Back with another chapter before the holiday and the end of the year. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.
R&R.
11/23 – Red Wolf-Moon
She was distracted.
To be more correct, she was being distracted.
There were many matters requiring her attention, but ever since the tragedy of Remire Village one person was effortlessly stealing all of her attention. Unbidden and involuntarily, Byleth took front and center stage of Edelgard's thoughts ever since she came to the realization that Dorothea was, indeed, correct about her feelings regarding her professor. It made focusing in class difficult, planning military affairs more so, and keeping an eye on Monica and her kind dangerously so. It was as if she'd lost all bearing as an Imperial princess and had transformed into a young woman hopelessly infatuated.
And after some thinking, that was exactly what she was.
A conflict arose in her. On one hand, she felt relief in that she was experiencing, truly, what it meant to be a young woman clearly in love. On the other hand, she felt a sense of frustration, reluctance, and a touch frightened by how her emotions were running away from her. That Byleth could easily possess her thoughts was…an uncomfortable feeling despite how much she cared for him.
Holding the armored bear stuffy in her arms, she sighed leaning her head against the wall of her bedroom. The bear was showing signs of constant use from how ruffled its appearance looked.
Ever since Remire Village, emotional unrest had become a close companion of Edelgard's. First and foremost, she was furious regarding Solon's actions. To think that they would be so brazen as to carry out experimentations on those so far removed from Crest bloodlines that it was deemed a failure from the outset…! Her greatest regret at the moment was not having killed him during the fighting at Remire. Events had moved far too fast for her to try and take advantage of the situation. If the Death Knight had not been present, there was little doubt in her mind that she, Byleth, and Jeralt could have done away with Solon.
A missed opportunity.
The bitterness was hard for her to swallow.
Running a hand through her hair, Edelgard crossed her legs, clutching her armored bear tighter to her chest. The sense of urgency felt stifling. There was too little time left. And once the new calendar year was upon them, there was no turning back for her. The path she resolved to walk so long ago was fast approaching. She'd resolved herself to walk this path…Hadn't she?
Then why was she feeling a great sense of reluctance?
Why was she hesitating?
Because of love?
How foolish…Edelgard scolded herself mentally, yet when the sight of Byleth appeared in her mind she felt her heart yield. The sense of longing frightened her. She, who had prided herself in having measured emotions, was losing her sense of control because of her professor. The only comfort Edelgard had was that she was certain she wouldn't deviate from her destiny even in the face of her newfound—or perhaps it had always been there—love.
That was simply who Edelgard von Hresvelg was.
Lost in her thoughts, she blinked when she heard the gentle knock against her door. Edelgard raised a brow. She knew it wasn't Hubert. Since Remire, Hubert had painstakingly taken up the task of monitoring Monica even more closely than they had originally. There was no pressing or urgent matter she needed from him and he had been rather mindful of giving her space as if sensing her inner turmoil.
The soft and young voice muffled by the wood revealed her mysterious visitor.
"Edelgard, may I have a word with you?"
Setting aside the stuffed bear, Edelgard stood to her feet, gathered her composure, and opened the door with a slight smile on her face. Her eyes met pale pink ones. Lysithea was one of the few students who stood at eye level with Edelgard, something which pleased the Imperial princess greatly given how she was prone to whiplash when speaking with the more blessedly taller students at Garreg Mach. It wasn't unusual for the white-haired Golden Deer to seek Edelgard out, but it was rare for her to go as far as to find Edelgard in her bedroom.
"Lysithea, is there something the matter?" Edelgard gently prompted, her voice softening as it always did whenever she found herself face to face with the youngest student in all of Garreg Mach.
"Why, yes, there is. There's something I want to speak with you about." Lysithea turned her head from side to side, then added. "Privately."
"If that's the case, my room should suffice. Please, come inside." Edelgard stepped aside to allow Lystihea to pass through.
The Golden Deer student stepped into the bedroom, which shouldn't be much different in size from her own bedroom considering the two of them were both housed on the floor for nobles. Lysithea's eyes swept from one end of Edelgard's room to the other, lingering on the armored stuffy. For a brief moment, Edelgard saw a brightness in Lysithea's gaze. She held a hand to her mouth to cover the slight smile forming on her lips. If such a smile was seen, she would surely hear a mouthful from Lysithea about how she was mature and didn't need such toys.
"I'll boil some tea for us." Walking to her shelf, Edelgard reached for the metal container neatly tied with a red ribbon and brought it over to her table where a tea set was already sitting. After gathering the needed water, she opened the container, relaxing when she smelled the familiar and calming scent of bergamot tea leaves. She'd been running rather low only to have her stock replenished by way of a gift from Byleth.
It made her a little reluctant to use the tea leaves, but it would be a waste not to.
Once the tea finished steeping, she poured two glasses of tea and prepared the sweets from Enbarr, ordered by Hubert, for Lysithea to partake. Watching the younger girl eagerly eat the variety of cake slices prepared for her filled Edelgard with a nostalgic feeling. It was as if she'd gone back in time—back to a time when her siblings were still alive and how they would frolic about in the Imperial gardens.
"Are you enjoying the cakes? They're a bit too sweet for my own liking." Edelgard asked from where she sat across from Lysithea. There was a boundary between deliciously sweet and complete sugar arrayed in dessert form. She felt Hubert had chosen the latter when making the cake order. However, it looked like Lysithea didn't mind the overly sweet treats.
"Isn't that the whole point of cake?" Swallowing a mouthful of cake, Lysithea peered up at Edelgard with her pale pink eyes, taken aback by Edelgard's honest thoughts towards her favorite food. "Well, more for me. Mmm, these are fantastic with this tea."
Enjoying her bergamot tea, she chuckled lightly at Lysithea's enthusiastic reply. "Heh, if you insist, then it must be quite delicious. There's no shortage of them. Help yourself to as many as you like. Now then. You wished to speak with me?"
Lysithea was still contending with a mouthful of cake when she eagerly responded to Edelgard's question. "Mmm, mm. So, I, ah, can tell you know a fair bit about me. Mmm…"
Cute.
Edelgard nearly wanted to reach out to stroke Lysithea's hair, much like she would one of the stray cats about the monastery grounds. Knowing it would only do to offend the Golden Deer, she decided not to.
"Maybe this can wait until you've finished eating?"
Swallowing the last of her cake, Lysithea lifted her teacup with both hands to drink. When she was done, she dabbed at her lips with her handkerchief, attempting to exude the air of a mature woman.
"Edelgard." Gaze suddenly serious, Lysithea paused momentarily, then, "You know a fair bit about me. Don't you?"
"What in particular?"
"For example, the fact that I have two Crests."
"Oh? That's…hard to believe." It was a surprise her expression hadn't changed after Lysithea's voluntary revelation of her Crests. Though her heart was stuttering in her chest from the shock of the younger girl's words, Edelgard's expression was calm and cool. Sipping her bergamot tea, she slowly lowered the teacup to the saucer.
But Lysithea wasn't daunted. Shaking her head, her eyes narrowed as she glared up at Edelgard. "No need to play coy with me. It won't work."
"What makes you think I'm playing coy with you?"
"Hmph. It's clear my body has succumbed to the intense pressure of bearing two Crests. Due to the immense requirements of bearing those Crests, my life expectancy is…painfully short. You know all of this, right?" The somber tone of voice coming from Lysithea caused the dull ache she thought she'd buried long ago to flare up.
The pain of two Crests…
But her pain was different from Lysithea's. She wasn't physically weak like Lysithea nor was her lifespan cut so short. Unlike Edelgard who was born with the Minor Crest of Seiros, Lysithea was born Crestless. The experiments conducted on her forced her body to bear the power of not one, but two Crests, the Minor Crest of Charon and the Major Crest of Gloucester. Such power would inevitably come at a great cost. But for Edelgard who'd been born with a Crest, the addition of the Crest of Flames didn't harm her as much as it did Lysithea. As for her lifespan…She didn't believe she would live long to begin with.
That she survived her childhood was already a blessing. Every year she lived following her imprisonment beneath the palace was only added bonus.
Glancing at her reflection in the surface of her tea, Edelgard shook her head. "This is the first I'm hearing of such. How would I know of your secret unless you told me?"
"Still won't drop the act, huh?" Crossing her arms, Lysithea's gaze grew defiant. "Despite how obvious you've been with your concern about my health? You're certainly consistent. I'm not really in the mood for these games."
"I'm not one for games either, Lysithea. I stand by what I said, how am I to know about you having two Crests?" Edelgard said calmly. Even if she wanted to tell her, she couldn't. Lysithea was someone who, despite her adoration for the younger girl, she couldn't trust implicitly. And she felt sorry for that despite Lysithea going out of her way to confront Edelgard about this matter.
If others found out about both of Edelgard's Crests before the time was right, then her difficult road would become even more so. But if that was the case, why did she feel so confident in trusting Byleth? Their shared similarities? Love?
"Given your rank, you certainly have access to all kinds of information that others do not. Clearly, you'd have heard all about me."
"Either way…I know now since you just told me." Edelgard said, finishing her tea only to pour herself another cup. Her heart, which had been beating furiously since Lysithea's confronting words, calmed significantly. "About your two Crests, your physical weakness, and your short life expectancy. However, according to the principles of Crest research, it's impossible to bear two Crests."
"I know that which is why I'm telling you." Lysithea grumbled.
Reaching over to pour Lysithea another cup of tea, Edelgard's hand paused as her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Unless…you've undergone a blood reconstruction surgery. Is that the case, Lysithea?" Her words were light contrary to her stiff expression.
"Correct." Lysithea's gaze darted away and then back to Edelgard. "It wasn't as though I had a say in any of this."
"I see." Closing her eyes briefly, Edelgard took in a deep breath. Even if she already knew, to hear her beliefs reaffirmed was still upsetting. "So you've lived through that relentless terror and agony…and survived."
Lysithea's expression shifted, eyes widening slightly. Her mouth gaped, closed, and then gaped once more as she searched for words. Then in a shocked tone, she said, "You speak of all of this as though you understand it on a personal level…Edelgard, have you…"
"You're a good friend, Lysithea." Cutting off her sentence before it could finish, Edelgard smiled softly. "And that you would tell me about this secret of yours makes me happy. I…am not one to overlook the struggles of others, perhaps that is why I was so concerned over your health. I understand the need to devote all of one's self to fulfill one's goals, but if not kept in check such desire can consume you. Therefore, you must not overexert yourself, understand?"
Lysithea pouted, but she obediently nodded. "I understand."
"Heh. Good girl. Oh, and if you like those cakes, why not take some with you for later?"
"There's no need to pander to me!" Turning her nose up in indignation, Lysithea huffed. Then her gaze shot to the cakes. "But…yes. I'll take those. Thanks."
As she was preparing a small box of cakes for Lysithea, Edelgard paused when the white-haired girl spoke once more.
"Regarding what happened at Remire, has there be any more news?"
Edelgard's fingers stilled as she was wrapping up the cakes. She shook her head, "There hasn't been any new discoveries as of yet. However, I believe we will soon uncover who they are and when we do…I can promise you I will not let them off easily. They have much to answer for."
"I see…Well, if that ever happens please tell me. I'll accompany you."
Once she was done packaging the cakes, Edelgard handed the sizable box to Lysithea who took it and cradled it to her chest as if it were something precious. Seeing this, Edelgard reached out to pat her head much like how Byleth would often do for her. Instantly, Lysithea's cheeks flared a startling red and she glared at Edelgard in protest. Yet, she didn't move out of Edelgard's reach, standing there to allow Edelgard to stroke her hair.
"Even after I said not to overdo it…Very well, I promise. When we find those responsible, you will be the first one I reach out to."
"I'm holding you to that." Lysithea said. Then she surreptitiously glanced about, placed the packaged cakes aside, and to Edelgard's surprise embraced her. "Even if you are being evasive, I know better…I'm glad you're doing well, Edelgard."
Before the Imperial princess could respond, Lysithea hurriedly released her, grabbed her cakes, and flew out of her room. Edelgard smiled in amusement and affection. Lysithea's hot-and-cold personality was enough to make one dizzy. But for some reason, she found it a little fun to tease the younger girl to get a rise out of her. It was…cute…
"I can see why Claude enjoys being the way he is," Edelgard said to no one in particular. Returning to her table, she poured herself another cup of bergamot. She didn't want to waste it.
Being reminded of the fact that Lysithea had two Crests made the ache in her chest grow. How many people died for them to fulfill their own goals? How many innocent lives were given so that they could experiment with Crests? It took the lives of her ten siblings. It took the lives of Lysithea's siblings. It took the lives of the people in Remire. And she could say with certainty that they weren't the only ones who suffered.
Short life expectancy…
It would be callous of Edelgard to ask how long she had left. But from how single-minded Lysithea was in devoting herself to her studies regardless of her age, she already had an inkling of the answer without having to ask. Edelgard's own life expectancy was most likely not as long as her peers. But that was fine. After all, every year since her haired turned white, was one she didn't think she would live to see.
Finishing her tea, Edelgard went to meet Hubert as agreed upon to receive a status update on Monica's doings at the monastery. Ever since the incident at Remire Village, she'd been wary about letting the false student out of sight for even a brief moment. Thus, her lack of sleep was becoming erratic. Hubert wasn't faring well either, but his lack of sleep hardly showed.
"She's becoming close to the other students?" Edelgard murmured as she and Hubert stood in a secluded corner of the entrance hall. She crossed her arms, chin in hand.
"Yes. Though I highly doubt her relationships are made out of the want for friendship and closeness with others. Her kind doesn't seem inclined to such. No, I think she is planning something nefarious, either a kidnapping or worse."
"Worse…You are referring to Remire Village."
"I am."
Edelgard frowned. "We'll have to double our watch on Monica, Hubert. If what you are saying is true, we'll have to stop her."
"Yes, Your Highness."
She had once told Byleth if she knew what Solon and his kind were doing, she would've stopped them. She wasn't someone who didn't uphold her words. The only issue was the difficulty in tracking Monica. She often used her "friends" as shields to elude Edelgard's and Hubert's watch. And there were times where it was impossible for Hubert or Edelgard to watch over her. Classes and training with Byleth were those times where they were both occupied. While her professor didn't mind if they missed a class here or there, to miss frequently would invite questioning.
The sight of teal hair below her drew Edelgard's attention.
As it had the past few days, her heart stuttered in her chest at the sight of him.
Focusing her gaze, she blinked when she saw that he had the Sword of the Creator on his hip.
"The professor seems to be going somewhere…Where to, I wonder…"
It wasn't suspicious for the professor to leave the monastery. After all, he often visited the town at the foot of Garreg Mach Monastery to buy equipment and gifts for the students. The unusual part was how he was armed as if going into battle. While Edelgard gave Byleth the benefit of the doubt, Hubert was inclined otherwise.
Crossing his arms, Hubert stared after Byleth. "I don't recall hearing of any plans for an outing for our class. Perhaps we should follow."
Hubert's words gave her a valid excuse to follow after the professor. Her own curiosity was getting the better of her.
"Intrigued, are we?" She nodded to herself. "Yes, let's do just that. We will consider it…extra training. Hubert go inform the rest of the class. Tell them to hurry here immediately. I will follow the professor as far as the town edges. We've no time to waste…Ah, while you do so, bring my armor and equipment with you. I can change at the town."
"Yes, Your Highness…May I ask about the matter concerning Monica?"
Edelgard paused. "For today, we'll let her do as she pleases."
Hubert nodded, bowed, and then was off. Shaking off her uncertainty about Monica, Edelgard hurried to follow behind her professor, trusting in Hubert to not forget her armor and axe. Keeping a safe distance behind Byleth, she followed him as far as the town entrance, watching as he headed towards the direction of the Oghma Mountains.
Was he heading back to Remire Village?
Wanting to follow him, Edelgard forced herself to wait for the others to arrive. It was a short while later when Hubert appeared from behind a dark alley. Edelgard glanced at him, silently accepting her armor to head to the armory where she borrowed a room to change. That Hubert was able to carry out her order and appear at the town so quickly told her he most likely used the warp spell. After she was done, she managed to find a Black Eagle student shopping at the town market to politely ask they deliver her uniform back to the monastery.
"Looks like they've finally arrived," Hubert scoffed as the two of them stood waiting at the town entrance.
The majority of her classmates had answered her call with the exception of Flayn who must be spending time with her older brother. It was a loss to not have another healer on their team but she didn't want to risk arousing the suspicion of the archbishop's advisor. He was the second-to-last person she wanted to know about their unapproved "training" outside of the monastery and town grounds.
"Edelgard, we heard the details from Hubert," Ferdinand said, panting slightly. He was dressed in his armor and from the looks of it, one could see he'd put it on in a rush. "We are going on an unplanned exercise?"
"To be exact, we are following the professor." Edelgard said adjusting her axe so that the handle fit comfortably in its strap. "While I admit this endeavor is not…exactly proper, I am curious as to see where our professor is leaving to with the Sword of the Creator. And if it so happens he plans to go into battle, we shall be there to assist him."
"Professor Byleth is capable, but I'm a little worried about him wandering about on his own," Dorothea agreed. She frowned. "The area about the monastery isn't exactly safe these days. Let's not take any chances."
"I be having agreement." Petra said, clenching her fist in determination. "I am having much unease knowing the professor is alone. A lone hunter can become prey if not careful."
"Prey!" Bernadetta gasped, eyes wide. "Oh no, we have to hurry after the professor!"
"I'm not one for taking sudden and unplanned for trips, but I won't disagree." Linhardt said groaning quietly under his breath. "Well, should we get going? If we're following Professor Byleth, it would be prudent we don't stray too far behind or else we might lose him."
"Now that we all have an understanding of the situation, I'll lead the way. The professor was heading towards the direction of the Oghma Mountains. Thankfully, the path is relatively straight forward until the branch at Remire and Zanado," Edelgard explained, pulling her red cape tighter about her. She regretted not asking Hubert to bring her a traveling cloak.
"Remire…" Dorothea sighed under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. Standing beside her, Petra gently patted her on the shoulder. "Thanks Petra, I'm alright."
"Well, let us not tarry a moment longer. To our professor!" Ferdinand, after a quick glance at Dorothea, urged them forward.
"Agreed. Everyone, let's hurry." Edelgard took the lead, walking down the path towards the Oghma Mountains.
Hubert immediately fell into step behind her and the rest of her class, without prompting, took up formation seamlessly. It was a result of their stringent training the past few months with Byleth. Ferdinand took up the rear. Bernadetta, Dorothea, and Linhardt maintained the center of the formation just slightly behind Hubert. Caspar and Petra took up the left and right flank respectively. Their diamond formation concentrated their force to the center leaving the perimeter fairly flexible in the event they had to shift into a different formation.
As they walked, the conversations of her classmates could be heard from behind her but their low tone of voice made it difficult for Edelgard to distinguish what they were saying. Given this brief moment to think, her mind naturally wandered back to recent events. The tragedy at Remire, the realization of her feelings, and Lysithea's confession…When would matters slow down?
Apart from the incidents she had to experience and deal with at the academy, matters back at Enbarr were swiftly moving as well. Count Bergliez was efficiently reshuffling the Imperial army. Despite his allegiance to her, Edelgard wasn't blind to his movements in trying to place his own people in high-ranking positions in the new army that would serve Edelgard's purpose. Luckily, she had Hubert's expertise in that matter. The new Imperial army's loyalty would mainly be to the emperor and none other. Count Hevring was preparing the budget and was being surprisingly transparent about it. A matter, Edelgard believed, was an act of good faith on behalf of the count.
Her mind was split in several different directions these days. It made her grateful of her role as a student at Garreg Mach. Being a student lightened her heart and burdens. Spending time with her classmates and Byleth contented her even more.
When they came to the fork in the trail, Edelgard hesitated. Thankfully, it was Petra who was able to discern the direction Byleth took. Kneeling on the grass, the Brigid princess touched the patch of grass, eyes narrowed in concentration. Then she pointed to the path to their left.
"The professor is taking this path."
"This path leads to Zanado, the Red Canyon." Hubert said. "What business could the professor have there?"
"We won't learn anything by standing around here. Let's hurry." Dorothea said. "Right, Edie?"
"It's as you say, Dorothea. Let's continue everyone." Edelgard's sense of urgency was heightened after hearing the note of worry in Dorothea's voice. While she trusted Byleth to be able to fend for himself in most cases, he wasn't invincible.
As they traveled, their footsteps more hurried than before the group of eight stilled when they heard a tremendous roar echoing through the canyon. Edelgard's hand flew to the handle of her steel axe. The next moment her foot fell against the ground, she was transitioning into a run. Behind her, her classmates were doing the same. Their once empty hands were gripping their weapons and their expressions tensed.
When they emerged into the clearing of the ruins from the entrance of the valley, Edelgard's gaze swept the area searching for Byleth. It didn't take long for her to find him. In the center of the mass of giant wolves and birds was her professor. As he struck down a giant wolf in his way, there was another tremendous roar a few meters in front of them. A large Demonic Beast stood in their way but its attention wasn't on them. It was slowly making its way towards where Byleth was fighting.
"It's good we've caught up with the professor, but this situation is—hard to put into words, actually." Hubert said taken aback by the tremendous numbers the professor was facing.
"Who cares if it's difficult to word? We gotta hurry and help the professor!" Caspar was about to peel off in the direction of Byleth only to be stopped by Linhardt. "Let go of me, Linhardt!"
"Calm down. If you head in that direction you'll only be impeded by the Demonic Beast. There's a path west we can take." Linhardt pointed to the rubble-strewed path. "We can use that path to reach the professor."
As she was trying to assess the situation, Edelgard's eyes widened.
Byleth was sent flying through the air by a forward charge of one of the giant wolves. He slammed into a stone pillar of some long-forgotten building, laid to waste by time. He and the pillar toppled over, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Her professor didn't rise back to his feet. Heart gripped in uncomfortable fear, Edelgard stood frozen to the spot. Then before she was fully aware of her own actions, she was sprinting towards Byleth, her red cape flowing behind her. The sounds of footsteps behind showed her classmates were following in her steps.
The western path was littered with rubble and overgrown hedges, but that didn't daunt Edelgard. Nor did she allow such obstacles to impede her. Moving surefooted through the collapsed path, she jumped down from the ledge, calling to those behind her to fire covering spells to drive the beasts away from Byleth. A volley of fire, thunder, and miasma spells flew past her, converging as they neared the creatures. Then several arrows followed. The explosion of spells combined with the arrows whistling through the air was all they needed to create an opening to reach Byleth.
When she neared her professor, the sight of his face showing a grimace of pain, the blood dripping down the side of his head and the corner of his mouth, and how he was struggling to rise to his feet filled her with an inexplicable emotion. It was similar to the emotions she felt when she was younger and locked up beneath the palace. Fear, concern, and rage mixed into one. Her chest tightened, hand gripping the handle of her axe even tighter.
Standing before Byleth, Edelgard glanced behind her and had to avert her gaze. It felt…wrong to see her admired professor so injured.
"Eagles! Protect the professor! We're all going to get out of this together!" Edelgard ordered, eyes narrowing as she took in their many enemies.
Despite Byleth's protest, they didn't back down. Trusting Linhardt to take care of Byleth's injuries, Edelgard took full command of the battle.
"Bernadetta, you'll remain in the rear with Dorothea. If any of the giant birds come close, I'm leaving them to you two to take care of. Caspar and Petra, you both will handle the giant wolves. Ferdinand, Hubert, and I will take care of the Demonic Beast. Linhardt…take care of the professor." Edelgard's voice grew softer towards the end, her lilac eyes again darting to Byleth and away. "Now, everyone, you have your orders. Forward!"
"Let's go, Petra! I've got your back!" Caspar bounded forward towards the giant wolves, who'd recovered from the earlier blast of magic.
"I am following you, Caspar. We will take care of the beasts."
"Right on!"
Seeing the two getting along as they fought, Edelgard led the way forward towards the Demonic Beast which was nearing them. Trusting in her classmates, she twirled her axe as she neared the Demonic Beast. Exchanging a quick glance with Ferdinand, Edelgard veered left while Ferdinand went right. Hubert remained behind them, stopping his advance when the beast was in range of his spells. The death spell he launched caught the Demonic Beast full in the face.
The Demonic Beast roared and the yellow barrier encasing its body wavered.
"Now, Ferdinand!"
"I will not hold back!" His lance pierced through the air, the force so intense a slight whistle could be heard.
Timing her axe swing with Ferdinand's attack, Edelgard leapt. Turning in the air, she brought her axe down in a full circle. The blade of her axe met the Demonic Beast's maw. She and Ferdinand continued to apply pressure, pulling back when they felt the creature preparing to retaliate as its large maw opened. Seeing the mist of purple gathering inside its mouth, Edelgard cautioned Hubert and Ferdinand to move away. They retreated a safe distance outside of the range of its poisonous breath. Covering her face with her cape, Edelgard coughed feeling her eyes water despite not being in the range of the attack. The residual of the poison attack could be felt even from a distance.
"Hubert, more covering spells!" Edelgard ordered, lifting her hand to fire off her own spell. Feeling the magic gather at her fingertips, she released a blinding golden spell—seraphim, a spell that was made to counter beasts of all kinds even a Demonic Beast. The effort she put into her faith skills paid off. Hearing the pained roar of the Demonic Beast, she gestured for Ferdinand to follow her once more.
"Victory is ours!" He used his shield to bash the Demonic Beast's head to the side. While the force wasn't enough to harm, Ferdinand was able to cause the creature to turn its head giving him an opening to drive his lance forward into the Demonic Beast's eye. He stabbed deeply, pushing with all of his might. "Now, Edelgard!"
As Ferdinand was trying to keep his grip on his lance as the Demonic Beast thrashed about, Edelgard jumped forward. Her axe came swinging downwards, the sunlight gleaming off of the steel its blade. Her axe met the snout of the Demonic Beast. The yellow barrier covering its skin pulsed. Then it shattered, disappearing in glints of gold. The protective barrier gone, Edelgard's axe sunk into the Demonic Beast's head. It gave a pained screech and then in a mist of black, disappeared.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Edelgard turned to take count of her classmates. Petra and Caspar had managed to finish off two of the three giant wolves and were close to finishing the last one. Dorothea and Bernadetta had long since shot down the giant birds. Relief washed through Edelgard. While the battle looked like it was against their favor at first, they'd managed to be victorious. Sending Ferdinand to assist Caspar and Petra, she ordered Hubert to patrol the area to make sure that there weren't any other monsters about.
"Professor!" The closer she came, the more rushed her footsteps became. He was still leaning against the remains of the pillar he'd crashed into. The blood on his face had been wiped off. Had she not seen him injured before, she wouldn't have thought he was. "How is the professor, Linhardt?"
"His ribs are bruised. I did all I could to heal him but he'll only make a full recovery with several days' rest." Linhardt's green hair was matted to his head from sweat. Thanking him for his efforts, Edelgard knelt before Byleth, checking him from head to toe. "How are you feeling, my teacher?"
Byleth coughed quietly. His brows twitched ever so slightly. "…I'm alright. How is everyone else?"
"From a cursory glance, we all appear to be fine. I'm glad you are safe, Professor." Then her tone grew disapproving. "It was rather reckless of you to venture out alone like that."
Was her professor…pouting?
The extreme effect it had on Edelgard surprised the Imperial princess. She felt her disapproval melt away and warmth fill her heart. Cute…The moment the word materialized in her mind, she immediately contained her emotions which threatened to run away from her.
"Well, we are hardly free of fault." She smiled faintly. "We did follow you without authorization."
"Indeed." Hubert appeared behind her surprisingly not as full of taunts as he usually was whenever Byleth was concerned. "It is as you say, Lady Edelgard. We, too, came to Zanado without permission. If we all wish to avoid punishment…Perhaps we can all agree that we came out here for an extra-curricular activity and leave it at that."
"Still, I would like to know what brought you to this valley in the first place…" Edelgard said. Byleth averted his gaze, looking off to the side.
"I was…curious." He said eventually.
Raising a brow, Edelgard decided not to pursue the matter seeing his reluctance. As someone with a myriad of secrets herself, she didn't want to play the part of a hypocrite. When the rest of her classmates returned, Byleth went to stand on his feet, stumbling slightly. Immediately, Edelgard reached out to steady him, wrapping an arm around his waist and guiding his arm around her shoulder. Off to the side, Dorothea smiled though it looked very close to a smirk to the Imperial princess.
"You alright, Professor?" Caspar asked. Specks of blood streaked his armor and gauntlets. Otherwise, the blue-haired student looked completely fine.
Byleth nodded despite leaning on Edelgard. Hubert looked like he had something to say about seeing his liege support their professor, but decided to overlook it with a severe scowl.
"I'm glad we made it on time." Bernadetta's eyes were shining with unshed tears. "If we came any later, you might have…"
"Well, we made it in time and saved the professor." Dorothea said, patting Bernadetta on the back. "There's no need to cry, Bern. Everyone is fine though some more so than the other. But we are in one piece and we'll be going back to the monastery together."
"I am having worry about more monster if we are staying here more. Shall we head back, Lady Edelgard?" Petra asked, her sharp eyes surveying their surroundings in case more enemies appeared.
"Ferdinand, I'll leave you to take point. Everyone else, fall into our standard formation." She glanced up at Byleth. "Are you feeling up to the trek back, my teacher? If not, Hubert can always carry you."
"I'll be okay. Can I borrow your shoulder on the way back?" He asked.
"Of course."
"Thank you." Byleth paused, then he smiled faintly, dark blue eyes shining. "I'm glad you all followed me here…Thank you for rescuing me."
"Professor, stop," Dorothea's cheeks were a light pink. Her smile was teasing yet happy. "You're embarrassing us."
"It's only natural for us to protect you, Professor Byleth. You are one of us." Ferdinand added grandly. "What we do for you, we know you will return double fold for us. This much is expected on our part."
"I don't like fighting, but if it's for you I'll try my best." Bernadetta declared.
"You know, it was Edie here who led the chase after you professor. She was so worried about your safety that she couldn't sit still," Dorothea said, her teasing smile growing even wider when Edelgard shot her a stunned look. "Edie really cares about you."
"Be that as it may, I find this discussion…highly inappropriate for the time and place. In any case, everyone we are heading back to the monastery…Immediately!" Looking everywhere but Dorothea's knowing smile, Edelgard was about to hurry off only to remember Byleth was still leaning on her shoulder. "Shall we go, Professor?"
"Yes, let's go together."
Hearing the last three words made her heart tremble. With measured steps, she helped Byleth as they walked together with the rest of the class back to the monastery. Her classmates surrounded them, keeping Byleth and Edelgard at the center. Ferdinand led at the front and proudly so from the way he held his head very high, so high his nose was nearly pointing straight to the sky. It wasn't until he tripped over a thick root protruding from the ground and received a scolding from Hubert and Dorothea did he keep his eyes forward.
It was late evening when they reached the monastery. Her shoulder was slightly numb but that was a small price to pay. After receiving gratitude from Byleth once more, her classmates happily went on their way, chests puffed up and steps light. Hubert disappeared to most likely find Monica. Edelgard remained behind with Byleth and rather than make their way back to his personal quarters, she helped him to the infirmary.
Naturally, Manuela was completely passed out on the infirmary floor when they entered and despite being rather tipsy, she was still skillful in carrying out her duties as a physician. Seeing how Manuela was being very free about touching Byleth, Edelgard remained in the infirmary to keep her from taking it too far in her inebriated state.
"I'm not going to devour your professor Edelgard," Manuela said, waving her hand as she was half draped over Byleth's shoulder.
"I am not accusing you of doing so, Professor Manuela. However, you are not exactly the prime example of sobriety at the moment." Edelgard firmly pulled Manuela away, nearly falling over when the professor of the Golden House swayed dangerously.
"I'm not so desperate to chase a man already in love." Manuela protested, still swaying.
Eyes widening in surprise, Edelgard nearly allowed Manuela to go toppling headfirst over her desk in her state of shock. Hurriedly grabbing the drunk physician, she guided her to one of the infirmary beds. Having faithfully served in her role, Manuela flopped onto the bed falling asleep the moment she hit the mattress. Lifting her legs onto the bed, Edelgard pulled Manuela's heels off and grabbed a spare blanket to cover the professor with before turning her gaze back to Byleth who was still sitting patiently in the patient's chair.
Manuela's words still ringing in her head, she said, "Professor Manuela will most likely be out for the night. Fortunately, she's healed you, my teacher. Though you still have to rest to make a full recovery." She glanced at the sleeping Manuela. "Shall we retire to the dining hall for a late dinner?"
"I'll like that Edelgard."
Admiring his small smile, Edelgard's gaze grew contemplative as she remembered Manuela's drunkenly spoken words. The professor…was in love? Walking alongside him towards the dining hall, she chanced a glance at his face. It was mostly blanked. Could Byleth truly be in love?
"My teacher…"
"What is it?"
"Forgive me if this is a rather…odd question to ask…but what was Professor Manuela speaking of back in the infirmary?"
Byleth's expression shifted, then he smiled faintly shaking his head. "Manuela…was only teasing me."
"Oh…" Relief and disappointment colored her thoughts. "I see…Well, Professor Manuela was rather under the influence…I-I wander what the dining hall is serving for dinner tonight. Shall we hurry along, Professor Byleth?"
"Together."
Edelgard's smile was full and her heart even more so as she met Byleth's gaze. The events of the day seemed like a distant memory already. Perhaps this was the effects of being in love. It wasn't a completely bad feeling Edelgard had to admit.
So these next few chapters aren't going to be heavy in terms of fighting and battle since the dance and the ball will be coming up in the next few chapters. It'll mainly be focused on character interactions and development. Happy holidays to everyone. It's the end of a decade, I hope you all have a great time as the last few days of the year come and go. See you all at the next chapter.