I KNOW I screwed this up somewhere.
Chapter 113 – Point of View (Lone Moon)
Ladislava always felt at her best when she was in the air. She barely felt the cold at such a high altitude, though perhaps the same could not be said for her mount, Fenix. The wyvern showed no signs of complaint, however, even with the extra load it was carrying.
The Wyvern Knight turned to her wingmen, a flight of five riders, including herself. Each of their wyverns was carrying a sack full of papers under its belly, with a rope strapped near their necks that the riders were ready to sever to release their contents.
Ladislava looked down. Far below them was Garreg Mach Monastery. She could barely make out the specks moving around on the ground. She looked over to the monastery's aviary and saw the Knights of Seiros were readying their own Pegasus riders.
She then shouted to her wingmen, "Remember the plan. We drop our payloads over the monastery and the town, and then head back to camp. Do not engage the Knights of Seiros for any reason. We're not here to fight today. We're here to deliver a message."
"Yes, ma'am!" shouted the others.
"Salia, loosen up. You're too close to Ersha."
"Sorry!" replied a blue-haired rider as she maneuvered away from a busty pinkette rider.
"Zola, don't drop just yet. We have to account for the wind."
"Right," said a tall blonde rider who had been just about to release her payload.
"Ma'am, we've got Pegasi coming up below us," said a young brunette, who pointed down at the approaching riders.
"I see them, Marika. Steady, everyone," said Ladislava. "We're almost there. Steady…"
Ladislava's eyes darted between her wingmen, the ground, and the approaching Pegasi. With how high the wyverns were flying it would still take the Pegasi another minute or so to reach them. But it would be too late by then.
After another thirty seconds, Ladislava shouted, "Now!"
She and her wingmen cut the ropes on their sacks, causing them to spill out their contents. Thousands upon thousands of pieces of paper began to fall toward the monastery, dispersing in the air to the wind and gravity as they tumbled like leaves. The riders urged their mounts to release their grip on the sacks, letting them fall away.
"Fall back!" ordered Ladislava.
They all made a banking left turn and began to fly away from the monastery.
Below, the Pegasi led by Ingrid stopped as they saw the wyverns turning away.
"They're leaving?" Ingrid pondered aloud.
"Hey, what're those they've dropped?" asked another rider.
The sheets of paper tumbled past them, confusing the Pegasi and their riders, but Ingrid was able to keep Celdia under control. As one sheet fell toward her, Ingrid snatched it out of the air and looked at it.
Her eyes widened at the contents. It was a manifesto, no doubt composed by Edelgard, one that was quick to condemn the Church of Seiros for its many dark deeds, and to condemn the nobles of Fódlan for enforcing the Crest system. It detailed Edelgard's desire for a Fódlan free of Crests, and free of the dominating influence of the Church of Seiros. It proclaimed Edelgard's wish for a nation where those in power were defined by their ability, not by bloodline or birthright. Much of its contents would be considered heresy by the Church, no doubt.
Ingrid looked around at the thousands of papers floating down toward Garreg Mach and its town. She knew the Knights of Seiros would never be able to find them all before everyone in town could read them.
…
Ingrid arrived later in the lecture hall of the academy after her patrol, finding the other first-year students gathered, along with Byleth, Anna, Manuela, Hanneman, and the four divas from the Mittelfrank Opera. Not everyone had fully recovered from their wounds received in the Holy Tomb; several were still wearing bandages.
She could already tell what the debate was about. She had already heard many other soldiers debating the manifesto as she passed by. Seteth and the Knights had been trying to confiscate and burn the manifestos, but there were simply too many to find.
"To think Edelgard wanted change so much that she'd resort to something this drastic," said Linhardt. "She's always been the direct type, but this seems to be taking things too far."
"Seems to be?" said Caspar. "Linhardt, come on, you know she's wrong!"
"About which part, Caspar?"
"That's obvious! She's starting a war to get what she wants!"
"But is what she desires really so objectionable?" asked Lorenz.
"Wait, you approve of what she's doing, Lorenz?!" Leonie snapped. "Whose side are you on?!"
"Leonie, calm down, would you?" said Sylvain. "That's not what Lorenz was saying."
Lorenz then said, "I was merely pointing out that Edelgard's long-term goal is one that could very well be to the benefit of the people of Fódlan."
"For those without Crests, sure," said Balthus. "But what about you? You've got a Minor Crest of Gloucester."
"I would like to think that my worth as a member of House Gloucester is due to my capabilities, not simply for bearing a Crest, Balthus."
"Whatever you say, Lorenz," Claude said with slight mockery. Lorenz frowned at this.
"Honestly, I agree with Lorenz," said Sylvain. "I've already been screwed over by this damn thing…" As he said this, he held his hand up and briefly revealed his Minor Crest of Gautier. "If it weren't for my family placing so much stock in this Crest, maybe my brother wouldn't have become the lowlife he was."
"Maybe so," said Mercedes. "And maybe my family could've been happier if my father hadn't wanted an heir with a Crest so badly…"
"Mercie…" said Annette.
Lana then said, "I don't care if what she's saying could be better for people in the long run! She's going to get a lot of people hurt!"
"She already has, Lana," said Cia. "And she's willing to do much more than just hurt them you know. She's like any other noble who'll trample over anything to get what they want. She's just doing it on a much bigger scale."
"I agree," said Byleth. "What Edelgard may want is noble, but the ends don't justify the means. She can't just start a war for what she wants."
The students voiced their agreeance at this notion.
"What I want to know is how she's pulling all this off," said Manuela. "There would need to be all sorts of territories and groups tangled up in this sort of mess… Ugh, I don't have the head for this kind of political stuff." She then turned to the divas and said, "I'm just glad you four are alright."
"Hey, you didn't think I'd let anything happen to them, did you, Manuela?" said Brigitte.
"I hope the others are okay…" said Alicia.
Ferdinand, who looked positively dreadful, then said, "Half of the Empire's six great noble families have declared their support for Edelgard. Of the other three, Lord Vestra was assassinated. Hubert will succeed him. Bernadetta's father, Count Varley, is under house arrest. His wife is now supporting Edelgard. And my father… he was stripped of his role as prime minister. As a result, House Aegir has lost all of its power, all of its land. We have lost… everything."
As Ferdinand put a hand to his forehead in an attempt to cope with his statement, Constance walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The others knew the sorceress could relate to what Ferdinand was feeling right now.
Claude then said, "Edelgard must have been preparing for this for a while now. If you really think about it, she must have been planning for this even before Teach got the Sword of the Creator… Of course she was always a step ahead of us. We were blinded by the ball and the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, and everything else…"
"And then there's the matter with our last battle," said Ignatz. "Why did Edelgard have to raid the Holy Tomb for her goal? Why did she need those Crest Stones if she wants to abolish the system?"
"A very interesting question, Ignatz," said Hanneman. "Why would their army desire Crest Stones? There is power there, yes. And yet… I must think on this. Hmm… The Crest Stones lie at the heart of the events surrounding Conand Tower and the chapel as well… And of course, the Crest Stones somehow transformed the intruders into…" Hanneman's eyes widened in a dread-filled epiphany as he said, "Oh my…"
Some of the others realized where Hanneman was going with his thoughts.
Byleth then said in muted horror, "She wants to use them to make Demonic Beasts."
Off to the side, Dorothea let out a gasp and said, "Edie, you wouldn't…"
"I think she would," said Felix. "Edelgard isn't one to let any advantage she can get go to waste. She's pragmatic. It's in how she fights."
"Can we beat someone like that?" asked Marianne. "Can we really defeat someone who is willing to turn their back on the world just to uphold their own beliefs?"
"Hey, we could always send a horde of rats at her," Claude said jokingly. This prompted several glares of disapproval at him as he added, "She's terrified of them, remember?"
"Somehow I don't think that would work," said Lysithea. "She tricked us before, she could have been tricking us then."
"Yeah, good point. Sorry."
"Claude, your impish schemes are not going to help in this dire situation," said Lorenz. "Edelgard is planning to bring the full might of the Imperial Army down upon Garreg Mach. They'll be upon us within a fortnight. The Knights of Seiros are already scrambling to ready the monastery's defenses. If the monastery should fall, the rest of Fódlan will be open to the Empire's aggression."
"And of course, that'd concern you a lot, wouldn't it, Lorenz? I mean, your territory's basically a stone's throw away from the Hrym and Bergliez regions."
"Yes. House Gloucester's lands would be the first in the Alliance to face the Empire if Edelgard were to invade. My father recently sent a message that he has been contacted by Imperial envoys. If House Gloucester raises arms against her, her retribution will fall upon the people of Gloucester territory."
"I have also had the arrival of a letter from Edelgard," said Petra. "She is asking… that I join her side. She is making the decision… no, she is deciding if Brigid is a friend or an enemy of the Empire."
"Same here," said Ashe. "With Lord Lonato gone, I'm basically the heir of House Gaspard now. Gaspard territory is right next to that of Lord Arundel."
"The same snake who helped Edelgard breach the Holy Tomb in the first place," said Yuri. "And the, ugh, reason I have this…" Yuri gestured to his chest wound.
"Yuribird, should you even be up and about?" asked Hapi.
"Can't afford to stay down right now. Besides, Lana's a miracle worker."
Lana had to smile at this compliment.
"Ugh, this kind of power struggle stuff is part of the reason I ran away from home," said Anna.
"Miss Anna, I have been meaning to be asking of you," said Petra. "Lady Rhea was calling you a noble's name in the Holy Tomb."
Sighing, Anna said, "Yeah, she did. It's true. I'm a former noble from Judgral. Ran away from home years ago because I didn't want to be chained down by my mother's schemes."
"I was doing some digging in the library recently," said Linhardt. "I came across the name Ernest in some old records. They were a former noble house in Fódlan around 600 years ago."
"Yep, but they got more-or-less wiped out by their rivals. I'm descended from the survivors who fled across the Great Sea. But that's not important right now, okay? What's important is how we're going to handle Edelgard."
"We're not really gonna fight her, are we?!" Bernadetta said fearfully.
"If she plans to threaten the monastery, we have no choice but to fight," said Ingrid.
"Fight Edie…? Our Edie…?" Dorothea said with dread.
The others looked at Dorothea with sympathy. They knew she had to be taking this far worse than them, given her history with Edelgard.
"An enemy is an enemy," said Felix, "no matter who they are. Don't let compassion for her get in your way."
"How can you say that, Felix?!" Dorothea blurted. "She's not just an enemy! She's not just some bandit or thief for you to sharpen your skills on! She's… she's…"
Dorothea found herself at a loss for words. Byleth walked over to her and placed her hands on the diva's shoulders in sympathy. After what had happened in the Holy Tomb, Byleth knew Dorothea's entire perspective on Edelgard had been shaken to its core.
"Well said, Felix," said a voice that made everyone turn.
Outside the lecture hall stood Dimitri and Dedue. The prince still looked as though he was itching for battle, despite that he was still recovering from his injuries.
"Dimitri…" Dorothea said in fear and confusion.
"This whole debate of yours is pointless," said Dimitri. "None of Edelgard's goals or dreams mean a damn thing."
"Why do you say that, Dimitri?" asked Byleth.
With a sadistic grin, Dimitri answered, "Because I'm going to take that girl's head and put it on a spike. And all her dreams will die with her. Just you wait…"
Everyone watched in suspense as Dimitri and Dedue left their presence. Byleth then turned to Dorothea, whose expression was filled with absolute horror.
…
"Everything is going according to plan, Bias," said a holographic projection of Thales.
"Everything outside of Kataskopos's blunder, I take it?" Cornelia said with a smirk. Thales frowned at her mentioning his lost spy.
"Her death was due to her own incompetence. Just as it was with Solon and Kronya. But I will accept no failures on your part, Magistra. You must ensure that the Knights scattered across Fódlan do not arrive to reinforce Garreg Mach."
"As you wish, Agastya."
The transmission ended. A few seconds later, Kronya and Cleobulus emerged from the shadows.
"Sounds like things are about to get interesting at the monastery," said Cleobulus.
Groaning, Kronya said, "I wish I could be there to watch that stupid place burn!"
"You two will have plenty of work to do in the meantime," said Cornelia. "Tell me, Kronya, how did your last mission go?"
"It was almost too easy." Kronya's face briefly changed to the appearance of Monica von Ochs as she said, "I suppose I should thank those Church dolts for keeping secrets. That idiot never knew I was impersonating a dead girl. He was too busy being taken in by my charms."
As Kronya reverted her appearance back to its normal state, Cleobulus said, "You were supposed to finish it within a day, not two. Were you too busy letting him put his 'pride' in you?"
"What can I say? He was good for at least something." Kronya licked her lips amorously at this.
"What matters is you got the job done, Kronya," said Cornelia. "If you find time for carnal pleasure along the way, who am I to deny it to you? As for you, Cleobulus, I thought you might be interested to know that the mockingbird survived your little hunt."
Cleobulus's eyes widened a bit at hearing this, while Kronya smirked and said, "Ooh, you screwed up, Cleo~"
"I shot him dead center," Cleobulus snarled. "How did he…" Cleobulus realized the reason for Yuri's survival and said, "I'll finish the job."
"There's no need, Cleo," said Cornelia. "You prevented him from stopping Entei's raid, and that's what matters. Besides, I need you to help Kronya intercept the Knights of Seiros near Magdred. And do try to work together, okay? I won't tolerate it if I learn you're at each other's throats."
"…Fine."
Cleobulus turned just as Kronya said, "You're not punishing her?"
"Of course not," said Cornelia. "She did her job, as did you. Thales might not forgive failure, but I am not so unforgiving. He's so consumed by his desire to burn all of Fódlan to ashes that he's willing to sacrifice anything and everything to get what he wants. The fool doesn't comprehend or care that his methods would lead us to mutually assured destruction with our enemies. Unlike him, I do not seek the extinction of our enemy. After all, why destroy them when you can control them?"
Cornelia strode up to the two Agarthan women and placed her hands on their shoulders.
"For now, we must play our part in his designs, until we are ready to dispose of him. Once that is done, the Agarthans will become the true rulers of Fódlan. Work together, and you'll be well rewarded. Does that sound good?"
Kronya and Cleobulus smiled at this, which was all the confirmation Cornelia needed.
Trying to get the point of view of all the students and make it flow properly was hard as hell. I'm sure I've messed up somewhere, but this is an incredibly hard thing to write properly.
On the part with the Agarthans, one thing I'm wanting to portray is that while Thales is competent and the leader of the Agarthans, Cornelia is meant to have far greater competency. While Thales is cunning, Cornelia is a schemer and a tactician who could give someone like Robin (from FEA) a run for their money (except that she's more willing to sacrifice lives to accomplish a goal). It'll be tricky showing the power struggle between Cornelia and Thales, so I hope I can manage it.
By the way, the name of Thales's spy, Kataskopos, is Greek for either "spy" or "scout" (I personally don't know which).
We're getting close to the final battle of the pre-timeskip section of the story. I just hope I don't get too distracted by trying out new games.
Finally, see if you can tell what series I borrowed for the names to Ladislava's squadron. It's just an Easter egg, so don't expect them to remain like the divas will.