A vast room, filled with long, wooden benches. Many folks were seated at these benches, taking delight in consuming one of their meals for the day. Not much was being eaten, as Derdriu palace's food supplies needed to be rationed out for the sake of the war. Still, there was at least enough for everyone to get what they required.

Lunch. At the midpoint of the day, upon the crux of noon, the dining hall's visitors were getting whatever dishes they longed to get. Be it a soup or some kind of cheese-related concoction - food was obtained.

And food was eaten.

Most of the dining hall's visitors were eating alongside a friend, a colleague, and/or a fellow soldier. But not all of them were basking in the presence of another.

Lucas was on his own. He was silently sipping away at a bowl of Onion Gratin Soup, far away from another living soul. The member of the Resistance Army was fine with such an arrangement. He made no attempt to gain a dining partner.

As such, Lucas was alone for quite some time. It wasn't until he was halfway done with his soup when someone approached him.

"May I sit with you?"

Lysithea was standing next to him. He eyed her with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. She was holding a wooden plate, one that held her lunch - a Sweet Bun Trio.

"Why?" Lucas asked.

She raised an eyebrow.

"You're an ally. Why wouldn't I want to eat with you?"

Lucas blinked, then refocused on his soup. "I thought you hated me."

"Huh? Why would I hate you? I have no reason to."

"You don't remember?" Lucas frowned. "What I did to you during the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, and what you told me during the ball five years ago…with all that in mind, you really don't hate me?"

Lysithea's expression relaxed.

"Oh. I almost forgot about that. That was five years ago, Professor. I'm surprised you remember."

"I couldn't forget. The way you looked at me, the things you said…it stuck with me. I apologised, but I still feel like I committed a cardinal sin. Are you sure you don't hate me? I know I hurt you pretty badly during the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, so…"

Lysithea raised a palm, quietening Lucas. "Oh, please. It hurt at the time, but I got over it eventually. It would be foolish for me to hold such a ridiculous grudge for so long. I don't hate you, Professor. Honestly, I don't."

"Oh." Lucas silently sipped some of his soup. "Is that so…"

"Yes. It's so."

The white-haired girl pointed to the empty seat on the bench beside him.

"Now, may I sit? I'd like to eat these delicious, sugar-coated buns sooner rather than later."

Lucas visibly struggled. He held his spoon in place within the air, as it was on its way to his mouth. After a few seconds of silence, he breathed a sigh, releasing some of the tension built up within his body.

"Go ahead. If that's what you want. I, ultimately, can't decide what you do."

"Um, okay? Thanks, I guess."

Although she was filled with a sense of uneasiness and possessed plentiful amounts of visible bewilderment upon her face, Lysithea decided to sit next to Lucas regardless of it all. She placed her plate next to his bowl. Then, she began to eat.

The first bun didn't last very long. Especially not against Lysithea's ravenous might. A field of sugar quickly formed around her lips. The bun was no more - a second one was within her sights.

While this was going on, Lucas kept a nervous eye on the voracious power on display next to him. He kept eating his soup at a pace that was veritably snail-like in comparison to the supersonic speeds Lysithea was munching at.

He kept any comments to himself. Questions, however, felt like fair game to him.

"Is there, uh…is there a reason you came to me? We don't speak that often. Why come to me, rather than, say, anyone from the Golden Deer?"

"Mmmph?" Lysithea turned to him with a bun partially stuck in her mouth. She raised a finger, then promptly tore through, and swallowed what she was eating. "Sorry. I just…I wanted to speak to you."

"Why me? Did something happen?"

"No. Well, sort of? It's nothing serious. It has nothing to do with the war. I just wanted to know something."

"What's that?"

Lysithea was about to reach for her third and final bun but stopped when the question came to her. She brought her hand back into her chest and looked down upon it.

"I spoke with Edelgard recently. I wanted to know about…" Lysithea paused due to a sudden bout of hesitation. "Something. Something that has to do with Professor Hanneman's research. Edelgard was really confident in him, for some reason. I'd never seen her so certain about another person before. I asked her where this confidence came from, but she was rather vague about it. I think it's pretty obvious who it came from, though."

She faced Lucas.

"It's you, isn't it? You inspired something within her. I may not have known her all that well back at the Officers Academy, but from what I knew about her, she didn't seem like the type to trust others so readily. It only ever seemed as if she trusted Hubert. And now…"

Lysithea made an O-shape with her lips. Lucas froze, even though the soup was warming him inside.

"Huh. I think I just figured it all out."

"Did you?" Lucas said with an unenthused tone of voice. "I think I know what you're implying. I'd appreciate it if you didn't say it. Please."

"I'm not talking about romance, Professor. Though, I will admit, that did cross my mind. Anyway, it's got nothing to do with that. I was thinking that you're more of a…a replacement."

"Replacement? What?" Lucas dropped his wooden spoon into the bowl, focusing his attention solely on the conversation at hand.

"Yeah, a replacement. For Hubert."

Lucas blinked, eying the Golden Deer girl with a frown. "Again, what?"

"Allow me to explain. You see, it always seemed to me as if Edelgard and Hubert were secretly discussing things behind everyone's backs. Those two were about as suspicious as one could get. I think I might be the only one that noticed this. It's either that, or I'm the only one that gave it much thought at all."

"Okay…what does this have to do with me being a Hubert stand-in?"

Lysithea pouted. "I was getting to that. Now, seeing as those two were probably always talking with each other in secret, I think it's reasonable to assume that Edelgard trusted Hubert with her life. With how much he talked about 'acting in the best interests of Lady Edelgard,' or whatever, I don't think my assumption was wrong."

The twenty-year-old girl wiped her mouth, clearing it of all its sugar.

"But when Hubert died, Edelgard lost the one person she could believe in. The one person that would make her feel good again after any kind of depressive spell. In order to preserve her sanity, she needed to find someone else to rely on. I think she's the kind of person that needs someone to help her through her burdens. On her own, she'd crumble, and would fall into despair. That's where you come in, Professor Lucas."

"Huh? So, you're saying…"

"Yes. You're that someone now, Professor. The person she can rely on. The person that'll help her through her problems, and all of her burdens. She must be as confident in you now as she was with Hubert five years ago. If not more so."

Lucas held back a spit take of his soup.

"More? Are you kidding me?" He said, bearing an incredulous expression. "There's no way…that doesn't make any sense. I'm just-"

"You're a close friend of hers. Perhaps even her best friend. I'm a little jealous. I wish I had a friendship like that."

"B-but…" Lucas looked away. A small, faint blush appeared on his face. "That's just an assumption of yours, isn't it? There's no way that can be true."

"You're right. It is merely an assumption. But I think it's a well-informed one. You can choose to believe it or not - I don't mind either way." Lysithea reached over and took a single bite of her final sugary bun. "No matter what, it's clear that Edelgard believes in you the most. That leads me to my original point."

"Original point? You mean you weren't intending to completely frazzle my brain?!"

"Um…no? It was only to build up to what I'm about to say now." Lysithea smiled cheekily. "The way she spoke about Hanneman's research, it was so determined. So assured out of an outcome that had yet to pass. With all this in mind…"

She wiped her mouth again.

"Lucas, do you know something about Hanneman's research?"

"Ah. So that's your original point." Lucas' blush faded. His expression became melancholic in nature as he stared at his bowl of soup. "I know a few things about it. I…may have advised him and Linhardt to find a way to remove a Crest from someone."

"You know about my situation. And Edelgard's. Don't you?"

"I do." Lucas nodded solemnly. "I know about your two Crests. And I know there's a way to remove one of them. However, I don't know what that process involves, which is why I suggested for those two to investigate it."

"I see. That probably explains how they even knew of my two Crests to begin with. I don't appreciate that you told them about it, but-"

Lucas shook his head.

"I didn't."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I didn't tell them about your Crests. All I asked them to do was to find a way to remove a Crest. They kinda put two and two together themselves. They're pretty smart people. They'd figure it out on their own anyway."

"Oh, well, thanks. But why even ask them? How do you know there's a way to even remove a single Crest?"

"I know a lot of things," said Lucas. "I'd rather not talk about it in detail with you but know that I'm completely and utterly truthful when I say that. Edelgard knows about it, as do Seteth and Claude. The Knights of Seiros also know about it, though I never wanted them to."

He turned to the girl beside him.

"Please, Lysithea. Trust me. Hanneman and Linhardt will find a way to extend your life, to bring it back to normal. Stick with them, and you'll be okay. Please. I know you have Thyrsus now, but that doesn't make you invincible. I just don't want to see you, or anyone else, suffer."

Lucas closed his eyes.

"Not anymore. Never again."

Lysithea was quiet. She was stuck, unsure of what to say. In an attempt to calm her woes, she took another bite of her third bun.

It was as sweet as ever. Lysithea was then able to smile.

"Thank you, Professor Lucas. I don't know what it is, exactly, but your words are weirdly comforting. You can be rather determined when necessary."

Lucas slowly opened his eyes. He returned his gaze to his food.

"I just don't want to see anyone else get hurt. You, Edelgard, Jeralt - everyone. I won't allow anyone else to suffer."

His arm visibly tightened. He sighed, then his arm reluctantly relaxed.

"But this war has other ideas."

Lysithea nodded. She had another bite of her bun. "I agree. We're heading to the Kingdom next, right? I hope the Blue Lions are all safe. The Black Eagles, too. I hear Dorothea and Petra are with the Resistance, which is good, but Ferdinand's still with the Empire. And we haven't heard anything from Caspar or Linhardt…"

"They better be safe. I refuse to fight anyone else. After what happened with Lorenz and Bernie…I don't know if I could take another."

"Right. Let's hope for the best, Professor."

Lucas nodded.

"Yeah. Let's."

Elsewhere within the palace, Claude was heavily preoccupied. He was in his office, which was a cramped stone room filled to the brim with wooden shelves and desks. Massive books were strewn all over the place, yet none of them were being read.

Claude was far too busy with his paperwork. The Duke of the Alliance was swamped with endless papers he had to read and then sign. It was a tedious process, but it was a necessary one all the same. He had little to no qualms about doing it, for it was necessary for the Alliance.

Complaints were abundant, however. Every now and then, Claude would take a small break from his work, leaning back in his chair and taking a look out of the large window in his office. These breaks never lasted very long. There was always more work to do.

But there was an exception. Sometime after lunch, which Claude worked all the way through, a certain pink haired girl from House Goneril barged into the office.

"Hey, Claude! Look what just came in!"

"What is it now, Hilda?" Claude sighed.

He blinked. Hilda was waving around an unopened scroll.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Hilda smiled and nodded. "It sure is. We finally have our response from Rodrigue! It's addressed to you, of course. Which is why I'm here. Go ahead. Take it."

She offered the letter to him. He smiled, then accepted it.

"Thanks, Hilda. I appreciate you bringing this to me. Couldn't have been easy for you."

"It wasn't. I had to walk all the way here from the entrance to the palace. This office is like a thousand floors up, you know."

"Right. Even though this is only the first floor…"

Hilda glared at him. "Just read the letter, Claude."

"Heh. Sure."

Holding in his laughter, Claude released the seal on the letter. He unrolled it, unleashing the words hidden inside. Like with his copious amounts of paperwork, he read the ensuing words with thorough eyes.

Then, he grinned.

"Looks like we've got ourselves some new allies."

Hilda gasped. "Does that mean…?"

"Yeah, it does. Rodrigue accepted my proposal." Claude swiftly scanned over the letter before returning his gaze to the Goneril girl. "Things are pretty hectic over in the Kingdom, so he's not gonna be able to meet us in person. But…"

"But?"

"We'll be meeting with one of his Generals at House Galatea."

"Hmm…" Hilda raised a finger to her chin. "One of his Generals, huh? I wonder who that'll be. Maybe it'll be someone we know, like one of the Blue Lions, or something."

"That's what I was thinking. If that's the case, then I think integrating their forces with the Resistance will go pretty smoothly. As long as we're able to help them out, that is."

Hilda raised an eyebrow.

"Help them out? What exactly is going on over there? I've heard rumors of infighting between different Kingdom nobles, but that's all I know. What does Rodrigue need help with?"

"Seems like the Empire's got a pretty big presence over in Faerghus. From what I hear, it's largely the same as the situation that's been going on here, in the Alliance. Nobles divided between pro and anti-Empire sides, that kind of thing. Rodrigue wants us to help stamp out all the pro-Imperial sentiments. Once we've done that, he'll join the Resistance."

"Oh, that's good! I guess we all need to start preparing for the journey to Galatea. I'll get someone else to tell everyone all about it."

"Yeah. You do that. I should also mention that, in the letter, Rodrigue said that his General should already be on the way to Galatea, if they're not already there by now. I don't wanna keep them waiting long, so I'm thinking of leaving Derdriu in about…two days?"

"Two days? That doesn't give us a lot of time to prepare. At least everyone that went to House Edmund is back. And wait…are you coming with us?! Who's gonna watch over Derdriu while you're gone?"

Claude grinned. He raised a finger, silencing the concern on Hilda's face.

"I've got someone in mind." He lowered his finger. "Nardel, my retainer. You haven't met him before but trust me. He's a good person. Strong, too. He'll keep the city safe."

"Nardel?" Hilda tilted her head, then shook it. "I have no idea who that is, but if you're confident in them, then so am I."

"Thanks. He should be here tomorrow, assuming there weren't any complications in his travel."

"Tomorrow?!" Hilda's mouth shot wide open. "Either he lives very close, or you've been preparing this in advance. Like you were expecting Rodrigue to accept your offer. Goddess, that's exactly what you were doing, weren't you?"

"What can I say? They call me the Master Tactician for a reason."

Hilda raised a palm to her forehead. Despite her intense desire to thump Claude for his silly ways, she had an equally intense desire to not exert such effort. Her additional desire, the one that told her to smile, was far more enticing.

"They certainly do call you that. As ridiculous of a name as it is."

"At least it's an apt description of me. Hey, while we're on the subject, do you want a nickname? I'm sure I could come up with thousands of good ones for you."

"I'd rather not. I wouldn't want to have to live up to those kinds of expectations. I'm fine with just being Hilda."

She stretched the upper half of her body.

"For now."

Claude raised a brow. "For now? Heh. Guess you've got plans of your own. Might as well call you Master Tactician II."

"That might not be the worst thing in the world…" Hilda mumbled quietly. She caught herself, her eyes widening in realization of what she just said. "Um, I…well, I'm n-not a tactician! You probably shouldn't call me that!"

Claude grinned.

"Sure thing, Hilda. Now how about we get everyone prepared for our little visit to the Kingdom of Faerghus?"

Hilda recomposed herself. "Y-yeah. Sure. That sounds good. Time for the Resistance to make its next…move."

She blinked, before having a flash of remembrance.

"Wait, what about Jeralt's request?"

"Huh?" Claude paused, attempting to remind himself. "Oh, right. That. Yeah, don't worry about it. I've already got it under control."

"You do? Then who's gonna be protecting the supplies on their way to Garreg Mach?"

"Let's just say that I've got a hero on the case. They'll make sure the supplies get over to Seteth and everyone else."

Hilda shrugged.

"Alright then. If you say so…Master Tactician."

"Heh. I do say so. Now, come on. Let's get ready to go say hello to Rodrigue's General."

With the Resistance Army's next step planned out, Claude and Hilda proceeded to prepare for said step. Their allies were notified of the matter. As such, everyone else was able to ready themselves for what was to come.

Faerghus was their destination. The war was to advance.

Myson, the Agarthan mage garbed in shady robes, hurried through the halls of Enbarr's palace. He carried a gold, ancient chalice. It was held tightly, never to be dropped or misplaced in any way.

For Myson, it was the most important thing in the world at that moment. He absolutely had to get that chalice to his master. Therefore, he rushed through the palace halls, running with a fervent speed he rarely ever utilized.

Hidden underneath the darkness of his robes and hat, Myson was able to slip through any sort of detection. He arrived at the palace's throne room, where his master was waiting.

"You have returned. I trust your mission was successful."

Myson approached the throne as Emperor Arundel addressed him. The comparatively lowly mage bowed.

"Yes, my Master. The Chalice of Beginnings is now within our grasp. I have it with me."

"Give it to me."

Myson nodded. He ended his bow, then offered the chalice to the emperor. Arundel promptly snatched it from the mage's hands. The golden artefact's dusty, yet elegant nature caused a glimmer to shine within the false emperor's eyes.

Arundel smiled.

"How wonderful. The item we have been searching for so long is now under our ownership. Everything we need has fallen into place." Arundel turned to Myson. "Those rats haven't escaped, have they?"

"No, Master. They were wise. They remained within my sights and dared not to escape. Our Silence-enhanced bindings were most useful in halting any of their pathetic attempts of attaining freedom."

"Good." Arundel grinned. "They will be needed for what is to come. For now, we shall wait. It is not yet time to unleash the power of the Rite of Rising. What of the battle led by Randolph and Ferdinand? What became of that?"

"None of the soldiers retreated. Either they fell in battle, or they were all captured."

"Hmph. It matters not. If they were captured, then they may as well be dead to the Empire. Our plans do not change. The Rite of Rising was our goal. The efforts of those foolish Generals mean nothing."

"The Rite of Rising…"

"Hmm? Is there a problem, Myson? Are you having doubts regarding our plan to crush those who foolishly resist our might?"

Myson shook his head.

"No, my Master. I have no doubts. Only concerns. One must consider all possibilities in any given plan. I am merely concerned of what may happen should it fail."

"Your concern is unneeded. I will be fine. The Chalice of Beginnings shall bend to my whim. Even if it were to fail, that will only necessitate the initiation of our other plans. There are, at least, two more we have ready to unleash. One of them will succeed."

"For the sake of Agartha, I must agree. They shall succeed. The children of the goddess will burn for all they have done."

"Indeed. Their kind shall fall…in due time. I have-"

Arrogant laughter filled the throne room. Myson turned around, while Arundel merely frowned at the sudden arrival of one of his army's Generals.

"My apologies for interrupting…Emperor," a certain dark blue-haired, smug expression-wielding Relic wielder said.

"Adrian Aquila. The second Flame Emperor. What has possessed you to irritate me so?" Arundel asked with a vexed countenance.

"I have come to report on the state of the Alliance. That is what you wanted me to do upon my return, is it not?"

"It is. But that can wait. I am currently in the middle of a meeting with my trusted mage. Leave this room, so that we may finish in peace."

"Oh. Such a shame. You don't wish to hear of the surprising power the Resistance holds? This is rather important information. You shouldn't ignore it."

"I am not ignoring it. There are simply other matters I must attend to as of now. I will hear of your report another time, Flame Emperor."

Adrian smirked.

"How unfortunate. It seems you're underestimating our enemy, dear Emperor. They aren't important to you? They will be. Sooner rather than later."

"Hold your tongue, human." Myson glared at Adrian. "Our Emperor has already prepared to deal with the likes of the Resistance. He will be able to end them all. Considering your words, it appears you were not successful. You should not speak, as one who was unable to carry out their assigned orders."

"Hmph." Adrian frowned at the mage. "They're stronger than you think. It's not a surprise I was unable to take Derdriu, since I wasn't given much to work with. There was only one other Adrestian General by my side. And she was a useless, weak girl that abandoned our cause the first moment she had to do so."

"Are you blaming your troops for your own failure, human?"

"Maybe I am. Giving me such ineffective soldiers was a terrible mistake. You can't expect me to take a capital city with an army of ants."

"A capable commander would have succeeded where you failed. Your inability to capture Derdiru was your own fault."

Adrian folded his arms, partially turning away. "I'd like to see you try. Oh, wait. You can't. The Alliance lords that were willing to help our army have bailed to the other side. We've lost Leicester, you damn fools. Could've kept it if I was given competent men."

"Ignorant human."

"Quiet, you. I won't stand for being called ignorant, when the very face of ignorance itself is daring to bear its inhuman fangs at me."

"You continue to blind yourself from the truth. You are ignorant. That is a fact."

"Call me ignorant one more time. I dare you."

Arundel sighed while sitting upon his throne. He breathed in, preparing for a deafening shout.

"Silence!"

Myson and Adrian quickly fell quiet. Their attention was brought straight over to the leader of the Adrestian Empire, who was bearing down upon them with an aggressively furious expression.

"I will not accept mindless bickering in my throne room. Cease it now, lest you two both become like those rats."

The two of them said nothing. Arundel smiled.

"Good. Now, Flame Emperor, leave this room. I shall hear the remainder of your report another time. I must finish discussing matters with my mage."

"As you wish, Emperor."

Adrian departed from the throne room, making use of the large double doors instead of his teleportation ability. Myson and Arundel were then able to finish their discussion in relative peace.

While darkness stirred within the soul of Enbarr's palace, Adrian held himself back from unshackling his rage. He kept it within himself and waited patiently outside the throne room for his turn to speak privately with the Emperor.

"These idiots…they're not giving me the tools I need to succeed," he whispered to himself.

Flame Emperor II closed his eyes.

"The Resistance. You won't be waiting around, won't you? You'll be getting stronger. Growing more powerful with the addition of like-minded allies. Meanwhile…"

He strained his fist.

"I'll be mishandled. With the way the Emperor and his ilk are acting, I won't be able to grow."

He had a sudden urge to slam his fist into the wall yet decided not to.

"The Church of Seiros, Garreg Mach Monastery, the Officers Academy…I'll show you all. I'm no coward."

Adrian grinned, finally able to relax and compose himself.

"I'm the strongest person in the world."

The wait to give his report, the one regarding the attack on the Aquatic Capital, continued. Adrian's expression was no longer filled with anger. Instead, it was one of relaxed contentment, of self-assurance.

He grinned.

Two days later, on the 15th of the Pegasus Moon, a pair of ships came towards Derdiru's port. Claude and Hilda were waiting on the edge of the dock, witnessing the arrival of the expected visitors.

An exceptionally bearded man stood on the edge of one of the ships. He waved down Claude in particular. The man kept doing this, up until both of his ships docked at the port. The two sides approached each other on the wooden paths that made up the dock.

"Welcome to the Aquatic Capital, Nardel."

Nardel, the visitor, grinned. "Thanks, Kha-I mean, Claude. Happy to be here."

Hilda narrowed her eyes at Claude, who merely chuckled and shrugged it off.

"And I'm happy you're here at all. Having you protect this city is definitely gonna make things easier for me. Not that I expect this place to be attacked anymore, but it never hurts to be safe."

"You're right about that. My men and I will guard this place with our lives! You won't have to worry about a damn thing. Go and have fun in the Kingdom. We'll keep your seat warm for you."

"War's not exactly what I would call 'fun', Nardel." Claude shook his head. "I get what you mean, though. With you here, we can finally start heading over to House Galatea. Everyone's ready, right Hilda?"

"They sure are. Last I checked, anyway," said Hilda, with a nod.

"Great! Let's get moving, then. Don't wanna keep Rodrigue's General waiting."

Claude and Hilda spun around on the spot, intending to leave the port and head back over to the palace.

Before he left, however, Claude turned back to Nardel.

"Thanks again, Nardel. I'm not sure when I'll be back. Might not even be until the war's over. Depends on how the Resistance wants to organize things. Either way, when I come back, I expect to see Derdriu looking just as good as it is now."

"You got it, Claude. The Aquatic Capital will keep being the Aquatic Capital, even while you're gone. See you later."

"See you."

Filled with confidence and hope for the future, Claude continued accompanying Hilda back to Derdriu's palace. Nardel stuck behind at the port, ensuring the safe disembarking of all his soldiers and supplies. He needed to prepare his defenses for the city before employing them.

In the meantime, Claude and Hilda returned to the palace. Many of their soldiers were already outside, engaging in the necessary act of preparation. Some were wheeling out carriages, others were tending to their mounts, and certain individuals were simply standing around.

Everyone was getting ready for the mass departure in their own way. People like Marianne and Lysithea were ensuring the safety and good condition of their recently acquired Heroes' Relics, while others like Ignatz and Leonie were making sure they had all the right equipment they were likely to use in the battles to come.

Before long, everyone that was supposed to leave the city were all outside. Not all of Derdriu's soldiers were going, but a considerable number of them were indeed joining the journey.

Many of the carriages were primarily filled with tools and supplies. However, there were a few carriages dedicated to transporting soldiers. This was typically reserved for mages and clerics, those who possessed weaker physical constitutions than the rest.

Claude, Jeralt, Edelgard, and Lucas led the combined force. A true union between the Alliance and the Resistance.

Everyone was in place. They were all ready to go.

From atop his wyvern, Claude faced the army of soldiers behind him. He raised his voice so he could address them all.

"Everyone! We're about to start the next chapter of this war. We'll be making our way to the Kingdom of Faerghus, where we'll then help to get rid of those pesky Imperials. In the process, we'll be gaining new allies. They'll be added to the ranks of the Resistance. Once we gain the cooperation of the Kingdom, we'll have the power we need to take the fight straight to the Empire!"

Claude raised a fist to the air.

"We can do this, my friends! We were able to end the Alliance's infighting, so we've gotta do the same for the Kingdom! Let's show those Imperials just what we can do!"

A loud, resounding roar came from the crowd of soldiers. They all mostly raised a fist of their own, sharing in the burning determination handed out by their leader.

"Time to move out! Let's go!"

Another shout of agreement. The Resistance Army, bolstered by the soldiers from the Alliance, began their departure from the Aquatic Capital. Nardel watched them all leave as he arrived at the palace alongside his men.

He smiled.

"Go get 'em, Khalid," Nardel whispered to himself.

The new Resistance Army gradually departed from Derdriu. Together, they exited the city through the southern gates, leaving behind the capital of the Alliance.

Their first stop was Ailell, the Valley of Torment. Many complained about the intense heat and copious amounts of sweat that the valley brought about. They all had to deal with the fact that it was the fastest method of getting to House Galatea, as Ailell was directly on the border.

Fortunately, the Resistance wasn't there for too long. There was nothing that forced them to stay. Therefore, they were able to move freely. Ailell was a mere footnote in their journey. The border was crossed.

Almost as soon as they entered Faerghus territory, a faint coldness drifted across their bodies. It grew stronger the further they got into the country. For some, it was welcome. The increasingly glacial environment was a delightful change from the hellscape that was Ailell. Others were just as disgruntled about the cold as they were with the heat.

Either way, the journey mostly distracted them. There was still a lot of land that needed to be covered. The soldiers eventually focused on that rather than anything meaningless like the state of whatever environment they were in.

Following about a week of travel, the Resistance approached a moderately-sized village, found within the midst of a frozen wasteland. The carriages and most of the soldiers all halted their advance. Claude and Jeralt disembarked their mounts once they reached the gate.

"Hey there," Claude greeted the village guards. "Is this the village of Galatea?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?" One of the guards asked.

"The Count's been expecting us. We're with the Resistance Army." Jeralt used a thumb to point over to the distant army. "That's the rest of us. We're here to help with your Imperial problem."

"Oh, I've heard about these guys! I remember hearing about this from the Count himself. He said that a group from the Alliance would be coming to our village very soon," the second guard said to his friend. He turned back to Jeralt and Claude. "So, you're the Resistance…I've heard a lot of rumors about you."

"Heh. Good ones, I hope?"

The second guard chuckled. "Yeah. Some very good ones. I won't bore you with the details, though. I think you'd rather get inside. I'll head to the palace and alert the Count of your presence. Feel free to bring your group closer. We won't attack."

"Great, thanks." Claude looked at Jeralt. "I'll go tell everyone the good news. My wyvern's better for traversing terrain like snow, anyway."

"Fair enough. I'll stay here. No point in going with you if I'll end up back here regardless."

"Yeah, that's understandable. Be right back."

Seconds after the guard disappeared to inform his superior of the Resistance's arrival, Claude proceeded to fly back to his allies. He told them about the fortunate nature of proceedings at the gate. Then, he led the Resistance's soldiers and carriages closer to the village gate.

By the time Claude returned to Jeralt's side, along with Lucas and Edelgard, the second guard returned. He brought back someone new. Someone neither of the Resistance members had expected to see.

Lucas and Claude smiled, while Edelgard's mouth flew open. Jeralt wasn't affected in any way.

"Should've expected it to be you," Claude said to the blonde knight. "Nice to see you again, Ingrid."

Ingrid nodded and smiled.

"It's nice to see you too, Claude. And you, Professor Lucas. I'm happy to see that you're finally awake. Of course, it's nice to see you as well, Captain Jeralt. And…"

Ingrid's eyes widened as she got a closer look at the girl that was wearing a black and gray hat, one that she assumed was not a part of her regular attire.

"Is that who I think it is? What's she doing here?!"

Claude raised his hands, attempting to defuse the tension that had risen. "Whoa, hey. Relax. She's with us, Ingrid. She's not with the Empire."

"What? Is that true?"

"It is." Edelgard nodded, keeping her borrowed hat steady. "I can explain in further detail once we are inside the palace, but for now, know that I do not ally myself with the Empire. Arundel is my enemy. Just as he is yours."

Ingrid frowned. "Hmm…I'll take your word for it. It seems as if Claude and everyone else trusts you, so I'll do the same. I will need that explanation, however."

"That's fine. I'll tell you as much as you need."

Jeralt sighed.

"Look, sorry, I don't mean to rush anyone, but can we get inside? We're freezing out here."

"Oh, my apologies. I hadn't realized you weren't used to Faerghus' natural environment. Follow me. I'll lead you all to the palace. Once we're inside, we can discuss anything we need to."

"Great! Can't wait to start talking about how we'll take down all those Imperials you've got lying around."

"I feel the same way. The war, it…" Ingrid shook her head, ignoring the dark thoughts she was having. "Never mind. Just follow me."

Ingrid began to lead the Resistance into her home village. The houses were small, made entirely out of wood. Snow covered every inch of the ground, as well as the roofs of the buildings. The civilians they saw all had differing expressions of desperation. Some even shivered.

Galatea's visitors became downcast. They ignored the civilians, fearing they would become wrought with sorrow and guilt if they looked at them for too long.

One thing was certain to the Resistance. The village of Galatea was miserable. Still, it was to be their home. For a while, at least.

They hoped the misery wouldn't come to them.

Author Notes: My absolute, sincerest apologies to all of you. I didn't intend on taking an impromptu break from updating last week, but I was kinda forced to. You see, I got COVID. Was pretty fucked up for a few days there. Luckily, I'm double vaxxed, so it wasn't too bad. But it still screwed up my schedule, meaning I just wasn't able to write last week. I'm fine now, thankfully. Hopefully something like that doesn't happen again. Regular updates should be a-go from now on.

As always, thanks to Frost for beta reading.

review response, yadda yadda yadda:

Lord-Azrael3: Much appreciated! And yeah, not much can be done about what's already happened. Bernie won't ever be forgotten.

blazenite104: Yep, Lucas is certainly holding it together pretty well. He's managing, but the war ain't over yet. Also, it's interesting you bring up Dimitri, 'cause now we're in the Kingdom of Faerghus. We'll soon learn what happened to him and the Blue Lions. Hopefully they're all okay...

Thanks again for reading, folks. Hope you have a good day, and I'll see you next time!

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