A day later, Lucas awoke with a smile on his face. It was a bright Tuesday morning on the 12th of the Harpstring Moon. The British man yawned and stretched on his bed, eyes gradually fluttering open.

The darkness around his eyes had somewhat faded, as had the throbbing in his head. Both were still present, annoyingly, but were much lessened. Lucas could finally live without all the constant pain that had been with him for the past month or two.

This improvement in his state of being made it so that he was finally able to get a good night's rest. It wasn't a full eight hours or anything of the sort, but it was better than the nearly nothing he had previously.

Lucas slowly raised his head from his pillow. He turned his head, finding his black cape hanging over the chair to his desk. By the side of his bed were his gray boots and white socks, as well as his Seiros Shield.

He stared at the ancient shield for a while, as his determination grew.

Without any further delay, he got himself dressed, putting all his clothes back on - including his cape. He wiped his disheveled, black hair with his hands for only a few seconds before equipping the Seiros Shield onto his left arm before leaving his room.

Pacing down the side of the massive dormitory building, Lucas proceeded towards the greenhouse. Just as he was turning around, he found the person he was looking for.

Edelgard finished heading down a set of stairs and walked along the stone path that followed, eventually meeting Lucas in front of the greenhouse.

"My teacher…" She said with her mouth slightly agape. "You seem different."

"Yeah, y-you could say that." Lucas nervously laughed, his face retaining a small smile. "I need to ask you something, Edelgard."

"What might that be?"

"I need to know where my weapons are. My Levin Sword and my Killing Edge. Do you still have them?"

Edelgard paused, a flash of realization hitting her with all its might. She grinned.

"Yes, I still have them. They're in my room. Does this mean…?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. It means I'm…back, I guess you could say. I had something of an epiphany last night, and because of it, w-well…"

"Hmm?"

A blush appeared on Lucas' face as he nervously scratched the back of his head.

Edelgard chuckled, then shook her head while retaining her grin. "I see. I understand, my teacher. I'm glad to see you are no longer wrought with sadness, my teacher. I was just about to fetch myself some breakfast. However, I can afford some time to return your blades to you."

She turned around, facing the way she came from.

"Follow me."

Together, they went back down the stone path and up the stairs Edelgard arrived from.

The insides of the building consisted of dark oak wood, which filled the area with a permanent brown hue. After going around a corner, Lucas and Edelgard ended up in a narrow corridor. There were numerous different hallways to choose from, each having its own set of rooms that were being used by the Resistance's soldiers. The pair didn't stop to choose, as they hurried down the furthest hallway.

Edelgard's room was only a few doors down. After walking past three different doors, the two of them stopped in front of the fourth.

"I wonder, my teacher. Have you ever been in my room before?"

"Um…" Lucas scratched his head. "Maybe? I don't know."

"Hmm. I suppose that's about to change."

She unlocked the door with a key she pulled from within her Evening Wear uniform, then pushed the door open.

Inside was an average-sized room, much like Lucas'. However, instead of a white carpet that covered the middle of the floor, this one was red. Edelgard had her own desk, one that was clear, save for a few books and small boxes that were on the shelves. The lengthy desk that was up against the back wall was also mostly clear, aside from one or two books. Her bed had a regal red scarf placed on it, emblematic of her former position as a house leader.

"There," Edelgard said, pointing to two things that were resting on the side of her bed. "Your swords are waiting for you."

Lucas nodded. Without saying a word, he slowly approached the two weapons that Edelgard had been borrowing from him. He stopped in front of them, spending some time staring at them before doing anything else.

He breathed a sigh to calm himself. Then, Lucas grabbed his Killing Edge by its hilt and brought it up to his face. The blade itself was clean and crisp. It was as if it had never seen any use before. He touched the side of the weapon, and by doing so, felt a strange energy that covered the blade. Raising a brow, Lucas sheathed the weapon and inspected his Levin Sword. It was much the same way as the Killing Edge.

With his brow still raised, Lucas turned around to look at Edelgard.

"Did you do something to my weapons? They look and feel…different somehow."

"I did indeed do something to them. It was nothing nefarious, of course. I simply wished to give you a gift of some sort," Edelgard replied. "I had them forged while we were in Fhirdiad. They are now much stronger than they ever were before. With their new power, protecting the ones you love will be easier for you."

Lucas looked away from Edelgard, his eyes returning to his Levin Sword, which was still in his hand. He smiled.

"Thanks. I a-appreciate this."

"You're welcome. It is the least I can do for all that you've done for me. Oh, and one more thing…"

She removed the hat from her head and offered it to him.

"You should have this back. I don't think I'll need it from this point onwards."

Lucas stared at the hat with a raised brow. His smile faded. "Are you sure? Don't we need to keep your identity a secret?"

"We're with allies now. I don't think that will be necessary. It made sense when we were amongst the civilians of the Alliance and the Kingdom, people that are not likely to understand the full breadth of what is happening with the Empire. If they had seen me, they may have assumed I was an enemy. The civilians of Adrestia aren't likely to react in the same way."

"But, uh, aren't you supposed to be a traitor? Wouldn't they attack you?"

"It will depend on their allegiance. It seems there are those still loyal to me, as evidenced by the Adrestian soldiers Dorothea, Petra, and Anna brought along. And if anyone were to attack me, I can always subdue them. I have already thought about this extensively, my teacher. You won't need to worry. As such, you may have your hat back."

Edelgard waved around the black and gray hat, bringing Lucas' attention back to it. He began to reach out but hesitated.

He sighed and sheathed his Levin Sword. "Alright. I believe in you, Edelgard. Let's hope this doesn't bring us any misfortune or anything…"

"I should think not," Edelgard smirked. "Take it, my teacher. Your uniform is incomplete without it."

Lucas grinned as he reached out for the hat, his hand finally touching it. "You know I've never cared about fashion. The only reason I wear this thing is to hide all the weird little imperfections in my hair. You see these annoying tufts that keep sticking out? Don't have to think about them for even a second when I can't see them."

"How surprisingly efficient. I will agree, however. It was rather useful in hiding my imperfections," Edelgard said while handing off the hat to her teacher. "To be truthful, it doesn't fit me in the slightest."

Lucas chuckled while retracting his arm, holding the hat close to his chest. "Something about black on white, right? I was never much of a designer."

"Neither was I."

Lucas retained his smile while inspecting his hat. It was clean, save for a few minor specks of dust on the flat top. With a content sigh, he placed his hat firmly onto his head.

"Although," Edelgard continued. "I can tell that fits you far better than it did for me."

"Does it? I dunno. I've never thought about that before. I just wear whatever."

"It compliments your hair, I believe. But enough about that. I'm rather hungry, and I imagine you are as well. Shall we head to the dining hall?"

Lucas adjusted his hat, trying to get it to a comfortable position on his head. He eventually stopped and shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. I could do with something to eat."

Edelgard smiled. "Good. I should also inform you that there will be a war council at 8, so we will not have much time to eat. Keep that in mind."

"Uh, okay then." Lucas nodded. "Lead the way."

She nodded back. Together, the two departed from the room, as well as the dormitory building itself. Food was on both of their minds, which led them both to the dining hall.

The dining hall was seeing moderate use on such a bright morning. Many people were sitting at all the dinner tables, though not every seat was occupied. An average queue formed in the corner of the room, its queuers holding differently-sized wooden plates and bowls, along with various forms of cutlery.

Edelgard and Lucas took up the rear of the queue, ensuring to get some plates and cutlery for themselves before lining up. The line gradually got smaller with every person that happily received what they wanted and left the counter to ravenously consume their meal. While this was happening, Edelgard and Lucas were able to proceed down the line, getting ever closer to the wooden counter on the side of the hall.

Of the two, Edelgard was first, as she was directly ahead of Lucas. She approached the little, light gray-haired girl that was taking everyone's orders.

"H-hello!" The girl nervously waved. "What would you like?"

"Hello. I'll have some…"

Lucas, whose attention had been elsewhere during his visit to the dining hall, gasped when his eyes landed on the familiar visage of the girl behind the counter. He frowned and immediately unsheathed his reforged Killing Edge, pointing it towards the girl.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Lucas exclaimed, glaring at her. Edelgard turned around at this point, staring at her teacher with an arched brow. "You're Fleche, aren't you? Randolph's sister?"

Fleche's eyes were widened. She nodded, panic evident in her tone. "Y-yes! W-what did I…p-p-please don't kill me, sir!"

"Get the hell out of here. I don't know why you're working in the dining hall, but you need to leave. I won't have you kill any of my friends."

"W-what…?"

Edelgard frowned.

"My teacher, what are you doing? What is the meaning of this?"

"This girl, Fleche, wants to kill Dimitri. I know it." Lucas gave Edelgard a knowing look. "She won't rest until she gets revenge for her brother's death. Dimitri must've killed him at some point. Now she's here, seeking him out. I won't let that happen."

"I-I…what? I don't-I don't want to kill anyone. Not anymore. That's not what my brother would have wanted…"

Lucas' fierce visage wavered. However, he intensified the grip on his blade, soon recomposing himself.

"You're lying. You want Dimitri dead. You might've tricked everyone else, but I already know what you're after. You better leave, now…or I will kill you."

Fleche whimpered while standing. She shook under the intense stare Lucas was shooting at her. The Killing Edge that was primed to perform its namesake wasn't helping her. She looked away and sniffled.

Edelgard continued frowning. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see confused stares and gazes from the few people in line behind Lucas. Turning to her right, mostly everyone else in the dining hall was watching what was happening over at the counter.

"My teacher…" She said. "You-"

Just then, a familiar voice came from the direction the tables were in.

"Lucas! Stop that. Right now."

The professor froze. His angered stare subsided, replaced entirely by widened eyes of shock. He slowly turned around, lowering his blade in the process.

"D-Dorothea? What are you doing? I need to stop Fleche before she can do anything-"

"Seteth's already taken care of that," Dorothea replied with her arms folded and her face mildly contorted into a disapproving frown. "In fact, he was the one that assigned her to the dining hall."

"What?! But she wants to kill Dimitri…"

"No, she doesn't. She wanted to kill Seteth. As I said, he already handled that. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"She wanted to kill Seteth? Why him? Did he…" Lucas half-turned his head back to Fleche, who was still sniffling. His voice lost all sense of anger and confusion, as his facial expression grew softer. "Oh."

Dorothea's frown slowly dissipated.

"You realize it now, huh? The poor girl doesn't wanna hurt anybody," she said, approaching the counter. "She's already seen and lived through so much suffering…she just wants to live in peace. Isn't that right, Fleche?"

Fleche nodded between sniffles, unable to say anything. Dorothea gave her a warm smile before facing Lucas.

"So, you don't need to worry about her. She won't be killing anyone anytime soon. Not because the knights would stop her if she tried, but because she doesn't want to. You see?"

"I…I see. I'm sorry." Lucas sheathed his Killing Edge.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to her."

Dorothea pointed to Fleche, who was covering her eyes with her hands. Lucas' brows furrowed after witnessing the young girl's tears.

"I'm sorry, Fleche. I…I shouldn't have done that to you. I apologise."

Fleche didn't respond. She merely wept into her palms, whimpering and shaking in place. Lucas, Dorothea, and Edelgard were silent. The two adult women glanced at each other, seeking out an answer for what to do next. Lucas, on the other hand, continued to stare remorsefully at Fleche, a frown of sorrow eternally on his face.

A worker from the kitchens walked out of a door behind the counter. She approached Fleche, having quickly pieced together what was happening.

"Fleche, dear…are you feeling okay?"

The young girl shook her head.

"That's okay. We all get like that sometimes. Do you wanna take the day off? Get your mind off things, and all that."

"B-but…"

The worker chuckled. "Don't worry, I can take your place. I've already done what I needed to do in the kitchen. It wasn't much, anyway. Just needed to prepare some of the stations. I can handle the orders. You go on. I'll talk to you later."

Fleche silently nodded. She stepped away from the counter and departed the dining hall through one of its many doors. The worker took her place at the wooden desk and smiled.

"So…where was she?"

Edelgard approached the counter and placed her order. The worker nodded and headed into the kitchen. A few short minutes later, she returned with a bowl full of Vegetable Pasta Salad. Edelgard accepted the bowl and moved away, allowing the worker to get to the next person in line.

"Hello? Sir? Can I help you?"

Lucas snapped out of it. He blinked rapidly, then looked over to the worker behind the counter.

"I…no." He sighed. "Forget about me. I'm leaving."

Turning around, Lucas began to walk away, intending to depart from the dining hall.

But Dorothea stopped him. She put a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from getting too far away from the counter.

"I'd love to eat with you, Lucas," she said with a smile.

Lucas spun around to face Dorothea. "What?"

"I want to eat with you. We haven't had food together in so long. Remember when we last did that, before the mission in the Sealed Forest? It was so nice." Dorothea giggled. "You're a lovely person to share meals with, Lucas."

A strange, familiar warmth came over him. Lucas gazed into Dorothea's clear, green eyes for a brief moment before suddenly turning away. He scratched his cheek.

"I…I guess I can join you."

"Great! I've already got a place, so I'll wait here until you've got something." She looked over at Edelgard, who was standing to the side. "You can join us too, Edie. The more the merrier!"

"I can accept that." Edelgard nodded. "Go ahead, my teacher. Order something, and then we can eat together."

"Um, right."

Although he was reluctant, Lucas returned to the counter at the urging of both Dorothea and Edelgard. The worker happily responded to his order. She hurried into the kitchen and came out minutes later with a bowl of Fish and Bean Soup. Lucas retrieved the bowl, grouping up with Dorothea and Edelgard.

The three of them went further into the middle of the dining hall. Dorothea led them all to her table, where a single, partially consumed bowl of Onion Gratin Soup was waiting for her.

Once the three were seated, they got to eating. Edelgard and Dorothea mainly did all the talking and laughing, while Lucas primarily drank his soup in silence. Sometimes, he would contribute with a short comment or question, but that was all he ever did aside from eating.

For Dorothea, at least, she seemed content. She smiled through the shared meal, as did Edelgard. Their joy was infectious, even causing Lucas to smile eventually. He was even able to laugh at one point.

However, the meal didn't last. Everyone was soon finished with their dishes. Edelgard had noted the time, as it was getting dangerously close to 8 o'clock - the time of their meeting. Dorothea understood. Edelgard and Lucas excused themselves, cutting the end of their conversation short as the two started to leave the dining hall.

Minutes later, they approached the meeting room. Several of its participants were already there, namely Seteth, Catherine, Shamir, Dimitri, and Gilbert. Later on, after Lucas and Edelgard seated themselves at the meeting table, everyone else showed up. Jeralt, Alois, Claude, and Judith sat down, waiting for the war council to begin.

Seteth rose from his seat and addressed everyone.

"Greetings. I am glad that you were all able to arrive on time," he said. "This is the very first war council of the combined Resistance. The first one to incorporate members from all three nations, as well as the Knights of Seiros. A rather special occasion indeed. I must thank our allies from the Leicester Alliance and the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus for agreeing to join us."

"You're absolutely welcome, Seteth. I think we can all agree that us coming together is just what Fódlan needs right now." Claude grinned as he partially leaned back in his seat.

"I agree." Gilbert nodded. "The Empire's numbers are vast, and their prowess in battle is rather high. Combining our forces will grant us a greater chance at success."

"That might be the case, but we still have to worry about the capabilities of the Imperial soldiers. Numbers aren't everything." Shamir folded her arms.

"She's right. Not to mention, they're probably gonna recall all their forces to protect the capital or whatever. We'll have damn near the entire Imperial army to contend with." Judith also folded her arms. "This won't be easy."

Catherine smirked. "Heh. I don't care who's in my way or how many of them there are. I'll cut through them all."

"I will do the same…for the Kingdom and its people," said Dimitri.

Seteth smiled, then nodded at the table.

"Your resolves are much appreciated, everyone. We shall use our combined strength to take on the Imperial forces and rid the world of Emperor Arundel's tyranny," he continued. "However, we cannot go about this without a suitable plan. Which is why I have called you all here today."

"So, we're here to work out a plan to take on the Empire?" Alois asked.

Seteth nodded. "Precisely. Fortunately, I believe we have someone in our midst with considerable knowledge of Adrestia's key military locations." He turned to Edelgard. "How do you believe we should begin our attack, Edelgard?"

Edelgard paused, placing a hand on her chin as she entered a state of deep consideration. Everyone else gazed directly at her as she did this, though she was unfazed by them all. She soon released the grip on her chin.

"Our ultimate goal is to retake Enbarr, the Imperial Capital. However, that's quite the distance away from our current location. There are many Adrestian cities in the way, though they can all be circumvented. For the most part," Edelgard said.

"For the most part?" Seteth arched his brow.

"Yes. If we were to take the path from the east, after crossing the Great Bridge of Myrddin, we would pass by Gronder Field, as well as Houses Aegir and Varley. But then we would meet quite the obstacle." Edelgard frowned. "Fort Merceus."

"The Stubborn Old General, huh…? Guess we'd have to go through that." Jeralt grunted.

"It's our only feasible option. There is the possibility that we may follow the western path by Remire Village, which will allow us to bypass Fort Merceus entirely. However, that route is considerably longer and filled with potential danger. We would be passing by, at least, four different noble houses. I wouldn't recommend it."

"I see. In that case, Fort Merceus shall be our next target. Do any of you disagree?"

Seteth quickly scanned the visages of all the meeting's participants. Some shrugged, while others made no sort of physical reaction and kept silent.

"Then it shall be so. Now, we must discuss a strategy with which we can perform a successful siege. I have heard stories of Fort Merceus' infamy, how it is an impregnable fortress that is the seat of House Bergliez. It will not be simple to overcome. However…"

Seteth turned to Lucas.

"Lucas, do you know of a strategy that may work?"

The British man blinked rapidly, suddenly returning Seteth's gaze. "Several, actually, I…well, just two. One's a little more obtuse than the other, but they should still both work."

"What might they be?"

"Uh, first of all," Lucas raised a finger, "we could try a head-on siege. We bust down the main gate and go from there. Dimitri tried that in one of the futures I know and that worked out just fine."

Judith raised a brow. "Futures? What're you talking about, boy with the weird accent?"

"I'll explain later, Judith. Don't worry about it for now," Claude said to her. He turned back to Lucas. "Keep going. I wanna hear more about these schemes of yours."

"I mean, they're technically not mine. In fact, the other one is yours, Claude. Yours and Hilda's, I think." Claude's mouth widened in response. "In short, the idea is that a small group of ours disguises themselves as Imperial soldiers and splinters off from the rest of us. They should then be able to get into the fortress and open up the gates for everyone else."

"A disguised infiltration? Hmm. If that plan truly works, then the Imperial commander that guards the fortress must not be the brightest," said Seteth.

"If it works, it works. Gotta take whatever comes to us." Jeralt shrugged.

Claude nodded. "Exactly. If we're going ahead with the infiltration idea, I'll happily lead the group that takes care of it. I'll find Hilda so she can work out the specifics of the disguises. She's pretty good with fashion."

"Hmph. Very well. Then it shall be the strategy we use, unless anyone objects."

Nobody did.

"I see," Seteth said. "Claude, I entrust you with the creation of the false Imperial uniforms. They will be imperative to the success of our plan."

"I'll get right on it." Claude gave the Nabatean a thumbs-up.

"Very good. Now…" Seteth turned to the black-haired Brit. "Lucas, is there anything else we need to be aware of? Any strategies of theirs we may need to avoid?"

Lucas paused so he could think.

"Yeah, there is. Did you hear about what happened to Arianrhod?"

"Arianrhod? You mean…" Seteth's eyes slowly widened. "They will make use of those 'javelins of light' again?"

Lucas nodded. "They will. We need to get in there, defeat the Imperial soldiers, and then get out as quickly as we can. We managed to avoid getting caught by the destruction of Arianrhod. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure we avoid it this time, as well."

"Hold on there." Jeralt pointed a finger in Lucas' direction. "How do you plan on helping away from the frontlines? I thought you gave up on fighting back in Galatea."

"I did. But I've gotten over it. I realised that there are…certain things I need to protect. I can't do that if I don't fight. I'm s-sorry for the confusion."

Jeralt waved it off. "It's fine, kid. We all have our doubts. As long as you're through with them and you're still feeling alright."

"I'm, uh…" Lucas stifled a yawn. "Feeling okay. Better than I was before, at least."

"Heh. That's a step in the right direction."

Seteth frowned. He cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him and the main point of the meeting.

"Anyway, it appears that is all we need to discuss for now. We can talk about troop composition another time. If nobody else has anything to say, then…"

Edelgard raised her hand. Seteth sighed.

"Yes, Edelgard?"

"Thank you, Seteth. I merely wished to ask something of you. May I have the key to Ferdinand's cell?"

Seteth arched his brow. "Hmm? You wish to release a prisoner of war? One that is a rather proud Adrestian general, at that? Explain yourself."

"I have spoken with him, Seteth. Ferdinand is remorseful for all the actions he has caused under the name of my uncle. He regrets the sins he has committed and wishes to repent. I'll watch over him to ensure that happens. You needn't worry about him."

Seteth folded his arms as he considered her request.

"Very well," he eventually said, releasing his arms and letting them hang to his sides. "I will trust your judgment. If he brings harm to any of our allies or he impedes our military actions in any way, then I will have no choice but to return him to his cell. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do."

"Hmph." Seteth turned away from Edelgard, facing the rest of the meeting's participants. "You are all dismissed. Edelgard, follow me."

The people that were attending the war council dispersed, all going their separate ways to prepare for the next battle however they pleased. Edelgard followed Seteth out of the meeting room and into his office.

There, she was given two keys that would grant someone their future.

With the keys in hand, Edelgard went straight for the dungeon. She used the first key to get past the iron door that was blocking the way to the chamber with the holding cells. With the second key at the ready, she approached the one cage she needed.

Ferdinand - with his torn Adrestian clothing - was sitting inside, facing the wall. Edelgard unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"It's time."

Ferdinand raised his head and slowly turned around. His eyes were red and covered in shadows. He raised a brow, but immediately lowered his confusion when he noticed the key in her hand.

"Time for you to start searching for repentance."

She walked over to the wall and knelt. Focusing on the chains that bind him, Edelgard reached over with her key.

And then, he was free. The chains fell to the damp, grimy floor with a loud clang.

Ferdinand looked up at the woman that set him free. He smiled as tears started to well up in his eyes.

"Th-thank you…" He said quietly.

Edelgard nodded in response. "We're planning an invasion of the Empire. Your strength, as well as your knowledge of the Emperor's current military strategies, will be invaluable to us. Will you join the Resistance, Ferdinand?"

"Fighting the Adrestian Empire…" Ferdinand hesitated, but shook his head. His hesitation was replaced with a scowl of determination. "I will join you. I wish for nothing more than the restoration of the Empire. Emperor Arundel has ruined its legacy. As such, you need to return to the throne, Edelgard."

"Of course. That's what I wanted to do from the very moment this war began. The throne doesn'tbelong to him. I will reclaim it so I can rid the Empire of his tyranny. But I cannot do so alone."

Edelgard offered her hand.

"I'll need you to stand up and fight alongside me. However, you've been trapped in this cell for far too long. Your fighting ability must have been dulled. I'll train you to regain what you've lost."

Ferdinand smiled and accepted her offer. She pulled him to his feet.

"I will do anything if it means protecting y-" Ferdinand paused as a blush came to his cheeks. "If it means restoring the Empire to its former glory. Train me, Edelgard. I wish to become unstoppable."

Edelgard grinned.

"I'll make you as strong as you can be."

Together, the two of them departed from the dungeon, which had now become empty. They returned to the surface and trained together, preparing themselves for the battle to come.

Elsewhere within Garreg Mach, Hanneman was in his office, searching through all his papers and checking the states of his various trinkets. There were several vials on his desk, all held up straight as a result of the wooden container which held them that way. The vials contained different colors, from blues to greens, and even some yellows.

His brows furrowed as he checked one of the many books he had open on his desk. He mumbled to himself, turning the page in an attempt to find more information. His brows furrowed even further than before.

Hanneman was in a deep state of speculation. So much so, that he completely ignored the sudden knocking that came from his door. However, some much louder knocks were enough to snap him out of his thinking.

"Come in!" He called. "The door is open!"

The door slowly glided open. In came Lysithea.

"Ah, young Lysithea. I see you have grown quite remarkably in the past five years. How may I help you?"

"You know why I'm here, Professor Hanneman," Lysithea replied. "Have you had any developments yet regarding…you know what?"

Hanneman bore a regretful frown.

"My apologies, but it appears my research has yet to yield any significant results. I'm not entirely certain how to proceed from here," he spoke with a slightly frustrated tone. "If there's anything I've learned throughout my years of research, it's that if something is possible, then the reverse must also be possible. As such, your very problem is evidence enough to suggest that removing a Crest must be within the realms of possibility."

"Hmph. The confidence is nice, I guess, but it's not what I'm looking for. Confidence doesn't remove Crests, after all."

Hanneman sighed. "Yes, of course. I have been searching for a method to do so all these years, but all my paths of investigation have led me nowhere, I'm afraid. I once thought that if I figured out the process of inserting a Crest, I might have been able to gain some insight as to how removal may work. But, like always, that line of thinking never brought me anywhere."

Lysithea frowned and cast her head to the floor.

"Edelgard was right, then…" She said to herself before raising her head back up. "At least you're trying, Professor. I appreciate that. I really do."

"Thank you, young Lysithea. You do not need to worry. There is no Crest-related problem that I cannot, eventually, figure out!" Hanneman smiled.

Lysithea grinned.

"Thanks. Though, if you haven't figured out anything…I wonder if Linhardt has."

"That young man shares the same passion for Crestology as I do. He may be less focused, but in some ways, he may be more determined than I."

Lysithea's grin turned into a full smile. "You might be right. Hopefully, he's still alive. Where did he even go after the war started?"

"I'm afraid I do not know. If I were to guess, he must be somewhere in the Empire. Let us hope that he has not been…'transformed' in the same way young Ferdinand has."

"Yeah…" Lysithea clasped her hands together. "Let's hope."

Her thoughts went to a place far away from Garreg Mach. Lysithea soon departed from Hanneman's office after giving him her thanks. She then aimlessly wandered through monastery grounds, her mind repeatedly coming back to a single person.

A city filled to its absolute limit with housing and various market stalls. People went about their business, doing whatever they pleased within the relative peace of their home. Although sounds of merriment could be heard amongst the populace, there was still a palpable sense of dread.

The massive stone fortress in the middle of the city did little to ease such woes.

Atop one of the ancient, fortified battlements of Fort Merceus was a knight covered in black. He looked out into the distance, ignoring the city below him.

"I smell the approach of blood…" The knight said to themselves, their mask distorting their voice into something dark. "A new battle shall begin. Another chance for me to quench my thirst."

Somewhere behind him, a gasp was heard. Someone else let out a yelp of surprise. The dark knight turned around, his expression unreadable.

Two of his men appeared on the top of the battlement. One had long, dark green hair and wore regal, green-blue robes. A blue pendant rested at the top of his chest. He had fainted, although his good friend was there to catch him.

His friend had short, light blue hair and wore heavy, silver-red armor, as well as light-gray steel boots. He held his partner in place, having saved him from a potentially dangerous fall.

The Death Knight stared at them both, making no indication of how he felt.

"Hey, Linhardt, feeling good?"

"Ugh…I just had to hear someone mention that, didn't I?" Linhardt sighed. "Thanks for the save, Caspar. It would've been quite the bother had I fallen and hurt my head."

"No problem!" Caspar smiled and gave his friend a thumbs-up. He looked over to the Death Knight, whose blank stare hadn't wavered. Caspar nervously chuckled. "Heh heh, sorry. Didn't mean to annoy you or anything."

Death Knight said nothing. While Caspar waited for a response he expected, he helped Linhardt get back on his own two feet.

"You asked us to come here, didn't you?" Linhardt asked him. "Well, maybe not asked. It's more like we were ordered. Either way, it's rude to tell us to come here and to waste our time by not speaking to us. There was something you wanted to say, wasn't there?"

"Linhardt, I dunno if you should be talking like that to this guy. I mean, he's the Death Knight. Kinda deserves respect, y'know?"

"Oh, I know. I'm completely aware. I'm just not particularly fond of death."

"I care not for respect. Say what you will," said Death Knight. "You are correct in your assumption. I wanted to speak to you two."

Linhardt and Caspar stood still, waiting for what they were to be told.

"Prepare yourselves. They are coming."

"They?" Caspar wondered. "Who're they?"

"Those that wish for the downfall of the Empire. Our enemies…the Resistance. Ready the soldiers for an attack."

Linhardt and Caspar nodded. "Yes, sir," they said together. They then left, leaving the Death Knight on his own once more.

With no further distractions, the Death Knight returned to gazing into the distance.

"Death approaches. But who shall it embrace…?"

Author Notes: So sorry for the delay on this one! Didn't expect to take a week's break, but life got kinda busy for me there for a little bit. Didn't have much time or energy to write. Though, something very nice came out of all that, which is cool. This leads me to my big announcement...

I got a job! Yep, I actually got a job. Not entirely sure how this'll affect my upload schedule. I might have to push things back to a chapter once every two weeks, but hopefully that doesn't have to happen. I'll endeavour to stick to my usual once a week schedule.

Actually, fun fact, at the time of uploading this chapter, I'll be heading to my first actual shift in like half an hour. So that's fun!

As always, thanks to Frost for beta reading. I'll see you all next time!

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