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Epilogue - Winter's End | Having carried out his orders, Rean made his return to Trista.
Upon arrival at the station, he came across Claire, who had been waiting there for him. As she was a member of the Ironbloods, though, all she received from Rean was a cold shoulder. Not because of anything she had personally done, but simply due to her relation to people like Rufus and Osborne. Claire herself was fully aware of this, and could only see him off with pain in her heart. Rean felt regret over this, of course, but all he could do was continue walking and leave the station behind.
Once he did, a wave of nostalgia washed over him as he looked out at Trista once more. The excitement he felt after he and his friends finally set it free from the Noble Alliance was something he could never forget. And yet, despite all that...despite seeing the welcoming sight of the lino flowers blooming again...he couldn’t help but feel cold.
Not long after, the rest of Class VII arrived to greet him. Together, they made their way back to the academy.
The war had been brought to a swift close by Rufus’ hand. The Noble Alliance had been dissolved following Duke Cayenne’s arrest, and the remaining nobles made fully aware of situation in Crossbell. After some persuasion, they had been convinced to throw their support behind Chancellor Osborne for fear of Calvard claiming the city-state for its own. With the country’s military united under one banner, they had marched into Crossbell. Lacking its own military to stand against them, Crossbell fell within a day, which led to the present situation. Erebonia was at peace once more, and thus, the members of Class VII could return to being normal students.
They went through their studies and tests as usual, taking care to enjoy what time they still had together as a class. Now and then, though, Rean couldn’t help but think about Crow... His friends and classmates had settled on new goals, and were each putting all they had towards achieving them.
With their final free day around the corner, Rean found himself visiting the engineering building. There he found George and Angelica, who each told him about their plans to travel around the continent. In the midst of their discussion, though, it was clear to them that Rean still felt guilt over participating in the battle over Crossbell. They reassured him that he didn’t need to feel bad, and that he had, in fact, played a key role in protecting Crossbell’s citizens. Rean could feel tears welling up over their kindness, but he held them back for now.
Following this, he paid a visit to the student council room. There, he found Towa fast asleep at her desk, having just finished her final duties as president. Rean watched her with a smile, thinking back to the last time he had found her like this. Suddenly, though, his reminiscing was interrupted by her mumbling.
‘Mm... Angie...’ ‘George... ...Crow...’ The final name she uttered caused him to let out an involuntary gasp... ...which roused Towa from her slumber. Though unhappy that she was caught sleeping, she could tell at a glance that Rean didn’t seem okay. Worried about him, she convinced him to sit down.
She told him there was no need to endure everything that life threw at him, and that it was okay to sit and rest if things got too hard. Hearing this, the feelings Rean had been holding back burst forth. He confessed his regret over both losing Crow and breaking his promise to her. Like the others, Towa reassured him he did everything he could.
After letting everything out to Towa, his final walk home as a student of Thors awaited him. Whether by coincidence or fate, he bumped into his classmates at the gate, and they all went home together. Casting their eyes upward to the falling lino flowers, they thought back to their first day at the academy. The time they’d spent together since then was truly a treasure to each of them. Their time left together was short, but they would make the most of it.
Before they knew it, their final free day had dawned. Sensing an odd presence at the old schoolhouse, Rean made his way over to investigate. The moment he arrived, though, the presence mysteriously vanished.
Just then, Toval, Elise, and Alfin all showed up. What’s more, Claire was with them, having come as Alfin’s escort. Both she and Rean took this opportunity to clear the air with one another, putting them on good terms once more.
As the group chatted away, though, a bell suddenly rang out, and the Old Schoolhouse began to glow. The rest of the group rushed over to find out what was going on. The inside of the building had become a boundless corridor swirling with energy.  As Valimar was found in the Old Schoolhouse, Rean summoned him to see if he could remember anything. According to him, a trial separate from the one they had faced during the school festival had now been activated. Though the particulars of this new trial remained unclear, this was their chance to unravel the mysteries of 1,200 years ago.
Once inside, they proceeded through to the end of the massive area. There, they found a white shadow resembling a Divine Knight waiting for them. It claimed to govern the Shadow Trial, which was once sealed away, but brought back due to the Infernal Castle’s destruction. Class VII had previously passed the legitimate trial that led to Rean becoming Valimar’s awakener. According to the shadow, there was nothing more to gain by passing this Shadow Trial. And yet, the group opted to take it, regardless. They wanted to do one final act to mark the end of their time together as Class VII. Knowing this was their finale, the group spared no effort in their battle...and proved victorious. Upon its defeat, the shadow dispersed into thousands of motes of light that fluttered down like lino petals.
Together, they had cleared another trial. Together, they had created another unforgettable memory. As they celebrated their victory, it finally hit them that this would be the last time they would be able to do so. To everyone’s surprise, Millium was the first to cry. Alisa was next. She went to hug Millium, which in turn opened the floodgates for the rest of the class. This was the first time the group had let out the emotions that had been building up in each of them; their sadness over having to split up.
The rest of the days before the end of the school year flew by all too quickly, and then, it was time for them to depart. Having gotten their grief out of the way, they each faced one another with brilliant smiles. Though they were parting ways, they believed they would one day meet again. Before leaving, though, they thanked Sara for everything she’d done for them...and teased her for crying in response. With that, it was truly time for them to leave. Each had something he or she wished to accomplish.
As they all made their departure from Trista, only Rean remained.
Having finished seeing his dear friends off, he returned to the academy. He knew the challenges that lay ahead for him. He would be forced to accept the government’s orders for him and Valimar. But even so, he had made an important promise with his friends. Filled with determination to keep that promise, he strode forward, towards his future.
Continued in Trails of Cold Steel IIIく
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