner abandoned her mission in favor of approaching the group. "...What are you doing?"
"We're learning how to play Vantage Masters."
"Vantage Masters?"
"Uh huh." The girl opposing Juna nodded as she placed a card on her side of the table. "It's a new card game that seems to be getting really popular in Erebonia lately. I heard it's even catching on back home in Remiferia and other countries too!"
One of the spectators let out a shrug. "I'm still skeptical. It's fun, sure, but I can't imagine everyone is ready to get rid of their Blade decks."
"Please, Stark. Blade is all luck. Everyone knows that it is trash."
For some reason Rean – who was just walking past – slumped down in abject misery. Neither she nor any of the students paid him more than a glance.
"So why did you call me over?"
"Well... It's been two weeks, you know? We've been living together and I feel like I hardly know you." Juna looked up at her hopefully. "I was thinking something like this might interest you."
One of the observers nodded in agreement. "I don't think I've ever seen you outside of classes or meal times."
"...I think this might be the first time I've heard you speak."
She couldn't deny the game itself looked kinda fun. It was like a battlefield, except with monster cards. She could just imagine the Boss picking up the game and forcing the others in Zephyr to play it. That thought almost caused her to smile, but she caught herself at the last second.
"Sorry, but I got something to do. Maybe later."
Fie's attempts at letting Juna down gently seemingly failed as her hopeful expression fell into disappointment. "Are you sure? Is it something to do with classes? Cause I could help out if you wanted...?"
She shook her head, further dissuading the Crossbellian. "Nah. It's something I gotta do on my own."
"Well... alright." Juna clearly didn't look convinced.
Thankfully a distraction came in the form of her opponent. "It's still your turn."
"Oh... right." With that the pink-haired girl turned away from Fie and back to her deck. She slammed a card onto the table with gusto. "Hehe. Try and stop my Da-Colm, Louise!"
"T-That is a really powerful natial, so I'll play my vanish and target your master for six damage."
"Six damage? But that would drop me down to... dammit."
With that amusing finish in her mind Fie slipped away, unnoticed by the other students as they jockeyed over who got to play next. Leeves was just waking up as she exited the dorm, so very few people were out and about. Still, very few was more than what she wanted to deal with, but she had a plan in place for that. For some reason nobody took advantage of the fact that the singular back alley in this town was a good shortcut to school. A route perfect for her.
"Well, look what we've got here." Except today it seemed there was someone else here. And he didn't seem all that keen on letting her pass. How annoying.
Fie had no idea who the tall blonde guy was, but she vaguely recalled him as being in Randy's class. "What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just wondering what it's like being taught by some great hero. Bet you're feeling pretty special, aren't ya?"
She almost rolled her eyes. Special? As if. The 'hero' was a royal pain in her butt who refused to leave her alone. "Don't care." Still, this guy was annoying her so she had no real incentive to tell him that.
"Hah! Are you that arrogant because you're in Class VII? Getting to look down at the rest of us 'cause we aren't in the famous group?"
Yeah. This idiot was going to be a nuisance, wasn't he? With a suffering sigh the girl brushed past him and made to continue her journey.
"H-Hey! You can't just walk away from me!" The tall boy reached his arm out, clearly intent on stopping her with force.
Nuh uh. That was not happening. Angrily she pivoted, neatly sidestepping the clumsy grab. Instincts screamed at her to follow up the clean dodge with a counter. It didn't matter how big or strong he was – A sucker punch on someone unsuspecting would neutralize the problem in a single instant.
With great strength of will she reigned in those jaeger instincts. The guy was an idiot, but not a threat. He yelled something at her, but she was perfectly content ignoring him and placing all thoughts about the guy out of her mind as she resumed her journey.
And yet even as she made it back onto the main road to Thors she caught wind of something that gave her pause. A mint-haired student was standing there. Sure she had been distracted by the other guy, but how did that girl avoid her notice for so long? Had she been watching the entire time?
The other girl didn't seem to mind her suspicious gaze, instead opting to let out a breezy giggle before sending a small wave her way. It all seemed innocent enough, but there was something about the display that put her ill at ease. Almost as if her instincts were telling her that she was more dangerous than the idiot she had just left behind.
How odd.
Musse Egret giggled to herself as she watched the silver-haired girl stalk away like a wary predator. How utterly fascinating. She was so caught up in her observations that she barely acknowledged Ash as the fuming boy stomped off towards the cafe.
Fie Claussell... The girl did everything she could to remain out of sight, but that just made her stand out all the more in Musse's eyes. The quiet girl was anything but normal.
...Not that she was normal either.
Choosing to come to Thors had been a calculated risk, but two weeks in and Musse was comfortable that her decision had been the correct one. The school was filled with so many uniquely talented individuals. Individuals that could potentially become great assets in the days to come.
She knew that those who understood her true self considered her to be something of a great chess master. One who saw every potential outcome and could make plans many moves in advance. This was all true, of course, but she didn't think the analogy very apt.
Chess – or any other game for that matter – had clearly defined rules. Every piece could act in a certain manner that was known to all the players. Both sides started on an even footing. The game simply came down to who made the better moves.
The game she was playing, however, was anything but. The board has been heavily stacked against her from the very start and her opponent had already taken many moves. That was a challenge she had already accepted and even come to relish.
The really tricky part for her was that many of her pieces were still unknown. How did they move? How did they act? How did they think?
How could she gain control of them for the struggle to come?
Fie was one such piece. It was painfully obvious to anyone who paid the least bit of attention that the girl was skilled. Extremely so. In a school filled with fascinating pieces she was near the top of the list to investigate further.
...Just behind her absolute hunk of an instructor, of course. Musse shivered in delight. Oh how she was looking forward to solving Erebonia's hero.
Naturally of course she already had her theories about the quiet mysterious girl. The way she seemed to shy away from most social interactions unless forced. The guarded way in which she carried herself at all times. The fact that the teachers seemed to treat her a little differently, as if they knew something everyone else didn't.
All the pieces to the puzzle were there. She merely needed to rearrange them until they slotted together into one coherent picture. A picture that she was sure would confirm the girl's value in the game to come.
Sure she could simply just go ask Principal Aurelia for the answers if she so desired. The Countess was both a very straightforward woman and a steadfast ally. If she believed in the potential of any of the students for the upcoming battle she would simply tell her, privacy be damned. And her vast experience as a warrior gave the woman a uniquely valuable insight that not even Musse herself could ever hope to understand.
But why would she do that? There was plenty of time before events came to a head, and there was such joy in unraveling all the mysteries presented to her. Just because the game she was playing would shape the future of the entire world and the millions of souls living on it didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun in the process, right?
Once again she giggled to herself. How fortuitous was it that most of those mysteries were congregating in a singular class. Truly was the Class VII name living up to its storied reputation. It was still too early to manipulate a transfer of classes, but she was already quite certain that such a move would soon be necessary.
A class with so many talented individuals AND the Ashen Chevalier? Musse let out a happy sigh. That will be an absolute dream come true. Maybe she should just abandon all her scheming and dealings and live out the end of the world as a normal girl? What better way to witness the end of all things than trapped in the warm protective arms of her instructor?
"Hehe. They're going to be so jealous when they find out." Elise and the princess had been so heartbroken when she was forced to leave Saint Astraia, but she knew those feelings would change to intense jealousy once they realized what a golden opportunity the young girl now had.
Those delectable thoughts were for another time, however. For now she simply needed to play the role of a regular student. Any interactions with Instructor Rean, Fie, or any of the other interesting figures would have to remain as those of a simple classmate. But even that had its own fun. How would she play the role of the schoolgirl while still finding the answers she sought?
The first thing she needed to do was get to school. There was still a little while before classes started, but there was much to do. Preparations for the upcoming club activities chief among them. How fortunate that Maya was a fellow enthusiast of Eastern culture. It should be a simple matter to find a third member to make their Tea Ceremony Club official.
A shame she was positive that a girl like Fie would hold no interest in such an activity as Musse was positive she would be good at it. The girl seemed to have discipline, agility, and patience in spades. And her unrealized beauty would truly shine in a kimono...
Oh! Now that was an idea! Her grandparents were already sending her most beautiful kimono to her. All she needed to do was find a way to show it off to Instructor Rean. Preferably in a way that would entice and excite him...
Musse giggled for a third time as she walked off to class. Let the games begin.