The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Margot handed the five of them their field study assignments for the day. After going over the details with her, Rean and Laura were about to have their little make-up scene, but Shionne decided she didn't feel like sitting through it. With a quiet sigh, she slipped outside for some fresh air, the morning breeze brushing against her hair as she leaned against the railing.
A few minutes later, the others came out to join her. Rean approached with a calm expression, though his tone carried a hint of urgency. "Louise just told us something happened in the grand market. We're gonna go check it out."
Shionne's lips twitched into a faint, forced smile. "Of course something did," she muttered under her breath. Pushing off the railing, she sighed in resignation.
When they reached the grand market, chaos had already taken root. Two merchants were shouting furiously at one another, faces red with anger, while the market manager, Otto, stood between them trying to mediate. The air was thick with tension as a small crowd gathered to watch.
The group walked over and talked to Otto to figure out what had happened. Otto explained that both merchants had been robbed overnight, their stalls vandalized, and now each was accusing the other of being behind it.
Before the argument could spiral further, several soldiers from the Kreuzen Provincial Army arrived. Dressed in their blue and white uniforms, they marched in with an air of authority that immediately silenced much of the crowd. The lead soldier's voice was cold and sharp. "If you don't stop causing this commotion, we'll arrest you both for disturbing the peace."
The merchants fell silent, but the unease in the air only deepened.
Alisa leaned closer to Rean, whispering under her breath, "It seems like the army just wants them to keep quiet and forget what happened."
Rean frowned, lowering his voice to match hers. "Yeah… it doesn't seem right."
Shionne crossed her arms, expression flat as she muttered, "Are you two only just now figuring out that they're shady? Seriously—stop whispering before they do something stupid like arrest you for conspiracy."
That made Rean and Alisa immediately clamp their mouths shut.
When the army left—without conducting even the bare minimum of an investigation—Otto took charge again, urging everyone to calm down. With his guidance, the merchants and townsfolk began working together to clean up the damaged stalls. Shionne and the others pitched in without complaint, helping to pick up shattered wood and scattered debris until the market looked somewhat presentable again.
Once the cleanup was done, Otto invited them into his home to discuss the situation in detail. Shionne followed but found herself tuning out halfway through the long conversation. By the end of the conversation Rean had convinced everyone that they should investigate and find the stolen goods themselves.
After stepping out, Rean took a breath and said, "Alright, we should search the town for clues."
Shionne replied, "We should take care of our assignments as we go. That way, we can take care of two birds with one stone."
With that plan in mind, the five of them began looking around town for leads on the stolen goods. Along the way, they helped a woman named Annabelle recover her stolen wallet—and slew a large bird monster called a Swordar while they were at it. After questioning several townspeople, they finally gathered enough clues to suspect where the stolen goods might have gone.
Their trail led straight to the Provincial Army guardhouse. Speaking to the soldiers stationed there only made them more suspicious that the army itself had something to do with the thefts. After some quiet discussion, the group unanimously agreed that the Provincial Army was likely behind the whole situation. Now, they just needed to figure out where the stolen goods had been hidden.
To narrow things down, they began asking the locals for more information. After chatting with a little girl named Mina—who complained about the town drunk, Johnson—they decided to question him next. The conversation that followed was long, confusing, and exhausting, but in the end, they pieced together that the goods had probably been taken to Lunaria Nature Park.
After walking past the fields and farmhouses along West Celdic Highway, they finally arrived at the large iron gates leading into the park. Rean unsheathed his tachi and sliced cleanly through the lock. As they stepped inside, Shionne's watch beeped, and the holographic display lit up:
Sub Quest 5: Prevent the Provincial Army from reaching you before the Railway Military Police.
Reward: Rebel Perk and $5000 in shop currency.
A smirk crossed Shionne's lips. No problem, she thought.
Falling a bit behind the others, she waited until she was sure no one could see her. With a focused breath, she summoned twenty-five familiars—spectral wolves glowing faintly in shades of bluish white. Thank goodness the limits in conjuration magic don't exist in reality, she mused.
She quietly commanded her familiars to impede anyone wearing a blue-and-white military uniform. The spectral wolves vanished into the shadows, lying in wait for their targets. Her watch beeped again, displaying:
Mana down to 500.
"Thank goodness the spell doesn't cost as much as it did in-game," she murmured to herself before catching back up with the group.
They fought their way through jellyshrooms and sasa pandas as they pressed deeper into the park. When several massive flying beetles called Blade Horns swooped toward them, Shionne didn't hesitate—she raised her rifle and picked them out of the air with precise, single shots before they could even approach.
Her watch beeped again:
Sniping—Intermediate has become Sniping—Advanced.
Elliot blinked in awe. "How many bullets do you have, Shionne?"
Shionne smirked faintly. "Yes."
Alisa tilted her head in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Laura calmly explained, "It means she most likely won't be running out anytime soon."
"But where does she keep them all?" Alisa asked, still perplexed.
Shionne only shrugged and kept walking.
"That was… unsatisfying," Alisa muttered under her breath.
As they continued on, they encountered several Gordi Chiefs—tough opponents but not unbeatable. After a hard-fought battle, they managed to bring them down.
Shionne clapped her hands together and called out, "Alright, quick break, everybody. Gather round."
Confused but exhausted, the other four complied. Shionne passed around juice and sandwiches, which everyone accepted gratefully before eating and resting. After a brief break, they felt re-energized and ready to continue.
Fighting through more monsters and navigating deeper into the forest, they eventually reached a clearing. There, they overheard four fake park rangers admitting to everything.
Shionne readied her rifle while Rean stepped forward, shouting, "You're not going anywhere!"
Shionne sighed. "And there goes the element of surprise."
As the others charged ahead with weapons drawn, she moved to a nearby ridge, setting up her vantage point. Instead of attacking immediately, she trained her rifle on the impostors as Rean and the others chose—for some reason—to talk to them first. Predictably, the fake rangers reached for their guns.
Shionne fired first, hitting one in the shoulder. He cried out in pain and dropped his weapon.
"What—a sniper?!" one of them shouted, panicked.
Before he could recover, Shionne fired again, this time hitting another in the leg, sending him crashing to the ground.
Rean raised his voice, firm and commanding. "Unless the rest of you want to be shot, I suggest you surrender!"
Seeing no other choice, the two remaining thieves dropped their weapons and gave up. Elliot quickly tied them up while Rean and Alisa began questioning them.
One of the bound men suddenly laughed darkly. "You brats really think you've won?"
Suddenly Elliot heard the sound of a flute in the distance.
Rean's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong, Elliot?"
Elliot frowned, glancing around. "I thought I heard a flute."
Then the air trembled with a deafening roar. The ground shook violently as something massive barreled toward them at terrifying speed. From the tree line, a huge, horned baboon-like monster leapt down, roaring furiously—the Grunoja had appeared.
Laura's eyes widened. "I believe that is the ruler of this forest."
Rean nodded sharply. "They may be criminals, but we can't let them die! Everyone, prepare for battle!"
"Right!" came the united response.
Shionne opened the fight by tossing a pair of fire bombs toward the creature's head. As they neared impact, she shot them midair, causing a bright explosion that briefly blinded the beast and singed its face.
Laura took advantage of the opening, rushing in and slashing across its right shoulder. The Grunoja roared in pain, its arm losing some mobility. It swung wildly with its left, colliding with Laura's greatsword and sending her skidding back.
Rean immediately darted forward, taking her place in close combat. Elliot followed up with Soul Blur, striking the creature with a burst of dark energy that made it reel back in agony.
Alisa loosed an arrow straight into its exposed eye while Shionne shot its knee, forcing it to stagger.
Rean's tachi ignited with red, flame-like energy as he charged. With a shout, he unleashed a flurry of powerful slashes. When he finally stepped back, the Grunoja was barely standing, bloodied and broken. With a final pained roar, it turned and retreated into the forest.
Rean lowered his blade. "Everyone okay?"
Laura exhaled, catching her breath. "A bit tired, but otherwise fine."
Alisa nodded. "I'm okay too."
Elliot added, "A little shaken up, but I'm alright."
Shionne lowered her rifle and brushed herself off. "Yeah, I'm good."
A calm, confident voice suddenly spoke up. "A fine job there, cadets."
From the shadows of the trees, a beautiful woman with light blue hair and violet eyes emerged, clad in a gray military uniform. Several men and women in similar attire followed, quickly moving to secure the fake park rangers.
The woman stepped forward and said, "I'm Major Claire Rieveldt with the R.M.P. We'll take those prisoners and the stolen goods off your hands. Good work."
Shionne crossed her arms. "I'm surprised the Provincial Army didn't try to stop you from taking over them."
Claire chuckled softly. "I imagine they would have—were they not back at their guardhouse treating their wounds."
Rean blinked. "Wounds? From what?"
"Apparently," Claire replied with a knowing smile, "they were attacked by some strange wolves when they entered the forest. We saw no such beasts, but… we've chosen to believe them."
Unseen by anyone else Shionne's lips curved into a subtle satisfied smile
Claire led the group back to town, where they were warmly thanked by Otto. After exchanging a few polite words with him, then everyone talked to Sara, who had just arrived. Shionne didn't pay much attention to their conversation.After they were done they boarded the train.
Once aboard, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels and the gentle sway of the carriage created a calm atmosphere. Shionne's watch suddenly beeped, drawing her gaze down to the glowing display.
Sub Mission 4 Complete by both Shionne and Rinwell
New Perk Added: Model Student — Increases learning comprehension, making new skills easier to acquire and existing skills easier to level up.
A small, confident smirk tugged at Shionne's lips. "Awesome," she muttered under her breath, satisfaction flickering in her eyes.
Just as she was about to close the menu, her watch beeped again, displaying a new notification.
Sub Mission 5 Complete
$5000 in shop currency added
New Perk acquired: Rebel — 25% increase in damage when facing someone with authority.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Shionne leaned back in her seat, folding her arms and closing her eyes as the train continued its steady journey toward Trista. A faint smile lingered on her face, the hum of the rails lulling her into a light, contented rest.