"Welcome to Garreg Mach Monastery!" Alois exclaimed. "Or, well, the Marketplace that leads to the Monastery."
'Big.' That was what Emiya thought as his head kept going higher and higher just to see the spires of the Monastery. He's seen some things in his time as a Counter Guardian, and this could be in the top twenty of the largest buildings he's seen. It wasn't that the Monastery was just a monastery nor a fortified castle; it was an entire town. Emiya looked back at the people as they milled about in the marketplace as people bartered with each other. Some skipped the bartering and paid with gold coins.
'Gold coins? Was gold so abundant that regular people could use them for the market? Was copper never found? Silver has definitely been found; it's being used for weapons. The market rate must be ridiculous.'
Emiya glanced to his left at Hapi, who was still in awe at the size of the buildings. Her mouth was agape as she stared at the sky.
"You should close your mouth; insects could get in," Emiya smirked at Hapi. She slightly blushed as she shut her mouth and elbowed him.
"Remember Anna, Lambert? She's still here, providing high-quality goods for a slight rate-up!" He laughed as he waved towards a girl with a ponytail of red hair.
"They're fair prices, Captain!" Anna yelled back, though she laughed right after. Alois laughed along with her.
"She's still here? It's been years." Lambert shook as he reminisced back to his Monastery days.
"Or it's her sister; they all look so similar." Alois sighed.
"Sister!" Anna confirmed before she turned to a potential customer.
The group continued past the Marketplace. Emiya noted that there was a pond and what seemed to be a greenhouse on their left as they approached the entrance to the Monastery.
"Greetings, Captain Alois. I received word that Lady Rhea is waiting for you in her Audience Chambers." A gatekeeper saluted as Alois approached him.
"Thank you. Anything to report?" Alois asked.
"Outside of more students arriving for the new school year, nothing."
Alois nodded and the group continued as the entrance doors opened for them.
"Students, sir?" Emiya asked.
"Hmm? Oh yes, I suppose you wouldn't know, or perhaps remember." Alois grumbled. "Regardless, you're here now. On top of being a Monastery and the center of the Church of Seiros, it's also the Officer's Academy. Royalty and nobility send their heirs here so that they're trained in the art of warfare. That way, they learn how to protect Fodlan from foreign invaders. Last year, Dagda and Brigid attacked the Adrestian Empire. Brigid was forced to be a vassal of the Empire when they lost. We also got a new knight, Shamir Nevrand, because of that too."
He stroked his beard. "She's so pale and silent, she's like a ghost; I never know where she comes from," Alois shivered. "Then again, she's certainly got spirit!"
'That was terrible.'
Lambert and Patricia sighed at Alois while Emiya and Hapi wore faces of indifference. Alois ignored their reactions.
The group continued through the Monastery. Various staff members and students waved and greeted Alois as they passed by.
Finally, after a few twists and turns through the Monastery, the group stood in front of large doors. Alois nodded at the guards posted as they opened the doors.
Emiya shivered. Something felt wrong in the atmosphere, like something oppressive hung in the air. He smelled something with fire, as if someone were actively using Fire magic like a flamethrower nearby.
Emiya froze as his eyes caught sight of the three beings that stood at the other end of the Audience Chamber. His body went on high alert as both of his hands hung loose on his sides and his fingers grasped at things that weren't there. His eyes kept his eyes on the other end of the Audience Chamber as he followed the rest of the group to the middle of the chamber.
"Good afternoon, Lady Rhea, Sir Seteth! Good afternoon to you too, Flayn!" He saluted at the first two and waved at the third.
The first was a woman, Rhea. If she could be described in one word, it would be ethereal. Her green hair reached her chest, going past and rested in front of her shoulders, not behind her. The way she held herself made Emiya feel like she was divine. Her face held a small, kind smile, and while the others relaxed at the sight of it, Emiya felt that it wasn't all kindness underneath. Her eyes with light green and seemed to stare deeper into him if he looked at them too long. She wore a complex and embroidered headpiece, and a tiara kept her hair from falling to the front of her face. Her robes reached the ground, patterned with fancy gold and navy-blue designs. All the power he felt when he entered the room centered around her for some reason.
The second was a man, Seteth. His entire air breathed stern and seriousness. His hair was short, parting at his forehead to his sides, and then slightly flared outwards. He also sported a goatee. Underneath his hair was a tiara or some sort of golden band on his forehead. His face seemed to be set in a constant frown. Guessing his position, he had to be the right-hand man of Rhea, or perhaps close to it; he had the eyebags to show for it. His clothing was mainly dark-navy blue, completed with a cape and black boots. His were also less embroidered than Rhea's robes.
The last one was a child, who Alois called Flayn. Her head sported two large, puffy, coiled hair. Each coil had a golden hair clip. While Flayn also sported a smile like Rhea, hers exuded childishness, naivete. Compared to the first two, Flayn's clothing reminded Emiya of the student uniforms in the Officers Academy. Still, it seemed like there was a lot of leniency in terms of how the students could personalize their uniforms here. Flayn's seemed more like a black dress with navy-blue and gold accents. She also wore the same black boots that Seteth wore.
The last two honestly felt more human than Rhea, though the smell was still on them. Did they somehow lose their draconic selves? Then how did Rhea keep that much power in her?
'I shouldn't be so surprised. Of course, dragons would be at the top of the food chain here.'
He'd faced some dragons in his time as a Counter Guardian too since some would get lost and end up leaving the Reverse Side of the World. He was confident that he could take care of a single dragon, but that was just the regular, mindless one. These dragons reeked of this world's magic. He could certainly project Noble Phantasms that had the Anti-Dragon trait on them, like Siegfried's Balmung or Sigurd's Gram, but he'd have to get close to kill them.
If it was just one of the dragons, then he'd surely win. Two would be pushing it, but doable without Unlimited Blade Works. Three would require Unlimited Blade Works if they all worked together; he'd have to distract the others while he slew the last one.
On top of that, his current body wouldn't last as long as his Counter Guardian body. He'd most likely run out of energy before completely slaying all three at once.
However, Emiya reigned himself, this is not something he should think about right now. Right now, he had to focus on the bigger enemy: the assassins. These three might have information on them. Also, he shouldn't needlessly kill them if they didn't bring any trouble.
"Good afternoon to you too, Alois," Rhea greeted back. She looked at Lambert and Patricia. "And hello Lambert, Anselma. It has been quite some time since you visited. I was relieved that you both survived the ordeal. I trust that Dimitri is safe as well?"
Lambert and Patricia bowed towards Rhea. Emiya and Hapi followed suit.
"Thank you for your kind words, Lady Rhea. And indeed, Dimitri is safe within Fhirdiad. With Rodrigue and Gustave by his side, he is surrounded by the best knights that Faerghus could offer. I have also tasked Glenn with becoming his Shield, like how Rodrigue is to me. I have full confidence that they can protect him until we return." Lambert answered.
Rhea nodded and looked at Emiya and Hapi. "And I believe that these two are the children mentioned in your letter?"
"Indeed. The girl is Hapi, no surname. She was held by Cornelia, the previous Fhirdiad Court Mage, and was experimented on. Based on what Hapi told us, the power of her Crest has been modified to summon Demonic Beasts, but only when she sighed." Patricia answered this time.
Rhea and Seteth each had an eyebrow rise in confusion, but they did not voice it.
"Very well. And the boy?" Rhea moved on.
"The boy is Agilulf Emiya," Lambert responded. "He escaped from the assassins on the day of the attempt. He also aided us in the Siege of Cornelia's Castle by tracking her down, eventually leading him to where she kept Hapi. He also displays…interesting magic, the likes that Patricia nor I ever saw before."
"You mentioned his name is Agilulf Emiya? Did you give that to him?" Seteth narrowed his eyes.
Lambert nodded. "I named him Agilulf in thanks for saving us, but Emiya came from him. He has amnesia, though he felt some sort of connection to Emiya."
Seteth sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his right thumb and index finger. "Who else knows?"
Lambert was confused. "Just my closest aides and Dimitri. Why?"
Seteth looked straight at Lambert. "Agilulf connects him to the Faerghus royal family. It implies that you adopted him, in a way. Do you know the political mess that would have occurred if the other nobles heard? That you adopted an unknown child?"
"Oh…" Realization dawned at Lambert and he began to rub the back of his head. "I just wanted to thank him…"
"Indeed, you did, and that's fine," Seteth agreed. "However, there was no need to give him a name, especially one that was so close to the roots of the Faerghus royal name."
Lambert had no response to that.
Rhea frowned. "You've grown much since your days as a student here at the Academy. However, your headstrong tendencies to push forward and not look at the implications rears its ugly head once in a while." She looked at Emiya. "I'm sorry to say, but you must abandon the name Agilulf."
"That is alright, Your Ladyship. I can see the reasoning behind it." Emiya nodded. In all honesty, Agilulf was too new of a name and Emiya wasn't too attached to it. "All that I ask is that I keep Emiya. It is something that I feel connected to."
Rhea smiled. "Of course. You've lost your memories, correct? Is that the only thing you remember?"
"Yes. I do not remember where I was born, nor when. As of right now, it's been decided that I'm 14-years old due to how similar I look to the prince, Dimitri." Emiya answered.
"Then keep that name and whatever you can remember. It must be terrible to forget who you were once." Rhea looked at Lambert. "Have you tried to search for anything related to that name?"
"Yes, but nothing has appeared. All we know is that the name doesn't follow the Faerghus naming convention. We have also tried to check with the old naming conventions from the Adrestian Empire and the Leicester Alliance that we noted in our archives, but still nothing."
Seteth frowned at that. "Perhaps a foreign name?"
"We have also tried that, but it does not match those from Duscur, Sreng, Dagda, Brigid, nor Almyra. For all we know, it could be a new country we have never seen before," Lambert answered.
Rhea nodded. "So long as the boy does not wish to fight, we have no qualms about him staying. And what about you, Hapi? Do you remember where you were from?" Rhea looked at Hapi.
"I… I don't want to return. After what Cornelia did to me, they would be in danger because of me."
"Very well, we can talk more about where you two will stay after today. Both of you have been experimented on by the enemy and show unknown magic. It would be foolish to not keep an eye on both of you." Seteth said and Rhea nodded.
Emiya slightly frowned at that. If they were holed up here, Emiya would never be able to find more about those assassins. On top of that, it's one prison for another for Hapi. He had to say something now before they were forced to stay without any gain.
"Then, can we make a deal?" Emiya asked out loud and all eyes shifted to him.
"A deal? What can you offer?" Seteth asked incredulously. "You're a child. I do not see- "
Rhea held her hand up to interrupt Seteth. Seteth gaped at her as she nodded at Emiya to continue.
"I've been trained to track monsters and kill them if need be. King Lambert can attest to that."
Rhea and Seteth glanced at Lambert. He nodded. "It's true. He tracked Cornelia through her castle and cornered her in a dungeon chamber, where we found Hapi. It was also where he destroyed the metallic monster. We brought its remains here, along with its Crest Stone." Lambert reached within his coat and presented a small box. He opened it, revealing the broken Crest Stone.
Rhea's eyes widened and Emiya felt the air become heavier than before. No one seemed to notice except for Seteth and Flayn.
Rhea approached Lambert and reached for the Crest Stone. She took one of the pieces and held it in her hand. "H-How…? This seems to be made, not something that was taken from a Heroes' Relic. I've never seen this before. This was created, artificial. That shouldn't be possible. Thank you for bringing this with you, Lambert. There should be no need for this to be said but let me be clear: none of this leaves this room. Unless I deem otherwise, these secrets must be taken to your graves."
She placed the piece back in the box and closed it. When Lambert held it out, she took it and gave it to Seteth, which he hid in a pocket in his pants.
Rhea looked at Alois, who stood at the side of the Audience Chamber. "Can you please go and take a piece of the remains, Alois? A small piece will do. I would like to examine those as well."
"Of course, Lady Rhea. If I may take my leave." Rhea nodded as Alois bowed. He left the room right after.
Rhea looked at Emiya, motioning for him to continue.
"For defeating these Demonic Beasts, I relied on my magic: creating weaponry." He held out his and Projected a Silver Sword that he saw in Fhirdiad. "I do not know what they did to me, but creating these weapons are almost instinctive."
Rhea, Seteth, and Flayn seemed alarmed.
"Have you ever tried copying a Heroes' Relic?" Seteth asked slowly.
Emiya shook his head. "No, sir. I've never seen one. I'd have to see the weapon before I could try to create it."
"I see…" Seteth mumbled as he stroked his goatee.
Rhea looked at Lambert. "You didn't try?"
"No, because Agil- Emiya already seemed to have one." Lambert glanced at Emiya. "Please summon the weapon you used to destroy that monster."
Emiya paused. Should he reveal it, here and now? It would mean more people would know about it. No, perhaps if he showed it, he could convince them that he'd be useful.
"Trace, On," he muttered. His hands grasped at Gae Bolg's handle.
The air became heavy to breathe for everyone. Lambert, Patricia, and Hapi have already seen it once, but since they were so close now, they felt the bloodlust the spear exuded. They began to breathe heavily as they started to sweat. They felt their hairs raise in fright.
Emiya immediately dismissed the Trace and the air returned to what it once was.
"I-I don't remember that happening," Patricia stammered out.
Emiya nodded. "Of course. No one was this close when I summoned it before."
Emiya took a glance at the three members of the Church for their reactions. Rhea's eyes, unbeknownst to everyone, had turned to slits. However, before anyone noticed, she blinked, and her eyes returned to normal. Seteth's eyes didn't have the same reaction. His reactions were similar to Lambert in that he panted and sweated. His hands were held out to his side as Flayn hid behind him, as if Seteth was protecting her. Flayn had her eyes closed as she trembled, clenching her fist at Seteth's cape.
"What was that?! I've never seen a weapon like that before!" Seteth exclaimed angrily, snarling at Emiya.
"It is a spear made to kill. Once it has pierced a living being's body, it will produce iron thorns that will travel across the body and find the heart. Once the heart is found, those thorns will destroy the body from the inside. In the testing that has been done, no one has been able to wield it except me." He answered, hoping that would be enough. He didn't mention the fact that the wounds cannot be healed so long as it remained in the world. That might be too much for them right now if he ever revealed it. He planned to never do so.
The room was silent. Everyone seemed like they were still reeling at the prospects of such a weapon.
Rhea watched Emiya in deep thought. "You said that others can't wield it… How do you mean?" Rhea asked slowly.
"Anyone can wield the spear if the aura didn't freeze or scare them. However, if someone is pierced when someone else used the weapon, the thorns wouldn't appear. It only appears if this weapon is used by my hands." Emiya responded. So long as no one can activate it with its True Name, Gae Bolg would only be a regular spear with a curse that prevented healing. He didn't mention the fact that he could just dismiss the weapon if it fell to someone else's hands.
"So, it's not a Heroes' Relic…" Seteth mumbled as his shoulders relaxed for a bit, along with Rhea's. With the spear gone, Flayn had also relaxed, though she still hid behind Seteth.
"How does a Heroes' Relic function?" Emiya asked.
"Anyone can use a Heroes' Relic as well. However, its weight is far too great, so a Crest Stone is placed upon the Relic. Only someone with the correct Crest can use that specific Relic properly." Seteth answered.
"I've theorized that it may be my magic that is causing this 'rule' of sorts, allowing only me to use the weapon," Emiya added. 'And with that, my magic will seem like it only works for me, and only me.'
Seteth agreed. "Indeed, that's a possibility. It is unknown magic, and its rules are currently unknown to us."
A knock sounded outside the door to the Chamber. "Lady Rhea, I've retrieved it." The door opened and he entered. He closed the door and approached Rhea, holding out a box.
Rhea took a box and looked within. Just like with the Crest Stone piece, she took it and held it up to examine.
"Advanced technology…" Rhea's eyes widened. Her face twitched as it transformed into anger. "It's them." She hissed as her hands began to crumple the metal.
"It can't be…" Seteth's face paled and Flayn trembled. She clutched Seteth's cape again, strong enough to turn her knuckles white.
Everyone bar Emiya was confused and surprised. Surprised that the serene and calm Lady Rhea had the hand strength to crush a piece of metal. Confused about who 'them' was.
However…
'So, these guys do know who the assassins were.'
Emiya pushed forward and took the initiative. "Them? Do you know who the assassins are?"
Seteth's surprised face spun to meet Emiya's. He immediately schooled his face into a frown. "No, though this is nothing that concerns you." He tried to deflect.
"Like it doesn't. These assassins just tried to kill the Royal Family of Faerghus. They've got a vendetta on them. I was used until I finally escaped. I want to get back at them, to get rid of them." Emiya pushed. Certainly, he understood that there was no way he would be able to stop everything nor would he be able to save everyone. But he won't stop trying. He needed to know who these enemies are and get as much information that he can.
Seteth looked back to Rhea, hoping that she would back him up. However, she was in deep thought. After moments of silence, she looked at Emiya.
"You said you had a deal before, correct?"
'And for the coup de grace.'
"Yes, I mentioned I was trained to hunt and kill monsters. Give me information on whoever these guys are, I will find them, and they will die." Emiya glared at Rhea, hoping that even with his childish body, she would be convinced he could be an asset.
Fundamentally, he understood what he's doing. He's making himself to be another janitor. But, if it meant that he could save people, stop these enemies that abused, experimented, and took advantage of people, then he'd do it. After all, he learned again that the dream, to become a Hero of Justice, is a beautiful thing.
'His eyes… it's just mine back then…'
Rhea was absorbed by the boy's eyes. She couldn't believe that she was seeing the eyes of someone that saw destruction and pain on a child. She lived through hell, avenged her brethren, and continued to live, trying to get back what she lost. It was natural that she'd have those eyes.
However, on a child? What had he seen in his time as a prisoner?
"Rhea!" Seteth shouted, bringing her out her thoughts. "Please convince him he will not do anything."
She glanced at Seteth and looked back at Emiya. She took a deep breath.
"You mentioned a deal." She began with a stern face. Seteth opened his mouth, but she held her hand to stop him. "In exchange for hunting them down, what do you need?"
The boy took a deep breath.
"A few things. You mentioned that you wanted to keep an eye on us, right? As long as Hapi and I stay here, where you can keep an eye on us, I want you to promise we'll be free. We do not want to be prisoners here; otherwise, we're trading one prison for another." Emiya answered.
"And what about Hapi? She would bring in danger to those around." Hapi squirmed at Seteth's words.
"You're not heartless; you'd try to find a cure for what happened to her. After all, it was your enemies that did this to her. You owe her that much." Emiya retorted.
'So, a cure and autonomy within the Monastery grounds? I can grant the autonomy. He is also right about the cure; they were experimented with by the Agarthans, so it's only right that we cure her.'
"Very well, I shall grant those to you two. As long as you stay here, you won't be official students. You can wander the grounds, but you must bring guards along with you. I will assign it to both of you. Emiya, you mentioned that you were trained to kill Demonic Beasts, yes? Then I will assign you to guard Hapi. In the event that she unknowingly summons a Demonic Beast, you are to slay it immediately." Rhea turned to Alois. "Please find Shamir and bring her here."
Alois bowed and left the room.
Rhea turned to Hapi and Emiya. "Shamir Nevrand is a new knight of the Church and has pledged her loyalty to me. Do not doubt her skills; she has taken part in some of the expeditions to kill Demonic Beasts." Emiya and Hapi nodded.
"Lady Rhea, if I may be so bold, I would like to ask for your assistance and guidance." Patricia suddenly began.
"We will do what we can. What do you require assistance in?" Rhea asked.
"Two years ago, I heard the news that my daughter, Edelgard von Hresvelg, was captured by this same enemy. I would like to ask for help in finding and rescuing her," Patricia pleaded.
"How do you know this? It seems sloppy that such information would ever reach anyone's ear." Seteth asked as he narrowed his eyes at Patricia.
"I… I heard it from Cornelia. She delivered me the news. She took advantage of my trust in her and used me. She-She said that it was Lambert that took her away! She revealed that my brother, Volkhard, was in Fhirdiad with Edelgard since 1171. She said that Lambert knew about it and resolved to make sure we never met." Rhea's eyes widened at her words, but she let Patricia continue. "In my desperation, I believed her. And so, for the past two years, I hated Lambert and fell to Cornelia's clutches. On the night of the assassination attempt, I gave her information about Lambert's expedition, and in exchange, she promised me passage back to Edelgard." Patricia's breath hitched and Lambert rubbed her back.
"And it was all a lie! They tried to murder me that night too! A few days later, I realized the truth: Cornelia was just using me, lying to me to get what she wanted. Lambert didn't even know that Edelgard was in F-Fhirdiad." As Patricia ended, she began to sob uncontrollably. She knelt as her hands clutched her face.
"Indeed. Volkhard did bring a girl with him. He introduced her as his daughter, El. I… I never made the connection." Lambert continued. "Suddenly, in 1174, Volkhard left to go back to the Empire just as the Insurrection finished. He brought El with him."
"1174…?" Seteth began to stroke his chin.
"So, you sided with the enemy and aided an assassination attempt. That would be treason." Rhea coldly exclaimed, glaring at Patricia. "How do you defend yourself from that?"
Patricia looked up at her and matched her glare. "Because she is my daughter! I'd do anything to keep her safe!"
Seteth froze at those words. Flayn clutched Seteth's cape. Rhea reeled from those words.
'It seems that it's not only the daughter that would do anything for their mother. I wonder, is this how you felt, Mother?
'Is this how you felt, Sitri?'
"I… I understand." Rhea said, her anger lost. "Still, this changes nothing. How sure are you that Edelgard has been captured? It could have just been a ploy to lower your guard." She asked Patricia.
"I am not sure. However, all of Ionius's children have disappeared and no news has been found about them. Even if the enemy hasn't captured them, having no news about them doesn't feel right." Patricia responded.
"Volkhard… 1174…" Seteth stroked his chin again, deep in thought. "Lambert, you said that Volkhard left Fhirdiad on 1174, correct? Are you certain?"
Lambert nodded at Seteth. "Indeed. His departure was a sudden one. He just said good-bye and left with Edelgard in tow."
"Do you have something in mind, Seteth?" Rhea asked. Seteth seemed so caught on by Volkhard and that year.
"I may have something… If I may take my leave, I need to check on a report. Flayn, stay with Lady Rhea." Seteth bowed and left.
Rhea turned to Lambert. "Was there anything else that you found?"
"We found that Cornelia had been using a medallion to control and influence the men of her castle. It was also through this medallion that she influenced Patricia. We destroyed all medallions." Lambert answered. Patricia trembled at his last sentence.
Rhea felt pity for Patricia. On top of finding out her daughter was caught by the enemy, she was also influenced by something that wasn't in her control.
"Patricia, none of this was your fault. You have my condolences." Rhea told Patricia.
"Thank you," Patricia mumbled as she sniffed, having finally stopped her sobs.
The door opened and Seteth entered the Audience Chambers with a small stack of paper in his left hand.
"Lady Rhea, I found some reports about 1174. This was the same year that Volkhard stopped his yearly donations to the Church. It coincides with the same year he left Faerghus. It also coincides with the disappearances of Ionius's children. There's also how the Insurrection of the Seven ended in the same year." Seteth gave Rhea the papers as he approached the front of the chamber.
The stack included official reports about House Arundel's Church donations and reports from spies that were in the Empire. The official reports indicated that Arundel donated every year consistently until 1174. The spies noted that the children haven't been publicly seen for a very long time while the reports on the Insurrection mentioned the transfer of power between Emperor Ionius IX to Ludwig von Aegir.
"There are too many events for this to be called coincidences. Seteth, bring me all the reports about the Insurrection, from its beginnings, branching results, and its ultimate end in Adrestia," Rhea commanded Seteth as a knock rang out from the door.
"Lady Rhea, I have brought Shamir with me!" Alois's voice announced.
"Enter!" Rhea said.
Alois opened the door and entered the room. Behind him, a woman followed. She had short, dark blue hair, almost nearing black. The hair parted, though a majority parted towards her left. She had a pauldron on her left shoulder and wore a blue-green jacket and boots. She also wore black clothing underneath, and a choker completed her outfit.
"Shamir, reporting. You called for me, Lady Rhea?" Shamir stood at attention.
"I'm terribly sorry for the delay." Alois bowed. "It was hard to find her."
Shamir sighed. "And like I told you, you just didn't notice me."
Seteth sighed. "Enough, both of you. You stand in front of not only Lady Rhea, but also King Lambert of Faerghus. Lady Rhea, if I may take my leave."
The two caught themselves and stayed silent as Seteth left.
Rhea looked at Shamir. "Shamir, I have a new assignment for you." Shamir nodded. "The boy and girl are Emiya and Hapi. They will stay here in the Monastery for an indefinite amount of time. During their stay, you will be with them. Hapi has a certain…quirk that requires killing Demonic Beasts."
Shamir rose an eyebrow at that but didn't say anything.
"Her Crest has been modified to summon Demonic Beasts when she sighs. In the event that she sighs, you are to kill the Demonic Beasts that are summoned. Use what you need."
Shamir bowed. "Thank you, Lady Rhea. And what about the boy, Emiya?" She glanced at him before looking back at Rhea.
"He has been trained to hunt and kill Demonic Beasts. His magic is new but will be a boon to your duty. While you are to look out for both, he will aid you in killing these Demonic Beasts."
"Understood."
"And I'm guessing I'm crowd control, to make sure that no one stays in the vicinity, Lady Rhea?" Alois pointed to himself.
"Indeed, use the knights as needed."
The door opened and once again, Seteth entered the room. "I have all the reports about the Insurrection of the Seven." On his hand was another stack of reports.
'It would be terrible if the royalty heard the inner workings of another country. At the very least, Lambert shouldn't be here.'
"Alois, if you could escort Lambert to one of the guest rooms, please? This is a matter of another country. We cannot allow one country to know the inner workings of another." Rhea commanded Alois. Alois and Lambert nodded and left the room.
He stood at the front of the chamber and began reading what he found.
"The Insurrection was a response to Ionius's attempt to consolidate the power within the empire to himself. While it has been going on for years, the first public resistance came from House Hrym in 1167. They attempted to defect to the Leicester Alliance."
He flipped a page.
"It seems that they had help from the Alliance's House Ordelia. However, the Imperial Army arrived and stopped that rebellion. The major bloodline of House Hrym was eradicated, and an adoptee was named heir. As for House Ordelia, the Empire replaced its family members with Imperial officials. As a result, House Ordelia has been of terrible standing within the Alliance."
Another page was flipped.
"Currently, House Aegir controls the land House Hrym once owned." Shamir frowned at that, which Rhea noticed.
"Anything to say, Shamir?" Rhea interrupted Shamir and all eyes turned towards her.
"Yes. When I was in the Empire a few months back, I ended up in that area. Officially, House Aegir does control the land, but Volkhard von Arundel was there to control the people." Shamir stated and Patricia paled.
"What? He was there? But why…?" Patricia asked incredulously.
Shamir shook her head. "I didn't find out. However, from what I saw, the people were unhappy. Lord Arundel imposed heavy taxes. Before I left, I saw people packing their belongings and leaving. As for where, they were going in the direction of the Alliance, so most likely, towards House Ordelia."
"Heavy taxes? That doesn't sound like Volkhard. He was a kind brother and he made sure that the people under House Arundel were treated and taxed fairly." Patricia exclaimed.
"Then, what about replacing people?" Emiya asked with a frown.
"How do you mean?" Rhea asked, motioning for him to continue.
"We've seen what the enemy can do with the medallion. However, from what I saw in Cornelia's castle, they moved with limited capacity. Ruling an area needs a bit of autonomy and freedom to command its people. So, instead of just brainwashing through the medallion, how possible is it that they replaced the person, this Arundel person?" Emiya finished.
Seteth's eyes widened. "That's absurd! Such magic has never been- "
Emiya held his hand in front of him and electricity formed to create a sword. Shamir's eyes bulged at what she just saw.
'So, even Shamir can be surprised.'
"And yet, my magic exists, and I can do the impossible. From what I've seen, these guys defy common sense." The sword disappeared. "On top of that, from what I read in Fhirdiad's Royal Library, Cornelia was a good woman before. Experimentation doesn't seem to be something she would have done. To me, this points to a theory that Cornelia was used as a test run, and Arundel was next."
Rhea frowned in thought.
'He's right. It has been centuries since I last fought them. And even back then, their technology far outpaced ours. If they have survived since, would it be impossible to say that they've continued to progress?'
Rhea nodded. "Indeed, it seems that our enemies have continued to defy common sense and so, we must expect that when we face them.
"Shamir, I have a new assignment for you. You are to go to the lands of House Hrym and Arundel and investigate. Its people, policy changes, everything. Alois will be in charge of looking out for Emiya and Hapi. Seteth, can you brief Alois later?" Shamir and Seteth nodded in acknowledgment.
"Lady Rhea, would it be possible to join Shamir in her assignment? As King Lambert mentioned, I was trained to track and used that to follow Cornelia throughout her castle. More than likely, if Arundel was also replaced, just like Cornelia, I may be able to help." Emiya suddenly said.
"How were you able to track Cornelia?" Seteth asked.
"I'm sensitive to changes around me, and it manifests as a smell for me. When I was near the medallion, the smell made me feel like I was swimming through mud. As for Cornelia herself, she smelled like blood."
"That's absurd…" Seteth gaped at his words.
"Indeed. Then, Shamir, you will take him with you. However, I only want you to spy and track. The Church is neutral in Fodlan. We cannot be seen acting in a country's internal affairs. If you find something, report back to me or Seteth." Shamir and Emiya nodded at her words. "I will debrief you two on the specifics at a later time."
She sighed. "This has gone for a long while. We shall end it here. It goes without saying, but everything that was mentioned here stays here."
A collection of "Yes, Lady Rhea," rang out and Rhea dismissed the meeting.
Author's Notes:
Another chapter, and another chapter that went longer than before. I swear I didn't mean to do this; it just happened that way. I wanted to include Hanneman's Crest Test here but found the chapter too long already. The next chapter might just be that.
Let me know what you think. I might have seriously botched something up because the chapter went so long. I will edit this chapter if the mistake seems serious enough.
Cheers.
2021/02/10 Edit:
Outside of various spelling and grammar changes, I changed some words used to make it somewhat flow better. However, nothing major was changed from before.