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Chapter fifteen: Plegia Courtyard Strategy

6/9 Saturday: Morning; Lake Caduceus

Although the plan was to head to the Halidom 'this week', which was last Monday, daily activities and school made it impossible.

Monday saw Robyn and Robin receive ominous reminders that midterms were coming up in two or three weeks which meant more study hours needed investing in. On top of that, there were project outlines due next week which required input from fellow groupmates of their choice. Unfortunately for Robyn, she wasn't exactly the first pick among any of her classmates since no one really knew her apart from Robin, despite having been around for two months. Still, she was able to form a group with Gaius and Olivia ("Good, I get Melonpan-chan," Gaius said). Robin, meanwhile, had formed a group with Tharja and Henry, much to Robyn's amusement.

In fact, on Monday, the two project teams ended up staying late at school to get some preliminary project work done. Planning, division of labour, and so on. They two groups had spent so much time that night have fallen by the time they had left school, to the amusement of the school staff (Robyn and Robin elected to take the bus back home, in that case). Then there was archery and anime on Wednesday and Thursday which was a kind of relief for Robyn.

By the end of the week, Robyn could tell the sun had noticeably set earlier than it should have. The skies were fading into twilight already and the dark of evening was slowly taking over. The day felt like autumn when it should have been spring, let alone summer.

In effect, it was getting colder such that the temperatures were dropping, although slowly. Then the week dragged onto Saturday.

As an excuse to meet up together, Robyn had arranged for the Shepherds to go for a hike at a park not too far from Robin's home, named Lake Caduceus. The lake was nestled in higher ground northwest of Iris-shi and in fact was part of mountainous terrain. Mountains surrounded it, making it perfect for hiking, and the trail rewarded hikers with outstanding views of Lake Caduceus itself on one side, and Iris-shi in the other. Much further away the skyscrapers of Aritia were visible. And the thing about this lake was that it was more 'natural', unlike Amatsu Park where its lake neighboured the city.

They could have headed to the Halidom, but Robyn and Robin agreed that it was a nice day for a hike. The Halidom could wait until later in the afternoon.

There was bus that ran from Iris-shi Station to the lake and only ran in the summer months, and also happened to run through Ignis Avenue too. That was convenient for Robyn and Robin, dressed in long sleeves and jeans. They walked down the hill like they normally did for school, caught the bus, and then met up with everyone else at the lake. Once that was done, they set about hiking on the trail.

They all hiked slowly, out of consideration for those who weren't as physically active (despite outings in the Halidom!). Plus, they needed enough air so they could talk to each other too.

"It's going to feel more and more like autumn at this rate. Thank goodness we won't need to worry about shorter days yet," Frederick remarked. He was wearing shorts and a polyester shirt, and an enormous bag full of who-know-what.

"Won't you be tired carrying all that?" Robyn said.

"Not to worry, Robyn-san," Frederick replied, an oblivious smile on his face as if her were immune to pain. "It's only camping gear. I've got a stove, fuel, food, fire-making tools, rations, sleeping mats, and blankets. Who knows if any of us got tired? Especially milord. Looking after his health is a top priority."

Maribelle scoffed, who was right behind Frederick. "That makes you a steward. Some say that you're a professionally trained one."

"I am not a steward. I wouldn't have a clue about such work," Frederick said, still smiling. "I only do this after carrying out my duties of course. Making Lissa-chan's room is part of the morning routine, then it's preparing milord's bag and shoes for school…"

Maribelle gasped. "You ARE a steward!"

"My good lady, it may seem like stewardship, I assure you…"

"I know my noble houses, and you, sir, are a steward!"

Robyn and Robin exchanged looks, smiling. This was the kind of banter they needed to keep the Shepherds entertained. If they had a moment to pause, they could write this down in their secret support logs they kept on them.

"I'm pretty sure you'll get tired…" Robyn mumbled. This was meant to be a relaxing hike. She hadn't counted on Frederick coming prepared like this, and it wasn't like they were staying overnight either! If he wasn't basically Chrom's bodyguard, he might as well be Chrom's caretaker, Robyn thought. Wait, wasn't that the same as a steward?

They kept hiking. The trail wasn't exactly maintained but nor was this an official trail to begin with. It just so happened to have a natural path that led through the mountain, passing by dirt, rocks, and trees. It was natural, to put it simply. The group also hiked slowly just so they could talk too.

Daylight began to run out at the rate of fifteen minutes a day, and that by the turn of the full moon of the following month, there would be no daylight left. It was an ominous projection, but hopefully preventable.

"Okay… So… we wait for the new moon to pass, and the trend will reverse…" Lissa said between breaths.

"We'll just have to look for the next location… Didn't we agree to go to the Halidom later? It's been a week," Stahl replied. "Man, I'm thirsty already." He took a mouthful of water.

The trail led further up the slope. It was a good thing there was plenty of sunlight in the morning, though it led Robyn to wonder how much longer before night fell. It was daunting to think that each day's sunlight would grow shorter and shorter by fifteen minutes a day. Wouldn't that cause anyone to go insane, knowing that? The only solution was to find the Gemstones to prevent what was to come. At the very least she wasn't alone.

And Stahl had a point too. With the amount of busyness they had this week, when could they ever head to the Halidom? They weren't equipped to go there now.

"We could head there this afternoon if everyone's up for it," Chrom suggested. "After hiking."


6/9 Saturday: Afternoon; The Halidom, Northroad

It had taken time before everyone had gathered at the school rooftop to enter the Halidom with their gear and weapons. After lunch and the hike, the Shepherds agreed to meet at the school to begin investigating where the next Gemstone might be. The workout at Lake Caduceus did them good as they felt more energetic going into the Halidom. And speaking of the Halidom, it had returned to its dark state and there was less light than before. Was it correlated to the moonlight, perhaps?

The fortress was in the exact same state as the time they had left it. Torches burned brightly, and it showed no signs of being attacked. For what it was worth, it was secure and free from the monsters. It also reminded Robyn that she needed a better system of naming the said monsters. They weren't just any monsters, after all. They were unique to the Halidom.

"We need to have some kind of codename for them," she said, speaking in the courtyard of the fortress and addressing her companions. "We just need to make something up."

"Let's call them the 'fallen'! They sure seem like that type!" Nowi suggested.

"That sounds like something from a cheesy action movie. I'm sure we can do better than that," Sully replied. "I've seen enough movies in my life to know what's good or bad."

"Then you must have something better, I assume, Sully-san?" Henry said. "I quite like the 'fallen'."

Sully scoffed. "Call them the 'risen'! There! Paradox at its finest."

"Seconded!" Nowi cheered.

"Agreed," Gaius, Ricken, and Lon'qu added.

Robyn shook her head and smiled. Nowi was quite enthusiastic about this. Given the latter three also spoke simultaneously, she wondered if they had planned this. "Perfect. The 'Risen' it is. It is unanimous then," she said. "Also, you three, thanks for volunteering! You'll be heading out with me to the expedition."

Gaius stared at Robyn. "Melonpan-chan. Why would you do this?"

"I just needed some volunteers." Robyn grinned, as she drew out her sword and motioned the three to follow her gesture. Gaius and Lon'qu also drew out their swords, their styles differing quite radically. Ricken was to provide fire support as they went out.

The objective was to search the vicinity for any kind of clue that could lead them to the next Gemstone. Miriel, Stahl, and Virion would act as their reinforcements if necessary while Robin and Chrom would hold the fort at the Northroad with the others. It was fortunate Robyn still had access to her ability to 'see' the map, so that she was always a few steps ahead. She wasn't going to let her advance party explore without backup.

That also included spotting 'unknowns' in this Halidom. However, like a game, the edges of the map were blacked out and wouldn't be visible until they had been explored. Like a video game, the areas would be known to Robyn once they were explored. Where would they begin, though? Robyn only had the Fire Emblem to guide her and that was about it. The more they walked, the more Robyn 'saw' the map. From there she could detect what was up ahead and, with the Fire Emblem's help and with Argent in particular, was able to know which direction to go.


6/9 Saturday: Afternoon; The Halidom, ?

They had travelled across plains and forest, and eventually their feet had tread across sand. Yet when they tried going further, they were repelled by an invisible wall that literally rebounded on them, forcing them back. It hurt.

"Ow…" Ricken groaned.

As Gaius was the first to be on his feet, he helped the others get back on theirs. Afterward, he and Robyn set about checking for any possible way around the invisible wall. But no matter how they tried, it seemed impossible to find a way around. Plus, Robyn knew that they could venture too far from the main road. So she called the party to regroup.

"Seems we can't get any further than this. Shall we turn around?" Ricken asked.

"I… I suppose, but there has to be a clue if this is as far we can go…" Robyn trailed off, whilst gathering her thoughts. From what she could see, this area was the only way forward and the other areas of the map weren't possible to access at this time. Was the invisible wall supposed to be a clue?

What would the real-life counterpart be…? Robyn thought.

It was in that moment that Robyn had almost forgotten about her special ability, since she was distracted by the invisible wall. The ability in the Halidom that enabled her to 'see' the map from top to bottom could help her identify which areas were passable and which weren't, as well as points of interest. Currently, it was not possible to go past the wall, so Robyn couldn't identify the location in full.

At the very least, though, Robyn could see a beacon where the Fire Emblem was supposed to be deployed. She took the shield and threw it to the ground, creating a pillar of flames where it landed. There was no other choice but to at least see what was beyond the flames. And there was something.

"Interesting…" Robyn said. Turning to her companions, she asked, "What do you see?"

It didn't take long for Stahl, Virion, and Miriel to catch up with her. They were quickly briefed on the invisible barrier before being directed to the flames that the Fire Emblem had made. Stahl and Virion knew better than to argue and took a glance, while Miriel went to measure out the invisible wall (albeit in vain). The problem was that the flames didn't show too much what was beyond it, which looked like blobs of colour, and neither the location.

Ricken was first to answer. "It looks vaguely familiar…"

However, Robyn sensed the monsters – or rather, the Risen, as they had agreed so name – had begun to spawn in the area. "They're nearby! The Risen!" she said, caution ringing in her voice. Why shouldn't she be surprised? The Risen had to appear at some point. Now it was just a matter of identifying what was beyond the flames.

The Risen were closing in on them in hordes. Robyn could sense them. They were armed with swords, lances, and axes, dangerous, and overwhelming in number. As if on cue, Lon'qu and Gaius went forward to meet the enemy. With swords drawn, they began slashing around to keep the Risen from coming closer. These ones fell easily, but there were many. Even so, Lon'qu – who trained regularly with the sword at home – was making quick work of the Risen, and so was Gaius.

"Virion-kun. Go cover the flank," Robyn ordered.

"As you wish," Virion replied.

He took his bow and began firing shots to support the two sword-wielders. While that was happening, Miriel, Ricken, and Robyn took what time they had to makes sense of what was beyond. Clearly, the flames meant there was a location, and Ricken said it looked familiar at first glance. Still, Lon'qu and Gaius could only hold out for so long, so Stahl went to back them up with a third sword. Stahl's use of the sword was… average. Robyn couldn't complain about that.

Then she looked at the flames again. It was hard to distinguish what was beyond and, on further analysis, the flames were impassable for now. Robyn concluded what mattered right now was identifying the location beyond the flames, and then use the Fire Emblem at the corresponding location in her world. She looked at the flames once more. Wait, wasn't that a shape that she had just gone to last week? The square structure. The shapes of stars on the walls. The rectangular shapes decorating the bottom. Why couldn't she remember?

"I've got it," Miriel said. "It's the theatre at Goldenrod Square."

Just saying that affected Robyn's perception of the shapes, and then it became clear to her that Miriel was right. The shapes were reminiscent of the theatre and so were the decorations. There seemed to be no better alternative. Maybe, maybe, doing so might bypass the invisible walls.

"Right, I guess we should retreat and try this at the actual theatre then," Robyn said. She used the Fire Emblem to disengage the flames, then packed it away in her bag. Then Robyn turned to the others. "Alright, we're done here! We're leaving!"

"You couldn't have said that any sooner," Stahl said.

He had kept up the effort at keeping the Risen at bay. Soon enough, Ricken and Miriel had arrived to reinforce him and the other sword-wielders with wind and fire magic, which allowed a path to be cleared and allow safe passage back to the Northroad. Robyn and the others did the same.


6/10 Sunday: Morning; Goldenrod Square

Clearly, the outing had left the Shepherds exhausted as almost everyone – in particular those who were engaged in combat – had slept in the following morning. Then Robyn, Robin, and Chrom had called a meeting to order in light of what had happened in the Halidom. They met at one of the coffee shops over milk teas and milky coffees, seated at the tables outside. It was also a relatively cool morning, considering the lack of sunlight. At least the summer heat kind of compensated for that.

Amusingly, Morgan insisted that Robin bring some lemon puffs made from the other day. There were a lot left over, so there was no harm in sharing some, right? To no surprise, Gaius was the first to get his hands on one ("Thanks, Morgan-chan. Thanks, Currypan-kun," he said, as if to shoot something into Robin's heart). They tasted very nice when paired with the drinks. That said, Morgan insisted on coming along.

"So… I assume you have something big going on?" Morgan asked. "Club event?"

"Something like that," Robin replied. "I'll tell you when you're older."

Then Robyn called the meeting to order. She briefly outlined what had happened in the Halidom for those who weren't in the advance party. They had reached an invisible barrier that prevented the team from advancing, but as Miriel predicted, using the Fire Emblem also revealed a clue. There was a location in the world which was accessible from there to that part of the Halidom. All that mattered was to figure out what location. Miriel suggested, with certainty, that it was here in Goldenrod Square.

"So we should go and gather some intelligence on the place, shouldn't we?" Miriel concluded.

Robyn replied, nodding, "That is inevitable. Now all that matters is planning time to get there…" She looked up at sky from where she sat, wondering how much time she had left before the days got shorter. The thought might drive her insane at some point, but now wasn't the time to worry about it.

"Let's plan how we'll do this. First off, we'll need advance parties like before to help me survey the area, memorise enemy positions, and look for the Gemstone. If there's time, we could even look for treasure. I just need a few able-bodied volunteers…"

So while a handful of the Shepherds remained at the café to watch over Morgan, Robyn and Robin prepared for the outing with Chrom, who would always be present as he had Falchion. Joining them were Virion, Cherche, Kellam, and Miriel. They carried a bow, axe, lance, and tome respectively, which meant a well-balanced party covering each other. Like before, they had to be out of sight from the public as Robyn deployed the Fire Emblem. For a place like Goldenrod Square, that wasn't easy.

"That's funny," Robyn remarked. "It's like the Fire Emblem is reacting like it did before on Ignis Avenue…"

In the end, they were able to use a spot behind the theatre where people seldom wandered. Robyn had the Fire Emblem in her hands and, like before, it reacted to this location. It became red-hot and then Robyn threw it to the ground, causing a pillar of flames to magically burst into life.

"There it is," she said, motioning to the others to follow her. "Let's go."


6/10 Sunday: Afternoon; The Halidom, Plegia Courtyard

It was as if the invisible wall that had prevented them from advancing had shattered. The Fire Emblem's doing, perhaps? Even so, the flames had appeared in the shadow of a wall. There was a large, fortified wall to their side which loomed over them and stretched to the distance. Beyond it, there was an ominous outcropping high above the ground, and thanks to the moonlight, it was possible to see how high it was. It could have been the perfect place for public announcements or public executions.

Speaking of moonlight, it also illuminated the sand beneath their feet. Recognising this, Robyn knew it would make movement more difficult.

"Well, we're here now. Now what?" Cherche asked.

"We just need to advance slowly…" Robin replied, "while Robyn takes notes."

Robyn was sketching away, trying to make sense of the location around her. There was the wall beside her that was at least eight times her height, but what was beyond the wall? No sense in turning in the other way. That would just lead to the Northroad again. This place… was called Plegia Courtyard. It seemed her special ability just gifted her that knowledge. Slowly, the party began to follow the direction of the fortified wall. It had to lead to an end somewhere.

As they continued walking forward, the moonlight made the appearance of what was beyond the wall more obvious. The outcropping was part of a cliff where the courtyard below conveniently led to the castle in the background. Although the castle was visible, it was unreachable at this time, and also irrelevant to the current campaign.

She looked up, sensing hostile presences. "The Risen. They're here." As Robyn looked up again, she wondered if the fortified wall would make it easy to get hit by snipers. Could it be that archers could shoot them on the spot? She would have to take note of that.

The Risen approached the party as one horde. Thanks to the sand, it slowed down their movements, giving Virion time to pick off some targets. Then Chrom and Kellam advanced with weapons drawn. Falchion seemed like a beacon of hope right now, with its blade reflecting brilliantly in the moonlight. Kellam… it was hard to see him in the first place. Robyn shook her head. Now was not the time to think how Kellam could disappear in thin air. She went on to follow Chrom, Kellam, and Virion as they continued clearing a path ahead. Robin and Miriel acted as fire support for them, and with time, they made it to the edge of the fortified wall and turned a corner.

"The ground has gotten harder now," Miriel remarked.

"That's good to know…" Robyn muttered, jotting down the details. Even with her ability helping her know parts of the 'map' and 'see things', it wasn't the same as burning it into her memory. No, she needed to write down the details. Across from the corner of the fortified wall, there was also a watchtower. What was that doing there?

Furthermore, around the corner, the wall finally showed an opening leading into the space beyond it. But that opening was also guarded by two fortified sentry posts, which were like miniature bases. In the party's current state, and considering they could also be hit by snipers, Robyn determined the entrance was impregnable.

But she could sense the next Gemstone had to be within it. Could it mean there would more adversaries beyond the fortification? Likely so. While Chrom, Cherche, and Robin were leading the charge and clearing the path, Miriel stayed behind to guard Robyn.

It was a good thing too, because as Robyn had feared, she had nearly fallen victim to snipers shooting arrows at her from the fortified wall above. That was ridiculous! The wall was just too close to them! Miriel opened a tome and cast a thunder spell above give Robyn some cover.

"Okay! I think that's all we can do! Retreat! Retreat!" Robyn ordered.

She had managed to draw a rough sketch of the map which should be workable for now. With the limited moonlight and archers trying to shoot her head, that was the best they could do for now. She could sense enemy reinforcements appearing and it wouldn't be long before they were overwhelmed. Just like when they arrived, Virion covered the retreat as Chrom and Kellam made their way back to where they arrived. Robyn could feel the sand beneath her feet sink, making it hard to run. But of all people here, she had to survive.


6/13 Wednesday: Evening; Goldenrod Square

Clearly, everyone was too exhausted to do anything after the outing in the Halidom, so it took two days before the next meeting. On the day when they returned from the Halidom, Robyn and Robin had no sooner hit their beds once they returned home, and they were exhausted. The following Monday was no different as they spent extra hours at school trying to catch up on readings and preparing for midterms in the next two weeks. So they ended up returning home in the evening and had slept early that night.

And so, the next days were packed with study hours in preparation for the midterms. On Tuesday, the cosplay costumes finally arrived, much to their delight. They spent a moment trying them out before diving back to studying for midterms.

And in addition to the study hours, there were also occasional study sessions with Chrom, Lissa, and the others. Wednesday was such an example, where they met over a dinner at a barbeque restaurant in Goldenrod Square. Stars twinkled in the empty sky above their heads as Robyn and Robin went into the barbecue restaurant to meet the others for an intense study session. The new moon was pitch black and was almost invisible.

"We rarely have dinner outside and study at the same time, don't we?" Robin remarked.

"I agree," Robyn replied, amid a mouthful of meat.

They were careful to note get any sauce splattered on their notebooks.


6/17 Sunday: Morning; Robin's Residence, Robyn's Room

Then, on the next Sunday, the summer heat had hit, and temperatures rose considerably. Given this, Robyn and Robin were forced to change to summer uniforms to keep in with the times.

Balancing midterms and trips to the Halidom was a nightmare for Robyn. As the new moon passed on Wednesday, the shortening daylight hours came as expected. What Robyn definitely hadn't counted on was having to save the world by crafting strategies, yet she had to pass her exams. What sort of twisted reality was this?

"If we don't get this done… we'll fail one way or the other," Robin reminded her that morning at her bedroom door.

"I know…" Robyn whined, not wanting to get out of bed. Saving the world while going to school was exhausting. The heat wasn't helping her fall back to sleep either. "I'm so sleepy…"

While Robyn kept on trying to get her much-wanted rest, Robin went to sit at her desk to review the notes for the strategy on one side, and the midterms on the other side. Would it be possible to save the world and finish midterms at the same time? They still had a month to act, and midterms were in starting next week. Looks like saving the world would have to wait.


So this what it comes to. Either you save the world, or pass your midterms...