Beta Reader: DarkAngelDan98
"Garreg Mach Monastery?"
"Yes, that is the name of our destination."
Robin hummed with interest the moment he heard the name of the location they were heading to. The two mages, Annette and Mercedes, have been telling him about who they were and where they were from. He could have guessed that these teenagers were students based on the fact that they all wore the same clothes that were clearly some kind of uniform and they were accompanied by someone they referred to as professor… though truthfully he also couldn't help but wonder how it was he knew these information, did his amnesia only prevent him from remembering information regarding his identity?
"So this Monastery also serves as an academy?" Robin asked while tilting his head slightly.
"More like the Officers Academy is located within the Monastery's complex." Mercedes corrected with a gentle smile.
"It also serves as the headquarters for an order of knights known as the Knights of Seiros." Ashe chimed in.
"Knights of Seiros?" Robin asked while raising his eyebrow in interest.
"Yes, they're the elite force of the Church of Serios which is tasked to help and protect the citizens from various threats such as bandits or beasts. They also sometimes worked together with the military force of one of the nations here to solve whatever problem said nation may be facing though usually only the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus has asked for the Knights' help." Ashe explained eagerly and with such enthusiasm that even an amnesiac like him could tell the reason for the boy's passion.
"I take it that you're planning to join this order of knights in the future, right?" Robin asked with a small smile. Ashe's eager nod was all the conformation he needed.
Still, as informative and as interesting as the information was, Robin couldn't give one hundred percent of his attention to these students' story. His mind was filled with many questions, most prominently about the power that he held within him and the voice in his mind that had spoken to him. He had tried to call out to the voice but he had been answered with only silence which led him to ask himself…had the voice only been his imagination?
…No, that voice was surely not some figment of his imagination. His memories were entirely gone but he was quite certain that his sanity was still intact…or so he hoped.
But that brought him to another, more pressing, question…what should he do now?
Obviously, first he needed to find a job and a place to live. He didn't know whether the people at this Garreg Mach Monastery would be kind enough to give him temporary shelter or not but even if they did, he still needed a job in order to make money to get by which brought him to yet another pressing question… what sort of occupation was he even capable of doing?
"Something on your mind Sir?"
Robin blinked, being brought back to the present, before he glanced at Ingrid who just asked him the question.
"Well, I was just wondering what kind of job I could take since obviously I need a way to earn money." Robin confessed while scratching his cheek.
"Well… I have no idea if there are any job openings in the Monastery but there are a lot of different roles that you can choose from. Aside from the professors and the knights, they hire staff to serve all kinds of purposes there from the kitchen staff, greenhouse staff, fishing pond staff, cleaning staff, etc." Ingrid listed off several of the various positions that might be available for the man to take up in Garreg Mach Monastery.
"Or if you're up to it, you can try to devote yourself to become a priest. It is the centre of the Church of Seiros so they provide free food and accommodations for both the priests and nuns you know." Sylvain suggested with a small shrug and a grin. Robin wasn't sure if the boy was serious in his suggestion or not.
"Even if there was no available position for you in the Monastery, there is a village nearby. Do not worry; I'll help to find you a job there if none exists within Garreg Mach." Dimitri spoke up while glancing at the white-haired man with a small smile, reassuring the man that he would aid him in this endeavour.
"Thank you." Robin said; it was literally all he could offer at the moment since he had nothing else to give other than his thanks. Although, he couldn't help but notice that Dedue was giving him a quick glance for some reason.
"Oh! I'll help too!" Annette suddenly chimed in, showing her eagerness in helping the white-haired man.
"I'll try my best to help you as well." Mercedes added in a gentle tone as she gave the amnesiac man a nod.
While the students conversed with the man, Byleth, who was walking in front of the group, couldn't help but take a quick glance toward the man from over her shoulder. Despite the intense dread that she had felt earlier when Robin cast his spell, she couldn't find any trace of that ominous feeling in his presence anymore.
As matter of fact the man's attitude and demeanour just made his aura feel…calming to her. It might not be the exact word that could completely described the feeling that she felt this man giving off but seeing how at ease some of her students were when interacting with him, she was confident that they too felt the same as her.
'But that does not mean you can drop your guard around him yet." Sothis advised in her mind.
'I know.'
It sometimes still felt…strange to her, being able to communicate with someone via her thoughts rather than with spoken words…as well as the knowledge that somehow a preteen girl existed in her mind. Still, there was nothing she could do that would change this, just like with Lady Rhea's sudden decision to make her a professor, so all she could do was simply accept it and move on.
Speaking of the Archbishop, Byleth couldn't help but wonder if she would accept Robin into the Monastery as easily as she accepted her and her father. Robin was a different case compared to them, he had no identity and he couldn't recall any background information about himself though it was also undeniable that the man had helped them fight against the bandits as well as saved her from having her head pierced by an arrow.
While she could have saved herself with the power of Divine Pulse, or at least she hoped she could, she was still grateful that he spared her the pain of having her cranium impaled by the tip of an arrowhead. Divine Pulse could rewind time and thus undo an event from happening but that didn't erase Byleth's experience of whatever had been nullified, thus the phantom pain from receiving whatever injury that had required her to reverse the hands of time would stay with her as her body would need a few seconds to adjust to the feeling of the wound that was no longer existing on her body.
'Something tells me that she's not the one you need to worry about.'
'It's Seteth, isn't it?'
Sothis was right, while she could see the possibility of Lady Rhea accepting Robin just like that, Seteth was a different matter entirely. Him personally interrogating her was enough proof to show just how wary the man was of a stranger or at least one that he didn't know well enough. As Byleth pondered about what she should say to the strict green haired man, she and her students (plus one) finally reached the end of the forest where they all were greeted by the familiar scenery of the Garreg Mach Monastery from afar.
"Wow, so is that Garreg Mach Monastery?" Robin couldn't help but ask once his eyes spotted the admittedly grand-looking architecture. He might have seen something similar in the past but had unfortunately forgotten about it thanks to his amnesia but at the moment he was clearly impressed by the striking building that was the Monastery.
"Indeed, it looks quite incredible even from afar, doesn't it?" Mercedes replied as she clasped her hands behind her back and stared at the Monastery; she also had the same opinion as the man when she first arrived on Garreg Mach.
"If you don't mind, I could give you a tour around the Monastery once everything is settled." Dimitri offered kindly.
"Thank you, that's very kind of you." Robin responded with an eager nod, having this small excited feeling at the prospect of walking around a place as grand as the Monastery.
Though, he momentarily glanced at Felix when the navy haired boy let out a scoff.
"First thing he will do is to head straight to the infirmary, Annette and Mercedes will lead him there while Dimitri will come with me to report the result of our mission as well as this situation to Lady Rhea. The rest of you should take this time to rest." Byleth spoke up, telling her students on what they should do once they arrived at the Monastery.
"Yes Professor."
"Of course Professor."
"Leave it to us Professor!"
Dimitri, Mercedes, and Annette replied respectively while Robin simply nodded to show that he understood and agreed with her instructions. Byleth gave them all a small nod and was about to tell them to continue when she remembered something about the man's circumstances.
"And about finding a job…"
Robin gave the woman a raised eyebrow, feeling that she was talking directly to him despite not facing him, as he waited for her to say what she wanted to say. She briefly glanced at him from her shoulder but what she said next was enough to make Robin smile once again.
"I will ask Seteth directly if there are any available vacancies once I explain the situation, if anyone can help in finding you work it'll be him."
"Thank you so much Professor."
That was the least she could do after he helped her and her students earlier.
"That concludes my report."
Once she had delivered her reports, about how she and her students managed to finish their first mission without much incident despite what happened afterward, Byleth awaited the reaction of the two people standing before her. Lady Rhea wasn't exactly the easiest person to read; even now the Archbishop simply stared at her with her usual serene look, her facial expression barely changing even when she mentioned returning with an amnesiac man she found on the way back from Zanado.
Seteth's mood, on the other hand, was easier to gauge even if the change in his facial expression was rather subtle. Byleth didn't miss the way his sharp eyes narrowed when she mentioned finding an amnesiac man in the forest before getting ambushed by bandits nor the way his frown deepened when she told the two that she, and her students, had brought the man back to the Monastery.
"I see; and where is this man is now?" Rhea spoke up after a few moments of silence; her tone also not changing from her usual soft and gentle one which made it impossible for Byleth to know exactly what the woman's thoughts were regarding her actions.
"At the moment, Annette and Mercedes have brought him to the infirmary to see if Professor Manuela can help with his condition." Dimitri, who stood next to her, answered.
"Are you sure it was a wise decision to bring a man who claims to have amnesia within the Monastary walls? Especially when the following attack suggests the possibility that the man could have been luring you all into a trap." Seteth finally spoke up and just like Byleth predicted, he wasn't happy about her decision at all.
In a way, what Seteth was saying did have some merit as she also has considered the possibility that Robin was simply faking his amnesia to keep them around so the bandits that he might or might not be associated with could ambush them…however…
"I admit that I wondered the same thing myself at one point but if that was the case then I don't believe the bandits would have gone as far as to sacrifice a wyvern just for a performance. Moreover, Robin showed no hesitation in attacking those bandits with his magic. If he indeed was a part of the bandits then it would have made more sense for him to have simply attacked us too the moment we were ambushed." Byleth explained her reasons for not believing that Robin had any connection to their attacks and that he was not lying about his memory loss. While a part of her did still question whether this was the right decision on her part but that had nothing to do with the bandits.
"Hmm…I suppose I can see the logic behind your reasoning…" Seteth said after a couple seconds of silence, making Byleth feel a little relieved…but…
"However, that still doesn't dispute the idea that this could all be part of a long term plan to invade Garreg Mach Monastery one way or another."
Only for her relief to be crushed immediately.
'Well, one needs to admit that this man's caution seems to know no bounds.' Sothis commented in her head and she couldn't help but agree with her.
"Seteth, perhaps it will be better if you speak to the man directly to properly get the measure of him. I'm confident that you can determine for yourself whether the man is faking his condition or not." The Archbishop softly suggested, knowing that it was best for her advisor to make his own conclusion after interacting with the amnesiac man.
"Of course, Your Grace." Seteth replied after a brief consideration.
"Prince Dimitri, would you mind accompanying Seteth to the infirmary?" Rhea requested after giving the man a nod before turning her attention to the blonde-haired prince.
"Of course not Lady Rhea." Dimitri immediately replied while bowing his body slightly.
Byleth watched in silence as Dimitri and Seteth left the room. Truth be told, she wished to go with them to see if Manuela could help Robin with his amnesia but she had a feeling that the Archbishop still required her…plus Rhea hasn't exactly given her permission to leave yet.
"Come professor, there is a matter that I wish to discuss with you." The Archbishop said once they were alone before she started to leave the chamber too. Byleth remained in the chamber for a few more seconds, silently wondering what she wished to talk to her about and why she couldn't just do it here before eventually deciding to simply follow Rhea without saying anything. And here she thought she just needed to report the result of the mission before she was allowed to go…
"Amnesia, hmm? Admittedly, this is the first time I have encountered someone with such problem."
At the moment, Robin was laying on a bed, and a rather comfortable one at that, while listening to this woman's, Manuela if he wasn't mistaken, talk about his condition. The fact that it was the first time she has encountered a case such as his didn't inspire much confidence in Robin regarding her ability to aid his affliction.
"Isn't there anything we can do to help him?" Mercedes asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I'm afraid that this isn't something that medicine or healing spells can solve dear. But don't worry, from what I know amnesia can be merely temporary. So, perhaps your memories will, hopefully, return to you soon good sir." Manuela said in a gentle voice as she gave Robin what he could assume to be a reassuring smile.
While it was good to hear that his condition might be only temporary, Robin couldn't shake off the feeling that his memories would not be coming back anytime soon. Whatever the case, that wasn't his main concern at the moment. There were a lot of things he needed to think through but the most important ones were…
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now, especially about yourself. But trust me; it won't do you any good to overthink thing. Right now, it is for the best if you simply relax, alright?" Manuela spoke up a few moments later as if she knew what he was thinking. Perhaps his expression told her what was on his his mind or perhaps she has dealt with someone like him before, someone who couldn't stop worrying about their present situation. Still, that didn't mean he could relax yet, not until-
"Tell me dear, have you eaten anything yet?"
The sound of his stomach growling, as if on cue, answered the woman's question.
"I guess the answer is no." Robin finally spoke up with a sheepish grin; feeling a bit embarrassed especially when the two students giggled a little at what they just heard.
"Well then sweethearts, would you mind getting something from the dining hall for our guest here?" Manuela said with a small laugh before turning her attention to the two girls.
"Of course Professor Manuela." Mercedes answered with a nod.
"Don't worry Sir Robin; we will pick the freshest and most delicious meal available just for you." Annette tried to assure him that they would return with pleasant meal for him. And honestly, he liked the sound of that.
"I'm looking forward to it." Robin said with a nod, he genuinely meant it too. With everything that had happened today getting some food to him sounded like a good idea.
The two girls simply nodded at him and wasted no time in leaving the infirmary, leaving him alone with Manuela.
"Well, you can simply rest while waiting for them. It shouldn't take long for them to return with your food. Oh my, that's right, I haven't introduced myself have I?" Manuela said before she gave him a small curtsy and a flirtatious wink.
"My name is Manuela Casagranda, professor of the Black Eagle house and the main physician of the Garreg Mach Monastery."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Robin…though I'm honestly not sure if Robin is even my real name." Robin replied to the woman's introduction while smiling slightly in slight nervousness.
"Then why did you decide to name yourself Robin? Or was it the Blue Lions that gave you that name?" Manuela asked while raising her eyebrow in curiosity.
"Well, that's because-"
Just like earlier, once again, before Robin could explain why he decided to name himself Robin, he was interrupted. Though thankfully this time it wasn't an arrow and a bunch of bandits that interrupted him, rather it was the arrival of two individuals; one familiar the other not so much, that prevented him from explaining the origin of the name he had decided upon.
"Good afternoon Your Highness, Seteth. I presume you two are here to visit our charming guest?" Manuela greeted the two newcomers with a nod.
"Manuela." the man with green hair, Seteth Robin presumed, greeted the physician with a brief nod before the man shifted his attention to him. Despite the elder male's hard and stern gaze, Robin couldn't help but felt…a sense of familiarity, like it wasn't the first time someone had stared at him like that. What the heck did this mean?
"Sir Robin, this is Seteth, advisor to the Archbishop and her right hand man." Dimitri introduced the man who still kept his gaze on him. Robin merely nodded his head in response, partially because he didn't know what he should say and because he was still trying to figure why the way Seteth stared at him felt so familiar.
"Prince Dimitri, Professor Manuela, would you two be so kind as to leave us momentarily? I wish to speak to our guest here privately." Seteth requested as he finally shifted his attention away from the white-haired man.
Robin couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at the rather sudden request though judging by the lack of surprise on Dimitri and Manuela's expression, it seemed to be something of a norm. Though now he suddenly felt nervous for some reason.
"Make sure to be not too harsh on him Seteth." Manuela advised playfully before sending one last wink to the white-haired man as she left the room alongside the blonde-haired boy. Despite having been asked to stay a part of him wanted to get up and leave with them so he could get away from those sharp eyes.
"So Robin…is that really your name?" the green-haired man asked, his steely gaze already being directed back onto him. Despite his nervousness, Robin decided to stare right back and make direct eye-contact with the man
He was starting to piece together why the man wanted to speak privately with him, in hindsight, he should have expected this. This man was clearly interrogating him.
"I don't know." Robin answered honestly while shaking his head slightly.
"I see. And is it true that you have no memories at all in regard to your identity or past?" Seteth asked again, his expression remained stern which gave Robin no way to guess the man's thoughts.
"Yes…although I did dream something before waking up earlier." Robin admitted, deciding that telling this man about his dream would be a wise decision…at least he hoped it was.
Seteth merely raised his eyebrow in intrigue after hearing his confession before giving him a nod which Robin took as a sign to continue.
"Well…ugh!" just as he was about to tell Seteth about what he remembered of his dream, a loud growling that was definitely coming from within his head suddenly assaulted his hearing, causing him to suffer a headache.
'Kill him!'
What?
'He isn't a man! Kill him!'
"Are you alright?" Seteth asked; his stern expression immediately changed into one of concern once he determined that the man wasn't faking his headache.
"I'll be…fine, just give me a moment." Robin replied once the pain in his head subsided, deciding to hold off his conversation (interrogation) with Seteth for now in favor of questioning the voice in his head since he was afraid this might be the only chance the voice decided to make itself known.
'Would you stop screaming kill and murder in my head? And who are you exactly? Why are you in my head?' Robin thought, hoping that the voice could hear the thoughts he was trying to convey and respond to them.
'I am…Grima!'
Robin was confident to say that he didn't remember, or recognize, the name Grima… yet he also couldn't deny that his body shivered slightly as a feeling that he recognized as fear filled his heart the moment he heard the name. What did it mean? Did it imply that the name Grima meant something to him? Something that gave him a sense of fear and apprehension?
"Are you sure you're okay? Your face has gotten rather pale." Seteth observed, his expression was a mixture of wariness and concern.
"Yes, I'm fine…just a small headache." Robin said which was partly true. For now, he decided to change his plan, deal with Seteth first while trying to ignore the booming voice in his head that kept telling him to murder the man in front of him.
Seteth certainly didn't look very convinced by his small excuse but his silence was enough for Robin to continue on with what he was about to tell the man earlier.
"In my dream…all I saw was darkness. The sky was covered by pitch-black storm clouds; not a single ray of light pierced through them, it seemed to cover everything in blanket of darkness. And…there was this army…I don't quite remember what they were but…I'm sure they weren't human…or at least not entirely. Then right in the middle of it all…there was this massive creature, I don't remember what it looked like exactly…only that it was big. And then, just before I woke up, I heard a man's voice scream 'Robin' loudly; that was why I decided to name myself Robin. I don't know what my dream means…but I have a feeling that it was more than just a nightmare."
Once he had finished his explanation, Robin looked up at Seteth. He couldn't tell what was going through the man's head, just like before, because of how guarded his expression was. Yet he couldn't help but feel that Seteth was trying to judge him, to see if he was lying or not. This sensation…really was starting to feel familiar to him.
"I see…then do tell me what it is you intend to do next?" Seteth finally spoke up after a few minutes of silence between them.
"Honestly, I have no idea on what I'm supposed to do. The only objectives I have right now are securing both employment and shelter for myself so that I can survive. I have no money or any other belongings other than the clothes on my back." Robin admitted with a sigh as he still had no idea how he was going to feed himself
'Heh, pathetic.'
Robin felt it was wise to simply ignore it.
Seteth once again fell into silence as he simply stared directly into Robin's eyes, as if he was searching for something. It was after another few minutes of silence that Seteth finally let out a small sigh before he turned around.
'Now! Now it's the perfect chance to kill him!'
'Will you stop telling me to kill people already? And why should I kill him in the first place?'
'Are you deaf? Or are you just dumb? He's-'
"I'll need to discuss this further with the Archbishop but as of now you may stay in this infirmary for the night if no one requires it for immediate healing. The Archbishop will decide whether you may stay here at the Monastary or not. That's all." Seteth proclaimed after thinking about it for a bit. Though, before the man took his leave of the room, he glanced at the white-haired man from over his shoulder with a calmer expression compared to before.
"I sincerely wish that your memories will return sooner rather than later."
Robin only could blink at what was, undeniably, a genuine sentiment hoping for his memories to return…that simple action totally shattered the image that his mind had built up in regard to Seteth. Though before Robin can let out a relived sigh, he was instantly reminded that his problems weren't over yet…
'Why'd you let him get away?! You incompetent worm!'
'First of all, I never agreed to kill him. Second, I do remember you told me he wasn't a man, but even if he wasn't a human why do I have to kill him just for that? Third, who the heck are you? Why are you even in my head?' Robin needed to make sure that he didn't end up vocalizing what he thought since it seemed that he could communicate with the voice in his mind just fine without using his actual voice. The last thing he needed right now was for people to question his sanity.
'Tch, what is this? An inquisition? An insignificant speck like you should just stay quiet and follow the orders I give you.'
'And why is that?'
'Because I have been 'benevolent' enough to allow you to use my power!'
Robin couldn't help but once again blink his eyes after hearing that revelation. In hindsight, it should have been pretty obvious yet because of his amnesia he wasn't sure if the power within him belonged to him or the entity with which he was conversing.
'And that ability to see the future, it also belongs to you?' Robin pressed on. He still could remember the image that he saw before the event itself had even happened. Byleth being pierced by an arrow and Ashe being torn apart by the wyvern…if he hadn't acted, pushing Byleth down and pushing Ashe away, then the images he saw would have become reality. Then that meant he was seeing a glimpse into what was about to take place, right?
'Of course, where do you think that ability came from? From a lowly insect like you? The thought alone is so absurd it's humorous!'
Okay, this voice, Grima or whatever, was really starting to get on his nerves.
'That future seeing ability is called 'Fell Brand', it'll activate on its own whenever there is immediate danger nearby. It's more than a just precognition but of course, someone with an inferior body such as yourself won't be able to use it to its fullest potential. It's part of my power after all.'
'Then why I can use it in the first place? Also, let me repeat what I asked at the start. Why are you in my head?'
Robin could feel his irritation start to bubble like boiling water when the voice only answered his questions with silence.
'You don't know, do you?' Robin decided to ask, feeling that the voice was silent because he couldn't rub the answers in his face and mock his ignorance like he's been doing ever since he opened his big mouth.
'Who do you think I am? Of course I know! …. I just don't remember.'
And just as it was about to reach breaking point, the anger that had been building up inside him immediately vanished when the voice revealed another thing that caught Robin's interest.
'You have amnesia too?'
'And it's all your fault!'
What the-
"How the heck it this my fault?" Robin finally said aloud, unable to prevent his impatience from returning full-force. This voice was going to drive him insane at this rate.
'Isn't that obvious? You are the one with amnesia and since we, unfortunately, seem to share this wretched body now; your incompetence which doubtlessly lead to you losing your memories has also made me suffer the same fate.'
"And how do we know it isn't you who got us into this mess? For all we know it was your screw up that made us forget everything and not mine."
'Me? Don't be ridiculous! Between the two of us if one of us fell short here it was obviously you worm! This frail mind and feeble form of yours is probably incapable of completing even the most mundane of tasks!'
"Why you-"
"Robin?"
Robin immediately froze when a familiar soft yet monotonous voice called his name. Standing in the doorway was none other than Byleth who was staring at him with the same stoic expression that she'd worn almost every moment since he laid eyes on her. He must have gotten too distracted by Grima to not notice the sound of the door being opened.
"…How much of that did you hear?" Robin asked as he decided it was better to get straight to the point.
"When you asked how it was supposed to be your fault." Byleth replied softly as she gently closed the door before walking toward his bed to stand next to it.
Before Robin could form any response in his mind, he immediately winced once again when the voice, Grima, growled in his subconscious, causing him to suffer another small headache. But at the same time, he couldn't help but notice that Byleth was also slightly narrowing her eyes at him.
'This girl! There is something within that girl that sickens me! Get rid of her!'
'First the bandits, then Seteth, now Byleth, are you sure you just don't want me to kill everyone and make up excuses on the go?' Robin couldn't help but snark a little despite the pounding in his skull.
'This is different you fool!' Grima practically screamed, making him wince again.
Yet Robin couldn't deny what Grima had said so far, about Seteth being not a human or there being something within Byleth that sickened Grima, intrigued him. He decided to observe the woman in front of him carefully, noting how despite the fact that she was staring at him, her eyes seemed to be not fully focusing on him, like she was in a deep thought.
'Okay, can you tell me a bit more specific about whatever it is you sensed within Byleth, like was it some sort of power?' Robin decided that it might be wise if he knew a little bit more about what was going with the lady in front of him…just in case.
'No, she is like us…there is another entity inside her.' Grima explained, his voice sounded wary instead of smug or annoyed like earlier.
Wait what?...so he wasn't the only one with a voice in his head?
"Byleth." Robin called to her which seemed to snap her out of whatever she was thinking about. It might end up as a stupid decision in his part and might or might not bite him on the arse later, but right now the prospect of someone else went through what he experienced now felt like a chance that he couldn't miss... which was why...
"Do you have a voice that speaks to you inside your head?"
Okay, I admit the ending might be a little rushed but I need to upload it before I end up delaying finishing it. Anyway, thank you for reading the chapter, see ya in the next chapter.
