The past month had been both a period of intense loneliness and focused growth for Jaune Arc.
The crushing silence left by Ciel's absence was constant, but he filled the void with the new discipline he learned from Pearl.
Pearl, during one of Jaune's many mandated visits (always accompanied by a fiercely observant Pyrrha and, more recently, Weiss), had introduced him to a mental exercise she called cultivation.
It was a sophisticated form of meditation focused on channeling spiritual energy and calming the turbulent nature of the inner self.
These visits had also been a profound success on the family front.
Weiss's reunion with her long-lost cousin Pearl, and the kindness shown by Pearl's father and her grand aunt, Quarz and Camilia Schnee, had been beautiful.
Weiss was greeted with genuine warmth, a sharp contrast to the cold, calculating environment of her own home.
She felt truly happy that she had family members who were not drunk, cold, or a total authoritarian.
Everything, including this small slice of happiness, was thanks to Jaune, and Weiss had become noticeably more polite and even grateful when she spoke with him.
Then, one morning, during his usual meditation session, the long-awaited sound finally broke the silence in his mind.
[The penalty period has come to an end. Re-activated the system persona Ciel.]
Jaune's eyes snapped open.
He stopped meditating abruptly, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Ciel, are you there? Can you hear me?!"
He mentally shouted, desperate for confirmation.
[I am here, please do not worry anymore Host.]
Ciel's voice, clear and concise, brought a wave of immense relief washing over him.
"Thank goodness. It's still you. I don't know what I would do if you weren't my Ciel…"
[....]
Ciel went silent. Unlike normally, she would have provided a logical, neutral reply.
This time, the pause lingered, a digital shyness at the casual, possessive affection of him calling her his Ciel.
Jaune took his time, laying out all the events that occurred during the thirty-day penalty.
When he described the cultivation technique Pearl taught him, Ciel ran a quick analysis.
[The meditation technique utilized by the Host is classified as at least High-End Silver Rank. It effectively calms and centralizes the fragmented consciousness within the Flood Dragon God Physical Body. This technique will serve as a permanent countermeasure against unsanctioned berserker states.]
"Huh, that's precious. She must be a genius to come up with such a meditating method,"
Jaune praised Pearl, genuinely impressed. Because of her, he was sure he wouldn't lose himself to the golden rage anymore.
Ciel, however, was already running calculations.
She had suspicions—the technique was too perfect for his body, the woman was too skilled, too eager to help the Host.
The woman clearly was smittened by her Host.
She had a plan, one that bypassed her own limitations. Maybe if Jaune married her, her immense family wealth would indirectly become his, making the shop richer, faster!
Ciel filed the "Marriage Alliance" plan under long-term strategy.
A week after Ciel's return, it was time for them to go to Forever Fall Forest to gather sap and extract nectar from the glowing saplings.
Jaune and his team were walking through the dense, crimson woods.
Jaune, now with Ciel's tactical data stream flowing constantly, kept his eyes on Cardin Winchester, who was doing his best to look small and invisible.
"Hum, Ozpin is really too soft,"
Jaune thought to himself, the cold logic of the situation making him frown.
"Does he want him to get killed? Cardin is a liability, He should have expelled him."
Jaune didn't know it, but he had fundamentally changed after he went berserk.
He was still the gentle, kind friend to his allies, but the moment he turned his gaze toward an enemy or a liability, the ruthlessness of the Flood Dragon shone through.
His mercy was now only for those under his protection.
Cardin felt the chilling weight of a predator's gaze.
He quickly hid himself behind his teammate, Dove, hunching his shoulders. The memory of the crushing, invisible force in the shop was imprinted permanently on his mind.
He didn't dare bully anyone ever again, knowing what the goofy Jaune Arc was truly capable of.
"Alright Team JNPR, we need to gather three full buckets of sap to pass this assignment,"
Jaune announced, his voice snapping back to the confident leader.
"Pyrrha, you take the ridge. Ren and Nora, work the valley. I'll take the center line and secure our perimeter."
He was no longer asking; he was commanding, and his team moved instantly to obey.