Hello again!
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who showed their support for the story in the small prologue I wrote. I appreciate it! Here is the next chapter of the story.
An important note about this story which I forgot to mention; it will have major spoilers for events/information from all routes, not merely Azure moon (this chapter in particular). So if there are routes which you haven't played yet then I suggest you play them first since this story will probably spoil things for you. Just a fair warning.
If you still want to read the story then please read on and hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 2 - The journal
Imperial palace, noon.
Byleth walked briskly through the halls of the imperial palace towards his destination. It was quiet and aside from the soldiers and mercenaries guarding the palace he had not met a single person.
It had been two days since they had defeated Edelgard and to prevent the palace from being looted it had been placed under guard ever since. Few people were allowed inside for now.
He thought about how much had happened these past days, it felt like it all flashed by in an instance. After she had been defeated, he had arranged for Edelgard's body to be buried in a grave in the Hresvelg family graveyard. It had been a small ceremony attended mostly by former Black Eagle students, Dimitri, himself and the mayor of Enbarr.
The mayor was an interesting person, he was a former merchant named Hans Olvert. He was 59 years old, slightly overweight but from the little time Byleth had spent with him he seemed an earnest and kind person. Apparently when he worked as a merchant he had been doing a lot of business with the nobility and the Aegir family in particular. Thanks to this he had become friendly with both the duke and Ferdinand.
Shortly after the insurrection of the seven he had been asked to become the new mayor of Enbarr after the last one had refused to work for Ludwig. At the time Hans had wanted to spend more time home so he accepted the position. It had been a tough journey since he was seen as little more than a mouthpiece for the duke who quickly increased taxes and regulations for the citizens. This led to poverty, food shortage and angry citizens protesting in the streets. They started small and were quickly put down by the duke's soldiers. The soldier's began policing the citizens harder than before. As a response to this an underground uprising was organized and Hans tried to protest and warn the duke of what was coming. The duke refused to listen and told Hans that the peasants should know their place.
Hans knew that letting this uprising go on would lead to more unnecessary death and destruction so he quickly contacted everyone he knew that had any kind of connection to the duke. Nobles, merchants, officials in the government, anyone he could get his hands on. He had to cash in on favors, make a few deals of himself and use his silver tongue from his days as a merchant. In the end he managed to gather enough support so he could put pressure on the duke and have him roll back the increases in taxes and other regulations that made people upset.
The duke was naturally furious over what he deemed to be a betrayal and had Hans thrown in the dungeon. Once people found out that the increases had been stopped and that it was thanks to the mayor they took to the streets and demanded he be released. The duke ordered his soldiers to "suppress the rabble" but the soldiers refused the order. He was met with the simple message from the officers, "release the mayor or you will lose your protection". With this the duke found himself forced to release the mayor who was now hailed a hero by the citizens.
That last part hadn't Hans told them, they had found the mayor to be very popular and someone the citizens trusted. At the moment they hadn't verified Hans' story so whether it was truthfully retold was unknown. But in any case it wasn't the highest priority at the moment since there were a lack of imperial leaders left to represent the citizens during this time. With the former Duke Aegir missing (presumed dead) and Ferdinand, his only son, killed by Byleth at the battle of the Great Bridge of Myrddin, official imperial leadership was hard to come by.
After the defeat of Edelgard they had received word that Caspar's father had sacrificed himself so the soldiers fighting for him would be given quarter. The news had shocked Caspar and they had yet to receive word from his older brother, Robert.
There were survivors from other noble families in the Empire who would no doubt try to benefit from this new situation the country found itself in, but that didn't help with the immediate problems that needed tending. And that is where the mayor of Enbarr came in.
As a person with certain authority and most importantly the trust of the citizens behind him he would be needed to bring the occupied land under control until a more permanent solution could be arranged.
That is why he and Dimitri had a meeting with the mayor after the funeral, both to inform him of changes that would have to be made because of the new situation they were in and of course to hear about what problems he knew of that needed tending.
It had been a good meeting, the mayor was agreeable and seemed to have little against either Dimitri or the church in general. He was merely interested in doing what was good for the citizens and vowed to do everything in his power to help in this period of uncertainty and upheaval.
The mayor seemed like a good person but given their previous experience of persons not being who they claimed to be, Byleth was a bit wary. While he thought himself a decent enough judge of character he hadn't ever been much for conversations, though it wasn't as if it was a big problem. It was merely a disinterest from his early years that now more or less was his character which he didn't see much of a reason to change. He said what needed to be said. People didn't (as far as he knew) have much of a problem with this. Instead he had become more observant and as Dorothea had once said to him; she felt like he had seen right through her. Like his eyes accused her.
It hadn't been his intention to have this effect on people but since words weren't always his best way of expressing himself then he supposed this effect would be inevitable. It wasn't like he could hide his eyes.
"You didn't see through Thomas when he was at the academy" a part of his mind reminded him.
That was true. He had thought something was strange about the librarian but that he had been replaced by someone else wasn't something that had occurred to him. That is why he was a bit more wary of new people now.
As he finished his thoughts he saw two mercenaries standing guard outside a room at the end of the corridor. They were part of his father's mercenary battalion and Byleth had fought alongside them in many battles, both before his time at the academy and after. They were veterans who had joined their forces after hearing rumors about the Byleth showing up alive after his disappearance five years prior. He trusted them with his life.
As he stopped before the two men standing guard he acknowledged them both with a nod and they in return greeted him with "Byleth". They had always called him by his first name since there was no special treatment just because he was the captain's son. Jeralt had run his mercenaries based on skill only. There were no hereditary positions in that battalion. Byleth himself hadn't really cared then what they called him so he didn't mind them using his name.
"Has anyone been in the room since I was last here?"
"No one has entered the room since you were here last Byleth. It's been quiet as a grave." The mercenary who answered was a middle aged man named Gustav who had been a mercenary in the battalion ever since Byleth could remember. He had a scar across his left cheek, which he had gotten on one of their missions for a noble in the alliance if he remembered correctly.
Gustav had never told him his real age. His only comment on the matter when Byleth had asked once had been "It doesn't matter, while I can fight I will and when I can't I will die." Byleth respected his will and had never asked again.
"Good, I'll probably be here a while so why don't you guys go and take a break?"
"Thanks Byleth, we'll go do that. Good luck." Gustav and the other guard left and went back the corridor that Byleth just came from. Their voices faded and soon enough it was silent in the corridor again.
Turning back to the door in front of him he went inside what used to be Edelgard's private room. He had been there the day they had defeated Edelgard as part of their initial sweep of the palace. At the time he had merely looked around hastily before posting guards outside the room so that he could search it more thoroughly later. Now it was time. Grabbing the handle of the door he opened it slowly, stepping into the room.
It was a large room, spacious and with bookshelves along some of the walls. There was a large desk made of what seemed to be oak tree and a large double bed, clad in red and golden garment. While the room signalled the importance of the person who had lived in it Byleth didn't really think it was extravagant like one would expect from the former Emperor of the Empire. Edelgard hadn't decorated her room with a lot of personal items, guess it did make sense judging from the things he knew of her.
As searched the room he didn't find much of note, there were messages and documents relating to the Empire and the army. Some of these could be of interest but many had little value to them now.
As he went around the room, looking for secret levers, buttons or other places where she could hide more sensitive information he thought back to the times he had talked to and teached Edelgard in the academy. While he had noticed that Edelgard was always evaluating and thinking ahead she had also seemed to keep an extra eye on him and his actions. He wasn't exactly sure why but maybe she had identified him as a threat to her plans. After the news of him finding the Sword of the creator she had gotten a bit more distant and wary of him. It was only a slight difference in her body language but he had noticed it, she was always good at keeping a mask on. After the revelation that she was the Flame Emperor he understood why.
As he thought about his time at the academy he couldn't help but wonder if there was anything he could have done to change how things had played out. Could he have changed things so that Edelgard didn't send the continent into a war that would cost hundreds of thousands lives, destroy cities and villages in all territories along with the families that had lived there? A war that left the continent in a state of disarray and barely any resemblance of order.
Given the extent of Edelgard's plan (as he knew of them) and her person he rationalized that the thought of him stopping her plans were far fetched at best. Edelgard had wanted to tear down the world and rebuild it again. Her plan wasn't something she had hatched a late afternoon and then set in motion. It was a carefully calculated plan.
Short of killing her preemptively before the war, he dismissed the idea of him being able to change her mind. Unfortunately this war was meant to happen and all events prior to it as well.
Memories of past events flashed before his eyes; him, his father and the Blue Lions fighting to save students in the monastery chapel. As they defeated the beasts they found out that they were in fact students as well. After that flashes of red hair and a knife being stabbed in his father's back appeared in his mind.
As the images kept replaying he could see himself desperately turning back time again and again trying to save his father from his fate but failing every time. His energy was being drained each time he used the divine pulse and after several attempts the voice of a young girl echoes in his mind, stopping him.
"It is his fate, his time has come to move on from this world."
The pain he felt the moment his father died was hard to describe, the best way he could was that a knife had been stabbed in his heart and twisted around. The flood of emotions he had felt at that moment had later become too much for him and his mind had tried to protect him the only way it could; it turned off those feelings and replaced them with only one thought; revenge. The only thing that mattered was Monica's (or rather Kronya's) death. It wasn't until after her death that he could once again see the world and he felt like he had woken up again. That was also the time he had fused with Sothis and he was soon filled with a light and calming sensation that helped settle his troubled mind at the time.
The loss of his father was a turning point for him, he had made small steps in feeling emotions since he came to the academy. But it wasn't until he was struck with his father's sudden death that the full range of emotions was opened up to him. Like a locked door opening up, letting out everything that had been kept inside.
Clenching his fist, he dragged his mind back to the present. He had mourned his father, it was a wound that forever hurt but he couldn't dwell on it. The past is something which he cannot change. The only thing he can change is the present and future, which is why he was here.
Continuing his search, he soon found what he was hoping for. In a secret compartment on her desk he found what seemed to be Edelgard's journal. It was a simple journal made out of leather, it seemed a bit worn so she had probably kept it with her for a long time.
He didn't feel any guilt over reading her journal, the owner was now dead. It could also contain valuable information to them. He sat down in a comfortable armchair by the window and opened the journal up.
Meanwhile, in a different part of Enbarr.
Laughter. The sound of it had been a rare commodity for him. As he watched Mercedes, Annette and Ashe play with the children he was struck by the sound of the children laughing and seeing smiles on their faces. Something so precious he didn't know he had longed to see and hear ever since the war had begun. Probably even earlier then that.
Dimitri was currently visiting one of the many orphanages in the city, checking up on their current situation and gathering information about the situation in the city. The Blue Lions had all split up and gone to different parts of the city with different intended targets, like hospitals, markets and such.
Dimitri had gone with Mercedes, Annette, Ashe and Dedue to visit different orphanages and see their current situation and what they could do to help.
The professor had declined joining them stating that he would search Edelgard's room. That was one thing Dimitri was glad that he wouldn't have to do. His sadness over Edelgard's death was mixed with the tinge of satisfaction he had felt after she had fallen lifeless to the floor. Most of all he felt empty, like a hole in him that had been left after everything that had happened.
He had for so long been focused on killing Edelgard so when he finally came back from the dark place he had previously inhabited all of those emotions he had felt before left a large hole in his soul. Not that all those feelings had simply disappeared, they were still there in him, locked away but still present. Waiting for the next chance to make their appearance.
He was glad since he could now focus on other important things in his life but the ever present feeling of those dark thoughts would haunt him for all of his life. But instead of focusing on those thoughts he tried to focus on the present situation so he could build a better future. One where he could hear laughter and see smiles on everyone around him, a future where death and destruction wasn't his only companion.
He was taken out of his thoughts as a child bumped into him, a little boy of what seemed to be maybe five years old.
"Sorry mister! I was looking the other way." the boy said and looked up at him.
Dimitri who had been previously speaking to one of the caretakers bent down on one knee and looked at the boy as he spoke.
"It is quite alright, just be careful and make sure to look forward when running. If you don't you might hurt yourself running into things."
"I will, thanks!" The boy smiled again and as Dimitri saw another one of the children come running towards the boy he bolted away from Dimitri, trying to escape.
Dimitri rose from his kneeling position and looked over at Mercedes and the others playing in the small backyard of the building. Dimitri could feel a small smile form on his lips as he watched Ashe throw a small ball back and forth with two of the children.
Mercedes on the other hand had one young girl in her lap and three other children sitting around her as she seemed to be telling a story to them.
Anette was apparently playing a game of tag with the remaining children, she seemed to be currently chasing them around the house.
Like she knew her name had come up in his mind, Annette came jogging by (she couldn't obviously run, that wasn't fair to the children) and stopped close to him, catching his left arm.
"Your highness, come on and join us. Don't just stand there! It's fun!"
He looked at the small stature of Anette, clinging to his arm with a smile on her face. Her energy was contagious as she tugged at him.
He looked at Dedue who was standing a respectable distance away from him, watching the events around the house play out. As usual he didn't say much but he was still here, that is what mattered the most.
Turning back to Annette he replied that he would join them.
"Yes! Thank you!" Annette looked around for one of the children she was chasing and as she saw one of them peeking out from the other side of a wall she started to make her way over there. The child shrieked with excitement as she saw Anette coming towards her.
Dimitri looked out the window towards the sun in the sky, he could feel the sun warm his face and body. He decided that for now he should enjoy this. Just for today.
Imperial Palace, late afternoon.
As Byleth set aside Edelgard's journal he tried to organize his thoughts which were currently a bit all over the place.
As one might have guessed the journal contained a lot of Edelgard's thoughts and plans that she felt the need to write down. The journal ranged from little things in her life to important events along with texts describing how and why she would change the world as they all knew.
He could understand Edelgard's point of view, to a point. The world was far from perfect and creating one was never going to happen. That didn't mean one shouldn't try to improve or change it whenever possible of course. Turning the world upside down by demolishing the known world order and then building it up again was ambitious and frankly speaking something she had come close to doing. But she hadn't been working on this alone - in her journal he found something which immediately caught his interest.
"Those who slither in the dark"
He had never heard this name before, Edelgard mentioned the name several times in the journal. According to what Edelgard had written, Kronya had been a member of this "group" which would likely mean that Solon had also been a member. Edelgard also mentioned in the journal that Lord Arundel, whom they defeated in Derdriu, was the leader of the group, operating under disguise. His real name had apparently been "Thales''. According to Edelgard, he was the mastermind behind the Tragedy of Duscur, not Patricia as they had been led to believe.
Edelgard never went into more detail on the number of members in that group or where their base of operations was. She wrote that she had worked with them to help further her goal and once she had reached it, she would destroy them. Apparently Hubert had a "contingency" that would allow them to find out where they were hiding if they were to use "strong magic". She wrote no further on this subject.
Byleth could feel a headache coming, it was a lot of information to take in. Much of this information changed things for both himself and the other survivors of the war. It was now clear that the conflict was not yet over, as long as this group was working from the shadows none were safe. Given their involvement in this war it was clear it was merely a matter of time before they would strike again.
Feeling a presence outside the door Byleth's right hand immediately found the hilt of the Sword of the creator as he stood up, but then he could hear a soft knock on the door that was accompanied by a familiar voice.
"Professor, are you in there?" As he heard Shamir's voice Byleth immediately relaxed and his hand let go of his sword. He answered her and told her it was open.
Shamir opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She quickly looked around the room, seemingly taking it in until she then looked at Byleth who was standing beside the armchair he had been sitting in when he felt her presence. Remembering the journal he had dropped when reaching for his sword, he bent down and picked it up from the floor.
He put the journal in a pocket inside his clothes for safekeeping since he didn't want it to get lost. Once he had done this he looked at Shamir and saw that she was now standing close by, watching him with eyes that seemed a bit concerned for him.
"Are you alright Professor? You seem a bit shaken."
He did have a headache and he had felt that his heart had skipped a beat (at least figuratively since his heart didn't actually beat) when he felt the presence outside so he wasn't really surprised she asked. "It must show on my face." Byleth told himself.
"I'm fine thanks Shamir, I had been deep in thought and wasn't expecting anyone to come by so I was a bit surprised." He tried to play off what had happened casually, though he wasn't exactly sure why.
He saw her eyes narrow just the tiniest bit, she knew there was more to it. And what she said further showed this.
"That must have been some information in Edelgard's journal if you became that jumpy after having read it. You aren't easily spooked Professor." His eyes must have looked questioningly at her since he didn't have to say more than "How…?" before she continued.
"Edelgard's room, you coming here alone and sending the guards away so you could search through it undisturbed. You picking up a book from the floor immediately after I enter and taking it with you?" As Shamir said this she gestured in general around the room before her arms crossed over her chest.
"Well, when she puts it like that it does seem rather obvious" Byleth thought to himself. He really had been thrown for a loop today.
As Byleth watched Shamir standing across from him he knew he could trust her. She had fought with him and saved his life more than one time. She was a good friend and valuable companion. She wasn't one to go around gossipping and spreading secrets. She was famously taciturn for a reason. In fact, there were few people he felt he could really talk to about anything. Not that he didn't trust his companions in the Blue Lions, he merely felt the need to be a good guide and mentor to them. With Shamir he felt that they were on equal footing and their relationship had never built on some kind of student/mentor relation. They were merely two people who had found themselves helping each other survive in their dangerous lives.
Deciding that he had to talk to and discuss this whole thing with someone there wouldn't be a better person to do it with then Shamir. She would give her thoughts and opinions straight to him, no beating around the bush. And given the stakes of this information he really couldn't afford anything less.
He gestured towards the armchair next to his and told her "It is probably best if you sit down for this, it is going to take a while to go through."
Shamir's body language relaxed as he said this and her arms fell to her sides as she quickly nodded. She went over to the armchair and sat down. He followed and sat down in the armchair again as he started telling her all about what he had found out in the journal.