Jia's laughter subsided and Catherine shot him a curious look. "Your apology is appreciated, but it was not a necessity." Jia explained, waving away the warrior's words. "She is the reason you were out of commission for over a week." Magoichi felt compelled to point out. "True, but no one seems to believe it was a malicious act." Jia reassured, though Magoichi remained unconvinced.

"So we're good?" Catherine asked, tilting her head slightly. "We're good." Jia parroted with a nod of his head. Catherine let a smile show, it seemed like the incident had been weighing on her at least a little. After a quick exchange of farewells Catherine left the duo to themselves.

"Could've made her sweat a little." Magoichi chimed in earning a chuckle from Jia. "Maybe, though I'm not certain how she'd react to that." Jia explained, beginning to roll up the map he had placed on his desk. "Now I'm fairly sure you have someone else to catch-up with." Jia teased in a friendly manner, pointing to the door. Magoichi did not need more encouragement than that and promptly left after a goodbye.

A few days passed and Jia was finally given the go ahead to leave his room if he so wished. As much as he wanted to spend the time in the light of the day, he instead needed to respond to a summons from Lady Rhea.

Jia stood outside Rhea's private chambers, an odd place to be asked to meet but Jia obliged none the less. A few moments later and the door cracked open. Odd as it was, Jia took it as a sign to enter. "How are we feeling today, Jia?" Rhea's voice sung after the door shut behind him. "Well enough, do I need to ask why you called me here?" Jia asked, briefly scanning the room. Apart from the grandiose looking bed, it seemed her quarters were in line with others in Garreg Mach.

"What I am about to reveal must remain between us two, for the time being at least." Rhea explained earning a questioning look from Jia. A moment went by. "Very well, I understand." Jia responded, curiosity eating away at him. "Good, I believe we have located a previously undiscovered Dragongate." Rhea announced and Jia had to rack his brain. "Dragongate, you mentioned that when we first met correct?" Jia asked, earning a nod for Rhea. "Indeed, they contain the power to traverse different worlds and even time itself in some cases." Rhea elaborated. "Though as I said before, those in Fódlan have long since been dormant." She admitted. "And you believe this new Dragongate could be a way for Magoichi and I to return home?" Jia asked. "That is correct." She affirmed.

A grin spread across Jia's lips. "So, when do you want us to investigate?" He asked and Rhea smiled in return. "As soon as you are able, I have a handful of knights reserved to accompany you." She offered to which Jia shook his head. "No need, you will no doubt need them to help deal with your current circumstances. Magoichi and I can deal with it alone." He assured her. "That is a most kind offer, but with the aid of these few I predict you will all return before the night of the ritual." Rhea explained and Jia had no way of countering such a point. "Then let your chosen knights know we will leave tomorrow, I've a class to teach this afternoon." He informed her before offering a bow. He left her chambers and went to find Magoichi.

Rather surprisingly he found Magoichi at the Training Grounds, giving advice to Leonie on how to aim a bow. "If Yuan could see you right now." Jia said, causing the Sharpshooter to jump out of his concentration. Leonie let her arrow loose, straying wide from the mark. She looked at the two with obvious annoyance. Jia simply smirked at the pair as Magoichi offered his apologies to the young warrior.

"Nothing wrong with showing someone how to aim you know." Magoichi stated calmly as he approached Jia, the pair leaving Leonie to practice solo for a moment. "Oh of course, though I'm sure Yuan would still want me to give you some grief." Jia teased and to his credit Magoichi did not react. "What did you need Jia?" He asked, evidently in no mood to join in Jia's jests. Jia chose not to question that, though did make a mental note of it. "We might have a lead to get us home." Jia all but whispered, his friend leaning in to catch what he said. "Alright, where, when and how?" Magoichi asked. "The how is unknown, where and when will be tomorrow morning. Rhea gave me a location to investigate." Jia explained, Magoichi nodded in understanding. "Just us?" He inquired and Jia shook his head. "Rhea insists we take a few knights with us." Jia admitted causing Magoichi to raise a brow in question.

"Make no mistake, we could handle it ourselves I have no doubt." Jia confessed, examining Magoichi's response. His look remained unchanged, waiting for Jia to elaborate. "It would seem Rhea wants to keep tabs on us Mago, despite the apparent lack in knights to protect her." Jia finished, earning a shrug from Magoichi. "So what? We're not doing anything to harm them." The sharpshooter said earning a chuckle from Jia. "No we're not, still to be so distrusted means Rhea's suspicious of someone." He elaborated earning a snort from Magoichi. "Someone in charge is worried of plots and ploys, I'm shocked Jia." He stated without shock.

Jia merely rolled his eyes. "Just be mindful Mago, she was not so overtly cautious before." Jia cautioned and Magoichi nodded. "Yeah sure, I'm going to work with Leonie a bit more." He excused himself, leaving Jia alone for a moment. Magoichi was already adjusting Leonie's stance before Jia left to prepare to teach himself.

The afternoon rolled around fast and Jia found himself stood in front of the Blue Lion house. Professor Hanneman had readily agreed to allow Jia to teach them and even excused himself away to not hinder Jia's authority, or at least that was the story the old man had given.

"Hanneman's notes tell me you already know the basics of strategy?" Jia asked, earning a chorus of affirmation from the students. "Good, then today let us explore formations." Jia said in good cheer. Most of the class gave the effort to at least appear interested.

Jia turned away from the class and began to write on the blackboard. Three words were written in a triangle, arrows pointing from one to another. "Arrow, Crescent, Wheel. You can not get more simple than these." Jia explained before pointing towards the word Arrow. "Arrow formation, named so for the arrowhead shape the unit forms." He explained, eyes scanning the students. He settled on the archer, Ashe. "Tell me, what would be the best use of such a formation?" He asked and the boy seemed startled. It lasted for only a moment as he began to answer. "Its not my strong-point, but I assume for charging through the enemy sir?" He asked unsure of himself. Jia smiled and nodded. "That is the most basic way of using it yes, thank you Ashe." Jia commended, and the boy seemed pleased with himself.

"With the information just learned, who wants to tell me about the other two formations?" He asked the room, earning silence. "Sorry professor, but we've not heard of these formations before." Dimitri broke the silence with his apology. Jia waved it away. "Then using what Ashe and I have said about the Arrow formation, deduce what the others may be." Jia encouraged, eyes scanning the room once more. Mercedes cautiously raised her hand and Jia pointed at her. "The wheel would be a round shape, like a wheel?" She asked cautiously, earning a nod from Jia. "I don't know why you would want to do that though." She admitted shyly.

"Understandable, The wheel formation is taken by multiple units as opposed to one." Jia explained, drawing a circle out of dashes. "When in the wheel formation, it is possible to quickly rotate units in and out of combat, keeping fresh troops in the fighting and allowing crucial moments of respite for fatigued units." He finished his explanation and scanned the room once more. "Right, so crescent must be shaped like a crescent then, how's that useful?" Sylvain asked, his boredom apparent.

"Yes that is correct." He acknowledged Sylvain with a nod and began drawing yet another diagram. This time a simply line was drawn. "I suppose it doubles up as a tactic too." He said with a chuckle as he drew a block representing an enemy unit. "You wait until the enemy is engaged, and then the centre of the formation retreats." Jia drew another picture, this time the line had become more crescent shaped. "The flanks stay where they are and then." He clicked his finger, drawing a final diagram with the enemy unit encircled. "Of course this formation gets its name from the middle stage." Jia finished his explanation.

"Professor, would it be possible to teach us something more advanced?" Dimitri asked, his notes seemingly full. Jia scratched the top of his head for a moment in thought, earning a giggle from Annette. "I suppose." Jia answered, still thinking what he could teach the students that could be considered advanced but they would still understand.

A flash of inspiration gripped him, and Jia erased the notes he currently had written on the blackboard. "The Eight Gates Formation." Jia announced, earning curious glances from even the most disinterested. "A defensive formation, impossible to beat except by those who know of it." Jia explained as he began to draw on the blackboard. This drawing took a bit more time as he drew several units onto the board, with just enough space between them to make what looked like a maze. "And the commander goes here." Jia said idly as he marked a spot in the centre with an X.

"Now, can anyone guess as to why this formation is so hard to best?" He asked the class, getting nothing but the shaking of heads. "The formation constantly moves, changing the path and forcing the aggressor to fight constantly. Not to mention if you chose the wrong gate it is impossible to reach the commander." Jia finished his explanation and realisation dawned on Dimitri. "The opponent will keep fighting until they surrender or die." The prince thought allowed earning a nod from the professor. "Correct." Jia commended the prince.

Felix cleared his throat. "You implied people could beat it?" The swordsmen asked, reminding Jia of the rest of his lesson. "Right, right. The formation is names 'Eight Gates' so there are eight gates, one of these is the gate of life. Find that and the formation all but crumbles." Jia explained and Felix huffed. "How do you find that?" He asked further. "It is usually to the right of the gate of death, you can recognise that as the entry the enemy is usually coaxing you towards." Jia explained as he lightly stroked his chin. "Of course you might need a decent strategist to examine the formation personally, every one is organised at least slightly different." Jia noted and opened the class to questions.

The questions ranged from simple all the way to nonsensical, though Jia was able to answer then all to varying degrees. The class eventually came to an end allowing Jia to make his get away, though not before receiving a quick word of gratitude from the Blue Lions leader.

Evening had come and Jia was in the dining hall with the other members of faculty, enjoying a fish pie for dinner. Rather, Jia was enjoying a fish pie for dinner as the other teachers were deep in conversation. "Nope, I'm telling you Marianne would be a lovely companion for our dear Jia." Manuela challenged, the strategist doing his utmost to tune out the conversation. "And as I said Manuela, Ingrid is much more in line with Jia's tastes. At least as far as our mutual friend has led me to believe." Hanneman chimed in, pointing an accusing finger at Magoichi who simply smirked in response.

"Dorothea." Byleth said simply, causing the others to look at her as if they had not noticed her before now. "Well, I see only one solution to this argument." Magoichi began, stealing everyone's attention. "You date all three and choose who you're most compatible with." Magoichi challenge, pointing a finger at Jia. The Strategist in question was mid bite, and slowly swallowed his food. "Sounds like an amusing game for you, I refuse." He denied, going back to his meal. "Oh, and it sounded like a fun idea too, getting to play matchmaker and all." Manuela lamented, earning a roll of Jia's eyes. "Now now, we can not force the man." Hanneman said. Byleth remained quiet and it was hard to determine her thoughts on the matter.

"Hmm, come to think of it how is Edelgard doing?" Jia asked Byleth, the other teachers looking at the former mercenary with curiosity. "Fine." She answered earning a chuckle from Jia. "Has she confided in you who her crush is?" Jia proved further, earning a questioning look from the youngest teacher. "No, why?" She asked back. Jia placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You're her teacher, it would be natural she holds you in confidence." He explained, not wanting to reveal the empress in waiting's feelings to the oblivious mercenary.

"Well, it is late and I've had my fill." Jia announced, rising to his feet. "Do take care without our assistance." Jia said in farewell as he bowed to the table. He could faintly make out assurances of well being as he left.

It was dark when Jia was making his way back to his quarters, as much as he would have savoured a stroll in moonlight he needed to get some rest for the morning. At least that was until he got distracted by sound of a woman muttering in fear. Jia could not make out the words, but something was certainly being said. Jia peeled off from his usual path and closed in on a section of the student dorms. "Agh... Who's there?!" The familiar voice of Edelgard asked in fear as she poked her head from her dorm. "Professor, what are you doing here?" She asked, calmer now though a layer of sweat could be seen along her forehead. "Apologies, I heard something and chose to investigate." Jia explained himself, showing his empty hands in an attempt to ease any tension.

"Oh? Perhaps I was talking in my sleep..." Edelgard explained to herself, almost forgetting Jia was even there. "Sounded like a nightmare Edie." Jia used the nickname in an attempt to soothe her. "Yes... Silly things I can't control." She confessed and Jia wanted desperately to offer her some comfort, though he knew he could not. "I understand, I can't offer much but I do have an ear to lend." Jia offered.

"No. They're just worthless dreams of the past. Talking about it won't change a thing." She confessed, shaking her head. "I suppose some people feel that way." Jia noted with a nod and was about to drop the issue. "But I must admit you have my curiosity..." Jia trailed off trying to think of a way to get Edelgard to share her burden. She let out a sigh. "Maybe I can trust you with this..." She said softly, and Jia's ears perked up.

Edelgard took a deep breath to steel herself for the sharing of her tale. "I dream of...my older brother, paralyzed, helpless..." She paused for a minute, turning to look away from Jia. "My older sister crying for help that never came... the youngest babbling words beyond meaning. I see my family dying slowly, waiting in the darkest depths for a glimmer of light." She made a point to look him in the eyes, her own obviously damp. "I once had ten siblings, eight older and two younger. Such a large family, and yet I became the heir to the throne. Do you know why?" Edelgard did not pause for an answer. "Every last one of them was crippled by disease or lost their mind or died. I was the only one left who could inherit the throne." She finished, earning Jia's silence at least for a moment.

"That is, an awful thing to have suffered through." Jia said, knowing it was an obvious thing to say but desperately needing to acknowledge the girls tale. "Things kept getting worse." Edelgard responded. "The darkness kept getting darker. In the end, I was the only one who survived." She looked away from him again. "The nightmares are a reminder...to never forget. To never allow such terrible things to happen again." She finished once more. Jia placed a hand on her shoulder causing her flinch at the sudden sensation. "There are more people than not who would see such a goal to fruition." He said as if swearing an oath to Cao Cao, causing Edelgard to smile if only a little. "Being so serious does not suit you Jia." She admonished lightly. Jia merely rolled his eyes in response.

"I've only ever told one person this before, I'd appreciate if you forget it." Edelgard commanded, all airs of friendliness gone. "But of course, I promise." Jia acknowledged and Edelgard was set to retire for the night. "Good night, Edelgard." Jia said with a bow before setting off to his own quarters for the night.

Morning came and Jia was at the main gate with a group of four Knights. Each of them looked green to Jia but he had been surprised before. "What's taking the idiot so long..." One of the knight said under his breath, earning a whack on the helmet from Jia's staff. "Careful now." He warned with a smile, the whack did little but irritate the man but Jia needed to do something in retaliation.

"Hey!" The Sharpshooter's voice rang as he came into view, holding a hand up in greeting. "Let's get moving then." Another knight spoke, prompting Jia to shake his head. "Let us make this clear now shall we, I'll be giving the orders until we return to Garreg Mach." He explained to the knights and though some looked willing to challenge him no one did. 'Too easy, primary goal must be to observe...' Jia thought to himself.

The group left the monastery on foot, as the trek would take them through some dangerously thick forest. "Wait!" A feminine voice called from behind, prompting the small group to stop. The voice belonged to none-other than the pink haired merchant that had provided Jia with his new attire. "Anna?" Jia asked with a raised brow and the merchant stood to attention and offered a salute. "Yup! I'll be coming with you!" She declared all full of cheer. "Do you know something I don't?" Magoichi asked the merchant, who covered the sharpshooter's ear to whisper something.

What happened as a result was Magoichi mimicking the action only Jia provided the ear. "She's coming." He said and Jia saw no reason to argue with his friend. "Do you need a weapon?" He asked, earning a shake of the head as the woman produced a jagged sword. He'd seen one once before in a book, a Levin sword. Jia nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, onwards!" He declared as the trio of himself, Magoichi and Anna took to the front of the group.

It took the best part of the day for the group to arrive at the alleged Dragongate and it was easy to see why such a location had been lost. Buried amongst the trees covered completely in moss was a large arch. Magoichi let out a whistle at the sight of it. "Is this it?" He asked the group, earning blank stares from the knights. Anna however stood beside the structure and tapped it three times with her knuckle. It made a solid stone noise. "Yup! This is it." Anna announced and Jia couldn't help but me amazed. "And how do you know that?" He asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Anna simply tapped her nose. "Trade secret!" She declared and everyone would have to settle for that.

"So, how do we find out where it goes?" Magoichi asked the merchant and she mimed being in thought. "Tricky..." She mused, though no one seemed to but the act. "Oh fine, we just need the key!" She explained, still carrying the same enthusiasm as before. "And how do we find that?" Magoichi pressed. "First thing's first, we need to find out what it is." She explained, placing her knapsack on the ground and opening it to reveal brushes of varying size. "Grab a tool and start cleaning!" She ordered, and though the knights protested they obliged.

Daylight quickly began to fade and the group left the gate only a quarter cleaned. "I'm beat." Anna declared, sitting on the ground a few paces from the gate. "Oh good, let us stop for today." Jia agreed with Anna, taking a seat beside her. "We didn't bring any tents." One of the knights stated, looking at the darkened sky. "What, don't wanna rough it for a night?" Magoichi joked, giving the knight a slap on the shoulder. "I-idiot! Monsters roam at night." The knight cautioned, earning a questioning glance from both Jia and Magoichi. "That's what you're here for no?" The merchant asked innocently as she lay down, closing her eyes.

Jia jumped aboard Anna's question. "True, I was wondering why Rhea would offer us so much protection." Jia announced innocently. He swore he could see a few scowls forming. "Alright, you four take night-watch" Magoichi commanded, and the knights scattered around the gate, sorting out their own patrol patterns.

Morning came and despite the lack of tents or beds the trio managed to sleep well. A yawn escaped from Anna as she looked around the site. "Where'd the knights go?" She asked groggily and after a quick look around Jia could not spot them either. "They went home." Magoichi revealed, handing a scrap of paper to the strategist. The writing was crude but the message was clear. The knights had declared they fulfilled their mission and decided to leave the three of them to the gate. "Great." Jia mumbled as he got to his feet. "As annoying as being observed was, more hands would have made this easier." Jia explained, tucking the note away.

"Well, now the Seiros guys are gone I can speed things up." Anna declared with a smile. "Does your cheer never diminish?" Jia could not help but ask, earning a raspberry from the merchant. "Just stand clear." She warned and the pair of men retreated a good distance. Anna lifted her sword above her head and swung down, connecting with the gate. A split second later and a bolt of lightning hit the structure, burning away the remaining moss. Magoichi and Jia were gobsmacked.

Jia recovered first. "Why would you not do that sooner?" He asked surprisingly calmly. Anna stuck a finger on her chin in an attempt to look innocent. "Not many people can do that and I don't want to be conscripted into the knights." She explained and Jia felt no reason to question it. Who wouldn't want someone with that power in their army after all.

With the question answered, Anna started to examine the gate in great detail. Jia wished he could help but honestly had no idea what Anna was looking for, if she even was. "Ah-ha!" She exclaimed and beckoned the pair over. She was soon flanked by both Magoichi and Jia who looked at where she was pointing. It was a small indent, though the shape was hard to determine. "That is where the key goes." Anna helpfully explained. "But what is the key?" Magoichi asked and a moment of silence passed between the trio. "No idea." She said with a shrug and the two men simply sighed. "I see, thank you for getting us this far at least Anna." Jia said, Magoichi nodding in agreement.

Anna waved away the thank you. "Thank me when we crack this gate open, maybe Lady Rhea will know what the key is?" She mused aloud. "One way to find out right Jia?" Magoichi asked, receiving a nod. The trio made their way back to Garreg Mach.

Anna quickly left to go tend her stall once the returned leaving Magoichi and Jia to themselves. "You okay handling Rhea?" Magoichi asked to which Jia nodded. "Of course, now go rejoin Manuela, your pining is making me uneasy." Jia teased his friend, who simply laughed as he walked off. Jia made the trip to Rhea's audience chamber.

Once Rhea knew Jia had arrived she ordered him straight to her chambers, where the strategist now dutifully waited. 'Oh the scandal I could cause' Jia thought with a grin as he awaited his host. Rhea entered and quickly closed the door behind her. "So, you found the gate?" She asked, not wasting time. "We did, it is very inactive." Jia informed her, causing the holy woman to frown. "That is a shame." She said, looking at the floor. "We did however, find an indentation on it... Would you know what that is?" He probed, deciding to leave out Anna's involvement.

Rhea seemed to perk up. "That is likely where one presents the key to open it. Sadly such items have been lost to the church for some time." She explained. "A shame, I suppose that is a bust then." Jia deduced and Rhea seemed to agree. "If any news should reach my ears concerning Dragongates or keys, I will endeavour to let you know." Rhea promised and Jia bowed in farewell, leaving the holy woman to herself.

The night of the Rite came far too quickly for anyone's liking and the Black Eagle house entered the mausoleum, rounding up Jia on the way. Whoever chose that spot to guard deserved some recognition as it was already filled with brigands galore. Most noticeably however was a mounted man in pitch black armour who looked like death himself. Jia locked eyes with the man for a brief moment and felt a shiver ascend his spine. That was feeling he had only gotten twice previously, once when looking into Lu Bu's eyes and the other when the Hydra first appeared to ravage the land. "Steel yourselves." He heard Byleth command and Jia took a breath, he had outlived Lu Bu and the Hydra had proven it could be slain. This was nothing.

"Those Central Church dastards have spotted us... Buy me some time while I open the seal on the casket!" A masked man commanded and Jia was surprised the knight was not in charge of the battle. "Death Knight! Prove your strength and scatter these fools!" The masked man ordered the Death Knight, who refused to move. "I don't take commands. Or waste my time on weaklings." The Death Knight defied his commander. "No one engage that knight!" Jia warned the Eagles, pointing to the death knight. The students already seemed to have come to that conclusion themselves.

Ferdinand and Caspar both proved to be anxious to start the battle as both charged the nearest foes. Ferdinand speared through an unprepared archer with ease, showing once again his skill with the weapon. Caspar however stopped short and threw a short-axe at a mage who proved to be more skilled than the boy at range, easily dodging the weapon. The mage prepared some sort of spell to fire back but found his attempt cut short when an arrow lodged itself in his skull. "Alright Bernadetta!" Caspar cheered, though the archer took little delight in her victory.

The rest of the class caught up with the eager students and Byleth set about giving further instructions. She split the class in half: Herself, Edelgard, Hubert, Ferdinand and Dorothea would take the right flank. The rest would accompany Jia on the left. There was no reason to argue and so the class split, ready to defeat the enemy.

All went rather well, with no one sustaining injuries. The two flanks met again in the middle, within striking distance to finish off the apparent leader of their foe. However for some reason unknown to Jia, Byleth changed her course: Heading towards the Death Knight. "What is she doing?" Caspar of all people asked from behind Jia, to which he had no answer.

"Like moths to a flame..." The Death Knight said in an inhuman voice. The Death Knight easily parried Byleth's initial swing yet did not counter the blow. "I told you that if you fled, I would not chase you. But it seems you wish to die..." The Knight trailed off and Jia swore his eye glowed an even brighter red.

The strategist was convinced the knight would battle it out with Byleth first and not move on until said foe was defeated. A rare miscalculation as the Knight spurred his armoured steed into a full gallop, his target was unclear as most of the students that Byleth took were clumped together. "Scatter!" Jia ordered instinctual, though a fraction too late.

Hubert had the head of the Death Knight's sickle speared through his shoulder. "Ah..." Was all Hubert could say, the reality of what had happened not yet sinking in. A swing of an axe and the weapon was removed, leaving the young mage with an open wound to deal with. Thankfully Dorothea was nearby.

"There's no way around it, I shall be your opponent." Edelgard declared, shield and axe firmly in her grip. "Oh? This will be fun..." The Death Knight responded with some familiarity. The Death Knight pulled away from the young leader, no doubt preparing another charge. Almost as soon as he left, he was charging once more. His goal: Edelgard's head. He likely would have achieved it too had it not been for a large orb shooting at the feet of the horse, causing the steed to suddenly stop. "Byleth!" Jia shouted and the Death Knight turned his scythe to block the incoming slash from the teacher. The sound of steel on steel rang in the mausoleum for an age as the deadlock saw no signs of ending.

An axe embedded itself in the unprotected flank of the Death Knight, though the lack of blood told those watching it had failed to get through the Knight's heavy armour. The Deadlock ended with Byleth panting to recover her breath, the knight merely laughed. "How unexpected, together you might all be a challenge..." The Knight mused to himself, causing Jia to scowl. 'No flood attack here... Think Jia.' The strategist thought to himself in silence, not knowing how to overcome such a powerful foe. There was no way to trick him at this point and a fire attack was unlikely to take in the stone halls.

That familiar feeling again, everything that had happened in the last few moments flashed before him, though this time in reverse. The events stopped when the two halves of the Black Eagles re-united and Jia wanted to puke. "A-are you alright Jia?" The nervous archer asked him and he couldn't help but get a sense of Deja-vu. "Fine thank you." Jia said unconvincingly as he worked to hide his reaction to the phenomenon.

This time Byleth did not alter her course, charging the enemy leader instantly. The mage seemed to not be well-versed in combat as the former mercenary cut him down with a single swing of her blade. "Its... No use!" The mage cried as he got back to his feet. Jia was not the only one stunned as everyone seemed taken aback. The mage pushed the lid off of the tomb. "Huh... A sword!?" He asked the air in confusion, pulling out an odd-looking blade. Without thinking Byleth kicked into action, charging the mage and mirroring the attack that put him down the first time. The new sword was flung from the mage's grip and in reaction Byleth grabbed the weapon.

The mage was more relentless than anyone could anticipate as he fired off a spell at Byleth, who rose her new sword to block the attack. It was a success as the spell disappeared as it made contact with the weapon. "Huh... What!?" The mage exclaimed in confusion. Byleth threw her old sword to the ground and advanced on the helpless mage, who appeared to be summoning a new round of magic. The mage never got the chance to unleash the attack, as Byleth finished him off once and for all.

Byleth remained by the tomb, examining the sword she now had, what she was thinking was anyone's guess. "That sword is...I see. What a pleasant surprise." The Death Knight observed, before a ring of energy surrounded him and he vanished. Jia noted that teleportation was a technique some had access to here as a result. "Ugh, he got away!" Edelgard complained. "That sword... Why is it?" She asked, quick to get over the retreat of the powerful foe. "Something to learn later no? We should report our encounter." Jia suggested, earning a nod from the leader. Almost as if on cue Catherine and some knight entered the Mauseleum. "Is the intruder here?! Oh... Looks like you have this under control." She noted, before ordering her allies to round-up any stragglers. Jia had a feeling he knew the fate of those captured.

The next day, the surviving conspirators were held in the cathedral. With them were Rhea, Shamir, Seteth and anyone who wished to witness their fate. Jia was one of those people, silently watching events play out. It seemed that no matter what the accused said, the gathered judges would not allow them to speak. Jia could not see the reasoning behind it. Even if you knew your enemy would deceive you, it could still lead to further clues doubly so when a conspiracy is concerned. Alas the "Western Church Priests." Were not allowed to say their piece and were finally taken away to be executed.

Jia left the hall to seek out Byleth and their students. It was not hard to find them as they were gathered in their classroom.

"That's that, I suppose. The assassination attempt, the attack on the Holy Mausoleum... It was all the Western Church's doing. That masked knight who led the attack somehow managed to disappear without a trace." Edelgard explained matter of factly. "The Church of Seiros clearly isn't as unified as it would hope to appear. It seems the bishop of the Western Church was always opposed to the church being ruled centrally from Garreg Mach. Perhaps they hope to remove the archbishop in order to completely strip the Central Church of its authority." Hubert elaborated further and it made some sense to Jia. "Western Church, Central Church. I was unaware of such a divide." Jia pointed out.

"Oh right, you're not actually from Fódlan..." Edelgard remembered, a blush of embarrassment tinting her cheeks. "In order to function more efficiently, the Church of Seiros is split into several smaller entities. The Central Church is the largest and leads the organization from Garreg Mach." Edelgard explained, causing Jia to grin. "It would seem you'd make quite the good teacher yourself." He complimented, earning a shake of the head from the girl. "The Western Church extends from Castle Gaspard, where Lord Lonato rebelled into the far west. They can be found just beyond the most renowned stronghold of the Kingdom, the Fortress City of Arianrhod." Hubert filled in a few more blanks, to which Jia was grateful.

The conversation moved on, and other students began to express doubts. "Lady Rhea is pretty scary sometimes...but to execute that whole group just like that? It seems harsh, even for her." Caspar noted. "Execution is not an uncommon punishment here surely?" Jia expressed his doubts. "For major crimes such as treason or murder no, but rarely so many and not by the Church." Edelgard answered. Jia contemplated for moment. "If one of us does something bad, I wonder what she would do to us!" Bernadetta all but cried. Jia sighed, there wasn't anything he could say to comfort the girl in this case. Even if it were students in place of the Western Church he had no doubt Rhea would have shown the same amount of mercy.

"Professor... Do you agree with the archbishop's actions?" Dorothea asked Byleth, who's expression gave nothing away as to her thoughts. She was about to answer when Seteth entered the room. "There you are, Professor. It seems Lady Rhea would like a word with you. Come with me." The man ordered and Byleth dutifully obeyed, following the man out of the classroom. Dorothea sighed. "What about you Jia?" She asked him. "Executions are common where I am from, though we usually give the condemned a chance to explain themselves. Poor reasoning or no, it is valuable to know." Jia answered honestly, and he swore he saw Dorothea frown for a moment. He was not a fan of that.

In the desolate landscape that was the human-warriors camp, a crackle of energy lit at the gate. From it emerged three warriors: Cao Cao, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and the mystic Fu Xi. They had returned triumphant in there battle with Tamamo's trickery, this time at least.

"We return victorious, Ya-hoo!" The monkey cheered, earning the attention of those who did not notice their initial arrival. "That we did!"Fu Xi encouraged. While those two celebrated Cao Cao walked further in to camp, seeking out any of his strategists. The first he came across was a determined looking Nu Wa. "My lord." She said with a bow. "What is wrong Nu Wa?" He asked, sensing some hesitation. "Guo Jia is gone." She stated bluntly, preferring to get it over with. "Gone how?" He asked, and she began to tell the tale of how the Strategist and his Marksman friend left their realm.

"How do we get them back?" He asked, forgoing any thought of rest. "We do not, we must wait for them to find the way back themselves." She explained and Cao Cao's expression turned dark. "Very well." He said after a long pause, not in anger or defeat but simply acknowledgement. He gave a bow out of courtesy, before leaving the mystic to herself.