Chapter 23: Para Bellum. Prologue.
It was shortly before breakfast that Byleth joined Hubert at the table, taking a close seat before the Minister of the Imperial Household.
"Good morning Professor," Hubert offered as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "We're to leave for Garreg Mach today."
Byleth nodded as he helped himself to a small pastry, biting into the sweet bread before pouring himself a cup of tea.
"I apologize for falling asleep in my duties last night," Hubert began. "I confess, I have been staying up too late in my duties as of late."
"Why is that?" Byleth asked, his food forgotten as he looked at Hubert.
"These… Shambhalans have made sleep rather difficult," Hubert said. "For as much as I hate them, so much of their organization remains unknown to us."
Byleth shook his head, "You've grown since our days at the academy. I have faith that you'll surpass our enemies when the time comes."
Hubert sighed, "I thank you for your faith professor, but there is still much we do not know."
"We will surpass this challenge," Byleth replied firmly. "Remember that."
Hubert shook his head, "I've failed Lady Edelgard before. Each failure burdens my mind, and more importantly, I fear the next failure."
"We all make mistakes," Byleth said in turn. "Even now, I wonder if there was any way to stop Alferic or convince Dimitri to see reason."
A flash of light danced across Hubert's eyes, "If memory serves, you fought alongside the King of Delusion during the Ashen Wolves campaign."
"I did," Byleth replied. "Yet, in the end, even our bonds, forged in the battle against Alferic, weren't enough to convince him of the truth."
Hubert swallowed at the words, his lone visible eye settling down on the tea as Byleth took another bite of the pastry, barely tasting the fruit within.
"I believe I've told you about my first attempt to rescue Lady Edelgard," Hubert said, his eyes watching Byleth. "I would make another attempt in late 1174."
"What happened?" Byleth asked, his voice tense.
"Adrasteia personally caught me," Hubert replied, his face hard with shame. "He found my attempt amusing."
"When did this happen?" Edelgard asked, approaching the table slowly as she stared down Hubert.
Hubert shook his head, "I've told you about my interactions with those of Shambhala."
"Yes, but you never mentioned that you attempted to rescue me from their grasp," Edelgard replied. "Why did you not tell me?"
Hubert shook his head, "I've told you before, there are secrets even I'm unwilling to share."
"And why were you willing to share them with the professor?" Edelgard asked, pulling up a seat at their table as she stared at her servant.
"Because I failed, and that is simply not something you needed to know happened. Besides, nothing came of it."
"What makes you say that?" Edelgard asked. "Perhaps this Adrasteia was not careful, and let something slip."
Hubert shook his head vigorously as Byleth poured Edelgard a cup of tea, their eyes on his face as he spoke again.
"Adrasteia allowed me to see you that day," Hubert said at last. "He brought me into your chamber."
"And what happened then?" Byleth asked, his face watching Hubert.
"Nothing," Hubert replied. "I had a choice then. I could have stabbed Adrasteia with his letter opener, I could have struck him with a chamber pot when his back was turned, but I did nothing."
"You would have been fourteen," Edelgard replied. "And fighting against a fully grown man, and likely a powerful sorcerer at that. To have attacked him would have been a death sentence."
Hubert shook his head in turn, his face dark, "You fail to understand, Lady Edelgard. To have walked away without having done anything was to spit on my oath of service. Instead of serving you as I should have, I left that room without raising a finger, without saying a word."
Edelgard closed her eyes for a moment, leaning back into her chair as the two men by her side fell silent.
"Hubert?" Edelgard asked when she opened her eyes again.
"Yes Lady Edelgard?" Hubert asked, his tone formal.
"Had you gotten yourself killed attempting a rescue, then you would have failed me," Edelgard said, her tone frigid. "In the event I would ever be in the same situation, I would expect you to rally an army to free me rather than waste your life against an army of guards."
Hubert swallowed, his face clearly uncomfortable.
"Is that clear?" Edelgard asked, her eyes staring unflinchingly at her servant.
"Crystal, Lady Edelgard," Hubert said with a bow of his head.
"None of us would ever let you be taken," Dorothea said as she approached the table. "They'd have to get through all of us first."
"I wholeheartedly agree," Hanneman said as he followed Dorothea. "They would have to fight the entirety of the Imperial Army, the Black Eagle Strike Force, and the Professor himself before that monstrous idea could even be entertained."
Dorothea smiled as she rested her arms against Hubert's shoulders, "And there's no way they're getting through us."
Mortis winced as she opened her eyes, taking a long moment to survey her surroundings, slowly reaching behind her head to rub her sore neck.
"Just my luck," Mortis hissed, forcing herself up as she blinked the sleep from her eyes, taking a moment to stretch her limbs before standing up.
The unmistakable stench of smoke made Mortis grimace as she turned to the window, watching a large plume of smoke rise from the street below.
"What the fuck?" Mortis asked as she moved to survey the scene below, her hands slowly reaching for her Athame.
"How far away are we from Garreg Mach?" Ferdinand asked as he joined Yuri at the campfire.
"Not long now," Yuri replied. "There's maybe a half day of listening to Constance mope left before we can reach Garreg Mach."
Ferdinand nodded, "You think anything about the symbol?"
"The eye?" Yuri asked, his eyes darting to the sleeping forms of his friends. "There's nothing from my end. I've never seen it before we found the dead guy."
Ferdinand nodded, his lips pursed. "Out of all of us in Fhirdiad, only two of us had ever seen the symbol before."
Yuri raised an eyebrow at the comment, "Is that so?"
"I saw it while my father conducted business with the other members of the Insurrection," Ferdinand confirmed. "Sylvain mentioned he saw one of Cornelia's guards wearing the icon."
Both of Yuri's eyebrows rose at the words, "Was this during the sack of Arianrhod?"
Ferdinand shook his head, "No, this was before he came to Garreg Mach. He confessed that he was doing… Sylvain things."
"Ah," Yuri said. "Curious, I didn't think he would be interested in a humble guard when he could have been looking at Cornelia."
Ferdinand sighed, "He claimed that the guard was rather attractive."
"That's Sylvain for you," Yuri said with a shake of his head. "Still, if this was a guard of Cornelia's, there's a good chance we slew her in battle."
Ferdinand shook his head, "Even if she was killed, there's still potentially more of them out there. We also can't discount the possibility of her being out there somewhere."
"You mentioned Cornelia," Hapi said, her unexpected voice causing Ferdinand to jump, her tone frigid as she stared at the two men before her.
"Right," Yuri cut in, turning back to give Hapi a look of regret. "Sorry about that."
Hapi shook her head, "It's alright Yuri bird. I couldn't sleep with Pompy's information anyways."
"Do you think there's anyone else who knows about the insignia?" Yuri asked. "Perhaps Caspar or Linhardt?"
Ferdinand paused for a moment before he shook his head, "We asked Caspar. He didn't have a clue what the symbol was. I suspect Hubert will recognize it."
Hapi turned her head strangely, "Why the Bert? Apart from the fact that he's creepy?"
Ferdinand shook his head, "Hubert's father took a large role in the Insurrection of the Seven."
"Why not ask his father then?" Hapi asked.
Ferdinand winced in turn, "You two weren't there to see it were you?"
Yuri raised an eyebrow, "I'm all but banned from Enbarr, so no. A misgiving with a certain crime lord."
"I heard about it," Constance said quietly as she approached the group. "I heard it was terrible."
"Coco, what do you mean?" Hapi asked, turning to face her friend.
"Hubert murdered his father in cold blood," Ferdinand offered. "I was told that half of his household staff went with him to the grave."
"Right," Yuri admitted. "Let's leave it at that, talking about murder isn't going to get us any closer to Garreg Mach."
"Are you two hungry?" Ferdinand asked the girls.
"I'm not worthy to eat in your presence," Constance said, her head bowed.
Yuri sighed as he pulled a piece of bread from a nearby sack, "Constance, you're eating with us, and that's that."
"What's with the early meeting?" Chilon asked as he arrived at the conference room, frowning as he spotted Spite hastily scribbling notes at the end of the table. "Did something happen to your agent?"
"Dire news," Thales replied. "Our field agent has reported to us that there's a rebellion at The Great Bridge of Myrddin."
"Rebellion?" Chilon asked, staring at Spite as the man turned the page. "The worms are killing one another?"
Spite glanced up at the form of Chilon standing over the table before he took off his headset.
"Anything?" Aranea asked, her voice tight as she looked at her brother.
"Mortis is asking for orders," Spite said, leaning back into his seat. "The rebels are actively being helped by a unit of soldiers wearing the colours of House Gloucester."
"What does that mean for us?" Chilon asked, his face hard.
"Our other agent is either dead or incapacitated," Spite replied. "Remember, he marched into the heart of Gloucester territory in an attempt to recover the gold that was owed to them."
"And the three who were with him?" Thales asked.
"Likely in rebellion, possibly dead or incapacitated," Spite replied. "Though they are all from the Alliance, and it would make a degree of sense that the younger Gloucester would follow his father into rebellion."
"What shall we do then?" Chilon asked as he leaned back into his seat. "Is there any particular side we should march alongside?"
"No," Thales replied. "Periander, instruct your agent to keep hidden. We will need more information before we can act."
"Is there anything else that we can do for you?" Fleche asked as she followed the royal party to their carriage.
Edelgard shook her head as she absentmindedly waved at a gathering crowd of civilians, all clamouring to glimpse their emperor.
"Is Jeritza's armour repaired?" Hubert asked as he approached the party, quietly glaring down the crowd of civilians.
"The armour of the Death Knight has been repaired to the best of our ability," a guard informed Hubert. "Still, it is difficult. The techniques and materials used by the armour's creators surpasses even the best of our blacksmiths."
"Tell me about the metal used in the plate," Hubert replied. "Why is it that you cannot replicate it?"
"Frankly sir, we don't even know what it is," the soldier replied. "None of us have ever seen it before."
"So it's not a metal mined from the Adrestian Empire then," Hubert concluded.
"That would appear to be so, my lord," the soldier replied. "On the subject of the original blacksmith, we cannot be sure if it was a kingdom or alliance blacksmith who crafted the armour in the first place."
"Why is that?" Hubert asked.
"The alliance is more likely willing to craft such an armour," Hanneman offered. "But at the same time, they are notorious for their distaste for heavy armour, and would likely lack the blacksmiths capable of creating such a suit."
"So we shall look to the kingdom then," Hubert stated.
"Yes, but the Holy Kingdom has strong traditions amongst it's knights," Hanneman argued. "It would be difficult to craft such a suit of armour and yet remain unnoticed by Faerghus' knightley elite."
Hubert nodded, "We will discuss these factors with the rest of the Black Eagles at Garreg Mach, but we must get there first."
"We can supply you with double horses," Fleche offered. "It will make for a faster trip to Garreg Mach."
"That won't be needed," Edelgard replied. "Travelling all day and night is quite dangerous. I would much rather we arrive safely than arrive at Garreg Mach with only a single carriage."
"Shall I provide you with riders then?" Fleche asked.
"Fleche," Edelgard said firmly. "That's enough. We don't need half of your standing forces to escort us. We will be fine on our own."
"Ensure that you get us your strongest horses," Hubert said after a moment. "But ensure that your forces are ready to move out if called upon."
"Of course," Fleche said as the first carriage rolled forward. "Safe travels."
"Good morning," Indech said to his brother as the two men sat at a table at the corner of the dining hall. "I trust you slept well?"
"I know that you didn't sleep a wink," Seteth replied. "I doubt either of us could sleep after all that we learned."
"I- I regret not being there for Seiros," Indech said as the two men each took a sip of their tea. "Perhaps if I had been there, maybe she wouldn't have done what she did."
Seteth shook his head, "I was there for years. No matter what we did, there was no stopping her from trying to bring mother back."
Indech nodded, "Then there's nothing we can do but avenge her death."
"The question there is the question of how," Seteth replied. "Or even if it would be possible."
"Who was this emperor who slew her?" Indech asked. "It seems that this emperor would be a place to start."
Seteth shook his head, "Edelgard is not Agarthan. Nor is it possible to avenge Rhea by killing her."
"And why is that?" Indech asked. "What is it that's stopping us?"
Seteth watched his brother carefully before he took another sip of his tea, "Do you remember everyone from the room last night?"
"What of them?" Indech asked.
"I fought them," Seteth admitted. "Twice, and it was only by the mercy of their Professor that I was allowed to leave with my life."
Indech narrowed his eyes, "You're saying that everyone in that room was somehow tied to this Edelgard?"
Seteth shook his head, "Not everyone, but only two people we had dinner with last night had not swore loyalty to the Adrestian Empire."
"Who were they?" Indech asked. "This Linhardt?"
Seteth shook his head, "The Baron Dominic and his wife."
"I apologize, but I'm not married to Lady Madeline," Gregory Dominic said as he approached the table. "May I sit?"
Seteth nodded as he pulled his chair back, giving Gregory space to sit at the table.
"Like I was saying, while I am the Baron Dominic, Lady Madeline is married to my brother," Gregory explained. "He abandoned his family after the Tragedy of Duscar."
Indech closed his eyes and frowned, "When was this?"
"It's been nine years now," Gregory replied. "Nine long years."
Seteth nodded, "He came to Garreg Mach under the name Gilbert. Served the church faithfully."
Gregory shook his head in disgust, "There's little love lost between us brothers."
Seteth nodded, his face hard as he leaned back into his seat.
"Is something wrong Seteth?" Gregory asked. "You appear to be in deep thought."
"There was another matter I wished to ask you about," Seteth said. "In regards to the Council of Fhirdiad."
"What of the council?" Gregory asked. "It's attendants are almost all dead."
"What do you remember of Cornelia's representative?" Seteth asked. "The Dark Knight Mortis."
Gregory turned his head as he frowned, "A strange one for certain. I don't believe she was affiliated with any noble house in the kingdom. She seemed to appear out of thin air."
"Was there anything else strange about her?" Seteth asked.
"What is this about?" Gregory asked in turn. "Despite her origin, or rather, her lack of one, she was capable at what she did."
Seteth frowned, exchanging a glance with Indech in turn.
"We suspect that Cornelia had plans that went against the kingdom and the church," Seteth admitted. "We suspect that her inner circle must have had some form of knowledge of this."
Gregory paused as he bowed forward, his elbows holding his body up as he exhaled deeply into his hands.
"She had a dagger," Gregory said. "She was secretive around it."
"Dagger?" Seteth asked, his mind racing. "Describe it for me."
Gregory shook his head. "It was a big weapon, almost the length of a shortsword. I found it to be too ornate to be practical."
"Did it have a single blade or a double?" Seteth asked.
"Pardon?" Gregory asked. "I'm not sure I understand the question."
"The blade you saw her with, was there only a single cutting edge or were there two?" Seteth asked, dread filling his heart as the image of the infamous dagger flashed through his mind.
"Single," Gregory said, his eyes turning to watch Seteth strangely. "Though I'm unsure of why you are so interested in such a simple dagger."
"Wait here," Seteth said as he fled the room, hurrying past Hilda and Marianne as they entered the dining hall.
Yurius winced as he opened his eyes, his world spinning as he forced himself to adjust to the flickering light that lit the dungeon.
A boot to the stomach made Yurius groan and double over, gagging as he hacked on the ground, yet he still felt his restrained arms refuse to leave the wall he had been shackled to.
"Get up worm," a voice snarled. "Count Gloucester wants you."
"Where are we going?" a voice asked from afar.
Yurius winced as the voice descended into screams.
"Enough!" Yurius called out, his voice breaking as his dry throat screamed for water. "We'll go!"
Chilon glanced at Spite as the slender magister scribbled hasty notes onto a pad of paper, the man pausing only to turn the page before returning to writing.
"What do you think is happening?" Chilon asked Aranea as she entered the room, a tall mug of tea in her hand.
"I wouldn't know," Aranea replied, taking a sip of her tea. "My brother is always busy."
"Aranea," Spite barked, turning to face the two other members of the Septet. "I must consult Thales."
"Why is that?" Aranea asked as she took a sip of her tea.
"Mortis is getting nervous. She's requesting permission to break out of her position."
Aranea sighed, "Right. Fine. I'm on it."
"You need me to do anything?" Chilon asked as Spite set down his headset, watching silently as the magister took a sip of his cold tea.
"No," Spite replied. "Though I trust you are familiar with the location of the town?"
"Myrddin is the town on the big bridge right?" Chilon asked, sitting down as Spite nodded.
"We'll need your knowledge to plan this out, assuming of course that Thales approves of this plan."
"And if he doesn't?" Chilon asked.
Spite shrugged, "Mortis is paranoid, as she usually is. I would expect her to defy orders sooner or later."
"Apple doesn't fall far from the tree then," Chilon chuckled. "You've made a miniature version of yourself with how she's turned out."
"And how is that?" Spite asked, his voice icy as he stared down the larger man.
"Neither of you know how to react in the moment. You fall apart and panic when something comes up that you haven't planned for."
Spite paused for a moment before he sipped his tea again, grimacing at the cold, bitter water.
"Periander, what was it that you needed me for?" Thales asked as he stepped through the door, Myson and Aranea stepping into the room behind him.
"Mortis has requested that she be allowed to break out of her current situation," Spite replied. "She stated that she does not trust the staff at the tavern she's staying at to keep her identity."
"Very well then," Thales replied. "What would her plan be to escape? Would she be able to contact us after her escape?"
The room fell silent as Spite turned to his notes, his face deep in thought.
"Mortis isn't going to be strong enough to carry the rest of her travelling kit alongside the radio," Aranea finally admitted. "Still, I can vouch from personal experience that she can slip through enemy lines to deliver herself to safety."
"Is there an imperial army blockade?" Myson asked. "If she can cause a distraction, it's possible that she can make a break for the imperial lines."
"It would be best for her to avoid the presence of the Adrestian Empire," Spite said after a long minute. "We don't know how many members of the Black Eagles Strike Force know just who she is."
"Speaking of people who know who she is, how many senior members of the Kingdom's forces are still alive?" Aranea asked. "Senior Holy Kingdom commanders would recognize her as my equerry."
"And who would be included within this group of individuals?" Thales asked. "Our agents can only confirm a handful of deaths in Fhirdiad."
"And who were these?" Aranea asked, turning her gaze to Thales. "And just how many of them were there?"
"An agent of mine reported that three senior commanders of the Church of Seiros burned with Fhirdiad." Thales said. "The Immaculate One, Thunderstrike Catherine, and the Almyran Cyril."
"Who was the last one?" Chilon asked.
"Nobody important," Aranea and Spite replied in unison, the twins exchanging a glance before Spite waved his sister off.
"Who was he?" Chilon asked.
"Useless dog. Deluded into believing the lies of the Immaculate One," Spite replied. "Pay him no heed."
"I firmly agree," Aranea chimed. "Still, was Baron Dominic not amongst the dead?"
Thales looked at Aranea carefully, "And why is this baron of such importance?"
"Alongside the Nabatean Cichol, Mortis reported the most contact with Gregory Dominic during the Council of Fhirdiad," Aranea explained. "I believe he would recognize her on sight."
"He's also a troublesome figure," Spite added. "Our records indicate that he's the current keeper of the corpse blade Crusher."
"Does he have any reason to seek out the Black Eagles Strike Force or the Adrestian Empire in general?" Chilon asked, his arms crossed firmly against his chest.
"Two reasons," Spite replied, his face grim. "Firstly, his blood relationship to a certain Annette Fantine Dominic would give him reason to attempt to contact the Adrestian Empire."
"And second, his territory was besieged by a certain Death Knight," Aranea finished for her brother. "It's possible that he's already met with his niece already met, with him in chains."
"Where would they have placed him?" Chilon asked. "Garreg Mach?"
"Almost certainly," Spite said. "Which is why sending Mortis there is incredibly dangerous. One chance encounter and she is in the hands of our enemies."
"But the opposite would be to send her into the hands of the rebel Gloucester, making her useless as an intelligence asset," Aranea said.
Spite nodded, "And even then, there is no guarantee that Gloucester wouldn't sell her to the Empire regardless."
Thales nodded, "Very well then. You have my permission to have her break out."
"Of course," Spite offered as he turned back to his radio.
"What are our plans?" Ashe asked as they sat in the command tent, the group increasingly silent as the sun stood at its apex.
"There are two things we must do," Ingrid said, her eyes turned to Sylvain and Felix.
"We're all ears." Sylvain said with a shake of his head. "Not much else we can do."
"The two of you are our best riders," Ingrid pointed out grimly. "You will ride after Ferdinand to ensure that news of this strike force reaches Garreg Mach and Enbarr."
"But what about you?" Sylvain asked, his face showing visible concern. "What are you going to do?"
"We need to scout out Conand Tower," Ingrid said, her tips tight. "Get an accurate troop count of the forces that we are facing there."
"I'll go with you," Ashe offered. "I'm not really comfortable in the camp anyways."
"So what should I do?" Caspar asked. "Stand guard over a chained prisoner?"
"We need someone to remain here to talk with the Duscar," Sylvain reminded his companions. "And no, it's not going to be Ingrid."
"I can help with that, but I don't possess the authority needed to lead negotiations," Douglas replied. "Perhaps Anna can help?"
"Knowing her prices, they'll flee in terror," Felix snickered. "And then she'll hunt them down and force them to buy her stuff."
"They'll need Ashe to save them then, so Ashe, hurry back from your mission," Sylvain said with a laugh. "Anna's victims need you to save them!"
"I'm not so sure guys," Caspar said. "What if they don't take me seriously?"
"They will," Douglas interjected, patting the younger man on the shoulder. "You are the general here after all."
Yurius grimaced as he staggered through the rough roads leading back to Myrddin, his feet already suffering a dozen cuts as the guards around him forced their barefoot captives forward.
"Hurry up!"
Yurius winced as Ignatz cried out, the sound of a weapon smashing against the young man.
"Enough!" Lorenz roared, his sudden rage making the guards pause. "You will not abuse them further, you honourless dogs!"
The lead guard slammed a pike into Lorenz, doubling the man over as Yurius stood in silent horror.
"Get moving!" another guard barked as he shoved Yurius forward, the Agarthan swordsman staggering before he found his balance.
"You- you are dogs," Lorenz gasped, his face still lined in pain.
"And you're a traitor to your father," the lead guard snarled. "You turned your back on the man who raised you, the territory your ancestors watched for generations, and the people you have known all your life."
"Silence!" Lorenz bellowed, his outburst stunning the guard into stopping for a moment.
"All for a murderous empress," another guard snarled. "And you call us dogs?"
"Let's hurry up," another guard chimed in. "Count Gloucester would be furious if his guests of honour were late."
"You heard the man," a guard snarled as he hauled Ignatz to his feet. "You hold us up, and we'll make a lot of trouble for you."
"Gregory, I want you to see this," Seteth called as he entered the dining hall, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow as his brother glanced up.
"You've found something important?" Indech asked, his face concerned as he took a piece from Linhardt.
Seteth shook his head, "Have either of you seen Baron Dominic?"
"Was this what you wanted to show him?" Linhardt asked. "You ran from the breakfast table rather quickly."
Seteth nodded weakly as he placed a cloth wrapped object on the table.
"Seteth-" Linhardt interrupted. "What are you doing with the Athame?"
Seteth swallowed, "I was informed by Baron Dominic that a subordinate of Cornelia's carried a particularly distinctive knife."
"But how could the Athame have slipped out from Garreg Mach?" Linhardt asked. "That dagger hasn't left these walls since Jeralt-"
"Seteth," Gregory Dominic called from a nearby staircase. "I believe that you've found what you wanted to show me."
Seteth paused before he began to unwrap the murder weapon of Jeralt Eisner.
Linhardt grimaced as he tore his gaze from the dagger, his discomfort visible on his face as he moved away from the table, his game forgotten.
"May I hold it?" Gregory asked as he examined the blade on the table, his fingers tracing the deadly edge of the weapon.
"It's Agarthan," Indech observed grimly. "That much is obvious."
Gregory paused as he held the blade, slowly raising and lowering the blade, as if testing the weapon's weight.
"I only saw the original dagger through afternoon light," Gregory informed the other two men. "May I hold it to a window?"
Seteth nodded, "If it can allow you to confirm its identity."
Gregory nodded as he held the dangerous dagger by the tip, his eyes following the light of the setting sun as he examined the long blade.
"Father?" Flayn called. "Uncle Indech?"
"Hello Ceth- erm Flayn," Indech said, a beaming smile present as he looked upon his niece.
"Hello uncle," Flayn said as she entered the hall. "We caught a very large fish today."
"That's good," Indech said, nodding to Raphael as the tall man walked in. "We were just confirming something."
Gregory nodded as he turned back to the group, his face grim.
"Father?" Flayn asked, her voice frightened. "Is- is that?"
"Gregory, please, do not frighten my daughter."
"Oh," Gregory said, suddenly aware of the presence of the dagger in the company of Flayn. "I apologize."
"Nevermind," Seteth said as Gregory returned the dagger, the green haired man hurriedly wrapping the dagger back into its cloth prison. "I'll return this to where I found it."
"Father," Flayn said, her voice hard. "Why did you need to show him that dagger?"
"Because I met someone during the Council of Fhirdiad who had the exact same blade," Gregory replied, his face turned to Flayn as he spoke. "At the time, I thought nothing of it, but as time goes on, it appears to be more and more significant."
Flayn took a step back, her hand reaching her heart as she swallowed.
"Gregory, please, that's enough. We'll talk about this later." Seteth pleaded. "There are other things to attend to."
"No father," Flayn said, her voice hard. "I need to know about this. Who was this person with another Athame?"
Gregory exchanged a glance with Seteth, the green haired man giving a weak nod before Gregory continued.
"Her name was Mortis, a Dark Knight under the service of Lady Cornelia," Gregory said, his face grim. "Mortis would act as Cornelia's representative in the Council."
"And she had an exact copy of the Athame," Seteth finished.
"Which is without a doubt a weapon of Agarthan manufacture," Indech added. "And one of superior craftsmanship."
"Raphael, did you ever fight any Dark Knights in the siege of Arianrhod?" Gregory asked the blond man. "Particularly close to Cornelia?"
Ralphael shook his head, "Nope. We fought a few knights, but they were all men."
"Could she still be out there then?" Seteth asked, his voice tight.
"Almost certainly," Gregory said, his face hard. "If she serves your enemies, then we must be on guard."
The ruling Septet was silent as Spite swallowed, his face hard as he pulled his headset away from his head, with Aranea taking the ancient machine from her brother as Spite downed a gulp of cold tea.
"Periander," Thales observed. "You are nervous"
"I am," Spite admitted. "There is much at risk here."
Thales nodded, "That is why I will allow you to take a field position, should you request it."
Spite exchanged a glance with Aranea before he nodded, "I will act as Shambhala dictates."
"Very well then," Thales said. "I will have you retake an examination."
Spite blinked at the order, "Pardon?"
"Allow me to finish," Thales said, his voice hard. "You will take your previous title of Verrat."
Spite frowned, but nodded regardless, "May I ask why?"
Thales nodded, "I will send you and a small task force to recover the hearts of the task force entrusted to Bias."
Spite frowned, but nodded, "And the Mortis situation?"
"We will keep you informed when you return," Thales said. "Have faith in your apprentice, you were her mentor after all."
Spite nodded, "Should I leave to prepare?"
"The test is merely a formality," Thales replied. "I trust you will have no problem with it."
Spite nodded, "In that case, I will leave to prepare for my mission."
Aranea swallowed as her brother left the room, the air silent as she flipped through her brother's hastily scribbled notes.
"Pittacus?" Thales asked.
"My lord?" Aranea replied, glancing up at the leader of the Septet. "Is there a way I can be of service?"
"But of course," Thales replied. "Commence the protocols to bring back the Thief King."
Aranea blinked, "I- why?"
"Is the answer not obvious?" Thales asked, his voice with interest. "We will need his powers for the upcoming war."
Aranea shook her head, "But why leave my brother out of it? He's far more familiar with the vaults than I am."
"That is correct, but none of the Septet is as capable at the task of corpse disposal than your brother is," Thales said. "His returning to the title of Verrat shall grant him the power to burn away any trace of our failure from this world."
Aranea frowned, "But what of the Lord of the Lake? Should there not be a task force sent there as well?"
"It would be rather difficult to recover the dead while on the same battlefield as that blasted Nabatean," Thales replied. "However, I do not believe that the Lord of the Desert has stayed long amongst our dead."
Aranea nodded, "What of our forges? What of our weaponsmiths?"
"Both are problems that can be taken care of at a later date," Thales replied. "But regardless, the summoning of Nemesis will be a priority."
Mortis watched the town come apart silently from the side of the hotel, her Athame pressed against the small of her back.
"Down with the Empire!"
Mortis glanced at the mob of youths that had shouted the challenge, their youthful faces indicating that they had never served on the battlefield.
"Spoiled brats," Mortis muttered. "Running headfirst into a slaughter."
But the crowd didn't see her, not with the smoke choking the streets and their own youthful excitement.
When the crowd passed, Mortis slipped from her place of protection, her stride confident as she followed the crowd.
As she approached the imperial side of the bridge, Mortis frowned as she raised a hand to cover her mouth, the bitter smoke choking the crowd even as they chanted against the imperial army at the opposite end of the blockade.
"Make way!" a soldier shouted from behind her. "The Count Gloucester demands you make way!"
Mortis took a moment to step aside, her eyes watching the crowd for any potential surprises as she allowed a tall labourer block her line of sight, though she grimaced at the unbearable stench leaving the giant of a man.
"Death to the emperor!" the crowd roared, the air shaking as Count Gloucester passed the crowd, his frame wearing the unmistakable armour of House Gloucester.
Mortis closed her eyes and exhaled, her teeth clenched as the crowd around her gasped.
She flinched when she opened her eyes again, her fingers reaching for her Athame as she watched the pitiful convoy marched through the streets.
When her eyes met those of Yurius, her fingers wrapped tightly around her dagger, a spiteful curse escaping her clenched teeth.
Mortis cursed in Agarthan, her nails digging deep into her palms as she tore her gaze from her partner.
When the crowd moved to follow the ceremony, Mortis had already turned, her slender frame unmissed by the maddened crowd.
"Alright then," Sylvain said as he got onto his horse. "Night ride it is."
"You're too loud," Felix grumbled as he stepped forward. "Let's get this mess over with."
"We'll head out too," Ingrid said, now mounted on an unarmoured horse. "Sylvain, behave. I don't want to return to learn that you tried your tricks on yet another hapless girl."
Felix snorted, "I'll make sure the idiot gets to his location on time, and without having flirted with your grandmother."
"And you Felix, no challenging people to duels," Ingrid warned. "You're going to send a message to Garreg Mach and Enbarr, not to pick a fight with someone."
Felix rolled his eyes as he turned away, "Yes, mother, I know."
"Do you think Annette will sing for you if you arrive covered in blood?" Ingrid challenged.
"I'm sure he'll sing for her either way," Sylvain laughed as Felix snapped around, grabbing at Sylvain.
"Both of you!" Ingrid shouted. "That's enough! Get on with your mission before I send you packing personally!"
Ingrid's threat caused Sylvain to flee, Felix hot on his heels as the two men made a beeline for the road that would lead to Garreg Mach.
"Trouble with them?" Ashe asked as he left the tent, a quiver full of arrows at the ready as he mounted his horse.
"You know it," Ingrid groaned as Ashe pulled up next to her. "How about you? Are your men content with being left out of this?"
Ashe shook his head, "They're concerned for me, but this is something I have to do myself. They're all tired from the last expedition anyways."
Ingrid nodded, "So what are you thinking? Just examine the tower?"
Ashe shook his head, "Conand Tower should have a forest in the vicinity. We should be fine to observe from there."
Ingrid nodded as she urged her mount into a trot, the two of them riding in a comfortable silence.
AN: Chapter 23 is complete.
Review, Follow, etc.
Next time:
Road Trip.
Farmer and the Viper.
Corpse Eater.
Gishin'anki
Magna Carta
