A red-haired girl silently stepped through the stone halls of the central building. She marched up the steps, brushing past anyone that got in her way, be they a knight or cleric of any kind. Of course, she did 'apologise' for her rudeness, but she never truly meant it. She cared not for these people. These despicable humans. If she had things her way, she'd have left a trail of bodies wherever she walked.
Yet 'Monica' had to sustain herself. To keep her composure. All for the sake of her people. Anything for Agartha.
The disguised student barged past more people as she proceeded through the hallway, cutting around a corner so she could arrive at her destination: the library. She was to meet a literal old friend, a fellow Agarthan. Monica wasn't a fan of his more eccentric side, but she couldn't deny his talents as a mage. That man certainly had power. Monica liked power.
She practically pranced her way into the library. Not many people were there. Only a scant few students reading some books or whatever. They didn't matter. Not to her, not to Agartha, not to anyone. Monica arrived at the library's counter, meeting with her ally.
"Hi there, Tomas. It's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted him.
'Tomas' turned around, immediately understanding the context behind her presence. "Ah, yes. Monica, was it? I have heard about your departure, as well as your return. I am glad to see that you are in a healthy state."
"Thank you! Being captured for so long was certainly a drag. Now that I'm out of there, I can do whatever I want! Of course, I still have some things to take care of before I can be considered free," Monica implied with a wink.
"I understand. Freedom is most certainly a liberating feeling," Tomas nodded, indicating that he truly understood what his ally was saying. "Now, I have heard you are after some rather specific texts. I will be able to provide you with what you need. Follow me to my office. It is all within there."
Monica happily accepted the old man's offer. She followed him past a door that almost blended in with the library's wooden interior. Once they were both inside the moderately sized office space, Tomas activated a dark spell, covering the insides of the office with an invisible veil of magic.
"There. Not a single soul will be able to overhear us now that we are within a void of silence. What is it you wished to speak of, Kronya?" Tomas dropped all pretense of being Garreg Mach's librarian.
"I only wanted to catch up, Solon," Monica followed suit. "I've finally infiltrated monastery walls like Thales wanted! I figured we should regroup and talk about what we wanted to do next."
"A logical reasoning. What plans do you have? I have already begun to initiate my own. I do not see you being helpful in any further steps of it," Tomas insinuated.
"Huh? Are you saying I'm not useful? Now now, Solon. I have my uses. Especially if you want someone dead at your feet. A mangled corpse or two? Easy. Simply point at one of these despicable humans and I will show you just how useful I can be." Monica giggled maliciously. "To answer your question, I had some ideas. I was hoping I could speak to the princess."
"Her? That is a useless effort. I have attempted to speak to her many times as of late, yet she has ignored me. Discarded my promises and offers as if they were nothing. It is strange. She was not so reluctant in earlier moons. It appears this has only started to happen recently. You may have been successful if you had arrived earlier, but as of now, I do not believe you will fare any better than I have."
"Heh heh, oh Solon. You are quite foolish. Humans are very empathic people. If someone they love was to be harmed, they are likely to fold. Miss Hresvelg is no different. If she has changed her ways, then it's likely because of something at this monastery. Or perhaps, someone."
"You believe that to be the case? I have been stationed here for quite some time. And I have never heard anything about our princess becoming too attached to any other individual."
"Even if that's not the case, she still has her beloved guard dog. Should we threaten his life, I have no doubt the princess will give in. And maybe we might find out who it is that's been poisoning her mind."
Solon chuckled. "I see. You will be attempting a more aggressive stratagem. It may just work, particularly alongside my discrete schemes. Speaking of which…"
Kronya raised an eyebrow.
"I have stumbled upon something rather interesting. Several moons ago, there was an incident that occurred deep underneath the monastery. Are you familiar with Abyss, Kronya?"
"Can't say that I am. Sounds like a hiding spot for the rats of humanity."
"Heh. You are not incorrect with that assumption." Solon pulled out a small piece of paper that was hidden within his desk. "The incident pertained to a certain cardinal. I am unsure of the specifics, as Rhea has kept the occurrence under a tight lip. What I have been able to glean is that this cardinal betrayed the church in some manner."
"I thought those old farts were with the church to the very end of their pitiful lives. Why would one of them betray their own kind?"
"It seems this cardinal, whose name was likely Aelfric, was after a specific artefact. An artefact that holds the power to resurrect the fallen."
"Wait, what?! You're telling me these Nabateans have had that kind of power right underneath their hands this whole time, and they haven't even used it yet?! They're even more stupid than I thought!"
Solon nodded. "Indeed. They are quite foolish. Their reluctance to wield their own power has presented us with an opportunity, however. Aelfric was killed long before he could ever attempt to attain the artefact for himself. It seems one of his own students and a professor of the Officers Academy had been the ones to silence him."
"A professor? It wasn't Jeritza, was it?" Kronya wondered.
"No. Jeritza had no involvement with this incident. Except for a supposed appearance during a particular battle, but it appears that did not have any noticeable outcome." Solon shook his head. "Aelfric's killers are unimportant. What is important is that the artefact was never obtained. Likely, it is still within its resting location, prime for the taking."
"Oh...I get it now. Very clever of you, Solon. I'll let you do all the hard work on that one. Meanwhile, I'll have a little chat with our princess. See if I can't convince her to rethink whatever it is that's complicating things."
"Of course. May the fortune of Agartha cast its shadow upon you."
"You too, old man."
The veil of silence was dissipated by its caster. Solon and Kronya returned to their guises.
"So, this is all I have for you, Monica. Be sure to read through them carefully, lest you make a mistake on your next exam," Tomas warned the student. He motioned over to a pile of books that were on his desk.
"I got it. This is really gonna help with all the catching up I have to do! Thanks, Tomas!" Monica thanked the librarian, purposely raising her voice slightly. She picked up all of the books at once, the pile just barely reaching her chin.
"Goodbye, Monica. May the goddess smile upon you."
"You too, Tomas!"
Finished with their fabricated conversation, Monica departed from the office, carefully maintaining the stack of books she possessed. She carried them back to the dormitory she'd been given. It was a spare one, located deep within the layered dorm building. While it would have been quite the trek for any ordinary person, Monica had no difficulty carrying such heavy hardcover books.
Once she made it inside her average-looking bedroom, she threw the books onto the floor, not caring about them at all. There were much, much more important things to think about than the safety of some useless textbooks. Although she knew her professor would most likely grill her on its contents, Monica felt confident she could answer them without issue. Yet she did wish the professor wouldn't pick on her. She believed her cover of being a weak girl would be good enough.
Ensuring she still had access to a certain poisoned knife, Monica walked out of the door and began scanning the entire monastery grounds for someone. The person she needed to speak to. For the sake of her people. For the sake of Agartha.
Kronya wasn't about to let that princess ruin anything.
Edelgard von Hresvelg - the princess of the Adrestian Empire - was making good use of Garreg Mach's training grounds. At least, the only one that was available to students of the Officers Academy. She had been relentlessly striking a dummy with a training sword in an elongated attempt to improve her sword work. For many an hour, she'd been doing the same thing over and over again. If one had watched her ever since her arrival at the grounds, they would most certainly be exhausted.
Yet Edelgard wasn't. She was determined to become stronger. It was evident in her expression. Her frown directed solely at the poor training dummy. Her grip on the blade, tight as it ever could be. Her strength, fully on display. After taking a brief break to catch her breath following her billionth round of slashes, a whistle, as well as a clap, sounded somewhere behind her.
"Good work, Princess. You've really done a number on that guy. I don't think you need to torture him any longer, though."
Edelgard sighed. She turned around, greeting her fellow house leader. "Claude. What do you want?"
"Whoa, no need to be so rough. I was only complimenting you. Seriously, you're getting better and better by the minute. I can tell the Battle of the Eagle and Lion isn't gonna be easy," Claude continued with his compliments.
Her eyes narrowed. She wanted to say something sharp and/or snarky in response, yet it didn't quite come out. The Black Eagles' house leader took a moment to think about Claude's words. To her, there was something...potent about them. Something particularly poignant. She sighed again, but not for the same reason as before.
"My apologies, Claude. You have given me enough of a reason in the past to distrust even your most honest of gestures. And yes, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion shall indeed be quite the challenge," Edelgard apologised, a smug grin appearing on her face. "Our house has had quite the effective training regimen from Professor Lucas."
"Hasn't he just been handing you off to Captain Jeralt every time?"
"No, surprisingly," the white-haired girl shook her head. "There's been the typical weight lifting, running around the edge of a wide open field, miniature mock battles, analysing the movements of the finest warriors in history - the usual. But he's also had us perform these unusual stretches that he claims can somehow benefit our bodies."
"Unusual how?"
"They required us to move our bodies around in unexpected ways. Such as lunging our legs forward and backward, moving our waists in a specific circular pattern, or jumping in a manner so that we appear to take the form of a star."
"Huh. That sounds weird. Professor Manuela's just been telling us to read books most of the time. I guess Teach is taking your house in a very odd, yet specific way."
"Indeed. I do wonder where Professor Lucas gets his knowledge from. These are methods I've never heard of."
Claude shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he gets them from Jeralt. But that guy seems way too serious to be coming up with stuff like that star jump thing. Anyway, I gotta go. Dinner's coming up and I have to get to the dining hall before Hilda does. If she sees me, she's gonna badger me about buying her food and I am NOT doing that again. See you later."
"Right," Edelgard smirked. "Goodbye, Claude. And good luck."
Claude shot Edelgard an expression of mock resentment before heading away from the training grounds. Watching him go, the Adrestian couldn't help but smile.
"Working with Claude to build a better Fodlan...could that truly be possible? It certainly feels like a more appealing option than the Agarthans. But that would mean-"
"Hey, Edel!"
A familiar stranger approached. Monica, the girl who'd been rescued alongside Flayn. The girl who was actually an Agarthan in disguise. Edelgard returned Kronya's gaze with true resentment rooted deep within her soul, yet she chose not to surface those feelings. For now, she simply smiled.
"Ah, Monica. It is a pleasure to speak with you again. How may I assist you this time?" She asked the hidden Agarthan. Her voice then decreased to a barely audible whisper. "Faker."
Monica grinned. She matched Edelgard's volume. "Faker? I think you're the fake one around here, Edel. After what you've done, or, well, haven't done, I don't think you have any right to talk about fakers."
"What do you mean?"
"Are you stupid or something? You know what I mean. Refusing to talk to So-I mean, Tomas, not handing over the Sword of the Creator to Thales...you haven't been playing nice recently. You have to share your toys, you know."
"The Sword of the Creator is not a toy, Monica."
"Wow, you really are stupid," Kronya insulted the princess. "It's a figure of speech, Edel."
"I know," Edelgard replied, a smug grin forming on her face.
Kronya facepalmed. "Alright, so you're just playing dumb, then. No matter. I'll just ask you this. Who or what is controlling your mind? It's gotta be something. That must be the only reason why you've recently changed how you operate with us."
"That's the assumption you've made? How ridiculous. You couldn't be any further from the truth," claimed Edelgard.
"Then why not tell me? I can keep secrets."
"I don't make a habit of telling people my secrets, no matter who they are."
"Well, in that case, I'll just have to drag the information out of you. Do you think you'd be more willing to speak if I were to say...force your dog Hubert to be involved?"
Edelgard was stunned. Monica grinned in delight.
"You didn't like that, huh? When someone close to you is threatened, your bravado disappears. How pathetic. I suppose you're now aware of the difference in power between us."
"Leave him out of this!" Edelgard snapped. "Do not touch him with your filthy hands."
"You know I can't do that so readily, Edel. My dagger calls for blood. I've got to answer its request somehow. And Hubert, well, he seems like a good source."
"Stop!"
"There's only one way I can do that. Tell me what I need to know and I will not touch your precious little guard dog."
Edelgard hesitated. Her fists clenched, anger coursing throughout her entire body. Protecting Hubert's life or informing the Agarthans about Lucas' information, potentially dooming him...she struggled to choose. The more time she spent deciding, the more intense Kronya's black-hearted smile became. Her maddening glare only served to irritate Edelgard. This resulted in her struggle becoming evermore conflictual.
As she continued to wrestle with her emotions, someone came along and addressed the two, slowly snapping the Adrestian out of her self-warring state.
"Hey there, Edelgard and Monica," Lucas greeted them. "How are you two doing?"
"Hi, Professor! I'm doing wonderful, thank you for asking!" Monica returned, speedily swapping out the maliciousness in her smile for fake happiness. "I think Edel is doing just fine as well!" She briefly glanced smugly at the princess.
"Y-yes. I suppose you could say that," Edelgard lied, slowly able to put herself at ease.
Monica seemed satisfied with such an answer. "And there you have it! So what's the matter, Professor? Did you need something?"
"Well, kind of. I need you to come with me, Monica. Lady Rhea wants to speak with you. She didn't say what about," Lucas spoke falsely.
"Oh?" Monica was curious, a slight nervous feeling coming to her. "Hmm, probably has something to do with what happened to me while I was abducted. Lady Rhea's likely been really concerned with me, knowing how she is! Alright, I'll come with you, Professor."
"Great! See you later, Edelgard. I'll be sure to talk to you about the Battle of the Eagle and Lion eventually. I've got quite a few plans for that one," Lucas assured his student, shooting her a nod of understanding.
Edelgard seemed to barely understand the meaning behind the gesture. As she tried to comprehend whatever her teacher may have been thinking of at that moment, the princess watched Lucas and Monica depart from the training grounds. Before leaving her eyesight entirely, the Agarthan gave the princess a final malevolent glare. She could only feel unnerved by such a move. She then regained her composure and restarted her endless training.
Whilst Edelgard did that, Lucas and Monica proceeded through the massive doorway of the training grounds, directing themselves over towards the central building. The professor's smile had been replaced by a frown. He always switched it out for a fake grin whenever Monica could get a glimpse of his face, yet this didn't quite work as intended.
Kronya knew Lucas was only pretending. It was easy to tell; he was like an open book. But as for why he was doing that? She didn't know for sure. With no other logical assumption, she likened it to him being unnerved by her. Her smirk appeared after realising this.
"So, Professor, you really don't have any idea what the Archbishop wants with little old me?" Monica asked, eyeing the teacher as cutely as she could.
"No idea!" Lucas shook his head. "I, uh, have absolutely no clue. The Archbishop does what the Archbishop wants. That's kind of how things work around here."
"True, true."
Silence drew between the two. The professor remained quiet, not desiring to speak with this faker at all. Or at least, as little as possible. Kronya was much the opposite. She grinned, a devious little expression appearing on her face.
"You like the princess, don't you, Professor?" Monica hinted.
If Lucas had been drinking something, he'd have spat it back out immediately. Instead, he merely released small amounts of natural spit.
"Huh?! No way, well, I mean, uh, I don't dislike her! Goddess...why do you have to use such vague wording? I can't believe this," Lucas stammered, blushing lightly.
"Focus. She's merely playing with you," Sothis advised.
Listening to the green deity, Lucas mentally nodded and breathed to calm himself down. Monica giggled upon seeing this.
"Wow, that really flustered you, huh? I was only messing around. But maybe it's not the princess you like…?" Kronya carried on teasing. "Maybe it's that brown-haired songstress. Or are you a fan of the fierce type, like that Brigidese princess? No, wait, what about that girl who always hides in her bedroom? There's so many options in our class alone. I can't blame you if you like them all."
Lucas had started to cough the moment Kronya resumed her teasing. He couldn't handle it, it was too much for him. His coughing became serious enough that it even put a halt to their trip over to the central building. The professor stopped, listening to Sothis and even Byleth's advice so he could slowly regain his composed self.
"What the hell is this Agarthan playing at?! She must be trying to get at me in any way possible. There's no way I'd consider being with any of those girls…" Lucas became distracted for a brief moment. "Uh, because they're my students! Some of them aren't even of legal age! Wait, is there even an age law here in Fodlan?"
"No, there is not. There have been many stories of older men marrying young women for various reasons, though they were mostly political," Byleth answered. "If I remember correctly."
"That's kinda fucked up, wow. Glad we outlawed that long ago on Earth. But now I live in a world where it isn't outlawed." Lucas hung his head forward in a bout of depression. "Even still, I shouldn't be romancing my students. That's just not right. And if I did, that relationship would have to be cut short whenever I'd return home."
"If there is a way. We still have yet to determine that," Sothis reminded him. "It might be wise for you to start thinking about the alternative."
"The alternative?" Lucas repeated.
"Should you not be able to return to your world. If you go by with the assumption that you will return eventually but you never do, you may find yourself with nothing to live for here. Perhaps you should attempt to build a life here in Fodlan," clarified Sothis.
Lucas paused. It wasn't something he wished to think about, yet admittedly, it rang true. He couldn't deny that. Fighting the urge to begin crying mainly due to the presence of an Agarthan, he reinitiated the central building trip alongside Monica and started thinking of happier things. Things that he was looking forward to.
Namely, foiling the Agarthans' plans.
The rest of the 'trip' had been relatively quiet. Kronya's later attempts at getting Lucas riled up were all met with a similar amount of outrage-filled noises or exasperated gestures as previously. She always revelled in them, enjoying every last moment she got to spend bullying this pathetic excuse for a human. Unfortunately for Monica and fortunately for Lucas, she had to stop once the pair reached the audience chamber. In fact, she even halted all of her proceedings when she saw who was inside.
Lady Rhea and Seteth, as expected. She wasn't surprised to see them. She was disgusted. But as for this other individual, Monica's jaw unhinged.
"Huh? What's Tomas doing here?" She wondered aloud. "I already got the books I needed from him. What's going on now?"
Rhea and Seteth remained silent. Tomas was standing there, back hunched over his cane, looking just as confused as his fellow Agarthan. He gave her a slight nod, almost telepathically telling her to 'play it cool'.
"I don't know why he's here. I think he was just speaking to Lady Rhea and Seteth about something, I really don't know," Lucas faked reassurance, standing behind the female Agarthan. "Come on, Monica."
Kronya hesitated. She was unsure about the whole thing. Something about the scene in that chamber had given her pause. Yet, she still felt largely confident. She walked forwards alongside her house's professor, stopping beside Tomas. Lucas remained behind the two moles.
"Tomas, I must thank you for your assistance in easing Monica back into monastery life." Rhea feigned appreciation for the supposed librarian.
"You are most welcome, Archbishop," Tomas bowed in respect. "I am always happy to help those who require aid."
Rhea nodded. She then turned to Kronya. "Monica, I trust you are readjusting to the monastery well enough?"
"Of course! With everyone's help, it's been easy! Thanks for letting me re-join the Black Eagles, by the way. Professor Lucas here has especially been a big help!"
"I've barely even spoken to her…" Lucas kept his comments to himself.
"Good. It is his duty as a professor to ensure the safety and wellbeing of his students," Rhea smiled.
She paused. Lucas and Seteth shared a glance - they knew what was to happen next. Solon and Kronya kept up their disguises, yet they too could feel something incredibly foreboding. An unexpected fear crept up upon them as Rhea stared at them with silent, cold eyes.
"But it is also not only his duty to keep the monastery safe from vile beings such as you. It is a duty for all of us."
In an instant, she flared up an aura of white Faith magic, shooting it directly at both Solon as well as Kronya. This left them with no time to react. Then, something unanticipated happened. Both of their forms began to change. From a flash of bright light came two new figures: their regular selves. Monica and Tomas were no more, the spells retaining their appearances having been silenced. Kronya and Solon stood in their places.
"What?! How is this possible? My magic should not have been overwhelmed by the likes of you!" Solon exclaimed, the veins on his forehead appearing as if they were about to burst.
"H-how? I thought we were safe! Wasn't our acting good enough?!" Kronya scowled, grabbing her dagger. "You'll pay for that one! Die!"
Before she could reach the Archbishop, she was suddenly halted within the air. An immense pain surged from her stomach. Looking down, Kronya noticed that the edge of a blade was pointing out of her chest. Most of her life energy was drained. Sluggishly, she turned around. Lucas was staring at her with an intense, stern scowl.
"Y-you…!" She was barely able to say.
"Me," was all Lucas said in return.
The professor released his sword from the Agarthan's body. For good measure, he stabbed her several more times once her body fell upon the floor (Rhea having stepped backwards), the intensity of his strikes increasing each time. He almost began to see red again. Eventually, he stopped, his sudden burst of adrenaline dissipating.
Solon watched on in immense horror as his partner had been mercilessly killed before his eyes. His mouth was agape. Any of his attempts to intervene with a spell had been halted by some unknown force. He cursed himself for his powerlessness, but soon realised what happened.
"Archbishop! You've casted Silence upon me, have you not?!" Solon demanded to know.
"Yes, I have. There is no escape for you, wretched Agarthan. You will not be using any of your spells to break free of your fate." Rhea tilted her head backwards, glaring at Solon with immense hatred. "You were despicable enough to infiltrate my monastery and pose as a beloved member of faculty. You have attempted to steal our secrets. You've even schemed to abduct one of our very own. For all of that, plus the crime of being an enemy of humanity, I sentence you to death. Seteth, if you will?"
"With pleasure," the advisor readied his Blessed Lance.
"No! This cannot be! We were so close...impossible!" Solon yelled in frustration. He instinctively stepped back, only to be held back by the blade of Lucas' sword. Seteth slowly stepped towards him. "Leave me be! Without me, this continent shall never change! I can never become the Saviour! NO!"
Seteth lunged his lance straight through Solon's body. The Nabatean's overwhelming strength combined with the Blessed Lance's enchanted might was enough to pierce through all of the mage's major vitals in a manner of seconds. Solon then collapsed to the floor, out of breath and out of life. Seteth retracted his lance.
A smile adorned the faces of the three still alive.
"It has been done. The Agarthans that dared to assume they could infiltrate Garreg Mach Monastery have now been removed. I have only you to thank, Lucas," Rhea addressed the professor. "Without you, this may not have been possible."
"Y-you're w-welcome," Lucas nervously stammered, not used to such praise. "I dunno if this is genuine or not, but it sure feels like it. I actually feel good?"
"Lady Rhea is correct. You may have just prevented a terrible tragedy. Tell us, what would these two Agarthans have done if we had simply let them alone?" Seteth inquired.
"They would have…" A realisation came to Lucas, his eyes expanding once it came. "Oh. Um, yeah, I did prevent some terrible stuff from occurring."
"Like what?" Seteth urged.
Lucas steeled himself. "In the next month, there would have been an incident involving some crazed villagers in Remire Village. That's when Solon would have shown himself. And then the month after that, there would have been some Demonic Beast sightings within monastery grounds. That would've also been when...when Kronya would have killed Jeralt."
Rhea and Seteth's mouths fell open, light gasps escaping them.
"Truly? Captain Jeralt's life would be ended by this one?" The latter motioned to the female Agarthan. "I was right. You did prevent a tragedy."
"Yes. I am glad we have performed this informal execution, then. These reprehensible creatures deserve no more than that," Rhea stated. "I shall arrange for the disposal of their bodies. We cannot allow anyone to see them, lest panic is induced amongst the populace. What has happened here must remain a mystery. Is this understood?"
The two males nodded.
"Wonderful. Seteth, please obtain for me two medium sized coffins."
"Yes, Lady Rhea," the advisor accepted, leaving the room. Rhea turned to the other remaining occupant of the chamber.
"As for you, Lucas, thank you again. I truly cannot understate how much you have helped me and the monastery today. You may find a surprise increase in your available funds very soon. It is what you deserve for all you've done for me," Rhea smiled. "You may leave."
"Uh, th-thank you, Lady Rhea!" Lucas bowed out of genuine appreciation.
Ignoring the dead Agarthan bodies below him, the professor sauntered out of the audience chamber. The doors closed shut soon after he left - likely to keep the bodies a secret. Lucas stood there, dazed, within the first floor of the central building. He had been praised. And it felt real. It didn't feel fabricated in any way, neither did it feel like something that was said purely for his sake. He smiled.
But as he reviewed the facts of the situation, a point was soon made clear to him. His smile disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.
"With Kronya and Solon dead, the next two months are gonna be completely different. There's no Solon to initiate the Remire Village rampage and there's no Kronya to start the whole Demonic Beast thing. That means…" Lucas said to himself. "I have no idea what's going to happen next."
Nervousness invading his systems once more, Lucas headed towards his one place of sanctity in the entire realm of Fodlan: his bedroom. He needed some time to think. Alone, and in peace.
An underground city, full of darkness and otherworldly lights. The breeding ground for hatred against the Nabateans. Thales, the leader of the Agarthans, was sitting upon a chair, head resting on a clenched fist. He wielded a fierce scowl. It was the reason he was alone at that moment.
He waited and waited for something to happen. It did not. Much to Thales' dismay, he did not get the information he was promised. The information he asked those two to get. He bared his fangs.
"Solon and Kronya...where is your report? I was supposed to receive it an hour ago. You two have never been this late."
Full of anger, Thales slammed a fist onto the desk in front of him.
"They must have been compromised. There is no other explanation for their lateness."
His rage transitioned into a grin.
"I see what must be done. It is time to initiate the backup plan."
Thales pressed a button somewhere on his cluttered desk. A bright blue light appeared on said button, confirming its activation. Moments later, an Agarthan wearing a veil over her face appeared in the room.
"What is your command, Master Thales?" She asked her leader.
"You are to infiltrate Garreg Mach Monastery. Find out what has happened to Kronya and Solon, then report back to me. If you happen upon anything interesting, bring it - or them - to me. Understood?" Thales instructed.
The female Agarthan bowed deeply. "Yes, my master. I shall do exactly as you say. For Agartha and her people."
Thales smiled maliciously.
Author Notes: Well, this is certainly an interesting development, eh? Kronya and Solon offed long before their canon deaths. What will this mean for the rest of the story? Will Solon's discoveries from the beginning of the chapter ever come into play? Who knows! Well, I do. But you'll have to wait to find out.
Also, I bet you're still wondering which house Flayn is in. I did say last chapter that you'd find out next time. Well, fun fact, I actually originally had a scene lined up for this chapter that would reveal that. However, it kinda interrupted the flow of the story, so I scrapped it. You will find out next time, though! I promise!
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 (01/12/2021): Ah, yes. Her.