Lady Rhea and Seteth were completely nonplussed at the news. A knight had just informed them of something they weren't entirely expecting to happen. Lonato - lord of the Gaspard region in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus - recently began rallying troops against the Church. They couldn't conceive of any reason why he would do such a thing, but their minds did not linger for long, as they were reminded of what the monastery's newest professor told them.
"It's regarding myself, Lady Rhea. You see, I possess a special 'ability' of sorts. I know things about the world that I shouldn't. Things that have been kept secret from the populace for centuries. Not only that - I can see the future."
...
"Well, I don't have anything I can show you, but I can give you a hint of sorts. Next month, during the Garland Moon, Lord Lonato of the Kingdom of Faerghus will be inciting a rebellion towards your church."
Lucas was right. His prediction came true. Seteth had been informed of Lucas' revelations almost immediately after Rhea learnt about them herself. Her comrade needed to know. Now that it was possible Lucas really did know about things he shouldn't, the two needed to speak.
"Rhea…" Seteth began, worried. "Do you suppose this man knows of our true identity?"
"It is possible. Yet we must be aware of the vague wording he used. We have no means of knowing the true depths of his knowledge. Just as it is possible he is aware of our identity, he may very well not be aware. Let us approach with caution," Rhea advised, her calming voice soothing Seteth's worries. "It may even be a possibility that he is, or was, working with Lonato. Or perhaps our enemies."
"Our enemies? You can't mean the Agarthans? Impossible. Lucas is very clearly a human. Even if he was one of them, why would he promise to assist us? There would be no logic in his actions."
"We know the Agarthans possess many tricks we are unaware of. Perhaps Lucas is utilising one of them. There is no way to be certain, which is why we must question him."
"I see. Let us hope that the knight we sent out is able to locate him quickly. I would much rather have my fears be absolved sooner rather than later."
Rhea and Seteth remained silent as they patiently awaited the arrival of the man they were hoping to chat with. It took some time, but eventually, Lucas arrived in the chamber. Seteth closed the door behind the professor and motioned for him to follow the two Nabateans into the smaller room to the side of the chamber - granting them privacy.
"Judging from the measures you're putting into place, I'm gonna assume that this is about Lonato," Lucas guessed, trembling slightly under the gaze of Rhea and Seteth.
"You would be correct," Seteth confirmed with a nod. "It seems your prediction has come to pass. We would both like to know: what are the limitations of your knowledge?"
"Limitations?" Lucas paused to think. "Well, I don't know every single thing. For example, I don't know either of your favourite colours. I don't know what you two plan on eating next. I don't know the next decision a random Adrestian lord will make. Things that don't matter much in the grander scheme of Fodlan."
"So you are saying you only know about things that have some manner of impact on Fodlan at large?" Seteth asked.
"That is the bulk of my knowledge, yes. Though, I wouldn't say all of what I know is irrelevant to this continent's development. For example, I know that Professor Jeritza likes sweets. I also happen to know that you, Seteth, like writing," Lucas clarified. "Which is funny, because I'm a writer myself. Maybe we can talk more about that later?"
"Perhaps later, indeed," Seteth agreed, smiling slightly. "Back to the matter at hand, it appears you are also aware of seemingly random facts about certain residents of Fódlan. How interesting."
"Yes, very interesting. I must ask, Lucas. Last time we spoke, you mentioned you could see the future. I assume that is how you knew of Lonato's rebellion?" Rhea questioned.
Lucas nodded. "That's exactly how I knew. I'm also aware of what'll happen next month, the month after that, and every other month following."
"I see. And you merely intend to use this knowledge to better Fodlan as a whole? Do you mean to say you will act to prevent any tragedies or attacks?" Rhea continued to ask.
"Yes. I will do whatever I can to ensure nothing bad happens to anyone here. That includes you two," Lucas answered, pointing at the two Nabateans. "Let's not beat around the bush. I know about the Agarthans and what they plan on doing. I know how terrible and absolutely vile they are as beings. Know that I will NEVER let them succeed. Ever."
"Not many people are aware of Agarthans. The only ones that do are myself, Rhea and perhaps some unfortunate citizens. They are truly a despicable bunch," Seteth commented. A vicious frown of hate formed on his face. "Judging from what you've said, I will assume that you do not work for them in any capacity."
"Correct," confirmed Lucas. "I do not work for the Agarthans. My interest lies in the general betterment of Fodlan as a country, not in its destruction by the hands of some ancient rats. While I may not be particularly strong or skilled, I do have foreknowledge on my side. And they don't even know I exist. I think I can do something to help, at the very least."
"You have proven yourself, Lucas. Your prediction has come true and your actions indicate you have Fodlan's best interests at heart. I will believe in you for now. Know that if you ever do anything that harms the church or Fodlan as a whole, I shall have you executed. Do I make myself clear?" Rhea hinted, an aura of absolute authority seemingly radiating from her very being.
"Yes, Lady Rhea. I understand. I will never do anything to betray your trust," Lucas claimed, bowing not only in respect but also to hide the brief rush of fear that came through him.
"I am pleased to hear you say that. Now, before I let you go, is there anything we should be aware of in regards to Lonato's rebellion?" Rhea wondered, smiling in appreciation for Lucas' words.
"There is. After Lonato is dealt with, a note will be uncovered by the Knights of Seiros. That note has details on a plan to attack you, Lady Rhea, at the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth,'' Lucas revealed. "In actuality, the note's merely intended for distraction. Their real plan is to infiltrate the Holy Mausoleum and steal the remains of Sothis from a special casket. However, the coffin they'll open actually contains the Sword of the Creator."
"Are you serious?! This has some major implications," Seteth realised upon hearing Lucas' revelation. "It seems we must double our efforts to guard the Holy Mausoleum on that date. Thank you, Lucas."
"You're welcome, Seteth. I-wait a minute. I have an idea," Lucas was about to say before being interrupted by himself. "Well, the beginnings of an idea, anyway."
"What is it?" Seteth wondered.
"Well, if you do begin to guard the Holy Mausoleum better than how you would otherwise, then they may change their approach and come in through an unexpected way. I suggest you don't do anything special in regards to the mausoleum. Practically invite them in. Then, we can surround them while they're in there and prevent their escape," Lucas suggested. "Maybe you can make that my house's mission for the month. We can be the ones to intercept them."
"Are you positive that you and your students will be able to handle such a responsibility?" Rhea inquired.
"I think we can. That won't happen until the end of next month, so we'll have about two months worth of training under our belt before then. We should be able to handle the Agarthan subordinates that decide to come in," Lucas stated, his calm state providing confidence.
"I see. Seteth and I will think about this when it comes time to plan for that occurrence. As of now, we will begin discussing what to do for Lonato. We will call upon you if we need to make use of your knowledge," Rhea informed him. "Seteth, unlock the door so he may leave. Thank you again, Lucas."
"You're welcome."
Lucas followed Seteth as the advisor did as he was instructed, unlocking the door to the chamber. This allowed Lucas to depart once it was open again. Rhea and Seteth remained within the chamber as they began to plan for future events. Meanwhile, Lucas - now that he was aware of Lonato's rebellion going underway - had some people to check in on.
Before he could do any of that, Lucas was stopped outside of the audience chamber by one Professor Hanneman.
"Ah, Lucas. I am glad I have found you. Might you be able to assist me with my research, if it's not too much trouble?" The elder requested. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties."
"It should be fine, I think. I don't have anything pressing to do at the moment," Lucas replied with a smile. "What do you need help with?"
"Wonderful! Follow me back to my office so that we may speak privately."
Curiously, Lucas decided to humour the man's request and follow him to said room, the door being properly closed for privacy's sake. Lucas felt a wave of deja vu come over him, yet was soon distracted from those aimless thoughts when Hanneman pulled out an empty vial and a scalpel.
"Ever since you tested rather strangely on my Crest Analyzer, I've been researching the many possibilities of what your results could mean. I have not been able to scrounge up any concrete theories, but I do have some ideas. I would like to be able to test those ideas. Which is what leads us to these." He shook the vial and scalpel, bringing attention to them. "I need a sample of your blood. Just a small one. I can then analyse that sample with the effects I currently possess, hopefully to come across anything that may explain your unique situation. Can you provide me with the sample I need?"
"Sure. I don't see why not. Do I just cut myself with your scalpel and let the blood drop into the vial?" Lucas asked for clarification's sake.
"Yes. On your finger, please," Hanneman instructed as he handed over the medical devices.
Lucas nodded and got to work. He put down the vial so he could use his two hands to focus on the cutting process. A quick slice later, a small cut formed on his right index finger. Before a single piece of blood could fall, he grabbed the vial and held it up to the cut, jiggling his finger around to force out a drop of blood. Luckily, it worked. Lucas handed back the vial. Hanneman provided Lucas with a Vulnerary, which the younger man applied on his cut to heal it back to normal.
"Splendid! Thank you very much, Lucas. I shall study this sample immediately," Hanneman thanked his colleague as he placed his scalpel back into his drawer and the vial onto his desk. "That is all I need from you. Oh, wait a moment, there's one more thing."
Lucas titled his head in confusion. "What's that?"
"We professors are supposed to host seminars once every day that should pertain to a topic of our choosing. I am hosting a seminar on Reason magic, for example. Manuela is hosting one on Faith magic. You are new, so you've been granted some exemption from this for some time. However, you should be starting one by now. Come up with a topic and then speak to Seteth. He will sort out the administrative side of it for you," Hanneman informed him.
"Oh, I see. Okay then. I'll think of something, thanks for letting me know."
Now that all matters were handled here in the Crest researcher's office, Lucas turned right around and headed out of the door, getting back to what he planned on doing. While on the way, Byleth was very clearly thinking about something.
"The Crest Analyzer test…" He thought 'aloud'. "Was it truly reacting to our presence?"
"Seemed that way. Why are you asking? Do you have an idea?" Lucas asked while walking.
"I'm just wondering something. You have yet to try casting magic, right?" Byleth answered with another question.
"No, not yet. I've been busy being beaten to death by Jeralt. My sword skills have been the focal point of my training," Lucas explained. "I haven't had the time to try, what with that and all the professor stuff I've been doing. That and I've just kinda forgotten, heh. Y'know, maybe I'll do that later today after I'm done with talking to Edelgard and Dimitri. Assuming that doesn't take too long."
The conversation was dropped, yet Byleth resumed thinking.
Out of the two he needed to speak with, Lucas ended up meeting Dimitri first. The prince was hanging around the training grounds, most certainly trying to improve his spear work. Lucas peered into the grounds and found the Blue Lions' house leader violently stabbing what he hoped was a dummy. He couldn't quite see from the angle he had.
After getting the prince's attention, it was soon made clear that he hadn't anticipated Lucas' prediction coming true. Dimitri wasn't quite fully convinced, but he at least agreed to hear another foretelling. Overall, it was quite the comfortable conversation, despite the unusual subject matter.
However, it was the next conversation the professor dreaded.
Edelgard wasn't far off. She was standing around the fishing pond, seemingly without purpose. Alone with no Hubert beside her. Being in such a state almost terrified her. Almost reminded her of...something. She calmed herself, taking a deep breath as she stared into the horizon. Her temporary loneliness faded once her professor arrived.
"Professor. Are you here to relax like I am?" She asked.
"Uh, not quite. I'm here to talk to you about something," he replied, checking his surroundings. "It's about my foresight."
"I understand. I have heard about Lonato and his rallying of troops. It seems your prediction has come to pass, indicating that your claim regarding your future sight is legitimate indeed," Edelgard noted, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You said you know what I plan to do. Is this linked to how you were aware of Lonato's rebellion?"
"Yes. It all comes from my future sight, my foreknowledge, whatever you wanna call it. If you need further evidence, then wait until you hear about the note that talks about a plot to assassinate Lady Rhea," Lucas confirmed, whispering as well. "Just as a reminder, I don't want to get in your way. I only want to help you achieve your goals. But I know all about the path you'll walk down if you choose not to heed my words."
"You do? Tell me. What will happen?"
"You'll be vilified. Seen as the worst, most ruthless empress Fodlan has ever seen. Everyone will hate you. Thousands upon thousands of innocents dead at your hand. You'll try to reason it all by saying the ends justify the means, but internally, you'll be weeping. You'll be sad for all the lives your methods would end up taking. You'll be throwing yourself down an abyss of pain that you won't be able to climb your way out of," Lucas warned, staring intensely into Edelgard's purple eyes.
The princess clenched her fist.
"Even so, I must. For the sake of Fodlan, I'm willing to sacrifice anything. That includes my own happiness," she declared.
"You know how I said I have future sight? And how it has been proven thanks to Lonato? Well, I'm aware of at least four possible futures for Fodlan. In three of them, you are killed and your plans are not able to come to fruition. Despite that, Fodlan is able to thrive. Less importance is placed on Crests, the people of the country become less racist and governmental reforms grant the average person a chance to speak for the sake of their land, regardless of whatever social standing they have. Is that not what you want?"
Edelgard grit her teeth. "What of the church and the Agarthans?"
"In all futures, the church remains, yet it is reformed. On the other hand, the Agarthans are pretty much always hunted down and executed for their crimes against humanity. If you abandon the path you're on now and listen to me, we can change the church into something that isn't so controlling. It's possible to do so. I've seen it become something different. Not as different as you may like, but there's no reason to say you can't turn the dial any further in that direction, figuratively speaking."
Edelgard fell silent. She contemplated Lucas' words.
"One more thing. Dimitri and Claude essentially want the same thing you do. They just so happen to be the heirs of their respective territories, so why not work alongside them and thus forgo any regrets?"
"You're certain?"
"Positive. Those futures I mentioned? One of them comes about from Claude temporarily ruling Fodlan, while another comes from Dimitri doing the same. The Fodlans they create aren't that much different from the one you want. You should be able to talk to them to come up with something of a compromise, at the very least."
Edelgard remained quiet as she was in deep thought. Lucas was patient with the girl, granting her as much time as she needed to think. As a new breeze blew her pale white hair, she spoke up.
"I will admit. Those possibilities of a Fodlan that attains peace without the need for me to stain my hands...it sounds nice. Too good to be true, in fact. But I know I cannot simply brush off your claims as mere hearsay. Not after you've proven yourself. I...will think about it. This is too much of a decision for me to make on the spot in this manner. I will let you know when I have an answer. I will also wait to see if your additional claims are legitimate. That may influence my decision, so I would like to see what happens."
"That's fine, Edelgard. Take the time you need. Things like this shouldn't be rushed. I'll see you at our next class."
Lucas turned around to make his leave, ready to let the young woman stew on her possibilities for now. However, before he could depart for good, Edelgard had something else to say.
"Professor! I need to ask."
Lucas spun back around to face her. "What's up?"
"Last time, you were practically quivering in fear. But today, you were able to approach me without stammering. Is Hubert that intimidating for you?"
"Uh, well, kind of. When I can feel his murderous intent, that's when I start quivering. I'm quite the sensitive and fragile person so that sort of thing gets me more than it should," Lucas disclosed, slightly embarrassed.
"I see. Sometimes I find myself to be overly sensitive as well. I empathise with you, Professor. Thank you for speaking with me," she responded with a small smile.
Lucas returned her smile using one of his own. "You're welcome." He then left the area, keen to actually relax and take his mind off things. Especially things that regarded the future.
Following his discussion with the soon-to-be Empress of the Adrestian Empire (the fact he'd been speaking to actual royalty wasn't lost on him), Lucas wasn't sure what else to do. He could have retreated back to his bedroom and waste the day away, yet a strange part of his own being convinced him not to. It was a part of himself he wasn't very familiar with. Ever since he started training in general, he found his lazier habits ebbing away. He was now more inclined to always be doing something rather than nothing.
Which is why Lucas chose to head over to the knights' training ground. It was a Saturday, after all.
Upon arriving at the massive building that was detached from the main monastery grounds, he took the same path he remembered taking whenever coming over to train with Jeralt. The numerous training rooms were soon within reach. Lucas found an empty one, picked up a training blade and got to work.
At that point, his swordsmanship was nowhere near as terrible as it was at first. Although that didn't mean he was a master, not by any stretch of the imagination. His movements were slow and sloppy, which would lead to his blows being parried easily, as evidenced by the mock battle and the fight against the bandits in his class' first mission. The power behind his strikes wasn't the best. Lucas was still quite weak, at least in comparison to everyone else. He was glad he didn't have to seriously fight to the death anyone as skilled as Jeralt. Not yet, anyway. Bandits had been his only opponents thus far, but Lucas knew his 'luck' in that regard would soon run out.
Soon, he'd be faced with trained soldiers and mages. His opponents will only be getting stronger and when the war begins, he'll have to face them in ever larger numbers.
Lucas didn't have much time. He had to improve his skills - fast.
After some time was spent uselessly slashing at a training dummy, Lucas remembered something.
"Hey, I said I'd try casting magic today, didn't I? I suppose I can give that a shot now," he realised, addressing his brain-roommates. His 'brainmates'.
"It is worth trying. Do you know how the casting process works?" Byleth queried him.
"Yeah, I read about it in one of the books I needed to read in preparation for my classes. You need to pull upon the magical energies within yourself and then mould it with your mind to create the specific kind of spell you wanna cast. Then you command that magical energy to come flying out of your hand," Lucas explained, looking to Byleth for validation.
"That's correct. Casting is a little more complex than you're putting it, but that is the rough idea of how it works," Byleth confirmed, nodding. "Some spells are more complex to create than others. For example, Fire is the easiest one to mould your magical energy into as it is simply a fireball and nothing else. Something like Meteor or Bolting is much more difficult to pull off since those are very complex spells in execution, consisting of large magical objects or a massive range of effect."
"Got it. The more complex the spell, the more mana you'll need in order to use it, right? And it's possible to increase your levels of mana by using more spells, similar to how you train muscles?"
"Yes. To both. If you try to use a spell that is out of your range of capability, then you can end up with severe injuries. Perhaps even fatal ones. Which is why you should begin with Fire."
"Makes sense to me. Alright, time to grab those magical energies…"
Lucas stood still, doing what that book said in an attempt to find the mana within him. He calmed his mind and steadied his breathing, keeping his movements to an absolute minimum. The only sound he could hear were the distant yellings of knights training in the other rooms. In this one moment, Lucas achieved internal peace. He searched deep within himself for whatever his mana was.
However, he didn't know what to look for. He found something, so he decided to start pulling on that. Using his imagination to assume that thing he pulled was being turned into something that at least vaguely resembled a fireball, Lucas mentally dragged it to his fingertips. With a dramatic flair, he flung his arm forward.
Nothing happened.
"Huh? Wasn't that my magical energy?" He wondered, looking all around his physical body and surroundings to see if anything changed whatsoever. Nothing.
"No. You were pulling on something you thought was mana, yet it was merely a construct your conscious created in order to force the whole process to work. In other words, you tricked yourself," Byleth revealed. "Hmm. Let me check something."
Lucas waited while Byleth did something. He had absolutely no idea what the godly mortal was up to. In the black void of Lucas' mind, Byleth was standing there with his eyes closed. None of his body parts were moving in the slightest. Lucas jumped in surprise once Byleth opened his eyes and began speaking.
"It seems you possess no magical energy whatsoever," Byleth divulged. "This is unusual."
"Says you, Mr. No Heartbeat," Lucas joked around. "But seriously, what do you mean?"
"With no mana, you will not be able to begin the casting process. This means you are unable to use any magic. This is very strange, as anyone is capable of casting. Some may find it more difficult to tap into their energies than others, but to not have any energies in the first place is unheard of," Byleth answered, his brows furrowing.
"Maybe it's got something to do with my world. We don't have magic," Lucas suggested, shrugging.
"You may be right. Either way, I am unsure how to help someone that has no mana. Or perhaps…" Byleth fell into another lull, full of thinking. Lucas patiently waited for a response. "Do you remember how Hanneman's Crest Analyzer would activate when it detected my presence within you?"
"Yes?" Lucas nodded, confused. "Where is this going?"
"It may have been an indication that my mana is active. I might be able to provide you with it since I'm in your mind."
Lucas thought about this for a second. "So you're saying that you can be my magic battery?"
"Yes," Byleth confirmed. "It should work. In theory, at least."
The professor of the Black Eagles stood there, his mouth agape even in the physical realm. He had been fully prepared to accept the possibility that magic would forever be out of his reach, having deflated in disappointment once he assumed it to be the case. But now the possibility was being reintroduced. It was possible again.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Feed me the mana and I'll see if I can cast Fire," Lucas requested, grinning in excitement.
Byleth wasted no further time in beginning the process. He controlled the magic he spent so many years mastering and used his connection with Lucas' mind to send just a small amount of his mana into the newbie's main bodily systems. When this happened, Lucas could feel something was different about himself. He felt something of a spark, an ignition going off within him. A warm energy flowed throughout his body.
"This must be mana!" He exclaimed.
Lucas grabbed onto the energy with his metaphorical hand, playing around with it as if he was a child discovering playdough or any liquid for the first time. Then he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. Channelling the mana into his hands, Lucas tried to envision the energy moulding itself into a fireball, but he didn't know precisely what that would look like, so he made a lot of vague assumptions. Once he felt he was ready, Lucas brought back his dramatic arm fling.
A small puff of flames emerged from his fingertips. It quickly dissipated.
"That…" Lucas responded, initially seeming disappointed. "...was cool! I can cast fucking MAGIC, holy shit!"
"Well done," Byleth smiled. "It seems my hypothesis was correct. I can indeed be your 'magic battery', as you put it. Since it's my mana you're using, it's likely you'll share all of my affinities. But we can think about that later."
"Affinities? You mean like, what spells people learn?"
"Something like that. Any mage can learn any spell, it's just that some people will have a harder time utilising specific elements. I have an affinity for fire magic and I can also use Thunder with no problems. Maybe it will be the same way for you, since again, it's my mana you're using and you come from a world with no magic or affinities to speak of."
"Huh. Maybe. But hey, my casting skills are absolute crap right now. We should probably focus on that before we worry about affinities or whatever. Either way, I can't wait to become at least a decent magic user!" Lucas exclaimed in happiness.
"That's the right mindset to have. Training is necessary for self development."
"I couldn't agree more."
Lucas continued training, throwing casting practice into the mix. He was very keen on getting his magical capabilities improved. Primarily for the sake of being able to say that he could use magic. To be the first resident of Earth to cast a real spell. Although being in Fodlan thus far had mostly brought him more stress and anxiety than usual, Lucas almost felt as if all of it was worth it for moments of pure bliss like these.
Author Notes: I like the ideas that are being brought up in the reviews. That's all I'll say.
Don't forget to join the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord server! I'm there along with a whole load of other cool writers! Here's the invite code: 9XG3U7a.
See y'all next time!
EDIT (25/11/2021): I feel like I accidentally put the date down as 2012 for one of the previous "EDIT" sections in these chapters. Oh well.