At the start of the next month, the Blue Sea Moon, You wake up and prepare for the work ahead of You. You begin your walk to see Aisa, Seraphine appearing at your side.

Seraphine: I can't stop thinking about that dream we had… It was nothing like we had experienced before then, and it's not like we've seen anything since either. It's like it's all on the tip of my tongue, but I don't know what to do about it.

You shake your head. You do not know what to do either.

Seraphine: Let's go and see the archbishop though… I bet she has something important to tell us given that it's kind of her job to tell us what to do.

You arrive at the room where Aisa is most of the time. She is standing with Roy as usual.

Aisa: Greetings, Professor. I come with good news.

Seraphine: Unless that good news has to do with Malice or that dream we had, I don't want to hear it right now. I'm kind of on a mission here.

Aisa: We have figured out the truth behind those mercenaries who attacked you on your first official mission of the year. The mercenaries from Adrestia were from Bazler territory. It is a Crestless house that has not seen any Crest bearers in many generations.

Seraphine: Crestless noble houses? I didn't even realize those existed. Everything in this world seems to be all about the Crests. Can you blame me for thinking that?

Aisa: A rebellion is set to begin soon. While you were on your mission this past week, Nesreen searched the area. She found proof of a pending rebellion in the form of letters from Lord Bazler. You are to help suppress this rebellion.

Roy: However, there is one other important thing for you to know.

Seraphine: What could be more important than telling us about Malice? We figured out where one of the groups came from. Sounds pretty important to me.

Roy: This mission was not given by the church itself. It's from the emperor of Adrestia.

Seraphine: Woah! Of all the things I expected to hear, that wasn't it!

You ask about the Adrestian Emperor.

Aisa: Hendrix von Faixnoye has been ruling over Adrestia for more than thirty years. He is one of the most powerful men in all the land… Even foreign powers cannot compete with him.

Roy: He requested that the students suppress the rebellion as opposed to sending out his own soldiers to do so. Your class, whichever one you select, will be defeating the rebels at the emperor's request.

Seraphine: Somehow, I don't think this is going to be easy… Just knowing that the emperor asked us to do this really lays on the pressure.

You ask to hear more about Hendrix.

Aisa: He is known for having one of the longest rules in recent memory, no matter the kingdom.

Roy: He's also been called stubborn in the past, though I suppose it's all a matter of perspective regarding how you think of him. However, it cannot be doubted that he leads a powerful empire.

Aisa: Now, it's time for you to select a house. Which one will you choose for the month?

After thinking on the matter, You arrive at a conclusion: the Golden Deer.

Roy: You wish to follow the Golden Deer this month?

You nod.

Aisa: I'm glad to hear you're so ready. Now, you should go and speak with the members of your class to see what the plan is for the coming month.

You nod and start to walk to the homeroom. Seraphine appears next to You.

Seraphine: The emperor… I wouldn't have expected somebody so important to turn to children like us. If you ask me, he's just doing this so he won't have to bother with it. I mean, he has the superior military might, so why bother with us?

You shrug uncertainly.

Seraphine: I don't know. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions. Let's go on and see the kiddos.

You walk into the Golden Deer homeroom. Jill is inside with the other students.

Jill: Hello, Professor. Welcome.

Adeline: I heard we're to be working with the emperor of Adrestia this month.

You nod.

Wolfgang: The mercenaries that attacked Ms. Hepius a few months ago were sent by Lord Bazler. Now, he's going to start a rebellion and try to take the throne of Adrestia… What in the world is he thinking?

Lev: Why is the emperor having us take care of it…? He's the most powerful man on the continent with government power. He has his own fighters.

Seraphine: That's what I'm saying!

Novalee: I can't imagine he's doing this for no reason… This was deliberate. However, the reasoning behind it is still a mystery to me.

William: If the mercenaries were involved with Malice, then Lord Bazler is tied into this as well… The pieces are coming together, it seems.

Cedric: We need to prepare ourselves.

Sofia: I'm sure they've improved in battle since the last time they were fought.

Adeline: We've grown, but they have too.

Lev: Perhaps we should eliminate them sooner rather than later… So many people have been hurt who deserve justice.

Wolfgang: He's being driven mad with power. Nobles seem to enjoy biting off more than they can chew to get what they want.

Sofia: Nobles can be so childish sometimes. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but can you blame me for thinking this way?

Cedric: Hurting innocent people cannot be allowed. With the light of justice on our side, we need to fight back.

William: It appears that we've come to a conclusion about what we'll be doing from here on out then… I'm glad to hear it.

Novalee: I can't help but feel the same.

Jill: Our knowledge on this mission is minimal at best. Our briefing is going to be directly from the emperor. He wanted the honor of telling us what to do when Bazler finally needs to be struck down in battle.

Sofia: But why ask us? He has so many people to do it. His knights are countless in number, but he's having students do it.

Lev: I don't know why, and honestly, I don't care to find out…

Raithius: I've heard quite a bit about the emperor before, you know. I haven't met him, but he recruits fighters he thinks will help him to expand his reach. He uses them to get rid of those who could harm his power. Maybe he wants to try and recruit some of us, which would explain why we're going out. Isn't it odd that he's related to Chris despite being so power-hungry?

Novalee: Isn't it odd to imagine? They're so different, and on top of that, they don't look anything alike. There's no resemblance.

Adeline: That seems to be an understatement…

William: There's not much we can do to think of it at the moment. The mission itself is still about a month away.

Jill: It's time for us to start getting ready, but not today. Enjoy the rest of your day. We'll meet up tomorrow to continue training.

The students leave with Jill, and You follow after them. However, soon after leaving, You are approached by none other than Chris.

Chris: Um… Professor? Can we talk for a moment?

You tell her that should be okay.

Chris: Thank you… I know I'm not in your class for the month, but I have an important thing to tell you before you meet with the emperor.

Seraphine: Not even 'my father'. Just 'the emperor'. I don't like that. Something is up.

You agree with Seraphine but let Chris lead You to a quiet corner of the monastery.

Chris: I'm sorry to be cutting into your free time like this, but… Be careful around my father. Don't let him get to you. In fact, don't show him a fraction of the way you really feel about anything. Hide everything. Don't let him get attached to anything.

Seraphine: Wow… She really doesn't seem to like her father much. I wonder why.

You ask Chris why she is so concerned.

Chris: Um… To put it nicely, we don't really get along. He focuses on things I truly wish he wouldn't, and while there's not much I can do about it, I truly hate the way he manages my life.

Seraphine: But that still doesn't explain details!

You ask for more details.

Chris: I-I'd rather not get too deep into it, but… We got into a fight shortly before I came here to the academy, and it caused a lot of stress between the two of us. He doesn't even want to look at me, much less say anything. We're enjoying our time apart right now, though it doesn't look like that's going to last… Anyways, I hope you have a nice day, Professor. I should get going.

Chris walks away quickly.

Seraphine: Sounds to me like there's more to this emperor than meets the eye. I mean, I don't know how we're going to get any other information out of her, but we should make an attempt to do so. Something is clearly going on here.

You nod your agreement but point out that You won't be getting any answers until Chris grows more comfortable with You.

Seraphine: That's true… I guess we should just enjoy our time off for now. We can think about this more later.

You agree with her and begin your day of exploration around the monastery. In the courtyard outside the Officers Academy, You run into Cassia.

Cassia: Malice… It's clear we're dealing with an organized party that spans at least two nations. I can't help but wonder what their goals could be… But I suppose only time will tell. In the meantime, all we can do is work hard.

You walk away from Cassia to approach Hegias, who is also in the courtyard.

Hegias: I don't know what these mercenaries have been doing, but it's clear they're dangerous. I can't believe they went after Evenor the way they did… I can't wait to see them taken out. I hope that's not bad of me to say.

You assure him that it's alright.

Hegias: Thank you, Professor… It just upsets me they'd go after the innocent this way, you know?

You turn to the final person in the courtyard, who happens to be Adeline.

Adeline: I can't help but wonder… If this Malice group is already in Adrestia and Faerghus, there must be some people working with them in Leicester too. I mean, that would make sense… This isn't my way of saying I want to believe it. Don't make that mistake. I just… It seems likely to me.

After You finish in the courtyard, You move to the training hall. Inside, there are two people talking. Upon further inspection, You realize they are Sofia and Falon.

Sofia: Well, aren't you tough as can be, Fally?

Falon: Sofia, you flatter me. I just do the work I need to in order to improve.

Sofia: Flattery or not, I'd love to learn more about the way you fight. Perhaps we should spar together. We could join each other for tea soon after…

Falon: Teatime? That sounds lovely! Training and having tea are always much more fun when they're with friends, wouldn't you agree?

Sofia: Yes… Friends…

Falon: Did you say something?

Sofia: Nope!

You leave the training hall and move to the first floor of dorms. You see Aquillus standing against a pole.

Aquillus: Malice… I checked any books I figured would be useful for potential references of this group. I didn't find anything. As far as I can tell, they've only become a recent threat. I can't help but wonder what their purpose can be… Hm. How strange.

Further down the row of dorms, You see Kaeta.

Kaeta: It would be an absolute dream to attend the Officers Academy one day… Unfortunately, for somebody like me, a commoner, that's just a dream. Unless you've got the cash to send somebody here, that dream is just a dream. Makes you wonder if the system is really alright if it's based purely off how much gold one owns.

The final person on the first floor of the dorms is Nesreen.

Nesreen: I've been rather active recently in finding new information. It's been a while since any messenger was sent out this much back to back. Something is clearly wrong in the world if things are going this way… Hm. I wish I knew the answers everyone is seeking.

You head upstairs to the second floor of dorms. You see one pair of people at the far end of the hallway. It's Chris and Polly, You realize.

Chris: I can't believe we have to see him again…

Polly: I wish it wasn't the case either. We know how he can get.

Chris: That's an understatement… Condoning harassment for his own personal gains is far beyond just 'how he gets'. On top of that, he seems to look at every woman he isn't related to with a sexual gaze… He disgusts me.

Polly: But we can't say anything publicly… For now, we'll have to lay low. We'll find a way out of this soon enough. I promise.

Chris: I hope you're right…

Sensing the two are discussing something, or rather, someone serious, You leave them in peace and go back downstairs to enter the greenhouse. Inside, You run into Adrian.

Adrian: The plants of this continent are so different from what I'm used to… It's been a year since I was back home, but I'm still not used to seeing so much that I've never seen before. It's the reason I set out to begin with, but it still catches me off guard.

You ask Adrian about his home.

Adrian: Oh, I'm from Brigid. It's a territory near Adrestia. Maybe I could take you there one day.

You leave the greenhouse to investigate the fishing hole. There, You see a variety of people, though the first one You encounter is Yuliya.

Yuliya: I've been working here for years, but I still feel like I've never gotten what I deserved… How much can someone take before they want to snap? Just give me a damn raise so I don't have to keep buying the cheapest food in existence!

Yuliya seems to be ranting to no one in particular, so You decide to leave her be. Next, You approach Wolfgang.

Wolfgang: You know, I didn't know much of anything about fishing before I came to the monastery. Back home, there weren't any rivers or streams to fish in, so I hadn't ever tried it before coming here… The school really is changing my life.

After finishing your conversation with Wolfgang, You approach a final pair standing on the docks: Rodain and Derric.

Rodain: Malice seems to be some sort of conspiracy group. I would love to learn more about them.

Derric: I wouldn't be so cheery. They're dangerous. If we get too close, something could happen.

Rodain: But I want to know why the knights haven't been sent out to deal with them yet! We could handle it!

Derric: I have no doubt of that, but it's the archbishop's choice at the end of the day. We have no reason to go against her, so we should listen to her words for now. If we have problems later, we'll address them then.

Rodain: I hate it when you're right…

After finishing in the fishing hole, You decide to head to the dining hall. Inside, You see Aestlyn sitting at a table.

Aestlyn: I got a letter from my parents back home. They haven't had any bandit issues since we drove off the Malice soldiers. That's such a relief… I just hope they don't come back anytime soon. They've dealt with enough as is.

Sitting at another table nearby is Kyle.

Kyle: Aestlyn truly is the symbol of perfection and beauty… I'd love to get to know her better. Professor, do you have any advice for me?

You suggest that he express his interest to her up-front.

Kyle: Hm… Solid proposal. Thank you, Professor!

Another pair is sitting in the dining hall as well. You notice the two are Florence and Karim upon getting closer.

Florence: There's so much to think about with all that's happening… Do you have any ideas as to what's going on?

Karim: Not a clue. I wish I could tell you what they were doing.

Florence: Mercenaries seem odd to use when a lord has their own army…

Karim: I agree. Perhaps we'll just have to figure out what they're up to ourselves.

Florence: And if we don't learn anything officially on a mission, we can go and check it out together.

Karim: Sounds good to me!

You leave the dining hall to head for the entrance hall. The first person You encounter once inside is Miriam.

Miriam: Malice… Hm.

You ask if she is thinking about something.

Miriam: Me? Nothing. Don't worry about me. Continue with your day.

You leave Miriam alone, clearly seeing she isn't in a mood to talk. You move onto the next person in the entrance hall, who turns out to be Magnolia.

Magnolia: I've been thinking a lot about Malice from last month. If they really were involved with… Ahem… That incident back when I was little, then they've been active for all this time, and nobody was aware of it… They're planning something huge. I can just feel it… I hope it doesn't turn out to be too bad.

You leave Magnolia to her thoughts before moving to the stables near the entrance hall. Cedric is tending to a horse.

Cedric: Hm… I can't stop thinking about everything that's been happening. It's the duty of a noble to defend their people from evil, but what if the evil gets rid of the nobles? That makes things much harder… Regardless, I'm sure we'll figure something out. We won't go down that easily.

Also in the stables is Cordelia, who is standing near a bag of hay.

Cordelia: I've heard of your skills from the students, you know. I know the knights and students haven't had much of a chance to interact recently, but I hope that we'll be able to get to know each other better someday soon. You're an interesting fellow. Maybe you'll become a knight one day… Now that's something I'd like to see.

After leaving the stables, You move to the knights' hall. Inside is Callisto.

Callisto: I've been trying to learn more about how to fight recently. I mean, I know I can fight, but the knights do it for a living. I don't think I'll ever go that far, but I need to be able to defend the people who need it most. In a crucial moment, a savior is what you need… But they aren't always there, so I'll need to step up!

The other person in the hall is Illona.

Illona: I'm getting better at using a bow these days… I think I've come a long way.

You ask if she ever didn't use a bow.

Illona: N-No… It was a… Um… Sudden decision. Yeah. Anyways, Professor, no need to worry about me. I won't hit anybody with arrows. Promise!

You allow Illona to continue her training before moving to the reception hall. Raithius and Novalee are together inside.

Raithius: Do you think Malice has gotten into Leicester as well?

Novalee: I don't know for sure. Nobody can tell.

Raithius: This is bigger than just Faerghus. It's been going on for over eighteen years.

Novalee: It appears your first acts as the archduke of the Alliance will involve this Malice party…

Raithius: Damn it. Why can't anything ever be easy? Does it really need to be this complicated?

The final person in the reception hall is William. You approach him.

William: Professor, have you done any research into this Malice group?

You shake your head.

William: I decided to investigate, and I learned that soldiers in black armor with distorted emblems have been appearing for over fifty years now. That's more than some lifetimes. What could it all mean? I don't understand…

You move from the reception hall to the cathedral. Once inside, You see Zelhira standing alone.

Zelhira: The goddess… Could she have truly appeared before you in a dream? If so, why? She must have had a reason to do so. Everything is done with purpose, no matter how small. Perhaps you bear some relation to the goddess. It would make sense given the Crest of Flames… That's the Crest of the Goddess, you know. It truly is curious…

You walk to Nora, the second of three students standing in the cathedral.

Nora: Now that we've dealt with some soldiers of Malice, I'm sure I once fought them. I saved merchants from an attack supposedly carried out by bandits, but I don't think that's the case anymore… Not when those 'bandits' look exactly like Malice soldiers. This isn't a new concept, in other words.

The final person in the cathedral is Lev, who is standing alone and looking up at the large statue of the goddess.

Lev: If the goddess really is out there, is she watching everything we do? Is she there to help us out of dark situations? I don't know for sure… If she was, she wouldn't be letting us fall into harm's way so easily… It gives me a bad feeling.

You leave the cathedral and go upstairs. In the hallway just outside the staircase, You see Tuncay.

Tuncay: The emperor, huh? This must be a pretty important mission if a man like that is requesting our help. I would have expected the year to start with bashing bandits, but it appears I was wrong. Hm… There's nothing we can do about it but show him what we're made of. Maybe he'll have some offer to extend to us as thanks. Who knows?

You walk down the hallway where the teachers' rooms are located. Inside of Herwig's room, You see the teacher of the Black Eagles sitting at his desk.

Herwig: I've received more letters from my sister about attacks on minor churches… Garreg Mach can't just stand by and let all of this happen while followers of the Seiros teaching are suffering, right…? I do hope she finds a way to come here soon.

You go to Reese's room next.

Reese: There are no mentions of a faction called Malice in any books. I've done my research since the last mission. However, there are some books that tell of an army with armor of only black with distorted emblems… There's more to this than meets the eye, and I will find the truth.

You see Jill standing outside of her room leaning up against the wall.

Jill: We're lucky there haven't been any major injuries yet. What we've seen already is more than enough. This Malice group clearly knows what it's doing, and I don't mean that in a good way. If these are professional soldiers though, what could have swayed them against the path of righteousness? Who can say?

For the first time, You see Roy in his room.

Roy: There's a performing company in town right now… I'd love to go and see them. I have something of a love for dancing, you know. You'd never expect the archbishop's assistant to be so interested in it, but that's the truth. That's actually how I found Lady Aisa to begin with… So much has changed since then.

You move to the cardinals' room as one of your last stops for the day's exploration. Inside, You see Wynne.

Wynne: We knights have been told to explore the monastery as much as possible recently. It's like the archbishop is suspicious of something happening. I don't know what she could think will happen, but it's obviously bothering her… How strange. And she's making us stay so low-key too… She's a funny lady.

Also inside the cardinals' room is Piers.

Piers: You can see a lot of the monastery from up here. Even with the world being thrust into chaos at the hands of this Malice group, some things never change. The view, for example… It's always the same, no matter what the day is. I guess it's good to have some normality.

You go to the library, and, as expected, You see Niko inside.

Niko: I've been working overtime to find the truth behind this Malice faction. You wouldn't believe how many people have come in here wondering if I have any books about what they've done in the past. Surprisingly enough, there is some information out there… I've been scouring it for clues, but I'm afraid I'm coming up short.

You assure him he'll find something soon.

Niko: Thanks, Professor. I'll tell you if I find anything.

You move to Aisa's room as your final stop of the day. She is standing where she always does.

Aisa: I am truly proud of how you've been doing up to this point, Professor. You're doing a wonderful job of settling into this new environment. If you need anything, you can always come to me. I'll do everything I can to help you.

You nod to her as Seraphine yawns, appearing at your side.

Seraphine: I'm tired… We do a lot of walking on these days off. Let's head back and catch some rest. We deserve it. I hope we have another memory dream…

You go back to your room and fall asleep soon after, Seraphine doing the same. While You do not have any new memory dreams, You still wonder about what the first one could have meant, but the answers still lie out of reach…

Woooooo chapter four is almost over

-Digital