The week after my little fight with Catherine proves as quiet as everyone else predicted. The first couple of days we get no students coming to ask to borrow books but only to sit and study. The most work 'Tomas' and I get to do is when students bring back borrowed books and we have to return them to their shelf. Bit of a chore, but nothing too difficult.

It's thanks to this quieter environment that I start bringing the history book to the library, like Catherine suggested. And true to what she said, Solon didn't mind. Actually, when I showed up with it he seemed oddly thrilled, which was kind of worrying. Considering he's in the dark of just who and what I actually am, he shouldn't have taken an interest in me. Maybe he just was keeping up his kind old man facade and I'm just reading too much into it. At least, I hope so.

As for my research, saying things are going badly would be an understatement. For over a week I've been going through the history of Fódlan and I'm no close to finding a clue on what I'm looking for. All I've found so far, aside from the occasional guy riding a creature that shouldn't exist, is mundane stuff of political and/or clerical nature that you could expect from any history book back home. I'm sure this is the kind of stuff an historian would like. Me? I. Don't. Care!

"Is something wrong?" Solon asks, stirring my attention away from reading.

"No, everyting is fine, don't worry."

"Is that so? You've been sighing quite a lot today."

Oh, great. I've drawn the attention of uglier Nergal. What do I say to him without being suspicious?

"It's just…" I sigh, probably for the hundredth time today judging by what Solon just said, "I fear I'm no good at history. I've been reading dis book for days, but I fear very little of what's on it is sticking," that's as close to the truth as I can afford to get.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he laments, looking the part of the sad caring grandpa I know he's putting up, "May I help you in any way?"

Yeah, a Slitherer's help. Just the kind of stuff I need.

"No, tank you," I reply "Maybe I just need to take a break from it," I add, closing the book for good measure "A friend I made in de Knights did say dat could do me good," although calling Shamir 'a friend' might be a bit of an overstatement, considering her reserved nature makes it difficult for me to understand where the two of us stand.

"I see," Solon comments, although the not so subtle glance he gives at the now closed book doesn't escape me. What are you up to, you twisted freak? "Well, in that case, would you be so kind as to take care of these tomes?" he points at a stack of books near him, "They all go to the Reason wing."

"Sure," I answer, standing up from where I was and grabbing the books. Acting normal will surely dispel any curiosity I stirred from him, "I'll be back soon."

The 'Reason wing' is the name of the section of the library dedicated to - obviously - the texts that deal in Black and Dark magic. Part of it is here on this floor and it keeps tomes that deal with Black Magic only, which means fire, thunder, wind and ice magic are all here. Dark Magic, instead, is kept in the section on the upper floor.

When I asked why they were kept separated, Solon said it was because Dark is a more advanced form of Reason magic and thus it is restricted to students that either show promise in that field of magic or have dabbled in it beforehand. I guess that explains why only Hubert and Lysithea learned that kind of spells in the game.

While I proceed to put the books back in place, my thoughts wander on the situation I'm in.

This improvised research of mine is proving fruitless. After a good chunk of the book there have been no mentions of strange phenomena that could have implied Outrealms shenanigans and I'm no closer to finding a way home. Part of me wants to hope that there's more in the rest of it, but the other part is convinced I'm merely wasting time.

But either way, if the book lead proves useless, I don't know what else to do. There are undoubtedly no books that speak of the Nabateans and asking Rhea and Seteth directly is out of the question.

No matter how hard I try to think of alternatives, Anna keeps being the only one that comes to mind. And the problems with that always remain how to approach her about this and how to convince her to help me in the first place. Possibly in ways that don't end up costing me an arm and a leg.

Perhaps it's best if I just stick to the book for now. While it's true I've already gone through a lot, there's still a lot more I haven't checked yet. As boring as all the 'mundane' historical stuff is.

But hey, there's still six months ahead of me. Maybe if I take a break for a couple days like I said earlier, I'll be able to keep reading it with a fresher head and more interest than I have right now. Unlikely, but I'll take it. I have to.

With the last tome back in place, I head back to Solon's counter. To my surprise, he's chatting with someone else. A tall guy with his back turned to me. All I manage to see of him is his gray hair and an expensive-looking brownish-gray coat with what looks like a fur collar. Normally I'd assume he must be some sort of elderly nobleman, but with Three Houses having a wider variety of 'common' hair colors than normal, I'm not so sure about the 'elderly' bit.

While the two talk, Solon's eyes fall on me, "Ah, there he is," is the first thing he says.

What did I do now?

The nobleman turns around and I'm able to see the front of this guy. A jacket of the same color as the coat, a green cravat, a monocle on his right eye, the wrinkles on his face typical of a middle-aged man...is this guy…?

"Ah, greetings," the man cheerfully says while offering me a hand, "I'm Professor Hanneman von Essar," it is him, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Eugenio."

He knows me? How is that possible?

"Likewise, professor," I awkwardly reply while shaking Hanneman's hand, "But how do you know my name?"

"I told him," 'Tomas' intervenes, "He arrived just now saying he wanted to have a word with 'my new assistant'."

Ah, that makes sense. But what could Hanneman possibly want to talk with me about?

"In addition to teaching," Hanneman goes on "I am also a scholar of Crests, and the unsolved mysteries surrounding them," I already know that, buddy, "I think you could provide some help with my research."

Oh, I get it. This is the 'do you have a Crest' thing, isn't it?

"Really?" I ask, faking interest as best as I can "How may I help you?"

I swear his eyes gleam at my words, "Do you know if you happen to bear a Crest?"

Called it.

"Sorry, but no," I reply, now faking disappointment, "I'm from common origins with no ties to de nobility."

"I'm afraid that doesn't mean much," the professor retorts, "Seteth, the Archbishop's assistant, is also from common origins and not only does he bear a Crest, he bears an extremely rare one."

Not exactly a great example to make. Of course he doesn't know that and definitely doesn't need to know. Least of all from me.

"Still," I continue, "As far as I know, I've never shown any special trait dat might suggest a Crest."

Hanneman rubs his mustache in thought, "I believe I have something to provide more concrete evidence than that. Would you be free to come to my office this Sunday?"

His office was where he kept that Crest analyzer thing in-game. Does this mean he wants to use it on me?

If that's the case, I shouldn't have anything to worry about. The device will show I have no Crest and I'll be just another guy useless to his research he'll quickly forget about. But how will it react to my not being of this world? Do I have to worry about that?

Still, saying no could be the more counterproductive option, especially with Solon watching the two of us (yes, I didn't forget about you, you old sadist). As far as they both know, I'm just a simpleton with nothing to lose out of this test and a lot to potentially gain.

"Very well," I ultimately say, "Sunday around which hour?"

Hanneman's face lights up at that, "Any hour will do. My schedule for that day is empty."

I turn to 'Tomas' "What do you say? Will you need me dat day?"

The Slitherer shakes his head, "I don't think so. You can take that day off if you want."

I nod at him, "Tank you," I then turn back to Hanneman "Does 10 or 11 in de morning sound good to you, Professor?"

"That is excellent," he replies, pumping his fist with excitement, "I look forward to our meeting that morning."

"Same here," I reply, forcing the best smile I can, "I'll see you dere, den. Good luck wit de students' tests."

"Why thank you. Have a pleasant day," is what he replies before walking away.

After that exchange, I return to my place at the counter, right next to Solon. With my decision of taking a break from studying, I'm left with little else to do besides sitting and waiting for time to pass.

Which gets boring as quickly as one would expect. So boring I'm tempted to try and start some sort of chat with Solon just to pass the time. But thankfully I remind myself that comes with the risk of letting slip what I don't want him to know. Thanks but no thanks.

"You know," he begins all of a sudden, taking me by surprise, "A Crest is quite a rare occurrence. Do you really believe you could be carrying one?"

His question comes without a trace of malice. It sounds genuine and - perhaps - a bit teasing. If this were anyone else, I'd think that's what this is.

But with him? What are you really asking, old creep?

I make a shrug in an attempt to appear chill. Better try to play it cool, not giving away I know who he really is, "Probably not," I reply, "But if de professor wants to know, who am I to refuse?"

For a moment, the warm smile on his face seems to falter while his brow furrows. Just as quickly as that happens, Solon shakes his head and makes a quiet chuckle that rings fake to my ears.

"That is true enough," is all he says before going back to his papers.

I...have no idea what just happened. I don't think I said anything that strange. But if that's the case, why did he react like that?

And let's not forget earlier with the book. Just what is going on with him?

I'm tempted to ask if there's a problem, but that could worsen whatever situation I'm in right now. Maybe I should just...be quiet and act like nothing strange happened. Yeah, that should work nicely. If he doesn't figure out I noticed the strangeness of either event, he won't get any more suspicious than he already is.

The rest of the day proceeds as per usual. Solon and I only talk when dealing with library matters and his 'Tomas' mask doesn't slip up again. I remain worried about that, but I can't let it show. Not to him. And not to the Monastery acquaintances to whom I can't explain why I'm worried.


"He did what?" Alois asks in utter surprise that evening once I tell him, Catherine and Shamir of Hanneman's request.

"You heard me," I reply, "I'm not sure myself why he tinks I could have a Crest."

"Believe me, it's not that strange," Catherine sighs, "Every time there's a new face around here - be they a member of the staff, a student or a refugee - he always comes asking for that. I'm honestly kind of surprised it took him this long."

"Always? Including de tree of you?" I have a hard time believing he had to ask a foreigner, a veteran Knight whose Crest would have been noticed long before, and a new recruit that could safely wield Thunderbrand.

Catherine is the first to answer, "Well, in my case he got the chance when I was a student here," oh, right. I forgot about that. Again.

"In my case, it wasn't necessary," Alois intervenes, "I was around here long before he became a professor and the fact I didn't have a Crest was already known. Bit of a crestfallen attitude he had when he met me!"

Goddamn his puns…

"As for me," Shamir chimes in, "Foreigners in theory shouldn't have Crests. But he kept insisting I came to his office to see if I did. In case I 'had a distant ancestor of mixed heritage from whom I could have inherited a Crest'," she scoffs at that particular last bit, "I had to relent when it started getting in the way of my work. Unsurprisingly, I had no Crest."

"I'm surprised he still asked you after that particular time," Alois comments right after.

"Why is dat?" I mean, the fact I'm not a native of Fódlan isn't exactly common knowledge, isn't it?

"Well, with your particular situation you're technically a foreigner too, right?"

"He's not supposed to know dat, remember?"

"Oh, right," Alois facepalms "Sorry."

Alois, you loveable goof.

"It's ok," I reassure him "Once he's seen I have no Crest he'll be none de wiser, anyway."

"Why so sure you don't have one?" Catherine interjects.

"Cat, back home we've had centuries of generations born witout any sort of divine birthmarks," better to go with that half-truth than saying the full truth or something like 'I just do', "Last I checked, I'm not special enough to be any different."

"If you say so," she concedes before raising her mug of ale, "Here's to your turn at Hanneman's office."

Shamir and Alois raise theirs as well while I raise my water in a similar fashion.

"I still think you're missing out with just that, by the way," Catherine adds after downing her drink.

"And I still say alcohol is not for me," I shoot back, "Wit what I heard, losing control over my senses is not someting I would like to experience."

"Your loss, buddy."

The four of us spend the rest of the night in much the same fashion as usual, making small talk about various stuff. The three have all been involved with the students' test in one way or another, so they all have some stories to share about them.

Shamir is the first to call it a night and is followed soon after by Catherine. I almost follow the two of them suit but not before Alois stops me with a request.

"By the way, would you mind if I join you when you go visit Professor Hanneman? There's something I'd like to ask him."

That takes me by surprise. Why would Alois need to see him of all people? Did the two even have supports in the game? Or does this have to do with the students' tests?

"Why is dat?"

"I've been looking for someone who could teach me magic. I think he might be the man for the job."

Teach him? Didn't Alois suck ass at magic in the game? "Why do you need a magic teacher?"

He shrugs uncomfortably, "I'm afraid my magical skills are...not particularly good," yeah, joining with bad base magic and growth will do that "I've been looking for some time for someone that could help me improve them. Who better than a professional teacher for that?"

Not sure if Hanneman can fix that kind of problem. But if Alois really wants to try out…

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. No promises on wheder de professor will accept, dough."

"Fantastic! It'll be a magical experience!"

Don't make me regret this, Alois…


The rest of the week went on without any other particular event. Saturday was the "long awaited" graduation day, but I opted not to go there. Too much of a commotion for my taste and not enough familiar faces around.

Solon, on the other hand, took the chance to leave the whole library to me. 'I want to see these bright youths in their moment of success' was the excuse he gave me. 'I'll take this chance to go do some of my Slitherer business' is what he actually meant, I bet.

Didn't make much of a difference to me, though. Since no one really came around, I got the chance to read undisturbed. Although I still didn't find anything that day, I at least got to progress through a not so insignificant section of it.

And now, Sunday has come. Right after having breakfast, I head to the Knights' Barracks one more time, waiting for Alois. Fortunately, the Knight doesn't take long to show up.

"Alright," Alois excitedly says "This is it."

"Dat it is," I reply. I'm still not convinced Hanneman will be able to provide any sort of help, but I'm not going to crush his hopes, "Do you know de way to de professor's office?"

I originally intended to ask around, but since I'm going with someone more familiar with the place...

"Sure thing," he replies "Follow me."

We head back towards the Academy and, with an expertise you would normally not expect from the usually goofy Knight, he quickly leads the two of us across the various halls.

As we walk, we make some more small talk, mostly consisting of Alois stating what he knows of Hanneman from his reputation, to which I have to pretend being impressed since it's mostly stuff I already knew from the game.

As soon as we arrive at Hanneman's study, I knock on the door.

"Enter," the professor's voice answers from inside.

I open the door and walk in, Alois right behind me. Hanneman is sitting at his desk, a mess of papers covering the majority of it.

Hanneman himself is writing on some of those papers, though I can't tell what it is. My attention, however, is caught by an object on the right corner of the desk: some sort of small cauldron, with a black glass surface covering its mouth, making it impossible to see what's inside.

"Ah welcome, Eugenio, and-" Hanneman warmly greets me when he sees me, but pauses when he notices my companion. "Sir Alois? Is there a problem?"

"No, no, no problem, Professor. I was just hoping to ask a favor when you were finished with him."

"I told him of dis meeting and agreed he could come along," I clarify to the confused mage, "I hope it isn't an issue."

"Not exactly, " but it will depend on what kind of favor it is." Hanneman sighs. "Anyway…"

The eccentric scholar raises from his seat, comes closer to the cauldron and points at it, "This is a Crest analyzer. A device created to identify if and what Crest people might carry."

That is the analyzer? I remember it looking different than this in the game. Then again, maybe that was due to the limitations of the game's graphics. Or perhaps I'm just misremembering.

"What do I do with it?" I ask, though I think I can already guess the answer if this is the same thing he used (will use?) with Byleth.

"Hold an arm over it. If you do have a Crest, it will light up and show us which Crest it is."

Yep, same method. Alright, then. Let's get this over with, "On it," I reply.

I move closer to the analyzer, raising my right arm. I hold it over the device, like Hanneman instructed, expecting it not to react at all. And at first, it doesn't.

But then, to my utter surprise, a purple glow forms within the cauldron. A glow that increases in intensity until purple light was all one could see from within the analyzer.

"What de…?" I exclaim, taken aback.

From what I remember of Hanneman from the game, I would have expected him to look pleased at the prospect of having found a Crest-bearer, if not outright excited. Instead, he looks as confused as I am.

"This is...strange," he comments.

A knot forms in my stomach. 'Strange'? What does that mean?

"It's reacting to your blood," he continues "And yet…it can't identify your Crest."

It's reacting to my...blood?

Oh…

Oh no.

Oh nononononono

No, I can't let anyone know I'm from another world entirely.

"Has dis…" I attempt to say, hoping to salvage the situation "Has dis ever happened before?"

He shakes his head, "No this is the first time I've seen it happen."

Damn it.

"Could it be broken?" Alois suddenly asks, "Maybe it's reacting to everyone's blood but this is what happens with those without Crests?"

How does a magical device even…? No, no, no, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Hanneman rubs his mustache in thought at the question, "It's possible," oh, thank God, "But I need to test that theory," oh, no… "Sir Alois, could you please hold your arm yourself?"

"On it," the Knight answers before mimicking my previous action.

Please keep glowing, please keep glowing, pleasekeepglowing, please…

As soon as Alois holds out his arm, the analyzer's light shuts off. The Knight's jaw falls wide open while Hanneman narrows his eyes at it.

Damn it...

"So it is working," the professor comments before turning back to me "It would appear there is something in your blood that the analyzer is reacting to. Something different from regular Crests."

"Wh…" I stutter, my brain struggling to grasp what he just said, "What...what does...does dat...mean?"

"I'm not sure," he replies, his gaze going back to the analyzer while he keeps rubbing his mustache in thought.

I glance in Alois' direction, hoping he can offer some help, but all he manages to do is shrug while looking out of his depths.

"The Crest is not showing and yet it's there," Hanneman begins muttering, possibly louder than he intended, "Could it be…? But how…? No, that won't do…"

Several more minutes pass as Hanneman keeps talking to himself. Alois just stands around the whole time, waiting for the professor to finish his musings. And in a silence that is utterly uncharacteristic of him.

As for me, my thoughts also go to the meaning of this. In my blood, there's something that's...different from normal Crests? What does that mean?

What I remember of the Crests in the game was that they came from the blood of the Nabateans. And I sure as hell never drank any sort of blood (eww), least of all draconic. So that must mean the analyzer did react to my otherworldly nature.

Well, now what? How do I explain the concept of different worlds to everyone? How do I keep up the 'Fódlan is a land from legends' nonsense? How do I convince Rhea not to eviscerate me for hiding the truth?

Oh, God…

"I think I have a theory on what is going on," Hanneman finally says, breaking my musings, "But first, I need you to hold your arm again. And this time, for longer."

I blink at that request. What is it supposed to accomplish? What's going through Hanneman's head now?

"Please," he continues at my hesitation, "I want to get to the bottom of this as well, but I need your help to do that."

Reluctantly, I raise my arm over the analyzer again. Once more, the inside begins to glow as the light spreads over it, but this time I hold my trembling arm in position.

Nothing happens at first, but after a few tense moments, something begins to form within the light. Something black.

Whatever the black substance is, it starts to shape into various lines. At first, those lines are sporadic and don't make any sort of pattern. But then, more of them appear and they slowly come together to form a mark. A mark I can recognize.

"The Crest of Dominic!" Hanneman exclaims in triumph "I was right!"

I hear Alois asking Hanneman a question. I register neither what that question is nor the professor's reply.

What the actual...?

How did I get a Crest? Why the Dominic one? Why was it not detected normally? What does it all mean for me?

And what will be Seteth and Rhea's reaction when they find out? Will they be as confused as I am? Will they believe me when I tell them I don't know anything about it? Or will they...will they…?

"Eugenio!"

Alois' voice and hand shake me out of my stupor. And only now I realize I was shaking from head to toe while my arm was still hovering over the analyzer.

"Wh...what…?"

"Have you heard what we just said?", I have to shake my head at Hanneman's question "Then allow me to repeat: it seems what is in your blood is not a full Crest. The difficulties we had in identifying it would suggest there are only traces of that Crest within it."

'Traces'? "What does dat mean?"

Hanneman's face turns meditative, "I'm not sure myself. This is just speculation on my part. But these are the facts: there's the power of the Crest of Dominic in your blood and the analyzer didn't identify it right away like it would a normal Crest."

"B…" I try to say, "But still...how can dis be? I've never had anyting like dis before! I'm not even a Fódlan native!"

Alois immediately pales at my statement, while Hanneman's eyes widen "Wait, you're foreign?"

...oh, no.

Oh, shit no!

"Ahem…" gotta fix this right now "I mean, I'm not a…" what did they call themselves? "A full-blooded Fódlanite. My...my grandmoder was…" what nationality do I look more like? Wait, the Gatekeeper's first thought was... "Dagdan. Yes, born and raised dere until she travelled here. Yes."

An arched eyebrow is the way Hanneman responds to my story. A response that makes me sweat cold. Was that really so unconvincing?

"That is quite an interesting ancestry. For more than one reason," he crosses his arms, his whole stance shifting, which sets off all sorts of alarms. This is not gonna be good, is it?

"First of all, your accent is native to the Alliance," yes, that was why Rhea wanted to use that kind of cover, at least I got something- "Which is the farthest part of Fódlan from Dagda," or maybe not, "Your grandmother would have no doubt sought to reach the closest part, which is to say the western shores of the Empire. Quite a distance from where you should be from."

Crap.

Ok, ok, he's got me on that point, but that doesn't mean my parents couldn't have...

"Secondly, travelling to and from Dagda is extremely difficult. Distance is part of the reason, but so is the Empire's military fleet that has watched over the south-western shores ever since the First Mach War, which was over four centuries ago,"

The first...what? But then...how did Shamir…?

"And while both of those events are unlikely but possible, this is the first time I've heard the term 'Fódlanite',"

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

"Then what the hell do you people even call yourselves?!" I cry and immediately do a double take, realizing I've just blown my cover entirely while the old man smiles smugly.

Fuck, how could I slip up this badly?

"Well, you see Professor, the thing is he's...uhm...he's from…" Alois attempts to say before trailing off.

Neck-deep in trouble is what I am now, buddy. If I remember correctly, Hanneman isn't the type that will let this rest until he gets what he wants.

And he wouldn't even be above trying to get information from Rhea and Seteth. Information they'd no doubt share if he tells them of this Crest. Assuming, of course, they don't just decide to skewer me.

Me and my goddamn mouth...

"If I tell you," I sigh in defeat, Alois' stupefied face turning to me, "Can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Of course," he readily replies "Any secret you wish to share is safe with me."

'Wish to share'? Very amusing, Hanneman…

"Dis was supposed to be a secret only a select few would know," I begin.

From there, I proceed to share everything I did with everyone else. As I explain my homeland, how I arrived in Fódlan and how I know of it, Hanneman's eyes widen more and more. By the time I'm finished, he's staring at me, jaw wide open.

It takes him a couple of minutes to regain the ability to speak, "This is…Goddess, I never thought…" he clears his throat and proceeds to recompose himself, "My apologies. A forgotten land was not what I was expecting."

"It's ok. I was in a similar condition when I found out."

"We all were," Alois adds.

"But what we found in your blood," he glances at the Analyzer "This...unusual Crest...is it a normal thing in your homeland?"

I shake my head at his question, "No. We've had no Crest bearers for generations. And dis is de first time I've heard of 'traces' of a Crest',"

"As has everyone else," his brow furrows as he takes a meditative stance "So this isn't a natural thing. Somehow, you acquired it," he turns his gaze back to me "I don't suppose there are documented cases of that happening?"

My first instinct is to answer no again. However, I do know the two ways Crests were given in this setting. I'd rather not stir a fire by mentioning the blood of dragons, but what if I mention the Slitherers' experiments?

Hanneman has promised to keep this quiet, and Solon isn't here. Nor are Seteth and Rhea. And if I remember correctly, Lysithea and Edelgard, the only two to survive those experiments, didn't…

I almost gulp at that thought. Lysithea and Edelgard ended up with shortened lives precisely because of obtaining their Crests. Could...could that be my…?

No. My hair has not lost color. That should mean this isn't the same thing. And also that I'm not dying. But that will change if I start sharing too much.

"No," I lie, "Noting of de sort," I pray I'm not making another mistake today.

"I see," he comments, "So we're dealing with something completely unknown to both of our people."

"What could it be?" I ask, although I already expect he has no answer for me.

At first, he doesn't reply and keeps muttering scattered words of some sort of discussion I can not put together.

"Do you remember anything strange happening to you recently?" he finally asks "Anything at all. Even the Goddess herself speaking to you in dreams."

A snicker escapes Alois' mouth at that. I am just left baffled.

"Seriously?" the Knight asks "No offense but that…"

"It was just an hyperbole," Hanneman cuts him off before turning back to me, "But we have to start from somewhere. Even somewhere that might seem absurd."

Oh, you'd have a field trip if you knew of Sothis living inside Byleth's head, Hanneman. Obviously the two of you have yet to meet each other, but still…

"Well, let me tink…" I say as I refocus on the matter at hand. I may not be acquainted with the lifestyle of Fódlan, but I'm pretty sure I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary for the Monastery during my time here. In fact, someone arriving from Earth must have been the only thing out of the ordinary for everyone else here.

Wait a moment…

"My arrival here…" I mutter, "De ting dat took me here...could it have…?"

"Of course!" Hanneman exclaims in realization "How did I not think of that?"

"Think of what?"

"Alois," I turn to the Knight "I arrived here in Fódlan trough unknown means and from a land no one remembers," 'never heard of' but details, "A couple weeks later it turns out I have an unheard of type of Crest I wasn't born wit. Dis can not be a coincidence."

His eyes widen in surprise at my words "You think the two are related?"

"That is most certainly a possibility," Hanneman intervenes, "And for now, the only lead we have."

And if it is the truth, it must have been someone with the actual capabilities of granting Crests. And with the one I have being the Dominic one, only the Slitherers could have done this. But if it is them, what could they even want from me? And wouldn't Solon have said something during this couple of weeks?

But if it's not them, who else could it be?

I turn back to Hanneman, "What do we do now, Professor?"

Please don't say we need to report this to Rhea. The last thing I want is her being even more suspicious of me.

"Well, first of all we need to understand just how different this Crest is from regular ones and how your body has been affected by it," he comments "On that note, were your magical capabilities ever tested?"

I blink at that question, "My...what?"

"Do you know if you have any affinity for the magical arts? The Crest of Dominic affects its bearer's magical capabilities, you see."

And comparing mine from before with the current ones is essential, I'm assuming. Oh boy, what do I tell him? If my 'affinity' is the same as back on Earth I should have none, but how can I know for sure at this point?

"I don't know," I confess, which is pretty much true "I never studied magic before."

"That is unfortunate," Hanneman comments in disappointment "But not unsalvageable."

"How so?"

For a moment, Hanneman stands still, his face deep in thought.

Then, he finally speaks "I think the best thing to do would be having you study magic and see where it goes from there. That should help me see how your body has been affected," what? Seriously? "As for how your Crest came to be in the first place, I'll need to run some tests with your blood."

Both Alois and I have to cringe at what he just said.

"Don't worry," he raises his hands reassuringly "I'll only require a few samples to run those tests on. It won't hurt a bit."

Ok, that is more reasonable. But just how long will this take? I can't afford to be here when Edelgard starts her war.

"Do you have any idea how long it will be before dese tests give any result?"

"It's too soon to say," Hanneman shrugs "With what we know so far, it could be anything in between a few weeks to several months. If not years."

My heart sinks at that answer. Weeks, I can take. Months, perhaps. Years, absolutely not! But how can I justify me being in a hurry?

"Is dere anyting dat can be done to expedite tings?" I attempt to ask, "I know researches take deir time, but I have friends and family back home dat are no doubt worried about me."

A compassionate look comes to Hanneman's face "I can sympathize with that. But as I said, it's too soon to say. The only thing that can be done to expedite things would be making your Crest public knowledge," WHAT? "With that I could petition the Church to grant me more resources to run my experiments."

Hanneman, you old coot, your sister died because of the political bullshit surrounding Crests and you want me to…?!

"I should warn you, though, Crest bearers are highly sought after by nobility seeking to increase their social status. Making it public knowledge could be…"

"Dangerous?" I finish for him as he trails off.

"I was about to say 'more trouble than it's worth'. But yes," ok, this is the Hanneman I remember from the game, "The choice, of course, is yours."

Then it's an easy one to make. As much as I want to get out of here as soon as possible, I don't need old crones trying to get Crest-babies from me.

"In dat case, I tink I'd rather keep dis a secret."

The professor nods at me, "Good."

"Should we tell Catherine and Shamir?" Alois asks out of the blue.

I would rather not. Shamir, I don't think she'd care either way. But with how devoted Catherine was to Rhea in the game and with me not wanting to tell the crazy dragon, I have little doubt she'd end up snitching on me. But how do I tell him that?

"For now, I'd rather keep dis between you and me. I…" I pause, hopefully giving a proper impression of hesitance "Dis is a lot to take in."

"I can imagine," good, he bought it.

I then turn back to Hanneman "How do we proceed from here, Professor?"

"For now, take the day to yourself to clear your head. Tomorrow afternoon I'll have a word with Tomas and then tell you what we'll do."

I nod at him, "Tank you, Professor."

We wrap up after that. To Hanneman's evident relief, Alois decides he'll ask his favor another day and the two of us make our way out.

As we proceed, Alois tries to make some small talk again, but my head is too preoccupied with questions about these latest developments.


[SOLON]

This was quite a turn of events. From his nonchalant response at my comment, I had a feeling listening into this meeting with could prove interesting, but not this interesting.

A formerly Crestless individual found to have traces of one of the Elites' Crests.

The concept of artificially gaining a Crest is not alien to me. The Elites themselves gained theirs through the blood of the Nabateans and there are also the experiments conducted by my colleagues back in Shambhala that eventually created the Flame Emperor.

However, both of those events had led to the individual gaining a full Major Crest, not mere 'traces'.

It's possible a less invasive blood surgery could have granted that little of the power, which could also explain why there was no loss of hair pigmentation. But the tramp failed to mention any such procedure. It could be he just kept quiet about it, but I have a feeling he didn't.

There is another possibility, however. In times past, some of the Agarthans performed experiments with Crest Stones that left 'traces' of the corresponding Crests in their blood. If we're dealing with a similar situation, he must have gone through some spell or ritual that involved a Crest Stone of Dominic.

The very same spell or ritual that took him to Fódlan, as they said...

That, however, begs the question of who performed such a ritual and why. We are the only ones in possession of both the Crest Stones and the resources to experiment with them. That, plus how he said he arrived here, could mean his presence is the side effect of an experiment from one of us.

Or perhaps…

There is another who could have done this. One who stole Crest Stones, among other things, from us. One whose death has always been in question. One whose intentions might have been exactly to summon this outsider.

I quickly grab a pen and some paper. If it really is her, I need to send a report to Thales immediately. There is no knowing of what she's planning.


And that was chapter 5. This was a plot point I was worried about. I hope you guys liked it!

Chapter 6 might take some more time than this one did before it's out. The situation with the COVID-19 has kind of turned my life upside down in the last weeks, so...yeah.

On that note, stay safe out there. Wash your hands, keep the proper distance from others and don't go out unless you ABSOLUTELY need to.

Thanks once more to LowerBlack and softandhappy for the betaread.

Join us on the TreeHouse discord server, code: 9XG3U7a

I'll see you all next time!