Forgiveness is difficult as I've found it to be a learned skill, not an implicit human impulse. I've learned to forgive people as well as know when forgiveness isn't an option for certain actions. Sometimes no matter what you do results in asking for forgiveness and never finding it, despite how hard you tried or how much you think you deserve it.


"Aelfric, cease this madness at once!" Rhea shouts as we get to the bottom of the staircase where the students and Byleth are located about halfway across the large atrium. The room is lined with a few old stone pillars dating back to the inception of the church with some dim lighting coming from magical torches along the walls. At the end of the large room, I can see Aelfric in front of a woman's body with the holy chalice raised while doing his best cultist impression.

Aelfric's voice echoes throughout the large chamber, "It is too late. The chalice is filled to the brim with the blood of the four. The time is right, and should their blood prove not enough, I shall use my own to complete the ritual."

"The chalice cannot return her soul. It is incapable of returning her body to life," Rhea pleads to the mad cardinal as I can hear Byleth's airy voice call out, "Please don't do this."

Blood magic and sketchy rituals have never worked out before in my experience, so I lean over to Rhea and whisper, "Alright, so what the hell are we going to be dealing with? I already know there isn't a cure for whatever the hell he's going to do to that body or himself."

Before Rhea can respond I hear Aelfric announcing, "Be not afraid, Byleth. Your mother returns to us. The time has come at long last. Perhaps I am not an equal man to him, but today I am here by your side Sitri."

With those last words from Aelfric, I see Byleth break into a sprint towards the man with her hero's relic drawn but I wince as the magical energy oozes from the chalice and into the atmosphere. With all magical auras and surges, each one has a distinct feel and by this one, it's easily the most twisted and disgusting one I've ever felt. It's the spiritual equivalent of raw sewage being pressed through my mind causing me to retract my senses the best I can not expose myself to the awful aura polluting the room.

What I witnessed next is easily the most disturbing thing I've seen on Fodlan or Earth thus far. Aelfric's hunched over body begins to have his flesh melt off like hot butter while he cries, "Sitri...Sitri!"

Both bodies begin to become harder to see as the blood flowing out of the chalice is obscuring the vision of them and seemingly binding them together in some twisted fashion. I can see the silhouette of their form growing and bulge into inhuman proportions. The grim transformation is over in a matter of seconds as the new lumbering form of demonic origins steps forth and wails, "Sitri!"

"What in the goddamn fuck…" I whisper under my breath as I can't take my eyes off the freshly made abomination, and from everyone else's frozen stance it would appear we are all sharing the same thoughts right now.

The first one to shake off the initial shock is Edelgard who exclaims, "The chalice...it absorbed both of them."

"That aberration...what is it?An...umbral beast?" Dimitri nervously narrates as he takes a preemptive step backward and seems to clutch his lance more tightly.

"This is just like last time the ritual was performed," Rhea sadly laments as she gazes upon the beast with great pity written upon her face as I also hear Lysithea cry out, "Why must people resort to such vile magic to get what they want. It never works out in the end…"

A few other students comment on the newborn monster as I hear clanking footsteps behind me. I turn around and see a knight of Seiros approach and call out, "Lady Rhea! Monsters have appeared at the cathedral!"

"Could it be...the roar and awakening of such a monster lured them here?" Rhea ponders before asserting to our group, "Everybody capable of fighting this beast must do so now! By my order as archbishop, stop Aelfric once and for all!"

The students cheer and make their declarations to serving the church and fighting against the beast, and just as quickly as they finish Rhea looks to me saying, "I must go help up above. Stay here and do your best to contain it. We lost many people last time, I hope you can change that, Santos."

"I'll make sure we get out of this alive. We've made it this far against him, haven't we?" I reply with a thumbs up to the regal woman who smiles and nods to me before darting up the stairs towards the knight who warned her of the attacks up above.

I return my attention to the large umbral beast at the far end of the room roaring enough to shake the walls of the subterranean cathedral along with Constance shouting that the place will collapse on us if we don't handle this monster quickly. Byleth stands closest to the beast and orders, "Surround the beast! We need to figure out what we are dealing with!"

"Agreed! Take caution everyone, we don't know what powers it possesses!" Dimitri articulates as he brandishes his lance and sprints towards Byleth, to which Claude calls out, "Don't be rash, this isn't your average fight!"

Byleth and Dimitri are the first to reach and begin engaging the beast as it moves around with unnatural agility to dodge the two experienced fighters blows. The beast lets out another terrible roar as I can feel the beasts abrasive magic taint the air and in a flash, I see a copy of Aelfric form to life. As it forms it's smaller spawn I can see it rouse the ability similar to the chalice and it siphons the magical energy from the Aelfric clone.

"Its wounds are healing…" I hear Edelgard lament as she rushes towards the professor to assist in melee combat. I try to stay by the exit to get a wide view of all the students to make sure I can divvy out Physic spells when needed and comment, "Kill the clones of Aelfric! The beast is using strange magic to sustain itself!"

Hapi standing near the middle of the holy arena shouts back, "Even though their not him...I'm not sure I can fight him," To which Hilde happily shouts with her ax held high, "Don't worry Hapi, I can!"

"Target the illusions before damaging the umbral beast! We can't win unless we do!" Byleth fiercely commands as she narrowly dodges a claw swipe from the beast.

The students all converge on their respective targets in avoiding the spells from the pseudo-Aelfrics and the vanguard of Byleth, Dimitri, Edelgard, and Balthus are squaring off against the large umbral beast. Lindhardt as taken cover behind a pillar and is focusing on Physic spells while I can see Yuri coordinating the attacks on the pseudo-Aelfrics with Hilde, Hapi, Constance, Lysithea, and Ashe.

Lindhardt and I don't have to wait long as the pseudo-Aelfrics seem to possess the dangerous spells he did in real life not too long ago, forcing Lindhardt and me to keep a steady beat on those being targeted by his Nosferatu attacks. The magical might the beast is even exerting through the Aelfric clones is terrifying as I can feel myself already sweating due to the amount of focus to keep the monster from draining my allies and having already fought a battle beforehand.

I can see everyone fighting with such intensity and determination around me that I can't help but smile a little bit. Everyone here has such different views and allegiances, and yet here we all are working to fight a greater evil. As I'm feeling the adrenaline coursing through my veins to help steady myself in the heat of battle I see Balthus land a vicious blow on the beast stunning it.

"Hit it with everything you've got!" Byleth's smooth yet thunderous voice echoes through the tomb as I see the remaining clones defeated and everyone within range shoot magic, arrows, and even Hilde hucks her ax at the beast.

Just as I'm about to prepare a spell to join in on the beating I can sense a tremor of a magic pulse from the beast that feels a bit familiar. I close my eyes to focus on the nature of the spell for a moment, and as I do I freeze for a moment. I look up to the see the monster in distress and our group a bit overextended and I shout, "Look out, somethings coming! I think it's a-"

The world goes black for a brief moment as I fall on my back like someone just dropped me from 2 feet in the air. I hear another roar come from the beast, but the sound seems to be to my left instead of directly in front of me...it teleported. It did what I can do in using Warp on other people at the same time, but it seemed to mix the Nosferatu spell within the Warp like an advanced spell weaving?

I quickly scramble to my feet, and I can see that I'm on the leftmost side of the tomb with the beast positioned by the only door in or out now with Edelgard, Hilde, and Ashe dropped nearby. I scan the room and see other fighters scattered around doing the same thing I am as I hear Byleth yell, "Reposition! Prepare yourself for that maneuver when it coils up! Healers, work double-time!"

"I am working!" I a shriek out as I run over to Balthus, who is the closest to me and apply a Heal spell to him. Balthus gets to his feet and pats me roughly on the back, "Thanks doc, now if you don't mind I have a monster to take down!"

Balthus takes off running towards the umbral beast as it unleashes a nasty tail swipe at those nearby. Hilde is still clambering to her feet, so I cast Rescue to bring her out of harm's way. Edelgard manages to slide under the sweeping attack, but Ashe takes the devastating blow as he can't move out of the way quick enough with his injured leg. Ashe is thrown to the side with a vicious force as he skids across the smooth tomb floor. More copies of Aelfric spawn in once again and I hear Yuri grunt, "The damned fool. Let's dance."

I can see about 4 copies Aelfric have spawned and the only people fight the beast in melee range are Edelgard and Hilde with Balthus running in to help. The fighting between everyone breaks into a frenzy unlike last time and I have a hard time deciding where to look to focus. I can't see Ashe through the bodies fighting the fake Aelfrics so I look to Byleth who's at the far end of the room and cast Warp on her to get her back into the fray.

"Thanks!" Byleth acknowledges as she reappears next to the umbral beast and begins to deliver several slashes to the monster.

I look back to the bulk of fighters, and as I do I immediately drop to my stomach to avoid a fireball from a clone, which Yuri manages to dispatch immediately after. Yuri sends me a smug look, "Lying down on the job, Santos?"

"This is hardly the time for jokes!" I chastise harshly as I cast Rescue on Constance in hopes to get her out of the way of two fireballs. As she appears next to me it's made apparent I was a little late as she's scorched a bit on her arms and legs and she exclaims, "Thank you for the timely intervention Santos, it is most fortuitous that-"

I thrust up my hand in front of the former noble's face, "Less talk, more anima spells."

Constance huffs but complies and conjures up more lightning-based spells directed at the clones of Aelfric. I stand by Constance and help assault the clone with my lightning magic. I can see Lindhardt tending to an injured Lysithea who seems to have had her energy drained by Nosferatu, while Yuri is still going strong against the remaining two clones with Dimitri backing him up.

With Yuri and Dimitri distracting the clones in melee range, Constance and I clean up the two doppelgangers with ease. I look back towards the towering umbral beast, yet due to its unusual physiology, I can't determine how damaged it really is with Hilde being knocked away and tended to by Hapi. Edelgard, Byleth, and Balthus seem to be holding the line as the most proficient melee fighters.

"Santos, Warp me upwards above the beast!" Byleth shouts to which I quickly obliged with a teleport that sends Byleth about 5 meters right above the head of the monster, though as the spell ends I feel as if I've hit my limit for that spell for the time being. Byleth lands a nasty plunging attack into the distorted skull of the monster, wedging the sword of the creator right through one of it's misformed skull eyes.

The students and I watch the monster thrash around as Byleth hangs on tightly to the hilt of her sword. I sense more clones spawning in again and Hilde cries out, "Ahh, C'mon! This is getting ridiculous!"

I can't help but share the sentiment of the pinkette as I hear Hapi reply, "Yeah, you're telling me. It's getting annoying."

"Less chatting kids, we need to focus the beast while we can and make sure Byleth doesn't get thrown through the ceiling," I chide as the beast turns to ram its head into a nearby pillar and I expend my last Rescue spell.

Byleth reappears beside me, though without her signature blade in hand. The beast recoils in pain screeching and screaming inhumanely as it just bashed the sword deeper into its head. I feel Byleth hand on my left shoulder and her whimsical voice, "Nice save, but I'm down a weapon. Can you send me back?"

I shake my head feeling a bit guilty, "No, that was my last teleportation. I have maybe one more Physic spell left in me and a few Heal spells. The rest of my cognitive focus is readied for offensive spells which I have in spades."

"Good, save the restoration spells. I need you on the offense to help us kill this thing once and for all. I can feel that it's been weakened. I can lead you, Lysithea and Constance to the front line for a direct attack against one of the weak points Balthus opened up earlier. Yuri! Can you hold off the clones a bit longer?" Byleth explains rapidly as I look over to a very exhausted looking Yuri that is in the midst of dodging fire spells who grunts, "It's what I'm doing boss!"

I try to survey the battlefield for one last check-in on everyone as I remember a few people were in rough shape, but Byleth grabs my hand shouting, "There isn't time, we won't get another opening!"

I allow Byleth to drag my forward as Constance and Lysithea trail behind us covering our flanks from the Aelfric clones attacks. I look back briefly to see Claude, Dimitri and Yuri holding off the new clones, and then back towards the beast where I see Balthus and Edelgard doing their best to corner the insipid creature, though both are on the defensive. Byleth weaves us past a huge ball of compressed dark energy and into the front lines, though I would be lying if I said I wasn't tired at this point.

"Balthus, clear a path!" Edelgard shouts as I can see her glance over her shoulder at me and the group of mages coming in for a big strike. Balthus lets out a howl of excitement, "About time! I'm actually working up a sweat!

I roll my eyes at the brawlers laid back attitude in the face of incarnate evil and distortion as Byleth directs us past a claw swipe and points to the beast, "Right there, aim for that spot where the bone plate has been cracked!"

I focus the rest of my energy into Cutting Gale and let the destructive magic shoot from my fingers as I can feel Constance unleash her Bolting spell and Lysithea conjures Dark Spikes all directed at the beast with Byleth's instruction. The spells collide together as they combine and burrow their way through the umbral beast's twisted hide. I push as much as I can physically and mentally on my wind spell and after a few moments, I can see the combination attack burst through the monster's neck creating a large hole nearly decapitating it and carving through the wall behind it. I shiver a bit at such magical might it took to overcome such a creature's resistance.

"Let's finish this!" Edelgard declares as Balthus, Byleth and her go-to finish off the down beast that tries pull forth healing magic from its clones to no avail, as it seems our allies have eliminated the remaining ones once and for all.

I watch the melee warriors finish off the beast as it lets out one last shriek before collapsing to the ground. As it hits the ground it's flesh seems to turn to dust slowly as if being peeled off in bloody chunks, which makes me feel a bit ill as my adrenaline wears off.

"We did it.." Lysithea gasps as she stumbles into me for support. Her sudden weight causes my fragile body to stumble into Constance who barely seems to be able to hold her own weight as well and scoffs, "Could you please remove yourselves from me? I am absolutely exhausted from such a grievous ordeal!"

Both Lysithea and I chuckle a bit as we stop leaning on Constance who tries to unwrinkle her clothes a bit. As the beast continues to fade away I take a seat on the ground and lie down on my back to catch my breath. That was easily the scariest and simultaneously the most dangerous thing I've ever done in my life. That creature looked straight out of a horror movie and had ridiculous magic to boot. No wonder the chalice was hidden away by the church, though it does make me wonder why it wasn't destroyed or hidden somewhere else like the bottom of the ocean for instance.

My relaxation is interrupted to quickly for my taste as I feel someone kick my feet. I look up to see Edelgard hovering above me with a somber face, "Santos, are you still able to move?"

"I'm exhausted, but yes. What is it?"

Edelgard points across the room ominously, "I think you should go help."

I scramble to my feet and look across the old tomb to see Dimitri and Lindhardt crouched over something, and my eyes go wide, "Shit, Ashe. He took that tail swipe full force and got lost in the fray."

I bolt across the room as fast as my tired limbs can until I'm right behind Dimitri who is on his knees holding Ashe's hand while Lindhardt is adjacent to the boy using Heal, but the green-haired teen looks to me and shakes his head with a somber look upon his face. Dimitri turns around slowly to me with barely restrained intensity, "Fix him. Heal him. You have to."

I swallow and circle around to Ashe's front and squat above him. I check for a pulse right underneath his jaw and then at the base of his wrist. I feel out with my Heal spell to latch onto any residual life, but the result is null. I observe his leather armor in the chest area where he took the huge tail swipe, and from the depression, in his chest, I'd say his entire upper torso and some ribs were completely shattered and crushed from the attack. Without immediate powerful magical intervention, I'd say anyone would have suffered a similar fate.

I feel Dimitri shake my shoulder and call out to me in a hysterical tone, "Santos. Doctor. You can fix him, right?"

I take my fingers and close Ashe's eyelids. This is easily the worst part of my profession. "Time of death, about 2 am, 25th day of Harpstring Moon 1180. Cause of death-"

Dimitri shoves me yelling, "You are supposed to be the greatest healer in Fodlan! Do something!"

Now getting a bit pissed at Dimitri's immature behavior I fire back, "Unless you take me for a fucking necromancer, this boy is gone! The only way to bring someone back is that chalice," I point to the chalice that's on the ground where the umbral beast drew its last breath, "and we all know how that went! Stand down and get a grip."

"Please, Dimitri. He's gone. We all did our best," Lindhardt confesses as he tries to console the crown prince, but Dimitri quickly shoves Lindhardt aside and clutches me by my robes seething, "I thought you were going to look out for us! What am I going to tell his father? You were supposed to be there, but it seems Ingrid may have been right about something that I overlooked."

Now that was a low blow if I ever heard one, though luckily Lindhardt interjects, "Hey, let's all just cool off a bit. We just had the fight of our lives after all. We're lucky to be alive at all."

Dimitri glares at the other healer before returning his attention back to me and dropping my scrunched up robes stating, "So be it," Dimitri trudges away and I look back across the room and I see Yuri nearby with his blade half drawn from his sheath.

Yuri gives me a nod before moving onto talk to someone else. I look back to Lindhardt and shake my head muttering, "I knew he got hit badly, I just couldn't make it over with everything else happening. This is the ugly side of being a healer, is telling people when you couldn't do anything. Powerlessness."

"Well said doctor. Figure we should group up with the others?"Lindhardt suggests and I nod as I pull off my Ashen Wolf styled robes, leaving me with simple tunic undershirt, "Yeah, I'll just cover Ashe up. It's the least he deserves for a noble effort."

Sometimes despite how hard you try, life has other plans for you. I'm sure Ashe had dreams and plans that will never be fulfilled. I don't know why this particular death hurts as much as it does. I didn't know the kind-hearted boy that well, but maybe it's because I blame myself, and what Dimitri said has some truth to it.


The day following the chaos most of us slept and looked for more medical aid in the Garreg Mach clinic. Most of us were pretty banged up and/or exhausted from combat and magical spells. Rhea was kind enough to let me stay in my old quarters for the time considering the craziness of events, which I accepted with gratitude since some alone time was what I desired.

I lay on my bed looking up at the ceiling blankly for a forgettable amount of time. It's only been about 12 hours since the whole fiasco, and I've spent most of it in my room looking at a wall or sleeping. As I let out another sigh I hear a pounding on my door and Seteth's voice, "Santos, Rhea requires your presence in the atrium at once. I pray for you not to be late."

I groan as I roll out of bed and look around the room. I see my disheveled Ashen robes next to my set of church robes. I stand up and stretch my legs out a bit and grab the Ashen robes. Something feels more right about wearing the robes that represent the Abyss rather than the church of Seiros, yet I can't fully explain it to myself. More of a gut instinct of me having a deeper desire to pick something that represents me more accurately.

I dress quickly and touch up my hair a bit to help alleviate the bed head and straighten out the beard I've been growing. Without anything else around to help freshen up, I strap on my footwear and leave my room quickly. As I enter the walkway I immediately notice that the church is bustling with activity with staff running around and people looking very busy, including an Almyran boy working on fixing some brick inlays who give me a dirty look.

I reach Rhea's atrium and see the Ashen Wolves gathered along with Byleth. Rhea stands beyond them a bit looking composed as ever with her full archbishop regalia attire accentuating her idyllic form. As I approach I hear Rhea announces, "Good, you've come. We now finally get down to business and discuss the aftermath."

I nod as I take my place beside Yuri and Hapi, and motion for Rhea to continue, "As you all know by now, Ashe Ubert, the adoptive son of Lord Lonato and member of the Blue Lions has been sent home for burial. I thank not just you here, but everyone for they combined effort to defeat the umbral beast."

We all remain silent as Rhea observes us for any reactions, though most of us remain fairly rigid besides Hapi who comments, "Mhmm. It's a shame."

Rhea clears her throat and continues, "Furthermore, after speaking with the cardinals, I've decided to disband the Ashen Wolves as a house. The house was originally created for youths who needed the church's protection, and somewhere along the way, that intent became corrupted. It ultimately became a cage for you. You can consider this a graduation of sorts."

"Objection."

Everyone turns their attention to me as I reiterate, "Objection to this. The Ashen Wolves deserve more for what they've done for the church, and how much they represent for Abyss. They serve as guardians for the downtrodden and abandoned."

"I've made my decision, it is final," Rhea asserts to us, but Hapi jumps into the conversation, "You can doll this up by calling it whatever you want, but Santos is right. Abyss needs us. You're the one who sent me to Abyss, to begin with, and now you just expect us to go live our lives as nothing happened?"

"You may continue to live in Abyss, of course. Abyss will always be a place for those who need it most. You are unbound from your chains and free to live as you wish," Rhea elaborates and the Ashen Wolves look between themselves and then to me.

I can sense the gears turning in each of their heads for a few moments until Balthus speaks up, "You know, it feels like pretty alright, but I also owe a lot to Abyss as well."

"Me too. After everything I have been through, I must say I feel immense gratitude to live freely and make my own choices," Constance adds to which is followed up by Yuri, "You're just going to let me go? I did some pretty unsavory things while working for the church, but I must agree with Santos to some degree that leaving Abyss without the Wolves wouldn't be the same."

I step forward past the group and look into the archbishop's eyes, "Rhea. Since I've been down there I've seen first hand what life is like for those people. They need a support system to depend on, and the Ashen Wolves can do it. I may not have had the warmest welcome," I sneak a glance at Yuri who smirks, "but I've grown to care deeply for the people down there. I understand what it's like to not fit in anywhere in society, so here's my request. The Ashen Wolves lack a professor, so why not me?"

Byleth looks at me with a blank face, though I swear I can see a small twinkle in her eyes. I look back to the Ashen Wolves who smile and nod at me before looking back to Rhea who sighs, "While your proposal is quite heartfelt and heard, I must stand by my decision. The house will be disbanded."

"Then move the date to the end of the school year. Let them have a proper graduation ceremony and finish their educations that they never did. You owe them that much," I argue as I gesture to the four students.

Rhea looks at me with a calm and resolute face, then looks to Byleth who gives Rhea a gentle nod. Rhea takes one last moment of silence to observe us before declaring, "Very well. I can move the date to disband the Ashen Wolves at the end of the school year. Santos Capetillo, I place you in charge of the Ashen Wolves to help them complete the studies they once started at Garreg Mach. You shall be free to use any resources that are available to the other houses in Garreg Mach, as well as reside in Abyss to your pleasing."

That actually worked? I raise an eyebrow as my astonishment must be plastered all over my face. I figured best I could do was a debate for a task force in the Abyss, but here at least the Ashen Wolves will get some real closure and we get to watch over Abyss, together. I see Hapi and Balthus high five each other behind me nad Yuri remark, "You always were a bit hard to predict, doctor. I like that about you, and I'm happy to have you as my professor."

"He's patched me up plenty of times, so I'm great with this," Bellows Bathus as he holds his sides and chuckles.

Hapi looks between her classmates before replying, "Sounds good. Formal education from someone who gets us would be nice."

"With Santos in charge, that means it'll be much more difficult for him to evade my magical experiments. This is delightful!" Constance cheers which I slump my shoulders a bit at what I inadvertently just through myself into.

"There we have it. It seems you have eager students to back you up. I wish you the best of luck. I'll have Alois brief you later on a mission for next week. As for you Byleth, you will take the Golden Deer in a few days to Gautier territory. I'll send a full mission briefing to you later. That is all for now, you are all dismissed. Go rest up and recover, you've all earned it," Rhea expresses as she smiles happily at each of us.

The Ashen Wolves and Byleth both depart, including Balthus giving me a rough yet playful pat on the shoulder leaving me with Rhea. I wait until the rest of the people has left before I hear Rhea ask, "I take it you have something on your mind?"

"Two things. One, where is the chalice now? I'm hoping the church destroyed it or put it somewhere safer than last time. Also, do you have time for tea?"

"The chalice is well taken care of, rest assured that the church has dealt with it accordingly. And tea would be a welcomed change of pace. What else is on your mind Santos?" Rhea replies as she begins to walk towards her quarters while motioning me to follow her, and as I begin to trail her I respond, "I think you can help me understand the aspects of a type of magic, plus it'd be good to catch up with someone's company I enjoy."

"Sounds interesting, let us go to my chambers," Rhea politely replies as we exit the atrium.

I can't tell if Rhea's face had any reaction to my honest comment, but I did notice a slight shudder in her vastly powerful magical signature. Perhaps I'm growing on the archbishop since I doubt she is very casual with so many loyal and pious subjects around. I know for a fact I feel soothed by her very presence as if her being in a room has an almost calming effect on everyone within like they sync up with her emotions. This too could be a special type of magic I've yet to even understand, or perhaps I'm happy to be around someone I like.


Rhea opens the doors to her decorative yet simple chambers, which is akin to something of a large hotel suite and unlike any of the other personal quarters I've seen staff or students have at Garreg Mach. The same elegant tapestry in light blues and golds line the windows as I step into the living room space that complete with a couple of chairs and a tea set upon a beautifully handcrafted oaken table.

"I'm going to set the tea. You are welcome to use my washroom to clean up," Rhea suggests in a slightly insistent ton. I bow out of respect and escort myself to the side room Rhea gestures too as she maneuvers herself to the tea set.

I take a moment to admire the somewhat homey feel of the bathroom with a large barrel-like tub at the end of the long and narrow room with a rudimentary squat hole accompanied with rustic brick walls that probably haven't been improved much since Garreg Mach's construction. The sink is merely a very intricately carved washing bowl with some bar soap beside it on a towel. Above the washing bowl is perhaps the most jarring thing to me; a mirror.

I haven't really looked at myself since I actually arrived all those years ago. The Galatea never had one, and even when I had access to hand mirrors in the past like at the academy or through Sevihn, it never occurred to me to look at myself. The closest I've seen to my own visage is in a random pool of murky water or stream of water.

I scoop up some water in my hand and splash my face a bit before I look at myself in the center of the mirror. The man staring back at me certainly isn't the recent medical school grad working in Arizona that's for sure. The man I'm staring at has much wilder hair than I remember myself having, with it looking slightly dirty and matted and much longer than the short haircut I used to keep throughout my college and high school days. My eyes look tired and strained, my skin is fairly clear thanks to a minimalist diet of vegetables primarily, but I can see faint lines on my face that weren't present a few years ago. The only positive I can pull from looking at the image is I've finally grown a decent beard and mustache that could land me in a mariachi band.

"I need a shave. And a haircut. I look a worse version of my older hermano."

Thankfully my voice hadn't changed much in the time, but it does feel a bit strange to hear my familiar voice coming from a foreign and aged face. Perhaps if I used fire magic to shave? It's not the craziest thing I've thought up, and in theory, my magical resistance should prevent me from burning my face off, coupled with the fact that most people are naturally resistant to their offensive magic. It calls for a trial run.

"My leg hair should suffice. If I focus enough to make my finger the point…" I mutter to myself as I throw my leg up on the counter and pull up my pant leg and robes.

I start by steadying my breathing and using Fire in a controlled manner, not too unlike what I've dubbed 'Light' but instead of brightness, I'm going for a small nexus of intensity like an Exacto knife made of plasma. Not enough to harm someone with such a low tier spell, but hopefully enough to shave off hair. I channel my mana into my hand and chuckle, "This is crazy. If this works I can't imagine Rhea's reaction...well here goes."

I charge the spell up with my idealized parameters and begin to apply the Fire spell to my shin hair. The spell takes a moment but after a small burning sound, I'm able to trace a path through my leg hair without harming or irritating the skin. Seems my guesstimate was right on the money, but now I have to maintain the same level of concentration to hold the spell. Accuracy and control is the name of the game rather than most spells that simply want more mana to juice them up. For an ER doctor like myself; child's play.

"Here goes Fodlan's first DIY electric shaver…"

I begin to shave my face rather quickly as the spell is incredibly efficient and I don't have to worry about pressing overly hard to get all the hair in an area. In about 3 minutes I'm nearly clean-shaven and looking a bit like my old self. My hairdo could use an overhaul, but I don't trust myself with that artistic endeavor since I'm not looking to go bald. I splash my face a couple of times and use the nearby towel to dry off and touch up some spots I missed.

I do a once over in the mirror, and I have to admit that I've probably de-aged myself about five or so years with that trim. I look down at the pile of hair on the counter and ground and do myself to scoop it into one big pile. One last Fire spell should dispel the evidence and-

"Santos, are you feeling ill? The tea is set and ready," Rhea calls out which catches me off guard causing me to put a bit too much oomph into my Fire spell.

I certainly burned the evidence of my shaving, but also scorched the countertop, and set my robes on fire. I panic as I try to beat out the flames, which burn my hand a bit since it's no longer magical and now actual fire. I frantically look for a solution and in my haste grab the washbowl and dump the water out on myself. Steam fills the room as my robes are mostly saved and quenched which allows me to let out a sigh of relief.

"Just a moment!" I shout back to Rhea in an attempt to quell any suspicion as I use the towel to help dry off my robes.

The robes will have to be a bit damp despite my best efforts, which is leagues above actively on fire. I with myself one last once over in the mirror before stepping out of the restroom. I re-enter the main chamber of Rhea's quarters and immediately smell a very strong Chamomile tea brewing. Rhea is seated at the small tea table on a wooden chair waiting patiently for my arrival while blowing on her hot cup of tea.

"Sorry for the delay," I remark as I quickly take my seat and begin to pour myself a cup of delicious-smelling tea.

"Were you in there shaving? Your kind never ceases to amaze me," Rhea chuckles as she takes a sip of her tea, but I nearly drop the pot of tea mid pour. I look back incredulously to Rhea and reply, "What do you mean by your kind?"

Rhea makes an 'o' with her mouth before smiling, "I apologize, that was rather crass of me. Foreigners, like yourself, have such interesting ways of interpreting instructions. When I suggested you go freshen up, I wouldn't have guessed nor encouraged you to actually shave your face in addition to washing up. That would explain the burning smell."

I sink a bit into my chair now much more self-conscious of my decision, "Yeah...I may have gotten carried away. First time in a few years I've seen myself in an actual mirror, so yea."

"Rest easy, Santos. I shall keep this little secret between us."

"You're not just saying that because you're the archbishop now, are you?"

Rhea shakes her head and takes another sip from her cup of tea, "No. I'd do it out of respect for you, with my title set aside."

Well, that's relieving she sees me in a positive light like that. Perhaps now I can dig into the meat of what I'm curious about. From what Sothal showed me at Gronder Field, Edelgard's perilous deal, and my own curiosities I'm going to see if she has anything to say on soul magic and if the information lines up with Tomas. He's been on my suspicion list ever since Edelgard gave me a weird reaction and then me looking a bit deeper into the nature of soul magic.

I sit up straight and lean forward a bit, "Tell me, Rhea. I did some digging in Abyss and I've found some interesting information. Namely on an old styling of magic; soul magic. What do you know about it?"

"An interesting, yet not unexpected topic," Rhea casually takes a long sip from her tea, "But I shall elaborate what I can. Soul magic is indeed a lost magical practice that was once developed by the first children of the goddess Sothis and the very first members of the church. Its practice was outlawed many centuries ago due to the grave implications that come with using your soul as a focus for magic, but that was long ago. Most humans, unlike the children of the goddess, could only perform one spell they felt a strong connection to. Any missteps or casting of a spell which your soul wasn't tied to led to terrible fates such as amnesia, loss of self, uncontrolled rage, and even mental deficiency. That's why most of the texts were burned and the teaching and use were outlawed with the uprising of humanity. You said you found some information in Abyss?"

I rub my freshly shaven chin in thought. Rhea definitely knows a thing or two about the magic but seems very much on the side of it being a danger to society. I'll have to be careful with how I word my questions from here on out. I reckon if I show here my tome she'll want it burned, and I'd rather learn more about soul magic than just let the past die out.

"Yeah, found some older church texts alluding to it, that's it. I've studied magic pretty intensively so I was wondering if it was a form I didn't know or just rewording due to the translation."

"Ah, I see. Well if you do find any heretical texts in Abyss be sure to bring them to me for disposal or quarantine. I'd hate for a young hopeful mage to find them and destroy themselves. They were never meant for humans to cast," Rhea warns as she takes another sip from her now lukewarm tea.

Now that is an interesting tidbit. Tomas said he believed in me to cast Soothe all those nights ago, and with learning, that soul magic was never intended for humans, and Edelgard's weird suspicions and allegiances it could only mean a couple of things. First option; Tomas is a Nabatean or Agarthan like I was beginning to think, and he has an agenda separate from the church, which makes me think Agarthan. Second option; Tomas is really just a wise old man that has done his reading, but this option seems less likely to be true.

I'm going to go with the assumption Tomas is an Agarthan right under the church's nose and he wants something to do with me, meaning he probably had a line of communication with Sevihn about me. He vouched for me to come to Garreg Mach which I doubt is a coincidence and trusted me with soul magic probably as a way to earn my trust or use me. Too bad for him his information is outdated on me. If I play my cards right I can find out more about the true history and use Tomas when he thinks he holds all the cards. I'll have to hold off on exposing him to see what other information he can drip feed me, and that gives me some time to figure out how to expose him.

I chuckle to myself which draws a curious look from Rhea who asks, "What's gotten into you, Santos?"

"Nothing, just realized that Aelfric must have used soul magic with the chalice for that ritual. Damned fool," I rattle off as I refocus on Rhea, who seems very content with my presence as do I with her.

I clear my throat, "Ehm, Rhea I have a question for you and the church as a whole. What do you think of those who don't conform?"

"It's simple. They are generally heathens that lack the goddess's wisdom, but one cannot place blame on an outsider such as yourself for never living in Fodlan and knowing of her existence. Ignorance is a kind lie that I wish not to punish. Are you worried about yourself and lack of faith?"

"Not at all. I have the church and the goddess to thank for not being executed, so I couldn't be happier. The teachings of compassion and kindness are welcomed in my eyes,"

Rhea pauses for a moment staring at her tea before looking back up with a soft voice saying, "I'm glad to hear that you have taken to the goddess's teaching so easily. Many outsiders can find the grace of the goddess difficult to comprehend."

"Don't get me wrong, I've seen the ugly side of it like yesterday night. But shadows cannot be cast without light, right?"

"A clever way to phrase it, but yes I would agree."

I put down my teacup and stretch my arm a bit, " Have you ever considered doing any traveling outside of Fodlan? To perhaps spread the word of the goddess, like a mission?"

"I have, but I am content here in Fodlan. It is my home and I must serve as archbishop for those devoted to the goddess."

Well, there goes one plan to lure Rhea and her followers from Fodlan. I figured like the religion of my world she'd jump at the chance to spread the word of the goddess, but it seems she is content with people coming to her instead. The more I talk with Rhea the less I believe I can pull off my deal with Edelgard. I can see arguments for the church remaining and being removed and it's beginning to make my head hurt. I know something is coming regardless of the Agarthan's and soon Edelgard is going to eventually make a stand though the reasons may be more personal and are different than Agarthan's reasons. Then there is everyone in the crossfire, including myself. I may have bitten off more than I could chew.

"That sounds good Rhea. Being content with your station, but I must ask how long have you served as archbishop? You must've been here for a while."

Rhea pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts before elaborating, "It's been quite sometime now that I think of it. I possess a greater Crest of Seiros herself which has blessed me with an extended lifespan. Many crests have secrets like that to them, but with my longevity, I've been able to serve as archbishop for nearly 80 years now."

I near knock over my teacup and fall out of my chair as I babble, "80 years? That's ridiculous. All things considered, you look great for your age."

Rhea smiles back at me, "Thank you, I do try to keep up appearances as the archbishop after all. It sometimes feels longer than that, but that's how I suppose it feels after living for so long."

"No kidding. Anyways, the tea has been lovely and I didn't realize that about you. Let's chat at another time?"

Rhea stands up from her seat, "That sounds acceptable, as long as you keep your grooming to your own quarters."

I can see the corner of Rhea's mouth twitch a bit as she mentions my shaving mishap. Frankly, I can see the comedy in it so I happily reply, "I'll keep that in mind. It's been peaceful spending time with you."

"Same to you. I feel as I've met you in another life, but I can't quite place it. Honestly, it is a bit beguiling listening to you talk. Next time I'll have some questions for you, but now you should focus on leading your new house. Good luck and farewell, Santos," Rhea assures me as I bow one last time to her before waving goodbye and reply, "See you around, Rhea."

I stand outside Rhea's quarters for a moment to organize my thoughts. Rhea is certainly older than I thought, and a crest would explain a lot of her wisdom. Her being a descendant of Seiros is a definite possibility. Having her take the church on a field trip out of Fodlan where I could maybe persuade them to relocate is out of the question as she won't budge on the matter without me sounding insane or spilling the beans that people want her out. I'll have to find another way of convincing her to step down, considering she hardly seems phased to have assassins after her but sends me down to Abyss. Using soul magic would be too risky to change her mind as I assume she has experience with it and I doubt I'd win that fight to deceive her, let alone have it go unnoticed. I've found myself between a rock, a bigger rock, and a mountain.

I begin walking back to my quarters and mumble to myself, "Things just can't be that easy…"

I'll have to find allies that see the middle ground between the church's right and wrongdoings, and I have an idea of where to start. Luckily talking with them shouldn't be that difficult considering I'm their new professor. The winds are changing and the shadows of the past are returning with force. I feel Aelfric was just the warm-up for what's to come between the powers at being in Fodlan. I just hope that there is a Fodlan after all this has resolved, though I have doubts already creeping into my brain.

I get to my room door eventually and begin to fumble with the key. After a small fight with my robes, I wrench it out and begin to unlock my door, though as I look to the door I noticed it's already cracked open. I freeze immediately as I shake off any previous weariness and narrow my eyes. I begin to focus on my inner magic to ready a quick Fire spell for a possible intruder, so I take on last deep breath before kicking in the door.

I kick back the door with a large amount of force, which manages to send it swinging on its hinges into the wall. With my arm extended with magical fire dancing on the ends of my fingertips, I scan the room. As I step into the fairly well-lit room after my door kicks my eyes immediately soften as I see Ingrid standing near my bedroom window with her head now turned toward me. A confused and slightly frightened expression adorns her face before devolving into something much softer and worried.

Dressed in her pegasus knight armor, Ingrid fully turns to face me as I put my magically loaded arm down and says, "Santos, I'd like to speak with you...if it's not a bad time."

I glance back at the slightly quivering door and then back to Ingrid, "Now's a good time as any. What's going on?"


A/N: DLC arc is done, and we are now heading into the next part. I'm thinking about labeling the arcs just for fun, so I'll be going back to some chapters and renaming some stuff, so don't be alarmed. Anyways, what did you think of the DLC? I didn't change a whole lot during the DLC, but I've changed a bit of the aftermath. Santos is a professor and will be leading the Ashen Wolves just until the end of the school year, and what a school year it will be...and we have Flayn's kidnapping right around the corner too! Wonder how that will pan out?

The poll will be up probably another week before I close it and release the results, but I'd like to thank everyone that has voted so far. Right now it's between three candidates and depending on how things shake up I may choose. Interesting choices all around, so thanks for the challenge :p

As for where you can find me outside of here, want to say hello, or speak with other writers and readers of the community join me over at Narwhal Lord's Fanfiction Treehouse discord on discord . gg / 9XG3U7a

I have the same name over there and on the day of publication of a chapter, I'll be in the chat during the evening (PST) to talk shop about Stolen Remedy, other stories, writing style, etc. since it's usually during that time I'm working on the next chapter anyways. It's a fun crowd and if your bored come on by and say hello! Lots of other great authors and stories over there, so yeah. Onto reviews!

Review Response:

WalterTheMadGod: I've been thinking about time-skip class stuff myself, so I'll probably have an updated stat block in the later chapters for him. You're not too far off though and I appreciate the feedback. As for Agarthan tech? It's been on my mind for a while, and I have something cooking in the oven. Stay tuned and thanks for reading.

Rationalism: Aw Shit x2 magic bugaboo. Glad you're digging the content.

InterestedUser: Oh I plan to continue until this is finished, mark my words. I've left some hints here and there to how things may go, but my goal may not be as straightforward as you may think. Also, Aelfric deserved what he got. just my quick take.

SyncroX: Glad you enjoy the surprise content! Tomas is indeed sketchy but it would seem Santos is starting to catch on. This ain't his first rodeo with an Agarthan mage after all. Soul magic will play a part in the story moving forward and will be explained more in-depth soon enough. stay tuned.

VGblackwing: I wouldn't say Santos is more annoyed, I'd say quite the opposite. He isn't feeling those conniptions he did before and seeing Byleth's other side (the fighting commander side) he's grown to appreciate her just a bit more. Curious to wonder what Sothis is saying, hmmm. Guess we will have to speculate, won't we ;) We will see in the next few chapters how mental things really get between Byleth and Santos.

Sakura108645: Who knows what Sothal is planning? He's seemingly gone, but are you willing to count of a God(dess) of Finality? Didn't have space this chapter, but more aftermath and talks with various other characters will go down in the following on. Was already running high on word count :/ and crests are weird, so why not expand on it more since it's technically expressed genetics, right? The poll should be on my profile, so just click on my name and it should work.

That's all for this week folks! Big thanks to all of you who have reviewed consistently, favorited and followed! It means bunches to a guy who is just trying to improve their writing skills. Have a wonderful day and until next time.

Next Chapter: 3/20-3/22