- Chapter 4: First day, first lesson -
Morning, the start of a new day, and in his room, the new school counselor of Beacon Academy woke up earlier than usual.
The previous night Venti held a party to celebrate the successful initiation of the newly formed teams, although only teams RWBY and JNPR were interested in joining. Due to the school's no alcohol policy, he didn't drink himself till he passed out unlike back in Mondstadt, and instead he exhausted himself having fun with the students, which he had not done since the last Windblume over half a year ago.
Stretching his arms after getting up, the bard looked at the window, saw the sun rising up from behind the hills. He then turned to his clock, showing that it was currently 7:30am, an hour earlier than his usual wake up time. He could go back to sleep, but no longer feeling sleepy and instead felt refreshed, Venti decided that he would start this day early and see how the new students were doing for their first day of school.
After washing his face and changing his blue-green pajamas for his usual outfit, he set his cecilia into his beret before grabbing his lyre and leave his room for the 1st-year dormitory, saying to himself and wondered, "A new day, a new song begins, ah... just what's in store for today."
A short walk through the still waking up campus, Venti reached the 1st-year building. As he entered, he encountered some of the fresh students leaving in the academy uniforms, which consisted of a white collared shirt and black dress pants along with a black blazer, a red tie and black dress shoes for boys; and a red plaid skirt, a white shirt with a red ribbon around the collar, dress shoes and a dark brown blazer for girls. Although he was not really into fashion, he found the design rather fancy albeit dated.
As he walked by, some of the students greeted him politely to whom he did the same, while others just walked pass him either not knowing who he was or did not notice him. Later, he headed into the corridor where the rooms for teams RWBY and JNPR were located, where he heard a loud crash coming out of the all-girls team's room.
The bard immediately went to knock on the door to check out what had happened, and then out came Ruby in her uniform and signature hood and cape, who greeted, "Oh, good morning Venti."
Glancing into the room, the school counselor could see a bed laying on its side with broken ropes hanging from the ceiling while Weiss, Blake and Yang trying to figure out what to do, and on the other side, he could see another bed standing on another one with books under its legs. He then asked confusedly, "Hey Ruby, what were you girls doing that caused this strange new furniture rearrangement?"
"We were trying to bunk our beds to make up for space," the team leader said, "but things didn't go quite as planned."
"I told them it was a bad idea, and yet the three of them want to do it anyway," Weiss complained.
"Oh come on Weiss, we only underestimated the ropes' strength, we just need to add more to keep it in place," Yang retorted.
Seeing this, the bard said, "I see, so do you need some help?"
"Would you really?" Ruby asked the boy, while the others turned to him, as he offered, "Yeah, I can hold the bed up while you set the supports in. Just take it as me returning the favor for yesterday."
"Then many thanks," Blake said. The bard then entered the room and strummed four light notes on his lyre, generating four small whirlwinds which lifted up the side-ways bed over another and turned it the right way, he then instructed, "Alright, now tie it down."
Yang and Blake then jumped up to tie the ropes on to the bottom part of the legs as well as under the bed itself, but this time they doubled the amount of rope used. Once the two of them finished, Venti stopped the winds and allow the supports to tighten by gravity. After waiting a moment, the bed showed no signs of falling, meaning it was stable and the five of them breathed a sigh of relief. And finishing off, Ruby tied a large white blanket on to the ropes, which then draped over the bed like a curtain.
"And...objective completed," Ruby declared, with the bard raising his arms in the air and cheered, "Woohoo!"
"All right, our second order of business is..." the team leader announced and took out a notebook, "...classes."
"Now, we have a few classes together today, at nine we've got-" Ruby started, but then Weiss interrupted, "What!? Did you say 9 o'clock?"
"Umm..." the red-hooded girl glanced both ways, not seeing the problem before them.
"It's 8:55, you dunce!" the heiress scolded and rushed out the open door, as team JNPR came out from the opposite room.
Jaune asked, "What's with the commotion?"
"To class!" Ruby declared, as she and her two teammates ran after the atlesian girl, while Venti just walked out leisurely.
Confused, the blond team leader muttered, "Class?"
The school counselor nodded and said, "That's right, and you guys might wanna hurry as well, because you only have five minutes left to go there."
Hearing what the bard said, JNPR team realized the current problem, and the team leader exclaimed, "Five minutes!? We're gonna be late!"
And the four of them, just like team RWBY, ran out of their room, while the bard just stood there with a smile, and called out, "Have a nice day!"
"Thanks, you too Venti!" Pyrrha waved back, running with her teammates. The school counselor, left alone in the corridor, chuckled a bit as he looked out the window, watching the eight 1st-years running to their lecture hall, and thought, 'What a lively bunch...'
Just as bell rang, both teams RWBY and JNPR barreled through the door, with Jaune tripping and accidentally causing the others to fall right on top of him in a dog pile, drawing a few laughs from the rest of the class. The lecture hall, like all others at Beacon, was rather large, with a large area in the front with a teacher's desk and multiple long desks going upwards several rows, providing all students a clear line of sight of the front of the room no matter where they seat.
"Sorry we're late," Ruby said from the top of the pile, scratching the side of her head. And the teacher Professor Peter Port, who was a seemingly pompous man with short grey hair and a rather fat mustache, said, "Not at all, we are just starting, please take a seat."
Hearing the professor's instruction, team RWBY went and sat down in the first row on the left while team JNPR took the row behind them. Once everyone was ready and seated, Port began the class.
"Monsters! Deeeemons... Prowlers of the night!" the professor began extravagantly, "Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as PREY! Ha ha!"
Unfortunately for Port, his joke received only silence in response, as no one in the room found it funny. And due to how stale the lesson was going, Ruby struggled to stay awake, eventually falling asleep, much to the irritation of Weiss as she continued to take notes.
"Uhhhh... And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy!" the plump professor quickly continued, realizing the silence was becoming awkward. "Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses... Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why the very world!"
As Port continued his lecture and unbeknownst to most of the class, at the far back row on the left, someone else was listening attentively. Since he didn't have any lectures until afternoon, Zhongli had decided to listen in, having grown fond of the professor's stories after their tea the previous day.
Having been the guardian deity of the nation that had seen the most fighting during the Archon War, battling monsters such as the Chi of Yore, and other Gods like Osial for a thousand years, it had left a deep scar on the Geo Archon. And now listening to how the Grimm Studies teacher describe those creatures, it inevitably brought back those memories to the man, and made him felt a sense of empathy for the people of this world, as not only do they not have the powers of Gods, but also how long they have been fighting these monsters as the God of Wisdom had told him.
At the same time, Professor Port began going on about a story about his encounter with a Grimm when he was a boy, to which many in the room had begun to lose interest listening to, although there were a select few, such as Weiss and Zhongli, that were listening carefully. But as he continued to listen, the God of Contracts also observed that, close to the front, the heiress seemed to be getting angrier at her team leader Ruby's antics such as scribbling, napping, playing with an apple, napping again, laughing with Blake and Yang, napping AGAIN.
"The moral of the story?" Port asked the class, having finished recounting his story, "A true huntsman must be honorable! A true huntsman must be dependable! A true huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!"
The lecturer then looked around the room, "So, who among you believe themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
Weiss shot up her hand, exclaimed "I do, sir!"
"Well then, let's find out !" Port said, and gestured to the two cages at the side, each holding an angry Boarbatusk inside, "Step forward and face your opponent!"
After changing into her normal outfit and grabbing Myrtenaster, the Atlesian reached the front, ready to fight one of the Grimm beast locked within the cages, as she took a deep breath and tried to focus. However, she couldn't due to her teammates cheering on for her.
"Go, Weiss!" Yang cheered, raising her fist into the air.
"Fight well!" Blake also cheered while waving a small red flag with RWBY written on it in white letters. Although no one knew when or where she got it.
"Yeah, represent teeeam RWBY!" Ruby shouted in encouragement.
At her team leader's words, Weiss lowered her rapier and looked towards her with a slightly disapproving look on her face, exclaiming in annoyance," Ruby! I'm trying to focus!"
"Oh, um... Sorry..." Ruby apologized sheepishly.
Seeing this interaction, Zhongli crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Ruby was just cheered on Weiss like Blake and Yang, and yet the heiress specifically told the team leader to stop, and he could tell that there was something going on between the two, and it seemed to be one-sided. He continued to observe carefully as the girl in white got back in her stance with her sword raised.
"All right!" Port exclaimed, getting everyone's attention as he raised his weapon Blowhard, a battle axe-blunderbuss hybrid, whose design the Liyue gentleman had found rather confusing and very unorthodox for a firearm, as he thought, 'Where did Peter get it from?'
"Let the match... Begin!" the professor swung the axe blade down, smashing the lock on the cage clean off, letting out the Boarbatusk inside.
Barely a second after coming out, the creature charged at Weiss without a second thought. She tried swinging Myrtenaster at the black boar's side, only for it to seemingly bounce off its armoured hide as the heiress had to roll out of the way to avoid its attack before she could recover, landing on her feet before readying herself for the Grimm's next move.
The Boarbatusk then growled at Weiss. "Ha-ha!" Wasn't expecting that, were you?" Port commented, noticing how the girl rushed to respond when it attacked.
"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby cheered, while her partner sped towards the Grimm as it charged again. Weiss attempted to strike the creature's skull, only to pierce one of its tusks while still gripping Myrtenaster's hilt, leading to a game of tug-of-war between her and the beast.
"A bold new approach, I like it!" the plump professor commented.
At the back, Zhongli thought to himself, as he analyzed the scenario, 'True, it was bold. But if she was truly focused on her target, she would have immediately identified and exploited the Grimm's weak spot on its underside. She is letting her mind slip into issues of her own creation.'
"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby cheered. But instead of focusing on her opponent, the girl in white glared at her partner for a second, giving the Boarbatusk an opportunity to jerk its head, throwing Myrtenaster off its tusk and out of Weiss' hand, and made it fly towards the other side of the classroom. It then headbutted the heiress, knocking her backwards.
"Oh-ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?" Port asked as he looked at the now defenseless Weiss.
Looking up, she saw the beast charging again and rolled out of its way just in time to avoid getting trampled, making the black boar crash into the front row desk on the left. Taking this opportunity, she slid across the floor and took up her rapier once again, getting back into her stance to face the Grimm.
"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armour underneath-" Ruby tried to advise, but was cut off by Weiss, who turned at Ruby clearly agitated, "Stop telling me what to do!"
Seeing this, Zhongli confirmed in his mind that there was something about the silver-eyed girl that she despised for some reason, and that it had been there even before the moment he met the heiress the day before initiation, or maybe since the incident the Anemo Archon had informed him.
Suddenly, the Boarbatusk leapt into the air before rolling into a ball. Spinning in the air still, it quickly gained speed as it landed on the ground, rolling towards Weiss at break-neck speeds. But before getting hit, the girl created a blue glyph in front of her, which the Grimm slammed into and knocked it on to its back.
Before it could recover, Weiss created another blue glyph, this time behind her up in the air, which she jumped on to. Then as the glyph turned black, it launched her at the creature's exposed belly.
Shink!
The Atlesian girl drove her blade deep into the Grimm's stomach, causing them both to slide backwards on the floor a bit. The Boarbatusk let out a squeal in pain before going silent, that's when its body fell limp as it began to disintegrate.
"Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in-training!" Port declared as Weiss, panting slightly in exhaustion before standing up straight, nodded at him. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for-"
"Professor Port," from the back of the lecture hall, a deep voice interrupted the professor and asked, "Would it be too much for me to ask if I can have a go as well?"
Everyone present turned to where it came from, and that's when they notice the man sitting in the last row. Recognizing who he was, the lecturer responded, "Zhongli, I didn't notice you were there, but I'm afraid there might not be enough time for a second demonstration, as the students have other lectures to attend to."
"You need not worry, this won't take long, surely a little practice won't hurt," the gentleman responded, exuding calmness and confidence in his monotonous voice.
At the first row, Yang muttered and asked her partner, "Wait, Zhongli? Isn't he..."
"Yeah, remember what Nahida told us yesterday? She said he's an ace chess player and tactical genius, as well as a very versatile warrior," Blake whispered back.
After thinking for a few moments, Port said, "Very well, then let us all welcome our guest lecturer, Mr. Zhong."
As the students clapped their hands, Weiss moved next to the professor as the Wangsheng consultant walked down the staircase. He then stood at where the girl was at the beginning of her fight.
"Are you sure you are ready for your round?" the plump teacher asked his colleague.
"No need to fret, I have all the tools I need," Zhongli responded, as he took out a gold pen from his right coat pocket, tossed it into the air and caught it before putting both hands on his back.
Seeing that, Pyrrha asked quietly and with astonishment, "Is he going to fight a Boarbatusk with just a pen!?"
"But is that even possible?" Jaune inquired his partner.
"All right then," Port raised his weapon at the lock on the second cage, while the history teacher closed his eyes, "Aaaaand... begin!" The professor broke the lock, allowing the door to fall and for the other Boarbatusk to charge out at the man, who just remained still.
Everyone were at the edge of their seats as they watched the black boar quickly closed the gap between it and Zhongli. Once the creature got close enough, they all thought the beast would ram into the gentleman's lean frame, but he snapped his eyes open, and kicked the left side of its head hard, sending it upwards and flipping it over, as a crack could be seen forming on the beast's left tusk.
Before it could fall on its back, the gentleman jumped up and tossed his pen in the air, which spun and glowed a golden light before extending and transforming into Vortex Vanquisher.
"Know thy self," He said as he spun around once, before using his left hand to throw his lance into the Grimm's exposed underbelly, "Know thy enemy..."
Shink! Slam!
The polearm penetrated the creature and punched a hole into the floor. The Boarbatusk squealed and struggled with the staff still stuck through its torso, as the man landed back on his feet, "A hundred battles..."
He walked towards the creature, as it ultimately ceased and disintegrated. He picked up his weapon out of the ground, and finished as the black boar had crumbled into nothing, "A hundred victories."
Everyone in the classroom, even Professor Port, were shocked at just how fast the mysterious teacher dispatched the Boarbatusk. Zhongli didn't acknowledge their expressions as he twirled Vortex Vanquisher over himself and back into pen form. It was then that he turned to face everyone.
Seeing their expressions, the history teacher asked humbly, "I...do hope I did not disappoint.'
"Not at all! Most incredible! I doubt even I could pull off moves like yours!" Port exclaimed before turning to face the rest of the class, "And what Mr. Zhong said, truly words to live by! Now, that will be all for today. But, be sure to go over the assigned reading and... stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"
With that, Weiss glared one last time at Ruby before quickly taking her leave from the classroom. Zhongli noticed the seething rage in the girl in white's eyes when she passed by him, leading him to hum in thought.
"That was awesome, Mr. Zhong!" someone exclaimed from behind the gentleman. As he turned around, the faces of Blake, Yang and team JNPR gathered before him, and the blonde girl continued, "The way you fight that, the way you delivered your lines... Oh, it's just so cool!"
"You're exaggerating, Miss Xiaolong," Zhongli dismissed, "Any warrior would be able to accomplish what I did quickly and efficiently."
Nora commented with a big smile, "Oh... but that kick, you can break some legs with that." The Wangsheng consultant felt an slight unease with what and how the girl spoke.
"Nora..." Ren said and gave her a warning glance, to which she giggled innocently.
"But what you said during your fight, Mr Zhong... What does it mean?" Jaune asked, and the teacher explained, "It is an old proverb from my home, Mr Arc, it means one will be invincible if they understand both themselves and their opponent."
"And also, I would like to add, there is one aspect about a true huntsman that Professor Port had omitted," The man added.
Blake inquired, "And what is that?"
"Steadfastness, Miss Belladonna," Zhongli responded, "Steadfastness. One also needs to remain firm and unwavered in mind and body, even in the face of great adversity. In a game of chess, it is one of the qualities of the rook. And as the team formed by the choosing of two white rook pieces, I expect you to embody that quality as well, Team JNPR."
Hearing what the Geo Archon had said, the four members of team JNPR nodded in unison toward the gentleman, with its team leader saying, "We will do our best, sir!"
Acknowledging the teams resolve, the history teacher nodded and smiled a little. But it quickly disappeared once he noticed Ruby leaving the classroom to chase after Weiss, with a frown still on her face.
"Is everything alright between Miss Rose and Miss Schnee?" Zhongli asked.
"I'm not really sure," Yang admitted, watching as her younger sister left the room, "But Weiss was also kinda grouchy all morning for some reason."
"Maybe she's just not a morning person?" Jaune suggested a hypothesis.
"It's possible," the mysterious teacher muttered as he held his chin in his fingers before turning back to the door, "but I believe there is more to it than that. How about you all head to your next class? I will see what I can do."
With that said, Team JNPR and what's left of Team RWBY went ahead to their next lecture while Zhongli went after Ruby and Weiss. It didn't take long for him find the two as they were just around the corner, where he stayed behind, listening to what appeared to be an argument between the team leader and her partner.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you!" Weiss shouted at Ruby, "You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"
"What did I do?" the red-hooded inquired, and the heiress remarked rudely, "That's just it! You've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child and you've only continued to do so"
"Weiss, where is this coming from?" Ruby asked, "What happened to all that talk about 'working together'? I thought you believed in acting as a team."
"Not a team led by you," the Atlesian girl stated, showing a sign of resentment, "I've studied and trained, and quite frankly I deserved better."
Weiss turned around with her arms crossed over her chest, and said before walking off, "Ozpin made a mistake."
After hearing her partner's words, Ruby stood there and on the verge of tears. Zhongli then stepped out of the corner, and said, "Don't take it to heart what Miss Schnee just said."
"How long have you been standing there, Mr. Zhong?" the red-hooded girl asked, and the man replied, "Long enough to hear just about all of it."
"And what do you think? Do you think she's right?" the girl asked for an opinion, with a sense of doubt lacing her voice, "What if Ozpin did make a mistake choosing me to lead?"
"It may still be to early for me to tell," Zhongli stated, "Although it hasn't been too long since I came to Beacon, but from what I've seen of the headmaster, I believe he is a person who can spot out gems from the rough."
"And from what tutor Kusanali had told me and the school recordings of your initiation had shown, Miss Rose," the history teacher placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "if I were in Ozpin's shoes, I am quite adamant that I would have made the same choice as he did."
Zhongli started to walk away, and Ruby asked one last question, "Wait, do you think I should apologize to her first?"
He stopped in his tracks and turned back to face the girl, "Hmm, I believe the winds of fate would compel her to do so first."
With that said, Zhongli continued to walk down the corridor. Ruby watched as the Prime of the Adeptus eventually disappeared from view before turning around, only to be surprised to find Ozpin standing behind her.
"Hmm... That did not seem to go very well," the headmaster commented.
A while later, out on the courtyard, Venti could be seen walking around the place, in search of inspiration for a new poem. When he walked by the upper terrace, he noticed Weiss on a balcony talking with Professor Port. Once he got closer, it seemed like they were having a quite leisure conversation.
"Of course you did child, you have the blood of a true huntress in you," the professor commented.
"You really think so?" Weiss asked with joy, to which Port replied, "Most surely."
The heiress then lowered her head, and both Port and the bard in the distance could notice a frown growing on her face. The Grimm Studies teacher asked, "Is something troubling you?"
"Yes, sir," the girl admitted.
Port then said with an extravagant flare, "Dear girl, confess to me your strife!"
"Well... I-I think I should have been the leader of team RWBY!" Weiss stated.
For a moment, there was silence as Venti continued to watch this now serious interaction would unfold. Then, the professor said, "That's preposterous!" That caused the bard to wheeze, as he tried not to laugh after hearing the plump man's blunt reply.
"Excuse me?!" the Atlesian girl exclaimed, now starting to get angry, as Port replied confidently, "I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray."
Weiss then asked in disbelief, "So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?"
"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is only matched by your poor attitude," the professor said bluntly.
"How dare you!" the girl in white exclaimed seethingly, and the plump teacher said as he crossed his arms, "My point exactly."
As he continued to listen, Venti asked internally, 'I wonder what happened to make Weiss so upset?'
He then used his Anemo powers to follow the wind traces that the white girl had left behind to search for context. As his sight followed her tracks back to the lecture hall, after-images of the class started to play in his mind with vivid detail, from the Grimm demonstration fights to the appearance and expressions on each student present.
As he watched closely, he observed the behaviour of Ruby throughout the lesson and how it all continued to anger the heiress, as well as how she repeatedly ignored and tried to shush her team leader whenever she attempted to give encouragement and advice.
After having a comprehensive understanding of past events, Venti's sight returned to the present conversation, where Professor Port said, "So the outcome didn't fall in your favour, do you really believe that acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?"
"So instead of fretting about what you don't have, focus on what you do have, hone your skills and perfect your technique," the teacher continued, "And rather than being the best leader you can be, be the best person that you can be. Because in the end, that is all that matters."
Port then walked away, having finished what he wanted to say, leaving Weiss standing there to contemplate what the plump professor had said, and thought, 'What did he mean by 'be the best person I can be'?'
"Oh ho ho, looks like someone was not having a good day," a mischievous voice surprised the girl in white. When she turned to where it came from, she saw Venti approaching with a grin.
Judging by what the boy, the heiress could tell that he had been listening in on her conversation with Professor Port, which she found rude of the bard. She then asked, "How long have you been here?"
"Quite a while," the Anemo Archon admitted, and continued, "So, did you learn anything from old Pete?"
Weiss crossed her arms, sneered madly, "And what does that have anything to do with you?"
"If you would stop being angry, you'd remember that other than being a bard, I am also the school counselor, and that one of my duties is to listen to every students' issues," Venti responded, to which the heiress tried to refute, but quickly knew that he was right.
The bard then moved to bench in the middle of the balcony and sat down. Patting on the space next to him, Venti offered, "Come, sit, let's talk."
Weiss hesitated at the boy's offer, but after thinking about it, she decided it wouldn't hurt to talk about what was on her mind with him. The heiress then explained in detail what the God of Freedom had seen with his elemental sight, but nonetheless, he listened patiently and nodded understandingly.
"...I mean, how could you expect someone to lead a team by acting like a child and a fool!?" the girl stated, "Surely it would be better for a trained person to be team leader."
The bard nodded, "True, true, in most occasions, yes-"
Hearing what appeared to be him agreeing, Weiss interrupted joyfully, "See, I know you'd agree-"
Venti quickly held up his hand to silence the heiress, and continued, "Weiss, I'm not finished. Yes, a trained person usually would make good leaders, but it is not what makes a true leader."
"What...do you mean?" the girl asked, confused at the bard's statement.
"What makes someone a true leader is their patience, ability to inspire, and the willingness to take responsibility and understand," he explained, "Now, you look back at what Professor Port said about you and how you had behaved in these three days, and tell me if you have any of those qualities."
As instructed and with the Anemo Archon subtly using his elemental powers, visions of past events passed through the girl's eyes. This motivated her to analyze on how she had treated Ruby and others. Once the visions stopped, the Atlesian girl looked down and felt her heart growing heavier, she said, "I guess, I didn't really act like a true leader... I kept on pushing Ruby aside when she was trying to help, I was too quick to anger when things weren't going as I desired, and I didn't even try to accept criticism from Professor Port and you."
"So... maybe I should say sorry to you, Venti, for shouting and arguing with you," she apologized with a guilty expression on her still lowered face.
The bard held his head in his heads and looked forward, sighed before saying, "You know... your background and how you act, really reminded me of a good friend of mine."
"Oh?" Weiss turned to look at him with curiosity, and the bard started, "Yeah, back in my home, there is an organization called the Knights of Favonius, which is an order of knights tasked with protecting the citizens of my nation."
"And among its ranks, there is Eula Lawrence, the Spindrift knight and captain of the Reconnaissance Company," he continued, "And just like you, she is a very strong and skilled warrior, has an ice-based semblance, and is a member of the Lawrence Clan, one of the oldest and wealthiest families."
"Really?" the Atlesian girl muttered, fascinated by this Eula person, and Venti nodded in response. Then, she asked, "But if her family is so old and rich, how come I have never heard of them?"
"Well it's because, despite her family status and was one of the ruling houses, it is also the most despised one, causing them to be deposed and exiled from the city," the bard added bluntly.
This information greatly surprised the girl next to him, as she exclaimed, "Wait, seriously?!"
He then nodded, "Mhm, But even so, they remained a proud house and still clung onto their old ways, including the strict adherence to etiquette, display their 'nobility', and upholding the belief that all common folk should be subservient to them, causing them to stay hated by the rest of the nation"
Hearing the bard's description, Weiss couldn't help but nod, and said, "I guess I can empathize with them." Then, she realized that she might be referring to, she quickly added, "...the citizens, I mean!"
"It's alright," Venti said cheerfully before continuing, "And it is because of their traditions that compelled Eula to join the Knights."
"But... if her family is so hated in your home, wouldn't Eula joining the Knights cause the people to start questioning the order?" the heiress asked.
The bard confirmed, "Yeah, it did cause an uproar for a time, with Eula being sneered by the people almost constantly, and the rest of her family labeling her a traitor, since the Knights were the ones that overthrew them. But even so, the members of the Knights and Grand Master Varka, they all accepted and supported her among their ranks, as they all see her for the person she truly is, and eventually got promoted to the rank of captain of the Reconnaissance Company."
"But!" Venti emphasized, "Just like yesterday, about four years ago, Grand Master Varka, along with the majority of the Knights, went on an expedition to the north, and before they left, Varka had to select someone to be his substitute, and Eula was among the nominators for the position of Acting Grand Master."
"And was she selected in the end?" Weiss asked, hopeful for answer. And in response, Venti replied simply and cheerfully, "Nope."
"What!?" the heiress was shocked, and argued, "But she worked hard to become a captain despite her background, and with her skills, she definitely has what it took to be Acting Grand Master! Surely, the Grand Master was mistaken not giving her the position."
"It wasn't in any way Varka's fault, it's because she conceded!" The bard revealed, which surprised Weiss, "W-what do you mean she conceded?"
He then explained, "During the selection, Eula was actually one of the five best contenders, but in the end, she gave up on it, because she was well-aware that if she, a Lawrence, were to lead the Knights in Varka's stead, it would forever damage the order's reputation; later, she also admitted that she's not cut out for the workload that came with the position. Therefore at the end, the knight that was selected as Acting Grand Master by Varka was, in my opinion, the far more capable Dandelion Knight, Jean, a member of the prestigious Gunnhildr Clan."
"And the point I wanted to tell you is that," Venti stated, "Weiss, just like what Old Pete said, the past is set in stone and the teams are already confirmed, so instead of blaming Ozpin or Ruby for not being team leader to fuel your own ego, you should look at the bigger picture, and work for the greater good of everyone, otherwise when your team face a scenario where you have no other choice but to rely on each other, you could end up dooming not just yourself, but also Ruby, Blake and Yang all because your pride doesn't allow it."
Hearing the wise words of the school counselor, Weiss finally thought through what Professor Port meant earlier, bringing a small smile back on the heiress' face, which caused the bard to exclaimed in joy, "Haha, there you go! That's the smile that everyone likes to see!"
"I understand now, thanks for spending time to talk with me," the girl in white expressed her gratitude, to which the boy responded, "Much obliged."
Weiss then asked, "By the way, about Eula, can you tell me more about her?"
At the heiress' request, he smiled brightly and strummed his lyre, "Of course, what part about her would you like to know?"
As the two continued to chat the day away, Ruby could be seen watching them from the hallway. Seeing how much fun they seemed to be having, she couldn't help but show a smile. And on the level above, Zhongli was also observing the bard and heiress through the large window before him. With a satisfied nod, the Geo Archon simply walked away without saying anything.
Later that night...
Weiss returned to her team's dorm to find Blake and Yang deep asleep, but there was still light emitting through the curtain draping over Ruby's bed. Climbing up and pulling open the white blanket, the heiress found a snoring Ruby with several open books on her pillow and a pencil still in her hand. Seeing the scene before her, Weiss could tell that her partner had fallen asleep studying, and felt astonished by the hard work she was showing.
Wanting to talk with Ruby, the white-haired girl shook her lightly. And that was all it took to wake the silver-eyed girl up, who jolted up as soon as she saw Weiss.
"Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed, "I-I was studying and then I fell asleep, I'm sorry..."
The heiress quickly covered her partner's mouth, and gestured her to lower her voice. She looked to the end of the bed and saw an empty mug, then asked, "How do you like your coffee?"
"I-I don't-" the team leader stuttered, but Weiss ordered, "Answer the question!"
Ruby then quickly responded, "Cream and five sugars!"
Sighing a bit, the Atlesian girl said, "Don't move." And then she quickly went to brew a cup with her partner's preference.
A while later, Weiss came back to the room and handed the mug to Ruby, "Here."
The silver-eyed girl awkwardly took it and thanked, "Umm...Thanks, Weiss."
Looking at each other, a silence grew between the two, so the heiress decided to say what was on her mind.
"Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader," Weiss stated sincerely, "just know that I am going to be the best teammate you will ever have."
What the girl had spoken brought a smile on Ruby's face, and she replied, "Thanks for saying that, Weiss, it means a lot to me."
Weiss nodded in acknowledgement, as her partner asked, "So... what did Venti do to made you say that?"
"What about him?" Weiss stuttered, as a slight blush grew across her face, "Who's to say that I didn't just wanted to say it from the bottom of my heart..."
Ruby giggled, "It's alright, I feel you, Weiss. I knew you are a nice person deep down."
Hearing the silver-eyed girl's compliment, the heiress quickly said, "I will allow you to sweet talk this once, but don't do it so suddenly again," she then crossed her arms, held her head high and shut her eyes, stating "Because mark my words, vengeance will be mine!"
That statement came out of nowhere, leaving a very confused expression on Ruby's face, "Huh?"
Seeing how her partner responded to it, Weiss quickly said, as she realized how cringe it was for her to attempt the quote of a certain Spindrift Knight, "Ehhh...please just ignore what I said at the end there, I was just kidding!"
Shaking out of her confusion, Ruby just muttered, "Oh, oh, alright..."
With that, the awkward silence started to creep in again, so the heiress decided to conclude this conversation, "Well, good luck studying."
She then climbed back down, but quickly went back to point out the team leader's notes, "That's wrong, by the way."
Weiss then climbed back down to go change into her sleeping gown in the bathroom. Before she did so though, she called out, "Hey Ruby."
The silver eyed girl looked towards the bathroom, and before she close the door, Weiss admitted, "I always wanted bunk beds as a kid."
And the night continued, as Beacon Academy slowly falls asleep.
A/N:
Woohoo! I finished this chapter in two days since uploading the last one, this certainly is a new record! Seeing the news of Pope Francis' passing somehow had an effect on me, pushing me to want to finish this as soon as possible. Thank you Papa Franciscum, for all that you had done for this world and may you rest in peace.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, as the idea of it had been playing on my mind repeatedly, from Zhongli's demo battle, Venti's recounting of Eula's story, and Weiss' attempt to imitate her. It also might be because I wanted to get it off my chest as quickly as possible, because my final exams are coming next month, and I need to focus. So I won't be writing for the next month.
And here is the recap, Weiss had opened up her mind, enlightened by Venti and Port's words, she is becoming more team focused and will try to work better with her teammates, and strive to be more like the Spindrift Knight.
Response to reviews:
Terraspace81: Thank you for the kind words. Although I like Furina, but since she is no longer the Archon, I'm sorry that there would be no reason for her to appear in this story.
LonelySquire1: Thanks for your input, I will keep that in mind.
akcrown47: Thank you and I will.
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To be continued...