A/N: And finally, the 100,000 word count is broken. A massive thanks to all the new followers and favorites as well as the reviews. That has been quite a large influx following last chapter. Special thanks to JohnJoestar17 and Classic Mecraphone for their enthusiastic reviews - Apex85 and Kuman for the inspiring discussions.

To address a point that came up in the reviews: yes, Cadet Claire is indeed the little rumor-hunting girl from Rolent all grown up. I cheated a bit with her age, but sometimes an author falls to temptation and plays favorite with a character.

Edit: There's a retroactive edit to chapter 8. In this chapter Saint-Arkh's military academy is called Forsetis, while it's called Freyas in chapter 8. Because Forsetis is a more fitting name given the theme of the Field Study and Saint-Arkh as a whole, the name Freyas will be corrected and the name given to Ordis' yet to be mentioned military academy. Also, another thanks to bissek from the spacebattle forum, who pointed out that the Old Government District should have soldiers from the Provincial and Imperial Armies. JohnJoestar17 also pointed out that higher ranked officers don't salute the lower ranks (a scene from chapter 4) except in special circumstances. Both points have been corrected.

And stay safe folks!

Chapter 10 - City of Parallel Justice Saint-Arkh II

Elliot walked through Saint-Arkh in a half-daze with the massive cathedral as a backdrop. The streets were narrower and more winded than what he was used to, so very unlike the massive scale of everything that was Heimdallr. Cobblestone instead of paved sidewalks and nary a orbal car to be seen, let alone tracks for the tram-system.

That didn't mean the city wasn't bustling with life - on the contrary. Pedestrians streamed around the white grey buildings that looked like they were sculptured instead of built, lacking the utilitarian style of the capital's brick houses. He also watched in amazement as people rode what Emma told them were bicycles, their frames seemingly too delicate to support one person.

Elliot even saw bicyclists carrying a second person on occasion. Either a mother who drove with her child or guys with a girl sitting on the backrest, looking for all intents and purposes like couples. Alisa was enraptured by these two-wheeled vehicles, especially the moment she heard they didn't require orbal energy. Apparently, a person only needed a little practice to maintain balance and muscle power to move them.

Elliot wondered why bicycles weren't used in the capital. They might be slower than cars on paper, but when the traffic congestion were factored in they seemed like a reasonable and cheap alternative to get around. And without being bound to the schedule of the City Tram to boot.

What delighted him most though was the music resounding from every corner. A violinist standing in front of a boutique, playing Telemann's 7th sonata in g-minor. A lutist sitting at an outdoor cafe, stringing a rendition of the 'Whereabouts of Light' to an adoring audience. Elliot was surprised that the song seemed not only well-known here in the province, but was even the subject of different interpretations.

Musicians weren't the only kind of artists populating the streets. Painters could be seen on every corner. A woman in her twenties even offered to do portraits of whichever passerby scratched her fancy, a row of black-white sketches a testament to her skill. Gaius of all people caught her interest, her behavior short of outright gushing as she literally begged him to stand as a model.

He politely but firmly refused, telling her that he was on a schedule as part of a military field study. To their collective surprise the female artist started to swoon, murmuring something about Gaius being 'so dreamy' and 'military just like General Bardias'. Elliot wasn't familiar with the name, but all nobles in Class VII perked up when they heard it. So a high ranking officer in the Provincial Army? His curiosity was piqued.

"Look at that!" Instructor Sara spoke up. "Seems like Class VII has another lady killer in the making."

Gaius endured the teasing with grace. "If we are permitted some time to rest, I might take her up on the offer. In exchange she can give me some pointers about how to draw with charcoal."

Jusis sighed. "Even if you enjoy a fair amount of local popularity through association, Gaius, I would caution you not to woo the ladies here frivolously. The woman before has the bearing of nobility. From the making of the clothes and jewelry she wore, I judge her to be at least the daughter of a Viscount, if not an earl."

Elliot saw how Machias fixed the Albarea heir with a dirty look. "Trust his Lordship to notice crap like that," he whispered.

The Nord student laughed. "Thanks for the concern, Jusis. But there isn't any danger of that happening. I am, after all, engaged."

"You are what?" Elliot spluttered. Other Class VII members followed with similar reactions.

"The actual term is trahejev, but the idea of engagement is the closest I can come up with for Erebonian culture." His smile was as guileless as ever. "There are different nuances, but we do need to continue, don't we?"

"Don't think you can drop such a bombshell on us and run away from giving us a good explanation," Alisa called out from inside the hauling vehicle.

"Ms Reinford has the right of it," Cadet Sterling added. "This sounds like something that could give readers a fresh perspective on Nord Culture. Care for an interview later?"

"Claire, for a moment you actually sounded like a respectable reporter," Sara drawled. "Still, didn't you quit the whole newsflash gig?"

"I quit the tabloid, instructor."

Major Neithardt sighed. "This doesn't bode well."

Rean scratched his head. "Wonder who the other lady killer is supposed to be?"

Elliot glanced at the black haired swordsman. Was he serious?

They continued their trek through the city. "You don't seem to like Cadet Claire very much, Christoph." Since the start of term, the major had agreed on Elliot calling him by his given name if it was just a talk between the two of them. Their situation right now barely qualified, but he knew that dad's subordinate had a soft spot for him.

And after all the family visits, it simply felt wrong to feign formality for the sake of it.

"Sterling?"

Elliot nodded.

He sighed gustily. "She frustrates me. As a communications officer she is easily one of the most talented cadets I ever had the pleasure of teaching. If it weren't for her nationality, the GSO or the RMP would most likely roll out the read carpet to recruit her."

"She is that good?"

"Frighteningly so. But she spent the rest of her time with that tabloid trash and just as circulation is supposed to increase, she quits the whole thing. She's planning something."

"And that is a bad thing why?"

Christoph froze up, a tick Elliot recognized. The major always did it when he caught himself revealing more than he should. Sometimes dad even reprimanded him for that.

"This stays between the two of us." Christoph whispered. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you guarantee that whatever you hear for the next minutes, you absolutely keep to yourself?"

Elliot nodded but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he wasn't going to like what came next.

"Cadet Sterling is under observation by Internal Security," he muttered. "So is Emma Millstein."

He had to suppress his shock. Luckily, his classmates were all keeping their distance. As the son of a Lieutenant General he was aware of Internal Security - full name Office of Internal and Command Security. It was an agency within the Imperial Army that focused on counter-intelligence. They spied on their own soldiers to root out foreign spies or internal leaks. The General Staff Office were the ones to oversee them in contrast to the Imperial Intelligence Agency that only answered to Chancellor Giliath Osborne.

"Okay, Christoph," he whispered back. "I can understand them keeping an eye on the Liberlian exchange student, although I think this goes overboard. But why in Aidios name would they suspect Emma?"

"Because she has five university degrees at the age of eighteen."

Wow. This sounded pretty unbelievable. However, Emma was pretty much a genius when it came to academics. "So she undertook so many courses after she finished Sunday School?"

Christoph shook his head. "Not at all. She appeared out of nowhere and simply took the final university exams for orbal physics, chemistry, biology, linguistics and history. She passed them all."

Elliot's mind screeched to a halt. "This is..."

"Yes."

Both of them didn't utter a word for several painful moments, the bright mood of the city barely able to clear the fog inside his mind. Elliot closed his eyes and breathed deeply, a ritual he mastered to counter stage fright. The anxiety he felt abated somewhat and he finally found it in him to formulate proper thoughts again.

"You know, despite all this I am still going to trust Emma in the future," he declared. "The ties between my classmates are still fragile at points."

Machias and Jusis' continued arguments came to mind. Or Laura and Fie's unnatural distance lately. He refused to become another weak point which could cause the tentative bonds in Class VII to fracture.

Christoph sighed. "Sorry Elliot. I just..." He shook his head. "Look at me, violating army regulations. The camaraderie between fellow soldiers is one of the most important things in military life. Undermining the trust between cadets, burdening you with this knowledge. I..."

"You were just worried about me, right?"

"This doesn't excuse my breach of information discipline. And it didn't provide any benefit for you. On the contrary."

Elliot shook his head. "It was during my second year in Odins when dad talked about the contradictions between an army man and a family man. How he managed to keep the two aspects of his life separate." The redhead smiled. "He said there are no easy answers. That there were times when both parts vied for dominance inside him. But he did tell me that when both sides were equally pressing, he would always go with his heart."

The major chuckled. "This sounds just like him. Thanks, Elliot."

"Everything for my sister's would-be-fiance."He grinned cheekily.

Christoph cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "You knew?"

"Fiona isn't nearly as sneaky as she wishes to be."

"I admit I didn't understand the general's decision to send you to Odins back then. But he proved again to see more deeply into the future than I could imagine. You've grown splendidly Elliot, especially as a man of character."

"Now you are just flattering me." He scratched his head. "But for what it's worth, Christoph, thanks for the heads-up. I will extend my trust to my fellow cadets, but if this month at Thors has shown me anything, it's the need to be prepared and cautious at the same time."

"You realize that both notions are contradictory?"

Elliot shrugged. "Sometimes we just have to live with the contradictions instead of unraveling them. Music even makes explicit use of this idea, you know?"

Christoph blinked. "I never thought of contradictions this way."

"Oh, and while we are at it, would it be okay to give Instructor Valestein a break?" Elliot smiled again, but this time there was a dangerous edge to it. "As you see, military protocol can't solve everything."

The major began to sweat a little. "After my own show of hypocrisy you are of course going to point this out, aren't you?"

"Class VII already has some conflicts brewing. You butting heads with Ms Valestein sets a bad precedent and only encourages the conflicts in class to continue. Leading by example goes both ways, doesn't it?"

"It shames me that I don't have a rebuttal for your argument." Christoph closed his eyes. He then opened them and faced him directly. "I'll try to keep an open mind in the future, Elliot."

They finally arrived at Cathedral Square, distracting both from their conversation. Elliot swept his gaze around, taking in the picture. The church building could be seen without any obstruction, revealing its entire splendor. It wasn't quite as large as the Heimdallr Cathedral, but then again, everything was larger in Heimdallr. The building looked more artistic though with stained glass windows glistening in all seven colors of Septium. The arches and towers were richer in details, the carved marble gilded with silver. They passed another artist who drew a fresco on the cobblestone ground using colored chalk. It was a still life motif depicting a bowl of fruit. An open-air piano on wheels stood beside one of six stone pillars. The musician rifled through sheet music while exited children ran around, their faces begging for the performance to start. He couldn't help but smile at the bust of activity, though his mind was still churning.

Elliot's happiest moments in life had always involved music. This he knew to be true. But on closer inspection, what also stood out was that he was never alone. His mother's gentle guidance, the playful rivalry with Fiona, dad being the adoring listener. There was his involvement with Odin's student orchestra. Crow pulling the strings in the background to make their performances one smashing success after another. The fostering of cooperation and friendship to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

There was something similar with Class VII here. There were times when the harmony between them was almost palpable and Elliot looked forward to the day when they would truly grow to become an orchestra of their own. It wasn't going to involve music, but as Instructor Valestein pointed out when she explained the ARCUS, they were supposed to be a fighting force that retained their individuality.

Much like a concert which involved the synergy of different instruments. With different melodies, tone registers and timbres, woven together into a comprehensive whole.

Of course there were currently dissonances in Class VII, contradicting personalities that clashed with one another. But as he explained to Christoph, instead of unraveling these contradictions or shoving the people through an uniform mold, the matter should be approached like a conductor:

Accept the contradictions as they were, emphasize them in a positive manner to take the music to even greater heights.

He needed to talk with Crow.

"The discoloration is due to acid in the rain," Emma explained. "Marble is technically just recrystallized carbonate."

Machias nodded. "This makes sense. But I wasn't aware rain is acidic in the first place."

The purple haired beauty twirled the tip of her thick braid. "Only slightly. Part of the carbon dioxide in the air reacts with atmospheric humidity to carbonic acid. The pH value is close to neutral, but over the centuries there is an effect on the buildings."

They looked at the artful structures of the Old Government District. Like everywhere else in the city, instead of the fabled white told in stories the buildings were shown to be a somber gray in color. It didn't detract from the gratuitous abundance, though Machias admitted that at least a few buildings were justified in displaying all the pomp.

Like the embassies for example.

He was nearby when Rean gave his little lecture to Laura. But while old history was nice and well, he thought it negligent he omitted how Saint-Arkh still played a crucial role in Erebonia's governmental structure today. While Heimdallr was for all intends and purposes the focal point of political institutions with nationwide influence, the Old Capital had it's own share of them. It was something that grew organically over the centuries until it was stipulated by Dreichels.

Another way to ensure separation of power.

The Remiferian and North Ambrian Embassies were found here as well as the ministry for education and cultural affairs. Machias looked to the side, just to come face to face with another big, official looking building. This one even had a dome on top. He squinted at the entrance until he found the placard that was placed beside a golden engraving of the Imperial Stallion: The Provincial Ministry of Finance, it read. The counterpart to Heimdallr's Central Ministry of Finance and one of Saint-Arkh's two heavyweight institutions. The other one was of course the Aulic Council, one of the two Supreme Courts of Erebonia.

When he made the decision to distance himself from the capital for a while, Machias considered attending the degree course offered by the Aulic Council. The focus of the Supreme Court in Heimdallr was contractual and civil law, but the parallel court here in Saint-Arkh was the uncontested authority on criminal law. Still, he ultimately decided against going here due to his mistrust of the nobility. He heard that the ruler of the Sutherland Province was the very opposite of a political hardliner. Marquis Hyarms was said to be a moderate politician, who fostered good relations with the central government departments which were smack dab in the middle of his territory.

But nobles were still nobles and the more powerful they got, the more rotten they tended to be. And in Erebonia, being the leader of one of the Four Great Houses was the pinnacle of aristocratic power. The Old Government district might be neutral ground, but the rest of the province certainly wasn't. And the last thing his dad needed was for him to become a political hostage.

The moment power and fame were achieved, the world ceased to be simple anymore.

"Machias, are you okay? You look tense."

He turned to Emma and showed her a weak smile. "It's nothing serious. It's just... the Provincial Army Soldiers make me nervous." The residential districts were refreshingly lacking in military presence, but the same couldn't be said here. Companies of soldiers patrolled the streets, marching in lock step, their gazes hard and intimidating. About half of them wore the familiar uniform of the Imperial Army, but the other half displayed the colors of their provincial lord as well as the trademark renaissance pickelhaube. Both groups gave each other a wide berth, but Machias saw how they occasionally glared at each other. At the same time the grip on their weapons tightened.

It was like a microcosm of the current political climate.

"I don't think the Provincial Army is going to cause us trouble." She smiled back reassuringly. "Thors seems to be known and respected around here."

Now that she mentioned it...

The looks the Provincial and Imperial Soldiers gave them were wary, but on occasion one of them offered a polite nod or even a short greeting. So very different from the condescending way the Heimdallr Military Police treated him and his former classmates, when they were still students at Odins. More troops passed them and Machias paid further attention to the way they reacted.

How surprising. The eyes of the soldiers often rested on the emblem they wore - the Horned Lion Crest that was exclusive to Thors.

He felt himself relaxing. "Thanks, Emma. I needed that."

"You are welcome", she replied cheerfully. Her smile blossomed into something truly sweet and Machias felt his heart skip a beat.

Stupid hormones.

He saw Emma looking to the other side, her gaze lingering on Remiferia's national emblem. It was a stag surrounded by green, red and brown. The flag on which it was emblazoned hung limply in the air, but the entrance to the embassy was bustling with activity.

"I always dreamed about traveling to other nations," she murmured. "An opportunity to see the reality of the land beyond the pages of a book." She twirled her thick braid again, but there was a somberness to her voice that Machias heard for the first time. "The vast area of Calvard, the famous gorges of Leman, Remiferia's snowy landscapes..."

There was an awkward pause and he struggled to come up with something to fill the silence. "Um, to be honest, I was always interested in visiting North Ambria."

"Really? I heard life there was harsh."

"I heard the same", Machias agreed, glad that the tone of their conversation returned to familiar grounds. "But I would like to confirm the details with my own eyes - beyond the pages of a book." They both chuckled and he pushed up his glasses. "Poverty is a strange thing, you know? It can bring out the worst in people, force individuals to violently compete against each other for the few scraps there are. And sometimes poverty brings out the best in people. It makes them band together. Instead of competing, they support each other to carve out new opportunities for survival."

She hummed in wonder. "I thought Heimdallr is the richest city in Erebonia."

"Well, if we talk about per capita average, then Ordis has us slightly beat." He scratched his head. "Bareahard isn't far behind either. The absolute income is indeed the highest on account of Heimdallr's big populace, but the riches are unevenly distributed."

Emma blinked. "Of course... you have lived in one of the poorer districts?"

"Ost District. People who have a stick up their ass like to call it the Heimdallr Slum." Machias folded his arms. "I prefer to call it a district of true workers."

"You are proud of the place where you grew up, aren't you?", she mused. "Do you think that North Ambria might not be quite as destitute as hearsay make us believe?"

Trust her to catch on quick. "It's just a suspicion, mind you. Something I discussed with dad and an old teacher of mine. I mean, when the catastrophe struck the nation unaware, the situation was sure to be bad. But 25 years later? With the influx of foreign currency and the Septian Church's relieve measures, I cannot imagine the nation continuing to dance on a knife's edge. The poorest nation on the western side of the continent? I can believe that. But the way North Ambria is said to be a failed state might be something that is particular to Erebonian media."

"And why would the Empire have such a negative...oh!"

Machias frowned. "Yeah, it became a democracy after the Salt Pale incident. Before that, it was a Principality just like Remiferia and diplomatic relations were good. Then the populace kicked that disgrace of a Prince out after he fled the country with his tail between his legs. The people took power into their own hands after that. Erebonia, or should I say, the nobles didn't like that."

"Are you in favor of democracy?"

Machias watched her warily, but he soon calmed down when she didn't turn antagonistic all of a sudden. He had enough experience with political debates to know that they could become heated the moment certain words were dropped.

"As a Reformist, father wants to see the nobility abolished. But the political process cannot stop there. Something has to fill the resulting power vacuum, doesn't it? Erebonia is a massive nation and governing it from one centralized location is inefficient. So why not substitute the current Four Great Houses with democratically elected Provincial Parliaments?"

Emma tilted her head. "This system sounds similar to the Liberlian one. The position of the Imperial Family would be untouched?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. According to dad they are great people and do very good work. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just because I see myself as a Reformist doesn't mean I want political change for the sake of it."

She lowered her head. "You are amazing Machias. You have put a lot of thought into this topic, haven't you?"

He cleared his throat. "I guess? Ehm, thanks, really."

She giggled. "You are welcome."

They walked in amicable silence until they finally reached their destination. Machias let out a sigh of relief. His feet were starting to ache.

The Aulic Council wasn't quite as big as he imagined it to be. Compared to the Imperial Supreme Court in Heimdallr, the building was smaller in scale. And just like the general trend in Saint-Arkh it looked more artistic and delicate despite the squarish outline. It was a curious mix of utilitarian and opulence.

Once they entered, an intelligent looking young man with glasses and teal hair welcomed them. The man introduced himself as Celestin and had the bearings of a highly trained servant. Instructor Valestein seemed to recognize him, but she didn't comment. Shortly after, he directed their group with the ease of someone who did it for a living. They first went to a storage building in the west wing to unload the hauler as well as their gear. After that they were led to the quarters of Veteran Affairs, which was located at the east wing. Once there, they finally got an opportunity to rest their feet.

While they unpacked the rest of their equipment Celestin provided refreshments. Bagels stuffed with ham and cheese as well as some local pastries called krapfen and apple strudel. They were also served tea. Machias would have preferred a cup of coffee, but he was too thirsty to care. Compared to what he imagined their accommodations to be this was downright luxurious. He was also glad that their rooms were divided between women and men.

Shortly after, their group met in the hallway to continue the field study.

"Now that the logistic stuff is done, who are we going to meet?" Sara asked.

Celestin bowed gracefully. "A very astute question, Lady Valestein. Usually, to allow your class free reign of movement across the province requires the approval of the highest ranking official present. Unfortunately, Lord Hyarms is busy preparing for the Imperial Provincial Council convening in Bareahard." Machias saw his Lordship perk up at these words. "Council Chancellor Linquist is on an errand in the capital." The butler smiled at the many surprised blinks. The eyes behind his glasses twinkled. "Not to be confused with the Imperial High Chancellor of course. That leaves Chancellor Linquist's right hand. If you would follow me."

Their group elicited stares as they followed Celestin through the corridors. There was a lot of activity and Machias occasionally managed to sneak a peak into one of the neatly organized archives with endless rows of case files.

The office they arrived in was big enough to accommodate all of them. A mahogany desk dominated the room. Documents, writing utensils and paraphernalia were arranged on the polished surface in an ordered, even beautiful manner. It didn't look worked in unlike the overloaded desk of Instructor Herschel's granddaughter. There was a female assistant standing on the side of the table, a mousy looking woman with glasses. Her hair style, if it could be called such, looked suspiciously like bed hair. Her facial expression on the other hand had an absent minded look as if her mind was a thousand selge away.

It unnerved him a little, to be honest.

As for the individual behind the desk...

Machias had seen her before. Not in person, but in magazines and the odd article of the Imperial Chronicle. The photographs didn't do the woman justice, for they neither captured the piercing Esmelas of her eyes nor the commanding presence she exuded.

"Greetings, Thors Officer School Class VII. Major Neithardt, Celestin...", she inclined her head, a strange glint in her eyes. "And of course our stray A-Rank Bracer." She smirked and Machias found himself looking between the two women. There was a strange tension building up. And did she just say A-Rank? Rean already figured out her past profession, but none of them realized their instructor was this highly placed. "My name is Helena Freising, Imperial State Attorney at your service."

She inclined her head and their group greeted her back in unison.

"My superior is out at the moment so that makes me the one in charge. As such, I have the honor to approve your special operations and deliver your field study tasks." She leaned back into her seat and tented her fingers. "Well, I hereby grant you my blessings and as for the tasks...Dorothee, if you would?"

"Of course, ma'am." The mousy looking assistant shuffled away to a side room. Machias only saw a fraction, but it looked far more chaotic than the office they were currently in.

He turned his head back to the woman sitting before them, his emotions doing flip-flops between regret, excitement, admiration and sheer joy.

Helena Freising, the ace prosecutor of the Aulic Council. Beside her impeccable track record of high profile cases, she was also a prolific writer of academic articles published for the legal sciences. Erebonia's judicature had been waning in their influence for many years now. Too much corruption and favoritism towards the noble class. Too many scandals unveiled, which was ample justification for the central government under Chancellor Osborne to gradually restrict their range of responsibility. However, the Aulic Council was making a comeback as an institution, their prestige slowly returning to its former height.

It could be argued that this comeback rested on the shoulders of this amazing person. While he had occasional doubts about his Thors attendance, this first field study and the opportunities it presented more than made up for the sometimes frustrating military curriculum he had to endure.

"While we are waiting for Dorothee, I hope you don't mind that I catch up with an old friend." She focused her attention on Instructor Valestein. "So Sara, how's the life of a teacher treating you?"

"It's pretty fulfilling", she responded airily. "I have a class full of bright kids."

Ms Freising chuckled. "My, is this pride I'm hearing?" She glanced around. "You must be a pretty outstanding group. Sara doesn't impress easily."

Major Neithardt cleared his throat. "I'm frankly surprised that my... fellow instructor is familiar with an important person like you, your Excellency."

The prosecutor held up a hand. "Please, none of that 'Excellency' crap. I was born a commoner, so being assigned such fancy titles makes my skin crawl. Besides, I may be the right arm of the Council Chancellor, but that doesn't make me the Vice Chancellor. So major, your appellation isn't correct anyway." She leaned forward and rested her chin on her folded hands. Suddenly, her mouth formed into a cheshire grin. "Let me guess... this is your minder, right Sara? The guy who was assigned the thankless job of reigning in your escapades."

Their female instructor shrugged helplessly. "Got it in one, Helena. You may pity me now."

"The only thing worth pitying is your lack of a love live."

"Pot calling the kettle anyone?"

"Oh, haven't I told you?" The state prosecutor smirked. "I got a date set up with an older gentleman. Forty-five, soft spoken, some gray in his hair and a connoisseur of Legram Brandy."

Instructor Valestein bristled. "You didn't!"

"Oh, I certainly did. Seems like I'll be the one to win our little competition." Ms Freising leaned back in her chair again and smiled like the canary that ate the cream. "Don't think I'm going to let you keep your head start just because you got the opportunity to flirt with Cassius Bright."

There was a mounting horror growing on Major Neithardt's face.

Jusis Albarea looked dumbstruck.

Fie rolled her eyes.

Rean and Laura looked intrigued.

The rest of the class seemed confused except for Gaius who took the surreal scene in stride.

Cadet Claire scribbled in her notebook.

Machias, meanwhile, felt something die inside him.

Instructor Valestein was balling her fists and looked like she was about to lunge at the woman across the desk. Fortunately, the assistant returned with two big envelopes before the situation escalated.

The mousy young woman seemed completely oblivious towards the thick tension inside the room, puttering around the mahogany desk like she didn't have a single care in the world. "And here we go, ma'am." She put down the sealed envelopes in front of State Attorney Freising.

The woman cleared her throat and recovered her posture as if the verbal altercation didn't happen at all. "Back to business then. The content of the envelopes are identical, but I thought it prudent to prepare two copies given how big your group is." Her smile was warm now, lacking the antagonistic edge she displayed when talking to their instructor. "Don't be shy, cadets. These are for you."

Rean and Laura were the first to step forward. After they broke the seals which displayed the Sutherland coat of arms, each of them revealed a thick leaflet made of high quality paper. Their class split into two equal groups and clustered around the swordfighters to read what their tasks were about.

Machias blinked several times after he skimmed through the contents.

"These tasks don't strike me as appropriate for a military exercise." His Lordship's voice was acerbic, but once again he didn't found it in him to disagree.

"The missions seem kind of mundane?" Elliot half spoke, half asked.

Fie folded her arms. "Typical Bracer work." Murmurs started to swell in response to her terse statement.

"I can understand some of your doubts cadets, but please consider that the Thors faculty has recognized these missions as suitable for you." Machias was surprised. To think Major Neithardt of all people came to the defense of this program.

Both Rean and Laura turned to each other. Some silent communication seemed to pass between them. After that they both nodded as one. The noble swordswoman was the first to speak up. "Our tasks might seem mundane. Perhaps some of you even think them inappropriate or beneath you." She raised her voice, adding a note of earnestness and passion. "But consider the name of our particular exercise: a study in the field. A field called Saint-Arkh." She smiled.

"What do we really know about this place? Perhaps some facts gleaned from the pages of history? The best places to do some sightseeing? The most popular cultural attractions?" She shook her head. "But we are no mere tourist. We are not here on vacation. This kind of shallow knowledge doesn't qualify as a true study."

Rean stepped to the middle of their group. "Some of you are already aware of my side activities at Thors. Some of you...", and here he looked at Alisa and Gaius, "are even aware that my current side-activities are just a continuation of what I did during my time at Baldurs. A lot of people like to dismiss it as errands. Personally, I like to call it community work. And that is really the point. Saint-Ark is the Old Capital, Erebonia's center of fair arts, the residence of the Hyarms Marquisdom... but most of all, it's a community. A network of human relations, activities and bonds that can't be captured by rote numbers or dry facts."

He balled his fists and his voice became even firmer. "The tasks here might seem random, but consider the clients: The archbishop of Saint-Arkh Cathedral. The proprietor of a big convenience store, probably the biggest in the city. A baron who is most likely the inventor of the unique bicycles we have encountered on the streets. A physician from Remiferia who works at Veteran Affairs, but who is likely also associated with her country's embassy. The arts instructor of Forsetis Military Academy - I could go on."

He let the words sink for a moment.

"All these clients are connected to places which serve as pillars of this community called Saint-Arkh. And if we want to gain a deeper understanding of our Field Study location, deeper than mere tourists, contributing something is a good way to start."

Machias blinked. Looking from this angle made the missions look much more reasonable. Things like the Remiferian doctor did stand out to him, but he didn't make the connection with the embassy nor the bigger picture.

"You speak from experience," Jusis mused. "Both of you."

The two swordfighters nodded.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised you two are the first to realize the underlying purpose." Instructor Valestein sauntered in-between them and mock glared at Rean. "And you certainly know how to read between the lines, Mr Wunderkind. My initial estimation was that both Laura and you would catch up after the first day, not the moment you broke the envelope seals."

State Prosecutor Freising laughed. "I can already see that this group might be a little too talented for even you to handle, Sara." Her gaze roved across them. It rested for a moment at the swordfighters, before it wandered again to zoom in on his Lordship and to Machias' surprise on himself.

He felt his heart skip a beat again.

Their instructor smiled wickedly. "Okay kids, feel free to assemble yourselves around these two reliable classmates. Form two teams or tackle the tasks as one big group. Try to solve everything on the list or just do the mandatory ones. You can do whatever you think is best."

All of Class VII looked at Major Neithardt who sighed.

"No, I'm not still going to contradict Instructor Valestein. The exact way to go about your tasks is part and parcel of the learning experience. Class VII, more than any other program at Thors, requires you to take independent action in a swift, decisive manner."

Before they could proceed with their task allocation, they heard a frantic knock at the door.

"Come in!"

The person literally burst through the door. Machias was surprised to recognize him. It was Hibelle, an Odins alumnus and the former leader of the academy's orchestra before Elliot took the reigns. He glanced to the side and saw the redhead's recognition written on his face.

Quite a small world.

"There's an e-emergency, Lady Freising." He gasped for air. Just as he was about to continue he stopped and gasped again as he realized the familiar faces among them. "Elliot? Machias?"

The state prosecutor politely cleared her throat which brought back his focus. "Sorry, let's catch up later." Hibelle straightened himself." There's a problem with the special shipment from the capital. There was a distress signal send through the semaphore line on the Northern Highroad. Alert level orange. A nearby garrison has dispatched a single platoon of soldiers, but I fear it's too little given the gravity of the warning."

The tension in the room became palpable once more.

"I wasn't aware semaphores are still being used here in the Province," Major Neithardt mused. Machias wasn't familiar with the term, but if their other main instructor considered it worth noting, it had to be something important.

"They were successively reinstated after that incident two years ago," Prosecutor Freising drawled. "No matter. Thank you for your report, Hibelle. Given the current situation, it doesn't surprise me that they send out such a small force. The Provincial Army is stretched thin right now, but a single platoon could as well end up with good soldiers getting killed."

"Is this special shipment something that pertains to that case?"

The state prosecutor sighed. "Yes it does, Sara."

"How about requesting reinforcement from Dreknor Fortress?" Major Neithardt suggested.

"I'm loathe to go for this option due to the sensitive nature of the contents being transported. You see major, the ones doing the shipment belong to the Provincial Postal Service. Besides, we need a quick solution and Dreknor's chain of command tends to be... ponderous." She tented her fingers. "Sara, as their combat instructor, do you consider your cadets battle ready?"

"I never told you I taught them combat."

The prosecutor rolled her eyes. "As if Thors would hire you for anything else but your stupidly overwhelming fighting prowess."

"Hey, I resent that remark. Buuuut I guess the kids here are pretty good. Including me and the major our group would eat an average platoon of soldiers for breakfast."

"Strong words. In this case, I formally add the following Special Request to your Field Duties. Class VII, reinforce the Provincial Army to resolve a level orange alert and recover a high priority shipment." She took a deep breath. "You may not like what I'm going to say next. We don't know the exact nature of the threat and there's the possibility that the platoon can handle it all by themselves. But just in case, I order you in my function as state prosecutor to prioritize the preservation of the shipment over saving lives. Do you understand?"

Machias blinked. He didn't expect a genuine life and death mission to just fall into their lap. And he certainly didn't expect Prosecutor Freising to give them such a cold-blooded order.

"This is quite a thing to ask of a Bracer." Instructor Valestein's tone lost any hint of playfulness, her voice so cold it send a chill down his spine.

"But you are also a provisional officer right now, aren't you?"

"First Lieutenant in fact," Major Neithardt added.

"I see... well, First Lieutenant Valestein, cadets of Thors Officer School Class VII, you have your orders. Your response, please?"

"Acknowledged, ma'am." It seemed like their combat instructor had to grind out the words.

"Cadets?"

Several of them visibly swallowed, but in the end following orders was the core tenet of military life. "Yes ma'am!"

"Excellent. Hibelle, Celestin, ready the fastest horses available!"

"Cadets," Major Neithardt bellowed. "Back to your rooms. Prepare your weapon's loadout!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Fie didn't expect much when the Field Study started. Sara already hinted at the nature of their missions - namely lame Bracer errands - so she pretty much expected what they were served. At least there wasn't any task for finding missing pets.

What she didn't expect was a potentially dangerous combat situation. Or riding a horse. Truth be told though she was just a hanger on. Rean was the one doing the actual steering, forcing the black stallion to maintain a punishing gallop.

She soon caught on to the trick that riding was more involved compared to passively sitting inside a vehicle. There was a steady rhythm to the animal's movement. The best thing to do was aligning her own body to the pulsating contraction of horse muscle.

It also gave her the excuse to cling to Rean. She wasn't surprised, but it was nice to confirm first hand that his abs were as rock-hard as she thought them to be.

Their makeshift cavalry squad passed a pair of semaphore towers. Fie squinted her eyes and indeed, they were in pristine condition unlike two years ago when Zephyr was operating in Sutherland during the Guild Bombing Incident.

She was quite familiar with semaphores which were sometimes called optical telegraphs. They predated orbal phones as a method of long distant communication and even today, they were still utilized in some rural areas. And sabotaging these means of communication was the bread and butter of what Zephyr Missions often entailed.

Her former corps was something of an odd duck among Jaegers, because they had comparably few members. There were missions that required bigger troop numbers in which case they subcontracted lesser ranked Jaeger corps to fill out the quota. What Zephyr specialized in though were squad sized operations of elites with different weapon specializations who operated deep behind enemy lines to perform surgical strikes on critical targets.

It didn't escape her notice that Class VII was designed along similar lines.

Gaius cried out a warning. Fie peeked out from behind Rean's back and saw a mass of big two-legged birds swarming around a horse drawn carriage that was protected by an encirclement of Provincial Soldiers. One look was enough to determine that the situation was bad. The protectors were outnumbered, surrounded and there was a steady stream of monster reinforcement coming out of the woodwork.

"Well, our mission objective looks to be in a tight spot. Any tactical suggestions?" Sara shouted, slowing her mount to a trot. Their whole group followed suit.

Laura was the first to speak up. "We form three teams. Gaius, Jusis and me on horseback. The instructors, Rean and Fie as infantry. Machias, Alisa, Emma and Elliot as Arts support. The cavalry serves as the vanguard to break a hole into the monster encirclement, the infantry widens the gap for the Arts Support to traverse safely. After that both groups reinforce the protective circle to stiffen their defense."

"I'll be part of the cavalry," Major Neithardt added. "And after the riders break the encirclement, we will stay outside to interrupt the monster reinforcement."

"Sounds fine to me. Not the fastest way to kill the monsters and a tad risky, but it has the highest chance of saving lives and making sure the carriage stays undamaged." Sara tightened the reins again. "Okay, Class VII, knock up some heads and stay alive."

Fie observed the enemy monsters, their sharp claws, fast beak-attacks, the small wings. Typical flightless bird monsters called Ostriches, though their red plumage probably made them a subspecies. Dangerous against infantry units shorter than them, but their range of motion rendered them almost helpless against aerial attacks. Soft targets without armor.

She grinned and took out the Sapphirl tipped hollow point bullets. The cartridge was slotted it into her Jotun hybrid assault rifle.

Major Neithardt, Laura, Gaius and Jusis went into a gallop again, crashing into the encirclement like a lightning bolt. Blades, cross-lance and hooves tore into the Ostriches, felling six monsters in an instant. Fie, Sara and Rean followed soon after, jumping down from their horses shortly before enemy contact, their ARCUS links primed and ready.

Fie fastened the rifle at her back and drew the gunblades.

As the mental connections snapped shut, she brushed against the familiar consciousness belonging to Rean. It always felt strange, but even more so now that they were in the middle of a battlefield. His mind seemed like a vast plain, a smooth surface devoid of any blemish, ready to be painted and disturbed by anything. But there was the inkling of turmoil hiding beneath that surface. Something big and powerful. Something disruptive.

A technique manifested in her consciousness that felt foreign and familiar at the same time. Air gathered around them both, caressing their bodies with deceptive gentleness.

She was the first to charge, the wind tunnel trailing in her wake enabling the swordsman to match her speed as he followed her closely. They were a gale, dashing past seven monsters in a zigzag, hamstringing their legs in an instant. Sara placed herself between the crippled monsters, her semi-automatic Gram Pistol spitting the infamous lighting rounds, shocking each monster the moment Rean and her finished their cut and dash. In the blink of an eye seven monsters were collapsed on the ground, shrieking in pain as high voltage ravaged their bodies. Beaks and wings flapped pathetically as if they were puppets with their strings cut.

Alisa, Machias, Emma and Elliot hurried through the opening while the riders fanned out in two teams of two, widening the gap in the encirclement further with mighty swings of their weapons, their mounted position perfect to attack the heads of the bird monsters.

The Provincial Soldiers made room for them, their movements disciplined and efficient. Elliot cast a wide area Breath Art and Emma assisted with another area spell, providing their group with a collective Adamantine Shield. Alisa took out an arrow with a thick metal tube at the tip and fired it upwards in the air. The arrow head burst apart with an explosion, raining down liquid flames on a cluster of monsters, setting them on fire. Like clockwork she drew out another arrow of the same making, repeating her short-range mortar fire to buy the Provincial Soldiers precious seconds to reload and counter-attack.

She swapped her Combat Link and forged a connection with Machias while Rean paired up with Sara. Fie holstered her gunblades and cocked the assault rifle, bracing herself for the kickback. The world turned into stark relief as she released a three-round burst, the bullets leaving billiard sized holes on the elongated neck of an Ostrich.

The sound of her shots drowned out the noise coming from the mundane orbal rifles and bayonets. The smell of gunpowder tickled her nostrils. Despite her preparatory stance the recoil was painful. She felt a smile creeping up her face as she locked on another target. Quite a beasty gun. It was everything a girl could ask for.

For the next tense minute both her and Machias fired their assault rifles in tandem, alternating between suppressive fire to pin the monsters in place and three-shot bursts to finish them off. She could sense her classmates nervousness at the outer edge of her consciousness, but he had it under control and he took action with only minimal hesitation.

Seemed like the skirmish earlier with the Rhinociders already had an effect on him - like stiffening his backbone.

Their cavalry stayed on the periphery of the monster encirclement to avoid friendly fire, either luring outer-most monsters away to hack them down or intercepting Ostriches that continued to emerge from the nearby woods.

Fie reloaded and continued her shooting, the special bullets of her assault rifle massacring the birds. The tide of battle was turning in their favor, but her instincts were still as tense as a coiled spring.

Always listen to your gut, Fie.

When it came to battlefield advice the Boss had never steered her wrong. She focused her senses, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

She didn't have to wait for long. A piercing shriek resounded from within the woods and moments later a gigantic Crimson Ostrich broke out of the undergrowth. While the regular version was about three arge tall this new specimen towered over its brethren with being almost double as tall and five times as massive. Fie felt the earth vibrate just like with the Rhinociders. Machias and Elliot elicited a yelp and even the morale of the Provincial Soldiers faltered again.

Another piercing shriek that made her ears ache. A red glow went over the two dozen normal-sized Ostriches still alive and seconds later they renewed their offensive with desperate ferociousness.

Fie switched to suppressive fire alongside Machias to keep the deluge at bay, the bullet casings being ejected like so much small change. Even then the onslaught opened up a hole in their defense. She saw from the corner of her eyes how one of the soldiers lost the protection of his Adamantine Shield, the Ostrich ready to tear him apart. Rean and Sara were busy on the opposite front and Alisa's shot was to weak to stop the monster cold.

Fie aimed and pulled the trigger, but her rifle only spit out a single bullet instead of the three-shot burst she counted on. Frustration erupted inside her as she didn't have the time for a reload, but she suppressed the emotion and charged.

The core rule the boss laid down: Always protect your comrades on the battlefield.

Fie treated the barrel of her rifle as a makeshift spear tip, ramming several hundred degrees of piping hot metal into the creature's eye socket. She landed in front of the defenseless soldier, kicked the bayonet he dropped into her own hand and thrust it straight into the monster's heart followed by a point-blank shot.

Three enraged Ostriches made it in front of Machias, attacking the opening she created, but a second later the cavalry arrived. Gaius was like a mobile guard tower, his cross-spear exchanged for his composite bow. He weaved artfully through the birds while raining green wreathed arrows across the entire battlefield. Heads and necks were punctured with frequency, but he topped that off as he halted the three looming monsters by burying arrows inside all six legs in the span of a few seconds - shot from a moving mount no less.

Then Major Neithardt descended upon the birds like a demon of carnage, wielding a Cutlass shotgun in one hand and his military saber in the other. Heads were cleaved open and bodies shredded by hollow point buckshots. After that, a cyan colored glow illuminated their group. Emma was preparing a large scale art with Elliot doing some kind of harmonizing through an ARCUS Link that was actually visible in its glow. Seconds later two incandescent balls of fire fell down from the sky in a vortex motion until they collided in a massive detonation of fiery death.

Walls of Earth rose protectively in front of their group courtesy of Alisa and Machias. However, the Ostriches had none of the protection. Three of them burned up to cinders in an instant while about a dozen were blasted to the ground by the shockwave, their plumage incinerated to a crisp.

Fie looked to the other side of the battlefield. There were only a few stragglers left. The gigantic boss Ostrich was tied down by Jusis and Laura who alternately drew its attention and made it walk in a circle. She drew her gunblades.

Time to end this.

She jumped to the top of the horse-carriage. A second wind assisted jump followed as she flew above a lone Ostrich. Then a drop thrust with her gunblades, straight through the eyes. A shot each to finish it off and then she was flying again using the head of the dying bird as a jumping platform.

Rinse and repeat. Fie vaulted another three times, terminating the birds each time until she catapulted herself above the head of the lead Ostrich.

This time she fired a few rounds in mid-air, mere provoking shots. And just like she thought, the monstrous bird looked up to her and opened its ginormous beak.

So predictable.

She quickly holstered the gunblades and loosened her bandolier full of high-ex grenades. With a sweeping motion all of them were primed and using the momentum of a mid-air twist Fie hurled the cluster of explosives straight into the open maw of doom.

A short activation of her ARCUS to cast an Air Blast, changing her flying trajectory just as the giant Ostrich snapped at her. She dodged the beak attack effortlessly and stopped her descension by ramming her gunblade into the face of the monster, stopping her momentum while carving up its flesh.

Three

Fie drew the other gunblade and began to move down the monster's enormous neck by using the weapons as improvised climbing picks. Instead of running, each step downwards was a hacking attack. She twisted her body repeatedly to maintain momentum for another bite of her weapon, turning herself into a tornado of pain.

Two

She descended in a spiral, leaving countless puncture wounds in her wake, her motions always adjusting to the jostling of the giant body she was mauling.

One

Fie jumped on the back of the monster. From there she moved down to the ground. At the same moment there was a series of dull bangs. Blood shot out from all directions like a ripe tomato being squashed. Chunks of gore loosened themselves as the puncture wounds along the neck became aggravated from the explosions that went off inside.

The giant Ostrich was lurching, its whole body shuddering in pain. Seemed like bombing the inside of the neck destroyed its voice. Jusis took advantage of the opportunity and cast Judgement Bold to pin it down with the paralyzing effect of the Art. Streams of stroboscopic lightning bolts arced across its body, eliciting even more violent shudders.

Then there was Laura charging at the monster. Her sword was enveloped in the brilliant light she used during the fight against Sara, extending the reach of the weapon. Shortly before she reached her mark she moved to a standing position atop the saddle and jumped from there.

A rising slash, the movement beautiful in its smoothness and efficiency. The cut was so clean that it took several seconds until the decapitated head slid down, landing on the ground with a thump. Fie narrowed her eyes. Something was strange with the head that laid only two arge beside her.

Nah, it wasn't important.

She released the tension inside her body and exhaled. The battle high was still running through her body, adrenaline still coursing through her veins, but all good things had to end somewhere. She took out a tissue and wiped the blood from her weapons before holstering them. It was just some superficial cleaning. In the evening she would have to do a more thorough job.

The boss monster finally toppled to the ground, shaking the earth. However, Fie didn't pay it any heed. Her gaze was searching until she found what she was looking for: Amberl colored eyes framed by a beautiful face and aquamarine locks. She didn't dare reach out with an ARCUS link or start a conversation, but she couldn't help but wanting to search for something - anything.

Laura's expression was stiff and closed off, though she didn't avert her eyes. Then a nod. A curt show of respect from one warrior to another. A distant gesture, but still better than pure rejection. Fie returned the nod.

She could live with that.

"The two of you continue to impress," Jusis murmured as he flicked the blood from his sword and turned to her. "That aerial attack sure was reckless though."

To her surprise, Laura was the one to answer. "It was the most pragmatic approach. These birds are at their most dangerous when attacking prey on foot, especially if said prey is shorter than they are."

The big, important noble looked between them with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I'll take your word for it then. Let's go back. I'm curious about exactly whom and what we protected."

"Agreed," Fie concurred.

Post battle preparation was already in full swing. The soldiers provided first-aid for the wounded with Elliot and Emma assisting. The Provincial Officer and leader of the platoon was talking animatedly with Sara, Neithardt, Rean as well as a woman in some official looking attire. She narrowed her eyes. Petite, bright orange hair, stacked. Beauty mark on the left cheek, green eyes. She didn't saw this woman during the battle, so she was most likely hiding inside the horse carriage until now.

Fie heard a cry coming from the gaggle of soldiers standing around the wounded. Elliot looked stricken and Emma was covering her mouth with both hands, her body shaking like a leaf. Machias stood beside her and placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. His expression could be described as miserable. Fie looked closer and saw one motionless body covered in more blood than the others. Wounds on liver, ribcage and both thighs. She grimaced.

No guesses what happened just now.

"One of my men didn't make it," the Provincial Officer exploded. "Even more reason to investigate just what in Aidios name has happened."

"I don't care about this freak accident!" The woman shouted. "Just take me to Saint-Arkh. The faster the better."

"Lady, it seems all the corpses lying around didn't clue you in so I'll spell it out for your real clearly..." Sara was drawling, but there was an unmistakable edge in her voice. "Our combined forces just killed over forty Crimson Ostriches plus one boss monster. These things aren't your everyday poms. They can easily rip an average human to shreds in mere seconds. Our ammunition and Orbal energy is spent. Our horses are exhausted, because we almost rode them into the ground trying to reach your position in time. And as my cadet here," she gestured towards Rean, "just pointed out, there's the possibility this 'freak accident' isn't accidental at all."

She planted herself in front of the woman who alternated between indignation and fear. "We will regroup and recover first. I'll be damned before I order my cadets to move out while exhausted and spent only to cater to your irrational whims - big shot official or not. If you have a problem with it, take it up with Prosecutor Freising."

"First Lieutenant Valestein, please be more careful with your tone."

"What, major? Was there anything I said about our current troop condition that you disagree with?"

"Well, no. But you could have worded it more diplomatically."

The orange-haired woman sighed deeply. "Seems like you are all of the same opinion then. Well, I'll leave combat to the professionals I guess. I've dealt with enough military types to be aware that you always believe to know better." She turned around in a huff and entered the horse carriage, shutting the door with an audible slam.

The Provincial Officer cursed under his breath. "What an unpleasant woman. To think one of my men lost his life over someone like her."

"Let's call her a stuck-up, entitled bitch and leave it at that. I hope that whatever she's carrying is more important than her personage." Sara shook her head. "I suggest you take care to rally your troops, Unterfeldwebel Dorn. We'll deal with on-site investigation. The moment we find something, you'll be the first to know."

The man nodded. "Thank you again, First Lieutenant." He saluted despite belonging to a different branch of the military. "Major, cadets of Thors, you do your reputation justice. Without your aid, this situation would have become very ugly. Now if you'll excuse me. My soldiers need me."

Fie noticed that Instructor Neithardt didn't call out Sara for her insults once that self-important official was out of earshot.

"May I ask what happened just now?" Jusis' tone was carefully neutral.

"Weeell, I'll let our Wunderkind here explain the problem - and your next task. I'm tired."

Rean pinched the bridge of his nose. "I really wish you to stop calling me Wunderkind, instructor."

"Don't be a spoilsport." Sara turned towards Instructor Neithardt. "Coming major? Let's patrol the perimeter for now. The kids are bright enough to do the investigation on their own."

The major followed her with the pained expression of man resigned to his fate.

"So Rean, what is our next task supposed to be?" Laura asked.

The black haired swordsman scratched his head. "Well, to begin with look at the Orbal Lights."

All of them did as he told. Fie saw Alisa standing beside one of the orbments, fiddling with some contraption connected to her ARCUS while Gaius watched over her six. Otherwise she didn't saw anything noteworthy. All Orbal Lights were gleaming and the distance between them was the standard fifteen arge to prevent...

Wait a damn second.

She peered in both directions, but the sight didn't change in the slightest. Functional lights as far as the eye could see.

"The monster repelling function of the Orbal Lights failed completely," Jusis murmured. "Except this shouldn't be possible." All of them looked around the field which was littered in corpses. "I heard of reports that the occasional monster slips through, but not to this extent."

"My point exactly," Rean acknowledged. "Right now Alisa is checking the Orbal Wave frequencies. According to her, the wavelengths that repel most monsters are outside the visible spectra. Sometimes, orbment failure is only partial and the lighting fails to emit the crucial wavelengths despite having visible luminescence."

Jusis shook his head. "This kind of technological failure is possible, but rare. We saw the way this mob of Ostriches moved. If there really is a non-functional Orbal Light, their pack should have funneled through that slight gap in the repelling field. But that's not the way it happened at all."

"I concur." Laura folded her arms. "They simply swarmed over the street and by encircling the horse carriage the monsters even ignored the lighting on the other side of the road. Looking at the size of the area, about seven to eight Orbal Lights would need to be non-functional. And seeing that their shine is visible, we would have seven lights exhibit a rare failure at roughly the same time."

"While all conveniently clustered together." Fie added.

Rean nodded morosely. "Only human tampering could explain this. But as long as Alisa is checking the wavelengths, there's something else we can do."

"We look if there's something wrong with the monsters themselves," Laura concluded.

"Dissection time," Fie deadpanned.

Jusis folded his arms. "Wonders never cease. To think Instructor Valestein's monster slaying lessons would end up becoming useful." He blinked. "Does anyone carry a spare Bestiary?"

"You can have mine." Rean took out a thick black notebook and gave it to the Albarea heir. "I'll inform the others. I'm pretty sure Emma has the entry we need memorized." He smiled weakly. "And even if she didn't, Machias most likely carries another copy."

"If there's anything more predictable than church service, it's Regnitz' obsession with books. And be delicate with her, Schwarzer. The death of the soldier has affected Ms Millstein most harshly."

"Thanks Jusis. I always knew you care." He smiled warmly. "I'll give Emma your regards."

"Now, if you would only start calling us by our given names..." Fie added.

"You, be silent! And Schwarzer, I never said anything about giving her my regards."

Laura placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jusis, I know you don't trust easily and I have an inkling where you are coming from. But even you have to admit that the members of this class are most likely not concocting some base ploy to leverage your esteemed family name. After a whole month, it would behoove you to at least treat them as proper classmates. Refusal to do so strikes me as a slight against propriety."

The Albarea heir sighed. "And propriety needs to be observed." He balled his fists. "I didn't come here to make friends, but I can certainly accept you as acquaintances. Rean, Fie, Laura." He gave each of them a nod of acknowledgement.

Fie had to hold herself back from eye rolling. Is this what they called having a stick up the ass?

"If there's no trouble I would like to accompany you, Rean," Laura declared.

"Sure, follow me. Jusis, Fie, good luck with the investigation."

There was a pause between them once the two swordfighters were away. Fie was the first to break it. "Let's get to work."

"After you."

They didn't need to walk far to reach their first unburned corpse. Fie drew her boot knife, while Jusis looked up the relevant passage. He started to read aloud.

Crimson Ostrich, subspecies of the Common Ostrich. Scientific name: Struthio gigantes rubris. They live in nomadic groups. Semi-nocturnal lifestyle. Omnivores. If fully matured (~3 arge tall, ~350 curim), they may attack with a fiery breath. Their migration cycle starts during fall and ends in spring. Strong resistance to fire arts and slight resistance to earth. Very susceptible to water.

He looked up. "The rest is about mating rituals and physio-anatomical details, but even this short list contradicts what we've encountered."

Fie nodded. "Semi-nocturnal, but it's the middle of the day during which they went on a rampage."

"Did you see any of the Ostriches breathe fire?"

"None."

"So there's definitely something wrong." He closed his eyes. "What did Instructor Valestein teach us again? Examine the eyes, mouth and extremities first, right?"

"Ja. I'll check the rest."

Fie bend down towards the body and took a whiff. There was the smell of blood, but even though the bowels were still sealed there was also the slight stink of excrement. She concentrated and breathed deeply through her nose.

Plumage, acidic sweat, the tang of fear. There was also the beginning of an odor that was painfully familiar.

Decay... and something else. Something that didn't fit.

She bend down further until her nose almost touched the feathers. Was this the salty smell of seawater?

"I've got nothing yet," Jusis spoke.

"I smell seawater."

"Is this common?"

"From a land animal? Besides, this one mutated through Fire Sepith."

Jusis narrowed his eyes. "What happens when a monster that is heavily reliant on one type of elemental Sepith ingests Sepith from the opposing element?"

Fie furrowed her brows. "Something bad. Sara explained the condition in class. It should be listed in the index."

"Thanks."

She stared for a while at the body, while Jusis skimmed through the pages. Then something else occurred to her. Fie ripped out a couple of bright red feathers, but as she looked closer at the base, there was the beginning of violet instead. She moved frantically to one of the monster's gigantic feet and jammed her knife into the base of a talon. After some fiddling, she levered out the claw. Then came the wiping to remove the blood and...

Yeah. For the most part, the claw was shimmering with the glow of Carnelia, but the base was again a startling violet.

"Interesting." Jusis was looking over her shoulder. "Microscopic Septium residue is deposited in collagenous structures - namely hair or nails. Or feathers and claws. Furthermore, violet is a mixture of red and blue."

"Found the passage?"

"Yes." He smiled thinly, but his voice had the ring of satisfaction. "It's called Septochromatosis adversaris. Symptoms include heightened aggression to the point of becoming rabid, loss of signature elemental abilities, disruption of wake-sleep cycle, miscarriage and in case of long exposure - systemic organ failure."

"Bingo." Fie tilted her head. "So these monsters were already weakened."

Jusis huffed. "If anything, I'm glad about this. If these beasts were at full power in addition to breathing fire... the casualties would be much higher."

"Or they would have wiped out the postal service before we even arrived - and burned whatever super-secret package they are transporting."

"True... shall we go back and convene with the rest of our class?"

She crossed her arms behind her back. Instincts continued to bug her. Something. They were still overlooking something.

"The boss monster. I saw something strange when Laura decapitated the thing."

He simply nodded. "Lead the way."

Fie had to admit that Jusis' no-nonsense attitude was growing on her. She hadn't interacted much with him until now and from what the Zephyr members told her, negotiating with high born nobles was one big pain. But perhaps she was being prejudiced.

Just like a certain blue haired swordswoman.

The massive head of the lead Ostrich looked at them accusingly, its expression frozen in a rictus of alien indignation.

Or so she imagined. She made a face at the monster head even though it was kind of silly, but sometimes a girl had to make her own fun.

Fie took care not to let Jusis see it of course.

"I hope you don't intend to take this abomination as a trophy."

"Tempting," she deadpanned. "But not what we're here for." Fie walked around the head once. Then she discovered the spot she noted before: a small patch of dirty brown on red plumage, located at the back of the neck at beak-height. Dried blood, at least several days old. She parted the feathers and revealed a poorly healed wound, the scab an amorphous piece of brown and black.

She drew a gunblade and plunged it straight into the wound. She picked inside with the weapon until there was a distinct kind of mechanical resistance. With a single flick of her wrist, she then carved out a cylindrical piece of flesh which fell to the ground with a wet splash. Some strategically placed cuts later revealed a small construct of jagged metal spikes that protruded in four directions.

"What in Aidios' name is that?" Jusis murmured.

"Caltrop bullet. This is its unfurled form. Once inside a body they are designed to inflict as much pain as possible."

The Albarea heir folded his arms and she felt dark emotions accumulating behind his facade of cool indifference. "In other words, we now have hard evidence that this freak monster attack was in fact manufactured and directed."

She closed her eyes. In truth, they knew even more. The attention to detail that went into the monster attack spoke of experience coupled with deep knowledge of monster lore. And there were only two professions with this kind of specialized knowledge, which was developed by Monster Slayer Guilds over the centuries.

And Fie doubted that Bracers were the ones responsible.

Additional notes.

Unterfeldwebel: To make the Provincial Army more distinct from the Imperial Army, I've given them the military rank structure of the German Heer. At first, I wanted to use the rank structure of the German Empire, but that one ended up too confusing for my taste. The Unterfeldwebel is roughly analogous to a Sergeant in the US military and when Class VII continues to meet Provincial Officers of different ranks, I'll continue to put the analogous US military rank in the explanation section.

Hollow point bullet(HPB): A real world bullet design with a hollowed out tip. When the bullet hits a target, the kinetic force deforms the metal tip which results in the projectile taking the form of a mushroom. As a result, this deforming effect of HPBs is even called 'mushrooming'. This bullet design has two main utilities. First of all, it prevents over-penetration which is a desirable trait in law enforcement. There is practically no chance for a HPB to pass completely through a human body and hit somebody else behind said human, or the window of a 50th story skyscraper, or the wall of an airplane. The second utility lies in the fact that HPB causes bigger wounds through the sideways expansion of the metal tip. This makes it attractive for hunting certain kinds of game, but there are situations when law enforcement considers it justified to use this increased stopping power on criminals. And as some of you have most likely guessed, HPBs suck against armored targets.

As for the Sapphirl tipped hollow point bullets, they work similar to the real world version except there are two stages of expansion. The hollow cavity of the bullet is filled with water and a small piece of Water Septium. When the bullet is fired from a hybrid firearm, the propellant is mundane gunpowder, while the orbal energy is used to activate the Sapphirl inside the bullet. This in turn energizes the water inside the cavity and once the bullet penetrates a target, the metal tip mushrooms just like a real world HPB, but the resulting pressure on the water combined with the elemental manipulation of the septium causes overpressurized water to shoot out radially around the deformed bullet tip, therefore increasing and aggravating the initial wound even further. As a result, using these bullets against human targets is considered illegal even by members of the military.