Edelgard and Hubert were having a conversation in private. The mission they were to go on was tomorrow. "Are you certain you wish to do this, Lady Edelgard?" Hubert asked. It was rare that he questioned her motives, but a move like this, if successful, was so brazen to what had been set up already.

"I have to try." Edelgard replied. "We couldn't have been dealt a better hand. This might be our chance to finally rescue her. Granted, this does depend on our Professor's intuition. We can't risk going too far out of our way…but I cannot sit idly by knowing Monica is just within reach."

"If you intend to go through with this, it wouldn't just be burning a few bridges. It would be akin to setting the whole countryside on fire." Hubert had to remind Edelgard of the extremely tight rope. They couldn't afford to make a mistake here. "It might take nothing short of a miracle to even pull this off."

"I am aware. But I would much rather grasp that miracle with my own hands, than sit and wait for the chance. And that is not something I can afford to do at this moment." Edelgard said. She was determined to go through with this. She was going to push this chance as far as she could.

Hubert closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh. Even if he did initially object to this, he was forever by Edelgard's sigh. "Very well. We'll make this work."

Edelgard smiled slightly at Hubert. "Thank you, Hubert."

.

.

The end of the month was upon them. As such, it was just about time for the mission. Before Byleth could meet with her class, she was interrupted by Luke. He was making a sprint towards her, panting as he just managed to catch her. "P-Professor Byleth…I…have a question…"

"…Can it wait? I'm in a bit of a hurry." Byleth said.

"I'll make it quick." Luke was catching his breath. "Whew. Okay. It's simple: let me come with your class on this mission of yours. The Blue Lions have already finished theirs, but it wasn't satisfying enough for me."

"…Am I allowed to do that?" Byleth blinked. Being responsible for a student that wasn't even in her House. She was just starting this teaching thing.

"It's fine. I already asked Professor Hanneman and he was alright with it. See?" Luke held out a note with Hanneman's handwriting on it, clearing this brief mission assistance if Byleth would allow it.

"…That is his handwriting. Okay." Byleth nodded. If it was cleared by Hanneman, she wouldn't worry. "Follow me then."

"Thank you." Luke nodded. "Another chance to properly see this woman in action. Shez too..." There was another reason Luke wanted to accompany the Black Eagles on this mission, but he was keeping that to himself for now. He followed behind Byleth to the classroom.

"Sorry I'm running behind." Byleth told the others. "Luke will be joining us for this mission. I ask that you treat him as one of us for the duration of it."

"Huh?" Shez wasn't expecting this. A strange decision, but…more hands on deck for taking out bandits would be fine.

"Anyway, as I'm sure you all know, our target is the remains of the Iron King's Thieves." Byleth told the students. "I recall finishing off their leader a little while ago, but I suppose they're still causing a bit of trouble."

"Sup." Luke waved to the Black Eagles. They were at least acquainted, so he was no stranger to them. It was still strange to see this for them, however…

"We've just received word of the knights about their whereabouts, actually." Edelgard said.

"They appear to be cornered in Zanado, the Red Canyon." Hubert said.

"I can't wait to get started!" Caspar was eager to start and finish this mission. "I'll strike down those heinous thieves before they know what hit them!"

"Rush ahead if you must, Caspar. Just try not to put the rest of us in danger." Ferdinand warned.

"I would prefer if no one rushed ahead, actually." Byleth said.

"I'm going back." Bernadetta shook her head. "I won't be of any help anyway, and I don't want to get hurt…"

"Don't worry, Bern. It's just bandits, you'll be fine." Dorothea said with an encouraging smile.

"Eh, don't get ahead of yourselves." Linhardt said dryly. "Unfounded optimism isn't a great strategy."

"Wow. You must be fun at parties." Luke said with an amused scoff.

"I'd rather sleep through them." Linhardt replied. "Let's just get this over with."

"There is nothing to 'get over'," Petra said. "We will work with each other to achieve greatness."

"Just leave it to me. I'm used to taking out bandits." Shez said confidently. "This is light work for me."

"I suppose this means everyone's ready. You all seem excited." Byleth said with a nod. "Alright then. It's time to move out, we can't waste a second." The students nodded and all began to make their way to their destination. Edelgard lingered behind for a moment. "Hm?"

"…Last time we fought bandits, you were the one that saved me." Edelgard said. "Maybe this time, I might be the one to save you."

"Don't put yourself in danger trying to protect me. I can handle myself fine." Byleth said with a nod. It wasn't Edelgard's job to protect her after all. "Come on, we're going to fall behind."

"…Yes." Edelgard wasn't expecting that kind of response, but she brushed it off. She wanted to return the favor someday, but it probably wouldn't be for quite some time…

.

.

The Black Eagles made their way to Zanado. There, they could spot an old, abandoned building not too far in the distance. "Is that it?" Shez pointed at the building. "I didn't think anything could exist in this place. Plus…" Taking a look around, there were no shortage of places one could take a short walk off a long cliff…

"The knights said they cornered the bandits to this location." Edelgard said. "We have no reason to believe otherwise. Besides, I know I saw a bandit fleeing in this direction. This must be the place. Professor?"

Byleth was staring around at the area. Something about this place felt familiar, but she was unsure why. "…"

"Professor?" Edelgard repeated.

"Oh, sorry." Byleth shook her head. She never spaced out like that before. "This appears to be the place. Above all else, pair up and take precautions. This is the first time many of you will see real bloodshed. Do not hold back."

"Ogh…" Bernadetta already wasn't looking forward to this.

"Lady Edelgard. This location…" Hubert said.

"I know…" Edelgard said. This might be the place she was looking for. An incredibly lucky break was coming her way, but the changes of making it happen were a completely different story. Still, if she could somehow pull this off...

"So…" Luke had his hands behind his head. "What's the plan exactly? It looks like a big place…do we take things carefully or just charge in?"

"I vote we charge right in!" Shez said, pointing her special blade forward.

"I agree!" Caspar was all for it.

"Of course you would…" Linhardt shook his head.

"Enter the building, dispatch any bandits you find, and make sure you're careful." Byleth said. "I won't be standing on the sidelines for this one either." She placed a hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword. Once again, she had a chance to work on the battlefield. The only difference between now and then, were the students she had to watch over.

The pairs were as followed: Dorothea and Bernadetta, Caspar and Linhardt, Shez and Luke, Edelgard and Hubert, and lastly, Petra and Ferdinand. With these pairs decided, it was time for them to rush the fortress!

.

As predicted, the abandoned fortress was filled with bandits, all lingering remnants of the Iron King's Thieves. With Kostas dead, they simply scattered and fled back here. There was plenty of space to explore, so everyone fanned out in their pairs to take out who they could. This was a real battle, so there was no holding back at all. Caspar took full advantage of this, bringing gauntlets into battle. "There they are!" He pointed out, rushing ahead while Lindhardt sighed and was forced to keep pace with him.

"Can you slow down for a moment?" Linhardt didn't have the energy for this, but he'd fight where he had to.

"Oh shit…they really followed us!?" A bandit gasped. The Knights of Seiros pushed them this far, now they had to deal with reinforcements!

"You're doing down!" Caspar swung his fist at the bandit, who tried to defend with his sword but failed, staggering back from Caspar's hit. "I got you!" He used this opening to thrust his fist forward, slamming the bladed edge of the gauntlet into the bandit's stomach and sent him flying a bit until his body collapsed onto the ground. "Heh…" Despite netting his first ever kill, Caspar wasn't perturbed at all by this.

"Ugh…" Linhardt, on the other hand, was. The sight of all that blood made his face pale a bit. "So much blood…we should hurry and get this over with. Why am I not surprised you're unfazed by this? In fact, you appeared to be among the most ready."

"I have to be." Caspar responded, staring at the crimson liquid that now stained his weapon. "You know my dad's been preparing me…and the battlefield is the only way I'm ever gonna make a name for myself."

"Right…your father, Leopold…" Heralded as the strongest man in the Empire: Leopold von Bergliez. Linhardt realized now wasn't the best time for this conversation, since a few more bandits decided to come and attack. With a sigh, he made use of wind magic, crossing his arms in front of him. This sent a slicing blade of wind forward, cutting the bandits down before they had the chance to strike back. They were dead…by his hand. Linhardt wasn't exactly a fan of this, but he was aware that it was kill or be killed in this situation. Dying would defeat the purpose.

"Nice job, Lin!" Caspar grinned. "Just leave all the front line fighting to me. I'll knock 'em all down!"

.

"I-It's the Ashen Demon!?" The bandits that saw Byleth immediately began to flee. Some of these bandits were the ones that saw her strike Kostas down effortlessly. That, on top of her reputation, meant they would much rather flee than try their chances with her.

"Run!"

"Aaaaah!"

Byleth stood and watched as the bandits tried to turn tail and flee. They didn't get very far, because numerous orbs of dark magic slammed into the ground around them, or simply struck them directly. Hubert had his hand extended, a malicious smile plastered over his lips. "Trying to flee now, are we? In the name of Lady Edelgard, I shall not let you escape with your lives."

The bandits were backed into a corner: this magic user in front and the Ashen Demon behind them, slowly approaching with her sword drawn. "Screw it…!" The bandits drew their weapons and charged Hubert, thinking they could break through him.

They didn't get very. Edelgard leapt over Hubert, her axe set ablaze. She dropped down on the unsuspecting bandits, and the last thing they saw was a fiery explosion. Edelgard pulled her axe from the ground and twirled it around. "It doesn't seem like these bandits are putting up much of a fight."

"They were probably trying to lie low. I did kill their leader after all. But why all the way out here?" That was the one thing Byleth didn't understand. "Hm…"

"Is something the matter, Professor?" Edelgard asked.

"…There's something here." Byleth said. "They were trying to flee to another exit. I think there's another way out…or at least something a bit deeper in this place."

"What do you wish to do about that?" Hubert quirked a brow.

"…I'll investigate." Byleth said, taking a quick glance around. Something felt off, but this is why she wanted her students in pairs. "I can handle myself. I'd like for you to rout the enemy along with the others. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

"Of course!" Edelgard nodded. Was this a lucky break? If Monica was in here still…it seemed unlikely that they wouldn't be unable to find her. Edelgard was keeping her expectations grounded, however.

"…" Hubert narrowed his eyes. He felt it too…

.

Dorothea was making sure that Bernadetta wasn't in any immediate danger. She had practice with a sword, which allowed her to defend herself from the ruffians that tried to attack her. Their blades clashed against hers and she jumped back. When they pursued, she held her free hand out, a fireball shooting from her palm. This caught a thief by surprise and the fireball exploded against him, killing him instantly. Dorothea was not proud of having blood on her hands, even if she understood that it was necessary to defend herself. "…" That wasn't a feeling that was going to fade away from her anytime soon. It stuck.

"D-Dorothea, look out!" Bernadetta shouted. She had to…act. The pressure was getting to her, but she was somehow able to nock an arrow and fire it at a bandit attempting to blindside Dorothea. It was perfect shot through the chest, causing that bandit to collapse. "D-Did I just do that!? Eek…c-can I seriously go home now!?" She just killed a person! That was among one of the most unpleasant experiences she's ever felt.

"It's a cruel feeling, isn't it, Bernie?" Dorothea said with a wistful smile. "Thank you, though. I got a little lost in my emotions at the moment, I know that's bad…"

"I…I just had to do something." Bernadetta wasn't looking for the praise, but Dorothea's gratitude did make her smile a little bit. It was at this moment that she realized Byleth's idea of getting her used to this combat pressure was…kind of a good thing. But there was still nothing that could have prepared her for the feeling of taking a life.

"Come on, we have to keep our guards up. Keeping watching my back, okay? And I won't let anyone get to you." Dorothea put on a more confident smile. If she showed anything less, she was positive she might scare whatever fighting spirit Bernadetta found within herself.

.

"Have at thee, bandits!" Ferdinand thrust his lance forward. With his superior range, he was able to knock numerous bandits back at once. "I am Ferdinand von Aegir, the man who will take you down on this day!"

"This guy's a freak…"

"No kidding, let's get outta here…"

The bandits tried to turn around, but Petra was already behind them. "I have apologies, but I cannot be letting you escape on this day." It was similar to a hunt in Brigid. Petra was focused with her sword, making sure her following movements were swift and efficient. She cut them down before they had a chance to realize what hit them. "Whew." She took a breath, but still remained confident.

"Petra, you must be more prudent when engaging the enemy." Ferdinand said. "After all, it would be terrible if something were to happen to you."

"Your concern is appreciated, but I can be handling myself." Petra said with a nod. She understood her position, but that wasn't going to stop her from fighting. She wasn't going to shy away from it.

"At least let me take point." Ferdinand insisted. "It's my duty as a noble to protect others."

"I can take care of myself." Petra said while shaking her head. They only needed to watch each other's backs. She didn't want Ferdinand to take up all the killing either, because they were a pair. So that responsibility had to be shared. That's how she felt, but the language of Fodlan was difficult for her grasp, so she couldn't voice it well. "We need only be working together, as the Professor has been instructing."

"Well, yes…" Ferdinand didn't get the chance to respond, because Petra was already on the move again. "Wait…!"

.

Byleth managed to find the basement. Something about this abandoned building was concerning her. She stepped down the stairs, only to see a number of empty cells. "…It doesn't look like there's anyone here." But she stopped in front of one particular cell. It was empty, but it showed signs of life as there were scratches on the wall from the cuffs, which also has marks on them. Someone was there and very recently. "Hm…there was a person here just before we arrived. They might still be nearby…" It wasn't part of the mission, but if the bandits kidnapped someone the least they could do was free them. But Byleth felt a presence behind her and suddenly turned around, only to see Myson and a few other mysterious dark mages behind her. "…Oh."

"You filthy beast. What do you think you're doing here?" Myson asked.

"…My job." Byleth said while readying her sword. Just at a mere first glance, Byleth could see that these dark mages were not bandits. No, they were something else entirely. "Something tells me you're not bandits."

"You won't live to regret lumping us with those surface dwellers." Myson fired a blast of dark magic in Byleth's direction, but she easily dodged it by leaping to the side.

"It appears as though this place has more meaning than one could have anticipated. I have no doubts you'll be fine, but your students are in danger if there are more of them." Sothis warned.

"I know." Byleth replied. This was a situation she was familiar with. However, she was worried about the students. If there were more, the wisest option would be to retreat for their safety.

.

Shez and Luke were covering the entrance. On the off chance that a bandit managed to slip away, they were already on the case to cut them down. In fact, the two of them were having a competition to see who could take out the most bandits. "You're better than I expected." Shez said. "I'm surprised you're not shaken at all by a dead body."

"Eh…" Luke shrugged. "Not saying I like cutting people down, but you gotta do what you gotta do." He said. The two of them were both keeping an eye out, so realistically, not a single person would slip past them. "I also just came from doing a mission with my class and it was just the same thing. As the former mercenary, I assume this sort of thing is pretty cut and dry."

"Yeah, I used to do these kinds of things all the time." Shez replied. "This is nothing new. But are you ever going to explain why you wanted to join our mission? It was pretty out of the blue."

"Just because." Luke said, clearly intent on hiding the real reason. "There are a few people here that I can't imagine handling dead bodies well. It's not really something anyone should have to get used to."

"That's just how things are." Shez replied. Something caught her attention in the corner of her eye: malicious intent. Before she knew it, she was reacting on her own, bringing up her special sword to defend against an attack. Sparks flew and she staggered back. "Gah!?"

"What the?!" Luke didn't even see anything until Shez staggered.

"Oh, you blocked it…" Kronya was very disappointed and annoyed. The audacity of this worm. "That's annoying. So you're the little group that's decided to storm in on my fortress. I'm going to have to make you pay for that, you know."

"Who the hell…" Luke stared at Kronya. That was not a bandit. That was…something else entirely.

Shez was sweating a bit. If she didn't react, she'd probably be on the ground and bleeding out. "How did she get so close that fast? We've got this area covered…"

Kronya assumed a fighting stance, merely smiling at the two before her. Finally, she had the chance to sink her fangs into something. "I'm Kronya! You can also call me the woman who's about to kill you."