"So, Musse... Or maybe I should start calling you Duchess Mildine Juzalith de Cayenne now?"

Inwardly said girl winced at the reminder, but outwardly she maintained her pleasant smile as she placed down a card to thwart the other girl's rapidly developing offensive, "Please, just continue calling me Musse."

"That was the plan. Only reason I could remember that mouthful of a name is 'cause it's fun having something over you for a change."

Quite understandable, in Musse's opinion. Were their positions reversed she would've undoubtedly done the same. The brilliant girl was still kicking herself over her lack of foresight. She knew that some of her more observant classmates had been noticing her actions and that someone would definitely try and tail her if they saw her leave camp was something she had predicted.

Her failure was in assuming Principal Le Guin would have been as concerned about the secrecy of the event as she had. The older woman letting Fie slip in was a possibility she hadn't even thought to calculate.

Although in hindsight she really should have. Even if the Golden Rakshasa was secretly working for her that didn't mean they were of one mind. General Le Guin was her subordinate, Principal Le Guin was not. She shouldn't have been surprised that the latter would've wanted her to involve a classmate with her secret.

Either that or the mighty woman simply wanted to mess with her in a mostly harmless way.

Still, once she got over her initial surprise Musse couldn't help but concede that this outcome held significant value as well. Of all her classmates the only one as good at keeping her mouth shut was Altina. And as adorable as that girl was there was zero chance she'd entrust such a secret to a member of the Intelligence Division.

So Fie was a good choice. And as an added benefit... "Now that you know who I am perhaps I should consider employing you in the future?"

"What, like jaeger contracts or something?" Despite herself Fie looked curious, "You do know I'm not a jaeger anymore, right?"

"Of course, but just because you've left that business doesn't mean you've forgotten your skills. I could use someone who is both quite capable and trustworthy."

Fie gave a thoughtful hum, "I guess I could use the extra mira. It'd be like some of the part time jobs some of the other students have, right?"

"Quite so."

"Still, while I might be willing to do somewhat shady stuff I have my morals, you know. If you need someone to commit murder, terrorism, or take pictures of Rean in the bath then get someone else, 'cause I ain't interested."

Musse nodded her head "Agreed. I have no intention of asking the first two and as for that final one..." She let out a sly little giggle, "...That one has already been taken care of, although I suppose having more couldn't hurt any...?"

It was a shame that Instructor Rean was so good at sensing nearby presences, but how could she possibly stand against the likes of Chancellor Osborne if she wasn't crafty enough to acquire a few rather risque pictures of her favorite man?

"Sometimes you really scare me, you know that?" Fie shook her head wryly, "Were you responsible for our newest addition too?"

"Of course not." Of course she was, "I am merely a student from a minor noble family. There's no way I would have the authority to have a new panzer soldat transferred from the Weissland Army to the Branch Campus!"

"A soldat that just so happened to be a second Kestrel?"

Musse gave an innocent shrug, "Just because I can freely admit you are better suited to take advantage of the Kestrel's strengths doesn't mean I enjoy remaining on the sidelines while you all fight. I shall be partaking in the next battle alongside Instructor Rean, and I still believe the Kestrel is the best machine for a sniper like myself."

Fie raised her arms in mock surrender, "I'm not complaining. Anyone with half a brain – which is everyone 'cept Ash - knows that speed beats power. Plus, none of the others were any good in the Kestrel during practice so that makes the first one all mine now. Maybe I should get Tita to customize mine now that I know you have your own..."

"Poor Tita." Musse gave a dramatic sigh, "How is she supposed to get any peace and quiet when her ungrateful friend keeps pushing more work onto her."

"How is she supposed to get any peace and quiet when her obnoxious roommate keeps teasing her?" Fie's counter was immediate and lethal.

Not that the mint-haired girl felt any remorse about that. Teasing Tita was just below teasing Instructor Rean on her favorite things to do. And it wasn't as if the girl sitting opposite her held much of a moral high ground on that one.

"I'm curious. Anyone else at school besides the principal know about all this?"

"No, although I am quite certain that Instructor Rean has an idea at the very least."

"Probably, especially given who was at the council."

Indeed. Beyond his obvious connection to Jusis Albarea their teacher was also friends with the representatives of House Hyarms and Rogner. If Rean simply asked they would undoubtedly tell him everything that had happened, but if her calculations were correct then he would be content to remain quiet with his suspicions for now.

Musse couldn't help but let out a giggle. Close friends with three of the houses and the future husband of the fourth. Rean truly was Erebonia's hero!

Fie stared at her blankly, "...You worry me, you know that? But still, are you sure it's fine to keep it a secret from our friends? Ironic coming from me, I know, but even still. Got a feeling they're gonna find out eventually.

"I am confident they will, but I am prepared to face the consequences for my actions when the time comes. So long as I can go without drawing attention for a little while longer..."

"Hmm..." Fie adopted a suspicious look before letting out a yawn and closing her eyes, "Well, whatever. Too much of a pain to worry about."

The new head of House Cayenne looked away from both her friend and the card game they were playing to take in the sights outside the rapidly moving train. Outside of a few minor surprises the stay at her hometown had gone according to plan despite the volatile nature of everything that had occurred. That was a relief, both to the Duchess who strove to oppose the government and to the young girl who had been worried about her family's safety.

And yet beyond that feeling of relief there was an ever growing sense of anxiety welling inside her chest. Even if things had proceeded according to plan thus far it had only been so easy because she hadn't officially entered the game yet. Now she had, and that was sure to catch the attention of the other players. And given how close they were getting to the grand finale of this deadly game...

But at the very least she was ecstatic that all of her potential pieces had more than lived up to her expectations. The path to her victory was a narrow one, undoubtedly fraught with many surprises and hardships along the way, but she was confident that that path was still open to her.

"...My Natial is attacking your master directly."

Musse shook herself out of her thoughts as one of her favorite pieces took her move. Although in hindsight calling Fie or the others pieces didn't sit quite as right with her anymore. Sure they were all going to be vital in the days to come, but after her conversation with Instructor Rean two nights ago...

It was impossible to deny that Class VII were her friends now.

With a smile on her face the hidden Duchess drew her card. Fie's new master had proven to be a challenge to overcome when paired with the silver-haired girl's naturally aggressive nature, but if she couldn't win a game like this what chance did she have at the great game? "Did you know that if I hit your master with both the Vanish and Disaster cards in my hand that I'd have enough attack from my remaining Natials to finish it off?"

"No..."

She let out a giggle as she placed both magic cards onto the table, delighting in Fie's expression of shock and dismay at the abrupt ending to their battle, "Here's to the start of our great partnership."

Juna groaned as she slunk into her seat alongside the rest of Class VII. She was coming to adore her time at Thors, she truly was, but going through a tedious day of classes just after getting back from that super crazy trip to Ordis...

It was mental whiplash of the worst sort.

She clearly wasn't the only one feeling that way as Fie had laid her head upon the table as soon as she sat down and looked to have completely dozed off. Altina, who was sitting beside her, had seemingly taken it as an excuse to copy the other girl and was laid out just like her, although sleep didn't come as easily to the young girl given the way her eyes remained open.

On one hand she should've been disappointed that their most impressionable member was starting to copy Fie's lazy habits, but it was such an adorable sight that Juna couldn't bring herself to care. Between their identical postures and similar physical appearances it kinda reminded her of the pictures back home her parents had taken of Ken or Nana sleeping alongside her. Like a pair of grumpy silver-haired siblings.

"This sucks!" Ash exclaimed as he leaned back in his seat, "I should've just ditched today." That he was even more annoyed by the situation – or was merely the more vocal about it – didn't surprise Juna one bit, but she did notice he had surprisingly toned down his voice a little, likely to not awaken the slumbering duo.

One of the odder changes that the last few days had brought was that Ash seemed a little different. Sure he still acted the same, but he didn't seem to have the same heat to his brash behavior.

Honestly that might've been the most stunning thing to come from their field exercises.

Unsurprisingly the other two members of Class VII were taking the experience better, but Juna could tell they weren't as poised as they usually were. Musse had that patented smile on her face, but it seemed a little weak in the Crossbellian's eyes, and Kurt definitely would never rest his elbow on the table to support his head on a normal day.

Juna's attention was drawn to the door as it opened exactly on time as Instructor Rean entered the room, causing Altina to reluctantly sit herself up. Although her teacher seemed to carry himself the same way he always did one didn't need to be a skilled detective like Lloyd to see the senior swordsman was a little sluggish with his movements.

Heh. It seemed the high and mighty Ashen Chevalier was just as tired as his students.

To be fair he had found himself in even more battles than the rest of them, with duels against the likes of Bardias and Arianrhod on top of everything else they did. The Crossbellian definitely couldn't fault him, especially since at the end of the day he was only a couple years older than the rest of them. Didn't mean she wouldn't tease him for it-

"Heh. Schwarzer looks like he went a dozen rounds with a creepy sheep – and lost!"

Juna quickly changed her mind and decided to abandon that idea. Following up on anything Ash said or did was just wrong on so many levels. Instead she decided to play the cool supportive role for a change, "What're we doing today, Instructor Reaaaaaaaawn."

...The mortified pinkette did her best to hide her face after her loud obnoxious yawn in the middle of her greeting. It did little to protect her from the laughs of more than a few of her classmates.

Instructor Rean too let out a chuckle at her expense, "Principal Aurelia was quite interested in turning today into a physical exam. Her idea that having you push yourselves beyond your exhaustion to improve is a sound one..."

The blush on Juna's face paled in record speed leaving her as white as a ghost. That woman was an absolute psychopath and would be the death of them all!

"...But the other instructors and I convinced her that today would make for a good self-study day. So that's what we'll do instead."

"Oh thank Aidios!" She wasn't a religious person by nature, but she'll definitely be stopping by the church to pay her respects for that miracle. Instructors Rean, Randy, Towa, and Michael had to have been saints sent by the Goddess herself if they were able to stand against Principal Le Guin and win.

And yet somehow Instructor Rean's next words made things even better, "While midterm exams are coming up in two weeks and I do hope you take the time to begin studying, the real reason I suggested the idea of a study day is so you guys can get a little extra rest. You're free to leave class and do whatever works best to help you relax, but don't let me catch you doing anything that goes against that. That means you, Ash."

"The hell?! Why are you singling me out!?"

"I haven't gotten the chance to say it since we finished in Ordis..." It was funny seeing Instructor Rean completely ignore Ash like that, "but I'm proud of you all. That was our most difficult field exercise by far and yet the six of you truly shined. You've really shown my old classmates that the New Class VII is in no way inferior to the old."

At some level Juna understood that the praise he was offering wasn't entirely truthful. As much as it pained her to admit it there was little chance she and her classmates would walk away from a fight with the Stahlritter and their leader in one piece, even with their principal helping out. By that metric the original Class VII was still their superior, and still a goal she and her friends needed to work towards, just like the SSS was to her.

"Heeheehee." But all that aside Juna couldn't resist the urge to preen happily at the praise, "We really kicked butt, didn't we?"

"That you did." Instructor Rean agreed with a soft smile before clapping his hands together, "That's all I have to say. Enjoy your day off and I'll see you all this time tomorrow!"

Despite the dismissal none of the students moved as their teacher made his exit, "Fifty mira says that guy gave us the day off so he could go fishing in peace."

The Crossbellian blinked at that statement. Not because of the bet itself – nobody was stupid enough to take it up – but the fact Fie had been the one to say it. Hadn't she been sound asleep the entire time?

But seeing the silver-haired girl rise from her seat left Juna thoughtful. Rean's reminder that they had their big tests in a couple of weeks struck her hard. Not only because tests were a terrifying prospect, but because it reminded her that she'd somehow lost to Fie on their last exam.

"I'm not gonna lose again!" Sure she understood why her friend had been so far behind and was glad she managed to catch up so quickly, but if she let Fie beat her again that would leave her as Class VII's weakest link!

"Huh?"

"You heard me." The pink-haired girl stood from her seat and approached her confused looking new rival, "You may have beat me last time, but I'm definitely gonna score higher on our midterms!"

As understanding dawned in her friend's eyes a challenging smirk took hold of her face, "Heh. Is that so? Wanna bet on it?"

"Damn right I do! I'll wager my favorite Mishy!"

"Sounds good. If you manage to win I'll give you one of my best quality grenades. Deal?"

"Deal!" Had Juna been thinking more rationally she might've realized just what she'd been offered and how pointless it was. But she hadn't, and thus she remained there with a proud smirk on her face as Fie walked out of the classroom like the coward she was.

It was only after she had left that the situation began to sink in. Had she seriously just offered up her favorite Mishy on a whim!? Sure it was just a ratty old doll, but it was one that Ken and Nana got for her the first time they went to Mishelam together. She couldn't afford to lose it! And for a grenade of all things!?

"Kurt! I screwed up! I need help!"

Ash grinned viciously as he held his switchaxe at the ready. It had taken months, but he finally got what he had been waiting for.

He was about to fight against Jaeger.

"Surprised you didn't make an excuse before running away like all the other times." He taunted his opponent at the other end of the training room.

"Probably should've, in hindsight." His opponent commented with a lazy shrug that did nothing to detract from the way she was warily watching him, "But it's kinda annoying how many powerhouses we've been facing lately. Even though you kinda suck at fighting you've at least proven you're pretty damn hard to kill. If I can take you down I should be able to finish off a Stahlritter at least."

"You annoying little fly..." He knew her words were poorly disguised praise, but that was the name of their game. Mutual disrespect in everything they did, "Fine! But don't go crying to your undead dad when I kick your ass!"

One nice thing about Jaeger compared to Pretty Boy, his other classmates, or even Schwarzer was that she alone understood the same thing he did: There are no rules in war. That was why he didn't wait for any stupid bell or referee or any other standard way to start the fight, instead launching his weapon towards his opponent without warning. And that was why he wasn't at all surprised when Fie casually rolled out of the way of his chained blade.

As she exited her roll her gunswords were pointed directly at him. Sure he could live up to her statement about being hard to kill by tanking the shots well enough, but he wasn't so stupid to automatically assume the enemies gun was safe to endure just because the weapon itself was small. Instead he positioned himself so his rapidly recalling blade was between him and her, allowing it and his chains to take the hits for him.

He'd seen her fight enough to know she was an opportunistic little thing and wouldn't be able to resist the urge to attack him while he seemed helpless. Thus he was prepared when Fie proved she was even faster than his blade as she closed the gap in an instant, turning the haft of his weapon into a makeshift club with the remaining chain length serving as a nasty little flail. Fie evaded the crude strike, but the little yelp of surprise she let out was music to his ears.

As his weapon connected back together Ash immediately launched his own attack. Despite it being a simple spar he was absolutely aiming to cause as severe an injury as possible with his blade, but to his annoyance he failed. An annoying smirk was plastered on Jaeger's face as she bobbed and weaved through all of his attacks without a care in the world.

It was a pain, but this was what Ash wanted. He hadn't gotten a chance to fight the Swift during their brief encounter, but this was what he imagined such a fight would be like.

The blond could tell that Fie wanted to close inside the range of his switchaxe where she'd hold the advantage, and his first instinct was to keep swinging so that couldn't happen, even if scoring a hit felt impossible. But he hesitated as an idea came to mind. It was risky as hell, but it sure beat standing in a stalemate swinging his weapon wildly like a fool.

Once again Ash swung his large blade, but this time he made a show of overextending his attack. It was too irresistible an opportunity and the silver-haired girl darted in under the attack and began swinging her own weapons at him... Just as he surprised her with a straight kick. Opportunistic attack became a hasty defense and the girl blocked his foot with her weapons. He could feel the blade cutting into his boots, but it didn't matter as the force of his boot making contact jarred her gunswords right out of her hands.

If Fie was bothered by the loss of her weapons she certainly didn't show it as she took advantage of his kick by launching a spin kick of her own towards the only leg currently connecting him with the ground. He slid back to avoid the painful attack, but in so doing lost his balance and fell backwards, opting to abandon his weapon in favor of catching his fall.

Fie was on him in an instant. Even if she was a tiny little thing the former punk had no desire to get clocked in the head and so he rushed to guard his face. He was surprised when the rain of blows didn't come down as he expected, but in that brief moment he understood why. The head wasn't her target. Something far worse was.

"I give!" He yelled out just as her fist neared the part that made Ash a man, "You psycho bitch! Stay away from the junk!" Even in street brawls everyone knew that the dick was off-limits!

"And that's the difference between us jaegers and whatever it was you consider yourself." The annoying little brat grinned as she stood back up. She didn't bother offering him a hand, not that he would've taken it, "Still, that kick was pretty good. Wasn't expecting it at all. Might've had me there if you weren't such a wimp."

He rolled his eyes as he got to his feet, "You're just as psycho as that Ogre chick!"

"Hell no!" She scowled at him, "The Shirley I remember loves going below the belt. Said it's funny listening to guys squeal like a pig after a single hit. Me? I only did it 'cause you left yourself wide open. Maybe that's your kink or something?"

"Ugh. Psycho jaeger chicks..." The two retrieved their weapons, "Go again?"

"Yep. Ready when... you... are?"

The reason she trailed off? The door to the training room opened and in walked Schwarzer and the Pretty Boy. Both seemed as surprised to see them as he was to them, "Oh. Fie and... Ash?" Kurt muttered, causing him to roll his eyes, "Not a combination I was expecting to see."

"We're here for the same reasons you are, I bet." Jaeger pointed out.

"Bet you're still feeling the pain after getting thrown around fighting those crazy knights, ain't ya?"

Schwarzer let out his signature annoying awkward laugh, "Can't deny it. Even though we all pulled through alright that last encounter was a stark reminder of just how much further we all need to improve, myself included. Glad to see the two of you picked up on that too."

"I'm assuming you two want in." Two nods were the answer he received, "So how are we doing this?" Ash asked. As much as he hated to admit it, Schwarzer was still on another level than the rest of them.

"How about we spar as pairs and alternate the teams after each match." The teacher suggested quickly, "For the first match Kurt and I will take on the two of you. Do you need a minute to catch your breath before we begin?"

Heh. Seems like his fight against Fie was at an end for now. That was fine. He'd wanted to fight against speed and it seemed he would, even if his opponents were different now. He shot a pointed look towards his temporary ally and got a grudging nod in response, "Nope. We're more than ready to kick your ass."

"Alright then. Principal Le Guin is currently in a meeting with Instructor's Towa and Michael so we should have a good hour or so before we should consider stopping." Heh. It was pretty funny seeing their teacher be so terrified of the Golden Rakshasa barging in on their fights, but at the same time Ash appreciated the foresight immensely. Few things in the world truly scared him, but Aurelia Le Guin was one of them, "We'll begin on my signal..."

As Raquel's little monster took his stance he couldn't help but appreciate the situation he found himself in. Sure the school was still flaky as hell and his classmates and teacher were all annoying bleeding hearts, but Class VII had its perks too. He'd never admit it out loud, but having friends around who were tough as nails was nice. And while his teacher might've been as lame as could be, he'd at least proven he was more than his stupid little hero title.

Yeah. Being a member of Class VII wasn't so bad.

"...And begin!"

"Are you sure this place will have what I'm looking for?"

"Positive."

Kurt wouldn't say he was a suspicious person by nature, but the look on Fie's face was anything but innocent. Still, even with his doubts the Vander found himself reluctantly following the girl to their destination, since it was the polite thing to do when she offered to help him.

Somehow the conversation at the end of classes had turned to weapon maintenance, and he'd shamefully admitted that with everything that had happened recently he had gotten a little lax on his weapon supplies. Nothing too major, naturally, but the whetstone he used to sharpen his blades was becoming worn down and he'd used the last of his oil just before their field exercise.

That left him with three options: Borrow from one of his blade-wielding classmates, use the freely offered school supplies, or send a letter back home and request supplies from the Vander School. One of those would cost him his pride, another would cause a suffer in quality, and the final would take too much time.

And that was when Fie presented a fourth option: Neinvalli Exchange. His classmate was adamant that the quality of the place was good, so long as you were willing to pay a hefty price. Mira was little trouble for the young noble, so he'd begrudgingly accepted her offer even if he held plenty of reservations towards the idea.

"Are you absolutely sure this place will have it?" He repeated warily as they approached, "No offense, but Neinvalli doesn't exactly have the most sterling of reputations..." He hadn't been in the Leeves shop yet, but the one in Crossbell was as shady as a store could possibly get.

"Quit freaking out so much." His companion waved him off with a roll of her eyes, "I occasionally help out here so you know it can't be too bad, right?" He remained unconvinced which caused Fie to narrow her eyes at him dangerously, "Sure the place deals in plenty of illegal stuff, but at the end of the day it's a shop used all the times by jaegers and other criminals, many of whom use blades like me. What do you think they use to sharpen their weapons? Dead puppies or something?"

"Of course not!" Honestly he hadn't given the idea much thought in the past, but it stood to reason that soldiers of fortune would use similar maintenance as professional martial artists, "I'm not stupid, you know!"

Did he use a little too much vitriol in his statement? Possibly. But did Fie really need to say something so outlandish as dead puppies?

For her part Fie didn't seem to care one whit as they arrived at the nondescript building and the shorter girl took the lead to open the door. The young Vander wasn't sure what to expect as he entered, so he braced himself for what he imagined to be the worst things possible-

Kurt let out a horrified gasp as he saw what lay motionlessly on the ground inside the store, "A dead puppy!?" Holy hell. Had she been serious when she suggested that's how they maintained their weapons? He needed to get away from this butchery and report to the school faculty as soon as-

"Oi. Cerberus. We have customers. Stop playing dead."

"O-Oh, right. Haha..." Kurt rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Of course the little puppy was just sleeping and not actually dead.

How embarrassing.

His companion shot him a look that hinted at future teasing before turning to the extremely young shopkeeper, "Got a fresh one here for you. I know he looks like an easy mark, but he's my classmate so don't take advantage of him too badly, yeah?"

"No promises. Kid's a blue blood, so he's gotta be pretty loaded, right?"

Really? Is that how they saw him? And did she just call him a kid when she was clearly much younger?

The Vander was already regretting his decision and made his annoyance plain in the look he shot Fie, but to his growing ire the girl was no longer paying attention to him, having deemed pampering Cerberus as a better use of her time.

"Alright, pretty boy." From Ash the nickname was bad enough, but from this small precocious child? "What can I get for you?"

With a grumble Kurt complied and listed out everything he was hoping to find. To his surprise the diminutive shop owner responded to each item with either or a nod or a positive sounding hum. The shop they were in was extremely small, but somehow she dug out each and every item he asked for with only minimal fuss. Even more impressive was the quality of the items she procured, with everything being top of the line imports, including brands from Calvard that were supposed to be banned in the Empire.

Ten minutes later and the two students exited the shop, "So...?" Fie pressed, knowing grin on her face.

"I'll admit. That place wasn't half bad." He may even visit again, except without his smug classmate.

"I'm proud of you." She teased, wiping a fake tear from her eye, "Prim and proper Kurt is visiting black market shops. Even bought some illegal goods!

The dual-blade user flushed scarlet. He had gotten so caught up in his purchases that he'd somehow allowed Jingo to convince him of the quality of those illegally imported items.

"Don't worry." Fie gave him a mocking pat on the shoulders, "I know some good hiding spots if you're worried about getting caught, but I'm pretty sure Major Michael is the only teacher that'd care.

Kurt Vander could only groan miserably. He wasn't too worried about the staff, but if his family ever found out...

"I am annoyed."

"Huh?"

Altina sent her silver-haired roommate a flat look as the other girl prepared for bed, "I feel you have been spending more time with our other classmates these past few days."

"Have I?" Fie seemed confused for a second before waving her off with a shrug, "Are you jealous?"

"No." Definitely not jealous. And she wasn't pouting either.

"Heh. If you say so." Fie climbed into her bed, "Wanna sleep with me?"

Altina tilted her head. Fie wasn't Juna. She was an expert sleeper and could possibly be trusted with something like this. Decision made the smaller girl gave a small nod before following her friend, "Won't this make Juna angry?"

"Probably." Their other roommate was already fast asleep, but Altina still had bad memories of Juna's attempts at sleeping with her, "Do you care?"

"...No. Not really." Maybe the others had gotten more time with her friend these past few days, but as Altina relaxed into the other girl she was more than content.

She held monopoly over the nights.