Viena cps her hands along with other children who were got caught in the moment. The parents walking in the park are smiling at what Gwen did. The elders are either ughing and reminiscing about the past, or simply annoyed and clicks their tongue at the noise she made. It doesn't take long for the young dy guard to be surrounded by kids demanding more story.

  Now she sees Gwen is busy tending to the kids crowding on her, Viena chooses to address her question to An who is sitting not far from them.

  "But, weren't you in the middle of telling a story about Robert Dufraisse? I don't understand how this is all connected,"

  "Well, about that. Do you remember when I told you that Queen Luseya fled the camp after kidnapping her husband with twelve of her followers?"

  "Yeah."

  "Lord Robert was one of them. He was initially captured during the Golden Lunch Incident, being a part of King Boronea's aide. However, everything was actually already plotted by the queen. She had him inserted within the court of King Boronea long before the revolt, and this what makes some people believe that he also orchestrated the politics so that King Boronea agreed to hold a hunting event near Edenshire which resulted in the incident. That, and also he makes the aid from House Crozette possible."

  "Hm . . . Politics is scary."

  "I suppose so."

  When they are looking at Remra's statue, Viena noticed that there is something looking shiny at the bird's beak.

  "An, do you see that?" Viena pointed.

  ". . . See what?"

  "That bird statue on Remra's hand. There is something shiny on its beak like it was made of something different!"

  "Ah, I see it too. I don't remember any part of the statue being shiny though. Do you think that is our clue?"

  Viena immediately runs towards it, and An followed right after. He takes the shiny object for her since Viena has to climb the statue in order to reach it, in which will become a problem with the guards. It's a metal cylinder that soldier often tie on homing pigeons to send messages and intel. Thus, they proceed to open it.

  "It's another coordinate."

  "What?! No way!"

  An takes his time deciphering the message. When he finally did, he smiled curiously.

  "Well, look at that . . . Now this is interesting."

  "What does it say?"

  "This coordinate is actually inside the royal military academy, presumably near the eastern training ground."

  "Whoa?! But how did he do it?!"

  When Viena is focused on the abstract numbers on the scrap of paper, An's eyes turned serious. He also wants to know how come a mere medevist can have access to a highly restricted area. However, it seems so legit since it's too specific and way too far to be a joke.

  "So, how do we get it?"

  "Normally, the military academy ground is not for public."

  "As I thought, so I'll never get my present. Sigh, what was he thinking, putting it at a pce like that? Papa is so weird sometimes."

  "Hahah. Do you forget who I am, kid?" An puffs out his chest and smacks the emblem on his uniform.

  Then, the three of them proceed to leave Parque de Memoire and head for the military eastern training ground. Luckily, it's only thirty minutes of riding public carts and they can already see the buildings from afar. One of the buildings is the gigantic flower-shaped building decorated with vines blooming in purple and yellow flowers. Upon seeing the building, Viena's sour mood is lightened up immediately.

  "WHAT IS THAT?!"

  "Uwah! You startled me!" Gwen jumped a little.

  "Was there always a building like that around here?!" said Viena with eyes wide open and a grin that is even wider.

  "That is the Great Gardenia. How come you have never seen it? You can literally see the dome from afar."

  After An expined to Viena, Gwen taps his shoulder and making a gesture with her hands, hinting the height of Viena. Usually, Viena is sensitive regarding her height being made fun of, but this time, she was too absorbed in the sight before her eyes. The building is so big that Viena couldn't even find a word to express her mind right away. She is just simply wowing and tapping her feet in great anticipation.

  "Gardenia as in flowers?"

  "Yes. It's Queen Luseya's favorite flowers."

  "Hm. But the flowers are not white? They are purple and yellow!"

  "Hahah, of course it's impossible to grow gardenia all year round. So, they use whatever flower in season as decoration. In this time of the year, they must be pnting autumn crocus and winter daffodil."

  "Gwen, I don't know you are so knowledgeable!"

  "You took the words off my mouth, Viena! She used to be so dumb during our academy days," An replied.

  Gwen punches An shoulders and posing with her arms akimbo.

  "That is so rude, you miserable nerd! I told you I only care with beauty, and flowers are beautiful. So, it's only natural that I am ultra-knowledgeable about them. That's the only reason I took up the Grand Gardenia florist duty for my second-year project."

  "Right, so much talk about beauty coming out from your mouth that it left you with none."

  The two knights fought each other for a while until finally Viena sets off on her own towards the building, and they had to stop her.

  "We must go there!"

  "Nope. You cannot, little girl. It's under maintenance for next year super big event."

  "Oh! The betting event!"

  "Huh? No! The tournament event!" Gwen insisted.

  "Wait. How do you know about the betting event?" An is curious.

  "Uhh, sometimes I overheard people talking about it in the streets."

  Luckily, Viena was able dodge the question. They continue their walk for about another half an hour, and they finally arrived in the military academy. It's even bigger than The Royal Secondary Academy of Fleurin. No wonder they have to walk out of the northern side of the city gates to get there, since there is no way to put such a vast complex of infrastructures inside the city.

  "Whoa! I've never traveled this far to the north! I can even see the mountain!"

  "They decided to build the academy on the northern side of the city because the north is the most susceptible to disturbance, like border issue and stuff."

  "What about the other directions?"

  "The west of Fleurin are fertile farmnds, the east is the big ke, and the south is all forest and the basalt column and cliffs. The noble houses keep everything in check, so we don't really need to worry much."

  After a while, the three finally arrived at the academy. It takes only a small talk for An to be able to gain access to the academy ground. Viena noticed that most of the soldiers stationed there seemingly have high regard for both An and Gwen for some reason. Seniority alone won't justify for that level of respect.

  "Good day, seniors!"

  A squad of knight in training who were having an afternoon jog past through them. They give salute to An and Gwen, and they returned the gesture.

  "An, Gwen, are you two bigshots around here?"

  "Fufufu. I love your question! It feeds my ego so much!" Gwen looking smug with her arms crossed.

  "It's not like we are so special as individuals, but I guess our uniform does. Can you see that there are knights with uniforms of slightly different colors?"

  Viena nodded as she observes her surroundings. The juniors are wearing pin white shirt, while the guards are wearing leather armor. As for the seemingly instructors, they are wearing bck gambeson decorated with book-shaped brooch.

  "I can guess what they do, but what about you? You wear blue gambeson and a sword-like brooch!"

  "Knights that finished their education are posted in pces that match their aptitude. Some of us turn into instructors, some were guarding certain facilities, while some are on the frontlines - on the borders of our country," An expined.

  "And blue! Blue is the best! We are the favorite! We are the capital wardens! Far from dangers! Far from filthy backwater vilges! Hahahah! Haaaah . . . Everyone must strive to be like me. I really am the best example of studiousness!"

  Gwen speaks and ughs so loud that everybody hears what she said. They all turned to her looking surprisingly annoyed and disturbed, as if they really have something to say to her. Until suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder from behind.

  "Now, now. I thought I heard a familiar voice. But it was you after all, Gwen Fairwind. You got the nerve coming back here after almost dropping out in every semester?"

  An old man, seemingly in his 50s suddenly appeared. His side hair is gray, and his face has quite the number of wrinkles. Even so, his back is still straight and broad, showing his excellent health. One thing that caught Viena's attention the most is his left leg that sounds funny like cnking iron.

  "Professor Gaspard! Long time no see! How have you been?"

  "Ah, you are Rodin's boy! As long as that old drunkard is alive, I'm not kicking the bucket yet! Hahaha!"

  The three of them were talking for a while, until suddenly Professor Gaspard stopped his spouting mid-sentence and turn his attention on his leg. Viena is grabbing them with both hands and her eyes sparking insurmountable amount of curiosity.

  "It's not muscles! It's . . . hard and cold!"

  "Is this your kid, Gwen?"

  "What? Professor, I'm still 25!"

  "Yeah, that was a bad question. She looks much brighter than you."

  Professor Gaspard crouched down and roll up the left part of his trousers. He shows Viena the source of the funny sounds that keeps cnking whenever he moves. It's a prosthetic leg with intricate parts and mechanism. It reeks of castor oil and rust that permeates between the joints and bolt of the contraptions.

  "What happened to your leg, professor?"

  "Lost it in the war, kid. That was almost twenty years ago."

  "You got sshed?"

  "Nah, it was nothing that grand. I got chewed alive by Fasciari, a flesh-eating disease. They said two hundred men fell to the same illness, only thirty survives."

  Viena is taken aback. She remembers that Randia told her once that war is not a game nor something that should be spoken lightly. He told her that often time, the soldiers' lives are taken not by their enemy, but something else entirely. At this moment, she realized that this is what her father meant.

  "Wherever war goes, famine and disease follow, Viena," Gwen replied.

  "More medevist and paramedic is always good. One of them is worth six knights, if not more," An expined.

  "I heard the higher ups made a deal during the Grand Summit. There should be more medical experts travelling on and about soon. Perhaps they can leave a book or two while they are here in Rosmayne," Professor Gaspard expined.

  Then, suddenly, Professor Gaspard removed his prosthetic leg and gives it to Viena. It has an awful odor at the part where the skin and the liner met. Vienna's blunt disgusted expression made Gwen ugh. Professor Gaspard also ughs it off and went for a toast of mead with An as Viena toys with his iron leg.

  "So, what business do you have here, boy?"

  "It's nothing much. We're just helping the ss getting her birthday present."

  "Huh? I don't quite follow."

  Then, An expined everything to Professor Gaspard. The professor's reaction was as rich as his. They are wondering how a civilian could trespass into such a highly limited area for such an antics. Thus, the professor decided to get in on the ride. He insisted to stick around and see how this py fold out.

  "Viena, the professor needs his leg back. Also, weren't you here for something more important?" Gwen called for Viena who was swinging the prosthetic leg around.

  "Gasp! You are right! The present!"