Jeralt just stared with an emotionless expression as he looked at the pair sleeping on the bench in the Goddess Tower. This was a common spot he and his wife used to sneak off in his younger days and was off-limits in this current time. But that didn't stop the brats from sneaking up. He understood why. Who wouldn't want to come to the tower where the legend where two souls would be intertwined together? Or the fact that it is also where the Emperor met his wife. And to his most unfortunate sight, his sweet, crazy, but beloved daughter was fast asleep so peacefully beside the prince of Faerghus. They are lucky it was him that found them or else if it was Seteth or someone else, things would go south. Except if it was Sandy or Florencio, or the other three. They would cheer them on. Thankfully it was still early in the morning (6 am) and the students were still asleep. His daughter slept like a rock and wouldn't wake up to any sound made. Those like the staff and knights had to get up early to prepare for the next day.
"Hmm...?"
He saw the prince was waking up, the boy blinked multiple times as he groaned because some of the sun's rays were on his face. He yawned and blinked multiple times, his eyesight adjusting. He blinked multiple times once again once he registered who was sleeping on his shoulder. Dimitri's jaw slowly opened in shock as his cheeks turned pink. Jeralt felt he was watching a soap opera or he felt he was watching his younger self, which stung in so many embarrassing ways. He also felt he was watching a young Lambert. Jeralt remembers the young king when he used to attend the academy. Always asking for his advice and more open with his emotions than his son. Dimitri smiled softly as he fixed a strand of her hair and he turned to look at the door to make sure no one had come in but instead, he was met with emotionless eyes looking back at him.
"Morning kid," Jeralt grunted and he relished how quickly the prince became pale once he realized who he was.
"I-I-I...Good morning Sir Jeralt." Dimitri stuttered and the man just sighed as he walked over to them.
He carefully picked up his daughter and saw she was holding on tightly to the top of the prince's cape. Dimitri quickly unbuttoned it from his shoulder and let her keep it. The prince gulped as the man stopped and turned a bit towards him.
"You and I will be talking soon," Jeralt said and opened the door to take his daughter back to her room.
The man couldn't help but smirk when he heard the prince drop to the ground once he was a few feet away.
[—]
"Yyyaaawwwnnn~"
"Still half asleep, kid?"
"Somewhat," Arisa mumbled as she poured her father a cup of tea.
They were sitting in the garden area, a bit more towards the corner since they liked their peace. Rhea had granted the students a few days off as a reward for doing an amazing job in The Battle of the Eagle and Lion. She still had to meet with Rhea and Seteth to be given the prize. Jeralt knew what it was. A lance blessed by the Archbishop and a sack of 500 gold coins that were to be used to buy new supplies for the students. Basically, spoil them a bit.
"I'm a bit sore from yesterday." Arisa grumbled as she lazily blew at her tea to cool down, "I did not think Christian would go that hard on me." She mumbled.
"Of course I won't go easy on you." They turned a bit and saw the said man coining with his tray of food followed by Alexandra, Amir, and Sandy.
The three joined them for breakfast and Arisa poured them a cup of tea. Alexandra looked like she was about to doze off at any moment along with Sandy.
"Sandy and Alexandra, are you both alright? You um...well look ready to sleep at any moment." Arisa said and Alexandra smiled a bit.
"I'm fine. Just a bit of a hangover. Anna challenged me to a drinking contest and well...I didn't make it to my room. I fell asleep on the floor in...Claude's room." The poor girl looked down to her thighs as her cheeks burned red.
"Sreng Gin?" Jeralt and Sandy both said in a monotone tone.
"Morfis Tequila," Alexandra said and both older adults suddenly had massive headaches.
"I'm going to have a long talk with Anna." Sandy sighed, "As for me, I don't know. I've been having massive headaches lately and Manuela checked me. She found nothing. Sometimes I feel like I've been somewhere. Flayn said I looked dazed out." She muttered as she opened her eyes a bit.
"Maybe Emily can check you?" Amir suggested as she took a bite of her food.
"That's a good idea. I'll send an owl to her." Sandy said and picked up her cup, gulping the tea down quickly.
"Oh, I got the news." Amir said and they turned their attention to her, "Seteth said that this month we'll be having small individual class missions. He said to meet him and Rhea at the Audience Chamber." She said.
"And this is the month where I'm going to make sure to murder Solon." Arisa thought as inwardly she was craving blood to be spilled.
"Welp, you kids can't do your missions on an empty stomach. Now, shut up and eat." Jeralt grunted and the others couldn't help but laugh a bit.
[—-]
"You fought bravely during The Battle of the Eagle and Lion. I can only call your deeds during the battle...quite versatile." Rhea smiled as she looked at her granddaughter.
She was greatly impressed by the performance of the students, not to mention she had the satisfaction of winning a bet against her older brother. She relished the frustrated and annoyed look she gave her when he handed her the 3 silver coins.
"Comparing their performance in the mock battle of the Great Tree Moon, the students have grown significantly. It is clear that this is a result of your guidance." Seteth smiled.
"In appreciation of your efforts, and to show our high hopes for the future of your students, I award you with this." Rhea nodded to Seteth and the man walked up and handed Arisa a gold-tipped lance with a design that she knew well.
"This is a Blessed Lance. It is awarded to the winning house." Seteth began to explain, "The winning House is also awarded 500 gold coins. I do expect this money to be used for supplies for the class." He said and gave her a look.
"Understood," Arisa said.
"Please continue to instruct your students as a model teacher." Rhea smiled softly and hugged the girl, "You did well, granddaughter. I am proud of you." Arisa stiffened and nervously hugged Rhea back.
"She is being genuine, Arisa. Rhea is proud of you." Sothis muttered and Arisa gave her a mental nod back as the woman let go of her.
"It pains me to assign such a disturbing mission to you during such a blessed moment in time... However, next month your assignment will be to journey to Remire Village to investigate an abnormal occurrence there." Seteth's expression turned grinned as Arisa gulped
"Remire Village...So it has come. Have you spoken to Florencio yet?" Sothis asked.
"I did." Arisa said back as she spoke, "An abnormal occurrence? Are my people alright?" She asked.
"I have yet to ascertain the details, but it would seem the villagers have been acting strangely. I have already dispatched the knights to verify the authenticity of this information. They should be back shortly. I suggest you begin by finding out what they have discovered. Manuela and Emily are working together along with Alois and Shamir. What is worrisome is not just Remire village." Okay, now Arisa was really worried.
"Please speak with Shamir and Alois regarding the mission at the end of the month. For now, we will assign you your class's mission for the next 2 weeks." Rhea said and nodded to her brother.
"Count Valrey has requested help from the church. There have been recent sightings of strange incidents in his land as well as requested to take care of any bandits to be taken care of. You will head out in two days." Seteth said and Arisa nodded.
"I don't remember ever being on a mission in Valrey territory. Something doesn't feel right." Arisa thought.
She needed to speak to the others.
- Infirmary -
"That's what we're dealing with. Is there no chance it's an infectious disease?" Shamir said as she leaned on the wall with arms crossed and glanced over to the woman that was asleep on the Infirmary bed.
"There are no absolutes in medicine, but the chances are extremely slim. Restless movements, fits of violence, becoming bedridden or even impossible to wake... With symptoms that varied, there are only a few possibilities. It's either a mixture of poisons or magic. And dark magic, at that." Manuela muttered as she looked over to Florencio.
"It's dark magic." The man said in a grave tone while everyone in the room's eyes widened, "This is the same magic that is being used on villagers across the country. Emily has been sending samples of their blood and has found contamination in them." He chewed his nail, a dark look in his eyes.
"Those sons of bitches..." he growled and everyone looked at him surprised.
"You know who did this?" Jeralt quickly uncrossed his arms as the mage looked up to him and nodded.
"I do...and they are targeting not just Remire Village but the other two villages nearby." Florencio sighed, "You all remember the rumored cult, Those Who Slither in the Dark?" He looked over to Alois and Shamir.
"I do..." Alois's lips became a thin line along with Shamir, "We had a mission in the Alliance not too long ago. We ended up encountering a group of strange individuals in the slave trade. What was most horrifying was how we found the body of man...cut open with strange marks." He shivered at the memory.
"I managed to take those bastards down but they burned themselves to ashes before I had the chance to question him. A piece of their clothing survived with a strange symbol. I showed it to Rhea and Seteth. Rhea told me to get rid of it and make sure it was never found. Once she was out of earshot, Seteth told me to hide it for evidence in the future." Shamir muttered and Arisa was worried.
"I'll have my knights check on Firo and Felro villages. Florencio, I'm counting you to watch Remire Village while we're here." Jeralt said and the man gave him a nod.
"Ah, one more thing," Florencio said and turned to Manuela, handing her a small scroll.
The woman opened it and narrowed her eyes at it as she read it.
"It's my recipe for the neutralizer potions." He explained, "I want you and Hanneman to make some batches. It's not a cure but it'll keep the person injected with it stable for a while till we find the cure." He said and Manuela nodded.
"One big question." Manuela raised her index finger, "Why is Sreng Gin and Morfis Brown Sugar Wine written on here?"
"Because one of the unfortunate things is they are actual ingredients that the potion needs." Florencio sighed, "We need to mix the gin and wine and then pour the ingredients in, then boil it for 3 weeks to get the results we need." Manuela pouted because she was looking forward to drinking some.
[—]
"While it may be our day off, I still have to announce our class mission." Arisa sighed as she was holding the Blessed Lance.
She had arrived at her classroom and found the students of the main class there already, which she appreciated. She smiled softly at Dimitri and he smiled fondly back. Still, she wondered if he carried her back to her room. Also, she needs to return the cape.
"So in three days, we will be heading to Varley Territory in the Empire. Our mission is to make sure that the villages are well and arrest any suspicious individuals. Also, to take care of any bandits that are terrifying the villages." She said and looked around.
"Now with that out of the way—!" She didn't get to finish.
The doors to the Blue Lions slammed open causing Arisa and many to jump at the sudden abrupt entrance.
"Gasp...gaps..huff!" Bernadetta slumped forward as she held the doors, gasping for air as she looked up with pleading eyes, "I-I...Please let me go with you!" She yelled desperately.
Everyone was stunned to silence as Linhardt jogged up from behind her along with Caspar.
"Bernie, don't just suddenly run off like that! You nearly gave Professor Hanneman a heart attack." Caspar gasped for air as he was trying to catch his breath.
"I'm here for a different reason," Linhardt said while Bernadetta now recovered and quickly walked up to Arisa.
"Please, Professor, allow me to come with you. This is my home and my father refuses to tell me anything of what is happening! Please I, begging you! Let me come with you on this mission." Bernadetta bowed to her and Arisa bit her lip but nodded.
"Alright." Bernadetta quickly looked up, "I need to speak with Hanneman first about this. As for you two!" The two boys quickly straighten themselves, "Did you need something?"
"Well, I just came to make sure Bernadetta was okay since she bolted out of the class. Also, do you know the way to Professor Christian's office?" Caspar said.
"Down the hallway, then left, right, straight till you reach stars to Abyss. After that, ask one of the Ashen Wolves to take you there." Arisa gave him the directions.
"Hallway..left..right...Got it!" Caspar gave her a thumbs up, "Thank you, Professor! Oh, congratulations to you all on the Battle of the Eagle And and Lion!" He yelled with a big grin and left running towards the hallway.
"Linhardt?" Arisa said the boy walked into the class.
"Professor, I wish to join your class." A pin could be heard dropping as Arisa and everyone in the room was processing what he just said.
"WHAAAATT?!"
All the students yelled I'm shocked while Arisa snapped out of it, barely.
"Have you spoken to Hanneman?" She asked as placed the lance down on her desk and the boy nodded.
"Yes, I did. He said he understood and that all I needed was to receive the okay from you." He said and Arisa nodded.
"Alright, I accept." Arisa smiled and "I look forward to working with you Linhardt."
"I do too Professor." Linhardt smiled and went to sit next to the star twins.
"Okay, back to the original subject," Arisa said and Bernadetta handed her a map.
"It's the map for Varley territory. I-I thought I would bring it to help out. Also, House Varley will be housing you all during this mission." The girl stuttered and Arisa nodded.
"Thank you, Bernadetta." Arisa smiled and patted her head, "Could you sit next to Felix please?"
The girl whimpered but listened and went to sit with the boy.
"Alright, so I almost forgot to mention this but because we won the Battle of the Eagle and Lion..." Arisa held up the sack of coins, "We were awarded 500 gold coins. Meaning, YOU'RE ALL GETTING NEW WEAPONS!" And the classroom broke into cheers.
"Finally I can get my hands on that Zoltan Sword!" Felix fist-pumped while Dwyer was imagining finally getting a brand new staff.
"A new tome!" Annette cheered while Mercedes was thinking of getting a new magic crystal for her staff.
Dedue was thinking perhaps a new axe would be good while Ingrid was brimming with excitement in getting a new spear or lance. She had been eyeing the Ylisse style lance in Anna's shop for a while. The twins, Castor and Pollux were daydreaming about new daggers. For Dimitri, perhaps new armor while Lestia's mind was set on poisons and shurikens. Flayn thought perhaps a new saddle for her kinshin.
"Cri!" She chuckled when she pet the baby wyvern on her shoulder.
It was the size of a kitten when it was born, which worried Claude, Cyril, and the others. But Sandy reassured them that the wyvern was fine and congratulated Flayn. She informed the girl that the little one is the same wyvern species as Falco, Alexandra's Wyvern. Flayn screamed in joy as Shirou barked happily. Meaning, in another few years, that wyvern was going to be the same size as Falco. And Falco still hasn't stopped growing. Five more years and he will reach his full growth size. Seteth had his work cut out with Flayn and her new friend. As for the name, his name is Nagi.
"Hmmm...maybe a new magic pendant." Hai thought as she looked around the classroom.
"As for the Blessed Lance," Arisa spoke and walked up to Ingrid, "I have a feeling you will be very good with it." She smiled.
"Thank you, Professor! I promise I will!" Ingrid thanked her.
- 3 days later -
The carriage ride to House Varley was...miserable. The Red Wolf Moon, also known as November, was one of the few months Arisa hated. One, because the temperature was already starting to reach winter levels and November in Fodlan was also known as the rainy season. And to Arisa and Sothis, pure despair.
"ACHOO!"
Allergy. Season.
The rainy season didn't help either. It made the area around them feel humid, icky sticky and the worst part of it all was the location of House Varley. Arisa groaned as she swallowed pills and handed two to Flay and Hai. Certain environments affected dragons in different ways and this case, it was the humid swamp-like area. The territory of Varley was known for its rich soil filled with nutrients and beautiful silk and lotus flowers that grew in the swaps. As well as the place rare herbs and flowers grew. There was also a farm that raised kinshis. But the one thing that everyone complained about when winter came, is just how humid that place becomes because the heat leaves the ground. The forest trees were so thick, you could barely see the rays of the sun. Petra described the place as more like a jungle in her eyes.
"I-I um...apologize for this. You three seem quite affected by the environment." Bernadetta grinned crookedly as she sat across from Arisa.
Ingrid smacked her neck because she felt a mosquito bite. Another thing people hated about this place, it was the worst place to be in if you were a mosquito magnet. In this case, the poor unfortunate souls were Ingrid, Dwyer, and Felix.
"It's alright. No need to apologize for something you can't control." Arisa smiled a bit as she fixed her scarf.
"Ughhh...Part of me wants to strip naked!" Hai groaned as she fanned herself with her hand and the others either gawked or turned red "Arisa, you hate Fodlan for the cold, well I hate Fodlan for the damn heat!" She groaned and Arisa handed her an ice bag.
"Believe me, you're just like Alexandra, she hates the heat too. That's why she preferred to live in Faerghus." She answered and looked out the window.
She saw a few fae flying around and some of them were eating the insects that were flying around.
"Who the hell in their right minds chose this place to live in?!" Felix growled as he smacked his cheek to kill the mosquitoes that bit him.
"Saint Indech." Bernadetta sighed as she looked away a bit, "Saint Indech was known to like quiet places and preferred to be alone. This place is said where he once lived before he left and passed down the land to my ancestors. I think the old shrine where he used to live in nearby." She said and looked out the window.
She gasped when she saw the gates to The County of Varley were closed and there were at least four guards stationed outside.
"Why are the gates closed?!" Bernadetta screeched and Dimitri and Arisa looked at each other worried.
"Are the gates supposed to be closed?" Flayn asked and Bernadetta shook her head.
"They aren't. They are always open. Unless my father closed them, for a reason." Bernadetta muttered as they stuck their heads out the window and saw the carriage rider inform the guards that they were from the academy. The guards nodded and opened the gates, allowing them, to pass through. Something did not feel right to Bernadetta.
"Huh...Say Bernadetta," Linhardt spoke as he continued to read his book, "are people allowed to visit the old shrine that Saint Indech used to live in?" He asked.
"Unfortunately, my father placed a law that people are forbidden to visit the shrine." She muttered and looked out.
The buildings of the county of barely were a bit similar to the ones in Enbarr. The place was clean with a park area, there were houses and also buildings that were two stories, built like apartments. The colors of red and purple were the most common as there was a small community garden. However, the atmosphere of the land did not feel welcoming. It felt suffocating as if you were being watched and while hidden, Arisa spotted people hiding in the alleyways, looking malnourished or starved. Another thing she noticed was the fields. They were far and wide, perfect for farming yet they were overgrown.
"This atmosphere is just like Aegir territory..." Arisa thought as the carriage roads through the town soon arrived at the gates of the mansion.
Like before, the guards were informed who they were and the gates opened. A few minutes later they arrived at the mansion. The doors of the carriage were opened and everyone was glad to be out of the damn cramped space. A butler and maid exited the mansion and Bernadetta quickly ran to them happily.
"Frederick (Arisa: OH THANK THE LORD HE'S NOT THE ONE I THOUGHT HE WAS!)! Erika! I'm glad to see you both again!" The girl jumped and hugged the older couple.
"Ah sweet girl, welcome back!" The elder head maid, Erika, smiled softly as she hugged the girl back, "It's good to see you again." Bernadetta beamed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Eisner." The elder head butler smiled as she walked up to him, "My name is Frederick. I am the head butler. My wife and I have served House Varley for many years. We welcome you. And...thank you so much for watching over Bernadetta." The man said and Arisa nodded.
"No, I should be thanking you and your wife." Arisa chuckled as she walked up to the girl and patted her head, "You two helped raise an amazing girl."
Erika smiled softly and nodded. She bowed a bit and motioned them to the doors of the mansion.
"Once more we welcome you. Rooms and food have been prepared for you all." She says and the class follows them inside the mansion.
[—]
"Horrible taste! Ugh!" Sothis gagged as they entered the mansion and saw the red and purple painted walls, followed by antique furniture that was displayed and paintings hanging on the walls. She saw the usual holy paintings of the church, some medals, and a family portrait. She couldn't help but observing the painting. Count Varley's eyes were cold, his face held no emotion as he stood still next to his wife. Duchess Varley's face seemed tired, yet there was sadness in her eyes as she had a small smile on her lips. Arisa's eyes trailed down to a little girl sitting on a chair, holding a teddy bear in her arms. Little Bernadetta had timid eyes, she wore a pink dress and white shoes. Her eyes traveled to the corner of the painting and saw it was painted in 1164. When Bernadetta was around 2 years old.
"Ah..." she looked to her side and saw Bernadetta had walked up to her side, "I remember when this painting was done. Hard to believe that is me..." Bernadetta mumbled.
"Frederick?" She turned to look at the older man, "Is my father here? He is always the one to come out and greet guests."
Erika and Frederick looked at each other worried and then back to her.
"Your father is currently speaking to a guest of his. I think it's better w—" unfortunately avoiding the Count's office was not happening.
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU'RE THE HEAD OF THIS HOUSE! PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND SICK AND I WILL HELP THEM WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"
Arisa turned pale and immediately bolted down the hallway, ignoring everyone that was shouting her name. She knew that voice and if she didn't intervene, the Count was going to end up dead. Left and right, and then up the stairs she ran till she reached a door. She could hear shouting and angry yells, but she slammed the door open because she knew what was about to happen if she did not.
"UNCLE STOP!" Arisa screamed and Florencio whirled in her direction, looking at her shocked.
His hand was raised and glowing with Miasma, ready to launch at the Count.
Arisa panted as she was trying to catch her breath and looked back at him.
"Uncle...huff...don't" she shook her head, "...stop..." Arisa panted and Florencio was silent.
"Professor!" Bernadetta quickly caught up and gasped when she saw Florencio but what was more terrifying to her, was just how furious her father was.
"Look at you...ready to kill." The voice in Florencio's head sneered, "Just kill him."
"No." Florencio slowly dropped his hand as the others caught up and were surprised to see him.
"Sigh..." the man sighed, "I didn't think I see you here, my niece." He was enjoying how red the Count was turning, "I assume the Church selected your class to take care of the bandits and investigate the suspicious individuals?" Arisa nodded as her eyes darted from him and to the Count.
"Figured." He shrugged with a lazy smile, "See Count? Even the children are more responsible than you. And you're an adult. How sad." He looked over at him with a smirk.
"I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE A HOLY MAGUS! YOU DARE INSULT ME?!" Roared the Count and Florencio just chuckled.
"Okay enough!" Arisa yelled, "Count Varley, I apologize on my uncle's behalf. We were informed to help search for suspicious individuals as well as take care of the bandits in the area." She bowed and then stood up straight.
"Uncle?" He pointed to Florencio and then back to her, "That man is your uncle? Wait..." The Count narrowed his eyes at her, "Kiana Kalsana. So the rumor of your return was true."
"My real name is Arisa Byleth Eisner, daughter of Jeralt the Blade Breaker, and yes." Arisa narrowed her eyes.
"Hm. I assume my useless daughter is with you? Ha! You are wasting your time with that useless girl. It is a failure. You are better training a mule than her." The Count scoffed as he sat down on his chair.
The students of the Blue Lions had dark and murderous auras as the Count continued to insult Bernadetta. Lestia and Dimitri had to extend their arms out to keep Felix from using the Aegis Shield like a weapon to beat the Count bloody. The royal twins very much understood the anger and rage their friends felt. Arisa only smiled as she walked up to the Count and...
SLAP!
Silence filled the entire room as Florencio's eyes slowly went wide. The jaws of many hanged as the shadows covered Arisa's eyes. The Count's eyes were wide, his head to the side as he slowly looked back to the woman.
"Now listen here Count Owen von Varley." Arisa spoke in a sickly sweet tone, "You may be a Count of the Empire but I have a much higher status than you. If you even make one move against Bernadetta, even insult her or raise her hand against her, I will personally make sure to expose every dark secret you hold." She raised her chin a bit, her eyes were slits.
"You dare ins—!" The man shivered as he finally noticed the murderous glares all the students were giving him.
Each one had the look of promise to stab a blade through his body. Bernadetta shook, frightened because this had never once happened before. So many people defended her, it almost felt like a dream.
"You may not care for Bernadetta but we do." Lestia spoke, "She is our friend."
"Our comrade," Dimitri spoke up.
"Our alley." All the students said together, "And we will not let you lay a hand on her."
"Sniff...Sniff..hic...Everyone..." Bernadetta sobbed as her hands were covering her mouth.
She wanted to cry. She was crying. They were tears of joy and sorrow as Mercedes and Annette stood by her and gently hugged her.
"If you still want to have land and money, I suggest you give me the reports on villages that have been affected as well as the records of bandit raids and mortality rate," Arisa spoke coldly and the Count gritted his teeth.
He can't do anything once a Holy Magus shows their authority and he is damned because two of them are present. He opened his drawers and gave her the files.
"There. Now get out of my office!"
[—-]
"Arrrrrggghhhhh!"
Arisa dragged her nails down the wooden wall, leaving claw marks. Nobody wanted to go near except the brave soul of the prince who gently placed his hand on her back.
"Professor, breath," Dimitri whispered while the others were sitting on the sofas or couches in the living room.
"We sincerely apologize for our Lord's behavior," Frederick said with an apologetic smile as he placed a tray of cookies and mini sandwiches on the center table while Erika served them tea.
"The Lord has been receiving reports every day regarding the recent rise of bandits as well people disappearing. The numbers have just been increasing." Erika sighed as she looked over to Florencio.
The man sat on the sofa chair with his eyes closed and arms crossed. The woman frowned.
"Florencio, how many times have we told you not to anger the Lord? We understand your anger towards him as well as your grudge but-" the man slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups to shake.
"Do not!" He gritted his teeth, "Speak of that in front of the children..." he growled.
"Grudge?" Hai looked at the man worried.
"Uncle, you told me you had a history with House Varley but you never explained clearly what it was," Arisa said as she had calmed down as she stood by the chair Bernadetta was sitting at.
"...I prefer to keep that secret to myself." He huffed and stood up, walking away.
He stopped and glanced towards them.
"Bernadetta..." he muttered and the girl flinched, "I'm sorry you had to see that side of me today. Honestly..." he turned back and his witch hat covered his eyes, "its side I wish you never saw. I'll be in the lab if you need me." And he left.
"Sigh..." Frederick sighed, "I swear that man. But I don't blame him. He has the right to hold a grudge to this House." He frowned.
"What? What did my father do to him?" Bernadetta whispered and Erika smiled sadly at her.
"It's not what was done to him. It's when he was born. Florencio was born during the time a terrible plague had spread across the land. The previous Lord of Varley, this is before your grandfather and father were Lords, ignored the pleas of his people. He didn't do anything to help his land and people." Frederick said as he looked over to his wife.
"His mother lost her life to the plague." Erika said and Bernadetta gasped, "In a way, he blames House Valery for her death because the Lord chose to ignore the people." She said.
"Then he hates me?" Bernadetta shook as she held her cup.
"I DON'T!"
Everyone quickly turned as the man came storming back, ripping his hat off his head. He glared furiously at Erika and Frederick and then looked back to Bernadetta.
"I could...never hate you." His voice cracked as he looked at the girl, "What pains me more than anything, is seeing my family suffer. Even after all these years, things haven't changed!" He gritted his teeth.
"I can't stand the cycle of pain repeating over and over again! I couldn't do any save the children of Varley from the cycle of pain they are trapped in. Those that inherit Crest are either put on a pedestal, made to watch those without Crest suffer, watch families be ripped apart because one has a Crest and the others don't. I hate seeing children with Crest glorified!" He yelled and this time, he couldn't hold it back anymore.
Arisa shook as she saw her Uncle crying for the first time. Everyone could see the pain he suffered through as he held his head as if he was in pain. But he is in pain.
"Bernadetta...the treatment you suffered...is the same all children of Varley who inherit a Crest suffered. I couldn't do anything to stop it. I still can't." He whispered, "Even if I have the power I can't do anything...the most I could do is temporarily delay it. When I saw you that day at the fountain...I felt I was looking at my younger self..." he muttered.
"The bruises...I met countless people who are abused verbally and physically, especially those with Crest. I didn't want you to go through what I went through at some point. So I intervened...when the flow of time said I shouldn't." He smiled sadly.
"Did he just say what I think he just said?!" Sothis screeched as Arisa stood up straight, taking a deep breath.
"Bernadetta, you're surrounded by people that truly love and care for you. You share bonds that will never break even if years pass by. To me, you're like a daughter. And even if I'm not your father, I swore I would do everything in power to protect you and my family." He looked to Arisa, who was holding back the sobs.
Bernadetta was crying as she stood up and lunged at him. That he wasn't expecting at all and he hugged her tightly back. The girl wailed into his chest. All her life she just wanted to be loved. When she was younger, she didn't understand why her father treated her the way he did. Her mother had tried to defend her but it would end with her father going after the woman as well. Bernadetta's earliest memories were her mother weeping and praying to the goddess as she held her little girl tightly to her chest.
"M-My father..." the girl stuttering as she managed to choke out her words, "M-My father's obsessed with money. H-He's only ever seen me as bait for a rich husband. To train me to be a good, submissive wife, he'd do things like tie me to a chair and leave me there all day, challenging me to stay quiet. I tried hard to do as he asked. Honestly, I did. But before I knew it, I just couldn't bring myself to leave my room anymore!" The girl finally said it.
The look of absolute horror was on everyone's faces. Felix abruptly stood up and pulled out his katana, heading towards the hallway that led to Count Varley's office.
"Felix, F-Felix!" Arisa yelled and quickly made a barrier to prevent him from going further.
The boy turned to her furious look that made her blood run cold. Sothis began swearing when she saw just for a moment, his crest flickered in his eyes.
"They are angry." Sothis muttered as she appeared, "The crest that rests in the blood of the children, their crest weeps and rages for her. And the one that has grown to care the most for her," she looked towards Felix, "is the one that shall deliver judgment when the day comes."
Just for a moment, she swore she saw the spirit of her son, Galahad, watching over the boy.
"May the spirits guide you all."
[—-]
They arrived around the afternoon and decided they needed rest. Arisa made sure everyone was asleep before she got up from her bed and put on her cloak over her nightgown. Today's events just brought a lot of things. She sighed as she walked through the house hallways, her eyes glowing a bit as her hair. One of the unfortunate things about her changes is that she looks like a damn lamp. Sothis apologized multiple times because back when she was alive, this was her body's way of releasing magic into the earth. Similar to Naga. And another thing, she just felt so tired. She had put on makeup to hide the pale color of her skin but she was not as slick as she thought.
"Arisa, are you alright? You're pale. Is that why you put on makeup?"
One word, Dimitri.
Arisa always wonders if this was a phase that Byleth was going through in the game. She wondered if it might have been her body's way of telling her that she had been overusing the power of the goddess. The dizzy spells, the tiredness, lack of appetite, her allergies, and sluggish movements, all lead to her body and the crest stone on her heart. Sothis was feeling it as well. She walked, her eyes a bit dazed as she thought about the events that transpired when she heard a THUMP!
"Huh?" She walked towards the hallway and looked only to find a passed-out Bernadetta on the floor.
"Oh boy." Arisa sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, "It happened again. And looks like she thought I was a ghost. Sigh..." she picked up the girl carefully.
Arisa decided to take her to a room, one to make the girl feel safe. Arisa sighed again as she opened the door and walked in. In the rooms of House Varley, the walls were painted a dark red and with brown colored curtains. The furniture in all houses was an antique furniture collector's wet dream. Arisa's bed was a fancy antique-style king-size bed. She carefully placed the girl down. Right at that moment, she woke up.
"G-Ghost I swear I'm a good girl!" Bernadetta screeched and felt hands on her shoulder.
"Bernadetta it's okay, it's me," Arisa spoke softly and the girl blinked multiple times as she looked at her up and down.
"Professor, is that you?" Bernadetta gasped and Arisa nodded as she sat down next to her.
"Yes, it's me. I know, I look like a glowing lamp. It's one of the features my crest has." Arisa sighed as she shook her head a bit and gave her a small smile.
"It's okay. I understand." Bernadetta shook her hands, "I have a strange feature of my crest too. Well, I'm the only one." She mumbled and Arisa raised an eyebrow.
"Well um...I guess I can tell you. You see Professor, my crest...well...basically I love water!" She blurted out. Sothis and Arisa just blinked.
"S-Sorry! What I mean to say—Oh! Why is this so hard?! You probably think I sound weird don't you?" The girl pulled her hair a bit and Arisa shook her head.
"No, no. I do not think you are weird. I think it's interesting." Arisa patted her head.
"Oh um...well.." Bernadetta fiddled with her fingers nervously, "Ever since I was young, I always liked being near water. I always played with it. I loved swimming in the lake of our home, seeing the fish and water creatures play around. They would join me and sometimes play with me. They show around the forest. Sometimes they bring water lilies and help me grow them. Water has always been there for me. It can't hurt me and is gentle. Umm...how do I...oh!" Bernadetta cupped her hands together.
She gritted her teeth and grunted as she focused on the palms of her hands. A small droplet of water formed in her hands grew. Arisa's eyes slowly widened as a bead of sweat was on her cheek as the girl muttered "come on..." multiple times.
Bernadetta's eyes lit up as the ball of water in her hands took on the shape she wanted. A lotus flower blossomed and turned excitedly to the Professor!
"I-I've always had this...affinity to use water magic. I um...I read that water magic is extremely rare. Especially for those here in Fodlan. Um, Petra did tell me that those that use water magic are a bit more common in Brigid. Oh! She said that if I ever get the chance to visit Brigid, she shows me the ocean and rainforest!" She spoke excitedly and Arisa couldn't help but chuckle as she brought her right hand up.
"How about I show you now?"
[—]
"..."
Hai just stared at the two sleeping women on the bed, and then looked over to the table where there were snacks and a few books.
"Hai, what are you doing in the P-!" Dimitri said as he looked through the open door and froze.
"Well, they were up all night." Hai sighed as she felt a massive headache come in, "Dimitri, could you wake them up? I'm going to go check on the others." She quickly walked past him.
"Um...alright." Dimitri looked at her confused as she left and sighed.
Careful he went to the left side of the bed to wake up Bernadetta.
"Bernadetta. Bernadetta!" He whispered and the girl mumbled in her sleep and her eyes fluttered open.
"Oh...yawwwwnnn~" Bernadetta yawned as she sat up, "Good mother Di—Wait, why are you in my room?!" The girl screeched.
"I apologize, Bernadetta. Also, this is the Professor's room." Dimitri chuckled nervously as the girl quickly looked to her right and saw the Professor asleep.
"Oh um...we stayed up talking about different countries and I guess we lost track of time. I-I'm sorry you had to come to wake us up." Bernadetta dipped her head.
"It's alright." Dimitri smiled, "I think you needed rest especially."
He went around the bed to the other side and knelt a bit.
"Professor! Psst! Professor!" He whispered and Arisa stirred a bit.
"Hmmm..." she mumbled and her vision was a bit blurry.
Sothis had woken up earlier and was about to witness a historical moment that she was never going to let Arisa down on.
"Hmmm...Mor..." Arisa raised her arms and wrapped them around Dimitri's neck.
Bernadetta along with Sothis was silent screaming as the prince turned crimson like a tomato. Bernadetta suddenly had a lot of inspiration for a new story. Arisa's nose was touching Dimitri's, her eyes hazed as she seemed to be observing him. She smiled suddenly, sending his heart rate skyrocketing.
"Hehe...You're cute. I love...your...eyes...zzzz..." and down she pulled him onto her chest.
"Hey, Bernadetta. Have you..."
Felix became deathly quiet as he saw Bernadetta was furiously drawing while Dimitri had pretty much inwardly died of joy but unfortunately was too stunned to move. However, what caught him off guard was that he could not hear her heart beating. He abruptly stood up (He totally did not want to continue to feel how soft she felt. Of course not.).
"Her heart is not beating." He said in a grave tone and Brenadtta froze.
"What do you mean bore?!" Felix ran inside and to Arisa's side.
He was about to perform chest compressions but at that moment...Arisa thought she was under attack and her fist flew up, socking Felix under the chin. At that same moment, the students had gathered around and witnessed the moment Felix got socked. The force was so great he fell back.
"Felix!" Bernadetta scrambled off the bed and ran by his side and Flayn also ran in to check to make sure he was okay.
"Huh?!" Arisa's eyes snapped open and shot up.
She frantically looked around and saw Felix on the floor getting healed.
"Oh fuck..." she groaned as she rubbed her eyes, "I am so sorry Felix. Um...It's a...habit." She carefully stood up but suddenly felt all her energy drained.
He began to fall but felt someone catch her.
"Professor!" Dimitri looked worried and it only worsened his fear when he saw how pale she was.
"I'm fine..." Arisa mumbled and felt someone else quickly help him place her back on the bed.
"You are not." Mercedes's voice was firm as she quickly asked Annette to ask one of the maids for cold medicine, "How long have you been like this?" She asked.
"Mercedes I am f—-!"
"Stop Arisa."
The woman looked over to the door and saw Florencio looking at her with a frown.
"You know very well you can't lie to me." He said and Dedue was beside him.
"My apologies Professor. It's just...I felt Lord Florencio would be better to check on you." He said and Arisa sighed.
"Thank you Dedue." She muttered and Florencio walked over to her and knelt.
"I need you to describe your symptoms," Florencio said as he opened his bag to start looking for medicine.
"Dizzy spells, my usual allergies because of the rainy season, lack of appetite and energy. And I just feel tired." Arisa explained as he nodded and cupped her face to have a closer look.
"Hmm..." he hummed, "Pale skin, you don't have circles under your eyes. They are a little shallow though. Hmm...when did this start?" He asked.
"The beginning of the month." She answered and took her hand.
"I need you to close your eyes and try to sync the magic of your crest with mine." He said.
"Sync her crest with yours? I have never heard of such a thing." Linhardt awed and Florencio chuckled a bit.
"It's an ancient technique that Saint Indech would use to tell if a person with a crest was suffering growth changes. Each crest is unique and possesses a special ability. However, it depends on the user if they could master those abilities." Linhardt quickly began taking notes.
"Those with the Crest of Blaiddyd have inhuman strength." Florencio began to explain as his niece closed her eyes and calmed her breathing, "Those with the Crest of Fraldarius have an incredible speed that if they master, they become blurs in battle. The Crest of Lamine, they can see into the souls of others." Mercedes eyes went wide, "Let's see...Ah! The Crest of Dominic, those that bear it have a strong affinity to dark magic but they can hear the voices of the earth." He grinned.
Florencio went back to the task and closed his eyes. The Crest of Serios and the Crest of Flames flared above them, the glow around the crest pulse in sync. Florencio could feel something.
"No...what is this?!" He felt like he was looking at some beast that snarled back at him in the center of the chest of the beast, and was the figure of his niece. Slowly being consumed.
Arisa quickly let go of his hand and stood up.
"I'll take the cold cold medicine." She said and quickly scurried out of the room before anyone could stop her.
"He saw it...Now he knows." Arisa thought as she climbed down the stairs and found the kitchen.
She walked in and of course, even the kitchen has an antique style. There was a table that was colored brown with bowls of fruits, jars of nuts, and glasses. The oven was built with bricks and was at the corner. On the left side was the sink and the right side was the stove. She saw that Erika was there eating breakfast.
"Oh, Lady Eisner! Is there something I can help you with?" The woman asked.
"Oh..Um...Just..can I get a cup of chamomile tea?" She asked and the woman nodded.
"Seems something is troubling you." The older woman said as she stood up and headed to the counter, "Did something happen?"
"I feel a bit sick." Arisa sighed and the woman handed her the cup.
"I know this is suddenly off topic but I want to thank you. My husband and I watched Lady Bernadetta grow up but also saw many things in this house." She smiled sadly, "I am glad to see Lady Bernadetta has finally found happiness. Even if she hasn't noticed it, she has changed. She seems...more confident. I am glad." She smiled at the woman, "Please continue to guide her."
"I will."
[—]
"Alright." Arisa said as she pointed to the map, "Today we will be spiriting into three groups." She looked at everyone.
"Professor, are you sure you should be going out?" Ashe looked at her concerned.
"I'll be alright. I took the medicine my uncle gave me." Arisa reassured them but they weren't buying it.
"Alright, so group one: Ingrid, Pollux, Dwyer, Annette, Ashe, and Castor. You four will go to Syfon Village, near the kinshi farm on the west side of the land. Lestia, Flayn, Dedue, Hai and Mercedes, you will go to Dolux Village, on the east side. Last group is with me, Dimitri, Felix, Lysithea, Linhardt, and Bernadetta. We will be heading South to Lacuna Village." Arisa said and turned to see Florencio coming.
"Take these with you." He handed each group a small box.
"What are these?" Flayn asked as she opened the box and inside were a total of 12 small syringes with green liquid.
"Ah! Be careful with those!" Florencio said and Flayn slowly closed the box again, "It's medicine. If any of you encounter any villagers that are acting savage or on a rampage, you are to immediately use that medicine on them. Let me show you how to use it." He took out one from his pocket and removed the cap that protected the needle.
"I'll use this piece of bread as an example. Pretend it's someone's exposed skin." He placed it on the table, "With the cap removed, gently flick the tip of the needle and allow just a tiny bit of liquid to squirt out." He demonstrated but gently flicking the needle and some liquid squirted out.
"Now, because you need to be quick, stab it!" And he stabbed the needle into the bread like if he was using an epi-pen.
Everyone was horrified when he did that but Arisa didn't flinch because she's done it so many times in her life.
"The syringe will inject the medicine into the body and knock them out but also temporarily remove the effects of the dark magic for a few days. This will allow you to bring them back to the mansion so they could be taken by the knights to church to make sure they're okay. Any questions?" Everyone shook their heads, "Alright. Ah, Arisa." He looked to his niece.
"I will be joining the second group. The reason for this is because a friend of mine is the village elder of Dolux. He has requested me to see their son." He explained and Arisa nodded.
"Alright. Everyone, we'll be taking our riding units! The first two villages are 2 hours away. Lacuna village is 3 hours. Everyone go make sure their kinshin, griffon, horse, falicorn, Pegasus, or wyvern is well! Let's go!" She yelled.
"YES!"
Chapter 66: Withering Flower: Part 1:Varley