Summer begins

Hello again and welcome to another chapter as we wait for Cold Steel 3 to arrive.

Disclaimer: Is it even necessary at this point? Seriously, this isn't rhetorical, I'm genuinely asking if saying that I don't own Trails of Cold Steel is necessary after 30+ chapters.

"Alright, that should be enough of a warmup." Sara looked at her class and nodded.

The members of Class VII were all gathered in Thors' gymnasium, clad in their school-issued swimsuits that were all black except for a grey streak along the sides. The boys wore shorts while the girls wore one-pieces. At the moment, they were all standing near one of the walls, having finishing their warmup exercises.

"I'm supposed to remind you that swimming classes here are meant to teach you skills relevant to military service…" the instructor began. She was also wearing a one-piece swimsuit, though hers was primarily red with a black streak. "You know, how not to drown if you wind up in the water, how to save others from drowning, CPR… that kind of stuff." She grinned mischievously and the class could already guess what she was about to say. "In fact, CPR is a pretty vital skill on any battlefield. Rean, Alisa, would you care to give us a demonstration?"

"I-Instrcutor!" the blond yelled while blushing.

"What makes you think we know how?" the black haired teen asked in deadpan. "And shouldn't you be the one showing us how it's done so we can learn?"

"Why, Rean, if you wanted me to teach you all you had to do was ask." Sara's grin widened even further.

"…walked right into that one." The swordsman shook his head, deciding it was best to end the conversation there. 'Discretion is the better part of valor,' as he always heard.

"C'mon guys, just kidding around," the purple haired woman said dismissively. "Point is, it's still important that you learn how to do it, and that you won't hesitate if the need arises. Whether that means locking lips with someone of the same sex, or the opposite."

Some were uncomfortable with the tone Sara used to say the last part, but regardless Class VII nodded in agreement.

"…of course," Fie answered simply, ignoring her guardian's obvious intention.

"Well, it IS a skill we can use to save someone's life…" Emma added.

"After we've covered that, I'll be timing how long it takes each of you to swim the length of the pool." Sara looked towards the swordswoman of the class. "Will you give me a hand, Laura?"

"As you wish," she answered with a nod.

After explaining the theory behind CPR, and thankfully not forcing anyone to give a demonstration, Class VII began entering the pool one by one to time their laps.

"You're up, Gaius." Sara held a chronometer in one hand while the aforementioned stood in the block next to the pool. "Ready, aaaaaand… go!"

The moment she finished, the exchange student jumped into the pool, quickly swimming the length of it.

"You're next, Emma." Laura, like the instructor, was holding a chronometer. "Ready… go!"

"Wow, look at Gaius go!" Elliot exclaimed in amazement. He was standing to the side of the pool alongside Rean and Alisa.

"Yeah, I heard he used to swim in that lake in the highlands every summer, so I kind of expected that," the Eight Leaves practitioner answered.

"Emma's a lot faster than I thought she'd be, too…" Alisa chimed in before her eyes narrowed. "…though it's not so much her swimming ability that I envy…"

"What do you-oh." The Schwarzer stopped mid-sentence, realizing what she meant. "Ohh, I get it."

"Y-you don't need to get it!" the archer half-yelled before glaring at the black haired teen. "Anyway, what are you doing just staring at girls in swimsuits?!"

Rean raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing staring at boys in swimsuits?"

His response made the Reinford heiress gawk and blush. "I-I wasn't!"

"Well, any guy would have a hard time taking his eyes off our class' girls," Elliot said, joining the conversation. "I'm not even sure who to gawk at first."

"No argument there." Rean nodded as he looked at Fie swimming her lap before shaking his head. 'Come on Rean, mind out of the gutter.'

"I mean, even the other guys are handsome," the musician spoke again, looking at Rean. "You're pretty toned yourself, Rean."

"Y-you think?"

"W-well, it does look like you put a lot into your exercise and training," Alisa said with a nod before looking at the other boy. "As for you, Elliot… I think you're better just the way you are."

"Aww, really?" he asked, sounding somewhat upset.

The Schwarzer closed his eyes to imagine what Elliot would look like if he was all buff and ripped. Frowning, he immediately shook the thought away. 'Note to self: don't try to imagine that.'

"Hey, what's that on the left side of your chest, Rean?" Elliot asked, staring at his pectorals. "Some kind of scar?"

"Huh?" Alisa directed her gaze at the same area. "Oh, you're right. It's so faint that I hadn't noticed it before."

"Oh, that. It's…" The Eight Leaves practitioner trailed off, trying to come up with the right words. "…some kind of mark. It's been there as long as I can remember… don't know how I got it, though."

"Wow…" the archer said, staring at the scar.

"Actually, when I look at it more closely, it looks more like a bunch of little scars all knit together." the musician thought out loud. "It makes you look really manly and tough! I kind of wish I had one now."

"…seriously?" Rean asked.

"It REALLY wouldn't suit you," Alisa said dryly. "Trust me."

The red haired teen could only slump his shoulders in resignation.

While the three were having their conversation, the rest of the class sans Laura approached them, having finished their laps.

"Tch… I can't believe we finished with the exact same time." Machias narrowed his eyes at Jusis. "We must be destined to strive against each other forever."

"Pfft. What are you talking about?" the Albarea asked. "The only one I was competing against was myself." He then smirked. "And even then, I barely put much effort into it."

"W-well, it's not like I was giving it my best, either!"

'Nice riposte, Jusis,' Rean thought. 'Sorry Machias, but Jusis takes this one.' Judging from the expressions of the other students, that thought was shared between all of them.

"Ahaha… these two…" Emma trailed off with a giggle.

Fie simply sighed before zoning them out.

"That was refreshing. I wouldn't mind swimming a little longer, actually," Gaius said, looking at the pool.

While they were having their conversation, Laura moved towards the block so the instructor could time her. Sara gave the signal to go, and Laura leapt into the water and practically flew towards the other end of the pool.

"Well done," Gaius commented. The other students were similarly impressed. Eventually, Laura got out of the pool and walked back to where Sara and the rest of the class were waiting.

"Let's see… 20.02 seconds. Not bad at all." Instructor Sara nodded in approval. "All right, I think it's time for me to dive into the mix!" She received a few stares at her comment, but at this point, no one was really surprised. "Everyone, pick a partner. It's time for a little head-to-head competition!"

"Heh." Jusis looked to Machias. "It appears we've been given a chance to settle this once and for all."

"I'm ready when you are," the green-haired teen answered immediately.

"Hmm?" Sara hummed before looking at the Arseid. "How about it, Laura? Want to partner up with me?"

"Not today, I'm afraid." Laura directed her attention to the youngest member of the class. "I wish to challenge Fie this time."

"Oh?" Said girl raised an eyebrow.

"I trust there is no issue?" the swordswoman asked.

"Nope," Fie answered with a grin. "Let's do it."

"Hehe, they've really come a long way from how they were before," Emma muttered. Those that heard her nodded in agreement.

"Well, all right. Let's go with that. I guess that leaves me with…" the Instructor looked around before locking her gaze onto a certain swordsman. "Rean! It's your lucky day again."

"W-wait. Why me?!"

Sara, unsurprisingly, ignored his question. "If you all got your partners then go ahead and line up."

.

The first ones to race were Jusis, Machias, Alisa and Emma.

The first two tied once again, much to their annoyance, while the Reinford finished slightly before the class president.

"Okay, let's see what you've got!" Sara said, grinning at her opponent.

"Y-yeah!" Rean nodded. 'There is no way I'm going to win this, is there?' The swordsman took a deep breath to calm himself and focus. 'Well, if I can't win, then I'll certainly make you work for your victory.' The moment Sara had named him as her opponent, Rean decided to put his training for the Second Form into practice.

He recognized that he still had a long way to go, but since focusing his own energy towards his body was something that he could do in practically any situation, he had started to do so every time he had time to himself. He was still too slow in focusing his energy in his legs, much less any specific part of his body, to have it be an effective tool in combat. Furthermore, if he had his sword in hand, he would always end up directing his energy towards his weapon first out of habit. On the upside, he had improved to the point where he didn't need to tune out his surroundings to focus his energy like when he first started.

"Ahaha… go easy on me Gaius," Elliot said somewhat nervously while standing on his block.

"Same to you," the student from Nord replied with a smile.

'Well, here goes nothing,' the black haired teen thought as the four assumed their positions and waited for Laura's signal.

"Ready… go!"

Immediately, the four jumped into the water.

No one was really surprised when Sara took the lead, with Rean and Gaius coming in closely behind and Elliot coming last.

What was surprising, though, was how Rean began to outpace Gaius at the middle of the pool. Then, around three fourths of the way through, he was even with Sara.

'Come on, come on, come on!' the swordsman repeated to himself, his competitive side taking over. 'Just a little more, keep up the pace!' Taking one last breath for the final stretch, he put in as much strength as he could in his strokes and made contact with the end of the pool a few moments later.

He looked to his left and saw that Sara was just about to place her hand on it. Quickly turning around, he saw Gaius about to reach the end and Elliot coming behind him.

"Wait… did I… did I win?" Rean asked between pants, trying to get his breath back.

The instructor simply stared at him, also panting for breath.

"Haha, nicely done, Rean." Gaius congratulated him with a grin.

Elliot simply muttered "I'm exhausted" while trying to get his breath back.

.

Meanwhile, at the starting point, Fie and Laura stood on their blocks, waiting for the other four to get out of the pool.

"I trust you won't hold back," the Arseid said with a smile.

"I probably would if I was swimming on my own," the former jaeger answered before smiling back. "But since I'm swimming against you, you don't have to worry."

"Ahh, they grow up so fast." Sara wiped a fake tear from her eye. "To think that little Fie would willingly go all out without me having to give her a speech."

There was no reaction at her comment other than a few sweatdrops.

"Anyway..." Alisa said to break the silence. "Ready… go!"

The two jumped in and quickly swam the length of the pool, leaving most others behind in terms of time.

"Whoa..." Elliot muttered once the two reached the end.

"Which of them was first?" Alisa asked, both curious and astonished at the speed the two displayed.

"It was too close to call…" Jusis gave his opinion.

"No," Gaius chimed in. "There was a tiny difference. Laura came out ahead on this one."

"Having longer arms might've been the deciding factor, even," Rean added.

"Aww, I wish I could've joined in…" Sara said with a pout.

The two girls seemed to be saying something on their end and shook hands after leaving the pool.

After their time at the pool was over, Class VII changed back into their uniforms, sans the jackets, and went back to the classroom for homeroom.

"Well, the temperatures are going up, up, up and I dunno about you, but I'm wilting like a flower," Sara said while standing at the head of the class. "But as everyone knows, when the heat is on, that's when the refreshing power of beer is at its peak! Ohh… maybe I should use my free day tomorrow to hit up all the capital's beer gardens."

Class VII sweatdropped in tandem.

"If you're waiting for us to stop you, you're in for a long wait," Rean said simply, knowing that even if they wanted to stop her, it would be as useful as telling the rain to stop falling.

"So, do you have a classy gentleman lined up to go with you, or will you be… flying solo again?" Jusis asked dryly.

"…you just HAD to ask…" the older woman groaned before quickly changing the topic. "Aaaaaaanyway, moving on, your next practical exam is coming up next Wednesday. I'm sure you're already used to them by now but just make sure you're ready."

"Yes, Instructor," Emma answered her.

"That means next weekend will be our field study, then…" Alisa thought out loud.

"It feels like we just got done with our last one," Machias said with a sigh.

"I hope the field study is uneventful for once," Rean chimed in before blinking. "I just jinxed it, didn't I?"

Fie grinned. "I know who I'm blaming when things go south."

"Can't you at least say 'if' things go south?"

The former jaeger simply shrugged in response to the Schwarzer's question.

"If we're tied up next weekend, I guess I won't be able to go to the capital for the Summer Festival this year," Elliot mentioned.

Though his comment was mainly directed towards himself, the others caught what he said and looked at him.

"What Summer Festival?" Gaius asked.

"It's a season holiday, kind of," Rean answered. "Most of the major cities in Erebonia celebrate it in June."

"I've heard it's actually an old animistic festival that the Septian Church adopted," Alisa chimed in.

"Ah, I see." The exchange student nodded in understanding. "We actually have a similar festival in Nord. Though, if it's mostly celebrated in June, why does the capital wait until July?"

"You know… I've always wondered about that," Sara said, appearing genuinely curious. "Does anyone actually know?"

"The standards for teaching just aren't what they used to be…" Machias trailed off with a sigh, to which the Instructor deliberately ignored.

"I believe it has something to do with the War of the Lions, though beyond that…" Laura gave her two cents before frowning, trying to remember how they were related.

"That's correct," Emma spoke up. "July is the month when Emperor Dreichels brought an end to the civil war; because of that, the Summer Festival was held a month late, alongside the celebrations of the war's end."

"Huh, interesting." The pink-haired woman narrowed her eyes. "…actually, I think Instructor Thomas was talking about that one time." She let out a sigh of annoyance. "But it seemed like he was just gonna babble on forever, so I managed to worm my way out of that conversation."

"Well, can't say I blame you…" Rean said somewhat sympathetically.

"If you let him, he can go on about history all day," Elliot agreed.

"He doesn't know how to shut up," Fie added, clearly annoyed.

"Anyway..." Sara called out to get the class' attention back. "Make sure you don't let the heat sap your strength." A slight frown found her way to her features. "Though, I'm sure our miracle-working maid will whip up a massive meal to keep us energized."

"It really does seem like she and Sharon have some kind of history together," Rean muttered to Alisa.

"I'd bet my mira on it." The archer sighed. "Sharon always plays innocent whenever I ask her about it, though…"

"Well, that about does it for homeroom. If you'll do the honors, Machias?"

"Yes Instructor," the vice-president answered. "All rise… bow." And with that, classes were officially over for the day.

.

"Fie," Laura called out after Sara left the room and Class VII was left to their own devices. "There is something I wish to discuss, do you have time today?"

"Sure." The silver haired girl nodded.

"Is everything alright?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. We'll see you later." Fie stood up. "Let's go."

The swordswoman nodded and the two left the classroom.

"…if anyone were to see them now, no one would believe how awkward they were around each other," Alisa mentioned with a smile.

"Hehe, true," the class president agreed with a giggle.

While the two girls were talking, the male members of Class VII were having a similar conversation.

"Well, if Laura and Fie end up together in the next field study, they will probably destroy the competition," Jusis commented.

"On that, we can agree," Machias answered. "I guess you worked your magic on them too, Rean."

"Huh, what do you mean?" the Eight Leaves practitioner asked.

"Wasn't your talk with Laura one of the things that helped fix the bridge between her and Fie?" Gaius asked, having heard the story about the two's duel.

"I mean, I guess…?" The black-haired teen frowned. "I don't think I did that much, though."

"Heh, there is no need to be modest; even if you didn't see it as such, Laura clearly took your words to heart," the Albarea countered. "Then again, you have a tendency to meddle in everyone's business, as proven by you constantly helping out the Student Council."

"It's not like I do anything that major for them." Rean then noticed how quiet the red-haired member of their group was. "Is something wrong Elliot?"

The aforementioned jumped a bit before looking at the others. "S-sorry, what were you saying?" he asked before he seemed to catch up to the conversation. "Oh, right! I have to agree with Jusis here. You certainly played a hand in patching things up between those two." The musician directed his attention towards the 'prideful warriors'. "I mean, it was thanks to you that Jusis and Machias became buddies."

"Who the hell became buddies?!" came the expected response from the green-haired teen.

"You must be sniffing roses in the garden of delusions if you think I'm a friend of his," Jusis added in perfect deadpan.

Elliot chuckled. "You both SAY that, but you're totally on the same wavelength." He then frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Erm… anyway, I hate to dish and dash, but I've got a club meeting to get to."

"Oh, yeah you mentioned that earlier. Wind Orchestra, right?" Rean thought out loud.

"Hmph, I should be on my way as well," Jusis said.

"Actually, I've got a club meeting to attend myself," Machias thought out loud.

"We'll catch you all later, then," Gaius said before the three gave their goodbyes and walked out of the classroom. "What about you Rean?"

"I was going to go to the Student Council. I haven't given a report of all the requests I managed to complete yet and I'd rather get that done before tomorrow," the swordsman answered. "You?"

"I don't really have anything planned," the taller teen said.

"Want to come with?"

"…I'll take you up on that offer."

With that, the two grabbed their things and left the classroom.

"Is taking care of your employer's business really part of a maid's work?" Gaius asked as the two left the main building.

"I think it depends on the business or what you're doing to take care of them," Rean answered. "If you're wondering if it's normal to have a maid deal with things related to the management of your company… I'm fairly certain that Sharon is a special case."

"It seems that every time we meet her outside the dorm, we find out something new about her." The exchange student chuckled while shaking his head.

"No argument there," the black haired teen said back.

"Did you have someone like that back home?"

"Someone like what?"

"Like Sharon."

"Hmm? What do y- ohhh." Rean stopped mid-sentence, realizing what his friend meant. "No, we don't have any butlers or maids in the Schwarzer mansion."

"Oh, I thought it was normal for nobles to have at least a few of them."

"It is. We're abnormal like that." The swordsman chuckled. "Besides, I call it a mansion but it's more like a big house. It's small when compared to actual mansions like some other nobles have."

"Right. Barons are low in the steps of nobility," Gaius thought out loud, remembering what he learned about the different ranks. "Oh, I mean no offense, I apologize if it came out as such."

"Don't worry, I won't get offended by something like that," Rean assured him. "The Schwarzers don't put too much importance on their title anyway."

"Why is that?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure if I can explain it correctly." The Eight Leaves practitioner frowned. "My father taught me that while the nobility does have special privileges, those privileges are meant to be used for the people that you rule, not to control them, but to keep them safe. The title doesn't make you better than others; it just gives you more responsibilities. So, in a way, the nobles have less freedom than the commoners."

"…I realize how this will sound but… I haven't seen many nobles like that."

"I know, most of them think that those privileges lets them do whatever they want." He shrugged. "I've seen it before and that way of thinking will come back to bite them. Heck, it already has, as proven by the Reformist faction's quick rise to power."

"So you support the Reformist faction?" Gaius asked.

"…not exactly." That answer got a raised eyebrow from the taller teen. "While I can agree with some of it, they seem to be too… forceful, I think would be the right word."

The lancer simply stared, silently waiting for him to continue.

"You didn't go to Bareahard for our second field study, but when we got to one of the fortresses there, it had been remodeled to something you would expect from a military facility near the borders of the Empire. We saw a lot of tanks being sent there."

"Why would they need to do that in a place that is so far away from the border?" the exchange student asked.

"Jusis gave us the answer to that. In layman's terms, it's because the Reformist faction has the army at their disposal and they eclipse the provincial armies. I can't say that fear is without reason too; the 'Blood and Iron Chancellor' isn't a title you earn by politely asking people to do what you want… but that is a subject that would start a whole other conversation and I don't really pay much attention to that subject, anyway."

"You seem to have given it a fair amount of thought for someone that doesn't pay much attention to it," Gaius remarked.

Rean shrugged. "I am technically a noble, so it's not like I can just pretend that it doesn't have anything to do with me. Personally, and I said this to the group from Bareahard at the time, I think it's a waste to spend all those resources when both sides are supposed to be on the same side."

"I see… you have given me a lot to think about."

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't think it would turn into a serious conversation like that."

"Don't worry about it. You're worried about your country, so I won't fault you for that."

"Thanks. On a related topic, I think Erebonia would be a lot better if we took a few pages from Nord." Their conversation got a lot more light-hearted as they continued their way towards the Student Union building.

Knock, knock.

"Come in," Towa said from inside of the Student Council room.

"Excuse us," Rean answered as he opened the door. "Hey To… how?" The swordsman stared at the small mountain of paperwork on top of Towa's desk.

"Oh, hi Rean, Gaius," the Student Council President greeted them. "Just give me a second please."

"That's a lot of paperwork," Gaius noted, his eyes wide.

"I'll repeat my question: how?" the swordsman said. "I just helped you three days ago. How do you have so much paperwork again already?"

"Some of the clubs are asking for more funds, some forms are for requests, a few are asking for certain materials… the list goes on." As she answered Rean's question, she signed another form before eventually raising her head to meet the two students.

"I understand the first two, but shouldn't the materials requests be the instructors' job?" the exchange student asked.

"They're for personal projects," the petite girl answered.

"And none of those are from the instructors?" Rean asked in a deadpan manner.

Towa just laughed sheepishly in response.

Letting out a sigh, the Eight Leaves practitioner walked forward, grabbed one of the stacks of paper, moved to the couch, and let the papers down on top of the coffee table.

"Rean, you really don't have to help, you know?"

"Towa, you tell me that everytime, but do you expect my answer to change?" he fired back with a chuckle.

Gaius then walked forward and grabbed another stack of papers. "I'll help you out as well."

"Thanks," Towa said happily as the three began their work.

.

.

Half an hour later.

"I swear, someone is out there filling up fake forms just to mess with us," Rean said with a heavy sigh. "Hear this: 'I formally request that the student body is made to carry a grand rose on their person at all times.' And of course, the name wasn't given."

"I-I'm sure there is a reason for it," Towa guessed, although it didn't sound like she really believed it. "I mean, who would take the time to fill a bunch of fake forms just to mess with people?"

"…I might know of someone." As he muttered that, a mental image of Vivi grinning devilishly started to appear in his head.

"I must say, the Student Council has a lot more work to do than I thought," Gaius commented, filling out a form. "If this is the usual, then you could overwork yourself in no time."

"Oh, don't worry, this isn't the usual," Towa assured him.

"Yeah, this is a third of the usual paperwork I see her with," Rean added.

The Schwarzer had to admit, there was something funny about seeing the ever-calm Gaius stare at him in such a gobsmacked manner. Before they could continue their conversation, however, Rean's ARCUS rang.

"Hello, Rean Schwarzer speaking," the black-haired teen answered, happy to get a small rest.

"Rean, it's Fie. Can you come to the Old Schoolhouse?"

"Now? Did something happen?" he asked worriedly.

If it involved the Old Schoolhouse, then he didn't know what to expect.

"No, nothing serious at least, but I need to talk with you there."

"Well…" Rean trailed off, looking at the stack of papers he still had to go through.

"Go," Towa said. "You already helped me a lot, so go take care of whatever is going on."

"I'll stay and help her finish, don't worry," Gaius assured him.

The swordsman looked between the two, making sure they didn't mind before mouthing a 'thank you'.

"Alright, Fie. I'm on my way."

"Later." With that, the call was ended.

"So what's going on?" Towa asked. "I could guess you were asked to go somewhere but not much else."

"Fie asked me to go see her at the Old Schoolhouse. She said that it wasn't anything serious but that she needs to talk to me there." Rean got up from the couch and stretched a bit. "Sorry for leaving on short notice."

"Don't worry; we told you it's okay." The older girl assured him.

"Before I forget…" the lancer added. "Didn't you say you came here to give your report about the requests?"

"Oh, right!" Rean took a paper from his school bag and gave it to Towa. "Sorry for giving you more paperwork, but I wanted to turn this in before our free day."

"It's alright." Towa gladly took the paper from his hand. "Until later."

"I'll see you back at the dorm."

"Later, thanks again." With that, the black haired teen grabbed his things and left the room.

'I wonder what Fie would want to talk with him,' Gaius wondered before mentally shrugging and going back to the paperwork. '…I think I now understand what you meant about wanting to cut the papers to shreds.'

Rean made his way to the Old Schoolhouse and saw Fie and Laura standing outside with their school bags, waiting for him.

"Hey, what's going?" he asked as he approached the two. "Did the layout change again?"

"I stopped being able to tell a month ago," Fie answered with a shrug. "But even so, we didn't call you here because of the Old Schoolhouse."

That got a raised eyebrow from the black-haired teen.

"Rean, we've thought of a few things about… you-know-what," Laura began.

"Oh…" the Eight Leaves practitioner said as he processed that. "Alright… I'll be honest, I'm fairly certain that I've tried everything that there is to try, minus a few 'extreme solutions'… but if you think you thought of something then I'm all ears." Then a question came to his mind. "Why ask me to come here, though?"

"We know you're not comfortable with this subject, so we thought about where it would be appropriate for us to meet," Laura answered.

"And you decided on the creepy building that gives off a haunted house vibe," Rean said in perfect deadpan.

That got a laugh out of the two.

"It's remote and no one but you and the Principal have a key to the place," Fie said back. "Seems like the perfect location."

The swordsman shrugged in agreement.

"In any case, if you could open the door, we can get inside and begin." The Arseid gestured towards the door.

Nodding, Rean walked forward, took out the key of the Old Schoolhouse from his pocket, and opened the door. The three of them walked inside soon after.

"So… what did you come up with?" the Eight Leaves practitioner asked.

The three had left their things against the wall near the door and were now standing around the center of the room.

"From what you've told us, there is a good chance that you've already thought of or at least tried some of the things on this list, but since we can't be sure, we'll tell you every idea we could think of." Laura held up a notebook in her hand.

Rean nodded and listened to what they came up with.

.

.

"…you weren't kidding when you said you have tried everything," Fie mentioned.

They had exhausted all of their ideas and the only ones that Rean hadn't tried before were the ones that Fie and Laura admitted they only added for the sake of being thorough and not because they were practical.

"Save for a few truly 'extreme solutions', yeah."

"You mentioned that before," the former jaeger said. "What exactly are those 'extreme solutions'?"

"Killing myself," Rean answered without missing a beat.

"…What?!" Laura and Fie were mortified at what they just heard.

"Wait, wait, it's not what you're thinking," the swordsman assured them, realizing how that sounded. "I thought that maybe if I 'died', as in my heart stops beating, while I was in that state and then someone makes my heart start beating again, maybe it would… 'cleanse' that power; I never actually tried that."

"…I'm not suggesting we try that, but for the sake of argument, why didn't you?" Laura asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"At the time I thought of that, I was under the impression that there wasn't anyone who could stop me if I 'snap'." He shrugged. "I was kind of right. Until Master Ka-fai came, the only person in Ymir who actually knew how to fight was my father, so trying wasn't really an option for me."

"So you never thought about killing yourself?" Fie asked, masking her discomfort with a deadpan expression.

"…" The swordsman looked away and stayed silent.

"Rean-"

"Look, I was in a bad place at the time," he interrupted her. "I already had that thought well and truly beaten out of me and I would prefer not to talk about it."

The two girls glanced at each other before looking back at him.

"Look us in the eye and say that again," Fie practically demanded, Laura nodded in support.

The swordsman locked eyes with the two of them and said, while maintaining eye contact, "I have no intention of killing myself, neither for the sake of 'experimenting' or otherwise."

The three maintained the staring contest for a few seconds before Fie and Laura let out sighs of relief.

"Good." Though she initially said that with a smile, Laura's lips inverted to a frown shortly after. "I apologize; even after asking you to come here, we couldn't help you."

"It's fine, really," Rean answered with a shrug. "I told you before: I've tried a lot of things before deciding to simply ignore it as much as I can."

"That's not a solution," Fie said.

"I know, but I couldn't come up with a better idea."

"…where does that power come from?" the silver-haired girl suddenly asked.

"Hm?" The swordsman tilted his head a bit, confused at the sudden question. "I told you before that I don't know where it came from or why I have it."

"No, I mean where it comes from," she clarified. "As in, where in your body."

The other two stared at her for a moment, trying to process her words.

"Maybe by learning where the source is located, we can think of something else," Laura thought out loud.

"I… don't really know," Rean admitted. "I'm note sure if there is even a 'source' for it." He placed a hand on his chin. "…but maybe I can try and find out."

With those words, he let his arms fall to his sides, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'Just like when I train the second form, focus on your own presence instead of that of others.' He kept his breathing steady and felt the flow of energy inside his own body. 'Go deeper...try to ascertain each part of your body and look for any abnormalities.' The swordsman continued to 'scan' his body for anything that shouldn't be there.

Fie and Laura simply stayed silent while looking at him, waiting for Rean to finish and see if they learned something new.

'…that's weird,' the Schwarzer thought. 'There seems to be something strange with my heart. I never would have noticed if I wasn't looking for it. What is-guh!' Suddenly, he felt a jolt in his body when he unconsciously diverted some of his energy to the strange part in his heart he had been 'scanning'. 'No!' He recognized that feeling. It was the same as when he 'snaps'.

Opening his eyes, he dashed to the nearest wall and hit his head against it, hard.

"…Rean!" both girls called out, their reactions delayed due to the sudden move.

"Stay back!" the swordsman yelled, panting for breath and keeping his forehead against the wall. "…what color is my hair right now?"

"Black," the two girls answered in unison.

Slowly and fearfully, he moved his head to the side to look at them with one eye. "My eyes?"

"You're fine; your eyes are the same as always," Laura assured him. Fie quickly nodded in agreement.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the swordsman turned around and slid down against the wall to a seated position. "That was close," he muttered, still panting for breath.

"What happened?" Fie asked as she and Laura got closer to him.

"You were right," he answered. "There's something in my heart that seems to be where that 'power' comes from. I almost 'snapped' without realizing it."

"Are you alright?" the silver-haired girl asked, not bothering to hide how worried she was.

"Yeah… yeah." The swordsman started to get his breathing under control. "I was just caught off guard, hence why I hit my head against the wall to snap myself out of it. I shouldn't have any problems making sure that it doesn't 'activate'."

"Good. You gave us a good scare there." Laura narrowed her eyes, her expression turned into a frown. "You're bleeding."

When she said that, Rean noticed a small streak of blood running down his face, starting from his forehead.

"Oh, it's nothing. It should stop soon."

"Wait a sec." Fie walked towards her bag, grabbed something, and came back. "Here." She handed him a few tissues.

"Thanks." Grabbing the tissues, the swordsman used them to wipe his face and forehead.

"It's a good thing you had those at hand," Laura mentioned.

"The corps taught me to try and be prepared for any situation or wound, even a small one like that."

"Makes sense." The Arseid nodded. "My father always keeps a first aid kit inside the training grounds in case there is an injury."

"He's a smart man, then."

'Hehe, if anyone were to see them now, no one would believe how awkward they used to be around each other.' Rean thought, unknowingly repeating the same words his classmates had said earlier that day.

After Rean's wound stopped bleeding, the three began to make their way out of the school grounds and to the dorm.

"Retiring for the day, you three?" a man's voice asked from behind them.

The students turned around to see Instructor Neitheardt approaching them.

"That's correct," Laura confirmed.

"Are you heading out too?" Rean asked.

"Indeed," he answered. "I have some business to take care of with my division, so I'll be returning there tomorrow. With that on the agenda, I thought it wise to finish the day's work early."

"Your division?" Fie asked.

"That's right, you were sent here by the Imperial Army," the black-haired teen remembered.

"Correct." Neithardt confirmed before allowing a small frown. "Though because of that, it's difficult to keep a regular schedule here." The blond man then shook his head, dismissing the topic. "Anyway, while I'm here, I want to acknowledge the work you did during your field study last month."

"You mean the incident in Nord?" the Arseid asked.

He nodded. "The same. Reading the army's report, it seemed that armed conflict with the Republican Army was a real possibility. While the Intelligence Division no doubt had a hand in resolving the conflict…" the instructor briefly frowned before replacing it with a small grin. "…you and the other members of your group played an integral part in averting a war. You deserve credit for that."

"…thanks, I guess."

"We appreciate your words." Fie and Laura said in turn, with Rean nodding in agreement.

"By the way, have you been able to find out anything more about that man with the glasses?" the swordsman asked.

"The one who hired the mercenaries and introduced himself as 'Gideon'? Regrettably not. The Intelligence Division is looking into his identity, but they don't appear to have found anything yet."

"Sounds like you suspect otherwise," the former jaeger mentioned, earning a surprised look from her two friends.

"True," the oldest of the group confirmed. "Personally, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they had discovered something already but chose not to share it with us."

"I see…" Both Rean and Laura frowned in unison.

"…Schwarzer, Clausell, Arseid." The three returned their attention to the instructor when he said their names. "I'll be the first to admit you performed admirably out there…"

'There is a 'but' coming.' Even without an ARCUS, the three students thought that in unison.

"But I assume you're aware that luck played a large part in your success?"

The three teenagers frowned slightly and averted their eyes.

"Reading your reports, the number of arbitrary decisions stood out to me," Neithardt continued. "For an army to function, its members need to work together as a group, united under the will of its commander. As an organization, it can't perform at its best if its members disregard authority and act on instinct; you've already been over this in class, I believe?"

"…yes, Instructor," they answered.

"I'm aware that had we left when the lieutenant general asked us to, he may have been able to approach the situation differently," Laura added.

"I will admit that our decision to stay back and help was rash," Rean said next. "I won't lie and say I regret it; if it were to happen again, then I would undoubtedly choose to stay and help… but I would do a few things differently."

"I was told that hindsight is 20/20; thinking of 'what-if' scenarios non-stop is useless," Fie chimed in. "That doesn't mean that you can't learn from the past and know better next time."

Neithardt smiled and nodded, satisfied by the responses. "If you understand that, then I have nothing further to say on the matter. It's not my intent to belittle your efforts. I'm not suggesting that there's no place for flexibility and independent thought in an organization like the army, but it's vital for you to understand the reasoning behind, and importance of, that structure, and to respect it."

"Yes, Instructor," the three said at the same time.

"Teaching cadets to respect and work within that system should be the job of their class' instructor…" the blond man thought out loud with a sigh. "Though considering her background, I was foolish to expect that of her."

"Her?"

"You mean Sara?" Rean and Fie asked in turn.

"Indeed," the instructor confirmed with a nod. "Granted, she's quite skilled, but she lacks the disposition and diligence of a soldier." He let out another sigh. "I understand she didn't come from an army background, but with her position, one would think she would pick up the basics."

"You are aware of Instructor Sara's profession before she came here?" Rean asked, genuinely curious.

The question seemed to catch the soldier off guard.

"Oh? Is she keeping mum about that? I'd just assumed you were already aware. Before she came to Thors, Sara was-"

"Ah-ah-ah. It's not very becoming of a gentleman to go around broadcasting a lady's secrets, you know." Almost as if she had been waiting, Sara walked towards the group, giving her co-worker a dry look.

"Instructor Valestein." Neithardt greeted professionally.

"I totally understand where you're coming from," Sara began, crossing her arms. "You meet a beautiful, captivating lady and you want to know more." She turned to look at the Schwarzer. "But don't let hard-headed officer types like our friend here rub off on you too much, got it?" The purple-haired woman glanced at the soldier from the corner of her eyes, clearly jabbing at him with her next words. "You always play by the rules and you'll find yourself in a jam someday when you encounter people who don't."

"I-Instructor…?" Laura said, glancing between her and the blond man.

"Hmph, you're one to talk." Neithardt crossed his arms as well. "I hardly think a capricious instructor who leaves everything to chance is capable of guiding out cadets to greatness."

Sara scoffed with a frown.

"Well, of course. I couldn't do a better job than the ace of the 4th Armored Division." Her frown turned into a smirk. "Or was that the provincial army? I mean, you've got their whole 'tradition and status are everything!' mindset down pat."

Neithard simply 'hmphed' in response.

While this was happening, the three students were slowly taking steps backwards, feeling like they shouldn't stay for whatever happens next.

"Who do we have here?" a carefree voice said. "Well, if it isn't Instructor Sara and Instructor Neithardt!"

A third instructor approached the group, making the other two visibly cringe.

"Instructor Thomas?" Rean called out, surprised at his sudden appearance.

"Ah, and I see a few students with you. Simply marvelous!" Thomas said happily. "It looks like you're having a downright jolly time! Would you mind if I joined you?"

'Oh, crap,' the other five thought at the same time. Past experience had taught all of them that when Thomas became involved, any conversation could and would turn into a history lesson.

"I-I'm not sure that would be…" Neithardt trailed off.

"Ah… ahaha." Sara laughed nervously. "Aaaaactually, I was just leaving." She turned to her students. "Come along, you three! We need to hurry back to the dorms now."

"Oh, but while we're all together like this, what say we have a few drinks together and enjoy some quality faculty bonding time?" He smirked and eyed the other two adults. "I've heard the two of you really know how to hold your liquor."

"I'm afraid I really must-"

"I-I've actually just been hit with the overwhelming urge to drink alone in my room tonight!" both instructors answered, trying to get out of the invitation.

"Now, now! There is no need to be shy, we're all friends here." In a fit of inspiration, Thomas turned to the students. "Oh, I know. Why don't you come along with us? We can't float a beer your way quite yet, but I'd be happy to treat you to something else."

The teenagers did a fairly good job at hiding their flinches at the sudden invitation.

"I-I'm afraid we already had plans," Rean said a bit quicker than he would have liked. "Besides, we wouldn't want to get in your way when you probably don't get many chances to spend time together outside of your work."

"True, we should get going."

"Indeed." Fie and Laura said, going along with the swordsman.

"Oh, so you're going out with a flower in each arm. I might've had the wrong impression about you, Rean." Despite the situation, Sara found it in herself to poke fun at her students.

The black-haired teen gave her a deadpan look before an idea came to mind, one that made an evil grin appear on his face.

"By the way, Instructor Sara was talking in class today about how interested she was in learning the story behind why the capital celebrates the Summer Festival later than other cities. Just in case you need something to break the ice."

The moment those words came out, Sara visibly paled.

"Now, if you'll excuse us now."

"We wish you a pleasant evening." Laura managed to keep her laughter in check.

"We'll tell Sharon you'll be having dinner out tonight." Fie's amusement was apparent in her eyes despite her deadpan expression.

With that, the three students turned around and walked away, ignoring the cries of outrage from their instructor.

Once they were a safe distance away.

"Pff hahahaha!" Rean let out the laugh he was keeping in.

"You do know she'll get back at you for this, right?" Fie asked, although she was also chuckling.

"True." Laura also couldn't contain her laughter.

"The way I see it, I'm getting back at her for manipulating me into helping the Student Council," the Eight Leaves practitioner answered, his laughter gradually lessening.

"I thought you didn't mind helping them," the silver-haired girl said, tilting her head in slight confusion.

"You're right," the swordsman answered. "I enjoy it, actually; I just didn't like that I was manipulated into helping."

The two girls nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, want to do something before going to the dorm?"

"If you two don't mind, I'd like your help with shopping," Laura said.

"I'm fine with that," Rean agreed. "Fie?"

"…just don't expect me to know much about shopping," she answered with a shrug.

"You have my thanks."

Alright, another one done.

Question, am I the only one considering to wait until Cold Steel 4 gets localized to then play CS3 and 4 one after the other?

Just a bit more and we get CS3, there is a demo available in case anyone wants to try it (I haven't because I prefer to wait to play the whole game so please avoid spoilers if you did play it).

As usual, thanks to YuShaJi for beta-reading.

I hope you enjoyed and your support is appreciated.

Until next time.