Argh, I'm making these too long again. But hey, this chapter has plenty of Dorothea/Constance dynamic, but I might be heavy-handed again.

Chapter 58 – Into the Deep (Red Wolf Moon)

Byleth knew she should have expected Aelfric would object to an actual search for the Chalice of Beginnings. From around a corner, she and Dorothea heard the monk now attempting to dissuade the Ashen Wolves and some of the first-year students from such an endeavor.

"The answer is no," Aelfric said to the students and Ashen Wolves. "I will not allow it. It is far too dangerous."

"Ah, but if we can determine its origin, we may eliminate the very danger that vexes you!" said Constance.

"You already know this," said Balthus, "but there are plenty of folks down here who can't defend themselves. If these attacks keep up, eventually they'll find themselves in harm's way."

"Yes, I am aware," said Aelfric. "However, for the time being, you must promise to refrain from acting recklessly. My dear flock has suffered enough as it is. You needn't take any further risks. That goes for all of you."

With that, Aelfric took his leave.

"Surprisingly overbearing, isn't he?" Hilda said to the Ashen Wolves. "He must really care about you guys. Reminds me of Holst, in a way."

"Most certainly," said Constance. "Yet if we fail to nip this problem in the bud… I shudder to think of what will transpire."

After a second of silence, Petra then said, "Nip in the bud? I do not have understanding of such words."

Constance made a small "Tch…" at Petra before noticing Byleth and Dorothea, accompanied by the rest of the first-year students. She then said to Byleth, "Aha, it is you all! In the nick of time, as it were. Come, let us venture into the deep, deep underground. The chalice of legend awaits!"

"We're going underground?" asked Mercedes.

"But of course, dear Mercedes! Deeper and deeper still beneath the monastery, to the Chasm of the Bound."

"To find the Chalice of Beginnings, I presume?" asked Ferdinand. "No matter what peril awaits us, we will surely discover it."

Hapi then said to Constance, "Coco… You didn't hear a word Elfie said, did you?"

"I surely did, but we must read between the lines," said Constance. "Aelfric wants a solution as badly as we do. And so, we shall seek out the Chalice of Beginnings and present it to the church! If our enemies desire the object, this should halt all future attacks on Abyss! Ahaha! Brilliant, no?"

"Makes sense to me," said Leonie.

"That is, if it's down there," said Ignatz.

"Yeah, let's go find it!" said Caspar.

"I'm not so sure about that," said Claude. "According to legend, there's some kind of binding that protects it from would-be thieves. Even if we find it, we can't just walk up and take it unless we figure out how to break that thing."

"A valid point," said Lysithea.

"Ah, but that is simplicity itself!" Constance replied. "We shall first ascertain whether it is still bound, and then… we shall release it!"

"But where is this chasm, anyway?" asked Balthus. "I've never even heard of the place, much less seen it."

"As luck would have it, I have discovered yet another secret passage! It appears to go deep underground. According to my superior instincts, it undoubtedly leads to the Chasm of the Bound!"

"Huh. I suppose it's worth a look," said Yuri. "I don't care about finding some old cup, but if it could help us protect Abyss, I'll support the cause."

"Count me in too!" said Caspar. This was followed by voices of approval and support from several of the other students.

Constance then looked to Byleth and said, "You'll surely assist us, will you not?"

"We'll go with you," Byleth said with a nod.

"I don't have anything scheduled before my next nap, so I guess that's fine," said Linhardt. "Edelgard doesn't look too thrilled, though…"

Turning to Edelgard, Dorothea asked, "Not interested in a treasure hunt, Edie?"

"It's not that," said Edelgard. "I just… oh, nevermind. Very well, I will join you."

"That's the spirit, Edie!"

It was then that Petra, who had held a look of confusion on her face for a while now, asked, "Reading between lines? Again, I do not have understanding of your meaning. Are there perhaps small words in books that I have missed?"

Constance then let out a loud, disdainful groan as she said, "I wouldn't expect a Brigid savage to understand such colloquialism."

Everyone stopped dead silent at hearing this.

"What did you just call her?!" Dorothea said accusingly to Constance.

"You did not mistake my words. That girl, like the rest of her kind, is little better than a wild savage."

"Hey! Don't say that about Petra!" said Annette.

"Petra's not a savage!" added Ashe.

"Take that back!" Caspar added angrily.

"Constance, I insist that you apologize to Petra at once!" said Dimitri.

"I will not!" declared Constance. "I will not sugarcoat my distaste for her and her people! Not after what they did to House Nuvelle."

Ferdinand then said, "Constance, that is hardly a valid reason to–"

"Be silent, Ferdinand!" Constance snapped. "I will say my piece without interruption!" Then, glaring at Petra, she added, "Her kind, the savages of Brigid, slaughtered our servants, murdered my family, and burned our lands and holdings! They took EVERYTHING from me, and if you believe for a moment that I will forgive or forget, then you are all fools!"

Now cross with the blonde, Edelgard said, "Constance von Nuvelle, that is enou–"

Edelgard stopped as Dorothea swept in front of the blonde sorceress and, to everyone's surprise, slapped the girl hard across the cheek.

Everyone was silent for a good three seconds.

"You… You struck me…!" Constance gasped in disbelief. "How dare you, you–"

Dorothea immediately slapped Constance a second time, across her other cheek.

"How dare I?" Dorothea hissed as Constance stood in shock at being hit again. "How dare YOU call Petra a savage, you stuck up little harpy!"

"H-H-HARPY?!" Constance said in indignation. "You have the nerve to call me a harpy?!"

"Yes, because you don't want to look past anything but where Petra comes from! Sure, you lost your family and your home in the Dagda-Brigid War, but you aren't the only one who lost something!"

"Dorothea…" said Petra.

"Dorothea is correct, Constance," said Edelgard. "Petra lost her father in the same conflict that claimed House Nuvelle, and her people were forced into vassalage to the Empire."

"Edelgard has correctness… umm, is correct. My father was lost to the same war as your home, killed in battle against Caspar's father."

Caspar broke out into a nervous sweat at this as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I have understanding of your pain, Constance," Petra added.

"No, you do not!" Constance snapped. "You were not present during the battle that claimed your father's life, were you?" When Petra did not answer, Constance added, "I was there. I was there when your people stormed our keep, hidden within a closet. But I could hear them. I heard them cry out as your people butchered them! My servants… my brother… Mother and Father…"

"Coco…" said Hapi.

It was then that Byleth said sternly, "You're acting as though you are the only victim, Constance. But Petra is just as much a victim of that war as you are. You have no right to hate her for something she had no control or involvement in."

"Professor…" said Dorothea.

"I want you to apologize to Petra, or we won't be helping you find the Chalice. Is that clear?"

Aghast, Constance said, "Y-You expect me to forgive this… this…!"

Byleth glared at the blonde, forcing her into silence.

Then, after a moment, Constance grit her teeth and then said, "I… will apologize for my slight against you, Princess of Brigid." Her pride then got the better of her as she said, "But do not expect me to trust you, not for an instant!"

"Coco!" Hapi hissed, but Byleth gestured for the dark-skinned girl to be silent.

"That will do for now, Constance von Nuvelle," said Byleth, though it was clear she was still displeased. "But I expect you to cooperate with her if we run into trouble. I won't tolerate it if you let your prejudice bring her to harm."

With another groan of distaste, Constance said, "As you wish, Professor Eisner. I will… work with her if it means finding the Chalice. With it, I will be able to convince the Church to restore House Nuvelle."

"Should've guessed that was your motive in all this," Dorothea said wryly.

"And as for you, you irksome chanteuse," Constance snapped as she glared at Dorothea, "I will have recompense for you daring to lay a hand on me!"

"What are you gonna do, talk me to death? That might actually work given I can barely stand the sound of your voice, you obnoxious little bi–"

"Constance, Dorothea, stop it!" Mercedes said loudly, putting herself between the two women before a fight could break out. "You two are acting like children!"

Dorothea and Constance glared at one another, but the verbal jabs ceased, much to everyone's relief.

"Okay, people, let's just settle down now," said Yuri. "Everyone, go and get your things. We'll be heading down in an hour to find this Chasm of the Bound and maybe see if we can't find the Chalice."

Deciding it would be for the best, the students and Ashen Wolves dispersed and went to prepare themselves for the journey.

…

As Dorothea sat before a broken mirror to adjust her hair, she frowned as Ferdinand walked up to her with a displeased expression and said, "Dorothea, what you did to Constance was uncalled for."

"Ferdie," Dorothea said, "you're going to defend that blonde lunatic?"

"Constance may have been acting rudely to Petra, but that did not give you the right to strike her."

"Oh? I didn't see you doing much to stop her. One little glance from her and you, the so-called 'noblest of nobles', allow her to tear into Petra like that. Well, unlike you, I was willing to stand up for her."

"You believe that I approved of Constance's conduct? That could not be further from the truth!"

"You enabled her by not stopping her, you useless bee."

"Again, you call me that, Dorothea."

"And you still haven't figured it out yet." Standing up from her seat, Dorothea moved to leave the room as she said, "And at this rate, I doubt you ever will."

Ferdinand stood rubbing his forehead as Dorothea strode out of the room, hoping to avoid him as much as possible.

As she went toward the market in Abyss, hoping to take her mind off the previous arguments, she saw Byleth having a word with Anna.

The singer approached as Anna said, "Who knows if you might need someone with some knowhow on Magitek, right By?"

"I appreciate the help, Anna," said Byleth.

The redhead then realized Dorothea's presence and turned to say, "Hey Dorothea, I was just getting the okay from By to come with you all on your little treasure hunt."

"You're coming with us?" asked Dorothea.

"Sure. There might be more than just that Chalice down there." Anna made a greedy smile as she said this.

"I should've guessed…"

Byleth then said, "Dorothea, can we have a word?"

The bluette pulled the singer off to the side as she said, "I don't want to see you and Constance arguing when we head out, understand?"

"That's up to her. She just… UGH, I can't stand nobles like her, former or otherwise! She's so selfish and stuck-up and–"

"I understand that you dislike nobles who obsess over their status, but keep in mind what Constance has been through."

Sighing, Dorothea said, "Fine, fine, I'll try not to antagonize her any further."

"Thank you, Dorothea. Now come on, we should get going."

…

Over the next several hours, the first-year students and the Ashen Wolves made their way down through the catacombs. Due to the cramped corridors, they were unable to bring any mounts, so students like Ferdinand and Ingrid had to travel on foot. Several stops had to be made to try and figure out which way to go, with Byleth using her sword to mark the walls so they could find their way back. The air grew stale as they went further down, with only spiders and vermin to be found as they went. On more than one instance, the students thought they could hear voices, leading to some like Lysithea, Ashe and Annette being scared out of their wits at the possibility of the tunnels being haunted by ghosts. And at one point, Edelgard ended up letting out a loud scream of terror when a small group of rats crossed their path, much to the amusement of Claude.

Then, just when they were considering turning back, the students saw light coming out of an exit tunnel. Cautiously they made their way forward and soon found themselves looking outside. It was apparently still bright out. Byleth looked down at her pocket watch to see it was still early in the afternoon.

Dimitri looked up and said, "Say… Are we beneath the bridge at the monastery? Incredible…"

Dorothea, Byleth and the others looked up and realized that they were, indeed, below the bridge connecting the academy to the cathedral. Because of a thick fog layer, they had never been able to see down to the bottom when they had been up at the cathedral.

Claude then said, "Huh. I never thought I'd be gazing up at that bridge we've crossed a thousand times from way, way down below."

Several other students agreed with this sentiment.

Yuri then said, "Are we sure this is the right place?"

"It is. I think. I believe. I… hope?" Constance replied.

Everyone turned to see Constance was still inside the tunnel they had come from, trying to stay out of the light. It was unusual, to say the least.

Edelgard then asked, "Constance, why are you hiding in the shade? Aren't you the one who insisted that we find the chalice?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Dorothea asked dryly. "Afraid of a little sunlight?"

Constance wanted to spit at Dorothea, but growled and said, "Fine! If you insist that I join you, then I shall. Satisfied?!"

Constance hesitated for a moment, and then walked out into the sunlight. And as she did, she began to hang her head low and her expression changed to one of melancholy. Her skin even seemed to turn pale with a dark shadow over her face.

Then, in a tone that was far more subdued than usual, Constance said, "Oh my. I was quite rude just now… Please accept my humble apologies for treating you so foully. I presumed too much to stand beside such noble paragons. Allow me to dig a hole to bury myself in…"

"Uhh, what?" Dorothea said in utter confusion.

"Constance? Are you alright?" asked Mercedes.

"Ugh… No matter how deep underground we are, I guess sunlight is still sunlight," said Balthus.

"What's going on with her?" asked Anna. "She's not her usual self…"

"This is what Coco's like in the sun," said Hapi. "That's why she lives underground."

Constance then said, "I fear I cannot guarantee that this is the Chasm of the Bound. I have almost surely wasted our time."

"Enough with the self-doubt, yeah?" said Balthus. "Just put one foot in front of the other. We'll have you back in the shadows before you know it."

"Cheer up, Coco. We need you," said Hapi.

Her expression turning even more pessimistic, Constance said, "And now I have forced you into a state of pity. I feel so very worthless."

Everyone was silent at this bizarre scene for a moment.

And then, despite receiving several glares for doing so, Dorothea burst out laughing.

"Oh my, I-I can't believe this!" Dorothea said amid her laughs. "This is just too rich! Little Miss Superiority Complex becomes a shrinking violet if you just shine a little sun on her!"

"Dorothea, this is hardly a laughing matter," said Edelgard.

"I-I-I know, I s-shouldn't laugh at this, but– AHAHAHA!"

As Dorothea continued to laugh, Byleth contemplated scolding her for it when Mercedes strode over and sharply pinched Dorothea's cheek.

"Ow! OWOWOWOWOWOW! M-Mercedes!" Dorothea yelped.

"Stop laughing at her, Dorothea!" said Mercedes. "It's not funny!"

Mercedes then released her grip on Dorothea's cheek and turned back to Constance, leaving the singer to nurse her face.

"This must have to do with what happened to House Nuvelle," said Ferdinand.

"As ever, your intuition is far greater than mine could ever hope to be, Ferdinand," said Constance. "The sun… it oppresses me now so much as it did that day when I emerged from hiding and found the remains of my family and home. I cannot bear it…"

Hearing this, Dorothea immediately changed her tune as she said with guilt, "Oh… Oh, wow, now I feel terrible… S-Sorry, everyone…"

"Are you going to be alright, Constance?" asked Mercedes.

"Dear Mercedes, you need not spare any pity for me," said Constance. "I – Huh?"

Dorothea felt the same thing that Constance did as a surge of magic came from the chasm they had entered. Evidently, the other mages in their group felt it as well. Then, a loud mechanical sound caught everyone's attention, and they turned to see something coming out of the thick fog of the chasm.

"What is that?" Bernadetta squeaked nervously as she darted behind a rock.

"Something likely placed to guard the chalice," said Edelgard as she brandished her axe.

Sorry, but we're cutting it off here. I've hit my word limit per chapter (around 3,000 words).

I honestly wish there could've been a few support chains where someone gets slapped to the face. It would've worked great during the Felix/Ingrid B-Support, or maybe the Constance/Ferdinand C-Support.

And I'm sure I goofed up with Constance hating Petra, but hey, it'd be reasonable to think that Constance would have a beef with the people of Brigid. The two honestly should've had a C-B Support in-game.