Some time had passed since Loewe and Renne clashed against Hollow Joshua and Hollow Pater-Mater atop the Amberl Tower. The two's goal was to merely scope out the tower's danger level and to see if it was active. In a way, it was, but it wasn't like it was not within their expectations. Considering it was a trial placed before them, and with the help of the real Pater-Mater, the two tore through it effortlessly, and claimed Amberl Tower as their own.
Once the battle ended, Amberl Tower showed no more signs of interference. The mechanical voice that Loewe and Renne heard also no longer spoke. Any spatial distortions ended right then and there, acting like nothing had happened. Despite that, Renne stood there atop the tower for a good moment with a smug look in her eyes as Pater-Mater helped secure their victory.
With that passage of time, the scenery had changed once again. Loewe and Renne were no longer at Amberl Tower.
Hiss...
A sound of a low hissing noise resounded in the air in what appeared to be an automatic door that led to a resting chamber. If one looked closely at the nearby window, an endless expanse of white clouds could be seen drifting around what appeared to be a gigantic object flying through it. The Glorious.
A green-haired boy who hadn't seemed to age a day since he was last seen soon spotted a violet-haired girl wearing a frilly dress, calmly observing the endless white clouds. She seemed to be in her own thoughts at the moment. The boy hadn't a clue what she was thinking about.
"So this is where you were, No. XV.", The boy spoke, greeting the violet-haired girl. He was, of course, Campanella. It would seem he was currently on board the Glorious, as was Renne.
"What, were you expecting me to be the Bladelord? Sorry, but Loewe just so happens to not be on the Glorious.", Renne responded with a hint of scorn in her tone. "He had somewhere else to be. It will be up to him to see the start of the Gospel Plan unfold. Even I know when not to interrupt him. You can rest assured the Tetracyclic Towers are secured. You haven't seemed to change at all since we last met, Fool."
"Are you saying you have, No. XV?", Campanella asked with a grin on his face.
"You of all people should know what took place back on Nemeth Island. Stop acting like you don't know.", Renne retorted. "I have people I care about now, unlike you."
Unlike the other Enforcers, it truly has been a while since Campanella had last seen Renne. Not since Naoto gave the mission to Renne to become Enforcer No. XV, the Angel of Slaughter. It has been a couple years since the raid on Nemeth Island finished taking place, all thanks to a collaborative effort between the escaped kids, aka Naoto's Group, Ouroboros, and Zephyr. To Campanella, Renne was still but a little girl in his eyes. He might have cracked a joke just now, but even he wasn't a fool to see that Renne had grown a considerable amount since the events of Nemeth Island concluded, no pun intended.
From there, Renne saw that Naoto had gone into hiding again thanks to his little disappearance act from St. Ursula. It wasn't a first for Renne. This time was different, however. Naoto didn't go off-grid like last time. This time, he had a concrete plan in place. He was going to go on a training adventure to prepare himself for the inevitable Vermillion Trials. Renne knew Naoto's plan well, and that was why she wasn't worried about his safety. Instead, her focus shifted to what Ouroboros was presently doing. Preparing the first phase of the Orpheus Final Plan, the Gospel Plan. Loewe, Enforcer No. II the Bladelord oversaw Renne's assistance, and successfully secured the Tetracyclic Towers for future use.
Now that some time had passed since then, Renne found herself back on the Glorious, Ouroboros's mobile base of operations. One that allows them to tread through the skies above Zemuria. A feat in today's technological standards. No one but Ouroboros knew of its existence. Since Renne was now on the Glorious again, this allowed her emotions to settle, and think about her own progress and what she has done up to this point. She'll be turning nine once the dawn of the next century begins. She is by far the youngest member of Ouroboros, with Quatre coming in a close second, even though the latter is only seen as a guest. She still had her whole life ahead of her. If Renne wanted to go study at a school, she could!
Seeing Renne's unwavering gaze, Campanella simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Fair enough. It looks like you have spent some time thinking of the situation you are currently in. I do not know if what you faced at the Amberl Tower took a toll on your body, but it is good to see you resting.", Campanella said. "At this present moment, we do not have any immediate items that require your attention. The other three Enforcers successfully routed the three remaining Tetracyclic Towers, and we are just waiting for the last piece of the puzzle to fall into HIS hands. It will likely take quite some time for this to happen. Let's say...two or three years?"
"Two or three years, huh? I think I can work with that.", Renne mused, seeing that she has some free time on her hands now. "I did not expect I would experience such a blunder while fighting alongside Loewe and Pater-Mater, but it was a good experience nonetheless. This free time has given me much to think about."
"As long as you have obtained something you can use from this experience, then I will not question it further. You still have much ahead of you, unlike our other Enforcers. Many opportunities will come with that, unlike me, who is bound by the role of an observer.", Campanella explained. "Do you wish to remain by His Royal Highness until the Gospel Plan unfolds?"
It didn't take much time for Renne to think about that question. She nodded her head, letting a smile bloom on her face.
"Yes. While I do appreciate everything Loewe has done for me and overseeing my training to become an Enforcer, Naoto is the sole reason for my existence. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am now. It wouldn't sit right if I don't be by his side. He's already informed me of his next plans, but you've come to learn of it as well, haven't you, Fool?", Renne asked Campanella.
"Indeed. It would appear No. IV has left Grancel City and has headed into Erebonia on his own. It looks like he has a couple guests in tow.", Campanella responded. "And get this. His Royal Highness and his entourage are posing as military students. Of Thors, no less. He's slowly making his way toward Heimdallr as we speak, even if he is taking his time to do so."
"Naoto is heading to the capital of Erebonia? That's where the Vermillion Trials are.", Renne mused.
"If I could fathom a guess, His Royal Highness is currently preparing to take on those Vermillion Trials. I am quite curious as to how all of that will turn out. He took it upon himself to become a personal piece of our second phase of the Orpheus Final Plan, the Phantasmal Blaze Plan. It sounds like he has some connection with the Vermillion Apocalypse. I wonder, will the Infernal Castle rise up from its ashes once again?", Campanella asked. A grin formed on his face.
"At least for Naoto, his path is clear.", Renne said with an agreeing nod. "But to pose as students? Should I decide to play the part too? It's as you say, Fool, I've all the free time in the world in my hands now. For once, I do not know what comes next for me."
"Hahaha!", Campanella laughed. "Now that would be a sight to see. You, a schoolgirl? Now that's the best joke I've heard all day. And they call me The Fool."
"Teehee.", Renne giggled. "I'd be the ideal spot to scout what the Empire has been up to as of late. A little bit of reconnaissance won't hurt anybody. And Heimdallr just so happens to have a school conveniently placed right smack dab in the middle of it."
"You must be talking about the all girls' school, St. Astraia. The very same school Erebonia's Treasure attends. It's meant for all ages so you'd fit right in. You could even pose as a genius student who skipped a grade or two.", Campanella mused at the fact. "Shall I draft up some enrollment papers for you? It might be midway through its current curriculum, but any sort of entrance exams shouldn't give you an issue. You can just say you're a transfer student."
"Please do so. And I can agree with you on that point. Besides, St. Astraia isn't big to begin with. But I hear their exams are very top-notch. It's the most prestigious school in the entire country. I also know Naoto is acquainted with a couple girls currently attending it. I wonder if I'll get a chance to meet them~", Renne giggled.
"Hahaha. We'll see. His Royal Highness will definitely get the shock of his life once he sees you in that school uniform!", Campanella laughed. "I shall go get this addressed right away. I will call for you when it is time to depart, No. XV."
"Thank you.", Renne said. Just like that, the door hissed once again after Campanella did his iconic bow, and left Renne to her own devices.
For the first time in her life, Renne could decide what to do next. She wasn't bound by the duty that the Anguis had. Enforcers had as much freedom as any normal person had. They just had to do the mission they're tasked to do on occasion. Just like how Naoto fought back against the Garden of Swords, ensuring the Severing Chain's safety. Renne soon glanced back toward the window, calmly observing the endless rolling clouds beyond the window.
With Naoto currently away from Liberl, Renne had little interest in staying behind, now that her mission to secure the Tetracyclic Towers concluded. While she did find Jayna Storm interesting, she was currently learning the ropes, and Renne didn't want to interrupt her. So until Naoto deems his business concluded at Erebonia, that she will remain in the shadows nearby.
"I wonder, how will you react once you've come to learn that I've enrolled at St. Astraia, Big Brother~?", Renne uttered to herself. Her lips curved upward into a smile. At the same time, A determined look appeared in Renne's eyes, letting those thoughts settle.
For the first time in a long while, Renne was looking forward to what was going to happen next in the next stretch of her life. And this time, she had the ability to choose what she wanted to do next! Thanks to that, Renne reached a decision to enroll at St. Astraia.