Chapter 5: Her Room

Hakuno rubbed her eyes tiredly as she made her way back to her room at the dorms. Shamir and the monastery guards had questioned her for a full hour before finally letting her go. Though she was the last to be let go as she could hear Dimitri and Dedue still speaking with the guards.

She had tried to tell them everything that she could properly explain but chose to withhold a few details, namely about the Servants that appeared during the battle. Even she had trouble processing what had happened, so she didn't feel confident in explaining it to the church guards. She merely echoed the same story that Archer had told Dimitri – that Saber and Archer were mercenaries she had met during the past month. It wasn't like she could as Archer for help. Both Saber and Archer had vanished after the battle.

She opened the door to her room with a sigh. She could dwell on it tomorrow. For now, she was exhausted-!

"Praetor!" Suddenly, just as she closed the door to her room, Hakuno found herself pounced on by Saber, as the Servant wrapped her arms around her, burying Hakuno's face into her chest. "I'm so glad you've returned!"

After a few seconds. Hakuno managed to pull herself away from Saber. "S-Saber?!" she spluttered. "What… what are you doing here?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Hakuno turned towards her dresser, to find Archer leaning up against it, his arms crossed and a scowl ever-present on his face.

Saber pouted. "I am Hakuno's true Servant." She placed a hand on her chest. "Of course I'd be present in her Room. The real question is why an enemy Servant is also present." She summoned her sword and pointed it at Archer.

He rolled his eyes. "We've been over this," he said flatly. "I am also Hakuno's Servant."

"Wait, wait, wait." Hakuno held her head, feeling a headache forming. The way that Saber had emphasized, "Room," stuck out to her. "What's going on? Why are you two here?"

Archer's expression morphed to one of concern. "You haven't noticed?" he asked, foregoing any argument with Saber for the moment. He pointed to the window. "Look outside," he said simply.

Hakuno, still holding her head, stumbled over to the window and peered out of it. She had looked out the window in the past month many times, admiring the mountainside view she had been given by the monastery. However, now, all she could see was a great expansive sea with coral and sand extending out as far as she could see. There were no fish, but rather a labyrinth of light blue panels and walls.

"This is…" Hakuno said, her words getting caught in her throat.

Archer nodded. "It's .PH," he said. "The Moon Cell." As Hakuno backed away from the window, sitting down on the edge of her bed, he continued, "There isn't anything there, granted. No enemies, no other floors no master, no servants… not even an exit. It's empty and the only way to access it is from this room." He looked at his Master. "Saber and I materialized here after the battle. We chose to perform some reconnaissance but found nothing."

Hakuno didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Why… why is this happening?" She curled her hands up and placed them on her lap, her eyes fixated on the ground. "Why are you here?"

"We… We don't know that," Saber said, her voice sounding sympathetic. "The only thing I know is your plea for help and getting summoned to save you."

Archer cleared his throat. "If I may, I do have a couple of theories." He waited for Hakuno to give him a nod before he raised a finger. "The first theory is that you have gravely misunderstood the nature of this world. You assumed that this was the real world, but in reality, you have never left the Moon Cell at all. Rather this monastery and country is merely another simulation that the Moon Cell constructed to satisfy you. It would explain how your current dorm room has been converted to a base similar to the Holy Grail War and why it's connected directly to the Moon Cell."

Hakuno stared at him, dread forming in a pit in her gut. "No, that's…" She hung her head. "I don't want that to be true." The idea or possibility that her new friends, home, and life were just merely a construction created by the Moon Cell to trick her… the reality was too much to bear for her. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "It can't be true…"

Archer waited patiently for his Master to fall quiet before he said his next piece. "I agree with you."

Hakuno blinked away her tears, as she looked up at Archer. "W-What?"

Archer sighed. "There are a couple of problems with theory 1. For one thing, this world is far too complicated for it to be a mere simulation created by the Moon Cell. Three countries complete with their own complicated history and past, along with a greater world out there you'll possibly never see. The NPCs here are much more advanced than the ones used during the Holy Grail War in .PH." He shook his head. "Too much work and data would be used to create this simulation."

"But what if the Moon Cell did it anyway?" Hakuno pointed out, her face miserable. "Maybe it just didn't have a good reason."

"Even if that was true," said Saber. "What would be the point? The illusion is shattered now that you've noticed."

Hakuno didn't truly have a rebuttal, but she was still dubious.

"Another problem," Archer said, looking directly at Hakuno. "Is your wish, Hakuno Kishinami."

She blinked, noting that Saber suddenly looked uncomfortable. "M-My wish."

"What was your wish? In the end, your data should've been deleted. Yet the Moon Cell gathers your data and merely plops you in another advanced simulation for no reason?" Archer questioned. "The circumstances of all of this seem a little strange."

"My wish…" Hakuno repeated, looking sullen all of a sudden, trying to think back to that moment. "I think… I think I wished to continue having the small experiences I had during the war with Rani and Rin. Make friends. No more… no more fighting."

Archer and Saber exchanged a look. "And Praetor," Saber said quietly. "Do you believe that the Moon Cell granted that wish?"

Hakuno was quiet for a few moments. Certainly, she made friends, but classes at the monastery were a lot different to what she had expected. It was a military academy after all. And she still continued to fight. Even now she couldn't accept that her selfish wish had been granted like this, in a world where she still had to fight. "N-No," she finally said, reluctantly. "Not entirely at least." She looked up at Archer. "But then if this isn't a simulation and is the real world, then why is my room connected directly with the Moon Cell?"

"That's my second theory," Archer said holding up a second finger. "I believe that the Moon Cell purposely sent you to this world. This land is directly connected to the Moon Cell in some way." He shook his head. "How I'm uncertain. But it would explain how an Assassin from Japan's history was able to be summoned in a world where Japan doesn't exist at all.."

"Assassin mentioned something about a Regalia," Saber said. "Perhaps this Regalia is what's connecting you to the Moon Cell. And our enemies, whoever they are, want that."

"That's just assuming that your second theory is correct," Hakuno mumbled dejectedly. "There's no proof of it."

"There is actually." Archer tapped the side of his head. "When we were summoned, the Moon Cell provided us with details of Fódlan's history and geography. But only Fódlan's. We have little context on countries and places that exist outside this continent, outside some a few vague details." He shook his head. "If the Moon Cell had created this world, it'd be able to tell us everything about it. But it seems only Fódlan has that connection to the Moon Cell."

Hakuno stared at Archer a sort of vain hope blossoming in her chest. "Then at least…" she said quietly. "My friends… the rest of the Blue Lions… are they real?"

"Is that what's concerning you, Praetor?" Saber said sadly.

Hakuno merely nodded.

"Then I believe there's nothing to worry about!" Saber exclaimed. "Your new friendships are certainly true!"

"Onto another problem," Archer said. "The Regalia. Do you know what that is?"

Hakuno shook her head. "I've never heard of it."

"And have you met anyone with Command Spells?" Archer pressed. "Another Master."

Another shake of her head.

"Do not worry!" Saber insisted. "If that Assassin ever returns then I'll protect you." She shot Archer a victorious smirk.

"Still," Archer muttered, choosing to ignore Saber for the moment. "There are some questions that we cannot answer yet. What is the Regalia and why did Assassin Master want it? Are there more Servants? And just why did the Moon Cell send you to this world?"

Hakuno felt her shoulders sag. Despite Archer's prodding, she found that she had no answers for him. Just why… why was she brought to this world?

Seeing Hakuno's growing frustration, Saber gently prodded her Master. "Perhaps you should sleep for now," Saber kindly said. "There will be time later to ruminate on everything."

Hakuno nodded tiredly, her eyes suddenly feeling heavy. With Saber's help, she laid herself atop her bed and closed her eyes. "I'm really glad," she muttered already half-asleep. "I'm really glad that you two are here. I missed you."

Archer and Saber exchanged a look, as a silent vow was made between them.

They would protect Hakuno Kishinami, their Master with their lives. The young woman had already suffered enough and, despite the strange circumstances, she seemed happy with her new friends and home.

No matter what, they would make sure she kept her smile.

Xxx

In the Archbishop's chamber, after the events that took place during the Rite of Rebirth, both Seteth and Rhea were currently discussing what had occurred that night. "To think," Seteth said, placing a hand on his chin. "That the Professor would be able to wield the Sword of the Creator. It's unthinkable." He glanced at the Archbishop. "Did you know of this Rhea?"

"No, of course not, Seteth," Rhea admonished. "I am just as surprised as you. I never would've expected this."

"But still-!" Seteth was about to say something else only to be interrupted when Shamir arrived.

"We've finished interrogating the assassins that appeared in the village," she announced, a hand placed over her chest, as she bowed her head. She raised it, before quirking an eyebrow up. "Did I interrupt something?"

"It's nothing, Shamir," Rhea answered. "We were merely discussing the Professor's new weapon. Pray tell, have you determined the goals of the assassins."

Shamir sighed. "No," she replied, bluntly. "They've talked, certainly, but each one of their stories contradicts each other. One claims to be a part of the western church, another says he was hired by the Gloucester House and another says he was hired by the Faerghus royal family." She shook her head. "We haven't been able to confirm any of their stories, so it's very likely they're all lying or duped when getting hired."

"And you haven't been able to obtain more information through our…" Seteth frowned. "Coercion."

Shamir gave him a dry look, before shaking her head. "They haven't been responsive to any of our methods. All of them keep repeating the same story they initially told us. That they had been hired by some unknown group of individuals to steal something called the Regalia."

"The Regalia…" echoed Seteth, saying the word slowly, trying to decipher its meaning. "I've never heard of it before." He glanced at the Archbishop. "Rhea have you…?"

Rhea frowned. "No, I've never heard of the term before. I couldn't fathom what it means."

"Prince Dimitri actually had something to say on the subject," Shamir said. "He mentioned that the assassin's leader was actually targeting Hakuno and claimed that she held this 'Regalia.' He also said that two mercenaries appeared out of thin air to help them and defeat the group's leader."

Rhea perked up. "Mercenaries? And they appeared out of thin air near the girl? Did you perhaps confirm that this happened, Shamir?"

Shamir winced. "…No," she admitted. "Regretfully, whatever the enemy force did drastically reduced visibility during the battle. I was never able to confirm that these two mercenaries existed. At the moment, all we have is the word of both Prince Dimitri and Dedue. Though, if I may say, I do not find it likely that either of them would lie."

The frown returned to Rhea's face. "For the coming month, then, keep an eye on Hakuno. If she is seen talking to anyone suspicious, I ask that you inform me immediately. At the end of the month, I'll have another instructor accompany the Blue Lions on their mission. During that time, I want you to determine exactly where these assassins came from. Understood?"

Shamir gave her a sharp nod. "It shall be done."

"Then you're dismissed. Thank you for your help, today. Judging from the report, your actions did save some of the students."

"Thank you." Another nod from Shamir, before she left the chambers.

Seteth turned to the Archbishop. "Do you know who these mercenaries are?" he asked.

"I have my suspicions," admitted Rhea. "Though the fact that two of them would appear is worrying…" With a furrowed brow, she closed. "Hakuno Kishinami… just who are you?"

Xxx

Archimedes stared up at the chunk of Velber, as his gaggle of scientists ran around him, desperately trying to gather the most data they possibly can. Just a few hours ago, the Moon Cell piece had shined brighter than it ever had prior. It had been only a little while after that that Thales had informed him he had ordered Assassin to retreat. Meaning the glow of the Moon Cell piece had likely corresponded with the summoning of Servants.

"Caster." He heard Assassin reappear from behind him. "I have returned."

"That you have," he said with a nod. Thales had left for the moment to oversee a situation regarding the Lance of Ruin, so Archimedes was the next best person to report to.

Assassin bowed her head. "I located the girl in question. However, she didn't have the Regalia on her person."

Archimedes blinked. "Oh. Is that so?" He placed a hand to his chin. "I assume that you attempted to retrieve it from her insides if the gal was dumb enough to swallow it but the Servant she summoned probably stopped you."

"There were two Servants."

"Two…? That should be…" He sighed. "Well, whoever she is, she is the winner of the Moon Cell Holy Grail War. I suppose that achievement is bound to have some eccentrics attached." He shook his head. "But back on the matter of the Regalia, that girl, Hakuno Kishinami, is definitely the holder. The ability to summon Servants without a circle. You would need a direct connection to the Moon Cell to accomplish this." He hummed to himself. "Perhaps Ms. Kishinami isn't merely holding the Regalia, rather she is the Regalia itself."

Assassin gave him a blank stare. "What?"

Archimedes waved. "Well, whatever the case, our goal has still not changed. We still need to capture her. At the end of the month, we'll have-!"

"I can go!" A new Servant stepped out of the shadows. She had bright pink hair that extended halfway down her back and was wearing a black and white dress. Atop her head were a pair of pointy dark purple horns and attached to her behind was a large lizard tail that ended in two points. "I'll be able to capture that girl easily!"

Assassin bristled with anger. "You wouldn't be able to do anything, Lancer," she spat venomously.

"I certainly can!" Lancer licked her lips eagerly. "The moment I start singing, she won't be able to resist my voice!"

"Hm…" Archimedes looked like he was pondering the offer.

"Besides, I'm so bored here!" she began to whine. "Every day it's just dark building over there, dark bridge over here. I must've held five concerts all over Shambhala and every time I do, none of the people here cheer and throw me gifts. What's an idol to do in a dreary place like this?!"

"Your singing just sucks," Archimedes heard a scientist mutter from behind him. Thankfully, it didn't look like Lancer had heard him.

"Master believes this requires a delicate touch," Assassin pointed out. "I don't think-!"

"Alright," Archimedes cut in. "You're free to do as you please until the end of the month. In fact, take some of the experimental Shadow Servants."

"Really?!" Lancer exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes." Archimedes nodded. "Just be sure not to give away any… pertinent information."

"Of course, of course!" With a whoop and cheer, Lancer skipped off, leaving both Assassin and Archimedes alone again.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Assassin asked,

"She probably won't accomplish much," Archimedes said with a shrug. "Against two Servants, she won't have much of a chance. As long as she doesn't reveal our plans, and Lancer understands enough not to do so, then it'll be fine. We've already got a plan to kidnap the Regalia." For the first time in the conversation, his face was graced with a smile. "We're close to the turn of war for this land. The Regalia won't be able to hide for much longer."

Xxx

A week passed after the Rite of Rebirth and the situation almost settled into normalcy for Hakuno Kishinami. Archer and Saber seemed acutely aware that Hakuno, while she cared for the both of them, also wanted to spend some time with her new friends. Though that didn't stop them from piping up during her classes, through the connection they shared as Master and Servant.

As a consequence, she was actually missing some vital notes, as she often was distracted listening to Saber and Archer's banter.

As such, on the second Monday of the month, she accompanied Professor Hanneman and Dimitri to the entrance of the monastery where all the shops were located. She had often passed by the area when joining Ingrid to feed the horses and pegasi at the stables but had never actually spent any money at the shops there. However, that was about to change, as Hanneman and Dimitri were planning on hiring a battalion for her.

Hakuno had heard and seen a battalion before, actually. When she had first arrived in Fódlan both Ashe and Annette were each accompanied by a battalion during the battle with the bandits. It just never occurred to her that it was necessary for her to hire one.

"Here we go," Hanneman said, showing Dimitri a small list of battalions. He twirled his mustache. "Certainly with Ms. Kishinami's excellence in Authority, there would be no harm in hiring a higher-ranked battalion. Let's see here…" He scanned the list.

"Of course, she's qualified!" Saber exclaimed. "She has me as a Servant after all."

Hakuno tensed, her hands clutching her skirt in apprehension. "I don't think I'm ready to be commanding other people," she muttered.

"Even if you don't, it's part of the curriculum here," explained Dimitri, but he gave her a sympathetic look. He looked over Hanneman's shoulder and pointed to one battalion in particular. "There. This one would be perfect."

Hanneman raised a brow. "This?" he said incredulously. "But this one is a mere healing unit. Certainly, a battalion with more firepower would suit her-!"

"No," Dimitri interrupted, sounding firm. "A healing battalion fits how she fights more."

"Ok, ok, ok," grumbled Hanneman. "By the Goddess, you have been listening to Manuela's classes much too often. Certainly, she'd say that a healing battalion is more useful than one that can fight. Soon enough you two will be performing a duet in Enbarr."

Dimitri chuckled. "I wouldn't count on it. I don't have a talent in singing, unfortunately."

"I'd recommend practicing on your hymns, then," Hanneman said, handing Hakuno the paperwork on the battalion he had just hired for her. "You never know what the people of Faerghus might want in a king."

"I'm… I'm sure I have some idea," Dimitri replied.

"As you say." Hanneman pulled out a pocket watch, checking the time. "Looks like it's almost time for my seminar today." He gave Hakuno a nod. "Be sure to enjoy the rest of your weekend you two. I haven't heard much about our mission for the month yet, but I'm sure it'll be a doozy." With a whistle and a pep in his step, Hanneman headed off towards his classroom.

Hakuno scanned the piece of paper, feeling a pit grown within her stomach. "This battalion is meant to heal your comrades in battle and give your magic a little more strength," Dimitri explained but folded his arms when he noticed that Hakuno was still hesitant. "Your Authority skills track with mine to be one of the best in the class. I wouldn't worry so much about this. You'll be able to command them fine."

"If…If you say so," she replied still uncertain, her grip on the paper tightening, crumpling it a little.

Dimitri sighed and look away from Hakuno, only to suddenly perk up. "Hm?"

Hakuno followed Dimitri's line of sight just in time to see a tall man walking towards them. Judging by Dimitri's expression, he recognized the man.

The man raised a hand in greeting as he finally reached them. "Your Highness!" he exclaimed, with a wide smile. "Ah, it's been ages!"

"Rodrigue?" Dimitri sounded surprised. "It has been a long time. Two years, if I'm not mistaken!"

"That is correct, Your Highness," the man eagerly said. "You've grown so much in those years. I hardly recognize you."

Hakuno looked between the two nervously, wondering if it would be polite to just leave. "Er…" she said, deciding to turn to Dimitri. "Who's this?"

"Oh, Hakuno, this is Rodrigue," the prince explained. "He's an old friend of my father's. Some of my earliest memories include this fellow. When my father died four years ago, he looked after me as though I were his own son."

"You flatter me, Your Highness," Rodrigue said with a shake of his head. "It was my honor to care for such a fine, young man." He turned to Hakuno. "It's nice to finally meet you, Ms. Kishinami. My son, Felix, has mentioned on occasion."

Hakuno blinked. "Your… Felix's father?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Rodrigue laughed. "Yes! Yes, I suppose it's a little hard to believe given my son's attitude. But you have to admit the resemblance is there."

Hakuno looked a little at the man and nodded. He was right. There was some resemblance to Felix. "What did he say about me?" she asked curiously.

He winced. "He mentioned that you have amnesia. You cannot remember where you're from. As such, despite not outwardly admitting to it, it seems that Felix is quite worried for you and is trying to look out for you."

Hakuno blinked. "Felix is?" she said in disbelief. She had nothing against Felix, but the young man had been pretty chilly towards her for most of the time she knew him.

"People often have different ways of showing that they care," he said wisely. "Unfortunately my son isn't one to make his emotions obvious." He laughed and even Dimitri managed a smile.

"But what brings you to the monastery, Rodrigue?" he asked, choosing to change the subject.

Rodrigue suddenly turned serious. "I'm here to provide information on the thieves that are currently plaguing the Kingdom. Apparently, a young and upcoming professor here is taking charge of their subjugation."

Dimitri blinked. "Thieves?"

"They've stolen the Lance of Ruin from House Gautier," Rodrigue said grimly. "The culprit is head's first son, Miklan." He shook his head. "As such it's quickly become a problem for the entire Kingdom. His thieves have currently set up their headquarters in Fraldarius territory and are mercilessly pillaging the villages in the area."

Dimitri winced. "It's disappointing that the Blue Lions weren't chosen to deal with those dastards," he said. "To think that I would have to rely on Claude to deal with the Kingdom's problems…"

"Please do not worry, Your Highness. The young man that can wield the Sword of the Creator is certainly the best to handle this situation. It's just… unfortunate that he didn't choose to lead the Blue Lions."

"At the end of the day, however, that was the Professor's choice," Dimitri said firmly.

"Indeed." Rodrigue nodded before the smile returned to his lips. "Well, it was nice talking to you again, Your Highness."

"The feeling's mutual, my good friend," Dimitri replied.

"It was also nice to finally meet you Hakuno," Rodrigue said, turning to the quiet girl in question. "I hope one day you're memories return."

Hakuno nodded. "It was nice meeting you too, sir," she said a little quietly.

With another nod to Dimitri, Rodrigue left the two alone. Both Dimitri and Hakuno stood there in awkward silence for a few moments, until Dimitri said, "We have yet to talk about what happened during the night of the Rite of Rebirth." He gave her a look and folded his arms. "Do you still want to talk about it?"

Hakuno remained quiet for a moment, unable to look Dimitri in the eye. "It's as I said before," she said, her voice almost a mumble. "They were just mercenaries I met before her in the monetary."

Dimitri sighed. He had expected this, but he was still slightly disappointed. "I understand," he said sympathetically. "Just… Hakuno, just know that the Blue Lions and I… we're your friends. However problematic the truth may be, we will be willing to listen and trust you. You're not a bad person, not even for hiding the truth." He shook his head. "That's all I wanted to say. We're here if you ever want to talk." With that, he walked away, leaving Hakuno alone.

Hakuno raised a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. "That was the right thing to do, Praetor," Saber said solemnly. "It would be wrong to bring the people of this world into the problems of ours."

"You're right, but…" Hakuno winced. "I don't feel like I can hide from them forever."

"You certainly can't," Archer agreed. "Sooner or later the truth will come out. Whether you like it or not."

Xxx

The rest of the month passed by rather quickly after that. The rest of the classes sped by like they were nothing and Hakuno found herself learning more spells. The Blue Lions also had some lessons with Instructor Byleth, learning about battalion formations and battlefield strategy. But the way that Byleth talked made Hakuno feel as though she would never match him in intellect.

"That's ridiculous, Praetor!" Saber exclaimed within her head, in the middle of Byleth's class, several days before the end of the month. "Without your intelligence, we would've surely died during the Holy Grail War!"

"We did have help," Archer said, begrudgingly. "And quite a bit of luck."

Hakuno agreed. Rin… Rani… what were they doing now?

"Professor Hanneman," Byleth's voice, suddenly snapped Hakuno out of her thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

Hakuno turned towards the entrance just in time to see Hanneman enter the room, twirling his mustache. "I apologize, Professor. Rhea has just given the Blue Lions their mission for this month. I understand that you were given yours at the beginning of the month but apparently, there's been a change of plans for us." He gave Byleth an apologetic smile. "Could you call your class early for today?"

"Yes." Byleth began packing his stuff. "It's no problem at all." What he had to pack was very little, so he quickly gave Professor Hanneman the front of the class and began to leave. However, he stopped next to Hakuno's desk and gave her a look that she couldn't read.

"Um…" Hakuno blinked. "Is… Is there something wrong?"

Byleth stared at her for a few moments, before turning away. "Your strategy," he said. "When encountering an unwilling opponent who's afraid to make the first move. It's a sound way to approach the battle."

Hakuno blinked. "Oh… um… thank you-"

"But it's too soft." With those final words, he left the classroom.

"How dare he!" seethed Saber. "Praetor's answer was… well it was pretty good!"

"Amazing praise," muttered Archer, sarcastically.

Hakuno joined the others at the front of the classroom, standing next to Dimitri, as Hanneman cleared his throat. "Well," the man said. "Let's start with the details of the actual mission. The Blue Lions are to subdue and capture a group of thieves located in Kingdom territory just outside of Conand Tower."

Dimitri blinked. "Conand Tower?" he echoed. "Why there?"

Hanneman rubbed his temples. "Well to explain further, the mission that the Golden Deer received at the beginning of the month was to capture some thieves that have stolen the Lance of Ruin from…" His eyes flicked to Sylvain. "From House Gautier. The thieves are led by Miklan, who is-"

"My older brother," Sylvain said a little bitterly.

Hanneman sighed. "Right, well. Because Byleth now wields the Sword of the Creator and the Crest of Flames, the Archbishop believed him best suited to retrieve the stolen Hero's Relic. But just in case, she's also assigned Gilbert to help the Professor." At that bit of knowledge, Annette frowned.

Hakuno tugged on Ingrid's sleeve. "What a Hero's Relic?" she whispered to her.

"Powerful weapons that are thought to be given to us by the Goddess," Ingrid whispered back. "But the only way to wield one is to bear Crest like the ones we have." It was a truncated explanation, but Hakuno nodded getting the gist of it.

"However we have just gotten word that another portion of the thieves that Miklan leads are now attempting to rendezvous with their leader. If they do then it'll be too much for the Golden Deer to handle. So our orders for the month are to capture this second band of thieves before they can join with Miklan as reinforcements. Understood?"

"Yes, I believe so," Dimitri placed a hand on his chin. "I did hear something about this from Rodrigue. The thieves have been mercilessly pillaging the villages in Fraldarius territory. I suppose the Professor, given his ability, is the best person to deal with their leader especially given his ability. Is that the extent of the mission, then?"

"No, not quite." Hanneman let out a sigh and shook his head. "You see, I actually have some business in the Empire in a few days. I'd like to do some research into the Crest of Flames and a colleague has promised to exchange some data on the matter. That means I won't be there to guide you, my class."

Hakuno perked up when she heard footsteps from behind all of them. She glanced over to find the combat instructor, Jeritza, had just entered the room. "Of course, I've arranged for Jeritza here to be your chaperone for this particular mission."

Jeritza gave everyone a short nod. "It's a pleasure to be working with you."

Mercedes appeared uncomfortable with this new revelation, choosing to look anywhere but at Jeritza.

Jeritza's eyes met Hakuno and she couldn't help but recall Julius, the Master of Assassin. The look that he gave her... It reminded her all too well of how Julius looked at her. As a mere obstacle in their path. Defiantly, she met his eyes, trying not to flinch.

Jeritza gave her a short nod. "Let's make sure…" A small smile graced his face, rare for a man as stoic as him. "We all return back safely."

True Name: Nero Claudius

Class: Saber

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Agility: A

Mana: B

Luck: A

NP: B

Crit Quotes:

"Raise my curtains for my solo!"

"Behold my talent and witness!"

"We will dance together, Praetor!"

Level Up Quotes:

"I can grow so much stronger than this!"

"Umu! I am beyond genius if I do say so myself!"

Let's see how long this writing spurt lasts.

Reviews are appreciated.