The day before your mission to track down the soldiers in black, You stand in the Black Eagles homeroom with the students and Herwig.

Herwig: Information has come in from Nesreen. The soldiers are making an advance towards a village in the Aster territory of Faerghus. It's ruled by the family of Aestlyn, a student of the Blue Lions. We're going to rescue the town.

Aquillus: I don't understand what they could want there.

Zelhira: We can't let their plot succeed, no matter what they're planning.

Chris: Too many people have suffered because of them as it is. I can't let them get away once again.

Tuncay: They're selfish piles of garbage for going after innocent people this way.

Callisto: Last month was easy. We can totally handle this with a bit of confidence and preparation.

Florence: All we're doing is rescuing a village. That can't be too bad, right? Plus, we're better than we were last month already.

Polly: We can't afford to get cocky. Sometimes, our own confidence can be our greatest weakness.

Chris: We can do it. I'm sure of it.

Callisto: Florence is right. We've grown up a lot since the first time we set out to defend Ms. Hepius. We're ready for this.

Hegias: I hope so… I have a bad feeling about this.

Florence: Confidence is important, everybody!

Aquillus: What did Polly just say? We can't get cocky. Our own shortcomings will only be magnified by the battlefield.

Zelhira: It's almost time for us to go to sleep. We can figure out what we're going to do tomorrow when we've rested.

Tuncay: Until then, Eagles.

Herwig: Don't stay up too late. We need to be ready for when we need to attack.

Hegias: This is the least we can do to save all those people who have been hurt up to this point…

The students all leave alongside Herwig save for Chris. She stays behind and whispers to You before departing.

Chriss: I've been thinking about the murder of the previous king of Faerghus… If they did do it, we're going to be facing a true threat tomorrow. We need to be careful… Don't get hurt, Professor. We all need you here.

As Chris leaves, Seraphine appears at your side.

Seraphine: She seems so nervous… I can't blame her though. You should get some rest before tomorrow. We don't have a moment to lose. Tomorrow is a big day.

You nod your agreement and make your way back to your room before falling asleep for the night, wondering what the future will hold…

The next morning, You arrive at the class's homeroom, ready to set out on your mission.

Herwig: Let's finish our final preparations and get out of here.

Chris: Every moment we wait, those people are in danger…

Hegias: It's time we took care of those soldiers… I mean, really take them out of the picture. Enough harm has been done already.

Zelhira: We can't change the past, but we can alter the future.

Callisto: In that case, let's give them a taste of their own medicine. If they want to hurt people, we'll just have to hurt them.

Florence: Yeah! I am so ready to show them what I'm made of!

Polly: Be careful. We can't get too excited. I said this yesterday, but it appears nobody really listened to my pleas.

Aquillus: Is everyone ready for this? There's no going back once we leave.

Hegias: It's kind of late for second thoughts at this point. We've been setting ourselves up for it all month.

The group leaves the Officers Academy and Garreg Mach behind to walk to Aster territory. The whole way there, You can't help but think about the mission at hand. Could this faction truly be involved with the assassination of the previous king? What could their goal be?

When You arrive in Aster territory, You see a group of soldiers in black raiding a village.

Herwig: It looks like we've found our targets already.

Aquillus: This cannot be allowed to continue.

Hegias: This has gone on for long enough…

Polly: Alright, Eagles. It's time to end this!

The battle begins. The Black Eagles are already seeming more experienced than the month before. You cast your gaze to the leader of the force, a man wearing all black with a mask to hide his face. The mask shows a variation of the Crest of Blaiddyd. His name is Marcus.

Chris: You seem to be the commander… Who are you?

Marcus: Forgive me for interrupting your duties, Princess. I'm simply doing what I must to make a living around here. Does it conflict with your morals?

Chris: I didn't come here for you to mock me about what you're doing. I'm here because I would like answers, and if you won't give them freely, I'll just have to take them myself!

Marcus: Make as many empty promises as you wish.

The battle continues around You. You and your class fight back well, saving many villagers along the way as You attempt to cut through the enemy forces to take on Marcus.

If You initiate combat with Marcus, this dialogue plays out.

Marcus: You're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong… I don't know what you're playing at here, but by allying with the royal family, I'm going to have to end your life. My apologies.

If Chris initiates combat with Marcus, this dialogue plays out.

Chris: Tell me. Who are you? What gives you the right to attack these people?

Marcus: You're just a child. How can I expect you to understand? Our plans are far too great for you to comprehend.

Chris: Changing the subject won't work with me.

Marcus: I'm done talking. Let's get this over with.

If anyone else initiates combat with Marcus, this dialogue plays out.

Marcus: Pests, the whole lot of you… You know what we do with pests? We squish them!

When Marcus is defeated, this dialogue plays out.

Marcus: Ugh… This is not the end… It will not be over until we decree it is…

After the battle, Chris stands over Marcus with the rest of the Black stand nearby as Chris points a spear at Marcus' throat.

Chris: I want to know why you did this. Tell me.

Marcus: It's none of your damn business…

Chris: If it were none of my business, I wouldn't be here.

Marcus: I'm finished with this… If you get in my way again, I'll end you once and for all, just like I did Franz Josefa. Consider that a promise.

Marcus pulls a sphere from his pocket before throwing it onto the ground. Smoke fills the area. The Black Eagles begin to cough wildly, and You do the same.

Seraphine: Hey! Come back! You can't get away that easily!

Your vision begins to fade to black. You fall forwards, unconsciousness taking over your mind…

You feel You are dreaming when You next see something. You are standing in the village You just helped to save, though You look much younger than You are currently. You look around, seeing many people bustling around in excitement. You look at your hands, seeing they are rather small. A woman appears nearby, and You look up.

?: Come on, Rion… Join me, please. We have to find a place to stay for the night.

The woman has an air of familiarity to her, and You feel as if You have met her recently. Her voice is similar to Evenor's, making You gasp in surprise. You see a shadow dart past, and when You look, You see a child no older than three running around. She has green hair, and it takes You a moment to realize this is Seraphine.

Seraphine: Rion! Come on! Play!

You look in between Seraphine and Evenor. Seraphine disappears into thin air when You do not follow her. Evenor takes your hand and drags You into the town. Your vision turns to mist, and everything fades to black…

When You open your eyes once again, You see the students standing above You alongside Herwig. You are in a hotel, as far as You can tell.

Herwig: I'm glad to see you awake again…

Hegias: I was so worried…

Polly: I believe that gas was made up of some variation of dark magic. If one experimented the right way, creating a smoke to knock people unconscious would be possible.

Aquillus: If the people of this village hadn't been so kind… I don't think we'd be in this situation, to say the least.

Zelhira: They're all gone now. The gas was a distraction to allow them a moment to retreat.

Chris: I don't know who their leader was, but he dropped this… I got it just before I lost consciousness. Here, Professor.

Polly: We're lucky you're up at all with how horrid your lungs can get…

Chris hands You a piece of paper. On it, the word 'MALICE' is written in threatening capital letters.

Florence: Malice… What could that mean?

Callisto: Is it the name of the group they belong to?

Tuncay: They did this strategically. It wasn't a random attack… I wish I could tell you the reason though.

Chris: P-Professor? Are you alright? You look rather pale…

You say You had a dream while You were unconscious, and You believe it to be a sign of a lost memory.

Herwig: Do go on and explain what you saw.

You explain the dream, starting with the woman who You believe was Evenor. She was treating You like a mother would her child. After that, You explain a girl with green hair running off into the woods near the town, though You intentionally choose to not mention that You have been seeing this girl for some time.

Hegias: You… You knew Evenor?!

Callisto: And you were in this village at some earlier date… Does anybody have ideas as to what this could mean?

Florence: How old were you in that dream?

You say You were likely around fifteen years old. You also mention how nobody else seemed to be able to see the girl with green hair.

Zelhira: You know, the goddess has green hair as well. Perhaps she was the little girl you saw in the dream… Or maybe it was some other variation of her…

Herwig: Dreaming of the goddess…

Hegias: Evenor never mentioned having meeting you before… Perhaps you parted ways before I met her.

Tuncay: Who would have guessed that a gas would trigger your brain this way?

Polly: I think we should keep it in mind. Plus, we know the name of the group who attacked us. We need to relay this information immediately.

Chris: They're more than just bandits. I can't imagine their goals, but this was organized and premeditated.

Aquillus: I believe they're involved with last month's mercenaries. Their armor was rather similar.

Callisto: But what could the link be?

Zelhira: First, their target was Ms. Hepius. Now, they attack a village she once came to. What if she's the reason for all this?

Hegias: I don't understand why somebody would hate her so much though…

Florence: She certainly has something to do with the professor. Why else would she be in that dream?

Chris: If it really did happen, then we have to remember this. She needs to be questioned on the matter next time we see her.

Polly: It's vital that we get back to the archbishop immediately. We know a lot more than we did before.

Herwig: The church will be sending this village money to help them rebuild their home. We'll leave soon enough to go and relay this message to the church.

Tuncay: Professor, are you going to be okay to walk back? I can help you if you need me to.

You stand up and see if You feel dizzy. When You do not, You nod.

Tuncay: Good. We can't have your condition getting worse after what you've already been through.

Herwig: It's time for us to set off.

Chris: Understood.

Everyone begins to leave the room, and You follow behind them. Chris walks alongside You.

Chris: I wish I could tell you what happened here today. It was clearly motivated, but I can't tell why… They retreated, meaning they'll be back. Plus, they seem to have been involved in the death of Franz Josefa. We've learned a lot here today.

You tell her You will find out the truth together.

Chris: Thank you for saying so, Professor… I'll see you later.

Chris walks away, and Seraphine appears next to You.

Seraphine: This is too much for me… Those men were involved in the assassination plot for sure. It's too much of a coincidence. They hate the Faerghus royal family and happened to be seen in the battle that took the life of Magnolia's father…

You nod. You have discovered a lot today.

Seraphine: I hope it's not selfish of me to be thinking more about what we saw in that dream though… Was that truly a memory? It would explain why Ms. Hepius asked if we remembered her, but… I don't know why we would be with her in a Faerghus territory… And that little girl was me, but I was so young… You seemed to be a teenager at the time. What could have happened? I don't understand, but I want to know…

You don't hear Seraphine say anything on the way back to the monastery. She seems to be lost in her own thoughts about what You saw in that dream. You do not ask her about it. After returning to the monastery, You go to report what You have learned to Aisa.

Aisa: Ah, Professor… I see you have returned. Did you learn anything new today?

You explain how You saved a village from being attacked by the soldiers.

Aisa: I am glad to hear no one was killed in today's battle… Is there anything else I should know?

You tell her your suspicions about the group, which called itself Malice, being involved in the death of the previous king of Faerghus.

Aisa: Ah… It appears you know the truth about Franz Josefa's death… I assume Chris told you… After he died, I was told the truth about what happened when he was killed. I didn't realize it would ever come to this… The group who killed him disappeared soon afterwards and wasn't seen again up until recently. I had my suspicions they were tied in with the group that attacked Ms. Hepius last month, but I had no proof… Thank you for telling me this.

You ask her if there is anything else she needs of You.

Aisa: No… Not that I can think of. The church will do its best to investigate the two parties you have fought up to this point. Until we come to a conclusive answer about what should be done, we are going to go on as usual. You should return to your students. They are waiting for you.

You nod to Aisa and leave the room, not saying a word about the dream You had. You do not know if it is a good idea to tell the truth to her until You know the truth. You walk to the Black Eagles homeroom silently, seeing the students inside once again.

Herwig: With the mission finished, it's time for us to rest.

Callisto: We learned a lot from the mission, but I don't know how to feel about it all.

Aquillus: The soldiers got away. I doubt that's going to be the last we hear from them.

Florence: I'm sure that we'll see them again, and when we do, we'll be ready.

Zelhira: Until we see them again, we should get ready. We can't be caught unprepared when the time finally comes to face them once more.

Tuncay: We have to be prepared if we want to defeat them.

Polly: I wish we had been able to finish things today, but if the universe objected, that's fine. We'll just have to finish it next time.

Florence: We don't know when they'll next appear before us. We need to be prepared for when they finally do crawl out from under their damn rock.

Chris: I was thinking this year would be peaceful, at least relatively so… But I guess not. The idea makes me sick to my stomach.

Hegias: I definitely need a breather after all of this… I need to get into contact with Evenor as soon as possible after learning what we have here today.

Herwig: In all my years of teaching, no year has ever turned out this way.

Hegias: However, we can't do much right now. The church will learn all they can, and until they tell us everything, we'll just have wait and go about life in a somewhat normal cycle. I don't like the idea either, but what can we do?

Callisto: We can't train now though. I'm going to hit the hay.

Florence: I don't know if I'll even be able to sleep with everything we've learned… But I'll do my best to catch some rest.

Aquillus: May the people of Aster be given the chance to restore and recover after this attack… It's the least they deserve.

Zelhira: If all goes well, they won't go back to Aster territory so long as they think we're a danger to their plans.

Hegias: You know, unless they want to see another close battle.

Tuncay: I just want to knock their damn heads in already…

Polly: For now, it's time to sleep.

Hegias: Until tomorrow.

Chris: Goodnight, everyone… Professor.

Chris looks at You oddly on the way out, and You can tell that she is thinking of the death of the king of Faerghus. You do not dwell on it though, instead watching the students leave. You follow them out before heading back to your room. Seraphine appears again once You arrive.

Seraphine: I thought I had a pit in my stomach after last month, but this takes the cake… I just want all of this uncertainty to be over… But it doesn't look like that's going to be happening anytime soon. Why don't we try and get some sleep until then? Yeah… Yeah, that sounds like a good idea… I can't tell if I want to find out the truth about our shared past or not at this point. That dream scared me, you know… I don't know what to think about it… I'm sure we'll have to face it one way or another, but… I'm not ready. Until then, goodnight, Professor… May we figure out the truth together soon.

You go to sleep soon after, though it takes You quite some time to drift off. The uncertainty of the future is too much for You to immediately fall unconscious. What could that dream have meant? What is the truth behind this faction called Malice? What does Malice want, and why did attacking a village suit their goals? You eventually fall asleep, though it is restless. No new memories are gleaned from your rest, and You feel sick. Thankfully, You have the next day off. That is a minor blessing, but it is all You seem to have in this time of turmoil and fear…


I'm trying to crack down on getting this story up to date as soon as possible yeet

-Digital