Author's Note:

I am back! Boy, this chapter took forever. At the moment of its upload, it is the longest chapter I have written for this story yet. Is it the longest chapter I've ever written? Eh, no. But it's finally done and I am glad to have it off my back.

As always, any PMs or reviews are always appreciated. I will do my best in responding to them.

So without further ado, please enjoy.

"Delthea, you doin' okay? You've hardly touched your food."

Delthea broke from her daze, peeling her eyes from the dinner plate which grew colder every passing second. Turning to the worried voice that called out to her, Delthea's gaze met Hilda's, her normally upbeat expression now masked with concern.

"I'm fine. Food's just not my taste."

That was a lie. The food really was delicious. She was called to the academy by the lure of good food and it turned out to be beyond what she expected to be served. Such high quality meat, seared to perfection, it melted across her tongue the moment it touched her taste buds. The accompaniment of truffles and potatoes were equally exquisite. The academy truly spared no expense in serving everyone such luxurious food.

It was a shame she had no appetite, her taste buds unable to appreciate the grand meal before her. Part of it was because she had grown wary after her last excursion with overeating. Though her nausea was induced by seasickness, she wasn't going to take chances here, not when being surrounded by so many people. Eyes were everywhere and she… well, she stood out.

She was among the few students who hadn't changed into a suitable uniform, still remaining in her casual outfit. Her outfit was by no means shabby—she spent good money on it dammit!—but compared to her more elegant and sharply dressed peers, calling her clothes informal was a massive understatement. Sitting in the grand dining hall, complete with rich crème colored walls, ornate indoor pillars, pristine hanging chandeliers, and marble carved busts of undoubtedly famous people she did not recognize, she was completely out of her element, uniform or not.

And it's not like she had time to change. The moment she reunited with her four companions, she and the others were immediately redirected to the dining hall for the opening night dinner. Apparently during the time she and the others were gone, many students were already situated into their resting quarters for the evening, luggage and all, giving them ample time to get used to their surroundings. Such a luxury was not afforded to her.

"If you say so…" Hilda replied half-heartedly before resuming her own meal. Other than Delthea, she was the only one still eating at their table albeit at an incredibly slow pace. When Delthea asked, Hilda explained that she hadn't heard back from Balthus in a long while. Delthea could tell she was trying to pass it off as no big deal, Balthus being missing for so long, but it seemed to be bothering her more than the Goneril girl'd probably like to admit.

"Hope he doesn't wind up in any sort of trouble," was all Hilda said as she ate in a manner most befitting a person of her class.

Delthea was piqued to ask what sort of trouble the wild-looking, chiseled Balthus could wind up in but held her tongue. Hilda didn't look exactly to be in the brightest of moods to explain. Delthea quickly turned her attention to her other mealtime companions.

Unlike her time in the train cabin, conversation this time around was practically nonexistent. Everyone kept to themselves throughout the meal. Delthea wondered if she was sitting with the same people who talked, joked, and laughed back in the train.

Dimitri finished earliest, faster than Delthea could even process, having shoveled his food down without even caring for the taste. Such a shame, but she wasn't in any position to lecture people on their eating habits. It was amazing he did it all with his table manners intact. Not a single stain or stray piece of food marred the table cloth or his clothes. Afterwards, he kept his arms folded and eyes closed, a stern expression strewn about his face. Hilda wasn't the only one worried at their table it seemed.

Byleth finished his meal next, so quietly Delthea almost didn't notice he was done eating. After his meal, he rested his chin along his hand whilst looking around the hall. He was intently staring at something but when Delthea tried tracing his gaze, it revealed nothing.

And Claude… well, he left his meal half-eaten before venturing out of their booth to fraternize with the other students. He seemed to be the least affected among the five, even going as far as to mention something about networking before gallivanting off before anyone could protest. Nothing seemed to keep him glued down, not even the foreboding feeling that was undoubtedly in all five of their guts.

The latter half of why Delthea had no appetite. How could she enjoy this meal after a meeting like that?

The five had arrived at the dining hall later than the rest of the students. Delthea mistakenly assumed that since dinner was in full swing, people would be too focused on eating to care about some latecomers. Oh how wrong she was.

Any group composed of the famous Hilda Goneril and widely recognizable Claude Riegan was sure to draw eyes. As the five made their way to the only booth able to accommodate their group, Delthea could feel all the eyes boring into them, all the hushed whispers rife with gossip.

Hilda and Claude didn't break a sweat with all the attention, the two gracefully handling it like absolute pros. Byleth could care less about the eyes he brought towards him. A dangerous precedent!

… Dimitri was surprisingly bothered. Delthea had not expected the cool-headed blonde to grow anxious at the attention. She thought he seemed to relax once they sat down in their booth but that was short lived when Delthea saw him wolf down his food with a beastly countenance to match.

Delthea unintentionally drew eyes towards her too, simply by association. An average person (she firmly believed she was at least above average but just for the sake of argument) hanging around extraordinary people? Of course that would invite jealous gazes. Though she would normally revel at that feeling, it was dampened by the events earlier.

No had said a thing, yet Delthea knew what was on everyone's minds. She sure as hell hadn't forgotten about the contract, or her promise to keep her mouth shut. And it seemed like the others were on the same boat—ugh, she didn't like thinking of boats—as her, seeing as how quiet everyone was, even when reuniting. Even Claude, their most talkative and lackadaisical member, was tight-lipped, not even prodding anyone about anything regarding their meetings.

This looming shadow over all of them was the true culprit, stifling any potential conversation to be had over such food. Just as there were eyes everywhere, so were ears. Anything said out of turn would definitely garner unnecessary attention, which would lead the news to the "higher-ups" like her interrogator told her. In short, they'd all be screwed.

It was a suffocating way to dine. It was probably the real reason why Claude outright left the table. In fact, Delthea wanted to stretch her legs and get away from this heavy atmosphere for a while. It'd probably help her digestion too.

She knew from experiences that eating with knots in one's stomach was a good way to get a stomach cramp down the line. Luthier had given a lecture about accumulated stress being bad for digestion, but Delthea tuned him out for most of the lesson. Thinking about her dumb ol' brother was just enough to ease her nerves for a bit.

"We need to talk."

So much for that.

Delthea's eyes darted to Dimitri who had finally spoken after his long spell of silence. His words were directed at everyone at the table, accompanied by a steely gaze unwilling to take no for an answer. Byleth folded his arms and sat in silent agreement while Hilda sighed and nodded.

"Go get Claude," Dimitri ordered, rising from the booth, placing the napkin he had on his lap atop his picked-clean plate. "Meet by the fountain we passed on the way here."

What Delthea meant by stretching her legs couldn't have been further from this. The task fell upon her as she was the most inconspicuous of the lot. Hilda would garner too much attention wherever she went and Byleth was too coolly handsome for his own good. She didn't miss the way some of the girl students sighed and batted their lashes at the quiet boy.

She wondered why Dimitri didn't do it himself, being so bossy, but he seemed to not want to mingle among the students for some strange reason. And arguing about it would only cause a scene. So, while the three quietly slipped out of the dining hall, Delthea begrudgingly waded through the crowd of people to seek out their fifth member.

He wasn't that hard to find. Ever the social butterfly, he floated from table to table whisking up conversation wherever he went. Many hearts were drawn to his charm and charisma, so much so that Delthea almost forgot what she was there for. Mustering up her courage, she reached for the messy-haired charmer, who was in the middle of a chat with a stranger.

"H-hey," Delthea said, much more meekly than she would've liked. She really needed to relax. Part of her still hadn't come to terms that she was speaking to the renowned Claude Riegan. Claude turned to greet her with a relaxed smile.

"What's up?" he asked. Though he had been talking to someone else just before, he smoothly turned his attention to the intruder, Delthea, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Dimitri wants us to meet," she answered, her voice quiet so that no one else could hear. "Now." She made sure to put extra emphasis on the 'now'. She remembered how stern Dimitri looked.

She saw Claude's eyes narrow just a tad, almost like a slight twitch, before he returned to his usual expression. Something bothered him but before Delthea could piece together what, Claude replied.

"Where?" he mouthed quietly, his expression betraying nothing.

She told him, to which he nodded in response.

"I'll be there soon," he assured her. "We'll draw less attention if we leave separately. I'll catch up with you."

Delthea nodded. Just as she was about to turn away, her eyes made contact with someone she was not expecting, returning her a gaze of utter animosity. If looks could kill, Delthea would be six feet under. It was the same look she received back at the luggage kiosk.

Ever the sharp one, Claude noticed.

"Ah, you two know each other?" he asked, clearly amused.

"No," the other voice answered flatly, laden with unmistakable venom Delthea had undoubtedly hear before.

Delthea's group wasn't the only one that got attention when they arrived at the dining hall. Another unlucky individual arrived late, probably due to the fact that she missed the train entirely. How she had managed to arrive would forever be a mystery.

"Whatever you say, Lysithea," Claude said, shrugging his shoulders. "But like I was saying…"

Delthea quickly made her way out of there, now that all the attention was taken off of her. She would have to thank Claude later for assisting in her escape. She had seen firsthand just what the black-hoodied girl was capable of.

Although Lysithea had completely flubbed the duel back at the train station, there was unmistakable power residing in that tiny body of hers. Delthea didn't want to stick around to find out what would happen if she got hit by one of those purple fireballs.

That, and she didn't want to accidentally punch another hole through Heroes Academy property. Once was more than enough.

But before she did, she slipped something quietly into the beat up bag sitting across from Lysithea, which was resting next to the strange black case from earlier. Thankfully, Claude's silver-tongued charm made Lysithea completely ignore Delthea's presence. It was something she had meant to return back at the train station but Lysithea had disappeared before she had the chance.

...

Well, that was something she had a hand in.

Delthea prayed the young girl wouldn't put two and two together.

Everything would be fine, so long as Delthea never said "vanilla ice queen" aloud again. Ever.

The dining hall was a bit of a trek from the fountain in the central quad, situated within a throng of patio tables and a vibrant garden adorned with shrubs and colorful flowers, many of which Delthea didn't recognize. Not like she could. She wasn't a botanist and honestly didn't pay attention that much back at school.

But because it was the first landmark they saw when leaving the waiting room, Dimitri chose it as their meeting place. Thanks to the neatly paved pathways, getting to the fountain was a cinch.

The fountain itself was quite a marvel, even when contrasted next to the lush garden. On a single erected pillar sat a two headed bird, its wings spread brilliantly. The stonework was so meticulous, it almost appeared lifelike even close up, like the feathers along its wings would flutter with the wind or it would blink any second. The pillar itself was adorned with several pipes that gently shot water to the basin below which was inlaid with a white marble slabs.

Decorations like this were far and few in between back home. The only "decorations" worth mentioning were the natural landscape, rivers, and sea of trees that devoured the world as far as the eye could see. Buildings also weren't as high back home either, nothing like what Delthea had seen in Port City and on academy grounds. Everything soared skyward, even taller than the trees of home. It was kind of suffocating, which further made the fountain a welcomed reprieve.

Delthea arrived without much issue, earning tacit approval from Dimitri. Hilda invited her to sit next to her, sitting along the fountain's edge. Before she plopped her bottom down next to Hilda, she noticed that she was sitting on top of maroon fabric, motioning for her to join her atop it.

"Is that…"

"Oh, it's fine. Dimitri willingly lent us this." Hilda explained. "He'd probably complain if you sat down on the cold bricks."

She heard a grunt of acknowledgement from the blonde boy.

Delthea almost hesitated at the offer but Hilda coerced her. Well, no, she outright pulled her to sit down next to her before she could argue. As comfortable as the makeshift cushion felt compared to the bricks, it didn't sit right with Delthea knowing she was sitting atop a blazer that was probably more expensive than her own clothes combined,

To distract herself from what her butt was so unceremoniously resting on, Delthea looked around a bit and noticed they were down an extra member besides Claude.

"Where's Byleth?" Delthea asked, looking around. She had seen Byleth leaving with Hilda and Dimitri yet he was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, there he is." Hilda said, pointing past Delthea. Turning her head, she saw the teal-haired boy briskly making his way towards them. Delthea waved him a greeting to which he nodded one in return.

Before Delthea or anyone else got a chance to ask what kept him, Claude promptly rounded the corner, making their five man group whole once more. Delthea hoped that whatever they were here to talk about would go amicably.

…

Make that two for two.

"You know, for someone who wanted to avoid attention, you're doing a fine job of piling it on top of us," Claude rebuked Dimitri as he pulled up to the fountain, arms folded. "What were you thinking, gathering all five of us like this?"

His tone was sharp, a far cry from the friendly charmer she encountered on the train or in the dining room. Delthea nearly jumped at hearing it.

"I beg your pardon?" Dimitri stared incredulously.

"I'm saying this was a bad move. A stupid move." Claude pointed out, irritatedly shaking his head. "You think people wouldn't notice us moving around in a cluster like this?"

"Are you actually lecturing me about unwanted attention?" It was Dimitri's turn to be annoyed. Claude's behavior at the dining hall hadn't gone unnoticed, both by their group and onlookers. "Then what were you doing earlier? What sort of excuse do you have for your frivolous behavior?"

Wow, things were off to a great start. The moment they all gather together to talk things through, nearly half of the group is at each other's throats. A splendid way to begin their little meeting.

"Hey, guys?" Delthea said, trying to speak over the two arguing boys. "What about our meeting…"

The boys were deaf to her pleas. She probably had the presence of a buzzing fly, easily brushed off.

Delthea hated quite a lot of things, boats especially, and being ignored ranked pretty highly on that list. However, she realized how voiceless she was in the midst of Claude and Dimitri's spat. Claude was like a whipping gale, lashing out ceaselessly whereas Dimitri was adamant and stubborn like a stone fortress, unwilling to bend. Delthea the little fly could flap her wings all she wanted. These two couldn't care less.

She looked over at her other companions to see what they'd do. She had no real expectations from Byleth as he sat there, looking at the squabble with nothing but annoyance. Delthea thought at least Hilda would step in, to stop or side with her friend, but she did… nothing. She sat there, hands folded, biting her lip. It was the same face she wore back at dinner; wide-eyed. Anxious.

Delthea wanted to chastise the girl for not sticking up for her friend… but such a thing was presumptuous. She wasn't exactly privy to what sort of relationship the two had prior. They seemed close—no, they WERE close. They were closer than normal friends, but what was it exactly? However, before she could think further, Claude's harsh voice pulled her away from her musings.

"Oh my god, are all Westerners this thickheaded?" Claude exclaimed, palming his forehead with exasperation. He drew a finger and pointed it at the wide-shouldered blonde. "You really think I'd be intentionally doing something so dumb? So stupid?"

Claude's response was enough to make Dimitri paused, but he hardly moved from where he was standing. His eyes narrowed, having a tough time believing what the boy was saying.

"He was diverting attention away from us."

All eyes then turned to their member who usually refrained from talking. Byleth stated it flatly, as if the answer had been obvious from the start. Claude had a pleased look on his face, while Hilda and Dimitri looked at him dubiously.

"Someone gets me," he said approvingly, nodding towards Byleth. The boy didn't respond back, only turning away to silently voice his displeasure at how long this spat was taking.

Diversion? The thought hadn't even occurred to Delthea.

"I don't like admitting it, but I think he's right," Hilda spoke up, albeit unenthusiastically and with a hearty sigh. She gestured towards their five-man group. "We aren't exactly the most inconspicuous group around."

"So him staying at our table would have drawn more eyes…" Delthea realized aloud, eyes widening as Claude's intention dawned upon her. She turned to the olive-skinned schemer. "Then why didn't you tell us from the beginning?" If he had, it could've saved everyone the trouble of this entire predicament.

"Yes, why didn't you?" Dimitri demanded. Though it seemed he was willing to accept the meaning behind Claude's actions, he held some contempt for the way Claude went about doing things. Dimitri's straight-laced nature was bound to clash with the more unorthodox Claude, Delthea figured.

"Geez, you're beginning to sound like my past manager." Claude smirked ruefully as he rubbed his chin. Then with an exhale, he shrugged. "As much as I would like to say doing it that way was a lot more fun…" his eyes then flashed a sharper, far more serious look than it had before, "I have to know who and what I'm working with."

He looked around at the group he had forcefully become a part of.

"We're all aboard the same sinking ship," he said, voice low and stern. Delthea wished he hadn't used a metaphor involving ships but continued listening. "Depending on how we go about things from here on out, we all either stay afloat or drown." He patted the breast pocket of his jacket. "Now, I don't know what sort of contracts each of you got and to be frank, I don't care. But all of us face the chopping block if each of us don't keep our end of the bargain."

Everyone glanced down subtly at where they had hidden away their contracts. Dimitri unconsciously put his hand next to his pant leg. Hilda's eyes drifted towards the small handbag she carried on her person. Even Byleth shifted slightly from where he stood, clearly mulling over the messy-haired boy's piercing words. Delthea couldn't help herself either and found her hand hovering over the folded piece of paper she was carrying in her pocket. It felt as though it weighed dozens of bricks for such a small thing.

"I need to understand which among us five is a boon or a liability," Claude concluded, his words cutting like a blade. Delthea swore she saw Claude glancing towards Dimitri's way when he said 'liability'. Dimitri didn't miss it either, his face hardening at Claude's insinuation. "I want to know whose hands I'm placing myself in."

His words had a disquieting effect on all of them, illustrating how their actions from here on out could impact them all whether they liked it or not. Someone who was too loose-tongued or careless with their behavior could spell trouble. They had to avoid acting in a way that would draw attention.

"Are you doubting me?" Dimitri questioned, brow cocked.

"I'm testing you," Claude answered unflinchingly. "And you have me worried with how cavalier you've been acting."

"Oh, come on, Claude," Hilda rebuked, finally stepping in on Dimitri's behalf. "It's not like Dimitri had bad intentions with gathering us like this. Besides, we needed to all talk. One way or another."

Talk. Right. That's what we gathered to do in the first place. Delthea nearly rolled her eyes to the back of her head.

Claude sighed, folding his arms and nodding reluctantly. "True. I guess this was bound to happen." He clicked his tongue. "Just wish it was under more controlled and careful circumstances."

"So, can we stop wasting time already?"

Claude and Dimitri both turned to Delthea who had just snapped at them. Not exactly the most intimidating sight, being more than a head shorter than either of them but her interruption did the trick. Sheepish looks spread across both their faces as the two began to realize how much time they had wasted.

"Are you finished?" Claude asked, nudging Dimitri with his elbow.

Dimitri looked at him with disbelief. "Am I the one finished?! Yo—"

"Guys." It was Hilda who jumped in this time.

"I'm sorry."

Dimitri hung his head low, looking like a whipped puppy. As pitiful as it looked, Delthea did her best to stifle a chuckle. She hadn't expected this kind of reaction. It almost made her feel bad. Almost.

"Anyway, I've said my piece," Claude said nonchalantly, reclining his back. He gestured to Dimitri with his chin. "So, let's get down to business. Why did you call us all here?"

Regaining his bearings in short order, Dimitri cleared his throat. It looked like he wanted to put the stupid argument to the back of his memory as soon as possible.

"I felt it appropriate to go over something that I noticed about our entire situation."

Claude made no attempt at hiding his disamusement. "That's what you called us out for...?"

Hilda gave a smile to Claude but it wasn't filled with any warmth or gentleness. "I thought you were done with your piece."

The pink-haired girl was fierce in a surprising number of ways. Even Delthea felt the chill of her words. Claude's mock defiance began to thaw.

"… Carry on…" Claude muttered in defeat.

Dimitri gave a brief yet subtle nod of thanks to Hilda, who responded with a playful wink, before resuming.

"I want to understand the 'why'," Dimitri continued, looking around at everyone. "All five of us were taken into interrogation and told to keep our mouths shut, regardless of how much we know. Why the secrecy and why us five?"

Abandoning his previous role as a naysayer, Claude raised an eyebrow. Byleth too was now intrigued by the conversation by the implication Dimitri was getting at. The quiet boy shifted his feet, leaning forward.

"What are you insinuating?" He asked.

"Heroes wants to keep this event under wraps but that's impossible. We couldn't have been the only ones to witness this incident," Dimitri explained, "The Express Train pulled into the academy station and I know for a fact hundreds of people got a good look at the damage. Not to mention, all the students aboard felt the explosion. There's no way people will forget nor avoid talking about this all."

Delthea felt her insides squirm at the reminder of her inexplicable channeling accident. She hadn't missed the hubbub in the dining hall with the hottest topic being the train incident.

"People are talking about it," Claude detailed, "but they don't have the facts and are all spouting nonsense."

"What are they saying?" Dimitri asked.

Claude put a hand on his chin. "Most were talking about something about a training accident that unintentionally clipped the train and rest is just rubbish conspiracy theories. Nobody knows about us five being in the final train car." He glanced over at Dimitri smugly, "Aren't you thankful for my 'frivolous behavior' at dinnertime now?"

Dimitri pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, "Yes, yes, thank you for your service."

While Claude chuckled to himself with a self-satisfied grin, Delthea tried to process the entire ordeal. "So, if it can't be for seeing the scene or knowing about all this, then it has to be for being present when it happened, right?" She tried to guess.

"No," Hilda responded. "Dimitri and I weren't even there to see what went down in the cabin, so that can't be it."

She tried.

The blonde nodded. "That's right. Though I wish I was there a bit earlier to catch the culprit in the act, it's clear our situation differs from you three. Yet we were pulled in all the same. Why's that?"

"Maybe Heroes wants something to do with us," Byleth explained, thumb caressing the bottom of his lip, his other arm folded over his chest. "I assume all of your contracts guarantee your stay here if undertaken?"

All of them nodded in unison.

"Do you all remember what Heroes expects out of you based on the contract?" Byleth surprisingly took command of the conversation despite having been so quiet before. Perhaps he had noticed something the others hadn't yet, Delthea thought. Or maybe he was just waiting until the boys finished their little squabble to say his piece.

"Perform well and rise to meet Heroes' expectations," Dimitri recited.

"Yes, at all given times," Byleth added on. He furrowed his brows, closing his eyes for a brief moment in thought. They bolted open not soon after. "Vague, isn't it?"

Delthea had grown confused. It seemed rather straightforward to her. This was an academy. To do well and give it your all was a rather simple and given expectation in an academic setting. Unless…

"Are you saying that this 'expectation' won't be just limited to schoolwork?" Claude asked, vocalizing the direction Delthea's thoughts were heading.

"Maybe," Byleth answered, unsure, "and if we agree to sign the contract, it could give Heroes legal clause to make use of us however they'd like."

"'Rise and meet Heroes' expectation,'" Claude repeated and whistled. "Now that can mean all sorts of shady things."

"Oh come now," Hilda said, trying to be the voice of reason. "You guys just have overactive imaginations. There's no way a respected institution like Heroes would ever do such a thing. They probably want us to do our best as a way of reimbursing the school. Y'know, so we can boost their image and rankings and stuff?"

Delthea wasn't so sure. "What sort of 'respected institution' goes out of their way to do something like this?"

"It could be a precaution," Hilda argued, still intent on finding a normal explanation for this all. "Accidents like this don't happen every day."

"But calling in enforcers to cart us away? Maintaining utmost secrecy? Handing us contracts to sign that put us in the hands of Heroes?" Claude contended, shaking his head. "That sounds less like a school and more like the moves of an intelligence organization."

Hilda shot him a look, demanding how he knew such things but when she realized she wasn't going to get a straight answer, she rolled her eyes and gave up.

Delthea didn't know why Hilda was trying so far to find normalcy in something that clearly wasn't. Perhaps people from that echelon of society found these things relatively usual, she wondered. It only bothered her more as to why she had been grouped up with them instead of bearing the consequences alone.

"Then it's clear Heroes intends to do something with us five," Byleth surmised.

"But do you think there was a reason it was us specifically?" Delthea asked. The making of this group still troubled her. She could see why the academy would want individuals like Byleth and people of prestige like Hilda and Claude. The verdict was still out on Dimitri but seeing as how he was acquainted with Hilda, he too must have come from some high background.

Herself? Nothing noteworthy to speak of… Well, not exactly. Luthier touted that she had talent and even the eye-patch interrogator told her she was capable of an "S-Class" display of power, whatever that meant.

That talent and power had culminated into a wrecked train cabin. She could probably be more confident in herself if she had done it intentionally. Only problem was she still didn't figure out how that happened and she wasn't going to start experimenting to find out.

"I mean, if it was to just find students, there had to be easier ways to do it than this, right?" Delthea reasoned. There were definitely more potential students who were more gifted and willing to do Heroes' bidding. It hadn't escaped from Delthea's attention that Heroes as a school wasn't a place where any random schmuck could attend. From a pool of so many, why did such a strange offer end up in her and the others' lap?

No one could answer despite it being a question on everyone's minds. Why did it have to be them? Even Byleth couldn't piece together a concrete reason.

"Putting that aside for now," Byleth said, getting everyone back on a more concrete track, "I'd be correct in assuming that you all are going to accept your contracts regardless?"

There was a definite pause before everyone nodded their heads, Delthea taking the longest to respond.

"It's not like we have a choice, do we? We all face the same punishment if we refuse," Claude sighed bitterly, half exaggerated, half serious. His mock pained gaze met Delthea, who sheepishly looked away.

But the sentiment was there. It was one felt by everyone, Delthea particularly. She was the sole reason for this entire mess. The more she thought of it, the more unfair the entire situation seemed. Why had all five of them been allotted the same punishment as her? She was the one who irresponsibly displayed her power aboard the train, even if it was unintentional. She was the one who endangered the lives of everyone riding it. She was the one who blew the rear cabin to kingdom come. Shouldn't she be the one bearing the brunt of all the responsibility?

What also bugged her was the fact that the Academy had foisted this contract onto people like Hilda and Claude. Unlike Delthea, and she really didn't know much about Dimitri or Byleth, those two actually carried huge amounts of influence. If their respective families caught wind of the controversy their children were embroiled in, it would be countrywide—no—a worldwide scandal of huge proportions. Could Heroes Academy be willing to go that far? And if they were, why were Claude and Hilda not up in arms about the entire situation and calling for their lawyers? They were innocent!

Her thoughts naturally drifted back to the contract she was given, her mind tracing over the printed words she forced herself to memorize. She remembered the guarantees, the provisions, the deadline, the consequences—then something immediately stood out to her.

Not everyone here knew what really happened. The only person who did was Claude. He was the only person who actually witnessed the explosion in its entirety, as well as its culprit. Delthea hadn't had a chance to explain to the three latecomers and it looked like their interrogations did little to shed light on who the person responsible was, judging by her companions' words earlier.

That meant nothing had been cleared up.

It was then she noticed that Claude's eyes—and his words—had been directed at her, so that she'd realize what felt off about this entire conversation. About everything. Why no one in the group had got in her face and chewed her out. Why things had felt relatively normal despite the growing pit in Delthea's stomach. None of them knew she was responsible for this entire mess.

And when the realization hit her face like a hammer, Claude did not fail to notice. He began to speak immediately.

"Just so we're on the same page," he began, "why don't we share what our punishments are?"

Delthea froze.

"What, you think you got something different?" Hilda asked.

He shrugged, grinning subtly. "Who knows? One of us could have."

Oh, Claude knew exactly who that was. The sly look he was giving Delthea was irrefutable. Never in a million years had she expected her celebrity crush, someone she dreamed of and admired, to be someone capable of being so… devious. Behind that carefree, outwardly smiling visage was a boy absolutely not to be underestimated.

"Since I'm the one who brought it up, I'll be the first to say it," Claude announced. "Not taking the contract results in Disqualification. If you want to know the finer details, it includes reckless endangerment and behavior."

Oh no.

That was completely different from her punishment—sort of. Not only would Delthea be expelled from Heroes Academy, she would have to repay Heroes for all the damages done, something she clearly couldn't afford to do. It was then she realized why everyone was so rationally calm about their punishment, unlike her.

"That's the same for us two as well," Hilda said, motioning to herself and Dimitri. "But we're also in hot water because we activated our Gears for use without proper authorization. Apparently they're really strict about that at Heroes. We had ours confiscated."

Gears. That must've been referring to the creepy-looking weapons Hilda and Dimitri were holding when they arrived at the scene. Dimitri had said they were a precaution but for what? It only begged the question as to why an academy would allow students to bring such items in the first place. Then again, this was the world that still used duels to settle disputes. Delthea cut her musings short, finding herself getting distracted despite her predicament here.

"As they should be," Dimitri said, "Gears aren't toys." He then turned to Hilda, guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry for making you come along with me. I should have—"

"Dimitri, I already told you. It's oka—"

"Save the mushy talk for later," Claude snapped, rolling his eyes. Dimitri and Hilda both slightly winced. Had Delthea not been occupied with something more probelmatic, she would've noticed the tips of Dimitri's ears were tinged slightly red, as were Hilda's.

"I'm the same as you," Byleth answered gesturing to the group, completely ignoring what was going on between the two. "Disqualification, though I'm in it for belligerent refusal to adhere to protocol."

"That's a nice way of saying you don't follow rules," Claude smirked.

Byleth didn't bother to respond to Claude's obvious jab. Failing to get a rise out of the quiet boy, Claude grunted in disappointment before moving onto their final member who had yet to voice her side. He got over his disappointment rather quickly.

"Then what about you, Delthea?" His friendly sounding words clearly were not genuine, not to Delthea's ears now that she had seen a glimpse of what Claude was like underneath.

"M-me?"

Her mind ran furiously. What could she say? If she answered honestly, then everyone would ask why her punishment was so different from theirs. And if she did, then she would have to reveal who was responsible for the explosion on the train, who got everyone tied up in this mess, hanging the guillotine over their necks.

Would they forgive her? That was a big fat no. They had no reason to. While Dimitri and Hilda had probably known one another for quite some time, Delthea only had the benefit of a couple hours, which made them friendly acquaintances at best and strangers at worst—and a stranger's kindness could only go so far.

She also remembered the ire in Dimitri's eyes when he arrived in the scorched cabin. Unlike the rest of them, he was the most vocal about finding out who was responsible for wrecking the train and Delthea hadn't forgotten. He was also adamantly against the duel back at the train station. Definitely a big stickler for the rules, he'd absolutely blow up if he found out who the cause of this entire mess.

Delthea did her best to keep her lip from trembling, her eyes from wavering. Her companions deserved the truth, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. However, they were all looking at her with expectation, waiting for her end of the story. She'd have to lie, go along the same story that Byleth and Claude gave. Could she pull it off? Would Claude point out a contradiction in her story, the shakiness in her voice as she uttered those words? A professional actor would be more than keenly aware when someone was clearly acting, and Delthea wasn't movie material.

She couldn't stay quiet for much more. Any longer and her companions would begin to suspect something. Steeling herself, Delthea prayed she could pull off the biggest lie of her life.

"I—"

"What's going on here?"

A sharp, authoritarian voice thundered overhead, clamping Delthea's throat before she could get another word out. However, it was a blessing in disguise for her as everyone's attention was torn away from her. Turning her head, Delthea turned to see who her savior was.

A maiden with flowing white hair with a sheen like silk. Rich, striking lavender eyes. Fair skin like snow on a winter's day. A formidable, regal air that demanded utmost respect. And an intense stare that did not falter…

… and quite short. Not shorter than Delthea or Hilda but… short.

Before Delthea could voice her surprise, before Claude could throw in another quip of his, before Hilda asked what's going on, and before Byleth could care less, it was none other than Dimitri who spoke.

It wasn't the voice of the strong-looking young man she had become acquainted with, the one who stubbornly argued back with Claude, the one who commanded attention.

"… El…"

It was that of a meek boy.

The next several minutes were something of a complete blur. One moment, Delthea and her companions were being confronted by a short, mystical looking white-haired girl. The next, they were being escorted by a group of black uniformed students straight back to the grand dining hall, which had since been converted into an auditorium. The rest of her companions were just as bewildered as she was.

Almost all of them.

Dimitri was more glum and downcast than surprised as the sudden development. The girl he had called out to, El, didn't acknowledge his greeting. Instead, she outright ignored him and got straight down to business, informing the group that she had been called out to the fountain due to an anonymous tip, reporting about a suspicious-looking group of students loitering about instead of staying put in the hall as instructed. She then ran a verification procedure on all of them, making sure the five of them were indeed students and not trespassers.

With Dimitri out of commission, Byleth surprisingly took charge, acquiescing on behalf of the group to the white-haired girl's instructions. After checking up with all of them, she ordered them to head straight back to the grand hall and attend the orientation ceremony. However, after reading over the files she had on hand, the girl must've had very little faith that the five would adhere like asked and called in for a group of similarly uniformed students to assist her in escorting everyone back. Delthea hadn't missed the blood-red armband resting on her left arm. All the other black-uniformed students had it as well. There were words printed on them but Delthea couldn't make out or read what they exactly read.

It honestly felt less like an escort and more like being arrested, giving credence to Claude's earlier joke about the academy feeling like a military organization than a school… he'd been strangely accurate about these weird things so far, hasn't he?

But at least they avoided the worst case scenario of being found out. The girl, El, didn't prod them further about anything, electing to instead lead the entire procession at the front. And Delthea herself wasn't found out, keeping her secret still a secret. Nobody dare talk further so, thankfully, they (especially herself!) were all okay.

Again, almost all okay.

Delthea glanced back at Dimitri, whose head hung low, his gait slower than the rest. He was starting to seriously lag behind so much one of the uniformed armband students gave him a rough shove to pick up the pace. It also prompted Delthea to turn around and mind her business.

To her left, Hilda matched her pace but was less interested in her surroundings. Like from before, something was eating away at her. In the same way Dimitri had grown upset after seeing this El girl, so had Hilda, though presumably for different reasons. Where Dimitri oozed melancholy, Hilda bubbled with... rage? Did Hilda know this girl? Did she have beef? Or was it something else entirely? Delthea could only guess. On top of whatever was brewing in her head and dealing with a missing close friend, Hilda was clearly going through a rough patch. And whatever it was, Hilda wasn't going to say. Delthea knew it'd be best to leave her be.

To her front, Claude and Byleth, with El being ahead of them both. Despite being only barely taller than she was, this El girl cut an impressive figure. Unlike something floaty and showy like Hilda or cutesy like Delthea, the girl's fashion was dominantly masculine, almost military like.

Rigid, well-fitting jet black blazer with the Heroes Academy insignia emblazoned on its right breast, printed in gold to match the buttons that dotted the coat. Peerless white shirt and pants, as pristine as the girl's trailing white hair, accompanied by a blood-red inner vest and shiny black boots that climbed past El's knees. The black and red ascot around the girl's neck was a nice touch as well.

But as complicated as her clothes were, El's outfit was subdued only by how otherworldly she appeared. If Delthea didn't know any better, she'd think that this girl walked straight off of a movie set, as some military officer from a space opera, or something of the like.

It made her seem regal, sophisticated, and untouchable, the sort of person you were only allowed to look from a distance.

Claude hadn't missed the feeling either and proceeded to do what he did best. Talk his head off. He bombarded the girl with countless questions throughout their walk back to the hall, ranging from mundane topics like favorite foods to more topical ones who exactly this escort group was. However, she more than kept her cool and continually rebuffed him at every turn, not falling for his antics.

After a solid ten minutes of no success, he backed away, whistling in resignation while steadily matching his pace with Byleth.

"You know, for alleged rule breaker, you're being an absolute boy scout," he quipped to the quiet boy.

"Perhaps you should follow his example."

The sharp voice had come from the very front. Without even turning around, El addressed Claude's attempt at yet again getting another rise from Byleth. It did little to deter him as he grinned mischievously. He nudged Byleth. "Hey, she's taking a liking to you. Maybe it was something in your files?"

Though Byleth looked like he couldn't care any less, Delthea noticed a visible reaction from El. She didn't miss the slight jolt that rustled down the white-haired girl's fair neck and shoulders. It was brief but it was there. And why did she notice, you ask?

Well, she kinda reacted the same way.

But why? There's no way it could bother her, right? No, maybe she was just tired. Yeah, that's probably why.

But before Claude pounced on that little detail and teased the white-haired girl, they had arrived at their destination.

Luckily, the doors to the auditorium turned dining room had its doors open so no one would notice them walk in. Some orientation lecture was underway so the room had grown slightly dim, focusing the stage lights to the speaker on the podium. It was the perfect cover to get them situated.

There was a relatively unoccupied row of seats at the rear of the auditorium that El guided and seated them at. They shuffled in without much hassle. The occasional curious look came there way but nothing beyond that. With her job done, she and the other black uniforms quickly made their departure before attracting any unwanted attention.

But before she did, Delthea noticed that El turned her head just for a moment, light glistening off of her velvet eyes as she did. Unlike before, her gaze was softer, peppered with what could only be described as…

Concern?

Who was she looking at? In the moment Delthea turned to try to figure out who this person was, she turned to find that worried expression gone. As a matter of fact, El herself was gone, her black uniform posse nowhere in sight either.

Had Delthea seen the whole thing? Were the dimness of the auditorium and the strain of the day playing tricks on her eyes? It wasn't out of the realm of possibility but sight was among the senses she trusted the most. She wouldn't tout herself as a professional people watcher otherwise.

The speaker on the podium was still explaining something but Delthea had already tuned out. If El had looked back, who was she looking at? It certainly wasn't herself, nothing to warrant such an expression. Was it someone outside of their five-man group? Not likely. El's gaze came comfortably close with matching hers so she couldn't have been looking any further or less than the row they were sitting on.

But before Delthea could further her sleuth work, a row of applause jolted her. Everyone around them began clapping as the speaker wrapped up what they were saying and proceeded to walk off the podium and stage.

Delthea had hoped this would mean the end of the ceremony but her wishes were quashed when she saw someone else come take center stage. A buxom woman dressed in a red suit and skirt with dazzling green hair walked forward. Delthea could hear audible gasps from the crowd at the sudden beauty that appeared before them all. Were all women at this school extraordinarily attractive? Delthea quietly grumbled to herself however she too quickly found herself captivated by the woman who began to speak.

"Hello, hello. I am the headmaster's secretary Miss Tiki. I would like to warmly welcome you all to Heroes Academy. We are very happy to have you with us."

Though her voice was warm and gentle, it had the most peculiar accent. It wasn't a dialect Delthea was used to being spoken to in, that's for sure. It made the woman seem all the more dignified.

She continued.

"I know you are all very excited about the next couple of days but I ask that you all carry yourselves with the dignity and moderation befitting prospective students such as you all." She asked in a way that made it hard for people to resist. Perhaps Delthea could learn a thing or two.

"As you all may know, the name 'Heroes' is derived from an ancient word and tongue, referring to great individuals who came before us, leaving their mark on history."

The woman spoke so compellingly, Delthea could find herself overlooking the school's gaudy name.

"As members of this proud tradition, it is my hope that such individuals will arise from a group as talented as you all," the woman spoke warmly. Her gentle gaze and eyes seemed to reach just about everyone in the crowd. It was almost enough to completely detach Delthea from her previous musings.

"So, once you return to your dormitory rooms, please rest well."

Phew. Finally! Some rest would actually be nice! Delthea would finally be allowed to lie down after all that had happened today. A bath and some time to herself sounded like heaven right now.

"Yes, please rest up. Because tomorrow, we begin the Trials of Elimination."

Oh, okay.

…

…

The what?

Chapter End