A Chance For a New Dawn

by LostCipher999

Bernadetta's entire world is shattered when she is faced with a sudden tragedy in the battle for the Dawn of Fódlan. In a bizarre reversal of the tides of destiny, a freak accident ends throws her five years back in time... where all is not as it seems... *Expect spoilers for pretty much every route at some point.*

23. Chapter 22: A Line in the Sand

Existential crises really are the worst.

Suffice to say, I'm not really proud of how much I've been delaying this story, and it probably doesn't help that I'm constantly questioning my own writing either. I don't know how many times I've edited and rewritten these upcoming chapters over the past year, but with the release of Three Hopes literally right around the corner, I was hit with a well needed burst of inspiration, and I was reminded why I even came up with this story in the first place: to expand upon the original game's story and develop Bernie's character in ways that the official canon sorely lacked.

So to make it up to you all, I'm going to finish this protracted Varley manor arc in the next three chapters so I can actually advance the story. At least that's the ideal plan. I really do want to move on to some wilder ideas here.

---

"Whoa! Another earthquake?! Okay, raise your hands, everybody; did anyone do something to piss off the local earth spirits or something?"

"I doubt that has anything to with it..."

"This doesn't sit right with me in the slightest. It's one thing to experience the occasional tremor every now and then, but given the relative rarity of them throughout Fódlan, I fear there's more to this situation than meets the eye..."

"Then there's no two ways about it. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place, and both sides are every bit as dangerous."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Even without mother nature trembling every ten minutes, if the local wildlife doesn't get to us first, the good Count's secret schemes probably will."

"I'd prefer if you didn't throw Count Varley in with your lot, Claude. Yes, I'll admit that the man's... personality leaves much to be desired, but no noble worth their salt would deliberately inflict harm upon their own land in such a manner."

"Oh, there's the most ironic thing I've heard all week." Leonie suddenly spoke up, glaring daggers into her dissident classmate. "Wasn't your dad responsible for siccing bloodthirsty monsters on Alliance merchants on the road to Derdriu, Lorenz?"

"Why, th- that is nothing more than a baseless rumor, Leonie!" the Gloucester noble shot back at his orange haired classmate, sporting a highly offended expression. "It has nothing to do with the predicament at hand!"

"Oh, I don't know, this all felt pretty damn familiar to me when I narrowly stopped one of those wolves from tearing into a defenseless village boy!" the fiery commoner claimed, eliciting a pang of guilt from a nearby Ignatz as the violent imagery invaded everyone's minds. "I swear, these old nobles should just stop mixing up the common folk in their petty feuds-"

"Alright, that's enough, you two! This is all just a flimsy rumor like Lorenz said!"

"Ah... but Raphael, your par-"

"None of that matters right now, Ignatz! Even if we knew the truth of what happened, what good would all this arguing do us? I dunno about any of you guys, but I don't have time to go around pointing fingers or hating anyone else over something none of us can change."

"Raph's right, you guys." Claude concurred with a firm nod. "I know we all have our own crazy theories about these attacks, but as it stands now, we ought to be more concerned with getting ourselves out of this territory in one piece."

"Indeed. And as much as I hate to be the bearer of worse news, our troubles don't end at the borders of Varley either." Alois grimly informed, unrolling a letter from his pocket and placing it down on the central table for all to see. "I've been receiving reports of increasingly suspicious wildlife activity all across Fódlan recently. We've yet to hear of any surprise attacks like the ones we've reported over the past few days, but at this rate, it may prove too dangerous for the average citizen to even set foot outside their home. Evacuating every last village in the viscinity will likely prove to be a difficult task as well..."

"A risky maneuver, yes, but those people will be far safer behind the walls of the monastery than they are in their wide open villages. As soon as we're able, we'll begin escorting the refugees we currently have in the manor back to Garreg Mach. Hopefully, the knights will have forces to spare to aid with the remaining settlements..."

"But what could be causing all of this...? The very concept of savage monsters roaming the land just outside civilization is like something out of a classic adventure novel... this combined with their malicious behavior is nothing short of unnatural." Lysithea mused aloud, a hand raised to her chin in contemplation as similar concerns filled the minds of her fellow classmates.

"You know, there's something else that's been bugging me ever since we arrived here. Does the local river water taste... off to anyone else?"

"Hold a moment; have you been drinking directly from the dirty streams lining the land...?" Lorenz hesitated to ask, his face scrunching up in discomfort as his gaze narrowed upon Leonie.

"Um, yeah? Unless you nobles have access to some sort of purified holy water, I'm pretty sure we've all been drinking from the same source for our entire lives." the orange haired village youth casually informed. The revelation, though seemingly small, shifted Lorenz's expression into one of horrified realization as the young noble suffered a minor existential crisis.

"Yes, I believe I see where you're going with this... building upon that, there's a good chance someone might have gone around polluting every water source in the area..." Lysithea cautiously theorized, a troubled sigh escaping the young mage's lips as she came to a disturbing realization of her own. "But if that's the case, it certainly raises a number of concerns about the water we've been drinking over the past week..."

"Well, that about settles it. We can't afford to stay here much longer, but simply leaving Varley territory raises its own share of issues as well." Claude firmly concluded, wearily peering his head out of an open window to get a good view of the moonlit fields just outside. "We'd have to be blind not to notice the number of beasts lingering too close to the manor for comfort. The cliffs surrounding the estate are our best defense in the event of another attack, and trying to flee now would just be a bigger risk than it's worth. On top of that, it's been a whole other day, and Teach is still nowhere to be found. Not to mention the matter of our troublesome hostage... whether he has anything to do with the attacks remains to be seen, but we can be sure his friends are going to want him back sooner or later."

"What would Jeralt do in this situation...? I'd be fairly remiss myself to leave his son behind at a time like this, but if his absence continues any further..." Alois thought out loud, unable to so much as crack a smile as the knight's thoughts lingered upon the students left under his protection. "That reminds me, has anyone seen Bernadetta lately? I can never seem to catch the girl in her room, or anywhere for that matter when I wish to speak with her..."

"Bernie's been volunteering to pick up scouting duty for the rest of us an awful lot lately. Knowing her, it's probably her way of distracting herself from all the crazy stuff that's been happening around here. Especially her mom's worsening condition..."

"I cannot help but worry for the Lady of the house as well... Not a single soul has been permitted to come near her chambers in the wake of the previous attack; not even her own family, or the heir to the empire herself." Lorenz spoke up, unable to shake the troubled expression from his face.

"You mean since Cornelia arrived..."

"Please, cease your incessant ramblings at once, Claude. You couldn't possibly intend to throw doubt upon-"

"Ah, but I do. I mean, she's the only person allowed to go in and out of the Countess's room now, right? Rumor has it Theresa's been rambling like a madwoman nonstop ever since these visits began."

"But Lady Cornelia's been a great help to everyone ever since she arrived...!" Ignatz spoke up in admiration, cradling his recently injured arm which was now miraculously free of all signs of prior damage. "I mean, she's clearly hailed as a Saint for a reason, right? I don't know why Bernadetta's always so nervous around her..."

"I dunno, Ignatz. This all seems too convenient for my liking. I've heard all sorts of stories about Cornelia's great medical prowess, but what was the point of sending us students out into the middle of this plague if she could have just resolved this whole mess herself?"

"Are you sure you're not just overthinking things, Claude?" Hilda asked, casually leaning back in a comfortable chair against the wall. "With a bonafide professional and her elite guard on the job, I see this as a good excuse for us to leave this goddessforsaken place early, and not soon enough if you ask me. I'll bet Bernie feels the same way too."

"Yeah, well, I expect all of you to keep your wits about yourselves until we do get to leave. I'd rather not have to explain why another one of us got horribly mauled, or worse, to Teach when he eventually gets back." the Golden Deer leader urgently reminded, letting out another troubled sigh as his gaze wandered back to the vacant outskirts of the Varley estate, wondering just what the Saint that captured the affection of his friends was getting up to.

---

"Yes, very good, dear." the voice of Cornelia calmly instructed as a wide eyed Flayn eagerly stirred the contents of a large castiron pot. "Now continue to stir the mixture until it takes up a brilliant azure hue. While you're doing that, I'll just extract the oils from... oh my." the Saint quietly gasped as yet another earthquake shook the Varley Manor to its foundation, causing a series of nearby vials to shatter onto the floor. "Yet another unexpected setback... Marianne, would you be a dear and shuffle through my belongings for a special grass? You'll recognize it when you see its vibrant blue color."

With only a quiet murmur of agreement, the soft spoken healer dutifully set off to retrieve her requested supplies while Flayn remained hyper focused on stirring the brightly colored concoction in the makeshift cauldron before her. With steely determination in her mind, not a single sound escaped from the girl's mouth until a large puff of smoke erupted from her handiwork, prompting a hearty cheer from her in turn.

"Aha! I have done it! So this is how you were able to create such effective medicine, and with a blend of seemingly mundane materials at that..." the emerald haired priestess cooed in amazement at the astonishing new practice she was taking part in.

"Most impressive, Flayn." Cornelia sincerely congratulated, a slight tinge of surprise in her voice as she peered into the contents of her impromptu pupil's synthesis. "I've met many promising individuals with a natural talent for the art, but I've yet to see anyone adapt to it so quickly..."

"Looking back, this practice is actually quite familiar to me. I cannot quite recall its name off the top of my head, yet my mother was a masterful practitioner of the art!"

"Really now? Do you mean to tell me your mother was an alchemist as well?" Cornelia asked, her eyes widening in curiosity.

"Indeed she was! I remember it clearly now! It has been ages since I last witnessed her alchemical skills in action, so I was unable to recognize it at first, but your technique is strikingly similar to hers!"

"Most fascinating..."

"Did- did you just say your mother practiced alchemy?!" Marianne blurted out, clearly taken aback by the young priestess's recollection.

"She most certainly did, yes... is there some sort of issue with that, Marianne?"

"It's just that- well, alchemy is, er-"

"Alchemy has been explicitly forbidden by those fools in the Church of Seiros for countless years now." Corneria was quick to finish the stuttering student's response, showing no shortage of irritation in her voice as she did so.

"Come again?" Flayn's eyes blinked rapidly as her mind attempted to process the news. " I do not understand... This is the first I have heard of such a ban. For what reason could the church have outlawed a practice responsible for saving so many lives?"

"It's quite simple, really. People fear concepts which they cannot understand, or rather, concepts they don't wish to understand. Despite my current reputation, there was once a time when the people of Faerghus saw my methods as... unnatural."

"Unnatural, huh?" Marianne softly whispered, her thoughts lingering upon the cursed nature of her own Crest. "This is all so strange to me. Your work is nothing short of miraculous, yet I've heard nothing but awful stories about alchemists growing up. Of the horrific abominations they've created, the entire towns they've poisoned with their awful magic-"

"I wouldn't necessarily call alchemy magic, per say." Cornelia interrupted once again, her eyes firmly shut as if in a state of reflection.

"No, I suppose they're not the same, but the church clearly had a good reason to-"

"Tell me, dear; do you believe the White Magic you use is a force for good?" the rose haired Gremory challenged, much to Marianne's abject confusion.

"Well of course, why wouldn't I? I've useless it countless times to heal peoples' wounds..."

"Quite true, yes. Yet that very same magic you've used to save lives can just as easily be used to take them instead. Historically, it's been used to drain the life from people and even decimate entire battalions of troops with massive pillars of light."

"But- but that's not the only purpose it's used for! White Magic has done more good than harm for as long as it has existed!" Marianne was quick to protest.

"A valid point. Magic and alchemy are quite alike in that regard, as they are both tools that aren't necessarily good or evil on their own. It's merely a matter of how certain individuals choose to apply them, much like that Pleroma Grass I asked you retrieve."

"Oh, you mean this?" Marianne gasped in surprise, glancing over to the vibrant blue plant she had grasped in her hand. "I've never seen such a peculiar plant in my life..."

"It is quite beautiful, isn't it? And an exceedingly rare sight in Fódlan to boot. Depending on how one uses this ingredient, it can either be the key to unlocking miracles..." Cornelia paused for a moment, turning away from her curious pupils as a devilish smile crept across her lips. "Or it can bring about a fate worse than death. But rest assured, as this is the central foundation of my cure for the plague, I will do everything in my power to ensure everyone affected by disaster receives the salvation they require. Why, with your invaluable aid, we've procured more than enough doses to do so."

"I see... I'm just honored to have played even a small part in all this."

"Incredible! It must have taken years of practice to be able to properly utilize such a substance! It is quite plain to see why you were named a Saint in today's age!" Flayn continued to beam with admiration for the rose haired Gremory's seemingly boundless compassion.

"Yes, well I'm certainly more deserving of the title than some archaic wyrms that come to mind..." Cornelia hissed under her breath, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the two apprentice healers under her watch.

Before either of the girls could voice their confusion, however, the conversation was cut short when a thundering voice echoed across the room, which while faint, it was painfully clear that the originator of the shout was absolutely livid. A frightened yelp followed immediately afterward as a familiar head of violet fluff came stumbling inside.

"Oh, er... hi everyone..." Bernadetta awkwardly greeted the trio as she leaned upon an open door for support. "I'm really sorry to interrupt your work like this! I'll just be on my way and-"

"Nonsense, you've actually arrived at just the right time." Cornelia reassured the nervous intruder with a warm smile. "If you're curious to learn more about my work, I would be more than happy to give another demonstration."

"No, no, it's fine, I was just passing by, really! I wouldn't want to be a bother or anything-"

"BE QUIET! I DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR LIES!" the loud voice from before suddenly flared up once again, now louder and more discernible than the last time.

"...Rest assured, your father's ill contained temper is more of a bother to us than you could ever be."

"Indeed, Flayn. And yet Bernadetta here is living proof that even the most putrid tree can still bear the most perfect fruit..." Cornelia readily agreed with her newfound pupil's assertion, though her compliments only served to make the young Varley even more uncomfortable than before.

"Well, er, hey, if the Count is really bothering you that much, I can always go ahead and check up on him for you." Bernadetta stammered out a response, more desperate to leave the scene behind than anything else.

"That is a fine idea, actually. In fact, I think I'll accompany you to speak with the man myself." Cornelia readily offered before the student could take even a single step out the door. "We do have a number of things to discuss regarding your mother's condition, after all."

Stifling a gulp, the uneasy Bernadetta silently backed out of the way as the rose haired alchemist walked over to join her by the door, having found herself woefully unable to refuse the woman's request.

"Flayn, feel free to continue practicing with the cauldron once you've properly stored its contents. With your talent, I'm sure you'll be more than capable of tackling the more... exciting recipe I showed you. Oh, but do refrain from experimenting with the Pleroma Grass. My supply of the plant is rather limited at the moment, and I'm sure we wouldn't want to have any unfortunate accidents on our hands."

"Acknowledged! I will be sure to have another successful synthesis prepared by the time you return!"

"Yes, I'm sure you will." Cornelia chuckled at the young girl's enthusiasm as she promptly shut the door behind her, leaving only a tensed up Bernadetta alone with her. "You poor, sweet child... did you know that your father fears you even more than you fear him?"

"Um... are you sure? I never really got that impression from him..." the count's daughter could only tilt her head in disbelief.

"He most certainly is. That oaf may view himself as a noble eagle, when in reality, he is nothing more than a cornered rat lashing out at whoever he can." Cornelia explained, briefly chuckling in amusement before taking up a more wistful expression. "I despise wastefulness above all else. Any parents worth their salt ought to view their children as the most wonderful gift of their lives, and yet..." the alchemist muttered as she reached out to stroke the frightened noble's purple hair, to which Bernadetta recoiled back in response.

"L- l- look, this is all very interesting, but do you want to talk to Count Varley or not...?!"

"Hm hm hm, yes. As you wish, child. Please lead the way."

---

"I don't know what to believe in anymore..."

"Do not give this brat's falsehoods any heed, Theresa. She seeks only to tear what remains of our family apart." Allocer von Varley fiercely cautioned as he used his own body to shield his concerned wife from the haughty redheaded student standing before them.

"Ahaha! Your sense of humor is excellent, milord. You've already done that yourself!" Monica gleefully mocked the seething Adrestian noble, yet at the same time bearing a look of absolute contempt on her face. "Your masquerade of lies already began to fall apart the moment you put it on. What do you think you'll have left when the final piece inevitably crumbles away?"

"You can laugh all you want, but know that I'll be rid of the lot of you in short time." Allocer snared, returning the student's grin with a venomous glare.

"I'm no fool, Allocer, and I suggest you stop treating me like one." the Count's wife firmly spoke up, her tone growing more severe with each word. "Lady Ochs' claims are not without merit; even a blind woman wouldn't be kept unaware of the mountain of secrets you've hidden from me for so long."

"Mountain? Ha, please! You'll want to set your sights much higher than that!"

"Theresa, please..." Count Varley stifled the urge to snap back at Monica as he sincerely placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "I realize the wretched situation we've found ourselves in, and how circumstances outside of my control have driven us into a corner... but I promise I will make things right soon. You just have to trust me."

"I still want to trust you! I want to believe this girl is telling us nothing but lies! But what I want most of all is for you to stop running away from the truth! I've become so tired of running, Allocer! Running is all of I've done for as long as I've lived!"

"Oh, don't worry. The two of you won't have to run away much longer." Monica spoke up once again, earning yet another vicious glare from the agitated noble that she repaid in turn.

"I have done no wrong, snake! I've done nothing to deserve the unceasing torment my life has thrown my way!" Allocer roared at the top of his lungs, which only served to further amuse the observing Black Eagle.

"Really? Shouldn't you be old enough to know that life doesn't care about what you do or don't deserve? Your own wife's history should be proof enough of that."

Barely resisting the urge to strangle Monica on the spot, Allocer turned back to Theresa with a pleading look in his eyes. "You must believe in me. Soon, after all our trials, we'll finally be free of all our worries! No more upstart nobles seeking to undermine us at every turn, no more demons of the past to mercilessly hunt us down, and that parasite that deigns to call herself our daughter-"

The Count's tirade came to grinding halt as his wife's irises suddenly began to shrink to worryingly small levels. The woman's complexion turned even paler than it already was as cold beads of sweat began to pour down her face.

"No... no... no, no, why are they here now!?"

"Theresa, what are you-" Allocer barely managed to voice the question before his delirious wife forced her way out of his grasp. To the Count's utter horror, Theresa then violently threw herself into the nearest wall as if she were physically attacked by somebody.

"Harold... Harold! We have to grab Lucy and leave right away! Those assassins have caught wind of our plans!"

"Lucy...?" A single mention of that name was enough for Count Varley to realize his wife was somehow being made to relive the worst day of her life. "Theresa, this event already took place years ago! Lucy is dead, remember?"

"I won't let them take her away from me! Please, no, this can't be happening...!" the hallucinating noblewoman's painful reminiscence continued with her unknowingly slapping Allocer's hand away as he attempted to help her off the ground. The moment she rose to her feet on her own power, a sultry voice then crept onto the scene like a thief in the night.

"Now now, shouldn't you know better than to ignore your doctor's orders?" Cornelia scolded the traumatized Countess as an equally mortified Bernadetta observed the incident by her side. Upin closer inspection, the noblewoman's appearance had drastically deteriorated since last they met, from her disheveled hair, to the redness in her eyes, and even the texture of her skin, which seemed liable to crumble off at a slight breeze.

"You pest..." Allocer's attention was immediately drawn to his daughter the moment he noticed her presence. "What have you done to your mother this time?!"

"Wh- why do you think I had anything to do with this?!"

"You may have pulled the wool over everyone else's eyes, but I-" Allocer wasted no time deriding his daughter's protests, only for a mortified scream from Theresa to snap him back to reality. Then, without a moment's warning, the Countess bolted down the hall in the opposite direction.

"Mom...!" Bernadetta cried out in concern as the noblewoman visibly stumbled over ever step she took.

"Monica, restrain her at once." Cornelia coldly ordered.

"Will do!" the Monica readily agreed, with Bernadetta wordlessly following suit to chase after the fleeing Countess. Due to the woman's groggy pace, she didn't make it very far before the redhead student tackled her to the floor. There she engaged in a brief struggle with the mentally declining noblewoman, who seemed hellbent on clawing Monica's eyes out with her bare hands. All the while, Bernadetta and the goddess within her mind could only look on in horror at her mother's clear suffering.

"What has gotten into your mother? It is as if she has been possessed by some sort of evil spirit..."

"I don't know, but there's definitely something out of place here..." Bernadetta mentally commented as her eyes were drawn to a peculiar brooch wrapped around Theresa's neck. Even more eye catching was the familiar looking crimson sphere embedded within the brooch itself. "No way... is that-"

"Indeed it is. This is an ill omen." Sothis grimly noted as Monica finally succeeded in binding the Countess's hands in a rope.

"Then we have to remove it before it's too late!"

"Disregarding Cornelia's ever watchful eye, that may not be possible. Look, it appears as if the brooch itself is directly embedded into her skin." Bernadetta's heart sank at her mental companion's observation as Cornelia walked by with her father in tow.

"Is this your idea of curing her?! You promised me-" Allocer sneered at the Saint accompanying him, who coldly raised a finger to his lips in response.

"I promised that I would free your wife from her agony, and that is exactly what I intend to do. You're quite free to join her if you wish, but I cannot do that if either of you refuse to cooperate with me." the alchemist bitterly explained, pressing down on the Count's upper lip with her fingernails as she did so. "Do you understand?"

Allocer could only nod reluctantly in compliance.

"Very good. The Lady of the house seems to have calmed down considerably. Monica, let us return her to to her chambers so we may administer the final steps of her treatment."

"Wait, you can't-"

"Worry not, dear Bernadetta. This whole charade will soon come to a long overdue end." Cornelia reassured the panicked seeress, freezing her in place with an affectionate pat to the head.

"Everything's going to be just fine. Just make sure you take care of yourself, alright? You still have an extra special role to play coming up." Monica cryptically added with a cheerful wink.

Theresa von Varley bore an almost emotionless expression on her face as Monica and her husband each supported her arms and began to guide her down the hall. All the while, her dejected daughter remained motionless, her thoughts undoubtedly swirling in turmoil as the others slowly disappeared around the nearest corner.

"Is there any more I... can still do?"

"Though it pains me to say it, this situation has gotten entirely out of our control." Sothis grimly accepted.

"So what now, do we just give up and let that witch have her way with my mom?! Her condition's been getting worse ever since Cornelia arrived, and I can guarantee that flashback of hers didn't trigger naturally! Something terrible is about to happen, I can feel it!"

"Instead of repeatedly bashing your head against a wall, perhaps you had best find another avenue of approach."

"Yeah, like what? I can't find a way back underground, I haven't heard a word from Lillith since the last incident, and I mentioned that Byleth still isn't-"

"Correct if me I'm mistaken, Lady Bernadetta, but were you not supposed to be out patrolling the grounds tonight?" the emergence of a new voice broke the preoccupied student's concentration, nearly giving Bernadetta a heart attack as she turned around to find her family butler standing right behind her.

"Agh, Sir Rowan- when did you get here?! I know it looks like I'm slacking off, but I swear-"

"At ease, milady. The lack of any monster attacks thus far is proof enough you've been hard at work securing the premises... and without a moment's rest, if I might add. While your efforts have been commendable, I'm afraid I can't exactly condone your display of self neglect either." the elderly servant affably scolded.

"I should have figured you'd pick up on that..." Bernadetta sheepishly mumbled as she unconsciously distanced herself from her old caretaker. "But you really shouldn't waste your time fretting over something so minor. I'm just about to step outside for another round, so..."

"Sothis, did you even notice him sneaking up on me?"

"I could not hear even a single footstep... clearly, this more to this old man than meets the eye."

"Taking care of those we care about is never a waste of time." Rowan sternly refuted his liege's dismissal, his face contorting with guilt as his thoughts lingered on other matters. "I must confess, I was privy to the disturbing incident you've just witnessed, and regretfully, it was not the first time your mother succumbed to one of these flashbacks since her illness first emerged."

"No..."

"Would you perhaps allow me to join you on your next incursion outside?"

"A- are you sure about that? I know you're probably super busy taking care of- well, everything, so-" the young Varley continued to decline her retainer's offers, but Rowan's insistence persisted.

"That is precisely why I would like to take a brief moment to unwind, which is something you require far more than I do, if I might add."

"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Bernadetta chuckled to herself as the butler courteously extended his hand to his young liege.

"You may think of this as another routine patrol if you'd like."

---

"Perhaps you'd be willing to indulge an old man in some tales of the past?" Rowan casually suggested as the pair leisurely strolled through the courtyard of the Varley estate.

"Well, if it's not too much trouble..."

For all her personal misgivings, Bernadetta had to admit that the outskirts of the manor were an especially beautiful sight at night, lit only by dim glow of the moonlight. As she stopped to take a refreshing drink from the fountain, the surrounding display actually brought pleasant memories of the girl staying awake at night practicing her art skills from the safety of her room with the local landscapes as the ideal point of reference.

"I think I'd really like- W- wait, please watch your step!" Bernadetta broke out into an panicked warning when Rowan began to approach a pair of seemingly innocuous stone pillars. "There's-"

"Come now Bernadetta, I'm not senile enough to fall victim to an instrument of my own design." Rowan quickly reassured the panicked girl, bending down to grasp a thin, sharpened metallic wire linking the two pillars, elevated just over a hand's length above the ground. "Granted, you could have elected to sharpen the wire even further and raise it slightly higher, but it seems your skills have improved drastically since you last called this place home. Your friend's lives are safe in your capable hands."

"Heh, thanks... though it honestly feels weird to think of this place as my home nowadays."

"I can hardly blame you for feeling that way. It wasn't until your attempt to take your own life when your mother began to share the same sentiments."

"She did... wait, you actually know about that too? I'd completely wiped that event from my memory until just recently but-"

"Yes, I've been perfectly aware of that much. Your parents and I agreed it would be for the best if we pretended this traumatic event never took place, but now I feel it's appropriate to lift the bandages from that old wound. When I look upon you now, I... well, I can scarcely believe just how much you've changed since I personally delivered you to the academy all those moons ago..."

"So, it was you...!"

"I have been meaning to apologize for your mother's crudely improvised arrangements. I imagine it must have come as a shock for you to suddenly wake up in the middle of the academy like that... Nevertheless, we can discuss this further in a more private location." Rowan cautiously instructed as he motioned for the curious seeress to follow after him.

Knowing better than to waste a rare opportunity to further delve into her family's deepest secrets, Bernadetta wordlessly followed the butler's instructons and allowed him to escort her on a leisurely walk towards the manor's outskirts; far away from any prying eyes. At this time of day, the noble and her caretaker were the only people who dared to venture this far away from the safety of the manor, due in no small part to the great chill permeating the air. Cold nights were always a regular occurrence to the Varley estate, yet this particular night seemed to put all others to shame in that regard, something Rowan quickly noticed as his young liege began to visibly shiver.

"You seem tired. If you'd like, I could tidy up a nice spot for us to have a seat-"

"N- no, you don't need to do that. I'll be alright if we just keep moving."

"...There is never a need for you to punish yourself for events you've had no fault in."

"Wait, what? Why would I ever want to punish myself for anything? I- I'm not some sort of masochist if that's what you're thinking."

"So you say, but your actions betray you. For the many years I've lived, I've seen people cope with adversity and loss in two distinct ways; by taking their pain out on themselves, or forcing it onto others. You and father just so happen to fall on opposite sides of that spectrum."

"I guess that's one way of looking at things... Tell me, you've looked after my... you know, since he was a child, right? Then... you can probably tell me why he's so obsessed with marrying me off, right? Why he'd go so far just to continue his family's lineage..."

"...Suffice to say, your father's actions are merely one of many symptoms plaguing Fódlan's society. If he could have simply handed you off to an influential noble, he would have done so a long time ago... yet without a Crest, your noble blood would be all but worthless in the grand scheme of things."

"...And let me guess, his first daughter was conveniently born with a Crest, while I wasn't so lucky?"

"That is correct, milady. Though I personally disagree with this outlook, the vital importance of Crests to this land cannot be understated. Your lack of one was one of many painful reminders that you were no mere replacement for his lost child. Yet stubbornly, Allocer refused to see things that way. When the opportunity presented itself, the man did not hesitate to force one onto you... the strain proved to be too much for your mind and body to handle, and well... I believe you know the rest."

"...Why? If you don't agree with the Count's actions, then why would allow them to continue for so long...!?" Bernadetta asked in disbelief, her mind flashing back to the events of her original time. The catalyst for the bloody war that overtook Fódlan was clearer than ever. Intimately so. "We both know I'm not the only person that man has harmed. Far from it... What could drive someone to become so needlessly cruel?"

"Before I answer that question, allow me to make another request of you; Take a moment to absorb your surroundings, and tell me what you see."

"O- okay...?" Bernadetta muttered in confusion, unsure what to make of the butler's seemingly random inquiry. Much to her amazement, the grounds were quite well kept in spite of the violent ambush that had just taken place the other day. "Well, from an aesthetic point of view, I'd say the Varley estate looks quite lovely. The fountain in the courtyard is always gushing with clean water, we're practically surrounded by nature on the outside, and I know you've always been especially proud of the gardens and shrubbery you've maintained around here."

"Your admiration for gardening has always brought a smile to my face... but would believe me if I told you the land around this area wasn't always as lush as it is today?"

"Er, seriously? I mean, the entire territory is practically littered in green wherever you... look..." Bernadetta skeptically muttered, slowly blinking her eyes in confusion until suddenly, the landscape around her suddenly morphed into something bordering on a decaying wasteland utterly devoid of vegetation.

"What in the- Sothis, I'm not hallucinating this, am I?"

"No, I can see it too. Is this perhaps another glimpse into the past...?"

"It was a much different tale when your father and uncle were born, to say the least." Rowan's voice began to chime in. "From the moment they set foot on this earth, it was all too clear that they had inherited a land that was practically on its last legs. Resources were scarce, harvests were widely unfruitful, and even the many riverbeds lining the territory were all but dried up."

"This is... seriously hard to imagine." Bernadetta voiced her disbelief once again, completely entranced by her view of the past before her vision abruptly snapped back to the present.

"An understandable sentiment. Even now, I'm amazed to see just how this land has transformed in but a few short decades... but before then, the two boys I was charged with raising shared the same lofty dream of breathing life back into this barren land, and bringing prominence to their crestfallen family name.

"That's weird... even Uncle Abel never told me anything about this. What do you think could have caused the land to decay as it did?

"That is exactly what your father and uncle dedicated their lives to finding out. Their's... appeared to be a nigh-impossible task from the outset, not helped in the slightest by their already ailing parents. I've practically been the sole caretaker of those boys for as long as they could remember..." Rowan wistfully reminisced, his gaze firmly transfixed on the luminous moon as his tale continued. "Your Uncle Abel was always an optimistic youth, however. No matter how hopeless things appeared, his belief always shined through. Though I didn't agree with this decision myself, it was his abundant faith that led him to pass the title of Count down to his brother, simply because it was Allocer's greatest wish. Though this was partly out of a desire to set out on a lengthy journey in search of an answer too."

"Heh... that certainly sounds like something my uncle would do." Bernadetta chuckled in amusement, her uncle's eccentric nature still fresh in her mind.

"And not long after your father took up his current position, something... inexplicably miraculous happened. In Allocer's words, it was a bona fide gift from the Goddess herself. The land's bounty had returned, and in full force at that, far greater than it had ever been before. Suffice to say, the man's reputation in the eyes of the church and the other noble houses had gained a significant boost as a result of this."

"You're telling me the land conveniently returned to prosperity after Count Varley rose to power? Didn't that seem even a little suspicious to anyone else?"

"There were many others that shared that belief, milady, and your father was well aware of it. Many of those who questioned this turn of events or knew too much were met with mysterious disappearances among other ghastly fates."

"If you knew all of this, then why...!" Bernadetta's grumbled in frustration, resisting the urge to lash out at the secretive servant. "You and mom are so intent on sweeping every bad thing that bastard has done under the rug, and I'll bet even she doesn't know the full story! You could have said something, anything, to literally anyone... I should-"

"I want you to think very carefully before you even consider taking action, regardless of how justified you may be." Rowan sternly countered, adopting a more severe expression with a tinge of regret in his eye. "The lies he's upheld, the lives he's wronged, and of course the torment you've had to endure personally... Even so, you must know that nothing of value has ever been gained without sacrifice."

"Wha- that's just wrong! What kind of twisted salvation is built on a foundation of corpses and tears?! Does he even give a damn about anything other than himself, let alone the people that are supposed to be under his care?!"

"Make no mistake, the land as a whole enjoyed a period of abundance in the aftermath of Allocer's great miracle. Without his actions, the land we tread today would be little more than a barren wasteland. It was at the peak of this prosperity when he met his first wife, Edith, and bore a child with her in the hopes of passing his gifts down to future generations... and then the first plague struck."

"And what, was this great tragedy supposed to be responsible for turning him into the monster he is today?! How do we know he didn't cause all of these problems himself, just so he could make himself look better?! I know you won't believe me, but-"

"Your intuition is quite accurate, milady. In the pursuit of his ambitions, your father sought salvation from a group I'm sure you've become all too familiar with at this point, and the consequences continue to haunt the Varley name to this very day. However, I cannot stress enough that removing an established noble from power carries more complications than you could possibly imagine." Rowan urgently cautioned, never dropping eye contact from his curious liege as he began to dig his hands into his pockets. "Above all else, I do not wish for you to fall down the same path as- guh!" the older gentleman's advice was cut short with the advent of yet another earthquake, more intense than any of the tremors that came before.

"Agh... these earthquakes just don't know when to stop...!" Bernadetta wearily exclaimed, having nearly lost her balance in the land's latest trembling. "...If what I've learned so far is anything to go by, do you think these tremors have anything to do with-" the noble began to ask, only to be promptly silenced with a single raised finger from her wary servant.

"Hold that thought and listen closely." Rowan insistently commanded with his body as still as a stone, prompting his younger companion to follow suit. A nervous sweatdrop immediately formed on Bernadetta's forehead the moment she heard a faint rustling stemming from a distant bush; a clear sign that someone, or something, was lying in wait.

"Damn...! It appears we have some uninvited guests on our hands tonight!" Rowan cursed in frustration. True to the aging butler's word, the pack of wolves that attacked the Varley manor the other day had returned for a second round, hoping to take its weary inhabitants by surprise. "Why now of all times... to think this was your plan..." he added under his breath, unhesitantly stepping in front of his violet haired liege to shield her from the horde of hungry mouths that awaited them.

"Wha- how?! I swear I was keeping a careful eye out the entire time!"

"Sothis, again...?! What is going on with you tonight?!" Bernadetta mentally chided her invisible companion for the predicament that had suddenly snuck up on her.

"I haven't the faintest idea...! I feel totally unharmed, yet there is something about these beast's presence that is simply... wrong, for lack of a better word." Sothis hazily responded, unsure what to make of her own faltering perception.

In her state of distress, the seeres's first instinct was to briefly turn back the clock twice in quick succession, hoping to send some sort of signal to the still absent Byleth, wherever he was in the land.

"..I realize you may not wish to hear this, but you had best prepare for the worst in the event your professor does not return."

...

"Pack animals such as this are masters at masking their presence from their prey as they plot out an ambush. We were quite fortunate to have caught wind of them at this distance. Though under normal circumstances, no band of predators would even remotely grow to this size..." Rowan quietly explained as Bernadetta apprehensively drew her crossbow in preparation for the oncoming attack. "Take your uncle's old advice to heart; keep your wits about you, and wait for the enemy to make the first move. Your long reach will be your greatest weapon against the teeth and fangs of our wild adversaries. Do not squander that advantage."

Stifling a gulp, the girl nodded wordlessly as she eyed down her imminent attackers with the focus of a hawk. For his part, Rowan calmly procured a single gold coin from his coat pocket and brought it in line with Bernadetta's eyes, silently signaling for the nervous archer to fire at the trinket on his command. From there, the next few seconds seemed to stretch into agonizing minutes, as both sides of the conflict waited for the other to take action. Then, in an instant, a single impatient wolf let out a pained snarl as it lunged out at the solitary duo at blinding speeds, only for its elderly target to swiftly lay it out with a precise slash to the throat, concealed dagger in hand.

With his free hand, Rowan wasted no time flinging his gold coin into the air, where it was promptly met with a single well-placed arrow from Bernadetta's crossbow. Much to the archer's amazement, the coin immediately burst into flames upon impact, creating a massive, resounding explosion that could easily be heard for miles on end.

"Whoa... how did you-"

"The time is nigh; stand ready!" the Varley butler commanded with all the ferocity of an army general as he brandished another pair of daggers in anticipation of the next attack. Sure enough, a trio of beasts all came out of hiding at once, and in what seemed to be a coordinated effort, took off in three directions at once. The centermost wolf, which appeared to be noticeably bulkier than its kin, made a direct beeline for its intended target. Its two lackeys, on the other hand, patiently enriched their prey, ready to capitalize on any mistakes they might make. Noticing this, Bernadetta began taking shots at one of her would-be flankers, only to find that the beast was nimble enough to flawlessly weave past the volley of three arrows that followed and immediately launched into a vicious counterattack with a bloodthirsty snarl.

"No, no, no, not like this!"

"Take caution, an animal's wild instincts are far more difficult to predict than a human's intuition!" Sothis cautioned as her lilac haired host turned back the clock in a panic, not wanting to give her foe a chance to attack.

"Gee thanks, I really couldn't tell!" Bernadetta sarcastically replied as her next arrow buried itself within its mark's chest. Although it clearly registered the pain it received, the beast briefly turned its uncannily empty eyes towards the archer with a downright murderous expression before launching itself into a desperate charge. The frenzied assault was only narrowly stopped by another arrow piercing the monster right through its forward, sending its body grinding to a halt just inches before Bernadetta's position. Following suit, Rowan cloaked one of his daggers in a sheet of ice and hurled it at the opposite flanker with total precision. Though this left the remaining attacker with enough time to close the distance towards its older target, the wolf found itself harmlessly swatting away at thin air as Rowan deftly maneuvered around the beast, ignited the remaining dagger in his hand on fire, and landed a single debilitating blow on the monster's side, launching the wolf a fair distance away upon impact.

"It is as if these beasts have no care as to whether they live or die... I shudder to imagine what could have driven them to these levels of desperation..."

"I don't know if I can even call them living anymore... You've seen those almost lifeless eyes of theirs, and their rabid behavior... I can think of one explanation for all this..." Bernadetta queasily pointed out, directing Sothis's attention to the repugnant ooze dripping from the mouths of her attacker's corpses, not unlike the beasts that assaulted her class the other day.

"Come, milady, let us fall back to the manor at once. I fear this is only the beginning of a much large storm."

"R- right! I just hope we're not too late to handle this...!" Bernadetta wasted no time following after her caretaker, especially as she noticed another batch of wolves emerging from the distance. The pair's ensuing retreat prompted three of their aggressors to break formation and give chase, to which Rowan responded by throwing a single dagger into the air without even bothering to look his attackers in the eye. Before the beast could come anywhere near its escaping quarry, Rowan's dagger dropped down from above with the force of a lightning bolt, piercing through all of its targets' throat with impeccable precision.

As luck would have it, the encroaching threat had not yet arrived at the estate's courtyard by the time Bernadetta returned with another pair of wolves hot on her trail. Not wanting to risk wasting another arrow or dagger on either foe, the seeress and her servant deliberately made a beeline towards the stone pillars lining the area. The moment their pursuers followed suit, the two wolves howled in pain as the razor sharp tripwire left behind by Bernadetta tore into their frontal legs, sending their bodies tumbling to the ground in a helpless heap. Brandishing the spare steel sword she kept on hand, the archer wasted no time putting her foes out of their misery before they could get back on their feet.

"I see your defenses are holding together quite nicely, milady."

"Yeah, for now... I- I don't actually know how long these can hold up, though..." Bernadetta muttered aloud as her gaze turned back to the estate's courtyard, where a sizeable regiment of the Knights of Seiros had gathered alongside a large number of her fellow schoolmates, having clearly noticed the explosive signal Rowan had sent out earlier. Another small pack of wolves managed to arrive at the grounds beforehand, but they were fortunately dispatched in short order.

"Bernadetta! Sir Rowan!" Edelgard called out from within the thick of the gathered crowd, rushing out to meet the pair with Claude and Hubert in tow.

"Now where exactly have you been snooping off to this time? Last I recall, you were only assigned to patrol the immediate perimeter of-" Hubert immediately spoke up, casting a suspicious glare into the eyes of his former classmate before Edelgard silenced him with a simple gesture.

"Hubert, please; I take it the two of you have encountered the enemy as well, correct? What is our current situation?"

"Indeed, we are on the onset of another full scale attack. However, it's clear that the beasts Lady Bernadetta and I discovered were merely the advance guard of a horde far larger than the one that attacked us the other day." Rowan diligently explained, his eyes narrowing in anticipation as he took note of the rustling vegetation in the distance.

"So it's just us students and a small company of knights against an endless horde of bloodthirsty creatures, eh? These aren't the worst odds in the world."

"I expect you to put that confidence of yours to good use, Sir Riegan. Though it pains me to withdraw from the front lines prematurely, my presence is required inside; I must attend to the Lord and Lady of the house." Rowan explained with an apologetic bow.

"Your duties come first, Rowan. We will not allow a single beast to breach the safety of the manor so long as we draw breath." Edelgard firmly nodded as the servant dutifully disappeared into the thick crowd that had gathered around the courtyard.

"You're really laying it on thick there, Princess." Claude added in, his expression as relaxed as ever as he spun a single arrow in his hand. "Why don't we make a little game out of this? We'll all keep track of the monsters we've each killed; the bigger the catch, the higher the score. Whoever earns the most points when the dust settles gets bragging rights and a special prize courtesy of yours truly."

"Must I remind you that this is a matter of life and death?" Lorenz suddenly appeared with the sole intent of chastizing his house leader's casual disposition, disapprovingly narrowing his eyes in unison with the two visiting Black Eagles.

"Hey, I didn't hear a no from you, Lorenz. Unless you've got any better ideas for keeping morale up, you'd better give it your all if you wanna have a shot at beating my score." the Alliance heir loftily teased. "And don't let the enemy catch you looking so down, Bernie. This is your turf, right? I know you've got mixed feelings about this place, but that doesn't mean you're about to let a bunch of filthy beasts trample all over it, right?" Claude added, briefly startling his violet haired classmate with a hearty pat to the back.

"Oh, y- yeah, of course! I swear I'll make this work...!" the fearful seeress quickly regathered her wits, putting on a shaky show of confidence, just in time for the oncoming raid to begin in earnest. "Oh dear Sothis, that's a lot of them...! Just get a hold of yourself, Bernie. You've read plenty of stories with these kinds of attacks before, and the heroes always found a way to get everyone through them."

"Alright, stand back, everyone! With your professor absent, it falls upon me to keep the lot of you safe and sound!" Alois loudly declared, marching off to the front gate with his battleaxe proudly in hand. "We'll consider this battle as part of your assignment for the week, but I want all of you to prioritize your safety above all else!"

With an almost deafening series of howls, an army's worth of wolves began to storm the Varley estate in full force. Doing their part to defend the students under their care, the accompanying Knights of Seiros immediately poured out through the front gate to meet the approaching horde head on, with Alois personally leading the charge. The role of the students in this battle was quite clear: to pick off the inevitable stragglers that broke past the knights' initial line of defense. Given the sheer size of the opposing force, it was only a matter of seconds before that situation came to pass.

Fortunately, a good number of beasts wound up maiming themselves on the tripwires lining the sides of the makeshift arena, leaving them as easy pickings for the awaiting students. Those that broke through the only safe opening were swiftly met with the head of Edelgard's axe, along with a lethal volley of arrows and magic. The wolves were quick to adapt to the situation, however, as those that came afterward were smart enough to either leap over the traps or circle around the manor in search of an opening, requiring the estate's defenders to reluctantly spread out to better cover the area.

"Gosh... I don't usually have a problem with fighting live enemies, but I just feel guilty hurting these animals when they're already in so much pain..." Hilda lamented, having finished off a wolf with her axe after maiming itself over Bernadetta's razor wire.

"If it's any consolation, I think we're doing poor souls a favor by putting them out of their misery." Claude comforted his uneasy classmate as he landed an arrow between the jaws of an approaching wolf the moment it leaped over the makeshift fence surrounding them. "I shudder to imagine the cause of this, but their bodies are clearly in constant torment with every breath they take."

"It's an unfortunate reality, but this is the only option we have. Unlike the human foes we face, these beasts are incapable of listening to reason." Edelgard grimly affirmed as she removed the lordly rapier she had embedded within another wolf's chest.

The very notion of the struggle that lied ahead was enough to bring a nervous sweat to Bernadetta's forehead. She'd certainly read about large scale monster attacks like this in many of her old adventure novels, but to actually experience one first hand was something else entirely. What her foes lacked in weaponry, they more than made up for with sheer numbers and ferocity. This was made all too apparent when a single unnoticed beast took the opportunity to lash out at Lysithea from behind, having strayed a little too far from the other students, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the young mage.

In another bout of panic, Bernadetta frantically turned back the clock and repositioned herself, sword drawn, to lunge at the flanking beast from the side before it could lay a single claw into its intended victim.

"You should be more conservative with my powers! We've no idea how long this struggle will persist for! If we were to exhaust our supply prematurely-"

"I know, I know! But what am I supposed to do, let my friends die...?!" the struggling seeress snapped back at her mental companion as Lysithea offered her a helping hand up.

"Ah, thanks, that was too close for comfort..." the youthful mage sighed in relief, taking a moment to catch her breath as Leonie swiftly rushed over fend off another attacking wolf. "Your traps may be somewhat effective at stemming the tide, but our enemy's numbers are clearly too great for them to handle for long...!"

"I tried my best with the time I had! We don't exactly have a lot of supplies to go around here...!" Bernadetta bashfully defended as she launched an arrow into the skull of yet another distant foe.

"Oh, don't you worry, I actually took the time to set up a little welcome gift myself!" Claude confidently reassured, using the flat end of a steel blade to guard himself against a beast's claws as he turned his attention to his fellow archer. "Bernie, can you see that length of string hanging around by the front door? I want you to fall back and pull back on it as hard as you can!"

"Er, I'm a little occupied here...! Since when did you find the time to-" Bernadetta balked, her sword drawn as her last defense against a particularly resilient wolf whose body was practically riddled with arrows until a blast of dark magic shot in from behind to put the beast down for good. Looking to the source of the magical volley, the cornered seeress would quickly find Hubert beaming into her eyes with a menacingly urgent glare. Silently nodding in understanding, the young Varley doubled back towards the front door and carried out her house leader's latest request, hoping that this latest ploy would grant her some much needed breathing room from the ongoing raid.

"Ugh, that repulsive odor... don't tell me...!" Hubert's eyes widened in disgust as an abundant line of ropes dropped down from the roof of the manor, all with a chunk of raw steak attached via fishing hooks strapped to the end of each of them.

"Claude, you can't be serious...! I've personally witnessed some harebrained schemes from you in the past, but this is such an atrocious waste of food!"

"I don't know about you, Lorenz, but I'd rather have these beasts sink their teeth into a batch of spoiled meat than our flesh any day of the week!" the Golden Deer leader logically called out, a sentiment shared by a beleaguered Leonie as the beasts she was just fighting broke away from to take in the smell of the alluring bait, affording Lorenz enough time to drive a spear through its back while it was distracted. Sure enough, a large number of beasts were unable to resist their base instincts, leaving them as easy targets when they inevitably lowered their guards to satiate their hunger.

"Agh, thanks..." the village hunter wearily thanked, kneeling down to place her hand over a sizeable gash that had formed across her ankles in the prior conflict. "I guess you nobles are good for something when the chips are down."

"Think nothing of it. This is merely a natural obligation of the nobility, after all."

"Please, allow me to lend my assistance!" Marianne insistently called out, rushing forth to meet her injured schoolmate with a small glass container firmly in hand. "Lorenz, hold her still for me while I apply this tonic; I should only need a few seconds here!" the young priestess commanded, delicately applying the contents of her makeshift medicine to the wound before closing it up with a touch of white magic.

"Whoa... I didn't feel a thing there...! What kind of weird medicine did you just use on me?"

"Lady Cornelia helped me prepare this! Isn't it truly miraculous?" Marianne proudly explained, no doubt amazed that her efforts were able to bear fruit while orange haired schoolmate rose to her feet as if her injury never occurred in the first place.

This small celebration was short lived, however, as the corpses of two ill-fated knights were suddenly launched into the courtyard with immense force, nearly crashing into Bernadetta in the process. When the archer reluctantly looked out into the field to seek out the source of this commotion, her eyes widened in fear as a colossal figure rose up in the distance. "That's a b- b- b- really big bear...!" she exclaimed in abject horror, watching as a brave knight drove a lance into the monster's back, only to be met with a debilitating backhand in return.

Suffice to say, the bear was far larger than the wolves that surrounded it, rivaling even a Demonic Beast in size as it stood up on its hind legs with long claws protruding from its frontal paws. Its empty eyes were just the icing on the cake, bringing a sense of terror to even the most hardened souls on the battlefield.

"Uh, I don't think you guys need me to tell you this, but we should probably keep our distance from the oversized demon bear..."

"I disagree, Hilda; I say we should bring the big boy directly to us!" Claude confidently argued, aiming his bow at the beast in question without an ounce of hesitation.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can't be serious!" Bernadetta was quick to protest, casting a look of disbelief towards the Alliance heir. "I doubt any of us could survive a single hit from that monstrosity, and you want us to deliberately piss it off?!"

"Relax, Bernie. All you've gotta do is lure the beast as close to the manor as possible and let my genius handle the rest."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I must concur with Claude on this matter." Edelgard solemnly nodded, raising her battleaxe towards the towering ursine as the surrounding knights continued to struggle against it. "If we simply leave that monster to its own devices, it's only a matter of time before it turns its bloodlust to us. We must eliminate the threat before it becomes an insurmountable problem for us."

"You heard the Princess. Would you care to light me up, Hubert?"

"I sincerely hope this asinine plan of yours holds some merit." the imperial retainer reluctantly obliged as he poured a portion of dark magic into Claude's next arrow, with Lysithea quickly following suit to aid Bernadetta. Though it went against the Varley archer's better judgment, she obediently stepped forth to lend her hand in the volley of arrows and magical bolts that followed on Claude's command.

"Let's pull out all the stops!"

The ensuing rain of fire was a success, briefly causing the bear to stumble upon impact. The attack only served to agitate the beast rather than injure it, however, which was made all too apparent when the bear dropped down on all fours, let out a furious roar, and set out on a wild charge towards the courtyard at frightening speeds, breaking through the stone pillars standing in its way and the razor wire connecting them with ease. The monster came to a brief stop upon entering the courtyard, giving the surrounding students a valuable opportunity to chip away at the beast from a safe distance. Bernadetta in particular was accurate enough to land an arrow in one of its eyes... which only succeeded in drawing the bear's aggravation directly to her.

"Oh no, what have I done...?"

"That's perfect, Bernie, don't move a muscle!" Claude insistently called out, much to the visible confusion of his cornered classmate.

"What?!"

"Just trust me on this, okay?!" the confident schemer reassured as the bear began its frenzied charge anew, leaving the understandably terrified Bernadetta with only enough time to draw her blade as a last flimsy line of defense against the angered bear, which seemed all but blind to the chunks of bait lining the manor.

"This... this is the worst plan ever...!"

All the seeress could do in this situation was trust in her friend's foresight, placing her back firmly against the wall of the manor in a vain effort to distance herself from the approaching beast, when suddenly, the sound of shattering glass could be heard coming from above.

"BIG ONE, COMING THROUGH!" the voice of Raphael loudly boomed as the blond brawler leaped out of the manor's second story, war hammer in hand to cave the frenzied monster's skull in before it could come close to harming its intended target. Though the weapon predictably broke upon impact, the sheer force of the blow proved strong enough to bring the bear's body to a grinding halt mere inches away from its mark. Left in a state of utter shock at what just happened, Bernadetta thrust her blade into the monster's unmoving head with a panicked yelp, just to make absolutely sure her attacker was well and truly dead.

"Well, that's certainly one way to take care of things..."

"See, what did I tell you, Princess? I don't pull off plans like these unless I'm absolutely sure my friends will come out unharmed." Claude rejoiced, placing a friendly hand over the bewildered Black Eagle's shoulder while the pair approached the bear's corpse to check in on their schoolmates' well being. From the looks of things, it seemed that the onslaught of beasts had momentarily halted, though there undoubtedly more on the way. "Good work, Raph! You really showed that behemoth what for. And you too, Bernie. That shot to the eye was exactly what we needed to lure our target into the trap."

"Right... thanks... I just wish you could have told me about this crazy scheme earlier..." Bernadetta sighed in exhaustion as she removed her weapon from the beast's corpse, visibly unnerved by the empty eyes that remained even after the end of its destructive rampage.

The girl's fears returned with a vengeance, however, when the bear's seemingly dead body began to pick itself off the ground, apparently unbothered by the grievous wounds it had just sustained.

"What in the... that's ridiculous! This thing's brain should have been turned to mush after that last hit...!" Raphael understandably shouted in disbelief as Bernadetta frantically put as much distance between herself and the reanimated corpse as possible. Before the uneasy students could draw their weapons to resume the battle, a strange jingling sound suddenly emanated from the front door of the manor, signaling a series of shadowy spears suddenly erupted from the ground to skewer the raging beast's body from nearly every conceivable angle. As the magical spears began to fizzle out of existence, dropping the monster's body to the ground in an unceremonious heap, the bewildered students looked to the front door of the manor to find a familiar alchemist standing in the doorframe. Out of the corner of her eye, Bernadetta noticed what appeared to be a peculiar set of silver scales held in the figure's right hand for the briefest of moments.

"Aunt Cornelia...! Shouldn't you be inside right now? Has the situation changed in any way? I assure you, we have everything under control out here."

"That's hardly what it looked like from my point of view, dear. I've no desire to waste my talents idling inside where it's peaceful when I can put them to better use out here. I'm just glad I arrived in time to ensure the lot of you are unharmed." the Gremory kindly brushed off her niece's concerns as the surrounding students rushed to gather around her. Still unsure of Cornelia's motivations in the matter, Bernadetta quickly hid in the back of the crowd, hoping not to further attract the woman's attention.

"Rather convenient of her to show up at a time like this..." Sothis spoke up, her voice filled with no short amount of suspicion. "I always had a ghastly feeling about this woman's appearance when I first laid eyes on her... those strange scales she held further add to that image."

"What do you think those are for, anyway? And that magic of hers... I think there was one other person I remember seeing it from..." Bernadetta silently brainstormed, sharing in her companion's opinions on the matter. Beneath the Saint's kind exterior, the very presence of Cornelia was enough to fill the young seeress with an overbearing feeling of dread.

"Oh, thank the Goddess you're here, Lady Cornelia! We'd greatly appreciate your aid in the coming battle."

"Think of nothing of it, dear. Why, that look on your face tells me my teachings have already been a great boon to you." the rose haired Saint smiled in adoration as Marianne enthusiastically rushed to her side. "And it seems everyone is well accounted for at the moment..." Cornelia continued, her gaze practically piercing through the crowd to reach Bernadetta in the back, much to the girl's immediate discomfort. But just as the seeress hesitantly stepped out to speak with the suspicious Saint, the voice of a certain redhead urgently resounded across the field.

"Situation report! Situation report!"

"Wait, Monica... where in the world have you been all this time?!"

"That's not important, Bernie! You've gotta come with me right away! We've got a whole swarm of rabid birds diving down from the northern cliffs, and we need all the ranged support we can get back there!" the Black Eagle's assassin hastily explained between bated breaths.

"Rabid birds...? You're kidding, ri- hey, let me go!" Bernadetta loudly protested as the impromptu messenger quickly latched onto her arm without warning.

"Hold up, Lysithea and I'll come along too! Do the rest of you guys think you can take care of things out front?"

"As irregular as this situation is, I believe we can manage. Just do what you must, and ensure that our forces are not overwhelmed!" Edelgard urgently called out, readying her axe for the next wave of beasts approaching from the horizon as Claude rushed off to join with the rear guard.

"Indeed, you have nothing to worry about, Bernadetta. Your friend's lives are in good hands as long as I'm around." Cornelia sweetly assured, briefly locking eyes with Monica before the redhead promptly dragged her unwilling friend away from the courtyard. Though the young Varley was largely unconvinced by the Saint's kindly words, she knew she could at least trust Edelgard to ensure that nothing went out of hand.

True to the elusive assassin's word, the area behind the manor was awash in the chaos of a conflict of its own, as another regiment of knights and a collection of the manor's servants had gathered to fend off the oncoming threat. While the presence of wolves wasn't as prominent as it was out front, the biggest threat came in the form of the aforementioned birds storming the field from above. Upon closer inspection, these avian creatures bore a striking resemblance to the proud eagles displayed on the Adrestian banner, albeit with a darker coloring and unnaturally large size. Much to Bernadetta's discomfort, they even appeared to share the same empty eyes as the wolves that attacked her before.

"Well, how about that... what do you think the odds are that a horde of vicious deer will come out to attack us next?"

"That doesn't sound all too threatening, Claude. Or likely." Monica lightly teased, eagerly brandishing a dagger in each hand as the corpse of one of the attacking birds unexpectedly dropped down by the trio's feet.

"Wait, isn't that-"

"Ignatz?! What does that idiot think he's doing out here?!" Lysithea immediately fumed at the sight of the bespectacled archer. Flayn stood a close distance behind her olive haired classmate, bearing a look of concern as she narrowly shot another eagle out of the sky with a blast of light magic.

"Hey! I thought we told you two to stay inside and protect the nobles!"

"Oh, Claude...!" Ignatz exclaimed in surprise as as his house leader urgently approached him with his other allies in tow.

"I am afraid we could not abide by that request, Claude." Flayn matter-of-factly disputed. "If I were refuse to pull my weight on this expedition, then by all means, I would have no right to remain here. The same holds true for the remainder of your class, does it not?"

"Well yeah, but Ignatz is in danger of reopening his wounds, and you're too important for us to allow you to get hurt out here!"

"I- I swear, my injuries are fine, Lysithea!" Ignatz desperately reasoned as another pair of eagles dropped dead by the group's feet, courtesy of Claude and Bernadetta. "We're not just going to sit back and do nothing while the rest of you guys risk your lives for us!"

"Look, I think the time for arguing has long passed at this point! We're short on hands as it is, and we'll need all the help we can get out here if we're going to survive this night!" the Varley noble urgently shouted, readying a longbow to take aim at the foes further up the cliffside.

"C'mon, Lissie, these two are totally capable of taking care of themselves, right? Besides, I've been keeping a close eye on you two all night, eh guys?" Monica was quick to cut in, receiving a pair of earnest nods from her two companions in return.

"That somehow worries me more the monsters attacking us..."

However begrudgingly, the group swiftly turned their attention to the surrounding enemies, making especially sure to keep as much distance from their avian foes as they possibly could. Unlike the giant birds one could occasionally find roaming Fódlan, these smaller foes seemed to lack any means of attacking from any sort of long range; a small blessing to be sure, but a welcome one. In the event that they did close in on their prey, however, their long talons are more than capable of tearing through flesh, a fact one unfortunate guard found out when a particularly agile eagle swooped down to latch onto his exposed throat while the guard was preoccupied.

With an impish grin, Monica wasted no time hurling a dagger into the back of the vicious bird, causing both the beast and its poor victim to collapse to the ground in an undignified heap.

"No! Please, hold on for but a few brief moments...!"

"Don't bother, Flayn, it's already too late for him!" Claude promptly warned, grabbing onto the distressed priestess's arm before she could rush off to treat the fallen guard's injuries.

"B- but Claude, I can still help that man! This is precisely what I traveled to this territory to carry out...!"

"Look, Flayn, I don't know what kind of medical treatments Cornelia taught you, but there is no magic or medicine in the world that can bring back the dead!" Lysithea sharply berated as she took out a tightly clustered group of eagles with a single sphere of dark energy. With an exhausted breath, the white haired mage instinctively took a few short steps back, not even noticing as she unwittingly bumped into Monica from behind.

"You're looking a bit deathly yourself there, Lissie."

"Shut up. This is already turning out to be a long night, and I doubt the end of it is anywhere in sight either."

"Mm, I don't think your eyesight's doing you any favors either." Monica casually explained, offhandedly throwing a dagger into the head of a nearby wolf that had gone unnoticed by the preoccupied mage. "Let me guess, you don't need my help, right?"

"W- well, I don't! I can take care of myself just fine!" Lysithea defiantly protested, blasting away a distant batch of beasts with an explosion of dark magic to prove her point.

"Sure you can, but how much longer do you think you'll last if you keep exerting yourself like that?"

"That's... ugh, I hate it when people like you are right..." the young mage groaned in annoyance, receiving an amused giggle from her unwanted ally in return. "Thanks. I guess."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm mainly helping you cause Bernie won't be happy if any of you guys keeled over out here." Monica snidely added, much to her fellow student's continued irritation as the redhead eagerly jumped back into the fray of battle.

The night's onslaught of bloodthirsty beasts showed no signs of slowing down, as another pack of wolves circled around the manor to put even more pressure on the slowly weakening rear defense team.

"Agh, this is completely insane...!" Bernadetta painfully groaned as she frantically turned her focus towards the new arrivals. "There's just no end to all this... we'll all die of exhaustion before this is over!"

"Hold a moment... I believe I have something that could be of use to us!" Flayn proudly announced, procuring a small glass sphere from her pockets.

"Let me guess, another miracle cure from our resident Saint?"

"This is no batch of medicine, Claude, but rather a deadly weapon!" Flayn corrected, directing the house leader's attention to the faint electricity crackling within the sphere. "I only had enough time to prepare this single item, but I have been told that this is an especially volatile tool!"

"Wait, that looks just like...!" Bernadetta muttered herself, silently recalling the collection of cracked spheres she discovered beneath the manor, one of which was secretly kept in her possession even throughout the ongoing battle.

"No, this appears to be quite different upon further inspection... The item seems largely transparent, and if it were to receive even the slightest impact..."

"I would like everybody to drop to the ground on the count of three! I must confess, I am actually rather unsure of this weapon's effective range..." Flayn continued, eliciting a series of uneasy looks from her nearby allies.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?..."

"Why, of course I am! I have full faith in Lady Cornelia's teachings. Ignatz, I would like you to do the honors and fire an arrow into this sphere when it reaches the peak of its arc!" the priestess eagerly requested, an oddly murderous glow forming in her eyes as she was already arching her body back in preparation without a word of consent from her allies.

"Okay, I think somebody's been spending a little too much time with Monica..."

"Hey now, this is all her, Claude! I might love a good bloodbath as much as anyone else, but I'm no good at making these kinds of things!"

"One..." Flayn loudly called out as the last of the approaching wolves were taken out, leaving only the mass of eagles swarming the sky. "Two..." she continued, prompting her allies to preemptively take cover while Ignatz hesitantly took aim. "And THREE!" the green haired priestess concluded, launching the electrified orb into the air with all her might. The moment it was struck by the ensuing arrow, a massive burst of electricity surged throughout the area, reducing the surrounding eagles to ash before anyone could even blink.

"Well, how about that?" Claude uttered in amazement, holding out his arm to allow some of the ash raining down from above to land within his hand. From the looks of things, the current wave of beasts had come to an end, leaving the manor's defenders with a much needed moment of reprieve.

"It was as if a mass of pure energy was stored within that sphere, just waiting to be unleashed... just how did that contraption work, exactly?"

"The specifics of that still elude me, if I am to be perfectly honest. All I did was mix the ingredients together as Lady Cornelia instructed me to-" Flayn started to explain, only for her tale to be swiftly cut short by the emergence of another earthquake, this one far more powerful than the last, nearly causing everyone present to lose their balance in the process.

"Whoa... Are you holding up alright, Flayn?" Bernadetta wearily asked, having barely managed to save the green haired priestess from an undignified fall.

"I am perfectly unharmed, thank you very much. I ought to be more concerned of the well-being of our other friends... and what is that noxious odor permeating the air...?"

"Ah... ah... Bernie, everyone... look at the manor!" Monica's voice suddenly called out in an uncharacteristic panic. "No, it can't start now... How many times do I have to relive this nightmare...?!"

As the redheaded Black Eagle instinctively held a hand to her heart in the corner of her eye, Bernadetta reluctantly turned around to be greeted by a stomach churning sight: the Varley manor had been set ablaze, and the flames were already spreading at an alarming rate.