[Atlas Academy]
Weiss is certain that this tour of Atlas' facilities is nothing more than a disguised attempt to convince Daniel to join their ranks. It doesn't surprise her; in fact, it's something quite common. Normally, invitations are extended to aspiring hunters who stand out in tournaments or those who manage to make a name for themselves before entering an academy.
She remembers well how, as soon as word got out that she would become a huntress, several academies rushed to invite her. Atlas, of course, was among the first. Although, in the end, she wasn't able to accept any of those invitations for various reasons. Beacon's fundraising event had been the perfect excuse to allow her to travel to Vale and visit the academy... although, thanks to Daniel, she never got to see it properly.
They have barely taken a few steps down the corridor when the general, wasting no time, is the first to speak, addressing Daniel directly.
"So, Daniel, what do you know about the Atlas Tower?"
The question doesn't sound like an order. It feels more like genuine curiosity, as if he truly wants to know how much Daniel understands about the place. Weiss, along with the others, fixes her gaze on him, waiting for an answer. Internally, she just hopes he'll be serious enough and not make a fool of himself.
But before Daniel can say anything, a sharp beep interrupts the moment. It comes from GLaDOS, who Penny is still effortlessly carrying. The sound draws everyone's attention for a moment, but it doesn't last long, because Daniel clears his throat, quickly pulling the group's focus back to him.
"Well, the Atlas Tower and its surroundings serve multiple functions," he begins, his voice sounding serious and professional as he speaks. "It acts as a military headquarters, a huntsman academy, and the main communications tower."
The general nods with satisfaction at every word, and Weiss feels a slight wave of relief wash over her chest. At least he's not saying anything foolish.
"That's correct."
The general's smile becomes a bit more evident, clearly pleased, much to Weiss' relief.
"Those are the best-known functions, the ones anyone not from Atlas would probably know. And generally, the other towers in the other kingdoms serve similar roles."
As he explains, the group comes to a stop in front of a door larger than the ones they've passed so far. The general pushes the door open, revealing a wide, brightly lit lobby. The place is bustling with people moving back and forth, and a single glance at their uniforms makes it clear that they are students.
Weiss can't help but notice the surprise painted across Daniel's face. He probably hadn't expected to see so many people. As he continues looking around, another beep from GLaDOS briefly cuts through the noise, and Daniel, as if suddenly realizing something, shifts his attention back to the general.
"That's a lot of students," he comments, looking at the general with genuine curiosity. "I don't suppose all of them are hunters, right?"
He wasn't wrong. Weiss had figured that from the start; no huntsman academy would have such an absurd number of students. For her, having grown up in Atlas, it's obvious that the Tower's facilities don't train only huntsmen.
As Daniel finishes speaking, Penny, with her usual enthusiasm, raises her hand energetically, unable to contain her excitement.
She gives a little excited hop before asking, "Can I answer?"
To Weiss' surprise, the general, instead of reprimanding her for interrupting, shows indulgence and gestures toward her with an extended arm.
"Go ahead, Penny."
As soon as she gets permission, Penny steps forward, positioning herself confidently in front of the group without hesitation.
"The Kingdom of Atlas takes pride in the fact that the Atlas Tower and its surrounding facilities serve a greater purpose than just training huntsmen!" she begins reciting enthusiastically.
"Among the various functions it fulfills are: military headquarters, main communications tower, huntsman academy, standard military academy, scientific training division, innovation departments, mission coordination center for huntsmen, internal security headquarters, and civil control..."
Weiss barely blinks, watching her speak as if she doesn't even need oxygen. And well, considering she's an android, she actually doesn't.
"I think that's enough," Pietro finally steps in, approaching quickly and stopping her before she can list any more functions. "I think they get the idea."
Weiss thanks him mentally. With all her energy, Penny looked ready to go on for hours.
The general resumes walking, moving forward as the students around them instinctively make way.
"What Penny said is correct," he says, his tone more relaxed as they walk, "but to put it simply, the Atlas Tower doesn't just train huntsmen. It also serves as an academy for other academic fields: science, chemistry, mechanics, and several more." He makes a broad gesture, indicating the area around them.
"This particular section is designated for students from those fields."
Ah... Weiss can only sigh internally, unable to help herself.
In the end, she had been right. This tour was nothing but a facade, an elaborate showcase designed to tempt Daniel.
The general clearly wasn't wasting any time, showing him every advantage Atlas could offer if he accepted. The laboratories, the robotics halls would surely follow... anything that could interest someone like Daniel, a weapons and military equipment inventor.
And even though Weiss knows perfectly well that all of this is unnecessary, that the general could have gone straight to negotiations, she has no choice but to continue with the tour.
Refusing isn't a viable option, for several reasons.
Her gaze slides toward the general, keeping a calm expression while her mind races.
"I can't be disrespectful to the general."
It would be an extremely serious offense to interrupt or reject a tour that he himself has taken the trouble to lead.
And more importantly, she discreetly shifts her eyes toward her sister, who has remained silent the entire time, observing them with her usual impeccable posture.
"My sister would kill me if I did that."
Facing Winter is not in her plans. It's already enough trouble being here without having informed her. She's still trying to come up with a decent excuse to justify her sudden presence at the facility.
While all these thoughts pile up in her mind, a shift in the atmosphere pulls her out of her introspection.
The general's firm voice breaks through her concentration:
"This is our Scientific Innovation Department."
As they enter, Weiss observes a wide and well-organized space where several scientists work tirelessly. Some are examining experimental weapons, others are drafting blueprints over electronic tables, fully focused on their tasks. The hum of machinery and the soft murmur of technical conversations fill the air, giving the place a constant sense of activity.
Weiss has to admit it: this is a good place to impress someone like Daniel.
The Scientific Innovation Department, full of experimental projects and technology, is exactly the kind of environment that could catch his attention. It was a smart move on the general's part.
Even so, Weiss is certain that Daniel won't agree to join Atlas.
She still clearly remembers the words he said to her on the Bullhead: his refusal to allow a kingdom or a private company to claim ownership of his inventions.
And if there's one thing she's sure of, it's that Daniel won't back down on that.
Despite everything, she can't help but wonder.
"Should I join Atlas if Daniel did...?"
The thought crosses her mind quickly, almost unintentionally.
They would be close, they could see each other often. The huntsman academy is literally right next door, after all.
It would be... convenient.
But as soon as she finishes forming the thought, she softly shakes her head.
"No..."
She knows it won't happen. Daniel wouldn't accept.
Even so, her mind jumps to another problem she's been avoiding.
"I should start looking for other academy options..."
Because after what she did—after threatening Beacon to cut off their Dust supply if they didn't let her board the medical bullhead with Daniel—it's unlikely she'll be able to return to that academy.
"Yeah... I should start looking for other options," she thinks, knowing that Beacon and Atlas wouldn't be among them.
The thought discourages her, but she tries to focus on the bright side.
At least, as far as she knows, they didn't make the incident public—or Daniel's fall from the tower.
She's almost certain that if the general knew anything, it would have come up by now... or Winter would have greeted her with yelling the moment she saw her.
As she walks among the scientists and their projects, Weiss can't help but notice how completely absorbed Daniel is by his surroundings.
Every table, every blueprint, every prototype seems to catch his attention.
As they continue walking, a series of soft but persistent "beeps" start to become noticeable.
[Natural Polyglot: GLaDOS Code]
It's not the first time she's heard them during the tour, but now they're becoming more frequent.
She's about to turn around to ask—or better yet, to tell GLaDOS to be quiet—but Penny beats her to it.
"Dear friend GLaDOS," Penny says with her usual enthusiasm, leaning slightly toward her, "you've been making strange noises for a while now. Is everything okay?"
Weiss watches Penny's expression, genuinely concerned, and can't help but wonder if it's because both of them are machines or if Penny is simply that considerate with everyone.
"Don't worry. Ignore any strange sounds I might be making. I'm just updating myself," GLaDOS replies completely casually.
As soon as she says it, Penny's expression relaxes almost immediately.
"Very well!" she responds brightly, her face lighting up in an instant.
They keep moving forward.
There are still a few scattered "beeps," but everyone decides to do what GLaDOS recommended: ignore them.
And honestly, it's not that hard, because Daniel quickly becomes the center of attention.
He approaches one of the boards where a scientist is working on a technical design.
Weiss watches him lean in slightly, observing the calculations for a few seconds, and then, with astonishing casualness, he grabs a marker and starts writing on the board.
"This heat sink is rated for 80 watts, but your core generates over 120 watts in active phase," he comments, drawing a few quick lines. "Adjust the equation, or it's going to overheat before it even finishes charging."
When he's done, he doesn't say anything else. He just keeps walking as if nothing had happened.
Attention briefly shifts to the scientist, who stares at the board and, after a few seconds of silence, mutters under his breath:
"Dammit! The bastard's right," he grumbles, dropping into his seat and scratching his head in frustration.
Weiss catches Pietro smiling in amusement at the general, who lets out a short laugh before moving on.
They don't waste much time; they hurry to catch up with Daniel, who had gotten a few steps ahead and is still scribbling on boards and blueprints with the marker he never put down.
"You've got three signal cables and none of them are labeled. I love your optimism. Are you hoping the system will work through telepathy?" he comments without even slowing down, his sharp tone causing some scientists to freeze on the spot.
Pietro can barely contain a smile when he hears it. Daniel doesn't stop. The moment he throws out the comment, he's already moving on to the next project.
"This Dust core is wired with a 120% energy gain. Nice idea... but I'd recommend calculating the margin before the table melts on you."
He lets out a light, almost amused laugh just before walking away, leaving the scientist starting to get visibly angry.
Weiss glances sideways just in time to see how, sure enough, the table starts to smoke from the heat.
Daniel moves on a little more and points at another project, barely touching a pile of disorganized papers:
"The recoil force exceeds 200% of the forearm support. You're going to break the user's elbow before they get off a second shot."
This time, the scientist manages to shout back as Daniel is already walking away:
"I knew that! I was just testing!"
But Daniel doesn't hear him anymore. He just keeps moving forward, lifting the marker again, looking for more things to correct.
Weiss can't help but smirk to herself, amused as she watches him. She knows he's having fun—you can see it in his expression, in that barely-contained smile that shows up every time he points out a mistake... especially when he manages to get an angry reaction from the scientists.
It takes a while, but eventually, he approaches the last one, who reacts immediately upon seeing him coming.
The man hurriedly grabs all his blueprints and hides them under an improvised cover.
"No! Stay away!" he protests, almost desperately, as he shields his desk.
Daniel raises his hands in a peace gesture, though he keeps smiling.
"I was just going to say you're doing a good job."
The scientist blinks, confused, before dropping into his chair with a sigh of relief, watching Daniel walk away.
"Well, that was fun," Daniel says, clearly entertained as he returns to the group. "What's next?"
Pietro can't help but laugh after the whole scene. "Hahaha, you sure annoyed quite a few scientists," he says, without any real complaint in his voice.
The general smiles too, though there's a hint of surprise in his expression.
"I see you weren't exaggerating when you talked about Daniel's abilities," he comments, maybe a little impressed by what he just witnessed.
For the first time since the tour started, Winter speaks up, her tone much more severe.
"Was it necessary to mock their work with those comments?"
Daniel opens his mouth, ready to throw out a quick comeback... but stops when he catches the serious look Weiss shoots him.
There's a second of barely noticeable tension where Daniel seems to battle with himself, until he finally sighs and lowers his head slightly, looking uncomfortable.
"C-cough... No, it wasn't," he finally answers, his tone much more measured and polite, "but it's a small price to pay for correcting their work."
Pietro nods, still smiling.
"Yeah, you probably saved them a few weeks of work with all those corrections," he adds, giving Daniel a light pat on the back.
Winter seems to give up without trying to argue.
"You have a sharp mind," she admits, acknowledging that Daniel's observations had been genuinely useful.
Weiss hears the comment and, even though it wasn't directed at her, she feels a strange sense of satisfaction growing inside her chest. She can't help it. Hearing her sister speak like that, in such a positive tone, makes her feel inexplicably good.
Pietro and Daniel's laughter lingers for a few more seconds as they keep moving forward.
Leaving the scientific innovation area behind, Weiss immediately notices the change in the atmosphere. This section is different.
Now they're in a hunter training area.
Even though her face remains neutral, internally she feels a wave of discomfort run through her. She can already guess where this is heading.
In theory, the tour was Pietro's idea, so at first she might assume he just wanted to show Daniel the most important facilities in Atlas.
However, if that were the case, why not stop by the standard military academy too, where they train regular soldiers who don't have aura?
She remembers they had already passed close to that area earlier... and yet, they didn't stop.
The answer is starting to become obvious.
The tour probably wasn't Pietro's idea at all. Most likely, it was something the general initiated himself, attributing it to Pietro to avoid raising suspicion.
And if they're showing them this particular section now, it's no accident.
This part of the tour isn't aimed at Daniel.
It's aimed at her.
An almost certain recruitment attempt.
And why not? Having two of the three Schnee heirs enrolled at Atlas Academy would be a massive strategic win for the kingdom.
Weiss has no doubt Winter wasn't part of this plan. The look of surprise on her face when she saw her step off the bullhead was way too genuine to have been faked.
While she reflects, her gaze drifts to Daniel, walking beside her with a bright spark of excitement in his eyes. Maybe he hasn't noticed the real purpose behind the tour... or maybe he has, and he's just decided to enjoy the moment anyway.
The general's voice pulls her out of her thoughts.
"Are you interested in hunters?" he asks, noticing Daniel's reaction.
He immediately nods, full of energy.
"I'm really enthusiastic about hunters, especially their semblances. I'm always interested in finding and studying powerful or unique semblances."
Weiss barely has time to process his answer before Winter cuts in, being completely direct.
"I see your fields of research are quite broad," Winter comments. "Wouldn't it be more beneficial to focus on just one area?"
Weiss notices that the comment sounds harsher than it probably meant to be. She knows Winter doesn't have bad intentions; after seeing Daniel's talent in science, she likely believes specializing would be the most efficient path for him.
At any other time, Weiss would have agreed. But not this time.
"Daniel is truly capable of mastering both areas."
Her voice comes out firm and serious, leaving no room for doubt. Though she keeps her composure, a subtle note of pride slips into her words, almost unintentionally.
Winter blinks, surprised. She didn't expect Weiss to speak up so openly in Daniel's defense.
"Oh... really?" she asks, raising an eyebrow with skepticism.
"Yes!" Weiss answers immediately, her tone firm and unwavering. "In fact, he created a brand-new glyph after just a few hours of studying them."
The statement immediately captures everyone's attention, especially Winter's and General Ironwood's, who exchange skeptical glances. Weiss doesn't blame them; she knows exactly how unbelievable that claim sounds, especially to her sister, who spent years mastering glyph manipulation.
"I think you might be exaggerating a bit," Winter says seriously, trying to stay grounded.
"It's not possible that—"
She doesn't get to finish her sentence.
Weiss is already stepping forward, drawing Myrtenaster from her hip in a swift movement. Without hesitation, she points toward a decorative sword hanging on a nearby wall.
In that instant, she forms the new glyph, and immediately the sword rips free from its mount, flying directly toward her. Weiss catches it with one hand, effortlessly, leaving the room in stunned silence.
It's only been two days since Daniel created the glyph, but it was more than enough time for Weiss to practice it extensively and learn to use it properly. Now, she's even starting to experiment with applying the glyph to isolated objects, giving them magnetic properties in a controlled way.
The look of absolute astonishment on Winter's face is, for Weiss, strangely amusing.
"Impossible! How did you...? Maybe... a gravity glyph?"
Winter mutters, still trying to rationalize what she just witnessed.
Weiss can barely stop herself from rolling her eyes.
As she answers, she forms the glyph again in front of her, this time without activating it, allowing Winter to clearly observe the pattern.
Anyone who had trained for years with the Schnee glyphs would immediately recognize that it wasn't the traditional gravity pattern.
Thanks to all her prior experience, memorizing and replicating the new glyph doesn't cost Winter any effort at all. And though still skeptical, she activates the glyph with a smooth gesture. This time, not only the sword but also several nearby metal objects are immediately pulled toward the center of the glyph.
The disbelief is clear on her face.
"It's true... It's a new glyph... but how?" she insists, unable to hide her astonishment.
Weiss just sighs, crossing her arms patiently.
"I already told you," she says, walking confidently toward Daniel.
"Daniel made it. In just a few hours."
As she speaks, a satisfied smile spreads across her face. She can't help it: showing off Daniel in front of her sister is strangely gratifying in this moment.
The firm voice of the general pulls her out of her little bubble of pride.
"Tell me, Daniel, can you create more glyphs?" he asks, a spark of interest in his eyes.
Weiss shifts her posture discreetly, fully aware that they're standing in front of authority figures. Beside her, Daniel nods calmly, showing no signs of nervousness.
"I haven't had time yet... but yes, I can create more."
The response provokes an immediate reaction from Ironwood, who leans forward slightly, visibly interested.
"We would be very willing to fund you for the creation of new glyphs."
Weiss blinks, surprised by how fast and openly the proposal came.
"I'm sure Specialist Schnee would benefit greatly from these new glyphs," the general adds, glancing briefly at Winter.
Weiss feels a twinge of discomfort. Even though the glyphs would be meant for her sister, she can't help but step in.
"I don't mean to be disrespectful, General," she says, her tone still polite but firm, "but I hope you understand that this new glyph agreement is a separate matter, and shouldn't be mixed with or considered part of the blueprint deal we arranged earlier."
Her voice is sharp, even a little blunt, but she's not about to let them alter existing agreements without proper benefit.
"Weiss!" Winter exclaims, trying to reprimand her, but the general raises a hand, stopping the scolding before it can escalate.
"Don't worry," Ironwood responds calmly, maintaining his composure. "This has nothing to do with the blueprints. This would be a more personal agreement... one that would greatly benefit my Specialist, of course, if Daniel is willing."
Weiss turns her head toward Daniel, alert.
He nods without much hesitation.
"No problem. I was already planning to create new glyphs for Weiss anyway."
The way Daniel says those words — so simply, yet so full of intention — touches her in a way she didn't expect. A subtle warmth spreads through her chest.
"You know..." Pietro suddenly cuts in, interrupting the moment as he addresses Daniel directly, "...if you're interested in discovering your semblance, many people manage to do it through training."
The general nods, immediately supporting the idea.
"Besides that, the academy has a fairly extensive record on semblances."
"Many hunters, including Winter and other specialists, possess semblances that would surely interest you."
Weiss listens carefully, though with growing irritation. It's obvious — almost shameless — what they're doing: put more bluntly, what they really meant was something like "You should join Atlas. We could help you discover your semblance, and besides, Atlas is full of powerful people you could study."
This attempt at recruitment is even more blatant than any of the previous ones.
However, to her surprise, Daniel immediately shakes his head.
"That's not necessary. I already know what my semblance is."
The room falls into a brief, stunned silence.
"What?!" Weiss exclaims, eyes wide. "Since when?" she adds quickly, her tone shifting from astonishment to demanding.
"And why didn't you tell me?" Her voice sounds annoyed, but deep down, she feels more hurt than angry. Since when had he known something like that and not shared it?
Daniel shrugs casually.
"Because you never asked..." he answers, flashing a mischievous smile. "Wanna see it? I never really get a chance to show it off."
Weiss sighs, exasperated, though a small part of her does want to see it.
Beside her, Pietro looks just as intrigued.
"I think we all want to see it," the scientist chimes in, smiling with genuine curiosity.
Daniel grins in satisfaction and, without hurrying, reaches into his jacket. He pulls out a small bottle clearly labeled "bubble liquid." He also retrieves a tiny wand for blowing bubbles.
Weiss blinks, puzzled, watching as he dips the wand into the liquid and calmly begins blowing. Dozens of bubbles start to fill the room, floating gently through the air.
"Move," Daniel suddenly orders, his gaze locked on the bubbles.
"What are you trying to do...?"
Weiss can't help but ask, but cuts herself off halfway through the sentence when, all of a sudden, the bubbles start to move in an organized way, spinning into precise formations that weave through the room, as if following invisible patterns.
Weiss watches in silence, waiting for more. Some sort of final flourish. Some kind of spectacular explosion.
A few more seconds pass.
"Is that it?" she finally asks, unable to hide her disappointment.
"Yep, that's all I can do," Daniel confirms, grinning from ear to ear, as if he doesn't understand their reaction at all.
Weiss brings two fingers to her forehead, taking a deep breath in an attempt to keep her patience. After everything she had seen Daniel do — defying scientific norms, creating new glyphs, solving problems that seemed impossible — finding out that his semblance involved controlling soap bubbles... was, to say the least, disappointing.
Controlling soap bubbles?
Definitely not what she expected.
"It's... interesting," Pietro comments cautiously, clearly trying hard to sound diplomatic.
"Yeah..." adds Winter, her voice so neutral it's almost uncomfortable.
"A rather peculiar semblance."
The general, on the other hand, keeps a more thoughtful expression, studying Daniel seriously.
"Are you able to control your aura?" he asks, straight to the point.
The question makes sense. If someone can use their semblance, they can usually also manifest and control their aura.
But Weiss already knows the answer.
Daniel shakes his head, his expression completely serious.
"I don't have that ability."
Weiss had figured as much. If Daniel had aura, he would have used it to save himself when he fell from Beacon Tower. There was no doubt about it.
Still, she can't help but ask, her voice coming out a little harsher than she intended.
"Is there anything else you haven't told me?"
Daniel seems to think it over for a few seconds before reaching into his jacket again. This time, he pulls out a golden pistol.
A heavy silence falls over the room as everyone stares at the object.
The problem wasn't the weapon itself. Carrying some kind of weapon in Remnant was perfectly normal. The laws on ownership weren't particularly strict. No one would have blinked if it had been an ordinary gun.
No, the real issue was the color... or more precisely, what it was made of.
"Please tell me that's not a gold-plated pistol..." Weiss mutters under her breath, closing her eyes for a second like she could will it not to be true.
Daniel seems to consider how to answer.
"Oh, umm... it's not a gold-plated pistol."
Weiss slowly nods, letting out a sigh of relief. Of course not. Daniel wouldn't be irresponsible enough to waste money on something so useless, especially when just a few hours ago he admitted he couldn't even afford a hotel room.
"Then... why is it golden?" she asks, a little calmer now.
"Ah, that's because... it's gold-plated."
Weiss blinks. Once. Twice. Her relief evaporates instantly, replaced by a wave of frustration that surges through her entire body.
"You said it wasn't gold-plated!" she snaps, raising her voice.
"You told me to say that..." Daniel replies, shrugging.
Weiss closes her eyes, clenching her fist tightly to stop herself from yelling at him. She takes a deep breath. When she opens them again, Daniel has casually averted his gaze.
"I told you, I'm not good with money..." he adds, almost apologetically. "I really need a financial advisor..."
Without thinking twice, Weiss snatches the weapon from his hands.
"You're going to return this!" she declares, her patience hanging by a thread.
"I can't," Daniel says calmly. "I already engraved my name on it."
Weiss frowns, turning the weapon over in her hands, and sure enough, elegantly engraved at the bottom of the barrel is: "DANIEL."
She brings a hand to her forehead, exasperated.
"Then you'll sell it," she declares, her tone firm and commanding. "You can't afford these ridiculous expenses."
While holding the gold-plated weapon, Weiss's mind boils with frustration. She doesn't know whether to yell at her or simply resign herself, but before she can do either, she feels someone's gaze fixed on her.
Winter is watching her, serious, as if evaluating every one of her reactions with a level of interest that only makes Weiss even more nervous.
"What kind of relationship do you have with Daniel, beyond the professional?" Winter asks, her voice serious and straight to the point.
Weiss freezes on the spot, unable to answer right away. A small bead of cold sweat slides down her forehead as she averts her gaze, trying to escape her older sister's intense scrutiny. The uncomfortable silence that follows only seems to heighten Winter's suspicion, who crosses her arms with forced calm, as if ready to wait as long as necessary.
"Well, Weiss?" Winter presses, raising an eyebrow. "I'm still waiting for an answer."
Weiss opens her mouth, trying to say something—anything—but the chance to respond, or even to improvise an excuse, vanishes when both Winter's and the general's communicators start ringing at the same time, a red light blinking insistently on their devices.
Ironwood's expression hardens instantly. Without a word, he steps away, opening his scroll to take the call. Winter follows without hesitation, both of them moving far enough away that Weiss and Daniel can't hear a single word of their conversation.
Pietro, on the other hand, shows no such discretion. He moves a bit closer, muttering something to himself as he stares at the blinking red light with a worried expression.
The tension in the air feels heavy. Only after several minutes of silent conversation does Ironwood return, his face now completely serious, any previous kindness erased.
"I'm sorry to say this, but the tour will have to be postponed for now," he announces, his tone firm and curt.
"The negotiations for the schematics will also have to wait until tomorrow. I must take my leave."
Without waiting for questions or offering further explanation, Ironwood turns around and strides away with quick, decisive steps.
Winter stays behind a moment longer, approaching Weiss and Daniel.
"Weiss, you're not allowed to leave the academy for now," she informs, her tone shifting into an unquestionable command. "I'll arrange for you to stay the night here."
"Wait… what?" Weiss tries to protest, blinking, completely thrown off.
But Winter doesn't give her any space to argue.
"This goes for Daniel as well," she adds, looking directly at him this time. "I know you were staying in Mantle, but for now, it's not safe for either of you to leave the academy. I'll have empty rooms assigned to you."
"But why?" Weiss quickly asks, her voice filled with growing concern.
Winter remains silent for a second. Her expression stays grave and unshaken, but she offers no immediate answer.
Finally, her voice cuts through the tension, cold and firm, leaving no room for argument:
"Weiss. For now, that information is classified. Just obey."
With that, without waiting for any more protests, Winter turns to leave—but she stops halfway, glancing back over her shoulder.
"And the rooms will be separate," she adds, shooting Weiss a significant look. "I expect no rumors. Keep your reputation intact."
The way she says it, focusing solely on Weiss and not Daniel, makes it very clear who the warning is aimed at.
Without another word, Winter strides off, quickly catching up to General Ironwood and disappearing with him down the hallway.
Weiss remains frozen in place, pressing her lips together slightly, wondering whether Winter already suspects something about the relationship beginning to form between her and Daniel... or if she simply doesn't trust her because of the rumors that have been circulating for over half a year.
Either way, if she wasn't going to get answers from her sister, she would find them elsewhere.
Still nearby, Pietro watches them, much more relaxed than Winter or Ironwood. And, most importantly, he had overheard the entire previous conversation.
Without hesitation, Weiss and Daniel move closer to him.
"Could you tell us what's going on?" Weiss asks directly, not bothering to hide the urgency in her voice.
Pietro hesitates for a moment, his usually kind face growing more serious.
"There's been an accident in the city of Mantle," he finally says, choosing each word carefully, "and it's not safe for you to return there."
Weiss frowns. Without wasting a second, she pulls out her scroll and starts searching for recent news. However, the screen remains blank, without any new alerts.
"You won't find anything there," Pietro says as he watches her try. "For now, they've contained the news to avoid causing panic. But..." he lowers his voice a little, casting a quick glance around, "they're mobilizing a large number of huntsmen and soldiers toward Mantle."
"Why?" Weiss presses, feeling worry start to build heavily in her chest.
Pietro takes a deep breath, as if weighing each next word with great care.
"Apparently, there was a massacre in the lower parts of Mantle. Many people died. The cause is still under investigation."
Weiss feels her stomach churn immediately, but she forces herself to stay firm, clutching the scroll tightly in her hands.
"But...?" she tries to ask, desperate for more details.
"No," Pietro interrupts her gently but firmly. "That's all I can tell you for now."
He pauses briefly before adding, with a grave tone:
"But your sister is right. You'd better stay at the academy. At least for a few days, until this is sorted out."
Weiss clenches her fists, wanting to protest, wanting to demand more answers. However, before she can open her mouth, she feels Daniel's hand resting gently on her arm. It's a subtle gesture—a firm but reassuring pressure.
"We appreciate your concern," Daniel says aloud, his tone unusually serious, "and we'll be grateful for being allowed this short stay here at Atlas Academy."
Weiss blinks, surprised. She hadn't expected Daniel to accept everything so easily, and for a moment, she forgets her impulse to argue.
Pietro looks visibly relieved by his reaction.
"Thank you for understanding," he says, smiling with genuine warmth. Then he turns to Penny, who had remained quietly near them until now.
"Penny, why don't you help our friends find some free rooms so they can settle in?"
Penny, who had been listening carefully, seems to light up with excitement.
"It will be a pleasure to help you!" she exclaims brightly, her enthusiasm lifting a bit of the heavy atmosphere.
"Follow me, friends!"
Weiss holds back from asking more questions. She knew she would get her answers eventually, but for now… she would follow Penny.
And hope for the best.
-//-
Author's Note:
I like writing stories focused on characters other than the MC. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It turned out pretty long—I was going to split it in half, but I decided to leave it as is. I hope you liked it. In the upcoming chapters, I guess the machine rebellion will finally begin.
Leave a comment if you enjoyed it! Either way, see you soon!
Hugs and kisses 💕