Hanneman's Office, 5th Morning of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"You will have to forgive my doubts, Advisor. The patient professor I am, let me reiterate my complaint once more: the idea—rather, the issue of Robin's crest was mere conjecture, nay, guesswork, on an incomplete and unrefined hunch!"
"...And?"
"The fact is this: Archbishop Rhea ordered the death of an innocent man on nothing more than my own hypothesis after a brief two week study!"
Hanneman was leaning against his table with an angry, no, horrified look in his eyes. The way his knuckles clenched to the bone, or perhaps his sagged shoulders, there was no mistaking his fatigue and guilt regarding the most recent mission. Tiki, still injured from the events in the Magdred Pass, was in attendance on the other side of the desk, watching Seteth hoard the force of the scholar's anger all to himself.
"What preemptive actions Rhea takes is not under the sole purview of my advisory duties, Professor."
Seteth had been dancing around the issue for a few minutes now, not taking blame nor credit for the events at Magdred.
"...You knew. That was enough."
Seteth said nothing, but it was clear he wasn't going to affirm or deny that claim. Tiki looked at him, scanning his face for worry or concern but surprisingly enough, his composure held firm against Hanneman's gaze.
"Tiki almost died defending Robin. Will you not try to explain yourself?"
"This isn't a court of law, Hanneman. I can plead guilty, plead innocence, and what of it? No, what Rhea did and didn't plan for Catherine to do was not my place to question. After all, I had no reason to anticipate any action from her as I did not know or was made aware of Robin's... condition. And even if I did..."
"You didn't?" Tiki asked, but Seteth ignored her question, much to Hanneman's surprise. He stayed silent, not continuing his thoughts.
"...If I did, the Church deemed it a threat worth acting upon. If you wish to voice complaints, forward them to the Archbishop herself."
"This is going nowhere. You may go," Hanneman groaned, politely kicking the two out of his office. With a shared nod, the two green-haired staff rose and made their way outside the room.
"Just be glad Lady Tiki has taken her training to heart, or else we would have had this discussion under much darker clouds," the professor chastised, his scowl the last thing one could see through the closing door.
Seteth's Office, 5th Morning of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"Thunderbrand. What was its- no, their, name?"
"...Are you not going to ask anything else? Surely you must be furious, or agitated, or betrayed... You could ask about anything-"
"I could. But that would be boring. You're not very good at being anything but that. Plus, I'm a horrible interrogator. So, Thunderbrand. Ignoring that it hurt, a lot... It felt and looked almost... organic. Who... were they?"
Seteth sighed, closing his eyes as he turned back the hands of time a millennia prior. He wasn't sure what Tiki's angle was at the moment, so he allowed himself to indulge the question to avoid any more awkward blame-shifting.
"When I was a young man, I remember the peaceful waters of Zanado's river. There was one of us, older by quite a bit. She always ferried her boat during the day, catching fish and letting the young ones go up and down the waters as she pushed along the banks. Her name was Sty."
"...I see."
"When we recovered Thunderbrand many centuries ago, I held it in my hands for a few moments. Just touching the hilt... I..."
"You saw it."
"I felt it," Seteth clarified. "I imagine if I do so again, I would fall into that same scene in my head. And I would find myself back with old Sty, sitting in her boat as it crawled down the river. And I would remember Charon..."
"The Elite."
"Yes. The very same. Back then, I knew not how they came across those terrible weapons. But when he held Thunderbrand and swung it with such horrible speed, I realized..."
"You don't have to go on," Tiki spoke softly, interrupting Seteth's silence.
"I shouldn't," Seteth relented, shuddering silently before gulping and recovering his composure. "But as you can imagine, I tend to give very wide berth when a Heroes' Relic and I are in the same room. You know the base truth of what those things are. They terrify me."
"Does anyone else know?" Tiki wondered, knowing how each relic has been in a family's possession for the near of a millennium.
"Not even I know the explicit details, nor am I interested in them. Every family, every house that holds a Heroes' relic is unaware of the danger and the tragedy that each weapon contains. It is better that way."
"Because of Flayn," Tiki guessed. Seteth nodded quickly. In that small moment, Tiki saw genuine fear in the Advisor's eyes.
"...If anything happened to her, given what has happened to the others... I wouldn't-"
Seteth stopped himself, shaking his head. Tiki got the hint, letting the topic fade again. Rubbing her injured but freshly-healed leg, she decided to change the topic.
"I would greatly prefer if Robin didn't have to die."
Seteth gave it some thought, and nodded as well.
"She... Rhea, didn't consult me regarding Catherine's mission. It isn't uncommon for her to address her more personal... matters, without me. But this? This should have, would have required more thought, something she is usually meticulously thorough with. Whatever she found prompted a panic reaction, something that resulted in... a sloppy outcome."
"I imagine it isn't her first time resorting to such a deed? Is it usually, I don't know, neater?"
"...No," Seteth admitted. "There have been times when a few minds and of Fódlan got a little too wise on our nature. Great advances in technology, literature. Ideas being presented that posed a risk to the health of the three of us. Such votes to extinguish those sparks were... unanimous between her and I. Anything we could have done to prevent the danger of this world from reaching her. No matter the repercussions. We had the means to avoid calamity."
"So their lives were worth more than yours?"
"Do not put words into my mouth, Tiki."
Tiki paused, but doubled down.
"It sounds like they've been there for a while. They smell stale."
Seteth sighed again, his lack of reaction proving that his assistant was right.
"If Flayn was in danger, I would do anything," Seteth vowed, upping the ante. "No life is worth more to me than hers."
Tiki scowled slightly, the truth causing her to be slightly unsettled.
"Horrible words for someone in a position of authority, wouldn't you say?"
"...Yes. Yes they are. But from this tower of Garreg Mach, I can see every threat that exists in Fódlan, and I can act. I fear that if Flayn and I were to leave, I..."
"Would become helpless?"
"Yes. Without knowledge, without intelligence, I would be blind! And it isn't like I despise the world of man. I have grown fond of Fódlan and her people. It's just... as a father, how could I possibly put anything before my own child? How could I possibly manage to protect my daughter in a world so dark?"
"As any other father would, I would imagine," Tiki mused, thinking about Bantu and his decision to leave her frozen in that cold and lonely temple. And yet... he never once abandoned his watch, did he?
"...This world, this situation... Fódlan is no place for us," Seteth admitted. "Eventually, one drop is going to slip past the tar I so meticulously maintain and bring the entire ceiling down. Even now, I sense it."
"I would say that's a rather odd metaphor, but it makes sense," Tiki giggled, shaking her head. Quickly, her face went back to being serious and she rubbed her wound gently. "Still, I suppose there's no arguing with you, at least on this. I understand, as much as I don't want to."
"...I do apologize on Rhea's behalf. You were hurt because of us."
"Oh now you share the blame," Tiki snorted, all haughty and arrogant for an instant before laughing again. "Your sins are forgiven, dear child," she stated ethereally, putting on her best Archbishop impression. "But Robin is my bigger concern. I'd run straight to her if I could, but Rhea insists on hiding behind those heavy doors of hers for the time being."
"...How you have this much energy is beyond my comprehension," Seteth chuckled. "Still, this worries me. Rhea did not tell me anything. Either that, or I must have missed the signs."
"We could just ask her. I would appreciate the backup."
"She's meeting with Professor Byleth at the moment," Seteth recalled, bringing up his schedule. "But yes, a meeting is in order. In the meantime, I believe we have another way to spend our fleeting free time."
"Oh?"
"Robin and Catherine are still in the confinement cells underground. The least we can do is give them a warm meal and some company."
Garreg Mach Library, 5th Morning of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"I can't find a damned thing about it."
"Me neither."
"Well that's a given, I'm surprised an idiot Nohrian like yourself can even hold the book up the right way-"
"Then why'd you say anything, you Hoshidan illiterate?"
"Can you two bumbling idiots shut up? The last thing I want is for Tomas to come up here-"
"And he's coming up here. Great work you two. I don't know where you are from, but in Fódlan, libraries are supposed to be quiet!"
"But y-you're talking even louder than we were!"
"Shut up, gods damn it!"
Leo and Takumi glared daggers at each other even as the slow but steady tap of the librarian's cane made its way up the library stairs. Lysithea and Linhardt quickly made themselves busy, eluding eye contact with the custodian of all things scholarly.
"Sounds like we're passionately looking for something that can't quite be found," the old man began, egging on the two Dragons at their table. Leo chickened out of the staring contest and smiled uneasily at the librarian with an apologetic laugh.
"Do excuse us. We're trying to find traces of... Uh... Well, Professor Byleth," Leo interrupted himself, "wanted us to find traces of a spell that afflicted the Knights and the Blue Lions on their last mission. And us."
"Oh? I happen to know a thing or two of the odd spell."
"Great, we're stuck as it is," Takumi said with relative gratefulness.
"Say, miss Lysithea, why don't you help us out if you're not busy?" Tomas asked, interrupting the young pupil's studies with the strangest tone in his voice.
"I'm rather busy with Professor Manuela's assignment-"
"Ah, you're doing marvelous work, I wouldn't worry. I insist you help us; we could really use a sharp mind like yours," Tomas affirmed, giving a hearty chuckle towards the Ordelia scion. For whatever reason, something in that phrase seemed to have changed her mind. Hesitantly, she rose from her chair and nodded, which prompted Linhardt to wake up from his daydreaming and follow, likely unconscious to what was actually being researched.
"Oh, I don't want to cause so much trouble," Leo began, before being interrupted by Takumi and Tomas both.
"We need the help, fool."
"I'm sure we can locate possible leads at the very least."
Lysithea and Leo both rolled their eyes, but Tomas continued.
"Now, what kind of spell was it?"
"Well," Takumi began, "A mage took advantage of a... lull in the combat and put many in the area into a deep sleep."
"I see, so it wasn't paralysis," Tomas noted. "But full-on unconsciousness?"
"Right," Leo nodded. "See, I looked in these spellbooks here, hoping to find a way to subdue a person non-lethally..."
Takumi zoned out, thinking about the real reason he was here. Of course, the Hoshidan knew precisely what that spell was. Why he was sitting across the table from this honourless pig of a Nohrian was so he would remain the only person who knew precisely what that spell was.
Garreg Mach Infirmary, 4th Night of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"What's this about, 'Zura?" Takumi wondered, surprised to see his adopted sister up on her feet after so many hours unconscious at the back of a wagon. Azura ignored the question briefly, looking cautiously behind the archer towards the doorway.
"Were you followed?"
Takumi unconsciously turned around, not surprised to hear footsteps heading their way. A pair of knights conversed as they walked past, checking inside briefly to make sure nothing was amiss. Takumi shared eye-contact, but he wasn't exactly breaking any rules so his presence wasn't prohibited anyways. Why Azura wanted his presence now of all times was probably more trouble than it could have been worth.
"Uh, yeah. There's guards everywhere," the archer replied.
"Ah, drat, they know you're here. Still, only two... Hmm," the songstress hummed, looking around. Manuela was back in her apartment for the night, and Claude and Felix were sound asleep nearby. Well, Claude probably wasn't, and Felix... hm. No one was asleep, Takumi guessed.
"Follow me," Azura commanded, exiting the infirmary and leading Takumi just outside before ducking inside a stairwell to avoid the guards.
"Of course you memorized their patrols," Takumi muttered under his breath.
"Espionage tricks, very handy," Azura giggled, quoting Claude. "Just need to get to some isolation with you."
"Can't you just walk out normally?" Takumi wondered, ignoring how weird Azura just sounded.
"Manuela gave a list of the infirmary occupants to the patrols. You know, just in case people like me try to escape."
"...Won't they say anything?"
"C'mon, we won't be gone for long. I just need to make sure of something, is all."
"You're doing this all wrong," Takumi groaned, vacating the stairwell. As if by command, the pair of knights crossed their path once more. They appeared surprised at first but Takumi raised his hands to assume a passive approach.
"Excuse me," he began, nudging Azura along. "My classmate here needed to retrieve some fresh undergarments from her room. I'm making sure she gets there and back safely, if that's alright."
"...Uh, yeah, sure," the knight on the right said hurriedly, clearly grimacing beneath the helmet he wore. Azura did as well, albeit with no such metal covering to shield her face.
"Carry on. Just be back quick after you uh..."
"C'mon man, don't make it weird," the other knight urged, taking the initiative and stepping away. Slowly, the two pairs of metal footsteps faded back towards the corridor, leaving the two Dragons free to retreat back towards the dorms.
"...Someone hasn't been paying attention to Kagero," Takumi smirked. "Never forget that we Hoshidans wrote the book on espionage." Azura smirked, shaking her head.
"Yeah yeah. You couldn't have said anything more... normal?"
Both dancer and archer made their way outside towards the Black Eagle classroom, where Takumi followed his sister's lead in ducking against the silhouette of the bushes nearby.
"Here. Alright. Do you remember anything from the mission? On the 30th?" Azura inquired, her soft voice hushed further yet.
"Yeah. Oh, is this about your pendant-"
"Shh! None of that. The Knights are going to have to pull an investigation about this and it cannot be traced back to me."
"Why? You saved Robin-"
"Robin was being attacked for a reason. I have a feeling these Crests or whatever have something to do with that. Let's just say that our Crests as Hoshidan royals won't serve us any good."
"You're not even Hoshidan."
Azura made a very good blank face, and Takumi mentally slapped himself.
"Fine, I got it. So, what, you want me to tell the Archbishop to just let the matter slide?"
Azura made another face, and Takumi was fairly convinced at this point that he had no idea how to talk to his sister.
"No, of course not. But I did overhear Professor Byleth plan her move. She's going to ask Leo to do some research, see if he can pick up a lead or two. He's going to the library first thing in the morning. I already volunteered you to help him."
"What, really? C'mon, 'Zura. Why can't Corrin-"
"She's not good at 'counter espionage' like you are."
Takumi flushed at the compliment; Azura rarely complimented him and it made him feel all warm inside for some reason. Still, to work with the same guy whose nation had murdered his mother just a few months ago?
Still, this is the most Azura has spoken to him in a while. He didn't hate her, or anything like that.
"Don't you want to deceive our resident Nohrian?" Azura goaded, further pressing her luck.
"...I really, really don't want to work with that guy. And hey, don't make it sound so sinister!"
"Please? This is really important, brother."
"...Fine! Geez. You owe me, 'Zura."
"Of course, otoutasan~" the dancer bowed with a genuine smile, ruffling her brother's hair. He responded with a grimace, cringing from hearing his own language used in such a... weird way.
Garreg Mach Library, 5th Morning of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
Azura's eyes were very good at being cute, Takumi recalled. With a sigh, he snapped back to the present, watching Leo explain in vain that no, this wasn't a mass sleeping spell.
Any fingerprints that Azura may have left were long faded by now. After all, she too was a 'victim' of the spell. No one besides Corrin and Takumi seemed to recall that Azura had sung at all, much to Takumi's surprise. Not even Leo or Byleth, who were closest to Azura had any vague recollection of her actions.
'Weird. She was glowing and singing in the middle of the group... how come the White Dragons didn't get affected anyway?'
"Sounds like it only targeted certain people," Lysithea wondered aloud, as if she could read Takumi's mind. "Perhaps it was used by one of the insurrectionists?"
"That's what I'm thinking," Leo nodded. "That spell had to be prepared long before that confrontation happened. It was too powerful to be cast on the fly."
Azura had cast it on the fly, Takumi recalled. He had no idea how that pendant worked, as he had seen it maybe twice before. But Azura definitely did not need to prepare, besides the fact that it only seemed to work when she sang that weird song. Good, they were getting off track.
"I recall it targeted some of the knights, and those among the Blue Lions with a Crest," Tomas remarked, looking to his own copy of affairs of the Church. "How interesting, that it only targeted those with Crests..."
Shit. Did Azura know she was doing that?
"What do you think, Takumi? You weren't affected, were you?" Lysithea asked. "When the carts pulled into Garreg Mach, you were one of those who were already wide awake."
Takumi vaguely recalled that Lysithea was probably the smartest student at Garreg Mach.
Of course, he could easily take that spot. Maybe. She was actually frighteningly sharp.
"I didn't see any mages besides the few prisoners, we captured, so it couldn't have been among them," he began. "However, there was a high mage that was preparing a wide-area fog spell all across the Magdred Pass. I have a hypothesis that another mage of similar skill could have casted that mass-sleep spell out of sight of everyone else. After all, there's still an issue of that black and red knight teleporting in and out to stop Lady Catherine."
"What?" Tomas asked, joined silently by Lysithea.
Takumi realized in that moment that in smudging Azura's footprints from the scene, he may have just brought attention to someone else's.
"There... there was a knight clad in black-sand steel plate, with red feathers and a bloodied-white mask," Leo spoke up with recollection. "When Robin was first being ambushed, they teleported in the nick of time to assist. They disappeared a few moments later though, via a warp spell. Come to think of it, that's also some high-level magic. Maybe that individual or group that intervened was behind that mass-sleep spell as well!"
"Hmm, now that seems likely," Tomas nodded, accepting the claim a little too quickly for Takumi to find normal.
"Have the Knights of Seiros ever encountered this Black and Red Knight before?" Lysithea wondered, reading the room.
"Perhaps," Tomas nodded. "I believe we have some record of an enemy with similar marks. How... surprising, that they should be present in Magdred during an ambush of all things..."
Leo and Takumi gulped simultaneously.
"That sounded oddly sinister," Linhardt stated, reminding the library and its occupants that he was awake.
There was a moment of pause, and the two Dragons could hear Lysithea's slightly erratic breaths just so subtly whispering out.
"...Oh, I suppose it did. Pardon an old man for his ramblings," Tomas chuckled, shuffling away. "I will find some reports on that knight for you, young Leo and young Takumi. Perhaps we can isolate a spell from there. Why don't we all head out for lunch, and I'll see you again this afternoon."
The two Dragons shared a nod, getting up and putting their books on hold for the moment. Lysithea and Linhardt followed suit, leaving Tomas alone in the library as the four students made their way for lunch.
Sighing to himself, the old librarian sat down, writing a report for himself of the conversation that had just occurred.
"How out of character it is, Hresvelg, that your desire for control muddles the affairs that would have settled themselves."
Garreg Mach Dining Hall, 5th Afternoon of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
Seteth and Tiki entered the dining area, grabbing their meals in line with the other students. They would have to make another pass for Robin and Catherine's meals, but that could wait until their own hungers were sated. As they found a table together away from the other students, Tiki took a moment to scan the room.
"The House students are really starting to mingle," she observed. At one table in particular, she could spot members of all four houses sitting together. Seteth hummed his agreement, offering a small prayer before digging in.
"It's a natural thing. They become fast friends or boon companions within these halls, over the course of many months. In here, politics and finances tend to shy away from the genuine bonds of fellowship," Seteth narrated happily. "I'm glad to see this cycle is no different."
"It is nice. One almost forgets the outside world in a place like this."
"...Perhaps so."
C
"So it's Lord Gaspard now, is it?" Dorothea wondered, nudging the bashful Ashe teasingly.
"I'm sure it's nothing official," Ashe repeated for the nth time, hiding his face in his hands.
"Sure it is!" the songstress assured, smiling genuinely. "Look at yourself, Ashie, making a name for yourself without even graduating the academy!"
"'The Lord who stopped his father's rebellion' has a nice prestige to it," Hilda offered.
"Even if," Ashe interrupted, getting slightly uncomfortable now. "A lot of people died who didn't have to. We couldn't save everyone. I don't want to be known as a Knight or Lord who let only 'some' of the traitors die. I couldn't save them all..."
"You never can. No one can," Corrin assured, patting the young Lord on his shoulder gently. "You found out the hard way that a battle isn't so black and white. And yet... you drew the line where you could. We did our best and achieved... a good result. Thanks to you."
Ashe wasn't quite buying it. He put down his fork and cradled his head between his hands, rubbing his temples slowly.
"My father lives, but how many of my people can say the same? How many fathers, sons, families did we just end?"
When Corrin and Ashe arrived at Castle Gaspard, word had already spread of the new master of the land.
Its messenger? None other than Lonato, who bent the knee to his Lord in fealty as soon as he and Corrin entered the manor. It seemed he took his pardon quite seriously. And so too did he take his adopted son's new station.
"...Less. Less than what you would have ended if you couldn't force your Father to stop," came the Mittelfrank Diva's response.
Dorothea's words were right, the young archer admitted. As bad as this rebellion turned out to be... not all of the lives were lost. Not like it could've turned out had the Church mopped over the rebellion like an inconvenient stain.
"Ashie, er, pardon, Lord Ashe... The title suits you. It suits someone like you."
Ashe sat there a moment, taking it in. Dorothea was very open of her opinions so Ashe knew to take her words seriously. Still, it felt weird, to have earned respect despite having done so... little.
"A noble who doesn't let his gains blot out that what he's lost," Dorothea continued. "A kind noble. Sort of a strange thing to say, but when it's you, Ashe, I think... I think that's fine."
"Do you truly think that, miss Dorothea?" Ashe wondered.
"Someone's finally getting it," Hilda sighed. "Still, I don't envy you: With titles come responsibilities after all. You're the first of our class to become an actual Lord, you know that?"
"Am I really?" Ashe laughed nervously. "Oh dear. Wait, Lord Dimitri is still my liege! I couldn't possibly consider myself above the Crown Prince's status..."
"Such a young and strapping lad with honor and wealth and character all bundled up in a charming package," Dorothea narrated ever so seductively. "I may just propose on the spot."
Ashe yelped, backing away on instinct, much to Dorothea's delight.
"W-w-wait! Eep, no, I'm not ready for that sort of commitment yet! I don't-"
Corrin laughed silently at the honest reactions of her friend, thinking to herself fondly of the good they've done.
"I wonder how it would've gone if we failed," she mouthed, inaudible to anyone but her own thoughts. Shaking her head, she banished the thought and turned back to the still smug Dorothea and the very red Ashe.
"Lady Dorothea of House Gaspard," Hilda announced with faux officiality. "Songbird of the Empire and Gem of the Kingdom!"
Everyone got a rise out of that, Ashe's laughs resonating with infinitely more nervousness.
"Y-you're not actually serious, a-are you?"
"You're such a funny boy, Milord Ashe," Dorothea replied, her tone not betraying her intent.
"I trust the 'undergarment swap' went off without a hitch?"
Azura groaned, almost faceplanting into her salad.
"That is not the sort of thing I want to hear or talk about during lunch."
"Sure it is. You were even checking to see if I was awake or not, haha! For someone with such light steps, you can really make a scene!"
Azura could see it now: a bandaged Claude, tiptoeing past the doorway of the infirmary to see her and Takumi being let go by two flustered knights. Ugh.
"I'm not going to hear the end of it, will I?"
Claude shook his head, twirling his fork like it was one of his arrows, unwittingly spraying dressing all over his trousers.
"Eugh, gross. Whoops. And no. Not unless you tell me what secrets are attached to that little scheme you pulled."
The dancer considered it, giving the thought a good ten seconds of pause.
Finally, she nodded, leaning closely so Claude could hear unimpeded by the din of the dining hall. Claude unconsciously moved forward as well, so that the songstress could whisper in his ear from across the table."
"...They're white, and they are considered very exposed as they are fashioned to be worn underneath my dancer's-"
Claude chuckled, raising his hand to stop Azura's jest in defeat, backing away all the while.
"Fine, fine, I get it. Still, a secret that good is to die for, isn't it?"
"Then die," Azura stated flatly. "A lady shouldn't have to talk about things like this, over food nonetheless."
"...Alright then, we'll change the subject," the Leicester heir decided quickly, "What did your class get for this month's assignment?"
"Nothing big," Azura recalled. "According to Captain Jeralt, it's to assist the Black Eagles and the Knights during preparations for some sort of Rite, right? Aha, that's funny, Right- never mind."
The archer snorted mid-chew, almost sputtering everything out much to the delight of his companion.
"We got something similar," Claude began after recollecting his nerves, trying his best not to laugh alongside Azura. "We'll be stepping in for the knights to conduct a patrol around the town vendor's market all day on the 26th. I guess all the classes are helping around the town. That leaves the Knights themselves to handle the cathedral."
"I see. I think we're helping out with the town of Garreg Mach. Not a battle, obviously. Probably manual labor or... something."
"It's the Rite of Rebirth, a pretty big deal in Fódlan this time of year. It's full of festivals, vendors, pilgrimages, you name it. You should dance for the folks in the town. The kids especially'd love it."
Azura's eyes brightened up and she nodded in enthusiasm.
"In Shirasagi, I would dance for the children during the festival's stage plays. It brought a great deal of joy to my heart to do so, seeing them smile despite my outfit and rather scary mask."
"Who knows, maybe the town will have something similar. I assume this Rite is something festive, right? Let's hunt down Dorothea, see if we can't-"
"I haven't actually visited the town on my own leisure. I'd like to explore the shops and scenery first," Azura admitted, letting the hint fly unassisted.
"That sounds like an invitation if I know one," Claude nodded, biting the bait full force. "Alright, good idea. Let's go together on our next rest day."
"Not bad, Azura," Corrin giggled to herself.
"What was that?" Hilda wondered, before tracing Corrin's gaze to the two friends at another table. "Well, well, Claude. He has been rather... docile, recently. Professor Manuella thinks he's sick or something."
"Azura seems pretty comfortable as well, come to think of it," Ashe added. "She seemed very shy and distant when we first met you all."
"Milord, you shouldn't be so harsh on your subjects," Dorothea chimed in. "Each lord and lady ought to bear no shame towards their own disposition, no?"
"Aw, come on Miss Dorothea, stop that."
"...Oh, let her be," Corrin assured, enjoying the view of two of her friends getting pestered; one by Dorothea's doting act, and one by Claude's disarming grin.
"One almost forgets he set the entirety of the eastern maneuver field ablaze," Seteth sighed. "If it were any other student, I would be rather impressed with his charisma."
"Oh, there's cunning in those innocent eyes," Tiki replied. "One can never feel too safe under his command."
"Ah, that's right. You were under his banner for the mock battle. Well, perhaps it takes a bit of conversation and competition to let the boy feel more comfortable. It's mere observation of course, but when we received the application of the young Leicester Noble for this year's term..."
"Let me guess, he wasn't quite what he sounded like on paper."
Seteth laughed, shaking his head.
"Not in the slightest. Even in person, he was very... guarded, if I had to choose words."
Tiki glanced back at Claude, thinking on what could cause such a positive and enthusiastic young man to hide his cards in this strange world.
"Guarded? Ah, I that. See? I'll give you this, Advisor: this place truly is a wonderous place for the future to be nurtured."
"That it is, Tiki. Of that fact, I can be truly proud."
The two continued their meal, Seteth eyeing the fishing pond through the doorway and Tiki watching the other students, lost in their own little conversations.
"So," Tiki began after a long period of quiet. "Will you address the wyvern in the room?"
"...What do you mean?" Seteth wondered, genuinely unaware.
"Lord Ashe Gaspard," Tiki replied evenly, each syllable measured and deliberate.
"...Oh, that."
"Oh that," the assistant teasingly mimicked.
Seteth cleared his throat, eyeing the young man who seemed to have found a better bearing of himself better after a few minutes of Dorothea's teasing. "It was a most unforeseen outcome, yet... one cannot be so surprised."
"You're not opposed to the appointment?" Tiki asked, caught genuinely off-guard.
"Why would I be? His father, a traitor to the Goddess, was met with an envoy representing the Goddess and was stripped of both lands and titles. His honor of course had been lost long before the firm hand of the law could be dealt. And his heir, an honorable and loyal student, was knighted by the Goddess's envoys for his bravery and fidelity. Did I miss anything?"
"...Well, I figured you would have some words to say considering the actions were not sanctioned-"
"Of course they weren't. But despite everything, peace has been restored, the rebellion has been quelled. That was the end of it, and Lord Ashe would have his hands full dealing with the aftermath whether Lonato was dead or alive. And besides... the man is subject to his guilt for the rest of his days, I imagine. We will not be hearing any more of him in the future. What Robin and Corrin did was quite brash and I'm sure Rhea is not entirely pleased at that outcome, but the end result was the same nonetheless. Fódlan is back to normal for now and for that we can thank our students for handling the matter in their own, unorthodox way."
"And here I was thinking you would travel to Gaspard territory and finish the job yourself," Tiki guessed, half-joking and yet half-dead serious.
"Needlessly violent and more so, unnecessary," Seteth dismissed with a wave. "Enough blood has been shed. The old Lonato has learned his lesson and I personally have found this outcome satisfactory. Nothing more needs to be said or done," he concluded, both referring to the political state of things and this lunch conversation.
"I see. I can agree with you there."
Garreg Mach Detention Cells, 5th Afternoon of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"Lady takes Wyvern at A1. Check."
"Lord to E2."
"Cleric takes Wyvern at G1. Come now Robin, you're just handing them to me."
"Pawn to E5."
"Huh? W-wait, wait... There's... nothing?"
"Don't let that stop you from thinking about it."
"...Cavalier to A6."
"Alright. Cavalier takes pawn at G7. Check."
"Oh, you're there. King to D8. Oh, you blocked-"
"The Lady moving to F6. Check."
"Huh. But my Cavalier... Huh. Cavalier takes your Lady...? Right? Yeah! Yeah."
"Yep. I guess you saw it."
"...What, did I blunder your plans, tactician- oh."
"Yep."
"...Ah, crap. I see it now."
"Cleric to E7. And that's checkmate."
"...You're a wily little bugger aren't you?"
"Can't be helped. I learned that one from a friend back home, so rest assured I'm not naturally this sacrificial. Usually I hate losing even one of my pawns."
"Yeah well, shit. You and your pal both got me good."
Seteth and Tiki descended the small staircase stemming off the Knight's barracks, making way towards the confinement block where Robin and Catherine were both being held in cells across from each other. Lo and behold, they weren't slinging genuine insults at each other but were instead concluding a game of sans voir chess. Robin was clearly the victor, judging by Catherine's rather diminished demeanor.
"...You'd think they'd be at each other's throats," Tiki wondered aloud.
The commotion was enough to get the attention of the two prisoners, who quickly stood to attention in the case of Catherine or give a friendly wave in the case of Robin.
"Advisor, Voice!"
"Voice?" Seteth wondered.
"I'll explain later," Tiki began. "Hello, Robin, Lady Catherine," she announced loudly.
"Lady Tiki. I see you're walking again. I do apologize, but you-" Catherine was stopped by Tiki's hand, who didn't seem displeased in the slightest to meet the woman who had punched her to the point that she couldn't chew properly.
"Hm, yes I am. Let's leave it at that and have a nice meal, alright?"
Catherine paused mid-sentence, noticing the thin wrappings around Tiki's leg which hid Thunderbrand's bite. She nodded, letting the matter go.
"Huh? Oh, you two brought us food? Unless you're planning on eating in front of us, in which case please don't," Robin observed.
"I assure you that isn't the case. I don't know your particular preferences but I did happen to acquire two of the chef's specials of the day. Please enjoy."
"Well that makes me feel better," the White Dragon said between stomach growls. "I was taking the food at the dining hall for granted until this week."
"My eyes have been opened to this issue," Seteth began with a hesitant cadence. "But let's just focus on what we can do at this moment—A warm meal and the chance to air your complaints is the best we can do for now."
Slipping their respective dishes beneath the cell bars, Seteth watched silently as both prisoners dug into their meal with gusto.
"I appreciate it."
"Yes, thank you, Advisor, Voice."
"I trust that there haven't been any issues?" Seteth began, taking a seat at the bench overlooking the entire alley of cells.
"Oho, there's one," Catherine began, chuckling between bites.
"...Something I can help with, Catherine?"
"Yep. You should've seen this guy when Shamir showed up!"
"Oh gods," Robin muttered, turning away and pretending to focus on his food. Seteth raised an eyebrow, evidently thinking the matter was serious.
"Do elaborate."
"So I ask him what he thought of the Knights, and he gives me this whole 'I think they're well-trained but lacking in creativity' or something like that. 'You don't even have a main Pegasus Knight battalion' you know, which is an invalid point because he hasn't deployed with them yet."
"I didn't know! Honestly, the Knights' stables barely have any Pegasi."
"...But he's probably just saying that because Pegasus Knights are his type to which he says 'I don't have a type' like a total scoundrel. I get it: the skirts are rather fashionable."
"Not untrue," Robin added quickly. "I happen to know some lovely Pegasus Knights of my own acquaintance."
"And so I call him an ass or something, and he gives this weird smile. Makes me think that he likes getting yelled at."
"I fail to see how I can help with this matter-" Seteth began, only to get cut off by Catherine again.
"And I ramble on and notice he's not reacting. Then I turn my head and there's Shamir, watching us. Robin's stuck there in his cell staring like a fool, and she leaves without saying a word. She's been reporting on our condition for the last week and we just noticed her yesterday."
"I now have a type," Robin admitted sheepishly.
"Clearly," Catherine responded with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, that concludes my report. Robin is lovestruck by our resident Archery instructor."
"Her voice does stuff to me, I can't-"
"Oh come on, she didn't even say anything! She just grunted at us." Catherine retorted, exasperated.
"...I still don't see how I could possibly remedy this."
"Oh, it wasn't a complaint, Advisor. Just an observation."
"No problems here," Robin chimed in. "None. At. All."
Tiki and Seteth both stayed silent for a while, exchanging whispers that wouldn't be picked up by the two prisoners. Catherine and Robin finished their meal, with the former slumping back to her bed and the latter performing a light series of stretches.
"You're in an... oddly good mood," Tiki observed, gesturing to Catherine.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Catherine denied. "I'm as upset as upset could be. I'm just... relegated to my fate, I guess. One must learn to accept their failures and the consequences for them, eventually."
"She thinks we're destined for the gallows or something," Robin offered mid-stretch. "Well, me, that wouldn't be a surprise. But why her?"
"I failed Lady Rhea," Catherine began, her tone much more subdued than it was before. "I've served her faithfully for ten years, and I failed. There isn't much for me after that."
"When you put it that way, sure," Robin said with a shrug. "I think you are wildly exaggerating, Catherine."
"I assure you, neither of you are going to be dying anytime soon," Seteth assured. "I'll have a word with the Archbishop and we'll clear this whole matter out."
"Still, I am- was, Lady Rhea's bodyguard. I failed in a personal task-"
"Catherine, I assure you that this whole issue from start to finish was not anything you could have remedied," Tiki promised. "At the end of all this everything will be fine."
Seteth looked surprise at that claim, but nodded in reflex. Robin and Catherine both seemed unconvinced, but the latter said nothing in response.
"Lady Tiki, surely you know of what's going on with me, right?"
"I do," the scion of Naga nodded. She looked to Seteth, and he nodded as well.
"It's something we should all hear," the advisor said quietly.
"Right. Robin," Tiki began, walking up to Robin's cell, "May I see your right hand?"
Suddenly, the tactician became conscious to that accursed mark on the back of his hand, slowly taking his glove off.
"The sigil of Grima," he muttered, loud enough for all to hear. "You knew even before you met me, I'll bet."
"Grima," Tiki repeated. "The name of a dragon that serves as the antithesis to our own Naga."
"Naga?" Catherine asked.
"Yes, the deity of our own world where some of the White Dragons hail," Tiki explained. "She sent us here on a mission to protect Lady Rhea from a threat unknown."
"Are you sure we should be exposing ourselves like this?" Robin asked plainly, surprising Seteth with his knowledge of the issue. Tiki nodded in affirmation, laying out all truths before her.
"On this quest we need allies we can trust," she spoke cryptically, looking to Seteth and Seteth alone. He nodded slightly, taking the words to heart.
"Naga would fill a similar role as the Progenitor Sothis, in that she is the watcher of all life," Tiki continued. "Man is not borne of her, but it is the duty of her and those who came after her to protect and nurture the race of man and all their sons and daughters."
"And she sent you to Fódlan, knowing all of this?"
"Lucina knows more about it than I, but Lady Tiki here is the Voice of Naga," Robin added.
"Quite so. I am the child of Naga, and as such I am not human."
"So you aren't quite like us then," Seteth jumped in, quickly masking his own existence. Tiki took the hint and nodded slowly.
"I am not so alike as you," she masked, but smiled lightly. "But I am not so different, either. When my mother wishes to speak to the world of Man, she does so through me."
"I assume here in Fódlan this is impossible," Seteth assumed.
"This is not Naga's domain, nor is Archanea under the watch of the Progenitor. I can imagine that Naga's powers are different than Sothis' in that sense. As soon as she sent the 8 of us across the threshold of space, I stopped hearing her voice."
"So what does this have to do with me?" Robin asked, bringing the spotlight back to the mark on his hand.
"Simple: Naga chose you for this mission, knowing full well of your nature," Tiki assured. "And here you are in Fódlan, a traveler bearing the same mission as her daughter. Knowing full well what awaits you at your journey's end, she sent you here."
"...at its' end," Robin repeated.
"Fear not, Robin, for you were chosen by no mere coincidence. Each of us were chosen for a reason that will surely be made clear in time. I will not think she sent you to Fódlan to die out of sight of your dear friends."
"...I'd like to believe that," the tactician admitted. Even now, his heart yearned for the company of his Shepherds, so far away. Here, so far away from them, Valm and Walhart were threats so foreign and benign as could be, yet they pressed on his mind daily when his mind was allowed the leisure to relax.
"Naga knew that you were a piece of the puzzle here in Fódlan that we came here to solve. She knew that your existence in Fódlan would result in its salvation."
"How can we be so sure," Catherine wondered, voicing her doubts. "You said yourself that this isn't Naga's domain."
"But Robin is," Tiki reiterated. "Naga knows of Robin's true nature. She wouldn't have sent a threat to your world."
"Why not? This isn't her world. A threat removed from her domain would be a beneficial, wouldn't it?"
"...My mother is not so cruel and careless with her power as to do that," Tiki retorted, knowing she didn't have a good answer to that. At least, not without divulging more of Seteth and Rhea's damnable secrets.
"That's besides the point," Seteth interrupted. "Your story as a whole is very... patchy. Naga sent you here? From your homeland, of which no one in Fódlan knows?"
"Yes."
"To prevent a threat that no one in Fódlan knows?"
"...Yes."
"I trust you can see why we draw our doubts. Why Rhea likely acted the way she did when she discovered Robin's danger."
Robin looked at his hand briefly, lowering it without a word. Tiki caught this and grabbed it through the bars, enveloping it with both of hers. Vessel and Voice locked eyes for a few key moments, the former's pulling away after a brief relaxation. Just that small embrace was enough to calm the tactician's usually steel nerves from this bout of panic.
"You are a child of the earth just like any other of us, Robin. Do not lose faith that your blood will carry you to some dark destiny. After all, a human heart beats for it, no?"
"...I need some time to think and reflect. How did you know this?"
"When Hanneman checked the White Dragons for signs of Crests," Seteth began, "Your bloodline was identified by Tiki as bearing the mark of this... Grima. You and you alone, out of all your classmates."
Robin looked to Tiki in surprise, who nodded in response.
"You knew?"
"Of course. I am familiar with that symbol and have been for many years. I... I was the one that told the Archbishop of the danger your blood held. Of the dangers your Crest held for Fódlan."
"...Well, that's..."
Robin took a seat, letting go of Tiki's hands and stared dejectedly at the ground. He put the glove back on, sighing to himself before looking back up.
"Rhea did what she thought was right. Now... I can't really blame her, can I?" he wondered. "By eliminating me, that's a threat from Fódlan eradicated. That would be fulfilling Naga's mission, wouldn't it?"
"I also told Rhea to let you live," Tiki continued. "To give you a chance to best this power coursing through you. And she refused me, as Catherine's actions so demonstrated last week."
"Yikes," Catherine whispered under her breath. This was precisely why she preferred all the wetwork to be left for Shamir.
"How dangerous is this power?" Robin asked, his peripherals blocking both Catherine and Seteth from his thoughts now.
"...To bear the blessings of a being such as Grima in such a perfect quality... It would make you ideal to become a Voice, such as I am. One with such pure blood as yours would become an ideal host for Grima's will, should he ever decide to master your heart."
"The Voice of Grima?" Robin repeated, not liking the sound of that. "W-wait, that doesn't make sense. In my three years with Chrom, not once have I heard Grima's voice. Just my own."
"One would hope so," Tiki mused. "Grima has been and will be slumbering for nearly another thousand years. Unless of course, the Grimleal succeed in capturing the Fire Emblem to unseal his restraints."
"Gangrel, Grimleal, the other Plegians... Oh. It's starting to come together, isn't it..."
"Fire Emblem?" Seteth asked, having heard the phrase once before so long ago. Catherine shrugged in response, having not.
"The purest manifestation of divine power a man can wield," Tiki described. "Truly, the one who wields the Fire Emblem comes as close to the gods as anyone could hope to be. One could free even Grima from the restraints forced upon him by generations prior. Not even the river of time would flow the same way with it in one's hands."
"...Such a devise does not exist in Fódlan. Even the Crests, the Heroes' Relics... None can do what you just described," Seteth explained.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Advisor. After all, why would eight individuals who knows this find themselves in Fódlan by their mother's request?"
Byleth's Room, 5th Afternoon of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"Since when do you like cookies?"
"I find they go well with tea. They taste good."
"Heh. Someone at the cafeteria is spoiling you."
"It is true: I find packages of pastries or cookies at my doorstep every morning, wrapped in a lovely handkerchief. I suspect it is one of the students or perhaps one of the knights."
"Well... that's great. At least you're not horkin' 'em all down in your room."
"That is quite mean of you to say, father. I love to share them with my students when we have tea."
"Love... I've never heard you say that before."
"I say it plenty. After all, I love you, father. I have said that phrase many times, and will no doubt continue to do so."
C
Jeralt couldn't help but smile, quite enjoying his little lunch break alongside his precious daughter. Professor and Captain indulged in tea and sweets in the little room that Byleth resided in, not unlike how the Professor treated some of her students on any given day of the week.
'She loves it here, Sitri. She loves it.'
"Something on your mind, Father? I haven't embarrassed you, have I?"
"Hm? Oh, no. It's nothing. Y'know what? I bet it's that soldier assigned to the gate."
"Sir Gatekeeper?" Byleth wondered, quite intrigued. "He is such a happy soldier. My students and even some of the knights find his presence comforting."
"Heh," Jeralt chuckled, never hearing that nickname for that particular knight before, "He's been posted there ever since the year started. He's very proud of the position. The students mimic him quite often, he says, though he's very proud of it."
"I find him charming and sweet," Byleth admitted.
"...Heh."
"Say, do you know what this Rite is about, Father?"
"Ah, the Rite of Rebirth. That's coming soon, isn't it?"
"In a couple of weeks. My class will be assisting Professor Jeritza's class down by the town."
"That's right. I'll be up here, making sure no one disturbs the Rite itself. It's nothing, really," Jeralt explained. "Just some cooky Church shenanigans."
"It sounds quite fun, if there's a festival below. Will you have time to join us at the town? There would be celebrations, and perhaps we could partake in them together, and-"
"No promises," Jeralt replied sadly. Still, he held his chin up, smiling to his daughter. "But if the opportunity presents itself, I know of a couple stalls that are serving those turkey legs you always enjoyed."
"Yes. Alright. I look forward to it. Once my class has completed their assignments, I think I will let them partake as well. They have done very well so far and I wish to keep their spirits high, so far away from home as they are."
"...Aren't you worried about Robin?" Jeralt wondered.
"I am. But Lady Tiki assured me she would protect Robin. She says it's her fault that he's in his situation, and I don't know a thing about it."
"How careless of the Archbishop," Jeralt sighed under his breath.
"What was that?"
"N-nothing. Don't mind me-"
A shattering of glass.
"Really."
"Don't look at me like that. I wasn't paying attention!"
"...Fine. It's been so long since I needed to do that anyway. Fine, fine."
"How careless of the Archbishop," Jeralt sighed under his breath, before he tilted his head. "Weird. Did I just say that twice?"
"What was that?" Byleth repeated, as good a questionable expression on her face as she could muster.
"Nothing. Hm. Don't mind me."
'He didn't... know. Did he?'
'No, I don't think so, Sothis. Should we try again?'
'No, no. Nothing like that. Weird. Let's... Huh. How odd, that I feel the strangest sense of being... visible.'
"...kid, you listening?"
"W-what? Oh. Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts," Byleth covered, quickly sitting up and wiping her eyes.
"Geez, you're working yourself hard as it is. You sure you're getting enough sleep?"
"My body is well-rested. Don't worry about me."
"It's my job. But if you say so," Jeralt hummed, rising from his chair. Byleth did so too, placing a reminder to clean up her table afterwards.
"I assure you, I get ample sleep and perform stretches before and after every sparring session."
"Good, good. I trust you, kid. Now then, all those sweets make me feel all jittery. Why don't we head to the pond for some fishing?"
"Sure! I mean... sure. Yes."
Jeralt smiled again, quite enjoying this foreign inflection in his daughter's voice.
Garreg Mach Fishing Pond, 5th Afternoon of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
Byleth and Jeralt sat on the little pier, both Captain and Professor having abandoned their footwear in favor of dipping their ankles in the pond.
"When we finally settle down and I pass on the Breakers to the next guy, I'm planning on finding ourselves a little cabin by some lake," Jeralt began, having caught two fish in the span of minutes.
"There was a nice river in Zanado," Byleth recalled. Do you think anyone lives there? Ooh, wait, I got a bite."
Byleth paused her inquiry, reeling in a nice healthy trout. It was a 2-footer at least, and her fishing rod struggled to haul the strong fish in. Still, which a little bit of work the line held, the professor eventually tiring out her quarry. Jeralt whistled in response, nodding his approval at the good catch.
It was let go after being caught, of course. The two just ate and weren't about to waste this seemingly infinite resource.
"That place gives me the heebie jeebies," Jeralt admitted. "Besides, a river is tricky to fish in. I always lose my floaters in the shallows or the currents."
"Maybe we should stay here?"
"Huh," Jeralt responded, not expecting that reply. At least, not this soon.
"There's enough fish in this pond to feed the whole monastery," Byleth mused. "It must be some form of magic."
"...Y'know, I do wonder how they managed to fit so many fish in here. The pond runs deceptively deep."
"Magic."
"You might just be right, kid."
"..."
"..."
Jeralt let himself wander off, enjoying this little respite while it lasted. He was still guarded of course. Rhea found him by no small accident. Byleth was here too, kept under the watchful eye of the church. But this...
This was nice.
Truly, a blessing. Byleth was growing here as much as her students were, and Rhea had been staying out of their hair for a couple weeks on end.
Still, Jeralt felt a sense of foreboding, especially after Byleth had come back from Magdred, unconscious. She woke up and couldn't quite recall the last few minutes of the mission, only that Catherine and Tiki were blade to blade.
And yet... it was quiet. All around him, no one seemed to care that the mission didn't end the way it was supposed to. No one seemed to realize that Lonato lived, or that the Church had abandoned its claim on the Faerghus lord's life so quickly.
There was something else happening, Jeralt thought. But what?
He had been alive way too long to ignore his instincts, but the old dog couldn't quite get a read on them this time around. Where was the threat? Where was it coming from? When? And at who?
Thud
"Ouch!"
Jeralt quickly opened his eyes, shocked to find Byleth on her feet and nursing a nice welt along her forearm. Across from her was Professor Jeritza, who had taken this moment to sneak-attack the calm professor with a training lance. Byleth had quickly recovered and was using her fishing rod as a makeshift... whip?
Since when could the kid use a whip?
"W-what the," Jeralt stammered, quickly bringing his feet out of the water but was pressed by Byleth's flat hand to stay down.
"I forgot about our spar today, i must've lost track of time," the professor explained, parrying his lunge and nearly falling into the water herself if not for her impeccable balance. Counterattacking with her... whip/fishing rod, she somehow cast a line around his lance and even more impossibly, established control over the weapon with the fishing hook end, jerking the former combat instructor towards the left and into the bait storage unit with a considerable amount of force.
Which was really impressive, considering the fishing rod was... just a fishing rod.
"...That was mean of you. I was fishing."
Slowly, Byleth set aside the fishing rod and offered a hand to the stunned Black Eagle Professor.
"Truly exhilarating," Jeritza huffed, taking her hand and rising to his feet. "We should repeat that spar. I have never been attacked by a fishing rod. Furthermore, I have never been bested by a fishing rod."
"...I was fishing."
"And you abandoned your pledge to spar with me."
"I spar with you every day."
Jeralt cringed internally. Jeritza was a weird one, even weirder than Byleth at times. Hearing them talk to each other was... odd. So monotone and yet so... passionate.
"Well, I think I've dallied long enough," the old mercenary grumbled, drying off his feet and rolling his pants back down. "And hey, keep it to the sparring grounds, you two. You're going to break the bait shack."
"Y-yes, my apologies, Father."
Jeritza examined Jeralt, not having had the opportunity to look at the knight up close before.
"Does this one spar as well-"
"No, no," Jeralt said, putting his hands up in surrender. Jeritza seemed dejected at that, a small frown lining his face.
"Well, I suppose we will abide by this command. Shall we resume in the training grounds?" he asked, turning to Byleth in an oddly gentlemanly gesture.
At least, as gentlemanly as a legitimate death threat could be.
"Yes. Let me put my shoes back on. And... do I bring this with me?" she asked, waving the broken line on her fishing rod around.
"The fishing rod?"
"Yes."
"..."
"...Do I bring it with me?"
"Yes."
Jeralt wondered how the two could possibly make conversation, and here he was barely making sense of it.
The Town of Garreg Mach, 6th Morning of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"And that should be everything," Corrin said with a relieved sigh. "Thanks for the help, you guys. Once we get it back to Professor Byleth's wagon, we won't have to hoof everything back to the monastery."
A group of Black Eagles and White Dragons had been sent to procure various weapons, supplies and items for the month. In charge of this little entourage were the two respective house leaders, as both professors were preoccupied with tasks in the cathedral.
"Truly nothing to do it, Lady Corrin," Ferdinand von Aegir replied, many more boxes than comfortably possible being held in his rapidly deteriorating grip. Caspar and Petra were there to assist, though the Aegir scion had no such plea for help to make.
"Hubert, take one of the boxes from Ferdinand. He's going to drop everything," Edelgard ordered, holding her one-sided rival's ample amount minus one. Hubert made his move, which Ferdinand von Aegir quickly evaded. However Laslow was there to pick up the slack, having already positioned himself to lighten the noble's load. Deftly, he took the top box right underneath Ferdinand's nose, putting onto display the most disappointed scowl of the day from the bewildered Eagle.
"Damn. Don't think this changes a thing Edel-"
"So, house leaders," the Nohrian retainer asked, falling back into step with Corrin. "Looks like we'll be with each other quite a bit this month. Without... uh, two of our classmates, how do you think we should go about our class exercises?"
"Tiki will have to stand back, as there is no cure quite as effective for an impaled leg as a good rest. Lucina and I are already conspiring to retrieve Robin from his unjust cell," Edelgard assured, to which the Ylissean lord smiled impishly.
"I shan't put it so far as conspiring," she attempted, twiddling her fingers even while holding her own box. "But Lady Tiki and Advisor Seteth are scheduled to appeal for Robin and Lady Catherine's freedom as we speak. It would be wise to place things in their capable hands."
"How odd that things turned out the way they did just because of Robin's thoughtfulness," Edelgard mused. "I truly must commend the man's efforts, even if they did land him in a bit of hot water at the moment. To cause a rift in the Church's leadership while adhering to a Church-sanctioned mission is no small feat."
Corrin smiled at this, but obviously not at Robin's plight. Of course, this was mostly her plan; Robin just handled the risky part and therefore, took all the credit.
Still, Ashe was happy-ish. That's all she could really be greedy for at this rate.
"I'm sure Seteth and the Archbishop butt heads all the time," Corrin guessed. "They act like siblings at times fighting over things just because they can." Edelgard nodded at that, agreeing with that assessment.
"Well, the good Advisor is on our side for this so it's prudent we not interfere unless we must," Lucina ordered. "We did violate Rhea's explicit orders last week, even if the turnout was the same."
"Well, you have curried the favor of the recently instated Lord Gaspard, if that's any consolation for your efforts," Ferdinand said with a confident nod. "I have faith in Robin's expedited freedom."
The group of students made their way to the wagon, depositing their haul without a delay. While most of the entourage found seats atop the crates or on the floor of the wagon, Edelgard and Lucina stayed behind, with a horse detached from the wagon for them to ride back.
"Hubert, please see to it that the supplies are transferred to the Professor's quarters without issue."
"It will be done, Your Highness," the Vestra retainer nodded, spurring the horses and guiding the wagon back up the slopes to the monastery. As the dust settled, Lucina turned to her companion with a hand on her hip.
"So, what's this about? If anything, I thought you would make Ferdinand von Aegir walk."
Edelgard scowled at the full name of her classmate, but brushed the discomfort aside.
"Why must you address him by his full name- you know what, never mind. See, I would like a favor to be cashed in as it were, at the end of the month."
Lucina tilted her head in surprise, not thinking her talents were worth anything useful to the enterprising Hresvelg heir.
"Oh?"
"Both of our classes are going to be down helping out the town during the Rite. This is a major Church of Seiros ritual, one where I can expect security both here and up there to be quite impressive in its capabilities."
"That makes sense," Lucina agreed. "I won't claim to know anything more than any of my classmates about the coming festivities. Do you suspect ill deeds, Edelgard?"
"I have learned a few things in my life, and those lessons have never failed in proving valuable in time's steady march."
"I see. What sort of dangers do you sense?"
Lucina seemed generally accepting of Edelgard's reasoning, so the heir decided to waste no further argument and went right for the issue at hand.
"Festivities like these are showy and gaudy. A large sum of people gathered in one place, with chaos being excused for the sake of merriment. I... I find myself unnerved by such things, to be honest."
Edelgard was lying of course. It would take more than some fireworks and the joyous giggles of children to force her attention. But still...
"So... An attack on the town? Or the monastery itself? Is that what you're getting at?"
"If ever there was a time to incite chaos and sow mischief to the Church, the days leading up to and including the 26th would be most opportune."
"I see. I trust you aren't speaking from experience, I hope."
Edelgard hid a scowl, instead shaking her head with a level expression. It would be best not to draw too much suspicion to herself. But still, without Lonato's corpse serving as the catalyst to divide the Monastery's defenses, Edelgard knew not what those damn worms were planning. What would come next... anything goes, she supposed.
"Unfortunately, I am. One comes to grow used to these things after living in Fódlan long enough."
"I see," Lucina replied, bowing in remorse. How careless of her to forget that her first few encounters with the three lords of Fódlan had been to protect them from assassins of all things. "My mistake, I overstepped, and I apologize-"
Edelgard raised a hand, assuring the older princess with a comforting gesture.
"Please, none of that. Just hear me out."
The Ylissean nodded, adjusting her white cape and brushing the hair out of her chin. It was quite windy down here she realized, without the protection of the monastery's walls.
"Very well. What do you think our classes should do?"
"The only way up to the monastery is through the town. I advise setting a cache of weapons stowed away either on your person or somewhere out of sight and out of mind. We need to be ready at a moment's notice during the festival."
"That can be done. I doubt the folk will care to see an officer cadet with their sword on their hip. And what of the days leading up to the festival. Patrols?"
"Precisely," Edelgard affirmed, quite liking Lucina's tactical approach to the issue. "Anything can happen, and at any time. Better to be cautious than regretful."
"...And should I run this by the professor?" Lucina wondered.
"I don't see why not," Edelgard replied. "This isn't following our explicit orders, but we are going to be maintaining a presence in the town. But rather than assisting with the festival, I just hope we can avert and mitigate whatever crisis I sense is coming."
Garreg Mach Library, 6th Morning of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180
"We are alone, Your Highness," Hubert assured, closing the door behind him and placing a sign that Tomas was out for the hour.
"So we are. Well, Hresvelg, you truly know how to complicate things. What exactly were you planning to accomplish, challenging a Knight of Seiros so brazenly?"
Edelgard met Tomas's scowl with her own, not letting herself be intimidated by some senile flesh puppet.
"If you are referring to the intervention at Magdred, I did what I had to do to ensure the situation-"
"With a death of a student, by the hands of a Seiros Knight no less, our efforts would have been facilitated... forget this. Your mind cannot seem to grasp the scale of our plans. Lonato lives by no small accident, and now there are reports of some crimson-clad knight teleporting in to challenge Thunderbrand."
Edelgard almost raised her voice, but deemed the effort not worth the hassle.
"If you want my apology, you will have it. However, what I did was to ensure my efforts in the future against the Church."
"Ah, so you say. And how, with every knight in Garreg Mach not guarding against a plot against the archbishop, will you procure for us the bones of Saint Seiros?"
"You know just as well as I that that box has something else in it. But if you care for details, then you will be pleased to know that there will be a light defense stationed at the base of Garreg Mach town. Send some of your Western Church apostates to harass the town to create a ruckus come nightfall."
"I see. You mean to divert guards from the monastery to the town."
"The Monastery isn't going to be on high alert until the attack comes, thanks to the assassination plot they have yet to unearth. Place your grave robbers as close to the monastery as you can. Even inside the cathedral if you can manage it. After all, some drunk and lax Knights will hardly prove difficult to outmaneuver."
"...And in the chaos of the fighting below, rob the tomb. I see you've remedied your own mistakes, Edelgard. Very well. This plan is feasible enough."
"Nonsense. You are merely underestimating my capability to plan ahead."
"Is that so. I trust there won't be any interference?"
"I cannot guarantee that. More likely than not, the apostates will die in the tomb, once Rhea catches wind. Regardless of the outcome, that is no concern of mine. If we can confirm our intelligence, that already counts as a victory."
"Very well. You will have your commotion."
"Then I shall rid myself of this dank and dark hovel," Edelgard spat, rising from her seat and making her way down the library stairs. "Come, Hubert."
"It would be most unwise to die so early in our plan, Crestbearer. Do not underestimate our capability to plan ahead as well."