Aftermath of the battle.
In the Audience Chamber, Rhea was talking to Byleth after the events of the mock battle.
"Your work with the students was remarkable. I can see Jeralt trained you well. But do not feel bad about the loss. With Esdeath as your opponent, it's impressive you and your students lasted as long as you did. I do hope you were able to use the occasion to bond with the students" Rhea said.
"I did" Byleth said.
"I am so happy to hear it. Nothing would please me more than if you would use this coming year to grow closer still" Rhea said.
"Of course, the mock battle was mere practice. The real fight is the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, which will take place during the Wyvern Moon. You are expected to properly train your students so as not to humiliate the academy during the long-held tradition that is the coming battle" Seteth said and Byleth nods
"As for today, I have called you here to tell you of your mission for the month ahead. Your class is to dispose of some bandits causing trouble nearby" Rhea said.
"My mission?" Byleth asked.
"Those affiliated with Garreg Mach Monastery have a moral obligation to help those in need, regardless of social standing. Students are no exception. Each month, before the newly birthed moon departs, each house of students must complete their assigned mission. You shall work to complete the task at hand alongside your students and report back to the archbishop before the deadline. Understood? I will soon provide you with the necessary details for your first mission. If I told you now, I expect you would only forget, and I despise repeating myself" Setath said.
"I can sense something special within your heart... I have high hopes for you " Rhea said,
"If I may, Lady Rhea. Can you tell me more about Esdeath? I keep hearing she is strong, but when I faced her in the mock battle... it was almost like she wasn't even human" Byleth said.
"You are not the first to make that comment. Esdeath does indeed live up to her reputation. In fact, she far surpasses it" Seteth began as he closed his eyes "Few knows where she comes from or how she became so powerful. But her strength in battle is so great, to the point some people even think the Goddess herself blessed her and made her invincible".
"And still, you managed to strike her once. Something that's never happened before. If you keep working hard to improve yourself and your students, you could equal Esdeath one day" Rhea said.
"Thank you, Lady Rhea" Byleth said.
Rhea smiles as she leaves with Seteth. After they left, Byleth heard an familiar voice "Bandits, they say…" Byleth was startled by the voice, it was Sothis "Do you recall when we first met? You shall not fall so shamelessly again, correct?" Byleth remained silent "Have you no words for me? Do not tell me that you are shocked to hear from me! You ought to know that I am always with you now. To hear my voice should not come as a shock".
"I don't understand..." Byleth admitted.
She could all but feel Sothis roll her eyes "Whatever shall I do with you? I am alive within the confines of your heart. I am unknown to all but you. But through your eyes and ears, I see and hear. Just listen to your heart, as you are doing now, and we may speak like this. That is all that I know".
Byleth had nothing to say to that. She debated on telling her family about this. But decided against it until she learns more.
Elswhere, the bandit leader Kostas, was speaking with a mysterious knight "What is this nonsense?! All I was told was to kill as many noble pipsqueaks as possible! No one said anything about the Knights of damned Seiros being on our trail!".
"You have proven yourself worthless, distracted by something so trivial. I had hoped you would achieve your goal despite the setback, but now two children of the Knights' former captain is in play. How interesting" The knight said in thought.
"Hey, this isn't what I agreed to!" Kostas said.
The masked knight ignored him "Hiring a mercenary as a professor. And letting her younger sister become a student. What was that woman thinking?".
"Are you listening to me?! How do we finish this?!" Kostas demanded.
"You die" The masked knight said bluntly.
Kostas looked shocked "Wh–What?".
"Underestimating the Knights was an amateur mistake, one you will pay for. The road to eternal torment awaits you all. Now I must locate your replacements" The masked knight disappears in a flash of red light.
"Wait, get back here! Damn you!" Kostas shouted.
Harpstring Moon. In honor of the saints whose births or deaths took place under this moon, the people perform music once beloved by those divine beings. Whether by harp, by flute, or voice alone, joyous melodies are shared between farmers as they sew their seeds across the vast plains of Tailtean and Gronder.
The songs can bring comfort and happiness to those willing to listen.
The next morning, Byleth and Claude were speaking to Seteth about their mission this month.
"As you have already been notified, your mission is to subdue some bandits. Our students have been learning about combat through study, but this is a precious opportunity to provide them with practical experience. The knights will support your mission and are prepared to offer their assistance if necessary. In short, this is no mock battle. You must be prepared for anything. You will receive a message from the knights when it is time to depart. Until then, use your time wisely" Seteth explained before he began to leave but stopped "Oh and professor? I figured you'd like to know that your sister's class will also be sent on a mission this month. A mission to hunt down a rouge knight. I can't say any more than that. You will have to speak to Esdeath if you wish to know more, because it was her job to gather information about it".
Byleth looked concerned until Claude spoke "More bandits? Not very original, Teach".
Byleth looked a him "Not interested?".
"Well, as long as you're with us, at least things won't be boring. In fact... It may take a turn for the interesting. And with that, I take my leave to make my final preparations" Claude said.
Byleth nods and they leave. Outside, Akame was waiting for her sister. Once Byleth walked out, Akame hurried up to her.
"So, you got a mission this month?" Akame asked.
Byleth nods "I do. Me and my class are going to hunt down the bandits that tried to kill the house leaders... but I also heard your class will be sent on a mission too".
Akame blinked "What kind of mission?".
"I'm not sure, Seteth mentioned something about a rouge knight. Maybe father knows about it" Byleth suggested.
"Maybe. We need to speak to him anyway, so let's go" Akame said.
Byleth nods and they headed to Jeralt's quarters. Thankfully their father was there and even seemed to be waiting for them.
"You two seem well. Are you adjusting to life at the monastery?" He asked.
"I think so" Byleth answered.
"Yes, my new class has been fun to be around. Strange. But fun" Akame said.
"Oh? I didn't expect that answer. When we were mercenaries, I handled everything. Outside of battle, you two didn't have much contact with people, did you? I thought being thrown into a swarm of noble brats to teach would be a bit much for you, Byleth. Not to mention you Akame, being separated from your older sister and attend class with a bunch of strangers. But I guess I was wrong to worry" Jeralt said, sounding rather relieved "By the way, Byleth. I heard about those bandits. Your first assignment is to take them out, right? That's fairly routine for you by now, but don't forget it's the first real taste of battle for those brats. It'll be tougher to sleep at night if you let one of your little pupils die, so stay vigilant and lead them well. I wish I could offer you my support, but Lady Rhea won't allow it. For now, I'll try to figure out what she wants from you. I don't mind you settling into your life here, but don't let your guard down. Ever".
"I won't, father" Byleth assured "But there is something else me and Akame wanted to talk to you about".
"Oh? And what could that be?" Jeralt asked.
"I heard me and my class will be sent out to deal with a rogue knight. Do you know about anyone like that?" Akame asked.
"A rogue knight..." Jeralt mumbled in deep thought before his eyes dawned with realization "Now that you mention it, there is one man I can think of".
"Who?" Akame asked.
"He abandoned his realm name years ago. Now he is simply called Ogre. He was a former member of the knights, tasked with tracking down criminals within the Monastary's borders. However, he became corrupt, accepting bribes to allow criminals to get away with henious acts. He even began taking parts in those acts himself. He was finally caught when he forced himself on a young female knight who had just joined their ranks. He killed those sent to capture him and fled with a gang of thieves" Jeralt explained.
Akame looked disgusted "He sounds like a monster".
"Calling him a monster is to nice. He is a devil. Listen Akame. Ogre is very dangerous, and I think the reason the Black Eagles are sent to bring him down, is because you won the mock battle and because Esdeath, the strongest warrior in Fodlan, will be leading you. If anyone can bring that guy down it's her. But be careful, he is as dangerous as he is filthy" Jeralt warned.
Akame nods "I understand, father. I will train harder to be ready for him".
"Good, I will speak to Esdeath to make sure she understands what she is bringing you and the other students in to. So that she don't just leave you behind while she fights her own battle" Jeralt said.
"No need father, I will talk to her" Byleth said.
Jeralt blinked but shrugged "Alright, if that's what you want".
With that, Akame and Byleth left. With all that taken care of, both sisters could spend some time walking around the Monastery for a bit.
Akame was on her way to train until she heard a voice "Hey, Akame!".
She stopped and looked "Oh, hello Ferdinand. Need something?".
"Not really. I just felt you and I haven't spoken much since we met. I'd like us to get to know each other a little better" Ferdinand answered.
"I see. What did you have in mind?" Akame asked.
"Do you know of the Aegir family? We have long held the position of prime minister in the Empire. The Empire's power lies with six noble families, my family foremost among them. The full explanation may be time-consuming. I can give you a moment to get ready, if you would like to take notes" Ferdinand said.
"I don't see the need to take notes. But if you wish to tell me about your family, I will listen" Akame said.
Ferdinand smiled at that "All right. I will list the six great noble families. There's Caspar's father, Count Bergliez, the Minister of Military Affairs. Then there's Linhardt's father, Count Hevring, the Minister of Domestic Affairs. Beradetta's father, Count Varley, is the Minister of Religious Affairs. Hubert's father, Marquis Vestra, is the Minister of the Imperial Household. Finally we have Duke Gerth, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and my own father, Duke Aegir, the Prime Minister. One day, I will take his place as the prime minister of the Empire. I am more talented than anyone in our class, even Edelgard. I will lead the Empire to a bright, enlightened future".
Akame looked a little amused but also happy "Even if your overestimate your greatness, your goals are something worth working for. If you believe you can make things better, I will be rooting for you".
"Thank you Akame! I knew I could count on your support. So, since you were patient enough to hear me out, I will do the same for you. Anything you'd like to tell me about your life?" Ferdinand asked.
Akame's smile fell as she looked away "I... don't know. My past is not something that's easy for me to talk about. My blood parents never cared about me, so I don't really remember a life without my sister and adopted father".
Ferdinand looked a little mad that Akame's parents would throw her away like that, but remained calm "Oh... sorry to hear that, Akame. But know this. If you ever need help, be it in work, or if you just want someone to talk to, don't hesitate to come to me. If I can't help a friend when she's sad, I would b a really poor minister".
Akame looked at him for a moment, before doing the last thing he expected. She hugged him, surprising him a lot until she spoke "Thank you Ferdinand... it feels nice knowing that there is someone who cares, outside my family".
Ferdinand smiled warmly and hugged her back "Of course I care. We are friends, right?".
Akame stepped back with a smile "Yes... I believe we are".
"You know, Akame? You look a lot more beautiful when you smile. You should smile more often" Ferdinand said.
"With you and the others around, I think I will" Akame said.
"Glad to hear it. Want me to treat you to a cup of tea? You do like tea, right?" Ferdinand asked.
"Thank you, but I need to train now. But maybe one day, I will take you up on your offer" Akame said.
"Let me know when you have the time Akame" Ferdinand said with a smile.
Akame smiled back before walking away. Well, safe to say her opinion on Ferdinand has grown a lot. If more nobles were like him, things would be a lot better.
After training for a few hours, Akame was starving. She was on her way to the dining hall, until she noticed a large man. In fact, Akame remembered him from her sister's class. He seemed to be in deep thought, so Akame decided to talk to him.
"Hello, you are Raphael right?" Akame asked.
The large man turned around and nodded "Oh, yes I am. And you must be Akame, the little sister of our professor".
"Yes, I am. Is something bothering you? You seem to be thinking of something important" Akame said.
"I am. I've been wondering what to eat for dinner. I am hungry like a beast, but I am not sure what to eat yet" Raphael said.
"Well that's no good. There are few things more important than food" Akame said.
"Right? Glad someone understands that. So, what would be your ideal dinner plate?" Raphael asked.
Akame turned real serious "Well I do love some potato and meat".
"Yeah, that is a good but rather basic combination. I would still eat it tough" Raphael said.
"You are quite right. Which is why I often add a lot of rice. And maybe a tasty fish on the side, with a few vegetables" Akame said.
"Quite the diverse plate. Is it good?" Raphael asked.
Akame nods firmly "Yes. All those foods contains something that is good for the body, helping me to become both stronger and healthier. The perfect mix of a perfect diet!".
"Wow, that does sound good. It could help me become strong enough to reach my dream of becoming a knight" Raphael said.
"Then come with me. I was on my way to make some food for myself anyway. I will make a portion for both of us. A big one!" Akame said with so much determination, like she was going to bring an end to all the evil of the world.
"How could I possibly say no to that? Come on, let's feast like there's no to morrow!" Raphael said, raising his fist with great joy.
"Yes! Let's go!" Akame said while raising her own fist and they marched of towards the dining hall.
Byleth, who had been watching the whole conversation, almost laughed at the sight. Key word being almost. Still, she was happy to see Akame was bonding with the students from other houses too. Byleth was truly starting to believe that coming here was one of the best things they could've done.
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Just a fun chapter where Akame bonds with the other student.
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Tell me what you think.