.
Verdant Wind
Fodlan's New Dawn
Day 7 of the Horsebow Moon
Byleth had hoped for a little more time to come up with an explanation for Claude's departure, but it was clear that the Alliance leader's absence had not gone unnoticed. By the time Byleth joined the dining hall for breakfast the following morning, the monastery was already abuzz with rumors of Claude's disappearance, and it wasn't long before paranoid theories of kidnapping began to surface.
In order to prevent the monastery from falling into a state of panic, Byleth called for a meeting in the Cardinal's Room to discuss the situation. Many of the Golden Deer and church faculty had already assembled, though a few were still absent. Byleth drummed his fingers on the cardinal's table somewhat impatiently, waiting for the late arrivals.
"I've received word from one of the knights," Seteth said, taking Claude's usual seat at Byleth's right. "Catherine and Shamir will not be joining us. They have recently departed on a reconnaissance mission within the Empire."
"Recon?" Raphael repeated, frowning in confusion. "But I thought all the fighting was over."
"Although the imperial army has been dealt with, the embers of war still linger," Seteth explained. "We must be wary of any potential uprising while Fodlan remains in such a fragile state."
"If those two aren't coming, then I suppose that's everyone, hm?" Alois said, glancing around the room.
"Wait, um...where's Hilda?" Marianne asked.
"I'm here. Sorry for being late, Professor," Hilda said in an unusually subdued voice as she arrived and took her seat.
"Hilda, are you OK?" Leonie asked worriedly.
"Huh? Oh, yeah...I'm fine. Just fine," Hilda said quietly.
Byleth frowned. He had delivered the letter to Hilda's room in the dead of night, just as Claude has requested. Although Byleth never read the message himself, it was clear that it's contents had an impact on Hilda. It wasn't unusual for her to be distracted, but this wasn't Hilda's typical absentmindedness. She was focused...and yet strangely distant. Hilda wasn't her usual bubbly self, yet neither was she sad. Byleth could tell that she had a lot on her mind.
"It would seem everyone is accounted for," Seteth said. "Let us begin."
"We have come to discuss Claude's disappearance, correct?" Flayn asked.
"I recall that you were to meet with Claude last night, Professor," Lysithea noted. "Do you know what happened?"
She immediately regretted asking this. Although Byleth wasn't very expressive, Lysithea knew him well enough to read his subtle facial cues. He had clearly wanted to keep his meeting with Claude a secret, but it was too late now.
"I did," Byleth admitted. "That's why I called you all here."
"Well, don't leave us in suspense," Lorenz prompted. "What is Claude's status? Can you confirm his whereabouts?"
"He didn't tell me..." Byleth muttered.
The room filled with murmurs at this statement. What Byleth said was true, however he did have a strong feeling on where Claude was headed. If his theory was right, Claude would be in Almyra right now. But Byleth had no intention of telling the others this, or of Claude's decision to name him king.
"Will he be back in time for the coronation ceremony?" Ignatz asked worriedly.
"...He's not coming back," Byleth stated.
At this, several voices rang out at once.
"What?!"
"You can't be serious!"
"He's gone ?!"
"N-No...he wouldn't just leave us, would he?"
"But what will happen to Fodlan?"
Among those at the table, only Hilda and Seteth seemed to be unfazed by this revelation, but none took it as badly as Lorenz, whose face was contorted with anger and absolute disgust.
"Outrageous! The sheer negligence!" Lorenz spat, his look of frustration soon turning to anguish. "I...I should have foreseen this. He once spoke of abdicating his responsibility to the Alliance, but I didn't take him seriously at the time. When I proposed to unite Fodlan in his stead, I didn't think he would..."
Lorenz sighed and Byleth's eyes widened. Did he hear right? Lorenz would be willing to take on the responsibilities of Fodlan? To become king in his place?
"You mustn't blame yourself, Lorenz," Marianne reassured him soothingly. "You couldn't have known."
"I do suppose you are right..." Lorenz conceded with a heavy heart.
"I just can't believe he'd just abandon us like that," Leonie said, sounding a little hurt.
"Did he tell you why he was leaving, Professor?" Ignatz asked anxiously.
"...No," Byleth lied.
The room became rather sullen at this response and Byleth felt a pang of guilt in his chest. No matter how poorly Claude had acted, Byleth knew it was wrong to lie about him like this. Two individuals stood out among the crowd of crestfallen students. Hilda, who glanced towards her professor with a suspicious expression, and Seteth, who gave Byleth a piercing look. It was clear that he could see right through this fib.
"Disgraceful..." Lorenz muttered.
Besides Byleth, it was Lorenz who was the most hurt by Claude's decision to leave.
"But if he's gone, who's gonna take care of Fodlan?" Raphael frowned.
"We must reach a consensus," Flayn prompted. "The people are in dire need of a leader!"
"You mentioned you were willing, Lorenz?" Byleth suggested, hoping to receive immediate approval, however—
"Alas, Professor, I cannot accept," Lorenz said with a halfhearted chuckle.
"Why not?" Byleth frowned.
"Were there none more qualified, I would happily take on the mantle of king." Lorenz replied. "However, that is not the case here. No, I cannot accept this position in good faith when there is one more suitable right before me."
Lorenz smiled sincerely at this humbling statement, but Byleth was filled with dread.
"You're the only one who can do this, Professor," Seteth added, his tone not that of a gentle suggestion but a firm reminder. "You are Rhea's successor, the inheritor of Sothis' divine power. You and you alone can save Fodlan from falling into chaos. The people will accept no other."
"Well said, Seteth!" Alois boomed. "It is because of you, Professor, that we have triumphed against the Empire and defeated Nemesis. There is none more worthy than you to sit upon the throne. I'm sure the captain is looking down at you with pride—I know I am."
Never before did Byleth wish so dearly that he could express his discomfort than he did now. He thought back to all the times Lysithea had been able to communicate her feelings just by looking at him. What he wouldn't give to be able to look into Alois' eyes and silently plead for help—to wordlessly show the others that he did not desire this. But he couldn't. And it was too late. Everyone was already cheering their approval.
"How wonderful, the professor as Fodlan's guardian," Marianne cheered.
"You guided us through the academy and through this war, I'm sure you can guide Fodlan through its restoration," Ignatz said confidently.
"And we shall do all that we can to support you as well, Professor!" Flayn added.
"Does that mean the coronation ceremony is back on?" Raphael asked excitedly. "Haha, all right! Big ceremonies mean big feasts!"
"It's...what Claude would have wanted, right?" Hilda said tonelessly.
"I'm with Alois on this," Leonie nodded. "I'm sure the captain would be proud. And if you ever need mercenary work done, you know who to call."
Lysithea offered Byleth a weak, encouraging smile but didn't say a word, instead lowering her head despondently. Lysithea knew what this decision would mean for her, but she couldn't bring herself to argue. After all, she couldn't think of anyone better suited for king than her professor. And really, he would be better off using his talents to serve the people of Fodlan instead of searching in vain for a cure that probably didn't exist.
...Still, this was the second time Byleth had promised to accompany her home, only to be torn away.
"It would seem we have reached a unanimous decision then." Seteth stated. "The coronation ceremony shall proceed as previously scheduled and Byleth Eisner will be appointed as Fodlan's sovereign ruler. Unless there are any objections, I hereby adjourn this meeting."
"Oh congratulations, Professor!" Flayn said excitedly.
Byleth nodded and gave Flayn a forced smile—or at least he tried to—as everyone else rose from their seat. Hilda and Lysithea were the first to make their way to the door.
"Truly, there is none more deserving," Lorenz complimented, offering his hand.
"Thank you," Byleth said, quickly shaking Lorenz's hand as he tried to follow Lysithea. "I—"
"Haha! Way to go, Professor!" Raphael boomed.
"Thank you, Raphael." Byleth repeated, sliding past him, only to be blocked once again by Ignatz.
"Professor, I just wanted to—" Ignatz started.
"I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," Byleth apologized, moving past Ignatz and accidentally pushing Alois out of the way in his rush.
As Byleth exited the Cardinal's Room, he caught a glimpse of Lysithea's snowy white hair whipping out of sight as she turned the corridor. Byleth made to follow her, however—
"Professor," Seteth called, stopping Byleth in his tracks. "There is a matter I would like to discuss, if you don't mind."
Byleth gritted his teeth. He very much did mind but, seeing no other alternative, simply nodded and followed Seteth into the common room, shutting the door behind him.
"What do you need?" Byleth asked.
"First and foremost, I would like to apologize," Seteth sighed. "I understand that, growing up with Jeralt the way you did, you never did have a chance to live a normal life. And because of the position Rhea has granted you, you may never see that opportunity. Secondly, and on a more personal note, I would like to further apologize for misleading you."
"You were aware of Claude's plan."
This was a statement, not a question.
"I won't deny it," Seteth admitted. "And if you come to resent me for the role I've played in this, then all I can do is ask that you find it in your heart to one day forgive me."
"I don't resent you," Byleth muttered, glancing to the floor.
"And yet you still seem troubled," Seteth noted. "I couldn't help but notice, you intended to pass off the responsibility of leadership to one of your students, did you not?"
Byleth didn't respond.
"I hope you understand why I could not permit it," Seteth continued. "All of Fodlan, noble and commoner alike, are looking to you for guidance. I have no desire to burden you with this task, but you are the only one capable of fulfilling this role."
"That can't be true..." Byleth frowned. "I have no experience."
"After all you have accomplished, do you still doubt your capabilities?" Seteth asked. "Or is there something more to your reluctance? Please, if there is anything troubling you, you need not conceal it from me."
"...It's not my secret to share," Byleth said after a short pause.
"I see. In which case, I shall not pry. But do know that I will always be at your side. It is my sworn duty to assist you, so if there is anything I can do to alleviate your troubles, I hope you will confide in me."
Byleth paused for a moment, thinking it over.
"...Actually...there is something I would like you to do."
Knock knock knock.
"Come in." Lysithea said, not even bothering to glance over her shoulder as the door behind her opened.
Lysithea already knew who it was and what they had come to say. Sure enough, it came as no surprise when she heard Byleth speak.
"Lysithea I—"
"No need to apologize, Professor," Lysithea interrupted, her back towards him as she continued to unpack. "I'm fully aware that this outcome wasn't of your choosing. I'm...sorry you had all this forced onto you."
Lysithea could feel the weight of Byleth's hand on her shoulder and although her first instinct was to turn around and embrace him, she contained her emotions and resisted this urge. Getting weepy would only make the professor's situation more difficult, after all.
"You're unpacking," Byleth noted, seeing that Lysithea had lain her clothes out once again.
"Yes. I wanted to leave as soon as possible but..." Lysithea sighed. "I figured I ought to at least stay for the coronation ceremony. I-I...want to support you, Professor."
"Thank you," Byleth murmured quietly. "...That should give us just enough time to find a cure."
Lysithea frowned, and this time turned to face Byleth with a furrowed brow and a look of hurt and confusion on her face.
"Surely you don't mean that..."
"You know I wouldn't joke about this," Byleth stated.
Lysithea sighed and shook her head. No, of course he wouldn't. And it had been foolish of her to suggest otherwise. But still...
"The coronation ceremony is in less than two weeks!" Lysithea exclaimed. "And, with your new title, you must be drowning in responsibilities!"
"Seteth has agreed to handle all of my duties until the coronation ceremony." Byleth gently reassured her.
"Professor!" Lysithea cried in exasperation. "That's completely careless of you! I mean, really. You're the new ruler of Fodlan, you can't just hand off your workload! That's so...so—"
"Hilda-like?" Byleth suggested.
Lysithea simply scowled and folded her arms, giving him a disapproving look.
"You're usually so responsible, Professor. I can't believe you would just—" Lysithea started
"Seteth agreed that it was only fair I have time to sort out my affairs."
"Uh huh, your 'affairs'." Lysithea rolled her eyes. "I think you mean our fruitless attempts to find a cure. You do understand that all the notes we've been reading are theoretical, don't you? There's no guarantee that—"
"I'm not giving up on you," Byleth said with a firm tone and furrowed brow.
Lysithea lowered her gaze and exhaled. She couldn't stay mad at the professor. Byleth was doing this because he deeply cared about her. Lysithea was inexperienced with romance, sure, but she wasn't a fool nor was she a child...she knew that he had feelings for her. And yet because of this, Lysithea couldn't help but feel like a burden to the world. The professor was pushing aside his obligations just for her sake, all when Fodlan needed him most.
"Don't blame yourself," Byleth said, as if reading her mind. "This was my decision. It's the first decision I've been allowed to make in a long time. I want to keep my promise."
"But only two weeks..." Lysithea repeated.
"It's more than enough time if I have you at my side," Byleth said, taking her hand. "We're close to finding the answer. We can do this."
Lysithea blushed and let out a sigh, both in annoyance and admiration. What was it about the professor that made him so...persuasive? Despite his modest personality, Byleth had a way of assuring his students that he could handle any problem or overcome any obstacle, no matter how big it seemed or how many unknowns there were...and so far, he had never let them down.
"All right, you convinced me," Lysithea said wearily, giving Byleth a weak but genuine smile. "I'll continue helping you as much as I can—at least until the coronation. After that...I really must return home. I can't afford to stay here forever."
"I understand." Byleth nodded. "We can get it done by then as long as we work hard. I'll fetch the ingredients from the greenhouse as well as some tea leaves."
"Just don't get those mixed up, OK? Some of those plants are extremely poisonous!" Lysithea called out as Byleth made his way outside. "Oh, and Professor?"
"Hm?" Byleth asked, stopping at the door and glancing over his shoulder.
"...Thank you."
Verdant Wind
Fodlan's New Dawn
Day 10 of the Horsebow Moon
"Do you think this will work?" Byleth asked as Lysithea led the way down to the monastery's dungeon, using fire magic to light the way.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Lysithea urged, shaking her head. "And I'm not just saying that to be pessimistic either. Blood rituals are incredibly complicated. And this is your first-time performing blood magic on a living subject, isn't it?"
"It is. So why do we need to conduct the ritual here?" Byleth asked as Lysithea glanced inside various prison cells.
"Is there somewhere else you would rather perform it?"
"The infirmary. Or anywhere the physicians and monks could monitor us."
"Professor..." Lysithea sighed disapprovingly.
"I know you'd rather keep your Crests a secret but—"
"I have no choice," Lysithea corrected him. "If people were to discover my twin Crests, it would ruin me. My family would be hounded by Crest scholars and my parents would never get another peaceful moment."
"I understand," Byleth said. "I'm just worried about you."
"Hmph, what's gotten into you, Professor? You never dote on me this much." Lysithea muttered, her blushing face illuminated by the magical flame.
"You did say that blood magic can be very dangerous," Byleth reminded her. "If I make any mistakes..."
"Once the serum is applied, we should be fine," Lysithea reassured him. "So long as my blood lacks Crest power, not much can go wrong."
Byleth sighed wearily and nodded.
"I have faith in you, Professor," Lysithea said, smiling encouragingly as she led him into a nearby cell.
"What's our goal if we're not likely to succeed?" Byleth asked as Lysithea pulled out a piece of chalk and began inscribing a circle along with various runes onto the cell wall.
"Experience and research. Even if we fail, we're bound to learn something useful from all of this," Lysithea explained. "Now the notes mention that we will need a conduit to take in my Crests. Did you manage to convince Catherine to loan you Thunderbrand?"
"I found her sleeping when she returned from recon," Byleth said, unsheathing the sword.
"Wait—are you saying you stole it?!"
"Catherine is always watching me. If I asked, she would have investigated."
"But—"
"I'll return it before she wakes up."
"Fine, you've made your point." Lysithea sighed, withdrawing Thyrsus and placing it against the wall.
"Are you sure this will work?" Byleth asked, as he placed Thunderbrand next to Thyrsus.
"Based on the nature of your own Crest, I think it's clear that the Crest Stones contain the same power as a Crest," Lysithea hypothesized. "So theoretically, a Crest Stone should be a suitable conduit to take in the power of my own Crests, don't you agree?"
"I can't think of anything else." Byleth confessed. "Are you ready?"
"Just a moment." Lysithea said scribbling a few notes. "...Done! OK, let's begin."
Since toppling the Empire, the Church of Seiros had stopped taking in prisoners of war, which meant the dungeons were now a secluded area where they could perform blood rituals and conduct research in peace. Or at least that's what Byleth assumed they had come here for, but apparently Lysithea had another reason as well.
"Here's the key, Professor," Lysithea said, handing him a prison key.
"What's this for?" Byleth frowned.
"To prevent me from moving, of course," Lysithea responded, placing her arms into a pair of wall shackles.
"Uh..."
"It's to keep me from moving," Lysithea repeated.
"Absolutely not." Byleth said, folding his arms.
"If my body leaves the circle during the ritual, the results could be disastrous."
"Even so..."
"I can't afford to be thrashing about, so please just listen, won't you?" Lysithea insisted.
"All right..." Byleth sighed, latching the shackles together. "Do you think this will be painful?"
"Very. Which is why I'm placing myself in such a humiliating position."
"Sorry. Are you ready for the serum?" Byleth asked, pulling out a pair of syringes he 'borrowed' from Hanneman's room.
"Um...sure," Lysithea said reluctantly.
"Are you OK?"
"I hate needles..."
An ordinary person might have laughed at how childish this sounded, but Byleth, who knew of Lysithea's childhood experience, merely nodded sympathetically as he rolled down her sleeve and began numbing her arm with white magic.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit," Byleth promised, quoting Hanneman, though this only made Lysithea feel a bit more uncomfortable.
Byleth proceeded to inject her arm with one serum and then the next, before making a light incision on Lysithea's forearm to access her blood.
"Nnnngg..." Lysithea groaned as the pain flared up the moment Byleth released her arm and the numbing effect wore off.
"Are you—?"
"I—I'll be fine...don't worry about me, OK?"
"How long will the serum last?"
"A little under two hours..." Lysithea grunted. "That should give us plenty of time."
Byleth nodded and pulled out their notes on blood magic, shuffling through them until he found two papers. One contained a set of instructions for the blood ritual Byleth would be practicing. It would take several successive blood rituals to remove Lysithea's Crests. The purpose of the first ritual would be establishing a link between Lysithea's Crests and a conduit, in this case the Heroes Relics.
On the second paper was the necessary incantations to ensure this ritual's success. Lysithea, who had a deeper understanding of magic and the influence of the spoken word had painstakingly written down the incantation herself for the professor's benefit.
...And also because she knew Byleth sometimes struggled to read his own handwriting.
After taking a moment to review the procedure, Byleth began reciting the spell. With each word, the runes and circle that Lysithea had drawn glowed an ever brighter purple. Lysithea groaned in pain as the ritual took effect and her blood reacted to the magic. Byleth did his best to ignore this and continued chanting uninterrupted until—
"Y-You stopped...!" Lysithea gasped. "Is something wrong?
"I've completed the incantation," Byleth muttered, his brow furrowed with concentration. "But synchronizing your Crests with the Relics is...difficult."
"It won't be easy with the poison subduing them."
"It's not that. Your Crests are too...intertwined. I can't separate the energy."
"I—agh—hadn't considered that," Lysithea grunted. "Hand me the Relics, I'll try resonating with them myself."
"That's dangerous," Byleth warned, worried that with her Crests suppressed, Lysithea wouldn't be compatible with the Heroes Relics.
"We have to try something, don't we?"
"If you insist..." Byleth said reluctantly, picking up Thunderbrand and Thyrsus before passing them to Lysithea, whose hands were still shackled.
When Lysithea grabbed onto the Relics, however, not only did they glow red, but they glowed even brighter than usual and were humming very loudly.
"That's not normal." Byleth frowned.
"No, it's not—something's wrong!" Lysithea exclaimed as the two Relics continued glowing brighter and brighter. "Agh!"
Lysithea shut her eyes and dropped the Relics while Byleth held a hand to his face to shield himself from the blinding light Thunderbrand and Thyrsus were giving off. Even though they were no longer being held, they retained some form of connection with Lysithea due to the ritual.
"What's going on?" Byleth asked, a rare tone of panic in his voice.
"The serum's worn off and the Relics are absorbing too much power!"
"It's only been a few minutes. How—"
"AGGGHHH!"
Lysithea screamed as the two Heroes Relics began to magically draw out her blood at a rapid rate, using her blood's power to sustain themselves. They were glowing so brightly now that the entire dungeon was illuminated in a reddish hue.
"I'll undo the ritual—" Byleth started.
"It's too late, Professor, I—GAH! G-Get out of here!" Lysithea cried as the Relics started shaking, becoming more and more volatile, as if ready to explode at any moment.
"Not without you," Byleth said, using the key to undo Lysithea's shackles before pulling her away.
"Wait, Professor, you can't—"
BOOM!
The moment Lysithea was pulled out of the ritual circle, there was a brilliant flash of light and Byleth could feel his entire body engulfed in a deadly magical energy that quickly tore him apart. Just moments before death, he could hear Lysithea's final screams ringing out through the explosion as she—
:::
"Hmph, what's gotten into you, Professor?" Lysithea muttered once again.
In a state of desperation and panic, Byleth had pushed the Divine Pulse to its limit, travelling back as far as he could.
"You never dote on me this mu—P-Professor?!" Lysithea gasped as Byleth began to stumble forward.
Byleth had never used the Divine Pulse to travel this far back before. Using this much power had not only taken a massive toll on his body to the point where he could hardly stand, but had greatly fatigued him as well. Byleth was feeling very faint at the moment, and it was only a matter of time until—
"H-Hey are you all—PROFESSOR!" Lysithea shouted as Byleth toppled face first down a flight of stairs, collapsing from exhaustion.
Byleth groaned slightly as he was awakened by a familiar sweet scent. He was in his room, lying in bed and Lysithea was sitting at his desk, preparing one of her favorite teas, the Honeyed-Fruit Blend. Upon hearing his stirring, she turned to face her professor.
"Professor!" Lysithea exclaimed, setting down the teapot and sitting on the bed beside him.
"Nnngg...what happened?" Byleth mumbled, placing a hand to his throbbing forehead.
"I think I'm the one who should be asking that." Lysithea said with a concerned frown. "We were about to start the ritual and then you just...passed out all the sudden."
Byleth glanced around for a moment, getting a better sense of his surroundings.
"How did you carry me here?" Byleth asked.
"I didn't. I had to ask Catherine for help."
"Catherine, she—"
"—Wasn't happy that you took Thunderbrand without permission." Lysithea gently scolded.
"I'm surprised she didn't kill me in my sleep." Byleth joked.
"That's because I covered for you. I told her I borrowed it for training."
"And she believed you?"
"Um, sort of...she wanted to know why we were in the dungeon."
"What did you tell her?"
"...That we wanted a change of scenery." Lysithea mumbled awkwardly as Byleth shook his head disapprovingly at her unconvincing excuse. "But more importantly, what happened, Professor? Are you feeling all right?"
"I didn't sleep well last night," Byleth lied.
"Didn't sleep well..." Lysithea repeated slowly when it suddenly dawned on her. "Wait...you stayed up late last night and studied without me, didn't you?"
Byleth nodded, knowing she was likely to believe this.
"Professor!" Lysithea exclaimed. "We both agreed to split the workload equally and that we would get to bed at the same time!"
"You're right. I'm sorry."
"Ugh! You should have warned me you were fatigued."
"I didn't want to worry you."
"I've told you how dangerous blood magic is, haven't I? If you had collapsed like that during the ritual—"
"—It would have been bad for both of us," Byleth finished.
"I think you mean it would have been a disaster," Lysithea corrected him, folding her arms.
"It was reckless and irresponsible of me," Byleth agreed.
"It was completely reckless and irr—err...well, uh...don't do it again, OK?" Lysithea mumbled, a bit disarmed by his response.
"I won't, I promise."
Lysithea huffed, feeling a mixture of admiration and annoyance in how maturely the professor was handling all of this. She wanted to be angry with him right now, but she couldn't when Byleth was doing this all for her sake. At the very least Lysithea wanted a reason to scold him a bit more. ...To make sure he took better care of himself from now on. The irony of this wasn't lost on her.
"I'll hold you to that," Lysithea said as sternly as she could. "...And, um, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just hate feeling like I'm not contributing enough, you know?"
Byleth nodded sympathetically.
"I realize I don't have much room to complain, but I worry when I see you working so hard." Lysithea said with a tone of concern.
"You're worried about me?"
"I am," Lysithea confessed. "I've always known you were a hard worker, Professor...and yet I can't help but feel responsible when you're straining yourself on my account."
"I feel the same way."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"When I see you pushing yourself so hard for your parents." Byleth clarified. "And for me."
"Huh, I never thought about it like that..." Lysithea muttered to herself. "This...must be how Mother and Father feel when they see how much pressure I put on myself."
"It's how I felt."
"When I collapsed during training, you mean?"
Byleth nodded.
"I...didn't realize you felt that way. I'm sorry, Professor," Lysithea apologized. "Still, I think we can both agree that this isn't the sort of behavior that should be imitated."
"I'm just happy you're safe," Byleth said, taking Lysithea's hand.
"That I'm safe?" Lysithea asked, giving him an amused expression. "Professor, you're the one that collapsed and hit your head!"
"That's true." Byleth nodded. "But it's a good thing we didn't perform the ritual."
"Agreed. Anyway, you should get some rest. We'll try this again when you feel better, OK?"
"That's fine, but we may have trouble borrowing Thunderbrand a second time."
Byleth sighed. Although he realized that as long as he had the Divine Pulse, Lysithea was never truly in any danger, he promised himself to proceed more carefully with their research in the future. No matter how rushed they were, Byleth knew one thing for certain...he never wanted to hear Lysithea scream like that again.
Verdant Wind
Fodlan's New Dawn
Day 12 of the Horsebow Moon
Lysithea grimaced slightly as she picked at her sautéed jerky moodily. It certainly wasn't her favorite dish, but she had bigger issues on her mind. It had been several days since Byleth collapsed in the dungeon. During this time, the professor—acting on a 'premonition'—had conducted a more thorough inspection on their serums to ensure their effectiveness.
Although Lysithea didn't fully understand what had prompted this most scrutinous test, it ended up being a prudent decision on the professor's part. They had developed two serums, one to nullify the Crest of Charon and the other to nullify the Crest of Gloucester. Until now, they had both assumed that using these two serums used together would nullify Lyishtea's Crests.
...But this wasn't the case.
As it turned out, trying to use these serums on Lysithea's blood had almost no effect. If they had tried to conduct a blood ritual under these circumstances, the results would have been...deadly to say the least. And until they developed a new serum powerful enough for Lysithea's blood, their research was at a standstill.
Lysithea had spent two sleepless nights studying the effects of magic-infused plants and working to create something potent enough to nullify her Crests. At first, it seemed as though her efforts had paid off when the poison succeeded in dampening the Crest power contained in her blood sample...however Byleth soon pointed out that the poison was, ironically, too potent. In her efforts to make the serum strong enough, Lysithea had ended up creating a poison so lethal it couldn't safely be used on a living person.
Frustrated at her own failure, Lysithea had snapped at Byleth in a state of agitation. She apologized soon after, of course, and the professor had been sympathetic towards her situation, but that didn't make Lysithea feel any better about herself. She was tired, she was stressed, and she was overworking herself. Byleth was going through the same thing right now, but he could at least control himself. He always had perfect control over his emotions...
Lysithea sighed. Whatever she was going through didn't excuse her behavior, regardless of how the professor felt about it. More importantly...these were the last days she would spend with him. With all of her friends. Lysithea wanted these final moments to be happy. She didn't want Byleth to remember her as cranky, irritable, and sleep deprived when she was gone.
...And the other Golden Deer...would they even remember her? Lysithea glanced around the Dining Hall. Despite Claude's disappearance, the others were as lively and upbeat as ever. Even Shamir seemed more tolerant towards the rambunctious behavior of Catherine, Alois, and Leonie—all three of whom were drinking heavily.
Strangely enough, the only other exception besides Lysithea was Hilda. It wasn't as though she were sullen, downcast, or even upset, but there was something about Hilda's behavior that was...restrained. Her usual peppiness was gone, and she was less talkative than normal. In fact, it seemed as though Marianne was the one carrying their conversation.
Lysithea did a double take upon noticing this. It was as though the two of them had swapped personalities. Hilda was being quiet, modest, and polite while Marianne was the one who was bubbling and leading the discussion. Lysithea had never seen Marianne look so...happy before. In fact, she was practically gushing. What could have possibly happened to cause this change in behavior, Lysithea wondered?
It was at this point that Lysithea was starting to realize how distant she had become. She had always been isolated to some degree, hesitant to make friends and rarely spending time with anyone unless it was related to work, but now she felt even more disconnected than ever. The others were all living out their lives and...she had no part in it. Of course, this had always been an inevitable outcome. Lysithea knew—she had always known—that whatever connections she built would never last.
Once again, Lysithea found herself in an internal battle on whether to continue her research efforts or simply give up on finding a cure. She only had one more week at the monastery. It was her last chance to spend time with the others. And here she was throwing it away...gambling it on the very unlikely chance that she and the professor could remove her Crests.
The problem wasn't that Lysithea was unwilling to give up. The problem was that Lysithea couldn't give up. Her conscience wouldn't allow it so long as the professor continued working. It was Byleth's resolve and Lysithea's love for him that kept her going at this point. But in reality...she had come to accept her fate a long time ago.
It was an odd feeling. Lysithea longed to see her friends more than anything else and yet they were only a few feet away. A mental barrier separated her from the rest of the world—a world that she had no place in. If anyone could understand how Lysithea felt at the moment, it would have been Marianne...but even she had broken through that barrier and was with the others, celebrating the bright future that they had ahead of them.
What Lysithea wouldn't give to be a part of the group right now. To partake in idle gossip and discuss boy troubles with Hilda and Marianne like a normal woman, to join the knights in their merriment—even if she hated the taste of alcohol—or enjoy a pastime or hobby with Ignatz and Flayn. Even stuffing her face with Raphael or having a political debate with Lorenz sounded inviting...actually, where was Raphael?
"Hey, Lysithea!" Raphael boomed cheerfully, taking his seat next to her.
"Gah! R-Raphael, I didn't see you!" Lysithea exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"I noticed you sitting here all alone, so I thought I'd check on you."
"That's sweet of you, but there's nothing to worry about," Lysithea said, politely dismissing him.
"Are you sure?" Raphael frowned. "I thought I heard you shouting when I passed by the professor's room earlier. Did the two of you get into a fight?"
"No, nothing like that," Lysithea assured him, blushing slightly. "We've just been straining ourselves lately and...I snapped."
"Ah, I get it," Raphael nodded. "The professor's gonna be the new king soon. I bet he's come to you to help teach him all this noble stuff, right?"
"Uh, yes..." Lysithea said slowly. "And if anyone else asks, that's what we've been doing."
"It's awfully nice of you to look after the professor like that, but aren't you two working yourselves too hard?"
"I won't argue with that, but with the coronation ceremony approaching, we haven't much choice."
"Hm, I guess you're right. Still, I'm happy to help out if you ever need a hand."
"I appreciate the gesture, Raphael. But really, you do enough as it is," Lysithea insisted, feeling a bit guilty, considering that Raphael was still handling all of her chores.
"Ah, don't worry about that," Raphael chuckled. "Friends are there when you need it the most, right?"
"Well...I hope I can live up to my end of that one day," Lysithea said with a weak smile.
"And remember, I'm always here if you need any help."
"Thank you—but to be honest, it's the professor who needs help right now." Lysithea sighed. "He's working even harder than I am, if you can imagine."
"That sounds rough..." Raphael frowned. "Have you tried getting him to take a break."
"The professor can be...stubborn sometimes. At this point you'd be better off dragging him from his desk than just asking him to stop."
"No problem!" Raphael laughed. "I'll get him out of there in no time!"
"Raphael, that was just an expression," Lysithea giggled.
"Oh, I see...well if you change your mind, my muscles are more than capable of doing the job, " Raphael offered, smiling at his biceps, which caused Lysithea to giggle even more.
"Raphael that's—"
"Hey, Lysithea! There ya are," Cyril said, approaching the table.
"Oh hello, Cyril," Lysithea replied, turning to face him. "Did you have a letter from my parents?"
"Nah, nothing like that." Cyril said, shaking his head. "The professor just wanted me to let ya know that he learned something real important. He wants to see you right away."
"I see...well thanks or telling me, Cyril," Lysithea said, rising from her seat as Cyril departed.
"Aww, you're leaving already?" Raphael pouted.
"If the professor sent for me, it must be urgent." Lysithea said apologetically.
"Oh, I get it. Lots of important stuff he needs help with," Raphael nodded sadly. "I guess you're gonna be really busy then, huh? Still, you'll at least join us for the big celebration after the coronation, right? It wouldn't be the same if you weren't there."
"...Of course. I couldn't leave without seeing you and the others one last time." Lysithea said, offering Raphael a kind but sad smile.
"'One last time?'" Raphael repeated in confusion. "...But wait, we can still see each other after we go home, ri—"
"I should get going. I'll see you later, Raphael." Lysithea said, her back turned as she left Raphael in total bewilderment.
Verdant Wind
Fodlan's New Dawn
Day 16 of the Horsebow Moon
"We've arrived, Professor," Lysithea announced as the two made their way towards a clearing within the Sealed Forest.
Byleth scowled as his gaze fell upon a familiar ruined structure. This was where Monica—Kronya had lured him into a trap. Solon used this...shrine...altar...location as conduit for his forbidden spell, forcing Sothis to give up her identity and merge with Byleth to save them both. The place held bitter memories for him, but if Lysithea was right, then it was possible that these ruins would now be their salvation.
"Do you mind drawing the ritual circle again?" Byleth requested.
"'Again'?" Lysithea asked, frowning in confusion.
Ah...right. He had used the Divine Pulse last time. As far as she knew, this would be their first blood ritual attempt.
"...I misspoke," Byleth said dismissively.
"Hmm...well that won't be necessary here, Professor," Lysithea said, pointing to the center of the ritual site. "This place has a strong magical connection. The circular area in the middle there should suit our needs."
"Do you think this will work?" Byleth asked.
"In all honesty...if you had asked me that question earlier, I would have likely said we had zero chance of success," Lysithea admitted as she took her place inside the circular area.
"But now?"
"Now, well...I...don't want to get my hopes up but..." Lysithea paused, glancing to the side bashfully. "I have to admit, I'm rather impressed with how much we've progressed in so little time. Even the research we've discovered in Shambhala doesn't fully account for the progress we've made."
"You worked hard," Byleth said with a warm smile.
"Always the modest one, aren't you?" Lysithea said sweetly, returning his smile. "But don't deflect the praise onto me, you're the one who's done most of the work."
Lysithea gave him an admiring look. Despite her concerns and feelings of guilt when it came to Byleth's intense work ethic, she was proud of him for all he had accomplished. She didn't know how he pulled it off, but despite her best efforts to keep up with him, the professor always seemed to find a way to outpace her.
But although Byleth was pushing himself to his limits for Lysithea's sake, there was no denying that Sothis' power had contributed significantly to the amount of headway they were making. It was Byleth's connection to Sothis that gave him such a knack with white magic and, by extension, blood magic. It was the Crest of Flames that gave him unyielding stamina and allowed him to work beyond what was natural. And then, of course, there was the Divine Pulse...
Blood magic was complicated and performing blood experiments was very dangerous. Even the most accomplished Crest Scholar would have needed to take many precautions when conducting experiments on a living person. One misstep could cost the subject their life. It was thanks to the Divine Pulse that Byleth was able to experiment freely and cut months—if not years—worth of preliminary tests that would have otherwise been necessary.
"I'm aware that this might not work in the end," Lysithea added cautiously. "...There's always the possibility that my Crests simply can't be removed. But still—I..."
"Are you OK?" Byleth asked with a small frown.
"What I'm trying to say is...thank you, Professor. For not giving up on me, I mean," Lysithea added. "Are you ready to begin?"
"I'm ready," Byleth confirmed, subconsciously reaching into his pocket where he kept his mother's ring.
"Let's get started!"
Byleth nodded and pulled out a single syringe. Lysithea winced slightly as Byleth rolled up her sleeve and injected the serum into her arm. The two of them had managed to create a poison that was strong enough to nullify both of Lysithea's Crests without being lethal, but this new serum was still notably stronger and more painful than their previous doses.
"Nnnggg...one moment..." Lysithea muttered when Byleth withdrew his dagger.
Not wanting to get her clothes bloody, Lysithea removed the clasps on her sleeves, detaching them from the rest of her outfit and allowed them to fall to the ground. And although he maintained his stoic demeanor, Byleth's face reddened slightly as Lysithea exposed her shoulders. He proceeded as usual, using white magic to numb the pain before making two small incisions, one on each arm.
Just like last time, Byleth pulled out a collection of notes and incantations and quickly reviewed the steps before reciting the spell for the first ritual. The circle surrounding Lysithea began to glow purple and, with each word Byleth said, more and more runic symbols would appear inside the circle. After a while, the four-pillared corners of the ritual site began to glow crimson, acting as a conduit for Lysithea's blood in place of the Heroes Relics.
Ever since their first ritual attempt in the dungeon, Catherine had been taking greater care not to let Thunderbrand out of her sight, even if it meant sleeping with it. Not even Byleth was bold enough to try to sneak up on Catherine in the dead of night, especially since Shamir often slept in the barracks with her. Instead, Lysithea came up with the idea to use this place as their new conduit. Based on Solon's use of it, it was clear that this structure had a deep connection with the sorts of magic his people used.
"Agh!" Lysithea grunted as red energy began to manifest from her blood and fly towards the four corners of the ritual site.
"Lysithea—"
"I'm fine," Lysithea interrupted. "Just...k-keep going. I think it's working."
Byleth nodded. It was clear that the serum was keeping Lysithea's Crests under control this time. Lysithea had developed this new serum herself, but it was Byleth's idea to compare her blood sample to a sample of mixed blood containing the Crests of Charon and Gloucester. By doing so, the two were able to gain a much deeper understanding of Lysithea's Crest structure and began forming theories on how Those Who Slither in the Dark managed to implant both of them.
Neither of their theories were concrete, but the current hypothesis was that, in order to achieve the impossible and implant two Crests into a single person, Those Who Slither in the Dark created a modified blood containing two Crests that were intertwined into one and implanted this conjoined "Crest" into Lysithea's body.
It was impossible to determine whether this was truly the case or not, but by operating under this assumption, the two of them had managed to create a working serum and were able to make significant improvements in their blood magic techniques. If it were possible to remove Lysithea's Crests at all, then surely this ritual would be the answer.
After several minutes had passed, Byleth completed his incantation and finished the first ritual. The circle was complete, and Lysithea's Crests were now linked to the ritual site.
"We...did it," Lysithea sighed with relief. "We've completed the first ritual."
Byleth nodded, pleased to see how much more smoothly this went compared to their first attempt. However, they were only just getting started. There were three more rituals to perform, any of which could fail if done incorrectly and one of which would take several hours of concentration to complete.
"Brace yourself," Byleth warned her. "This may be painful, and we will be stuck here for a while."
Lysithea winced slightly, having very little tolerance for pain, but nodded as well, resolved to see this through until the very end. Ordinarily, in a situation like this, a team of specialized mages would work together and take turns performing parts of the ritual...but unfortunately Byleth was on his own and Lysithea couldn't perform blood magic on herself. The best she could do was attempt to use white magic on Byleth to restore his stamina.
The process was long and agonizing, but Lysithea did her best to bear through it without showing any signs of pain, knowing that Byleth needed to prioritize the success of the ritual over her own comfort. Besides, it had been her choice to keep her Crests a secret. If Byleth had his way, someone like Marianne or Lorenz would be assisting them. Perhaps using white magic to numb the pain while Byleth conducted the ritual.
Nearly an hour later, the second ritual was finally complete. It took longer than expected, but that was likely because Lysithea had so much Crest power. Byleth had condensed this power and concentrated it towards the two places where he had made an incision. This was all done in preparation for the third ritual...the extraction. Byleth would want to extract the Crest power while removing as little of Lysithea's blood as possible.
"That's...two down..." Lysithea grunted.
"This next step will be the longest." Byleth pointed out.
"Don't worry, I have you covered." Lysithea said, readying her magic.
"But your Crests—"
"As long as I don't use them, my magic should be perfectly stable," Lysithea reasoned.
Byleth gave a reluctant nod and began the next incantation. Reciting the incantation didn't take too long—only twenty to thirty minutes—but the ritual itself was much longer and required all of Byleth's concentration. The purpose of this third ritual was to steadily and carefully draw out energy with as little blood as possible and channel the Crest power to the four corners of the ritual site.
This process went on for what seemed like an eternity with minutes feeling like hours. The ritual was intensive for Byleth and painful for Lysithea, not to mention physically tiring since both of them were required to stand up for the entire ordeal.
After a mere fifty minutes of this, Byleth was sweating both from effort and concentration, while Lysithea was panting as she relentlessly pushed herself to use as much magic as possible to prevent the professor from exhausting himself.
"Save your strength," Byleth said, in a calm voice despite how fatigued he was.
"This is too much to do on your own, let me help," Lysithea insisted.
"You're overdoing it. If you pass out from blood loss or exhaustion, this could turn into a serious issue." Byleth warned her.
"And if you pass out from straining yourself, you'll be putting both of us at risk," Lysithea countered.
"...You've got a point," Byleth conceded after a short pause. "But don't push yourself too hard."
"I'm perfectly capable of recognizing my own limits, Professor."
"No, you're not."
Lysithea blinked, a little taken about by Byleth's blunt honesty...but knew she couldn't argue against this.
"Hmph. Well clearly I'm not the only one." Lysithea said, regaining her swagger. "Someone needs to keep you from wearing yourself out."
"That's true."
"So, we'll just have to regulate each other then. Fair?"
"Fair." Byleth nodded, smiling in spite of himself.
More time passed. Minutes became hours and ritual went on and on, even as the sun set and night fell upon them. Lysithea knew going in that this ordeal was going to be long, uncomfortable, and painful, but she hadn't fully braced herself for just how trying it would be. She had adapted to the pain after all this time, however...
"P-Professor? Are we almost done?" Lysithea asked hesitantly.
"We're getting closer, but it will still take some time," Byleth said. "Until then, try to rest."
Lysithea frowned. She had a feeling he would say that, which was why she avoided asking that question up until now. But...the professor was right. At the moment, the real struggle was trying to remain upright and conscious after hours of standing and continuous blood loss. Lysithea tried to keep herself focused with the idea of her Crests being removed. How happy she would be...and how happy her parents would be, knowing she would survive.
"One ritual left. We're nearly finished," Byleth said after roughly forty minutes had passed.
Lysithea nodded weakly. With the third ritual complete, there was just one step left. Byleth began reciting the only remaining incantation, invoking the fourth and final blood ritual, which would stabilize Lysithea's blood and kick start the regeneration process to help regain her lost blood.
This fourth ritual was much shorter than the previous one, lasting only a few minutes until Byleth finished chanting the spell. With the incantation complete, the professor let out a sigh of relief as the ritual circle stopped glowing, as did the four corners.
"We're done," Byleth said quietly.
With their work finally complete, Lysithea allowed herself to collapse, falling to her hands and knees and breathing heavily while Byleth was doubled over and panting equally as hard.
"T-Thank you..." Lysithea mumbled breathlessly as Byleth knelt beside her, healing her wounds, and numbing the pain.
"Lysithea, your Crests..."
A trace of anxiety could be heard in Byleth's usually toneless voice. Lysithea nodded grimly feeling a mixture of excitement, worry and dread as she attempted to manifest her Major Crest of Gloucester. A magical glyph appeared in the palm of her hand, just like normal, but...the Crest of Gloucester was missing from the center.
"My Crest—it...it can't be!" Lysithea exclaimed, wide-eyed.
Byleth smiled as Lysithea next attempted to manifest her Minor Crest of Charon. Once again, a magical glyph appeared, but the Crest of Charon was nowhere to be seen.
"T-They...they're gone!" Lysithea stuttered excitedly, giving a shaky laugh as she repeatedly tried and failed to manifest one of her Crests. "...You...I...we did it. I can't believe—oh, Professor!"
Lysithea attempted to hug Byleth, trying to wrap her arms around his neck. But, in her fatigued state, Lysithea's arms failed her, and she instead merely collapsed against him.
"It's over now," Byleth said softly, keeping her steady
The two stayed this way for some time, as Lysithea leaned against Byleth, lacking the strength to properly embrace him. Byleth simply gave a soft smile and gently stroked her hair. They were both too exhausted to speak and yet Byleth found his mind wandering to the ring he kept in his pocket. Byleth knew little of romance, but he had planned to propose to Lysithea the moment her Crests were removed...wanting to make this moment perfect.
"Lysithea?" Byleth whispered, glancing down at her.
Lysithea didn't respond, but simply continued to lean against him, breathing heavily.
"Lysithea," Byleth repeated.
No response. Her breathing was still heavy, but she wasn't panting. It was more like...she was snoring. Byleth frowned and pulled Lysithea back. She was indeed sleeping, a small, content smile on her face as she rested against him peacefully.
Byleth sighed but smiled as well. The procedure had taken far more out of them than he had expected, and it seemed that, in Lysithea's moment of excitement and weariness, she had passed out in his arms. Byleth had really wanted to propose to her on the spot but...he supposed the engagement could wait a little longer.
When Lysithea finally regained consciousness, she found herself lying in one of the infirmary beds. Judging by the very dim light shining through the windows, she had likely awoken just before sunrise. Lysithea quickly noticed that she was not alone. Sitting at her bedside, fast asleep in the nearby chair, was Byleth.
The fact that Byleth was waiting at Lysithea's bedside, rather than sleeping in the unoccupied bed next to her, could only mean he had been waiting for her to wake up. Lysithea smiled. Even if the professor couldn't show it very well, it was clear that he was eager to see her. And he was excited because...because...because...
My Crests!
Lysithea leapt out of bed and immediately tried to manifest her Crest of Gloucester once more. Nothing. There was nothing there. It was gone. Her Crests were gone! At this point, Lysithea wanted nothing more than to wake up the professor and share in her excitement—her happiness—but decided against it. Byleth had worked so hard...he deserved his rest.
...Besides, with her Crests gone, there would be endless opportunities to celebrate. They didn't need to work to find a cure anymore, she didn't need to rush through her life. No more sleepless nights studying. No more straining their bodies to the point of collapse. No more living in fear of an early death. She was...free!
And it was all thanks to him. To her professor, the man who refused to give up on her...who never stopped fighting for her future. It took all of Lysithea's willpower to restrain herself from lunging at Byleth and showering him with her affection—regardless of who heard or saw. Even if she had more time, she wanted to enjoy this moment now , but the only people who knew of her condition were herself and the professor.
...And her parents! She needed to inform them about this right away! Lysithea glanced around anxiously, looking for a spare sheet of paper and quill she could use. Oh, but what would she even write?
Dear Mother and Father,
I am hoping you are well. After Nemesis' recent raids in the Hrym Territory, I'm sure your hands are filled with—
No, no, that was a terrible start. Her parents didn't want to read pleasantries and formalities. The first thing they would want to read was that her Crests were removed! That her body would no longer suffer from their strain. That she...was going to live.
Dear Mother and Father,
I know this is sudden, but I have exciting news! For the last few months, my professor and I have been trying to find a way to remove my Crests and, after all this time, I think we have succeeded!
Lysithea paused for a moment, frowning.
I 'think' we have succeeded?
There was no doubt about it, they had succeeded...right? Just to be sure, Lysithea attempted to manifest her Crests for the umpteenth time...and once again they failed to appear. They were gone. They were definitely gone. She didn't have anything to worry about...
...So why did she feel so uneasy?
Lysithea glanced to the doorway. Just across the hall was Hanneman's office, as well as his Crest Analyzer. ...But that was unnecessary. She had proven—repeatedly—that she no longer bore her Crests. They had been removed. Forever. She had nothing to worry about. Everything was fine.
Although...there was no harm in checking, was there? It wasn't as though the Crest Analyzer would somehow implant Lysithea's Crest's back inside her. Besides, Hanneman was sure to have stocked plenty of spare parchment and quills for his own research notes. She could use that to write a letter to her parents while she waited for the professor to wake up.
Doing her best to remain silent, Lysithea tiptoed to the door as stealthily as she could, exiting the infirmary and heading into Hanneman's office. Her eyes rested on the Crest Analyzer for a brief moment, but she resisted the temptation for now and began searching Hanneman's desk. There was a notable lack of Crest documents—likely because Seteth or Byleth had raided this room before her—but eventually Lysithea managed to find some good parchment and a quill.
Finding ink was a bit trickier. Whoever had previously searched this room hadn't given much regard to Hanneman's possessions and had knocked over many of his ink bottles. After a few minutes of searching, Lysithea did manage to find a slightly cracked, half-full bottle that was in good enough condition to use. With these supplies in hand, Lysithea made her back out when the Crest Analyzer caught her eye once again, glowing tantalizingly.
...There was no denying it. Lysithea was scared. She knew she had no reason to be, but nevertheless the idea of allowing the analyzer to verify her Crest status terrified her. But...there was no sense in delaying the inevitable. She had to check at some point or else she'd die of curiosity. Lysithea let out a shaky breath and placed her hand over the device.
The Crest Analyzer glowed purple for a moment, scanning her hand. At first there was no reaction. The Crest Analyzer simply concluded its scan and gave no result. Lysithea let out a tense sigh as her worst fears were alleviated, however a moment later the Crest Analyzer glowed once again and projected two shapes before her eyes.
...The Crest of Gloucester and the Crest of Charon.