The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
This summary contains spoilers for The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Chapter 2 - The Verdant City
May came, filling the town of Trista with greenery. Meanwhile, Class VII’s schedule was growing busier by the day.
Rean found himself at odds with Machias for keeping his noble status a secret.
But he also learned more about his fellow classmates, including the fact that Emma was caring for a black cat named Celine.
As the days passed, the time for their second field study arrived, and the newly-organized Group A was assigned to Jusis’ hometown of Bareahard.
This would hardly make the trip easy, however, as the utterly incompatible Jusis and Machias were forced to be part of the same team yet again. To the surprise of no one, the boys were bickering in record time.
The trivial squabbles one after another resulted in a number of setbacks--something they became keenly aware of when one particularly heated argument resulted in Rean sustaining injury during battle.
Despite these moments of frustration, they at least felt they would be able to fully complete their assigned tasks.
To add to the growing unpleasantness, however, they were given a stark reminder of how grave the tensions between the nobles and the Reformist Faction were...
...when they discovered that the provincial army had been greatly expanding its armaments.
With neither of them able to get much sleep that night, Jusis revealed to Rean that his background was less perfect than anyone in Class VII realized: his mother was a commoner, making him the mere bastard son of Duke Albarea.
Machias, overhearing this, stepped forward the next morning to make peace, and their field study finally seemed as if it would go smoothly.
No sooner had reconciliation happened, was Jusis abruptly summoned to his home, leaving the rest of the group no choice but to proceed without him.
They completed their morning tasks outside the city with little trouble, but immediately upon returning to Bareahard, Machias was arrested without probable cause by the provincial army.
Rean, Emma, and Fie agreed that rescuing him was to be their top priority. As the three were discussing just how to go about that, they learned from a bracer passing through--Toval, of a waterway that led precisely to where Machias was being held.
Conveniently, the complex waterway led to quite a few places, including the Albarea mansion; they were soon reunited with Jusis this way, who had learned what happened and escaped from his home to set things right.
As they approached a massive, heavy door, Fie, who revealed she was once a jaeger, made the impassable easily passable, and they were able to successfully free Machias from his cell.
On their way out, they were cornered by two large dog-like beasts from the military...
However, thanks in no small part to Jusis and Machias forming a successful combat link, they emerged victorious.
But their celebrations were short lived, as they were surrounded yet again--only this time, it was by the provincial army. Even having Jusis at their side gained them no sympathy.
It was only when Instructor Sara and Rufus-- Jusis' older brother--appeared that they were saved from peril.
Group A’s field study had come to an end, but on a much less positive note compared to their first. On the train, they gloomily discussed the factional conflict Erebonia faced.
Instructor Sara attempted to cheer them up-- and succeeded--even if it was more because they were laughing at her than with her.
Meanwhile, a mysterious young girl with a silver puppet nonchalantly watched them depart...