Chapter 14: Rumors of a Rebellion
"Some of them already know," Sothis said as Byleth retrieved the small colorful book from his bag once again. "Such dour expressions so early in the day surely reflects anxious expectation."
Byleth agreed, simply giving a subtle nod before he walked over to the front of the class. Dimitri was clearly concerned, Ashe appeared overly anxious, and the usual loud trio of Felix, Sylvain, and Ingrid were oddly quiet, as if something was on each of their minds. Regardless, he stood at the front of the Blue Lions classroom and opened the book, once again reading a little note on the opening page before flipping forwards.
"When the warm winds blow from the sea to the south of Adrestia, residents of Fodlan know that the rainy season is upon them," Byleth began. "Before the heavy rains take their toll, the young women hurry to pick the last of the white roses. The ivory buds are woven into garlands and given as gifts to close friends or potential lovers. When towns and villages alike are filled with couples wearing matching headdresses, the Garland Moon will reveal itself for all to see."
As usual, his students were more than a little confused about the odd reading. Regardless, he put the book back without another word before returning to the front of the class. "Before we begin, there are two announcements I'd like to make," Byleth said. "Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you all on your performance in Zanado. I had high hopes for all of you, and you exceeded them."
"Good, a nice message before a much less savory discussion," Sothis said with a smirk. "You seem to have quickly gotten the hang of handling these children. Those books on teaching weren't wasted."
"Next, I'll brief you on this month's assignment," Byleth continued. "The Church of Seiros has received reports that Lord Lonato, a Kingdom noble, has rallied troops against it. As of this moment, the Knights of Seiros are either heading towards Lonato's forces or are currently engaging them. Our mission for this month is to travel with the Knight's rear guard and deal with the aftermath of the main conflict. We are not expected to engage the enemy ourselves, but as a precaution for entering a war zone, we will proceed as if we are heading into battle. Are there any questions?"
"Is the Church really attacking Lord Lonato?!" Ashe blurted. Most of the other Blue Lions turned their attention to him, the boy seemingly struggling to keep himself from standing up and shouting.
"Never mind, you clearly still don't know how to deal with them," Sothis said. Byleth wondered how she would have delivered the message, but Sothis silenced him. "You don't have time to worry about that! Pacify Ashe, quickly!"
"From what I've been told, Lord Lonato was the aggressor," Byleth said. Ashe's face twisted, the boy looking as if he were about to scream. Byleth quickly shifted focus. "I have heard nothing about targeting Lord Lonato himself, so he may remain unharmed. If his forces surrender, the Church may-"
"Don't you dare say 'spare him'!" Sothis warned.
"- be lenient in their judgment," Byleth finished.
"… R-right… sorry," Ashe said, seemingly calming down somewhat. He sat back down amidst a plethora of concerned gazes, but he seemed ignorant of them all.
"You cannot let it end like that," Sothis said. "This is where comforting happens! You've seen that before, haven't you?"
"I understand your concern, Ashe," Byleth said, recalling a small talk he overheard his father having with one of their clients. "Lord Lonato is very important to you. But right now, we're at odds with him and his men. If possible, I'm certain the Church will try to sort things out with as little bloodshed as possible. For now, all we can do is wait and see what happens."
Ashe said nothing, simply nodding at Byleth's message. Deciding it was all he could do, Byleth dropped the issue and continued on with their scheduled class as usual, though it was obvious that most of the students weren't paying full attention. At the end of the day's lectures, he met Dimitri waiting outside the classroom after the rest of the Blue Lions had dispersed. "Professor… do you have a moment?" Dimitri asked.
"Of course. There are two hours until tutoring begins," Byleth said. He took one look at Dimitri and had an idea of what they were about to talk about. "This is about the upcoming mission, correct?"
"Yes," Dimitri said. He sighed. "I'm… having mixed feelings about this assignment. This whole situation is… excuse me. I should probably have organized my thoughts first."
"It's fine. Walk with me," Byleth said. Dimitri nodded, following Byleth around the Officers Academy back towards the dorms.
"… I suppose it would be best to explain the cause of my concerns first," Dimitri said. "Professor, how much do you know about the current political climate in Faerghus?"
"I assume it's gotten worse in the past few years," Byleth said. "The number of jobs requiring mercenaries has increased since I started working. Additionally, if your father is gone and you aren't the ruler…"
"It's as you think," Dimitri said. "After Faerghus lost its king, there were many rebellions. Even now, conflicting nobles and organizations still squabble over what power they can claim while I am still too young to ascend the throne. I think it likely that Lord Lonato's provocations are related."
"Would he have any reason for starting a rebellion?" Byleth asked.
"I struggle to think of any reason he could have," Dimitri said. "Gaspard land is neither lacking in size or resources, and both the house and Lord Lonato himself have remained highly respected even after the loss of Faerghus' king."
"In short, something's wrong with this situation," Byleth said. Dimitri nodded.
"Doubtless, there are times when one must take up their blade, even if there's no chance of winning. But this... It's downright senseless. Lord Lonato knows better. If he had enough allies to back his rebellion, it would be a different matter..." Dimitri said.
"Are there any we should be worried about?" Byleth asked.
"… What do you mean?" Dimitri asked.
"Can you think of any potential allies Lord Lonato may have?" Byleth asked. "Are there houses or organizations that oppose the Church near him?"
"That oppose the Church?" Dimitri asked, his eyes wide. "Professor, opposing the Church openly is almost unheard of… though I suppose you wouldn't know given you've only recently been introduced to it."
"Is that so? Then we should consider forces that quietly oppose the Church," Byleth said as they approached his room. "I'll look into this. For now, I'd like you to try and help the others through this. Especially Ashe."
"Of course, Professor," Dimitri said. He grinned. "And… thank you. It seems Professor Manuela was right about what happened between us at first."
"I suppose I should thank her for that when I get the chance," Byleth said as he approached his room. "I'll let you know when I learn anything. Until then, I suggest you focus on preparing for the mission itself."
"Right. I'll see you at practice in a bit, Professor," Dimitri said. At that, the two parted ways, leaving Byleth free to return his usual teaching materials to his room and prepare for the coming session.
As he prepped himself, he considered the people he could ask about the matter. The first candidate was Shamir, though considering that the Knights of Seiros had deployed he realized there was a chance she was already far from the Monastery. He considered the gatekeeper again as a potentially decent source, though he doubted he'd hear too much useful information about covert operations in the Gaspard region from people coming and going from the Monastery. His third option was to put out a request for information, though he'd need to check with a few people first. Finally, he thought about asking Lady Rhea directly.
"She'd probably dance around the question… or simply lie," Sothis said. "Even if we make good use of my ability to turn back time, we have no way of knowing what she tells us is true."
"Then we'll need to try the other option once we have a chance," Byleth said.
With the decision made, he ate a quick meal before making his way to the training grounds to prepare for sword practice. According to his schedule, Jeritza was teaching horsemanship today, leaving the entire area for Byleth and his students. Upon his entrance, he was a bit surprised to find that the area wasn't empty. Catherine appeared to have been waiting for him, the smallest smirk reaching her face as he entered. "Whaddya know, half an hour early just like they said," Catherine greeted.
"Were you waiting for me?" Byleth asked as he approached her.
"Something like that," Catherine said. "Y'see, I'm not really used to having to sit back while all the fighting is going on. But I figure with so few distractions around and there being nobody here… maybe a pair of demons like us could let loose?" she continued with a nonchalant stretch. "Besides, I heard you were interested in what the Heroes Relics could do. What better way to find out than going up against one firsthand?"
"You're looking for a fight," Byleth said.
"Yeah, and? We've both got some time to kill," Catherine said. "Plus, if you're concerned about your reputation or whatever, we're the only people here. I'll even stop if we get interrupted."
"Brazen, isn't she? Speaking to us like we're afraid she'll trounce us," Sothis said with a glare. Byleth thought it would reflect rather poorly on him if he were badly beaten in front of his students but recognized the arrogance behind Catherine's words all the same. As a fellow demon, he understood the desire for such a battle, but life as a mercenary instilled an important lesson he couldn't simply shake. If he was going to fight, he had no intention of doing so for free. Considering what she could possibly give him, he recalled their earlier interaction.
"… We'll fight on one condition," Byleth said.
"Trying to make things more interesting?" Catherine asked.
"No. I'll fight you if you agree to answer some questions," Byleth said as he approached her.
"Whatever gets you in the mood," Catherine said. She drew her sword, Thunderbrand, and raised it to shoulder level once Byleth seemed to have chosen a starting position. In a moment, the entire weapon seemed to dimly glow as if it were engulfed in flames, though it seemingly wasn't giving off any heat.
Taking a moment to examine his opponent's weapon, Byleth was immediately drawn to the stone in center of the weapon's hilt. "A Crest Stone… so that weapon uses a Saint's heart," Sothis said. "If they are capable of supporting life for so long, how much energy can they release? And what kind of power can they give?"
Byleth had no answers to those questions, his attention shifting to the rest of the weapon. Numerous spiked hooks jutted out from the main blade, and each appeared more than capable of rending flesh or catching a weapon. Overall, he would have guessed the weapon to be based on a tree if he didn't know it was named Thunderbrand. "Never seen lightning in that shape before," he said as he drew both his sword and dagger.
"Hah! I figure they just tried to make something close to it that was still stable enough to be a sword," Catherine said as Byleth prepared to fight. "So, you ready for this?"
Byleth nodded, shifting his weight ever so slightly. He noticed Catherine inch closer, her entire frame shifting to mask the slight movements of her feet. "So that's what that cape is for," Sothis noted, realizing that Byleth read her moves based on the shifting glints of light off Thunderbrand's unique shape rather than any sort of cue from her legs.
Before any further observation could be made, Catherine rushed forwards. Byleth swung his body around with as much force as he could, his sword slamming against Thunderbrand as it approached. Immediately, Byleth was thrown off by the difference of fighting against a Hero's Relic. The clash felt completely uneven, as if he had barely managed to deflect a rolling boulder rather than another weapon. Matters were only made worse when Catherine recovered instantly, whipping Thunderbrand back around with ease for a consecutive strike.
Backpedaling and barely getting his dagger up in time, Byleth barely managed to keep the blade from striking him. He felt one of Thunderbrand's spikes slide across his forearm guard, sparks erupting from his armor as he pushed the weapon away. Catherine grinned as she pressed her attack, spinning around with Byleth's deflection to give her next strike even more power. With no other option, Byleth brought his sword down with everything he could to meet it.
Thunderbrand struck once more, and Byleth was sent flying. Catherine's strike had outright launched him backwards, his vision full of nothing but the sky and clouds for a moment before his back hit the ground. He rolled backwards instinctively, placing his sword hand on the ground to stop himself once he managed to land on his knees and let the armor plating grind him to a halt.
Footsteps pierced the sound of grating metal, prompting Byleth to hurl his knife in Catherine's direction as he recovered. Glancing up as he found solid footing, he saw Catherine easily sidestep his knife and continue her approach. Trying not to let her dictate the flow of the battle, he lurched forwards with a quick thrust. Catherine swatted his sword aside with ease, leaving an opening for Byleth to throw out a punch with his now free hand.
Unlike Jeritza, Catherine saw the move coming and stooped low, ducking the attack before she rammed into Byleth's chest with her shoulder. Forced back and off balance, Byleth brought his sword around for a haphazard swing as he recoiled. Catherine swung Thunderbrand in a wide sweeping motion to counter the move, the impact once again rocking Byleth. He almost lost his footing as he slid backwards, but a few quick steps managed to keep him up and right in Catherine's range.
Gripping his sword with both hands, Byleth shifted his entire body to brunt Catherine's thrust upwards. His Crest flared to life with the motion, the surge of strength enough to properly guard against Thunderbrand's destructive blows. With both of their swords in the air as they stand face to face, both Catherine and Byleth reacted the only way they could.
The fighters began swinging wildly at one another, metal against the strange stone-like material Hero's Relics were made of. Each strike of Thunderbrand shook Byleth to his core, and he was quickly forced to begin giving ground. Catherine was relentless in her assault, even cutting off any attempt Byleth had to sidestep her as she continued pushing him into a corner with each clash of their weapons.
With his options rapidly dwindling, Byleth decided to go for an all or nothing. Blocking one final strike, Byleth released his sword. The weapon went flying as Thunderbrand finished its arc, a momentary look of surprise on Catherine's face as she watched the weapon go. In that moment, Byleth rushed forwards and grabbed both of Catherine's wrists, prepared to deliver a powerful headbutt. Catherine reacted immediately, suddenly taking a step back and delivering a low kick that tripped Byleth as he tried to deliver the headbutt. With no chance to recover, he was at Catherine's mercy as she spun around and threw him to the ground, his back slamming down onto the floor as she angled Thunderbrand against his head.
"Heh… y'know, Holy Knight is just a title," Catherine huffed. She chuckled. "I fight pretty dirty when I have to."
"… It's your win," Byleth said. He let out a huff, partially from exhaustion and partially from annoyance.
"That it is," Catherine said, getting off him and immediately offering him a hand. She spoke as she pulled him up. "Gotta say, you did way better than anyone else I've sparred against with this. I almost thought I'd have to go all-out a few times."
"You were holding back?" Byleth asked.
"Nah, not really," Catherine said. "There are a few tricks I can do with Thunderbrand, but I make it a point not to use them if I'm sparring. They… aren't exactly safe."
"But it stands that you were not fighting at your limit," Byleth said.
"Hey, I'm being serious here. Some of that stuff, I don't know if I can use it without injuring people," Catherine said. "But anyways, we-" she tried to continue before all color faded from the world.
"That will not stand," Sothis said. She huffed as Byleth glanced over at her, glaring daggers at Catherine's frozen form. She gritted her teeth, seemingly prepared to shout before she tore her gaze away and focused on Byleth. "I don't mind us losing. But to lose when she… when she was toying with us?!"
"… It cannot stand," Byleth said with a nod. "I've thought about the battle and made the necessary adjustments. I don't know if I can win, but I'll do better."
"That is all I can ask… but perhaps not all I can do," Sothis said.
"What do you mean?" Byleth asked.
"There's something I might be able to do… although I'm not certain if it'll work, or what the consequences might be," Sothis said.
"Then don't try it. We can test it some other time," Byleth said.
"… As you wish," Sothis said. She lifted her arms in front of her as a golden circle appeared once more. "Now, teach that arrogant woman who you are!"
"With pleasure," Byleth said. At that, he saw the battle with Catherine begin to play out in reverse as time flowed backwards. He took what few notes of her overall style and movements that he could, hurriedly comparing them to the new approach he developed before he found himself standing a slight distance away from Catherine, the woman's sword at the ready.
"So, you ready for this?" Catherine asked.
"Don't hold back," Byleth said with a nod.
"Heh… somebody's feeling themselves," Catherine said with a smirk. She began the same slow inch forwards she used last time, but Byleth wasn't about to let the fight begin in the same fashion once again.
Flicking his wrist, Byleth instantly tossed his dagger at Catherine. The sudden move clearly caught her off guard, his opponent taking a quick step back and swatting it away as her previously focused gaze cracked. In that moment, Byleth rushed forwards and drew the second sword he kept at his waist, making a wild slice at Catherine's midsection that she whipped Thunderbrand around to deflect.
Not bothering to contest the mighty weapon, Byleth moved with the sudden shift in his balance, turning his entire body to swing his second sword even faster for a simple overhead slash. Catherine sidestepped the attack with one quick hop, putting a bit of distance between her and Byleth.
As Byleth attempted to spin around, he knew Catherine was already rushing at his back. Quickly adjusting the grip on his weapon in the same manner he had seen Petra do so in training, he turned around with one sword held in reverse, the blade guarding the underside of his arm. Using that grip, he thrust his elbow towards Catherine's thrust. Thunderbrand caught his sword with one of its upper spikes, but the shield-like grip he used allowed him to hold his ground against her strike. With her momentum once again halted, Byleth whirled around and swung low with his second sword, aiming for Catherine's feet. She forced both of their weapons down to stop the attack, all three blades striking the ground between them and putting them in a standstill.
Their respite was only temporary as Byleth withdrew his reversed sword while simultaneously slashing upwards. Catherine leaned backwards to avoid the strike, letting go of Thunderbrand with one so she could move more freely. With his opponent seemingly in a vulnerable position, Byleth attempted to thrust with the sword Thunderbrand was no longer pinning. He only managed to pull his sword back before Thunderbrand began to crackle with red lightning.
Ripping her sword upwards as she did a backwards corkscrew flip, Catherine left an arc of red sparks overhead as she landed. The sudden strike forced Byleth to block and nearly disarmed him, the power behind the swift motion lifting him off the ground for a moment. By the time he caught his footing, Catherine was in his face and swinging.
Twirling Thunderbrand and striking both Byleth's left and right in rapid succession, Catherine forced him backwards in a matter of moments. Each of Thunderbrand's strikes carried just as much weight, but now the lightning strikes traveled along Byleth's blades and stung him directly, his metallic armor only serving to carry the energy further through his body with each strike.
"Is this what she meant? No, that can't be it…" Sothis said as Byleth flipped both of his swords around to better weather Catherine's thunderous strikes. "There must be something more to it!"
Grunting, Byleth began unleashing a flurry of punches while he held his swords in reverse, essentially striking with either the pommel or blunt side of his weapons in rapid succession. The sudden barrage stopped Catherine's advance, and Byleth wasted no time closing the distance, his Crest flaring to life. Using the base of one sword to strike the base of Thunderbrand, he forced the weapon aside to create an opening. Twirling his other sword, Byleth took aim at Catherine's chest and thrust the blade forwards.
A loud crack of thunder erupted in front of Byleth as his sword passed through nothing but red sparks. His instincts screamed at him, and he whipped himself around just in time to see a red streak strike his sword clean out of his hand and almost knock him over as it passed by. Focusing as much as he could, he saw Catherine briefly turn on her heel before she darted to the side once more, hurriedly leaving his line of sight. "Those movements… that must be Thunderbrand's power!" Sothis said. "Behind you!"
Gripping his remaining sword with both hands, Byleth stooped low and spun around, unleashing a powerful slash that left a whirlwind in its wake. He expected to either clash with Catherine or wound her, but the red streak vanished from his sight again. The lingering sparks of an upwards red trail made him whirl around and swing his sword again, only for it to pass through nothing as sparks rapidly dissipated to his right. "No human should be able to move like this… how are we supposed to fight her?" Sothis asked.
The lack of an answer was apparent as Byleth suddenly swung at the air once more. This time, however, his weapon was met with Thunderbrand. Catherine swung wide and easily disarmed Byleth again, his sword clattering across the ground moments after she passed by him. Hearing Catherine skid to a halt behind him, Byleth let out a grunt as he forced himself to turn around and unleash an unfocused blast of magical energy in one last ditch attack.
His final move proved fruitless as Catherine hopped diagonally backwards and rushed into Byleth, slamming the pommel of Thunderbrand into his stomach. Doubling over, Byleth didn't bother to try grabbing her as he saw the glow of Thunderbrand linger near his face. "Well? Live up to my name?" Catherine asked with a grin.
"Easily," Byleth said. At that, Catherine took a step away and withdrew Thunderbrand, the weapon's glow fading away as she sheathed it. Byleth grunted as he straightened up, the lingering stings from Thunderbrand biting at him with every movement now that he was calming down. Regardless, he went about collecting his weapons once he recovered.
"Gotta say, I was a bit skeptical myself when I heard people talking about you like some kind of one-man army," Catherine said. She chuckled. "Now, though, I'm pretty certain that 'Demon' title is well-earned."
"As is yours. You're practically a force of nature," Byleth said, turning back to face her. "I'm lucky we never met as enemies."
"Well…" Catherine began, crossing her arms as she went into thought. After a few moments, she spoke again. "… Yeah, you are."
"Let's add tactful to that list of skills, shall we?" Sothis said.
"That aside, I've a few questions for you," Byleth said.
"Right, right. Ask away," Catherine said.
"With abilities like yours, why aren't you on the front lines of this conflict?" Byleth asked.
"Honestly? Beats me," Catherine said with a shrug. "Lady Rhea said I needed a break since I've been working hard for the last few moons. I was actually away from the Monastery for almost three full moons before last week."
"I find that… unlikely," Sothis said. "If that woman is content to work you so, why would she care once you'd adjusted to such a schedule? I do not believe that."
Byleth thought similarly, as Catherine seemed far too invaluable an asset to the Knights of Seiros for her to simply take a vacation in the midst of a rebellion. Regardless, she was not his primary concern, so he decided to disregard whatever motive she might have for lying about her current situation. "I see. Perhaps she was worried you might make a mistake in a large-scale battle after that many missions," Byleth said.
"Maybe. I told her I was ready to go, but she insisted I go with the class that was dealing with the aftermath," Catherine said. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a good break and all. It just seems like a bad time for one."
"Then what can you tell me about House Gaspard's history with the Church?" Byleth asked. Catherine raised an eyebrow at that, so he elaborated. "It is strange for one noble house to challenge the entire Church. I'd like to know more about the situation."
Catherine took a breath, thinking over something for a few moments before she spoke. "… You're leading the Blue Lions, right?" she asked. Byleth nodded. "Then, you know that your student, Ashe, is Lord Lonato's adoptive son, correct?" Byleth nodded again. "Well… his first son, Christophe, was convicted for high treason."
"High treason?" Byleth asked.
"A crime against the King of Faerghus, Lambert Egitte Blaiddyd. You… do know the King of Faerghus is dead, correct?" Catherine asked.
Byleth nodded. "I've heard. Did Christophe kill him?" he asked.
"Wha-?! No, Christophe wouldn't… Christophe didn't kill the King," Catherine said. She sighed. "I'm guessing you don't know about the Tragedy of Duscur."
"Heard the name, but never paid much mind to it," Byleth said.
"Right, political affairs don't matter much to a wandering merc," Catherine said, likely quoting a line from Shamir. "Well, long story short, it happened four years ago when King Lambert was murdered by the people of Duscur… but there's a bit more to it than that. The people of Duscur had accomplices within the Kingdom as well. Christophe, Lord Lonato's son, was implicated as one of them and executed."
"He wants revenge," Byleth said. Catherine nodded.
"Lord Lonato has harbored resentment against the Church ever since his son was executed," she said. "Well… to be more specific, his grudge isn't only against the Church. It's also against the one who turned him over."
Byleth and Sothis were about to ask if it was Catherine herself, but they stopped when students began to enter the Training Ground. "Hmm? Oh, don't mind me," Claude said as he noticed both Byleth and Catherine looking at him. "I'm gonna go grab some training gear. Pretend I'm not here."
"No, we're done for now," Byleth said, turning his attention back to Catherine. "We'll pick this up some other time."
"Sure," Catherine said.
"Hey, wait a minute," Claude said, turning back around. "You've got Thunderbrand at your side… did I miss something interesting?"
"Who won?" Felix asked as he and Ingrid entered the Training Ground, both of them focused on Byleth and Catherine.
"Hmm, I wonder…" Catherine said with a smirk.
"U-umm, is Thunder Catherine by chance working with us today?" Ingrid asked, her eyes lighting up at the prospect.
Catherine's smirk dropped. "Nope, I was actually about to head out. Work hard, all of you," she said, hurriedly making her way for the door.
"Huh… I guess she doesn't like the idea of teaching a group," Sothis said as she and Byleth watched Catherine leave. A few surprised gasps came as the last two students working with Byleth entered.
"She was wielding Thunderbrand… that can only mean she and the Professor settled who was the strongest," Ferdinand said.
"But this is the Ground for Training. Maybe she wanted a good partner?" Petra suggested.
As the students settled in and gathered their training weaponry, Byleth approached Petra first. "Thank you," he said with a slight nod.
"You are… welcome?" Petra replied, clearly confused about what was going on. Byleth flipped his training sword around to the same position along the underside of his arm so the flat part of the blade served as a makeshift shield.
"I had great learning from you," he said.
"Ah, I see! I am delighted Brigid's techniques aided you," Petra said.
With his thanks given, Byleth returned to the usual style of lesson. Working with this batch, he took mental notes on each student based on their sparring results and practice habits. The returning Felix and Petra seemed to have made slight changes to their approaches, though they were interestingly the same improvement. Both began trying to strike from just outside of their opponent's center, moving into advantageous positions during duels or moving around quickly to prevent their opponent from taking a proper stance to begin with.
As for the newcomers, Claude proved to be the most interesting by far. He easily seemed to be the most adaptable combatant, changing his entire approach as the tides of battle changed. In one moment, he could be prodding his opponent's defenses while keeping enough distance that it forced them to close the distance, and in the next he could take on a completely aggressive stance and unleash a flurry of attacks meant to overpower his opponent. At other times, he fought like a rogue, never approaching from the front and trying to frustrate his opponent into attacking so much they left an opening, or he could focus entirely on deflection and evasion to wear them down. Given that level of awareness, Byleth was certain Claude had been trained long before coming to the Officer's Academy in combat by someone who obviously had a plethora of experience, or the boy had been in his fair share of battles already.
Interestingly, Ferdinand and Ingrid proved to be rather similar in how they handled swords with formality laced into their movements, but their approach to combat put a huge difference between them. Ferdinand treated every battle as a duel, choosing what could be most kindly described as a very honest fighting style. He struck his opponent from where they could see him, only circled his opponent if they tried to leave the center of his focus, and seemingly only viewed evasion as a last resort. Admittedly, Ferdinand was surprisingly adept with a sword and had the skill to back-up such a straightforward approach, but Byleth couldn't help but feel as though he would be better off changing how he fought.
On the other hand, Ingrid fought in a decidedly controlled manner. While she never tried to disorient her opponent's as much as Claude did, she tried to constantly keep them from establishing a singular center line to fight along by sidestepping often and attacking with swift coordinated strikes before retreating to safety. If the opponent ever rushed her, she became fully offensive to stop them and, if they weren't done by then, created space once more with a bit of retreating. Given her mobility, Byleth was surprised she didn't incorporate feints into her moves to have her opponent counter early and expose themselves, but he was certain she'd consider the option after enough practice.
Once the training session was finished, Byleth headed for the library. When he reached the second floor, bits of a conversation caught both his and Sothis' attention. "Yes, yes, of course. When the time comes," Lysithea said, seemingly trying to dismiss something. "But right now, I'm quite busy. Maybe later. As it is, I'm studying magic for the benefit of the Alliance, and I would appreciate it if you left me to it."
"Ah, I see," Lorenz said, doing his best to mask the disappointment in his voice. "Then forgive the intrusion. I will take my leave of you, for now," he finished. Suddenly, his usual cheerful yet pompous demeanor seemed to return. "But if there is any way I can be of help to you, or your house, I hope that you won't hesitate to ask," he continued, pausing with a little chuckle. "After all, as I'm sure you know, the future of the Alliance is my responsibility!"
Letting out a little laugh, Lorenz seemed to walk in the direction of the library while Lysithea remained where she was. "The future, he says," she mocked quietly. "As if I have a future…"
"I have trouble thinking that far ahead as well," Byleth said. Lysithea's entire body trembled in response, the girl barely containing a shriek as she turned around and saw Byleth. From her expression, Byleth might have thought the girl saw Sothis resting her arms on his head and grinning down at her but dismissed the idea when she regained her composure.
"P-Professor, p-please don't sneak up on me like that," Lysithea said.
"You should ask someone to do so more often," Byleth said.
"Huh?! Why on earth would I do that?" Lysithea asked.
"In the time you recovered, I could have cut you down thrice and gravely wounded you the fourth time around," Byleth said. "No amount of skill or knowledge will save you if you are caught off guard and freeze."
"… Oh. W-well, the Monastery is supposed to be a safe place! I shouldn't need to have my guard up all the time…" Lysithea said.
"That's a good mentality if you don't want a future," Byleth said. Lysithea grimaced a little too deeply at that, so Byleth decided it would be best to not provoke the girl any further. "If you'd like a professional to occasionally test you, I recommend Shamir, a Knight of Seiros. She's currently away from the Monastery, but you can find her near the greenhouse in the morning on days of rest. If want a more casual exercise, Claude should suffice. Of course, I can help as well if you'd like."
"… I'll think about it," Lysithea said. "If you'll excuse me, I-"
"Have magic to study," Byleth said. Lysithea nodded and hurriedly walked past Byleth, leaving him at the end of the hallway.
"What an angry little girl… I wonder what she means by not having a future," Sothis said. Byleth considered sickness, but the girl was active enough to perform all tasks required of her at the Officer's Academy, so he couldn't be certain. "Yes, that would be quite a sickness to leave you physically able but bound to die young… oh, well. She isn't one of our pupils."
Byleth agreed, deciding to return to his original goal of visiting the library. Upon entry, he found Lorenz near the entrance, seemingly taking count of the few girls making use of it at this time. "I doubt whatever he's doing is important, and he seemed eager to help the girl. Perhaps we can enlist him to aid us?" Sothis suggested, shifting her body so her head was next to Byleth's as they viewed the room.
Following her advice, Byleth approached Lorenz. "Good evening, Lorenz," Byleth greeted.
"Ah, Professor! Good evening," Lorenz greeted, cheerful as ever. "I must say, it is rare for you to approach me. Is something amiss?"
"There is," Byleth said. "Have you heard about the Knights of Seiros' deployment?"
"Yes, that foolishness with Lord Lonato," Lorenz said. He sighed. "It's a noble's duty to protect the commonfolk, not to endanger them by rallying armies in such a feckless and improper manner. Abuse of that kind is no better than slavery. A proper noble must guard the people from such a fate, wouldn't you say?"
"I agree," Byleth said. Lorenz smirked.
"Precisely why true nobility is respected," he said.
"That's where some concerns have been raised," Byleth said.
"What do you mean?" Lorenz asked.
"According to my students and the brief historical records I've found, Lord Lonato has, until this rebellion, been a fair and just noble," Byleth said. "Considering his people have rallied to his side in a battle against the Church, I see no reason to doubt this. But it has been brought it to my attention that the start of this rebellion may be surrounded by strange circumstances."
"Your students raised this concern, did they not?" Lorenz asked. Byleth nodded. "I understand it must be difficult for them to consider someone they know and respect to act in such an unjust and foolhardy manner, but that cannot change that this he has thrown dignity and decorum aside for… whatever farce this battle is supposed to be."
"I am not trying to defend Lonato for their sakes," Byleth clarified. "I want to determine if he has potential allies the Church doesn't know about or if he may have been influenced by another party."
"… You chose your assistant well, Professor," Lorenz said, realizing what Byleth had in mind. "I've studied Fodlan's politics for almost a decade now. I'm certain my knowledge will aid you."
"Before that, might I suggest starting with a map of the area?" Tomas suggested, the old man having approached them as silently as he always did. Unlike Lysithea, Lorenz didn't skip a beat from being startled.
"That would be greatly appreciated, Tomas. I'll gather a few books related to the political factions I remember being in the immediate area of House Gaspard. Professor, you'd best secure us an empty, preferably isolated table to work at," Lorenz said.
"Naturally authoritative. I suppose we should expect much from him during our next tactics lesson," Sothis said. Byleth wondered how well organizing a literature search would translate to battlefield command but dismissed the thought to focus on the task at hand. With little effort, he secured a table near the back of the library with only empty tables for neighbors. Lorenz and Tomas returned quickly, and the group spread an enlarged map of Fodlan across the table before focusing on a region that lay near the border between the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Adrestian Empire.
"House Gaspard's lands lie to the east of the Monastery, just beyond Magdred Way," Tomas pointed out.
"Does anyone live in Magdred Way?" Byleth asked.
"Nobody of real importance. The area is densely forested and primarily serves as little more than a trade route," Lorenz said. "I'm certain subsistence farmers, a few solitary craftsmen, or hermits and the like may live there. But if we were only to consider potential allies for Lord Lonato, I suppose it wouldn't be completely unreasonable for a mercenary company to establish a base in the region."
"If there were a mercenary group with an established base in Faerghus, the amount of work travelling companies like my father's had would have decreased," Byleth said. "That hasn't happened."
"I also doubt that possibility. While they are rare, I've heard packs of Demonic Beasts occasionally roam that land. In fact, that's why the area has never been fully settled," Tomas said.
"Indeed, but we cannot be sure we were thorough unless we exhaust every possibility," Lorenz said. Byleth nodded.
"That fortress to the north, Arianrhod, and House Rowe behind it," Byleth began.
"Ah, remember that House Gaspard and House Rowe's armies seem to have met one another in the last month? I don't recall there being a battle, but they were seen near to one another," Sothis said.
"If House Rowe did support House Gaspard in their battle, what advantage would it provide?" Byleth asked.
"Advantages Arianrhod could provide," Lorenz mouthed, taking a few moments to think about the question before speaking. "As impressive as the Silver Maiden is, Professor, it is too far from Gaspard land to serve as anything other than a distant supply line or an escape route, should Lord Lonato refuse to accept the fate he has brought upon himself. While I would not put it past a noble that condemns his people to death, I doubt House Rowe would allow it. If they did, the Knights of Seiros would undoubtedly target them as well, escalating the conflict."
"Indeed. While I am not privy to the relationship between Houses Rowe and Gaspard, I find it difficult to believe one would willingly join the other in self-destruction," Tomas said.
"Then the two remaining areas are the Western Church and Arundel territory," Byleth said.
"Western Church… wait, didn't the angry henchman bring them up before?" Sothis asked.
Recalling the work with Shamir, Byleth continued. "I've heard the Western Church has been at odds with the Central Church. We'll expect them to have a hand in this."
"Hold a moment… the Western Church and the Central Church are at odds?" Lorenz asked.
"Ah, that would seem strange to someone from the Leicester Alliance," Tomas said. "Unlike the Eastern Church, which abides by the whims of the Leicester Alliance's lords in addition to those of the Central Church, the Western Church possesses autonomy as an institution in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus."
"I suppose the Kingdom wouldn't be very Holy if the clergy were subservient to the king," Lorenz said, seemingly agreeing with the idea.
"Indeed. In fact, the Western Church once had its own formal order of knights, known as the Cichol Holy Guard. They were disbanded almost a century ago, however, at the behest of the Central Church. Now, I believe they simply maintain a militia of sorts," Tomas said.
"Would they aid Lord Lonato?" Byleth asked.
"Perhaps if they believed he could defeat the Knights of Seiros… otherwise, I believe they would remain well away from the battle," Tomas said.
"Lord Lonato has incited a militia of commoners to join his cause," Byleth said. "It wouldn't be difficult for them to send support while remaining unaffiliated."
"Trained soldiers disguised as the forced commonfolk… an insidious ploy," Lorenz said with a grimace.
"Going further, they may also have provided training for them… though I doubt they could accomplish much unless this attack was being prepared for years in advance," Byleth said.
"Regardless, let us keep such things in mind," Sothis said. "Still, as for our last possibility…"
"What do we know about the Arundel region?" Byleth asked.
"Well, it is ruled by Lord Arundel, current Imperial Regent," Lorenz said.
"Is the Emperor dead?" Byleth asked. Lorenz shook his head.
"Tis' not so simple a matter. Unlike the current situation with the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, the entire balance of political power in the Empire has shifted over the course of the last decade or so," Lorenz said. "I take it you've never heard of the Insurrection of the Seven, Professor?"
Byleth shook his head, the name completely unknown to him unlike the Tragedy of Duscur.
"Then, I'll tell you what I know about it," Lorenz said. "Roughly a decade ago, many noble families in the Empire disagreed with the Emperor's plans for the future. While I don't know the details, I think it a fair guess to believe the dispute arose over the distribution of power. After all, the Empire's current system of dividing Imperial authority between the six great noble families and the Emperor bears a striking resemblance to the Alliance Roundtable, albeit with more rigid roles. Of course, there may have been other contributing causes that only someone with keen insight into the workings of the Adrestian nobility could possibly know. Although, if I were to fathom guesses as to alternative causes, there were the strange circumstances behind the Emperor's second marriage, or the Hrym rebellion years before the Insurrection began… ah, but I suppose those details aren't relevant right now. Returning to our topic, this dispute culminated in a coup where the noble families stripped the Emperor of much of his power and redistributed amongst themselves, creating the system used today. That Emperor is still alive, but he is not allowed to wield any political power whatsoever. His heir, Edelgard, was far too young at the time to take his place, so her uncle, Lord Arundel, was given the position of Regent to represent Edelgard until she ascends the throne."
"… What?" Sothis asked, clearly having difficulty following Lorenz.
"… So Arundel is a stand-in for the Emperor," Byleth said, deciding to focus only on what he thought was relevant.
"That's correct," Lorenz said.
"Would the Adrestian Empire, or Arundel himself, have cause to support a battle against the Central Church?" Byleth asked.
"I… am afraid I have no answer for that," Lorenz said. "While I am aware of political history and activity, I know very little about Lord Arundel himself. Additionally, I have no ties or close contacts with the people of the Adrestian Empire, meaning any guess as to what their intentions are regarding the Church would be just that: a guess."
"I see. Tomas?" Byleth asked.
"Unfortunately, my knowledge there is as limited as the young Gloucester's," Tomas said. "I have spent most of my life serving here at Garreg Mach. My knowledge of the outside world is mostly what I hear from people around the Monastery."
"So we'll have to look into that ourselves… I suppose now we simply need to find out what we can about the Western Church's forces somehow," Sothis said.
"… That's all we can find for now," Byleth said. "Thank you for your assistance, Lorenz. Let me know if you need mine in the future."
"Think nothing of it, Professor. This was but a paltry task," Lorenz said. Byleth nodded, then turned to Tomas.
"Are there ledgers for the Western Church?" Byleth asked.
"Hmm? Ledgers for the Western Church…" Tomas said. He paused for a moment, seemingly trying to recall if such a thing existed. "… There is a special collection of yearly reports from the Western Church regarding a number of different things in this library. It may contain what you're looking for. Of course, due to the nature of that book, it can't be taken out of the library. It also isn't supposed to be used without the Church's approval."
"I'd like to see it, if that's possible," Byleth said.
"You may, but…" Tomas began.
"Ah, of course. As a student, such things are not meant for my eyes," Lorenz said. "In that case, I shall take my leave as to not hinder your endeavors. A good evening to you both."
"It was a pleasure, young Gloucester," Tomas said. Byleth simply nodded, parting ways with the young man before following Tomas up to the second floor of the library. Arriving in one of the darker corners of the second floor, they stepped into a row and passed through a faint magical barrier. In an instant, the standard shelving full of books was replaced what appeared to be square storage cut-outs filled with different things, ranging from scrolls of varying ages to roughly bound pieces of paper that appeared as if newer pieces were being added over the years. "Professor, these are the special collections. Due to the nature of these items, most of them are unsorted. You'll have to seek out what you're looking for in here."
"That's interesting magic, but…" Sothis began.
"Isn't this open to anyone?" Byleth asked. Tomas chuckled.
"Yes, but few people know of this place's existence," Tomas said. "This row isn't listed in the library directory, and the rows preceding it are filled with Garreg Mach workplace policies, guidelines, and regulations that date back to over a thousand years ago. This part of the library is almost entirely unused."
"Good point," Byleth said, having no idea who would even consider going to read what he understood as outdated instructions.
"Now then, I should be elsewhere. You should be fine from here," Tomas said. "Good luck with your search, Professor."
"Thank you," Byleth said. With that, Tomas left Byleth to his own devices, the armored man standing amidst a pile of assorted documents without any idea where to begin looking.
"… This search may take a few days," Sothis said. Byleth agreed, deciding to start at the far end to see what he could find.