"I see...so that is what happened."
Rhea raised a smile. She, along with her advisor Seteth, had just been listening to a combined report from Professor Lucas and Sir Gilbert. What occurred during their mission inside Conand Tower mostly satisfied the Archbishop. Yet there was one thing in particular that gave her cause for concern. One unexpected element nobody could have foreseen. Its originator had been hanging their head in shame, facing the floor for most of the meeting. Whenever they allowed themselves to show their face, nary a smile could have been seen. Rhea's brows furrowed as she assessed the professor's emotional state.
"However, you have succeeded in retrieving the Lance of Ruin.," Seteth stated. "I must ask that you return it to us, Sir Gilbert. We shall ensure it finds its way back to House Gautier."
Gilbert simply nodded and handed over the Heroes' Relic to Seteth.
"Thank you, Gilbert."
"You are welcome, Sir Seteth. It pleases me that we were able to complete the mission," Gilbert responded. He closed his eyes. "Though, I cannot say it was executed without flaws."
"I am sorry to hear that you have lost several of your men. They sacrificed themselves so you may live. They are now in the embrace of the Goddess," Seteth comforted the knight.
"Many thanks." Gilbert's eyes reopened.
Not a single indication of tears could be seen, yet Seteth could tell. He knew Gilbert well enough that the man was likely weeping on the inside. The topic was quickly dropped as Rhea spoke up, facing the human who was outwardly upset.
"Lucas," she addressed him. "Please, look at me."
He complied. His eyes were surrounded with blackness and he stared with a weak gaze that indicated a lack of energy. His movements were generally sluggish as well. Rhea almost let out a light gasp, yet she was able to maintain herself.
"I will not pretend to understand why you did what you did," she began. "However, I will suggest that you learn to control yourself. Make yourself certain that such an occurrence shall never happen again. Not only for the Church's reputation, but for your own sake as well."
Lucas weakly nodded. "Y-yes, Lady Rhea."
"Thank you, Professor. I would also recommend that you get some rest. A teacher that falls asleep during class is not an effective one," Rhea continued to advise. "Professor Lucas, Sir Gilbert, you two may leave."
Both humans performed a slow nod in acknowledgement of the Archbishop's order, although each nod was charged with differing levels of energy. They then started to depart from the audience chamber. But before Lucas could leave, he was stopped by the radiant green-haired woman behind him.
"Professor!" Rhea called out. "There is something else I wish to discuss with you. May you remain here for a time longer?"
"Uh, s-sure."
Lucas halted in place, then walked back to the spot he was standing in previously. Seteth closed the door behind Gilbert and locked it, returning to Rhea's side. Despite feeling a yawn coming on, Lucas restrained it. The atmosphere in the chamber suddenly became much too tense for such a distracting action. Waiting a few seconds to ensure nobody was listening in, Rhea initiated the conversation.
"I understand next month will be when Flayn is abducted," she brought up. "Is that correct?"
"Yes," Lucas confirmed, his mouth twitching as he struggled to fight back the yawn.
"I also understand that we currently have a traitor in our midst. And you wish to add another so that both can be eliminated at the same time. Is that also correct?" Rhea asked. Lucas confirmed this. "I see. Ordinarily, I would reprimand you for such a heinous idea. Yet, I feel as if I can trust you. Especially in regards to your predictions."
Seteth clenched his free hand, his other holding the Lance of Ruin. Rhea flashed him a comforting smile.
"Do not fret, Seteth. I know you worry much for your daughter, but Lucas has not been wrong. If he says Flayn is to be unharmed, then you will have nothing to worry about," she reassured her ally.
Seteth, albeit hesitatingly, released his clenched fist. "You are right, Rhea. But I shall always worry for Flayn's wellbeing. Not a thing will change that."
"Of course. That is only to be expected. I will trust you won't defend her from whomever her captor is. You should know that would only ruin our plan," Rhea reminded.
"It will be difficult, but I understand its importance. You have my word, Rhea. I will not jeopardise the plan," Seteth vowed, bowing slightly. He then gazed upon Lucas. "You should best hope that Flayn is not injured by her captor."
"R-right. She won't be, I can assure you that. Not in any major way, at least," claimed Lucas. "Is that all you wanted to talk about, Lady Rhea?"
"Yes. I merely wished to confirm what I have heard. Now you may leave."
Happy to do precisely that, Lucas left the audience chamber as soon as Seteth unlocked it. The two Nabateans remained in the moderately wide open room. Rhea placed her gaze upon Seteth, who'd been staring at the floor for almost an entire minute upon Lucas' departure. Curiosity and concern took hold of her. Both were erased when he began speaking.
"I am aware we need him in order to counter their plans. But, Lady Rhea, that man is unhinged. No regular individual would have snapped in his position," Seteth asserted. He turned in place, quickly returning Rhea's gaze with a pained expression. "We have legitimate reasons to believe in his foresight, yet there are many aspects about him we do not know of. I find it hard to place my trust in such an oxymoronic man."
Rhea closed her eyes in acknowledgement. "That is very understandable, Seteth. His peculiarity frustrates me, as well. However, it is clear we need his guidance. The Agarthans have been able to implant their imposters within our ranks without us knowing. Without Lucas, we would not have even known of their existence. It's very likely they have other schemes in mind we have no idea of. Lucas is our window. Our window to see into the minds of our enemies, allowing us to counteract their plans."
Seteth scowled.
"That irritates me to no end. To have to rely on such an unreliable person-!"
"I understand." Rhea dropped her smile. "But as of now, there is no other choice. We will have to make sure he feels comfortable around us. With such a fragile mind as his, we need to be careful."
"The more comfortable he is, the more information he will likely share with us. Is that your line of thinking?"
Rhea nodded. Seteth grunted a little.
"If that is what you want, Lady Rhea. I just hope he will not have another murderous moment. What if he has one of those against us?"
"We will subdue him if need be," Rhea stated. "I feel confident that it will not be necessary, however. As long as we can maintain his positivity, I am certain the Agarthans shall fall."
A new day arrived. Waking up with much reluctance, Lucas prepared himself for the day ahead. Getting dressed, cleaning himself, eating breakfast and preparing for the Black Eagles' lesson. Obtaining as well as reading notes from his bedroom had been forcibly shoved into his morning routine long ago. At least, his morning routine from whenever he was at Garreg Mach and not at camp or anything of the sort. The process of preparing for lessons became second nature for Lucas.
However, there was something about it this time that carried a certain level of dread. An overwhelming feeling, a sense of darkness that would soon envelop him. While he was uncertain about exactly what it would bring, there was something he could attribute its origins to. He grunted to himself, then entered the classroom and got things set up for the lesson.
Delivering the lesson was a strangely difficult task. Not overbearingly so, but there was something that made the process much more challenging than normal. That same dread from earlier. Staring at the many faces of his students, Lucas could plainly see they weren't using their normal expressions. Most seemed disturbed or uneasy in some way. Namely the likes of Caspar, Ferdinand, Dorothea and even Petra. Bernadetta especially seemed many times more afraid than usual. Linhardt was half-asleep, so getting an idea of where his head was at was both easy and hard at the same time.
In what could be considered a mirror situation, Lucas' own state of being reflected that of his students when he noticed Hubert. The black-hearted man of similar age to the professor was as terrifying as he regularly was, but there was something different about him. Lucas couldn't quite place it. He was most certainly strange today, at the very least.
Out of everyone, Edelgard was the only person that persisted with her usual self. She listened to Lucas' half-baked explanations and interpretations with about as much curiosity as she usually had, which was nice. It was a comfort in the sea of scared selves before him.
After an hour of teaching, the bell rang. Students dispersed and departed from the classroom with a noticeably higher amount of urgency to their movements, save for Edelgard and Linhardt. That only served to confirm his fears.
"They are terrified of you," Sothis provided additional confirmation.
"I can only imagine why," said Lucas, sarcastically. "Heh, they must think of me as a monster. I wouldn't be surprised if they all started transferring to a different class. I mean, who would want a rabid murderer as a teacher?"
"Stop," Sothis commanded, taking an authoritative tone.
Lucas kept going. "I just didn't stop. I kept stabbing him, even though he was already dead. I was controlled by rage. Can someone like that really be trusted? I'm honestly surprised I'm still here."
"Stop!" Sothis insisted, raising her voice.
"How long can I keep going? How long will it be until I wind up dead, just like those knights, Victor and Alexei? Will I even have a valiant hero's death, or will it be abrupt like Victor's was? Will anyone even realise I died? Will I just be forgotten forever?"
"STOP!" Sothis yelled at that point.
Lucas didn't stop. He persisted with his self-deprecating thoughts as he stood behind his desk, stared into the ground and wondered about the many unknowns and possible negative outcomes. After about a minute of this, Sothis decided she had enough. She stretched out her palm and released a surge of energy. It pulsed throughout Lucas' brain, creating a sudden jolt of pain that almost caused him to collapse.
"I...what? What the hell was that?" Lucas wondered, checking both the physical world and the mental void.
"It was me. I did that," Sothis revealed, bringing his attention to her. "You were walking down a dark path and you weren't listening to me. I had to stop you. Now, you'll listen to me."
Lucas nodded, alert.
"I understand how you operate, so I will not talk about this for long. Know that every being is bound to the inevitability that is making a mistake. Even I am no exception," Sothis disclosed.
"Really?" Lucas asked curiously. "You're a goddess. Aren't you supposed to be free from the limitations of mortal beings or something?"
"Don't rub it in my face," Sothis huffed. "But yes, that is supposed to be the case. However, as you may already know, I am not perfect. I accepted that when I broke free of my amnesia thanks to Byleth."
Lucas paused, an idea coming to him. "You're referring to how you handled those humans long ago, aren't you? The same ones that banded together to defeat you and craft the Sword of the Creator."
"Indeed. The fact that I can even be slain is proof of my imperfection," Sothis lamented. "I hope you are beginning to understand. It is natural to be imperfect, to make mistakes. Do not dwell on what has been done. Instead, focus on what can be done. Ensure that you do not make the same mistake again."
The professor fell silent, his head drooping towards the floor in both realities. Sothis remained on her throne, observing quietly as the man thought about her words.
"I...I don't-"
"Professor?"
A voice called out for him from the physical world. He looked up, ignoring Sothis, the mental void and mostly everything he'd been thinking about so he could see who this new arrival was. Fear returned to him.
"Oh, uh, H-Hubert. W-what's the matter? Did you need s-something explained?" Lucas stammered.
"Hmph. I suppose I do," Hubert von Vestra answered. A single arm was held behind his back. "Professor, can you explain to me why you are the way you are?"
Lucas tilted his head. He could now see that the door to the classroom had been closed, likely from when Hubert entered. A vague purple light could also be seen in that direction - adding to his confusion. Hubert grinned maliciously.
"A man with such uncontrollable murderous urges like yourself cannot be trusted to stand beside Lady Edelgard."
Lucas froze. The purple light began to intensify.
"You have instilled far too much indecision within her. She has already begun to diverge from her path, despite how many preparations she has made. You are leading her down an uncertain future. I cannot allow that."
He moved his hand in front of himself, displaying the ball of dark magic he'd been conjuring behind his back.
"I will remove you so I can rectify this mistake."
Hubert fired his Miasma at Lucas, who was too frozen with fear to evade. He was blown backwards by the effect of the Dark Magic spell, his back crashing against the lower end of the wall behind him. His head smacked against the glass, damaging it slightly without causing a crack.
While on the ground, Lucas rubbed the back of his head and glanced up at Hubert, whose massively intimidating gaze sent a thousand shivers all throughout Lucas' soul.
"H-Hubert! What the h-hell are you doing?!" The professor questioned, his mind racing.
"As I said, Professor. I will remove you. Lady Edelgard has no need of your confusing ways. With you gone, her path will be clear. All of its obstructions shall be no more. That includes you."
Hubert released another Miasma. Now that Lucas was shaken from his frozen state, he dodged. Hubert fired another Miasma, forcing Lucas to jump to the side once more. The spell flew harmlessly by the professor's head and into a shelf propped up by the wall, breaking several racks, causing numerous books to rain onto the floor. Hubert continued firing relentlessly.
And Lucas kept dodging. Instinctively, he placed a hand on his sheathed blade, but released his grip when he remembered he wasn't fighting some random dark mage. He was fighting Hubert - his student. Hesitation came to him. He remained in a perpetual state of evasion, even as the mage pulled out other spells such as Mire and Banshee, all of which created a humongous mess in the classroom.
"Hubert! Stop this r-right now! Don't you understand what'll happen if you kill a professor? You'll be expelled!" Lucas tried to persuade his attacker. He had an idea. "What'll you do with Lady Edelgard if that happens? You won't be able to protect her!"
"I shall take whatever punishment comes my way, if it's for Lady Edelgard," Hubert countered, firing a spell.
"You don't think my p-predictions are worth it? You don't think that they'll be able to help her g-get what she wants?" Lucas objected, evading the spell.
"It will be unfortunate to lose that advantage. However, keeping you around is far more dangerous than the alternative. I believe it's worth it," refuted Hubert. "Now hold still! Allow me to make this quick for you."
Lucas' nostrils flared. He raised the tone of his voice. "Damn it, Hubert! How can you be this stupid?!"
"Heh," Hubert only smirked at this supposed provocation. "There it is. Your backbone; it's showing itself. It seems it only occurs when you're pushed into a corner. Either literally, or mentally. Someone such as that would never be able to stand alongside Lady Edelgard."
"Just stop it, damn it!" Lucas scowled. "Are you gonna allow me to Divine Pulse this one, Sothis?"
"No, I don't believe that will help. It's clear your student has been planning this for quite some time. Turning back the hands of time will not change that," Sothis refused. "Not unless you turn them all the way back to the beginning. But even I am unsure how Byleth was ever able to do that."
"So I'm just gonna have to deal with this? What if I die?!" Lucas asked incredulously.
"That will only happen if you are unable to handle the situation."
"Alright, fine, whatever. I'm not gonna hurt my own student. Seteth won't like that. But I'm not gonna be able to talk him down, so what the hell am I gonna do…?"
Lucas grit his teeth. Unwilling to harm his student, he defaulted to continually evading all of Hubert's attempts on his life. As the attack continued, the classroom became increasingly damaged. Some of the student benches were broken, more shelving units had been destroyed and many books were piling up on the floor. It didn't seem as if there was a way out.
At one point, Lucas tripped over a piece of wood that broke off from a bench, resulting in him collapsing to the floor once more. Hubert took this opportunity to extend out his arm, aiming a final Miasma at his teacher.
"The end has arrived, Professor. Rather, Lucas," Hubert said with a sense of finality as he stood over Lucas' body. "I am glad that you have chosen now to stop avoiding my attacks. I was running out of magical energy. Though, I would have been fine with using my bare hands. I've done it before."
"D-damn…" Lucas tried to pull himself up, but Hubert stood on one of his legs, preventing him from doing so. "You really want to do this? Did Edelgard even ask you to do it?"
"No, but I have her ultimate goal in mind. It is all in service to that end," Hubert explained, readying his spell. "Goodbye, Professor. You will no longer be a thorn in Lady Edelgard's side."
Lucas braced himself, ready for the end. He closed his eyes. The last thing he saw before complete darkness was its personification in Hubert. With the pulsing of Dark Magic nearly right in front of him, Lucas awaited death.
…
Nothing happened. The Dark Magic was still there, yet death hadn't come. Curious, he opened his eyes, soon finding it had become much brighter in the room. Even after his eyes adjusted to the new brightness, he still couldn't tell what was going on, as the ruined bench beside him blocked his view of the entrance.
A shout soon sounded.
"Hubert! What do you think you are doing?!"
The pulsing of Dark Magic immediately stopped. Hubert snapped his head to the side, his expression seemingly changing to that of surprise. Lucas paused as the voice made itself known.
"Lady Edelgard! I-" Hubert attempted to defend himself.
"Who is behind that bench, Hubert? Answer me. Now," Edelgard von Hresvelg demanded from her retainer.
Hubert returned to looking at Lucas, sweat evident on the student's face. He stepped off the professor's leg. He was then able to push himself back onto his feet, although his leg ached from having been stepped on for so long. Edelgard's mouth was agape.
"Professor? Hubert, you weren't…?" Edelgard wondered, trailing off.
"I intended to kill him, yes," Hubert confirmed, finishing off his lady's sentence for her.
"And why were you trying to do that?" The girl asked.
"For your sake. He was leading you astray. I could not permit the continued existence of a major source of confusion for you. There is too much for you to consider, Lady Edelgard. This man has only muddled your path. For the sake of your goals, I-!" Hubert replied.
"I have heard enough," interjected Edelgard. "Are you hurt, Professor?"
Lucas tried to nod, yet he discovered that more than just his leg was aching. "Y-yes. Very much so."
"Then I shall help you to the infirmary. Hubert, you shall remain here and clean up the mess you have made. If anybody asks what happened, simply tell them that you were showing the Professor a spell and it exploded in your hands. Do I make myself clear, Hubert?" Edelgard's voice took an authoritative tone.
"Yes, Lady Edelgard. My apologies-"
"I care not for your apologies, Hubert. I would much rather see what you will do to make up for it," Edelgard stated. She walked over to the two, largely ignoring her now-bewildered retainer. "Can you walk, Professor?"
Lucas attempted to take a step. It was successful, but a massive jolt of pain shot through his nervous system, indicated by a yelp of pain he emitted. He shook his head.
"I see. Then you may use my shoulder," Edelgard offered.
Gladly accepting his student's help, Lucas placed an arm around her head while she did the same for him. The two then began to walk out of the classroom, Lucas having to rely on Edelgard's strength as a means of support. Before they left, the Adrestian princess turned to her retainer, shooting him a glare of disappointment.
"I would like to see this room cleared up before I return," she simply said.
"Yes, Lady Edelgard." Hubert nodded.
Satisfied, the princess and the professor left the classroom, beginning their slow journey towards the central building. Along the way, the pair received many strange looks from curious individuals, but a stern gaze from Edelgard was enough to shoo them all away. No matter if they were a knight, a student or a monk.
Lucas was finally able to relax.
The trek to the infirmary may have been moving at a slow pace, but the two were at least making steady progress. Edelgard's impressive strength was more than enough for Lucas to rely on. They were able to traverse up the stairs easily enough. Lucas smiled at her.
"Th-thanks, Edelgard," he croaked, still aching. "I r-really appreciate the help. If it weren't for you, I may not b-be here right now."
"You're welcome, Professor. I am glad that I was able to prevent Hubert from killing you. I had a bad feeling about him during our lesson earlier. It was good I followed up on that suspicion. I apologise for his actions," Edelgard apologised.
Lucas stayed silent. The urge to refute her apology was strong, but after remembering what he'd just suffered through, he chose to remain quiet. They were nearly at the infirmary anyway. Just a few more steps before he would finally be absolved of all his physical pain. He and Edelgard proceeded down the corridor, soon entering their desired location.
Stepping inside, they could tell things were a little bit busy. Manuela was tending to a patient. They seemed to be in mid-conversation. Edelgard and Lucas persisted with silence as they stood away from the entrance.
"And...there you go! Just a small bruise. Nothing to worry about, dear!" Manuela reassured whoever her patient was.
"Oh, thank you, Manuela! I was worried I'd broken my arm or my leg or something! I can't thank you enough!" The patient was apparently beaming with positivity. Lucas and Edelgard recognised their voice.
"Not a problem, dearie. You should probably be careful now. I wouldn't want you to come back here every time something like this happens."
"I promise! Goodbye, Manuela!"
The patient actually skipped out of the infirmary. She ran into the side of a bed in the process, yet continued to skip in spite of that. The girl only stopped when she saw Lucas and Edelgard.
"Oh! Professor Lucas, Edelgard! Are you two injured as well?" Annette asked the pair.
"I'm not, but he is," the princess answered, motioning to Lucas with her free hand. "There was an incident with a spell. It resulted in the destruction of the Black Eagles classroom. Hubert's currently fixing it."
"Oh no! That doesn't sound good at all! Way worse than my silly barrel stumble," Annette commented, evidently full of empathy. "You're not too hurt, are you Professor?"
"Uh, not really. I k-kinda ache all over, but I don't think anything's damaged. I sure hope not, at least," Lucas informed the young girl. "Th-thanks for the concern, Annette."
The short girl giggled. "Heh, no problem! Hope you get better soon, Professor! See you later, Edelgard! Bye!"
"Goodbye, Annette," Edelgard replied with a smile.
Initiating her beloved skipping procedure, Annette zoomed down the corridor, providing a means of entry to the infirmary for the Black Eagles duo. As the two of them ventured inside, something began to eat at Lucas' mind.
"Annette...wasn't I supposed to do something with you?" He wondered to himself.
Shrugging it off, he and Edelgard addressed Manuela. The former two quickly complied with every instruction the physician gave. Neither of them were ones to argue with an expert of a given field.
Edelgard helped Lucas over to a chair Manuela had pointed out. He was finally able to sit down, his arms relaxing when they no longer needed to be propped up on someone. A familiar, comforting warmth of magic then washed over him. It almost put him to sleep with how splendid it felt. In a matter of moments, the warmth dissipated along with his aches.
Finally able to walk on his own two feet again, Lucas departed from the infirmary, waving to Manuela as he did so. Much to the physician's interest, Edelgard followed behind him, getting his attention before he reached the stairs.
Lucas was almost nervous - there was something about it. Something about the conversation that unnerved him in some way. It hadn't even started.
"You should know I do not see you as an obstacle," Edelgard confided, falling to a whisper. "I do not know why you reacted in such a strong, violent way back at Conand Tower, but I will not hold that against you. We all have our moments of weakness."
It was then that Lucas realised. He wasn't unnerved. Sadness was returning from its short lived break. He wanted to talk about it, he opened his mouth to start speaking, yet he hesitated. And he wasn't sure why.
"I don't wanna talk about it," he lied before walking down the stairs.
Edelgard remained there at the top of the staircase, watching her professor go down them. Stunned but not surprised, the Adrestian princess sighed.
"Reaching out my hand...why is it such a difficult task?"
Author Notes: Lucas continues to be depressed and almost dies! Yeah, that's gonna be good for his psyche. Let me know if that end scene was too rushed or not. I wasn't sure how exactly to close this chapter out and I feel like the final scene suffered a bit from that indecision.
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See y'all next time!
EDIT (01/12/2021): It do be December, tho.