The foyer didn't remain the stage for long.
After the initial introductions and the brief, weighty silence that followed them, Jacques Schnee inclined his head slightly and gestured toward the inner halls of the manor. The movement was subtle yet practiced, giving hint that the man entertained many guests in the same fashion
"Standing about in an entryway is hardly comfortable," Jacques said. His voice was smooth and charismatically cultured, carrying the faint edge of command that didn't need to be sharpened.
"Let us move somewhere more suitable for conversation."
He turned without waiting for an answer.
Klein snapped his fingers softly and in response, attendants emerged as if summoned by instinct alone, taking away both Jaune's and Blake's things with efficient smiles and quiet steps.
"Your luggage, will be brought to your room. I shall show you the way later, after your chats." Klein said warmly.
Weiss glanced briefly at Jaune and Blake, then nodded. "We shouldn't be too long. Father, is just a little interested in the company I keep, I suppose." she said.
They followed Jacques through the manor's inner corridors, the space opening into a sitting room that felt much more intimate than the foyer but no less refined. Plush couches sat around a low table of polished glass. Tall windows framed the snowy gardens outside, moonlight reflecting off pristine hedges and silent fountains.
Once they were seated, Jacques folded his hands together before offering them some liquid refreshments.
They declined, but Whitley accepted a glass.
Jacques regarded the two of them, with open curiosity.
"So," he said at last, "Weiss tells me you are her… companions?"
The pause before the word was deliberate.
"Friends," Weiss corrected calmly.
Jacques's lips curved slightly. "Of course."
His gaze shifted to Blake first. "You, Blake, is it?" he said, not unkindly. "You are from Vale or are you from another kingdom?"
Blake met his eyes without flinching. "No, sir. I'm originally from Menagerie."
Jacques's expression did not change much, but his eyes sharpened, interest clearly piqued. "Menagerie," he repeated thoughtfully. "That is… quite far from here. What brought you to Vale, in the first place?"
Blake's shoulders relaxed just a fraction. "I wanted a bit of a... change in scenery from my life in Menagerie. Which is why I transferred to Vale."
"I see... and before that?"
"My parents relocated when I was young," Blake said evenly. "Menagerie was home, but, not… permanent."
Jacques nodded, absorbing the information. "I see, you speak well and very confidently. That is not always common among students your age."
Blake inclined her head politely. "Thank you."
Jacques turned his attention to Jaune next.
"And you," he said. "Vale, correct?"
Jaune straightened slightly. "Yes, sir. I was born in the Kingdom of Vale, in the city of Ansel."
"Ansel," Jacques repeated. "A smaller city. Trade focused."
Jaune blinked. "You know it?"
Jacques allowed himself a small smile. "Atlas does business everywhere worth doing business. Especially in cities that rely on shipping and rail."
Jaune nodded slowly. "That makes sense."
"And your family?" Jacques asked, tone light, conversational. "Are they also from Ansel?"
Jaune nodded.
Weiss noticed immediately, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Blake's posture shifted subtly, attentive but silent.
"Yes," Jaune said after a moment. "My family's been there for a long time."
"Do you have any siblings?" Jacques asked.
Jaune smiled. "Seven sisters."
Jacques's brows lifted slightly. "Seven. That is… impressive."
"It's loud. Or it was, at least. Before I moved to the capital."
"Indeed. I can only imagine. How about your parents?" Jacques continued.
"They're fine. Actually, my dad brought my family on a... trip recently." Jaune curated carefully. "They're out exploring the various tourism spots in the world as it is."
He did not elaborate nor did he mention disappearances or kidnappings or the empty spaces left behind.
"I see," Jacques said at last. "And you, weren't interested in joining them on this, grand tour?"
"Well... I was, but LUCID duties and all."
"That makes sense. The creatures of the dream never rest after all."
The conversation shifted then, tension easing slightly.
"The both of you are in Vale, so I assume you go to Beacon, same as my daughter?" Jacques asked, looking between them. A faint hint of amusement seemed to grow in his eyes. "She never tells me much these days, so I have to pry as much information out of her friend as I can."
"Yes," Weiss said quickly. "First year just ended."
"And how did you find it?" Jacques asked.
Jaune chuckled lightly. "It's chaotic. But good. You learn a lot, even outside of classes."
Blake nodded. "The professors are… memorable."
Jacques leaned back slightly. "Memorable can be useful. Or disastrous."
"Both," Blake replied.
That earned a faint chuckle from Jacques.
"You mentioned classes," Jacques said. "What fields do you find yourselves drawn to?"
"Art, actually." Jaune said. "I think I like that one the most. Gives me a bit of creative freedom. And I guess Chemistry isn't bad either. I share that one with Blake." Jaune continued.
Blake sighed softly. "Our classmates make it chaotic, though."
"Nora makes everything chaotic," Jaune agreed.
Jacques smiled faintly. "And how about Philosophy?"
Blake's eyes lit just a little. "That one's mine."
"An unusual interest," Jacques remarked.
"Our teacher makes every class a debate," Blake said. "Sometimes it feels less like learning and more like survival."
Jaune smiled. "He once split the class into groups arguing whether free will even exists."
"And?" Jacques asked.
"We never finished," Blake replied. "The bell rang while two people were still yelling."
Jacques seemed genuinely amused by that.
"I can see the value," he said. "Critical thinking is often more important than answers."
Jaune shifted slightly, feeling the conversation turn more comfortable.
"May I ask something, sir?" Jaune said.
Jacques inclined his head. "Of course."
"Weiss mentioned you're involved with several major businesses," Jaune said. "Atlas Bank, among others."
"Yes," Jacques replied. "Atlas Bank is one of my primary interests. Financial stability is the backbone of any functioning kingdom."
"And LUCID?" Blake asked carefully.
Jacques seemed pleased by the directness.
"I am not part of LUCID, as my daughter has already, surely explained to you." he said. "But I am a supplier. Technology, materials, logistics support. Atlas excels at production, after all. Especially in technology."
"So you don't make decisions," Jaune said. "You just provide the tools."
Jacques smiled thinly. "No one ever just provides tools, Mr. Arc. Influence comes in many forms. I believe in results. LUCID exists because the threats it addresses are real. Idealism alone does not protect cities."
Jaune thought of centurions. Of quiet voices and silent patrols.
"I guess that makes sense," he said.
The room fell into a thoughtful silence.
Eventually, Jacques stood. "You are guests here. We can discuss business and philosophy another time."
He glanced at Weiss. "You have done well to bring capable company home."
Weiss blinked, surprised. "Thank you, father."
Jacques turned toward the door. "Rest. Tomorrow will be… eventful. Come Whitley."
"Yes, father."
As they left, the room felt lighter somehow.
Blake exhaled slowly. "Well. That went better than I expected."
Jaune nodded. "Yeah. Same."
Weiss allowed herself a small, tired smile. "Welcome to my family."
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Their rooms were farther into the manor, on the second floor, beyond quiet hallways softened by carpet and warm lighting. The sounds of the house changed as they moved away from the main wings. Voices faded. Footsteps became rare. Even the air felt calmer, as if the walls themselves encouraged rest.
Jaune's room was… far more than he expected.
The door slid open to reveal a spacious chamber dressed in soft whites and muted blues, with tall windows overlooking a snow dusted garden below. Elegant furniture was arranged with deliberate care rather than excess. A wide bed sat near the center, sheets pristine and inviting. A sitting area occupied one corner, complete with a small table and chairs carved from pale wood.
In the far corner of the room stood a sleek, enclosed pod.
He stopped walking.
"…Is that what I think it is?" he asked slowly.
Weiss glanced toward it and nodded. "A sleeping pod, yes."
Jaune stared at it longer. "That looks very similar to LUCID tech."
"It's not," Weiss said quickly. "Schnee subsidiaries developed a civilian version years ago. It's meant for safety and comfort. Better spinal support, regulated neural stabilization, reduced strain. It doesn't actually set your spawn point on anything like that."
"Huh. Color me impressed. Rich people sleep in pods. Pretty cool." Jaune said.
"Yes," Weiss replied flatly. "Very observant."
Blake leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, eyes flicking between the pod and Jaune. "So when you have nightmares, you can do it in luxury."
Jaune and Weiss both turned to look at her.
Blake paused.
"…That sounded better in my head," she muttered.
Weiss raised a brow. Jaune folded his arms. They said nothing.
Blake shifted under the silence. "Okay, wow. I'm sorry. I'll workshop that one."
"You really need to," Jaune said. "That joke almost physically hurt."
Blake scowled. "You wound me."
Jaune snorted, then glanced back at the pod. "So this really won't mess with our spawn points or anything?"
"No," Weiss said. "It's purely a comfort interface. Your anchor remains unchanged."
Jaune nodded slowly. "That's actually kind of nice."
Blake shrugged. "I'll take the old fashioned bed nap any day."
"Yeah. Beds are alright. But... Weiss, your dad wasn't what I expected," he admitted.
Weiss glanced at him. "Oh?"
"Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know. I guess from everything you told us, with the centurions and all that, I kind of expected him to be… different."
"Different how," Weiss asked carefully.
Jaune hesitated, then sighed. "Honestly? I thought he'd be… evil."
She turned to him slowly, eyes narrowing. "Evil?"
Jaune immediately raised his hands. "Okay, when I say that out loud it sounds way worse than it did in my head."
Blake smirked. "Digging a hole, Arc."
"I'm just saying," Jaune continued sheepishly. "I expected someone cold, cruel, maybe laughing ominously while petting a cat or something."
Weiss blinked once.
Then scoffed. "My father does not pet cats ominously."
"…That wasn't the point."
Weiss crossed her arms. "He isn't evil, Jaune. His methods are questionable and priorities are skewed. But evil implies intent and malice. Which he had neither. He's profit driven."
She paused, gaze drifting away.
"…Though sometimes," she added quietly, "I wonder if the difference even matters."
Jaune softened. "Sorry. I didn't mean to insult him. Or you."
Weiss exhaled. "It's fine. You're not entirely wrong to be uneasy."
Sensing the shift, Jaune changed the subject quickly. "So... the ball?"
Weiss groaned. "Of course."
"What exactly am I walking into here?" Jaune asked. "Is it just a party for rich people?"
Weiss visibly cringed.
"That's not entirely wrong," she admitted. "Just… less drinking, more posturing. A lot of conversations that sound polite but are really subtle power plays."
Blake perked up. "So verbal combat."
"Yes," Weiss said. "But with etiquette."
"Terrifying," Jaune muttered.
"It'll be held in the eastern wing," Weiss continued. "The event hall. Dignitaries from Atlas will be present as well as military officials and corporate leaders. A few carefully selected foreign representatives as well. Oh, and these people are all aware of LUCID and the dream realm, of course."
"I see. So this is the big reveal," Jaune said. "Centurions and all."
"For Atlas," Weiss nodded. "This is the internal announcement. The wider cross kingdom event will come later. Much more formal and much more… scrutinized, I guess."
"And you're not thrilled about it," Blake observed.
Weiss sighed. "No. But it's happening whether I like it or not."
Jaune glanced around the room again, at the comfort and quiet and wealth that insulated everything here. Tomorrow, all of it would collide with the rest of the world.
"Well," he said lightly, "at least tonight we get luxury beds."
Blake smirked. "Speak for yourself. I'm judging that pod."
Weiss shook her head. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be exhausting."
As they parted for the night, Jaune took one last look at the pod, then at the snow lit garden beyond the window.
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AN: Advanced chapters are available on patreon