A Troubling Development.
The two houses plus Sylvain had returned to the monastery after their rather horrific mission. Everyone where expecting to take down a rogue noble and his gang of thieves, which should've been a rather simple task, especially with such powerful warriors helping them. But non of them expected to face such a large and horrifying monster. It was easy to understand that all the students had been effected by what they saw, and now they knew what would happen if someone without a crest tried to wield a hero's relic. Turning in to a monster is a horrific fate that no sane person would ever want to suffer.
Byleth was walking with Esdeath to meet Rhea, only to hear Sothis speak to her "That man... His form was changed. It was as though that lance was swallowing him whole. Upon that sight, it makes sense that your students were upset. I wonder if those Relics truly hide such power? Yet even still, that power seems familiar. That form as well... As one who wields the Sword of the Creator... Does that mean you possess that power too?".
"Something the matter?" Esdeath asked.
Byleth shook her head "No, just lost in thought".
"Not surprising. Come on, let's get this over with" Esdeath said as she kept walking. Byleth could tell something was on Esdeath's mind. She wanted to know what it was, but decided to wait.
Rhea waited for them in the Audience Chamber "Byleth, Esdeath, you have returned. The goddess is indeed generous with her divine protection. I have already heard Gilbert's report about what happened. See to it that you keep what transpired at the tower to yourself. People would lose faith in the nobles should rumors spread of one using a Relic and transforming into a monster. All regions of Fódlan would fall into chaos. We must avoid that at all costs. Please ensure the students who accompanied you understand that as well. Have I made myself clear?".
"As you wish" Esdeath said in a bitter tone.
"Yes, of course" Byleth said.
Rhea closed her eyes "His transformation into a Black Beast was nothing short of divine punishment from the goddess. Punishment for someone arrogant and foolish enough to use a Hero's Relic even though they were unworthy and unqualified".
"Unfair punishment if you ask me" Esdeath mumbled.
"What was that, Esdeath?" Rhea demanded with narrowed eyes.
"Sorry Lady Rhea, just a lot on my mind. I keep thinking about what would've happened to my students if I hadn't been there to deal with that beast. Non of them were prepared to face something like that. I saw the look in their eyes, they were scared, more scared than I've ever seen before. Had I not been there, some of them could've died, and their deaths would've been on my hands for failing to prepare them" Esdeath answered.
Rhea's eyes softened at that "I understand, Esdeath. But do not blame yourself for this. You had no way of knowing what would happen".
Esdeath fought back a snarl "No. But you knew".
"Of course. That is why we rushed to recover the relic. I hoped sending two classes and my strongest warriors would be enough to reclaim the relic quickly, before anything bad could happen. Sadly, we did not arrive in time" Rhea said.
"With all due respect, Lady Rhea. Sending unprepared students without any warning of what they might face was a very unwise decision" Esdeath said.
"That is enough, Esdeath. I understand you are upset, but there is only so much of your attitude I am prepared to tolerate" Rhea warned in a stern tone.
Esdeath let out a low growl and Byleth decided to speak up before something bad happened "Will I share the same fate...".
"If someone without a Crest were to wield the Relic you possess, they would likely meet the same fate as Miklan. You, however, have been chosen. You are worthy of wielding the Sword of the Creator, so there is no need to worry" Rhea assured "The church will formally return the lance to House Gautier. If you would...".
"As you wish" Byleth said as she handed over the lance.
"You have my gratitude. I can see that I was right to trust you with this. Please report back. I will tell you of your new mission for the coming moon at that time" Rhea said.
Byleth nodded and left with Esdeath who had remained silent for the rest of the conversation. Once they were outside Byleth finally spoke "Are you alright?".
"I know what you are thinking. Why would I show concern for my students when I made it clear that I believe that strong survive and weak dies? The answer is simple. If you lose a fair battle against a stronger opponent, then yes you were to weak. But if you were to die because you simply were not prepared to face that one specific enemy and were to be killed due to not being able to adapt in time, then that's not weakness, it's just the result of being under-prepared. Rhea knew fully well that we could've faced that monster, but decided not to tell us, so we charged in to a possibly fatal battle that our students were not ready for" Esdeath said with clear disgust in her tone "My students are future warriors. Not pawns to be used and discarded, and now all of them will probably wake up due to nightmares for a week".
Byleth was surprised by Esdeath's words, it was clear that despite Esdeath's strong believes, she truly did care about her students, even if she wasn't the best at showing it "I understand, Esdeath. But try to focus on the good thing. You were there when your students needed you and you killed the monster before any of them could be hurt, including my younger sister. Something I am grateful for".
"Thank you, Byleth. You should speak to your house leader. I'm going to get some training in before my next class begin" Esdeath said before walking away.
"That Esdeath is very hard to read. But her power is undeniable... She said her strength comes from her bloodline. I wonder who her predecessors could've been to produce such a powerful warrior" Sothis said.
Byleth wondered the same. Esdeath was a walking mystery. One could only wonder where her powerful blood came from.
In the Black Eagles Classroom, Edelgard was deep in thought.
"Something the matter?" Edelgard looked up and saw Akame.
"Oh, hello Akame. I was just thinking about what Gilbert told us" Edelgard answered.
"About Miklan and House Gautier?" Akame asked.
Edelgard nodded "Yes, Miklan was discarded by his family because he was born without a Crest. Eventually he became a masterful thief and gathered enough ruffians to capture a fortress. Right or wrong, he was a gifted leader. He could have been a great asset to Fódlan. What a waste. It's true that a Crest can increase your magical abilities and allow you to wield the full might of a Hero's Relic. But one cannot measure a leader's worth based solely on whether or not they bear a Crest. There are plenty of talented people in this world without one".
"I'm not going to disagree with you there. I wonder why everyone is so obsessed with Crests" Akame admitted.
"People believe Crests are blessings from the goddess, that they're necessary to maintain order in Fódlan. But the people are wrong. Crests are to blame for this brutal, irrational world we live in. Their power is granted only to a select few, whom we elevate and allow to rule the world. Have you ever wondered if the only way to create a truly free world is to dispense with the goddess and the Crests? Do that, and people will have no choice but to rise and fall by their own merits" Edelgard said.
Akame looked around hoping no one heard Edelgard say that "Edelgard, I hope you know that your words could be viewed as heresy by the knights".
"I am aware. I know better than to voice my thoughts with them around. That's why I told you here in privet" Edelgard said.
"Do you really trust me that much?" Akame asked.
"Of course I trust you, Akame. After we shared our past pain with each other, I knew I could trust you when the time comes" Edelgard said with a smile.
Akame was surprised but smiled back "Thank you Edelgard. And I trust you too. If you need my help, I will be there for you. Just like I know you would be there for me if I ever needed you".
Edelgard put a hand on Akame's shoulder "I promise, Akame. We are not just classmates now. We are friends".
Akame gave Edelgard a hug, which surprised the princess who didn't know how to respond "Friends... I never realized how good it feels to have friends. You and the others are all important to me Edelgard. And I will fight until my last breath to make sure I never lose any of you".
Edelgard felt something in her heart... a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time "Thank you Akame".
Akame let go "I will spend some time with the others. See you soon, Edelgard".
Akame walked away, leaving Edelgard to think about what just happened. The feeling in her chest... was regret. She shook her head and sighed "I can't hide from the truth. I can't do all that I must on my own. If all I can rely on is my own ambition, my path won't be easy. Is it so risky...to reach out my hand? Father... I swear I will not stop until I succeed. My regret. My grief. My whole life. I've thrown it all away...into the darkness... And I can not allow it to come back and distract me from what needs to be done".
Meanwhile, Byleth was speaking to Claude in the library.
"Nice work, Teach. It's thanks to you that we successfully completed our mission. Well, alright Esdeath killing the beast was the biggest reason, but you still pulled your weight. As for Miklan... I wonder if he really believed he could wield a Relic" Claude wondered.
"I doubt it" Byleth said.
Claude nodded "Agreed. He probably just wanted to get his hands on it, even though he knew it was futile. Though I'm sure he wasn't counting on turning into a monster like that... I wonder if that monster represents another aspect of the Heroes' Relics. What a strange and terrifying power".
"I don't know" Byleth admitted.
Suddenly an old man approached them "Stories of misfortune have followed the Heroes' Relics since ancient times".
"Tomas! You've caught me by surprise. That's not easy to do. Though I suppose I should've expected to see our librarian in his library" Claude said.
"I am sorry to intrude. I simply heard you speaking of the Heroes' Relics. I can tell you more about them, if you'd like. The story goes that Nemesis was corrupted by evil because of the Sword of the Creator. Other Heroes also lost themselves by continuing to use the Relics...transforming into Black Beasts with twisted souls. There used to be a great many records regarding the dark history of the Relics" Tomas explained.
"Used to be?" Claude asked.
"They have been destroyed, across all of Fódlan. Stripped from their shelves, including those that resided at this very library" Tomas answered.
"You make it sound like the church is covering up the truth. But now that you mention it, Rhea was very specific about not wanting anyone to find out what happened at Conand Tower. Hey Tomas... why are you telling us all this?" Claude asked.
"It seemed like you were searching for answers about the Relics. What is a librarian if not a guide in the search for knowledge. And not only have you been searching, but you have been doing so through the night. I would suggest you stop before the knights notice. And that is enough meddling for today. Please excuse me" Tomas said before he leaves.
"So I've been found out, have I? I suppose I do spend more time at the library than most students. But I won't stop. I can't afford to" Claude said.
"What are you after?" Byleth asked.
"Teach... You don't really expect me to tell you something so personal like that, do you? Though, I wouldn't mind sharing if you were to tell me some of your secrets in exchange..." Claude suggested.
"I don't really have any real secrets to share. Most of my life has just been me traveling with my father and Akame. I didn't even know I had a crest until I came here. And I never expected to be able to wield a powerful weapon. So I guess you can say I am just as curious about what secrets my life has held as you are" Byleth explained.
"Huh, I didn't expect that. But if that is the case, then maybe we can work together to uncover your secrets. And maybe Akame can help to" Claude suggested.
"Perhaps. But now I need you to tell me something about yourself. Unless you planed to learn everything about me and not have to give something back" Byleth said.
"Oh boy. I'm trapped here. I have not choice but to surrender under your intimidating gaze. My dream, in truth, is a selfless dream. But I require power to make it a reality. When I learned about the power of my Crest, I knew I had a chance. So I'm chasing that dream. To the bitter end, if need be. I came to this monastery because I thought I might find someone useful. Someone to help me on my path. So, what do you think? If you promise to help me achieve my dream no matter what, I'll promise to tell you anything" Claude explained.
"It is a noble dream" Byleth admitted.
Claude smiled at that "I see. Well, now isn't the time to discuss this. You are still my Teach, after all".
Byleth nodded, deciding to leave it at that for now.
Sometime later, Byleth was speaking to Rhea again "Byleth, you have done well to complete such a difficult task. You have shown exceptional skill in leading your students. I am forever grateful for the safe return of the Hero's Relic. Just as I expected, you have mastered the Sword of the Creator. Now then, I shall tell you about your mission for the coming month...".
Suddenly Seteth runs up to her, his normally calm and focused face full of prue panick "Rhe– Archbishop!".
"Seteth, what troubles you?" Rhea asked in concern.
"Flayn is missing! I cannot find her anywhere!" Seteth answered before he turns to Byleth "Professor, have you seen Flayn recently?".
Byleth shook her head "I have not".
"I have searched everywhere! Where could she be?! She may be in danger! Oh no... No, no! What am I to do?!" Seteth asked out loud, his panick growing by the second, at this rate he could have a heart attack.
"Calm yourself, Seteth. Professor, we shall continue our discussion another time" Rhea said.
Byleth nods. This was certainly an unexpected situation. How could Flayn just disapear like this? Byleth would need to notifie her students of this, and hope that they can help in the search. Byleth may not have known Flayn for long. But she knew that she was to innocent and to pure to remain in the clutches of the enemy and Byleth did not want her to be a prisoner of anyone. There is no telling what they might do to her.
They needed to find Flayn. One way or the other, they needed to save her.
.
Tell me what you think.