Heavy-handed time again. I know I botched this somewhere.

Also, more character sexualization.

Chapter 101 – New Benefactors (Pegasus Moon)

It was a few days after the battle in the Sealed Forest that Rhea summoned Byleth, Anna and Dorothea to the audience chamber. Though she normally would not have brought the diva along, she knew Dorothea would listen in on them anyway, and in any event, she had something important to discuss with her. Seteth had protested Anna's presence, but Rhea cited that Anna was now considered Byleth's guardian, and thus had every right to know what she was about to tell.

"How are you feeling, Professor?" asked Rhea.

"Much better now, Lady Rhea," Byleth said curtly.

"Is there something we can do for you, Rhea?" asked Anna.

"Now that you have received sacred power from the goddess, there is somewhere you must pay a visit to," said Rhea. "You must go to the Holy Tomb so that you may receive a divine revelation from the goddess."

Rhea watched Dorothea's expression as she spoke and caught the diva's eyes widening at hearing of the Holy Tomb. It seemed Yuri's report was on the mark.

"The Holy Tomb?" asked Anna.

"What do you mean by a revelation?" asked Byleth.

"The Holy Tomb is where the goddess sleeps," said Seteth. "This monastery was originally built for the purpose of protecting that hallowed temple."

"Only a select few know of it, but there is a legend about Seiros and the Holy Tomb. Saint Seiros, the first soul to be gifted power from the goddess, received her revelation there. She was told it was her sacred duty to save the people of Fódlan, and that she must use her power wisely in order to lead them. The words that were handed down to Seiros from the goddess will likely fall upon your ears as well."

"Where is this Holy Tomb?" asked Dorothea.

"It is located deep below the monastery, even further than Abyss," said Seteth. "The entrance, however, is a closely-guarded secret, Miss Arnault."

Seteth's tone made Dorothea nervous, but she did her best to hide her anxiety.

"There will be a ceremony at the Holy Tomb," said Rhea. "It is then that you will receive the goddess's revelation. You may share this with your students."

"With the others?" asked Dorothea.

"Do you think it wise to bring them into this?" asked Byleth.

"It is said that when Seiros received the revelation, she had holy warriors by her side, protecting her," said Rhea. "Your students, who have followed you and fought alongside you through the darkest of times, are well suited to stand by you for the ceremony. Of course, as the leader of the Church of Seiros, I will be by your side as well."

"Really? That's strange…" said Anna.

"The occasion is too significant to be missed."

"Isn't that too dangerous?" asked Byleth.

"The Holy Tomb is a sacred temple that is sealed off from the rest of the world. There is nothing to fear. Even if something were to happen, I am more than capable of protecting myself."

"Oh, well, that sounds good," said Dorothea. "I think I've had more than enough danger to last me a while now."

"Much has changed, but your duty has not wavered," said Seteth. "Steel your mind for the ceremony and prepare your students well, Professor Eisner."

Seteth then left the audience chamber. The three women were about to leave when Rhea said, "Hold a moment. Miss Arnault, there is something I need to discuss with you."

"W-With me?" asked Dorothea.

"I am placing a great deal of trust in you by telling you of the Holy Tomb, Dorothea. I pray you will not betray my trust to Volkhard von Arundel."

Dorothea's eyes narrowed in shock and fear.

"W-W-What are you talking about?" Dorothea said, trying to play coy. But she knew deep down that Rhea would never believe it.

"Dorothea, Yuri has told me of your association with Volkhard. He told me of the meeting you had with the Imperial Regent last month, and that he commanded you to locate the Holy Tomb for him."

Dorothea was now shaking in terror. She could almost imagine Rhea's blade going through her throat.

"L-L-Lady Rhea, I… I…"

Byleth then stepped toward Dorothea and said, "Dorothea, calm down. Rhea's not going to punish you, I promise."

"Wait, what?"

Dorothea looked into Byleth's reassuring gaze as Rhea said, "I am willing to overlook your… curiosity on his behalf. But you must forswear yourself from his service and confess your role in his designs."

"L-Lady Rhea…" Dorothea gulped as she asked timidly, "Y-You're really not going to… punish me…?"

Smiling, Rhea said, "Why would I punish you for being given an impossible task?"

"What do you mean by that, Rhea?" asked Anna.

"Knowing where the Holy Tomb is one thing, but it is impossible to enter it without first knowing its entrance, and how to open it. And that is something you never would be able to find on your own."

"Huh, sounds like Arundel wanted you to get blood from a stone, Dorothea. But why would he do this to begin with?"

"That I do not know. I am having Yuri investigate the matter. In fact, he was the one who suggested that I tell you about the Holy Tomb, Dorothea. He felt that if I showed my trust in you, you would be more inclined to sever your ties with Arundel."

"Y-You trust me, Lady Rhea?" Dorothea asked in surprise.

"Of course. But now, I am asking you to trust us by telling us what he wants."

Dorothea was silent for a moment, unable to believe what she was hearing. She hadn't expected Rhea to be so understanding, or for the Archbishop to put such trust in a commoner.

There was only one thing Dorothea could do.

"H-He never told me… why he wanted to know about it," Dorothea said as she tried not to sob. "He'd always get angry if I started asking questions. So, I just… I just did what he told me."

"And his goal was for you to locate the Holy Tomb for him?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Why did you serve him?"

"He was paying for my tuition. I tried so many other nobles before him, but no one was willing to help me. Edie recommended me to him when she was getting ready to attend."

"Is that your only reason?"

"Y-Yes! I can't stand him! If it weren't for the money, I'd have been done with him long ago! But I… I wanted to attend this place so badly!"

"I see… Thank you for sharing this with me, Dorothea. The Church will investigate the matter. And you needn't worry about your tuition. We will see to it that you are accommodated."

"W-What? Are you serious?"

Rhea smiled as she nodded, leaving Dorothea speechless for a second.

"R-Rhea… I don't know what to say…"

"Well, a big 'thank you!' might be a good start," Anna said jokingly.

"Th-Thank you…! Thank you so much, Lady Rhea!"

"Professor, you and Miss Arnault are dismissed for now," said Rhea. "Anna, I have something I need to discuss with you."

"You two go on ahead, I'll catch up later," Anna said to Byleth and Dorothea.

The diva, still scarcely believing what she had been told, had to be led out of the audience chamber by Byleth.

"I… I can't believe it…" said Dorothea. "Why would Rhea be so… understanding?"

"I spoke with Rhea about it earlier," said Byleth. "I asked her to consider your situation, just like she'd done with Yuri."

"Professor…" Dorothea's eyes welled up with tears as she said, "Thank you so much…! I just… thank you!"

The two left Rhea's line of sight as the Archbishop smiled.

"I think someone's gonna need to pinch her," Anna said in jest. "She probably thinks she's dreaming right now." Then, more seriously, Anna said, "Hey, Rhea, why do you think Arundel wants to find the Holy Tomb?"

"As I said, I do not know," said Rhea. "Its existence should not even be known to him. I would question him myself, but we cannot afford to be so direct. We must tread carefully around him. Arundel has many political connections, especially with the other major families of the Empire."

"So, you're not gonna do anything to him yet?"

"To accuse him of anything without proof could create a scandal for the Church. We are already dealing with the backlash of losing the students of the second and third semesters. And with many of the Knights still suppressing the followers of the Western Church…"

"You don't have the manpower right now."

"Exactly. I must put my trust in Yuri and hope that he discovers something."

"Well, I wouldn't get my hopes up if that's how you wanna play it, Rhea."

Rhea paused for a moment before she said, "Anna, Seteth told me you tried to have Professor Hanneman perform an autopsy on the corpse of the assassin Kronya."

"Yeah, I did. But the body disappeared without a trace."

"Surely you are aware that–"

"Seteth already told me about that whole taboo, Rhea. The thing is, I've seen a lot of different warriors in my travels, but nothing like her. The way she moved, how she fought, that power of hers… they weren't human. She might've looked human, but she fought more like… I dunno, some kind of demon. And with Solon, I've seen necromancers before, but nothing on his level. No necromancer I've encountered had the power to make monsters like that."

"You truly believe they were inhuman?"

"I'm positive. Those two were something else entirely. That's why I wanted Hanneman to autopsy Kronya's body. We've gotta know what we're up against."

"I see."

"I just… if Seteth didn't move the body, who did?"

Rhea pondered this as she thought over Anna's reasoning.

Meanwhile, Anna looked wistfully up at the skylights to the audience chamber as she too pondered over the whole thing. As she did, she saw the light coming down seemed blurred, as if it were shining through a thin sheet of ice.

Anna rubbed her eyes in confusion, and when she looked up at the skylight again, the blur was gone.

…

Candles crackled with blue flame as they stood around an altar. Blood drawn in a magical circle connected the various focal points of the ritual. Off to the side, various Magitek devices and surgical tools sat on a table.

Atop the altar was the voluptuous orange-haired body of an Agarthan Nightblade.

From out of the shadows, a pink-haired woman with blue eyes stepped forward with a Magitek tablet in her hands, showing her an array of vital signs coming from the body. The woman was far more voluptuous than even the Nightblade, her colossal breasts bouncing with every step. She only wore a carmine skirt at the moment, leaving the sorceress topless. She was never one for modesty, especially with the body she had acquired from that researcher years ago. It had been a shame to kill her; it had been so delightful playing with her body.

The sorceress grinned as the tablet showed the Nightblade's brain activity was increasing. The experiment was going better than she had hoped.

A silent moan escaped the Nightblade's lips. Her eyelids began to flutter. Her body began to shift in its attempts to move.

The sorceress tapped a few buttons on the tablet, sending a surge of dark energy into the Nightblade's body through a series of tubes connected to the assassin's body.

As the energy coursed into her body, Kronya let out a loud gasp for air as her eyes bolted open.

At first, all Kronya could see was darkness. She thought she was still trapped inside of Zahras. But soon the flicker of blue flames crept into the periphery of her vision. As air filled her lungs, she began to writhe and scream from the pain coursing through every fiber of her being.

The sorceress tapped the tablet again, cutting off the flow of dark energy. Kronya's body fell limp against the altar as the pain went away, leaving the naked assassin gasping for breath. The sorceress smiled as she strutted toward Kronya.

As she caught her breath, Kronya gasped, "W-Where… am I?"

Kronya shifted her head from side to side, trying to get her bearings. The lab she was definitely an Agarthan one, but it wasn't the one she knew from Shambhala. Her head swam as she tried to remember what had happened to her.

And then she remembered… She had died, right?

"W-Wait… how am I…"

"Alive, dear Kronya?" said the sorceress, her voice sultry and dripping with competence.

Surprised, Kronya turned to see the topless spellcaster and immediately recognized the borrowed form of the Agarthan Magistra.

"Bias…" Kronya hissed.

Smiling, the sorceress said, "I actually prefer Cornelia these days."

"You… you settle for a beast's name?"

"It has a nice ring to it."

"W-Where am I? What happened to–"

Kronya stopped as she remembered what had happened to her. She felt her chest burn with pain as she remembered how Solon had plunged his hand into her, taking her heart.

Indignant fury filled her face as she hissed, "Solon…! That lecherous, backstabbing old bastard! I'll kill him! I'll kill that fucking–"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kronya, but you're already too late," Cornelia interrupted. "It seems the so-called 'Savior of All' died over a week ago at the hands of the Fell Star."

"H-Huh?"

"If you really want someone to blame for your… death, then you should blame the Agastya."

"W-What?! Thales?!"

"Thales told Solon to use your life for the Forbidden Spell. They both wanted you dead, and if they could use you to try and get rid of the Fell Star, all the better."

Kronya was practically shaking with indignation. She had always thought that Thales held her abilities in high regard, but she was just another pawn to be sacrificed. The realization left her clenching her hand so hard that her nails drew blood.

"Do try to appreciate how hard I had to work to bring you back," said Cornelia. "You wouldn't believe how difficult it was for us to get your body back from the enemy, or for me to install a new Darkheart into your chest."

"Us?"

Another set of footsteps alerted Kronya to a second presence in the room. Kronya instinctively reached for Athame, but the Agarthium blade was sitting on a nearby table instead of at Kronya's hip.

Another woman stepped out of the darkness, and Kronya lowered her guard upon seeing the familiar face. This woman was tall, much taller than Kronya or Cornelia, with a more-lithe figure than either of them, but still with an ample bustline. Her long blonde hair reached her waist, with part of it covering the left of her red eyes. Her outfit consisted of a stylized bustier and pauldrons, and a thong combined with a showgirl skirt, leaving vast expanses of her pale grey skin exposed, especially her midriff. She wore a pair of knee-high boots with high heels. On her back was a folded composite bow with a quiver of black arrows strapped to her exposed thigh.

"Cleo…?" Kronya said in surprise.

"You're not dead," said Cleobulus, her voice one of deep contempt. "You didn't prove a waste of my time."

"What was that?!"

"Ladies, please, be civil," said Cornelia. "Kronya, you should be thanking Cleo for her help. If it weren't for her, I suspect you'd be getting dissected right now by those Church fools."

Kronya growled, showing her hesitance to thank Cleobulus for her help. The two had always been antagonistic to one another.

"Try not to die again," said Cleobulus.

Fed up with Cleobulus' snark, Kronya jumped off the table and tried to punch the Agarthan Arcus. Her blow went right through Cleobulus as if she were made of air. Before she could whirl about, Cleobulus elbowed Kronya in the back of the neck, sending her to the ground before stepping on her back.

"How boring."

Snarling, Kronya used her Blink power, teleporting out from under Cleobulus' boot. Kronya reappeared next to Athame, and she quickly grabbed her dagger as she assumed a fighting stance.

But then Cornelia said, "Enough! You don't want me to make you two behave, do you?"

Cleobulus was indifferent to Cornelia's threat, but Kronya broke out in a cold sweat. As good as she was, Kronya knew that even at her best, she would be no match for Cornelia.

Kronya scowled as she set down Athame while Cleobulus turned away from her.

"That's better," said Cornelia. "Now then, dear Kronya, I know you must be angry with how things have turned out for you. Thales thinks you're dead, and if he knew you were still alive, I doubt he'd let you live for long."

"Then why help me?" asked Kronya. "Why bring me back if Thales is just gonna kill me anyways?"

Cornelia then smiled as she strutted over to Kronya, placing a hand on the Nightblade's chin.

She then said, slowly, "What if we had a Shambhala without Thales?"

Kronya's eyes widened at hearing such a treasonous question. Thales was the undisputed leader of the Agarthans. The others followed him without question.

But Cornelia spoke as if she wanted to overthrow him.

Kronya was silent for a moment, and then said, "I'm listening."

Cornelia's smile grew wider.

I mean, why wouldn't Cornelia strut around topless in one of her secret hideouts? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Yep, Kronya lives in my story. She's going to be around for a while, including into post-timeskip. I'm still ironing out how much I'll be including Kronya, but I will reiterate that she will never reconcile with Byleth. The two will remain mortal enemies until death.

By the way, the character Cleobulus is kind of an OC, but there was in-game data that hinted at an Agarthan with such a name. You would've faced this character in Shambhala. For my story, though, Cleobulus is going to be an original character who serves Cornelia. If you need a mental image of Cleobulus, she kinda looks like Sylvanas Windrunner from Warcraft without the Elf ears or super-long eyebrows, and a showgirl skirt instead of pants (to go with that thong). She's a Sniper, but she's got a nasty power.

As for the Dorothea/Rhea part, I'm so sure I was too heavy-handed there, but it was a tough scene to write. Yes, we're still going with the whole "Rhea can't confront Arundel because of politics" angle, but you have to consider the setting Three Houses takes place in. The Crest nobility is given so much power, and Rhea wants to keep a delicate balance going so that Fodlan isn't consumed by war. And even if you say Dorothea could testify against Arundel in a courtroom, Fodlan doesn't (yet) use courtrooms.

There's actually one NPC in Abyss at one point who says she watched her whole family being slaughtered by nobles, but she can't lift a finger against them because they're Crest nobility. Dorothea would be in a somewhat similar situation; Arundel's the Regent of the Empire, so he's super powerful politically. A street girl like her isn't going to hold much weight against him.