"I'm creating a school for weapon users. I'd like you to join us as well, young Aster."

"Whahahwwaaaaaaat?!"

A gleaming metal man had appeared before Aster, with two of her own friends and two others she wasn't very familiar with. Like the metal man, there were other famous, talented people who had arrived to Rolan Ranch to show off their skill and teach others their ways. Being the under-confident girl she was, Aster avoided them like the plague. But now one of these famous, talented people had approached her with a mind-blowing proposition. 

The one with this proposition- the gleaming metal man- was none other than Sir Eisenhower.

"Like the other youths who have willingly joined this cause of mine, you hold in your hands one of the rare living weapons of the world- a Weapon Mini." Eisenhower explained. "And like them, you are currently unaligned. At least, I'm hoping that's the case."

"Yo, Aster, this is the real deal!" Zeus, Aster's taller friend boomed. "All those days we've been playing on MMOs, its about to get LEGIT!"



"B-bu-bu-bu-bu-b-b-b-but-" Aster was as red as a chili pepper, and her excitement reduced her words to the babbling of an infant learning how to speak. 

_{"I think we broke her."}, Regan half-jokingly whispered to his twin sister Emma.

"You don't have to agree right away, Aster-chan.", Aster's crystal-skinned, leafy-haired friend Takayuki smiled. 

Aster fidgeted around, her eyes and emotions shifting about. "I-I don't knooow! Like, what?! No! Nononoooo- I mean yes! Yeah, its just- NOOOOO!" She suddenly thrust her arms out waving both hands with a look ever so bashful.

Eisenhower stepped forward, causing Aster to suddenly keep quiet and stiffen like a statue. She could see her own face reflecting off of his skin. His expression, stern at first, mellowed to a comforting smile. "I can understand if this is a bit too much for you to handle." 

"Yes." 

Aster's own mouth moved on its own. Her friends were literally right behind Eisenhower, and Aster herself was literally two feet away from the metallic knight. It was peer pressure of the nth degree, despite Zeus's claim to be very much true. Aster always fantasized about being in a guild like her favorite MMO games or the anime based on them. She dressed up as her favorite characters, and actually envied her friends that found Weapon Minis before she ever did.

But she wasn't thinking about this- only the fact that such a famous person had bought up such a proposal. She couldn't disappoint her friends, nor him. 

"Yeah. I-I'll do it!"

Eisenhower closed his eyes as his smile broadened. "I'll take that as your final answer. Just know that I won't be putting you, or your colleagues in any sort of danger." Eisenhower turned to the others. "All of you are new to this. While training Minis can be a dangerous act by itself, training Weapon Minis is a wholly different class of its own. And in this class, I will be no more than your teacher."



"Wait. So we're NOT facing bad guys n' stuff? Emma asked. "We've seen some things. Ah think we're just about ready, dontcha think?" She nudged her brother Regan, who vocalized agreeably with a nod.

Eisenhower also nodded with hands thrown to the side, as if understanding Emma's argument. "Perhaps, but willingly throwing you in the face of danger is the way of a madman. If there will be any sort of 'danger', it shall be in a controlled environment. My goal is to teach users of Weapon Minis how to skillfully defend themselves if actual danger shall occur." 

"Will there be field trips?!" Aster asked, her eyes now gleaming with excitement.

Eisenhower turned back to Aster. "Of course. Everything about weapon training is a hands-on experience. And there is no better way than to have such hands-on experiences in a literal open field.~"

A cracked squeal escaped from Aster's mouth, the excited girl now covering it in vain. "I still...I still have so many questions...! Are we going to be in the same class? How's lunch? Is Cherry-chan gonna be there?"

Eisenhower bat his eyes with unfamiliarity. "Cherry....chan?" 

"Oh yeah, Audrey!" Zeus realized. "It won't be a real guild without her!"

"She's one of us now." Taka calmly agreed. "It wouldn't be right to just leave Aster's girlfriend hanging. Besides, yuri FTW.~"



Aster's deepened blush returned as she threw a visible, but silent tantrum at Taka while Eisenhower wasn't looking. While Zeus snickered, and while the Rolan Twins stared at each other with confused looks on their faces, Taka simply waved to Aster with some sort of silly, teasing grin. Aster quickly returned to a neutral position as Eisenhower turned back around to face her, beaming as if nothing happened.

"Of course! We can also enroll her- unless you'd like to do the honors and ask her personally?" 

"I will!" Aster said with a vigorous nod and clenched fists. Then, she suddenly remembered something rather vital. "Oh yeah- what about our uh...'normal' Minis?"

"There will be a special class for the Minis that come with the Trainers who enroll, yes." Eisenhower nodded again. "No one shall be left out- and that is my promise as a Type Mornarch!"

"Aw YEAH!" Emma cheered, throwing her fist up into the air. "With this training, maybe we can FINALLY give Papa Grand a run for his money!"

Regan threw his own fist up in a symmetrical manner, just as excited as Emma was. "Whooo! Pinkie, yer days are numbered!~"



"They will be safe under my care." Eisenhower thought to himself. "One day, they shall be prepared to face the dangers of this world. At least, they will be able to protect themselves in the face of those who target Weapon Mini users. King...I will never forgive what you have done. This new school will be built in Sir Ian's honor!"
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# To be Continued? #